Yoongi lays back against the tree and stares up at the barren branches above. His face is tight with echoes of pain. Moving from the center of the clearing to the edge is difficult enough. His chest was ripped open during the attack, or it certainly felt like it. He could still feel the ghost of the wolf's bite against his clammy skin; the hot stink of the wolf's breath on his face as Yoongi fell to the ground.

He blinks away small flecks of snow as he stares up at the darkening sky. The freezing wind nips at Yoongi's fingertips and starts to numb the skin. His body is aching even as he keeps still.

"Hyung!" Taehyung runs from the other side of the clearing with the arrow in hand. He skids to a stop in front of Yoongi and kneels before him. His fluffy black hair has returned to its bouncy state as the sweat on his forehead has dried. There's a faint smear of blood on his cheek that Yoongi wishes he could wipe clean.

Taehyung offers the arrow to Yoongi. "What do you think?" His expression is apprehensive meaning he already recognizes it.

Yoongi turns the arrow over in his hand and studies its tip closely. It has a dark silver tip with rough edges. There are faint indents of bubbles on the flat side of the tip. It's a homemade weapon, not something from before the fall of humanity. "We need to be certain this is the same make. We need the other one, just to be sure."

"If they match, then it means that one of Valentine's people shot the arrow on the Nightwalkers' behalf," Taehyung summarizes. "One of Valentine's attached the Nightwalker's note to meet in Calemari."

Yoongi nods with a grave expression. "If that's the case, then it confirms that the Nightwalkers and Valentine are allied together for whatever purpose."

"Let's go back to the house." Taehyung looks over his shoulder in the direction of the path. There is fear in his eyes. "I hope they're gone."

Yoongi sucks in a sharp breath, "We should be prepared for anything. There could be more inside the house looking for the key." It sparks an angry flame within him as he remembers the men admitted to entering the house. Their home is no longer safe.

Taehyung helps him to his feet. Yoongi leans on him for support and minimizes his movements. He does his best but the pain seared through his chest with an angry sting. Yoongi walks forward with a straight expression until he starts to see spots. His hand grips Taehyung's shoulder as his head spins. He begins to lose his balance.

Am I losing too much blood? Yoongi thinks wearily.

Taehyung continues on, taking on more of Yoongi's weight with every step. The world around him is speckled with darkness and echoes of light. His head feels terribly light and his line of focus shifts from the horizon to the dirt of the path.

"Hyung!" Taehyung's grip tightens and forces him to stand up. Yoongi stumbles and realizes he was falling forward.

Yoongi catches his breath as he struggles to see past the darkness. Blood drains from his face and a wave of nausea passes through him. He presses his hand to his gurgling stomach as he begins to taste acid. He blinks rapidly as he struggles to regain control of himself. "Tae," he speaks softly, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Taehyung's lips pull back into a worried grimace. "Here, sit down..." He lowers Yoongi to the ground. "Deep breaths, don't push yourself."

Yoongi shakes his head, stubborn. He tries to stand up again but another wave of dizziness knocks him down. "We can't waste time. We need to--, the others are in trouble."

Taehyung looks down at him and pales. "You're still bleeding."

Yoongi removes his hand from his stomach and examines the shiny coat of blood on his palm. He stares at it, numb to the freshness of the blood. He didn't want to acknowledge it. He knew his condition was bad but he didn't think it would be this bad.

Unfortunately, Yoongi refuses to stop pushing. The others are in grave danger and this information can help them. If they're still alive, his mind reminds him. Hopefully, they aren't too late.

"We need to figure this out. We need to tell them what happened," Yoongi protests. "I have to keep going. We need the notes, we need the other arrow--" he winces as he strains to speak above a whisper. He sees spots again.

Taehyung mutters under his breath. Then he lays his hand on Yoongi's shoulder. "I'm going to the house, alone. I'm going to help you back and you're going get the radio set up for when I return. You shouldn't be moving anymore."

Yoongi's stomach drops. "You're not going alone. I won't let you."

"That's not a choice we can make," Taehyung argues. He scans the trees surrounding the path with fierce alertness. "I'll be careful. I know where the notes and the arrow are. I'll run there and come back as fast as I can."

"No, Taehyung, I won't let you do that. The house isn't safe right now. You can't go alone!"

His beautiful eyes are sad as he says, "I'm not giving you a choice." Taehyung scoops Yoongi up in his arms with ease.

Yoongi bristles as he is lifted off the ground and he attempts to fight back but pain shoots through his chest at the sharp movement. Yoongi cries out and his body paralyzes. His eyes are squeezed shut but he feels Taehyung run. He shakes his head in restrained moves and opens his mouth to protest but nothing comes out.

It hurts too much to do anything except wither in pain.

Taehyung mumbles a quiet apology as he slows his pace. "I'm really sorry, hyung. Get your key out. You have to go inside."

Yoongi groans as the wave of pain fades. He opens his teary eyes and fights the urge to scream at Taehyung. He knows Taehyung is doing what needs to be done--Yoongi would have done it if the positions were switched--but it doesn't erase the gripping fear. Yoongi wishes he could go with him and protect him. He has to trust Taehyung's senses and pray nothing is hiding in the dark.

Yoongi finds the key in his pocket and brings it out. Taehyung lowers him enough to place the key into its lock and unlock the sliding door. The door screeches as he pushes it open and they wince in unison.

The air inside the train car is biting cold as the temperature continues to drop. Taehyung enters the darkness and sets Yoongi in the bundle of blankets in the corner. He turns on the small lantern and sets it beside Yoongi. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promises.

Yoongi's heart clenches with panic. "Be careful!"

Taehyung pauses in the doorway. Then he throws himself back and falls before Yoongi, tears filling his eyes. He cups Yoongi's face in his large hands and kisses him hard. Just as Yoongi presses forward, Taehyung pulls away and is already headed out the door.

"I love you!" he says.

Yoongi's arm remains outreached, hanging alone in the air, and he nods. "I love you too."

With that, Taehyung shuts the door and leaves Yoongi alone in the dimly lit train car.

Aching and silently praying for Taehyung to return.

Taehyung's heart pounds as he approaches the door to the cabin. Darkness swirls behind the frosted windows. The once-warm home now radiated with ominous energy and set Taehyung's nerves on end. A deep-set hatred towards the pack's enemies spurs within him. They violated his home and stole the safety they fought so hard to protect.

I have to find Namjoon's journal with his notes on Alpha Grayson, the arrow that the Nightwalkers shot at us, and find a weapon to protect ourselves with.

Taehyung slowly turns the knob to the house and holds his breath in anticipation. Valentine's people might be lurking inside the house; still searching for the key to the train car or raiding their supplies. He has to be extremely careful and return to Yoongi as fast as possible.

The door slightly opens and he breathes in the rush of air from within. The air greets him with the telling scent of humans—earthy and tangy—but it's faint and stale. Either they left when they chased them out or they were still deep inside the house.

Then Taehyung caught the scent of his packmates. It was fainter than the humans' scents but it made his heart ache. He sent a prayer up to whatever god was listening and hoped they were safe.

Taehyung presses on the door and peeks through the crack, examining the darkened living room. The room is bathed in shadows and gave blindspots to the far corners. Now he could smell the leftover scents of their breakfast and burnt wood from this morning.

It is quiet.

Taehyung's eyes flit from one corner to another while being mindful of possible hiding spaces around the couches. He's played enough games of hide-and-seek to know the best hiding places in the house. He hates how such a happy memory must aid him in the darkest of times.

His heart pounds against his chest, beating faster and faster as he enters his home. On instinct, his body crouches over in a position of anticipated attack. He can shift faster if he keeps his arms lower to the ground. Taehyung tip-toes across the entryway and spaces a look into the kitchen. It appears empty as well.

He slinks across the living room and makes a beeline for Namjoon's office. His palms sweat at his sides as he listens to the deafening silence. It's so quiet. His alert eyes examine the area around him and confirm there are no abnormal shapes in the corners.

It's not over yet, Taehyung reminds himself. He sets his sights on the door to Namjoon's office. I need to be careful.

He intakes a sharp breath, checking the air for any fresh scents, and determines that they are stale. His hand finds the doorknob to the office and carefully turns it. He keeps his body against the door, hiding behind it, and presses his chin down into his chest.

Then he smells it.

The sharp tang of human, fresh and afraid, from within the office. His eyes spark with momentary alarm but are replaced with a vehement need to protect his home. He sets his jaw and prepares to shift, readying for whatever lies within this room.

I'm not going to let anyone hurt my family again. They are going to pay for what they did to us.

A quiet gasp sounds from within the room followed by the scuffle of papers.

Taehyung's eyes darken and his expression hardens into one of rage. A low growl builds from the base of his chest and his body anxiously trembles at the thought of transformation.

"Who's there?" a quivering voice calls out.

It causes Taehyung to pause.

He recognizes that voice.

It's the girl who broke their window. Evey, he remembers. The rude one who asked Charlotte all of those awkward questions. It feels as if it had been years since that night.

Taehyung realizes that if she's asking who's there, then she must be alone in the room. The other humans left her behind when Yoongi and Taehyung chased them off. Maybe they trusted her to search the house on her own, or they forgot and left her behind to fend for herself.

"It's not funny, stop it," she pleads. "Don't scare me again."

Taehyung's expression slowly relaxes as her voice shakes with vulnerability. He shouldn't let his guard down, on the other hand, attacking a kid goes against his moral compass. Although she seems to have sided with the enemy, he can't unleash his anger on her.

He can't attack her but he needs to find a way into the office.

Taehyung hears an audible gulp and the telling click of a safety being turned off.

He bites back a curse as she confirms his suspicions. She's armed, of course, she's armed. He can't risk barging into the room and hoping to take the gun from her hands before she fires it at him. He has to find another way into the office without hurting himself or the girl.

Taehyung pulls back from the door and leans against the wall. The door is a half-centimeter open, barely discernible to the unfocused eye, but her paranoia might give him away. His heart's quickened beat made a low, dull sound inside of his chest, worried she might come to the door to check but she never does. He doesn't hear her move or set the gun down. She's frozen in place just like him. His body moves slower than the silent count of seconds. Taehyung knows he has the make the first move, albeit he is unsure how to proceed.

In the back of his mind, a whisper asks, What would Namjoon do? Then an idea flares to life. It clings to the single hope that Evey is merciful and does not have a firm grip on the trigger. It is worth a shot, Taehyung decides.

"Evey?" he asks in a lulling, quiet voice.

Her scent of human fear strengthens like the crack of a whip. She has been, indeed, listening as closely as he is.

Taehyung remains close to the wall behind the door and mindful of the crack beside him. The dim ray of light shines through the crack like the thread of a spider. It barely illuminates his bare arm and the goosebumps rising from his skin.

"Who's there?" she asks, struggling to calm her voice.

He answers, "You know me."

In vain she tries to harden her tone to sound brave. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to shoot you! If you scare me again, I'm going to shoot you!"

His mouth turns into a sad frown as his heart ached with pity. She must spend a lot of time feeling afraid. "We met a few days ago, Evey. We picked pumpkins together."

She falls quiet.

Taehyung waits for a beat for any response. He receives none so he continues. "I'm not going to hurt you, Evey. I don't want to hurt you. Please don't give me a reason to."

"How am I supposed to trust the wolf crouching outside my door?"

He bites his lower lip and drags his teeth across the chapped skin. In the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of Evey inside the office. Her faded, old red hoodie clings to her skin and bones body with eyes wild and alert. She is aiming a pistol at the door, shaking like a leaf, and hardly killer material. Unfortunately, Taehyung knows better than to trust her in this state. She's terrified and there's nothing more unpredictable than a human acting out of fear.

"If you don't attack me, then I don't have to defend myself. I'll let you leave and go back to your home. I won't chase you, I promise. The others have already left."

Evey's eyes widen a fraction and her expression is soon replaced with a crushing disappointment. Her extended arms lower slightly and aims the pistol down at the ground.

They left her behind, he thinks. They didn't come back for her.

"Put down the gun and leave the house. Go back to the colony and don't turn back," he instructs. He keeps his voice soft and calming, hoping it would persuade her. "There's nothing here for you."

Then her jaw clenches and her eyes spark with fierce rage. "No!" she argues, raising the gun, "You're lying! You killed them, didn't you? You're going to kill me too! Just like the others!"

Taehyung's mouth goes dry. He licks his dry lips and tries again. "I didn't kill them. We chased them out because they were trying to hurt us. They told you to look for a key. They were going to kill us for it, Evey."

She winces slightly at the sound of her name. "You were going to kill them first. You're lying."

This isn't going anywhere. She'll never leave the room at this rate. What am I supposed to do now?

"We didn't kill... any humans." Taehyung's mind flashes an image of a wolf thrashing in pain in front of him without warning. It causes him to stumble. His heart rate quickens as the taste of blood echoes in his mouth. It was self-defense. They were trying to kill us first.

"I saw what you did to those wolves," she forces through her gritted teeth. "You and your whole pack are murderers."

"We did what we had to do. Don't lie to me, Evey, you know you'd do the same." Taehyung's breath shudders in his chest. "I'm sorry your parents were killed by wolves, but that doesn't give you the excuse to hate all of them. Humans are just as capable of violence, even more so."

Her knuckles turn white from her tightening grip.

Taehyung forces himself to take deep breaths and ignore his burning need to wash his mouth out with water. His stomach tenses as discomfort fill his entire body. He ducks his head for a moment then his eye locks with Evey's between the crack between the hinges in the door.

She freezes.

Taehyung holds his gaze and adds, "After all, you're the one holding the gun."

Evey's lip quivers as her resolve dies in her terrified eyes. Her focus flicks from him to the gun in her shaking hands.

"Don't do this," he whispers. "You're too young for blood on your hands. Don't add to the ghosts that haunt you still."

She stifles a gasp and tears fill her eyes, overcome with sudden emotion. Then her arms lower and Taehyung releases a sigh of dizzying relief.

Evey sets the gun down on the table and steps away from it. Her body curls away from the desk as if the very sight of the gun disgusted her. She wrings her hands together as she comes around the table. "You promised I could leave safely," she says.

Taehyung nods with a glowing smile of relief. "Yes."

She locks eyes with him again through the crack. "Move away from the door."

Taehyung steps away with his eyes fixated on the door and the sliver of Evey. She treads lightly and pokes her head around the door, hesitant. Then a small shriek escapes her mouth, eyes widening in horror, and she ducks away as if she had been struck. She staggers behind the door, vanishing from sight.

Taehyung gasps and lunges forward. "Evey!" He whips the door open in a panic, dreading what he might see. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

She yelps when she sees him. "You're naked!"

Taehyung stops in his tracks.

Oh.

He quickly moves to the other side of the door and uses it as a shield. Taehyung wasn't thinking about grabbing clothes before entering the house; it wouldn't matter if he had to shift. It would be a waste of clothes. He bows his head in apology, "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"How do you forget?' she asks incredulously, half-shielding her eyes.

"I have other things to worry about. Here, I'll just stay behind the door. You should find your group before they get too far ahead. The woods are no place for a human." He grimaces and glances at the desk in the center of the room. There are scattered papers and small notepads all over it. "Alpha Grayson's pack could still be out there. You need to be careful."

Evey looks at the pistol she left on the table with a note of anxiety.

Should I let her take it? What if she tries to shoot me on her way out? Can I trust her with a gun?

Taehyung runs his hand along his bare stomach to massage the growing tension. "Do you have other weapons?"

Evey pats the switchblade hooked onto her pocket with a forlorn expression. "I don't think that's enough to take down a werewolf."

Taehyung sighs through his nose and shakes his head. "No. It's not." He looks at the gun again. "I'll let you leave with the gun... only if you explain what's going on. Tell me Valentine's plan and you can leave with it."

The blood from Evey's face drains and her skin turns ashen white. "His plans?"

"You must know them."

She looks to the far corners of the office and her weight shifts between her feet. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then you can't have your gun back."

Evey glares at him and her hand twitches at her side. Taehyung's eyes narrow in return as he tilts his head, "You're not fast enough and it takes more than a few bullets to take down a werewolf. Yes or no, Evey. Tell me his plans or leave the house."

She fists her hand in frustration yet she remains rooted in her spot. She is silent for a few beats and looks at the gun again. Then her shoulders fall limp and her body appears to crumble in defeat. Evey closes her eyes and grimaces. "They'll kill me if I do."

"They won't find out. I promise." His eyes widen with pleading, "Please. My family's in grave danger and I need to know what's going on. Why is Valentine doing this? I thought we were allies. We have been working together for years, what happened?"

Evey gives him an uneasy look. "Valentine wants what's best for us. He's protecting us."

"We already offer the colony protection," Taehyung protests, "what changed?"

"It's not enough," she speaks in a low tone, "we've been receiving threats for weeks now. They were going to drive us out if we didn't ally with them instead."

A tremor of fear shakes Taehyung to his core. "Who was threatening you?"

She shakes her head at him. "They don't tell me everything. I don't know. All the wolf packs sound the same."

"We're not like them," he argues. "Did you hear a name? Anything?"

"Well..." she chews on her lower lip, "I did overhear them mention that today was a set-up. Like a staged trap."

A flutter of anxious butterflies forms in his stomach. "Alpha Grayson and Valentine are working together?" he whispers in horror.

Evey tugs on the loose string of her hoodie with her gaze fixated on the ground. "We left early to time it right."

Yoongi was right. The timing was off.

"Why is Valentine even bothering with staging an attack?" Taehyung asks in disbelief. "Why attack us at all? What's the point of all of this?"

"They want your radio station," she says. "It's important to them. It's why they sent me in here to find the key. The wolves that Valentine is working with want access to it so they can organize their expansive efforts."

"To coordinate attacks on the territories they want," Taehyung finishes grimly. "So Valentine gave in to Alpha Grayson's demands."

"I don't know who that is," she admits half-heartedly. "All I know is that they've been talking to a guy named Xander."

Taehyung's heart stops.

"Xander?"

"Yeah. I heard Valentine mention it on our way here. They're supposed to meet at... some kind of octopus place? It must be some kind of code name; there are no restaurants anymore."

Taehyung can't breathe.

"Calemari. He's going to Calemari."

"Yeah, that's the place."

Taehyung stares at her, stunned by the new revelations. "Okay," he breathes. "Okay, that's... oh Hestia above." He forces himself to take a deep breath. "Xander is the beta of the Nightwalkers. You're telling me that there are two packs involved in this?"

"I guess so? I don't know anyone but... if the wolves in Calemari and the wolves from earlier are different, then yes."

"They're very different." Taehyung's head is spinning with puzzle pieces and theories. He has to tell Yoongi. This is worse than they could have imagined. "We received a message today. I didn't recognize the voice but it was one of the Nightwalkers. They said they wanted to take over Valentine's colony. Is that just a trick?"

Evey stares at Taehyung before shrugging again. "I don't know. I'm just doing what they told me..."

"Like breaking our window," Taehyung snipes.

Evey winces. "Yes."

"You were spying on us, weren't you?"

Evey shrinks into herself and nods. "Yes," she says meekly.

Taehyung sighs and knows he can't blame her entirely. She's just a teenager. An orphan in a colony that left her behind when it mattered most. She's not the enemy.

"Okay. You can go now. You can take the gun with you. You did more than enough."

Evey takes up the gun and walks slowly forward. Taehyung steps away from the door, though he keeps his guard up, and watches her emerge from the room. She doesn't look at him as she walks forward. "Thank you," she whispers.

Taehyung bows his head to her. "Get home safe."

"I'm sorry for everything," she adds, and her voice trembles. "I shouldn't have... I'm sorry for being rude to you and your pack."

"That's all right."

Evey nods and reaches the front door. She doesn't look back at him. "Good-bye, Taehyung." Then she breaks into a run and disappears into the forest.

Yoongi shields his face with his hands and falls silent.

Taehyung gazes up at him with his hands pressed against his thighs. His heart aches for his hyung, unable to imagine the amount of pain he is experiencing. He lays his head on Yoongi's lap with saddened eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, hyungie."

"It's okay," Yoongi says into his hands. He lowers them and wipes a stray tear from his cheek. Taehyung can tell he's struggling to mask his pain. Yoongi needs a doctor, somehow that's the least of their problems. "It's going to be fine. We need to focus."

Always putting up a brave face, Taehyung thinks to himself.

"Let's review what we know," Yoongi says with a note of determination. His eyes search the dim train car interior. "Valentine and Alpha Grayson set up a fake trap for us in the clearing. I knew the timing wasn't right for it. It was too perfect for Valentine and his men to appear without prior knowledge."

"Going further back, Evey and those kids were sent to spy on our location and possibly look for the radio station. Thank goodness we didn't let them help us with that," Taehyung adds, realizing what would have happened if they didn't put them to work in the gardens. "It was planned in advance."

"The arrow we received from the Nightwalkers matches the one we were attacked with today. You said Evey mentioned protection and that they were being threatened, I wonder if Valentine is more of a coward than we thought."

"He was being threatened by two packs," Taehyung comments softly. "Anyone would be afraid."

Yoongi sucks in a sharp breath before he nods. "That's true."

"So the Nightwalkers and Alpha Grayson's pack are allied with each other as well. Namjoon's notes said that the Nightwalkers are an established pack--they have a home to defend--while the Alpha Grayson's is nomadic. I wonder if they are vying for their own territory which is why they are attacking ours. They want our land."

"The Nightwalkers wanted Valentine's colony, it's what they said on the radio. It's not adding up. If they're allies, why are the Nightwalkers talking about taking Valentine's land?"

Yoongi presses his lips into a firm line. He thinks about it for a moment. "If... if the walkie-talkie turned on suddenly, it must have been Namjoon, Hoseok, or Charlotte. I don't think that was staged. I wonder..."

"What?"

"I wonder if we caught wind of a possible double-cross. Valentine is being used for their manpower and the colony's location in order to attack us. If that's the case, this is bigger than we thought."

Taehyung nuzzles his head on Yoongi's thigh with an expression of dread. "They all want our radio, Alpha Grayson's pack wants our territory, Valentine wants protection, and the Nightwalkers want the colony," he summarizes. "Valentine thinks he's in on the plan, but he isn't."

"I think so."

Taehyung whines from the back of his throat and squeezes his eyes shut. "And they separated us to weaken us. They might already have captured Namjoon, Charlotte, and Hoseok and Valentine have the others. He's leading them straight into another trap. Calemari is three hours away, you're not fit to travel, how are we supposed to save them, hyung?"

Yoongi smooths his hair down and lays a kiss on top of his head. "I'm still working on that, pup."

Taehyung breathes in Yoongi's sweet bourbon scent until he could almost taste it on his tongue. It's such a heavenly and mind-fogging scent--it's not difficult to become scent-drunk on him. Taehyung wishes they had the luxury of time. It's all moving too fast.

If it weren't for our radio, would we have been attacked? Taehyung didn't realize how coveted their station was until today. It is an unassuming strength that the pack takes for granted. Yoongi's sugar-sweet voice carries for miles on the wavelengths and delivers news and messages to nearby packs. He composes songs for the empty air time and offers advice to his listeners when he can. Taehyung knows it's an advanced system, but he had no idea it was so influential.

An idea strikes and Taehyung sits up sharply. "I know what we need to do."

Yoongi gives him a look of surprise. "What?"

Taehyung's eyes glimmer with newfound hope. "We're going to save our mates. This is going to work!"

Yoongi grabs Taehyung's arm to snap him out of it. "Taehyung, what is it?" he asks urgently.

Taehyung's chest swells as he allows hopes to finally take root. He gazes into Yoongi's brown eyes and smiles cheesily. "Turn on the radio, hyung, Bangtan's making a comeback."