I awaken peacefully, bundled in a heap of blankets and tucked against Jin's chest. A soft moan escapes my sore lips and I blink the last of deep sleep from my eyes. I scan the bedroom as exhaustion clouds my mind. There is a haze of sickening sweet roses and spics; the scent of Jin is overpowering and my body remains locked in bliss.

Echoes of his hands on my body brush over my skin, over light bite marks and purplish circles. My memory replays those sensational moments like a broken record. My breath comes out shakily as his taste lingers on my lips like syrup. The brunt of the heat waned after a couple of intense hours. I don't remember eating dinner.

My stomach growls for a long moment before an ache begins. I press my lips together and squirm as the pain increases.

Food, I need food...

Seokjin sleeps soundlessly and unfortunately for the hungry Luna in his arms--he sleeps like a rock. As I try to move, his leg slides up and wraps around my hips, trapping me against him. He holds tighter and presses his chin down against my head.

I've become his teddy bear.

There is no light shining through the curtains. I'm not sure if it's early morning or still nighttime. There is a settled peace over the room and I don't hear the others. Either they have left the house for chores or are fast asleep on the couch.

I feel guilty at the thought of forcing everybody out of the room. I don't mind if they join our heat; in fact, it would be interesting for all eight of us to fall into a heat together. We've never tried it. Perhaps on a better day where we don't have the threat of war over our heads.

My stomach growls again followed by a sharp pain. I exhale sharply through my nose and fight to sit up from Jin's tight hold. I look down at his sleeping face and admire the handsome sculpt of his features. I lean down and kiss his plump lips, my eyelashes brushing over his face. I pull back and ease myself out of bed.

I move my legs and feel a distant ache between my legs. I press my lips together and fight back a wince. My legs are shaky when I stand up so I brace myself against the bed. I walk over to the closet of clothes and find clean undergarments and a new outfit. I know my old clothes are somewhere in those blankets but I don't bother to check.

I choose light clothing because the heat continues to simmer within my body. My face is still flushed bright red and his scent is making me feel dizzy. My heart aches to be away from Jin, even if it's only for a few moments.

I slip on a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt. My body is sticky with sweat. I feel gross and increasingly uncomfortable as the heat blazes on, but I do my best to ignore it. I turn back to Jin who continues to sleep peacefully. He tends to fall into a hibernation mode, post-heat. He burns most of his energy at the beginning of the heat before he collapses.

I look over my body and feel a flutter of satisfaction at the sight of the marks on my thighs and shoulders. I trace my fingers over the marks with a sense of pride.

Mine, the bruises signify.

I wonder how long it will take for the others to darken my skin with their love. How long will it take for my animalistic desire to take every ounce of their heart for my own will overwhelm my priorities? How long before I lose myself to a never-ending heat.

But for now, I think to myself, I have things to attend to.

The intensity of the heat has waned from earlier and allowed me this clarity. I'm grateful for it. I don't know if I could handle an intense heat, not after what happened with the gun. Maybe it's my stress that is causing my heat to be weaker than it usually is. An internal part of me is keeping me from losing my head in a heat.

I check behind the curtains and realize it's still night time. I walk over to the bedroom door, open it silently, and as I step out, I am hit with the scents of the pack and a whole lot of alcohol.

My nose scrunches at the intensity of it. I look over the darkened living room and focus on the couches. I step into the living room, close the door behind me, and walk over to them. As I come closer, the shapes of their bodies become clearer and I realize that most of the boys are in shifted form.

Namjoon and Hoseok, both in wolf form, are sleeping on the ground together with their bodies pressed against each other. Hobi rests his head on Namjoon's neck and sleeps peacefully despite the rumbling snores coming from Namjoon.

Taehyung and Jimin are still on the couch, wrapped up in each other's arms, and squished together like magnets. Jimin's head is tucked underneath Taehyung's head, his lips pursed in sleepy concentration, and his eyes squeezed shut. Taehyung's arms are wrapped tightly around Jimin's narrow waist, holding him close like a teddy bear.

Then on one of the couch chairs sits Yoongi with Jungkook laying across his lap. Jungkook is too big for the chair and his legs hang off the edge of the couch and his head is resting on the other edge. Yoongi sleeps peacefully with his head bent over and keeps his arms around Jungkook's sleeping body.

In the layering of scents, Jimin and Namjoon's is stronger than the others. The citrus blossom of Jimin perfumes the air, accompanied by the earthy forest musk of the Alpha. Hiding behind the powerful scents lies the dulcet tones of Yoongi's vanilla bourbon and Jungkook's warm amber. Hints of sea salt cling to the air and cling to Hobi's cactus flower undertones.

Then there is Taehyung.

His scents tend to mimic Yoongi's flow. His scent comes with explosive tendencies and saturates the room in an instant but it depends on the moment. Right now, his scent remains gentle and quiet but I know what it is to taste Taehyung and become scent-drunk on him. He has a powerful scent like Jimin and Namjoon but it isn't as constant.

It was hard to pinpoint in the beginning. Taehyung's scent is unique in a way that is difficult to place into words or descriptions. Over time, I've come to compare his scent to blackberries with traces of mint. There is a frosty bite to the berry scents, much like winter's first breath on the earth.

"Charlotte?" Yoongi's eyes reflect in the dark. He adjusts his hold on Jungkook and struggles to sit up. "Is that you?" he rasps.

"It's me," I reply softly, pressing my warm hands against my thighs. I wipe my palms against my shorts, trying to erase the growing sweat. I look away from Yoongi as his scent strengthens and rises above the others with dominance. "It's alright, I was just checking on everybody."

"You're out early," he comments. "Is something wrong?"

"No no, everything's fine." I glance at the bedroom door with a twinge of guilt. It's not like I'm trying to hold back, I'm just too stressed to allow the luxury of prolonged heat. I did all that I could and exerted myself for Jin, hoping I was doing a good job for the both of us, yet I feel unsatisfied due to my distracted thoughts.

I can't stop thinking about Nik and the Nightwalkers. I couldn't shut my brain off and allow myself total peace. It's not fair to Jin in the slightest, and I regret it.

"Are you sure about that?" Yoongi asks.

"I... did all that I could."

Yoongi's eyes soften, "It isn't like a job, Lottie."

I shrug one shoulder and begin walking towards the kitchen. "I know it isn't."

It's my duty. My purpose in this pack. It's more than just a job, it's our happiness, and I feel like I'm ruining it.

"A heat is not something you can walk away from," Yoongi adds quietly.

A rush of emotion swells inside of me. My steps slow and I find myself turning back to him. A retort fights its way up my throat but I bite it back, knowing it's immature to say it out loud. Yoongi doesn't deserve this treatment from me, he's just concerned. Jin doesn't deserve this either, and I'm failing him too.

I'm failing everybody because I do what I'm meant to do.

It's not supposed to be like this, my heart cries out.

But this is the way it is because I did this to myself.

"I'm going to get something to eat," I say instead. Without another word, I stalk into the kitchen to search for some food.

I looked for food as quietly as I could. I am gentle when opening the cabinets and light on my feet. I don't want to wake the others.

There is a heat building within my chest again. It's starting to hurt. It serves as a painful reminder that heats are not something one can control so easily. They are brutal to ignore. And despite knowing this and all the warnings I received during my apprenticeship under Amber and Rainy, I continue to make this mistake.

When I reach the end of the cabinets, my eyes fall on the counter and find a loaf of half-eaten bread waiting for me. It's wrapped carefully in parchment paper and taped off meaning it would wake up the entire house if I opened it.

My hunger pains persist.

The sound of footsteps reaches my ears before his scent does.

I turn around and freeze in the dark of the kitchen. Standing in the doorway is Jungkook, all messy-haired and sleepy. He squints at me for a moment, almost as if he weren't convinced he was awake.

"Hey," I whisper.

Jungkook frowns and looks behind him. "She's still here, hyung."

I flash him a confused look, "What do you mean? Of course, I'm still here."

Moments later, Yoongi appears behind him with a slight sway in his walk. "Good," he mumbles, entering the kitchen, "I was worried that you left." As he comes closer, I realize he is now wearing his jacket.

"I didn't," I repeat. Another hot flash travels through my leg and my legs begin to shake. I close my eyes and brace against the counter. I take a few deep breaths to steady my dizzy mind but it isn't working.

Yoongi comes closer, his scent growing stronger than before. He places his hands carefully on my waist and moves closer to me. He rests his chin on my shoulder and whispers, "You need to go back to bed."

His voice sends a shiver down my spine.

I swallow hard and force back a small whine. "I'm hungry," I reply in a strained voice.

"Am I on your menu?" he teases and slips his hand underneath my shirt. The stark coldness of his skin jolts my body awake.

I smile faintly at him and shake my head. "Not tonight, sorry."

Yoongi sighs and leans on me, tracing a small circle across my tender stomach. "Hmm, maybe another night then."

"She is looking delicious..." Jungkook adds, walking towards us with a curious lean. He comes to my side and takes my free hand, bringing it up to his lips. He kisses my hand softly and sniffs the air. "Smells delicious too..."

"Lottie and Jin hyung smell elegant when they're together," Yoongi says with absolute certainty. He kisses my neck lightly. "Peaches and roses... so soft I could just bite ."

My aching thighs pressed together as I fought to remain upright. My neck arcs for Yoongi as a reflex. My breaths tremble as my heart races with anticipation. Heat climbs through my body, flushing my skin and turning my muscles into a weak, soft mess.

Jungkook slides his hands up my arm and forces his leg between mine. My body leans back and uses him as support due to weak knees. His leg pushes up against the space between my thighs and pulls me back into him. "Just a little bite..." he whispers and places his open mouth on the base of my neck.

I wince as his teeth bite into my tender skin and a strained whine escapes my lips. My muscles tense and my legs squeeze against both sides of Jungkook's thigh.

Yoongi comes between me and the counter and forces my clenched hands off the edge. He takes them and guides my arms around his shoulders. He steps forward and presses his head against my forehead. His scent releases in a powerful wave of thick and sticky vanilla and bourbon, leaving a smoky taste in my mouth.

My body goes weak and a low whine builds in my throat, threatening to slip out.

My eyesight turns blurry as the heat suffocates all other senses. I close my eyes and arc my back as Jungkook starts to press against me, his fingers curling over the band of my shorts. The sea salt and amber of Jungkook wrap my mind like a warm blanket, a seductive one that leads me into another level of heat.

"Good, princess, you're doing so good," Yoongi says into my ear, his lips brushing against the curve. "But you're so quiet tonight, are you feeling shy ?"

"Tell us what you think, babe," Jungkook adds in a lowered voice. "I want to hear you, you have such a pretty voice..." He slams his waist against mine and traps me between himself and Yoongi. A gasp escapes my lips and a moan quickly follows.

"There is it," Jungkook whispers in encouragement, "come on, babe, I know you can be louder than that--"

The sound of shattering glass destroys the shield of building heat.

Still blinded by the heat, my body jerks sharply and I throw my arms out in an attempt to protect Yoongi and Jungkook from the immediate danger. Yoongi cries out in pain and throws himself forward, taking Jungkook and I to the ground. We hit the wood with a loud thud and pain lances through my side.

Jungkook yelps in pain and is already trying to roll away from our pile. I try to sit up and my body feels as if it was made of stone. I'm trapped. My body is paralyzed by the promise of a heat cycle, and it's refusing to come out of it.

I fight and struggle against the confines of my own body, kicking my legs and trying to regain control but nothing is working. A sharp pain shoots through my chest, burning every part of me. My dry mouth opens but no sound comes out. No no no! This is what I wanted to avoid! I can't move! What's going on?

Yoongi lays on top of me and struggles to move as well. He hisses sharply under his breath and his entire body is trembling, and burning.

Yoongi's trapped too.

Jungkook scrambles out from underneath me and staggers to his feet. His eyes are unfocused, his hair a frizzy mess, but he looks around the kitchen wildly. "Hyung, stay here!" he shouts, and sprints back into the living room.

Yoongi groans, still shaking like a leaf as he fights to unparalyze himself. "You--, the window--" he forces through gritted teeth.

Despite the danger around us, breaking through a heat paralysis is as impossible as shattering fire.

"Jungkook! What's wrong?" Taehyung shouts from the living room.

A chorus of surprised and violent barks erupts from the other room. Jungkook shouts something else before I hear the loud ripping of clothes. Then I hear somebody open the front door, followed by the sound of running paw steps against the wood.

"Help--" I whimper as my body twitches. I arch my back off the ground, struggling to move through locked limps. "Someone--, help us."

Screaming. Somebody outside is screaming.

I don't recognize the scream. It must be whoever broke the window. The attackers are screaming. Does that mean we're winning? I have to help them!

I hate this! I hate this so much, why did I give into another heat cycle so easily? Yoongi and I are vulnerable and unable to protect the pack!

I should have seen it coming. I should have been prepared, somehow. I know I can't predict the future, but I knew something like this might happen. This is a preemptive attack of war from the Nightwalkers. I knew they would launch some kind of attack against us before the neutral meeting. This is revenge for my gunshot. It's all my fault and I can't even help defend the house.

Yoongi gasps for breath and continues to struggle. His face is flushed bright red, I can see it clearly in the dark. His body is radiating with heat but his muscles are rejecting movement.

Heat paralysis happens when you are in a heat and yanked out of it by danger, surprise, or being forced away physically. Your body rejects normalcy in favor of the heat and paralyzes itself out of panic. The paralysis can last up to five minutes, and in this case, minutes wasted could cost everything.

"Charlotte! Yoongi! What happened? Are you hurt?" Jimin shouts, the scent of oranges sharpening in my nose like a knife-edge.

I strain my neck to look behind me. Through gritted teeth, I manage to say, "Heat--, the window--"

"The glass! Hold on, guys!" Jimin runs to our side and grabs Yoongi by the shirt. He drags his body off of mine and sets him down near the kitchen doorway. He scurries back to me and wraps his arms around me. He picks me up and carries me back towards the doorway. He lays me down beside Yoongi and glances between us with wide eyes. "What happened?"

Yoongi moans and kicks his left leg violently.

Jimin's face falls. "Oh. You guys are stuck."

Another panicked scream sets us on edge. Jimin looks worriedly to the window and grimaces. "I'll stay with you guys. I'm guarding the house from inside."

"Thank you," I whisper as my jaw begins to relax.

"JUNGKOOK STOP!" Namjoon shouts from outside, his voice trembling with sudden power.

My heart races with panic. Why does he need to stop? What's going on?

Jimin's body bristled at the sound of Namjoon's command. His eyes flashed with uncertainty. He forces himself to sit back and remain perfectly still. "I'm protecting the house," he repeats quietly to himself.

I take deep breaths, trying to trick my body into relaxing again. The adrenaline is forcing the paralysis to continue. I have to calm down.

Yoongi growls through his teeth and violently fights against his body. "Jimin--" he chokes out, "go get Jin, he's--, asleep--"

Jimin shakes his head at him. "Taehyung is already with him."

Yoongi's eyes flicker with fear. "I--, I don't know why I'm--," he winces and closes his eyes, "I can't move--"

"Don't force it," I tell him. I am beginning to regain movement in my arms. "It's a heat paralysis, Yoongi. You and I are stuck until we're calm again."

"A heat--?"

"It happens when you're in a transitional phase," Jimin explains. "You're about to go into a heat but something stops it."

"When the glass broke it triggered this," I add. "Jungkook wasn't climaxing like we were, he didn't get paralyzed like us."

"Dammit," Yoongi whispers.

"Jimin!" Taehyung appears behind Jimin with wide eyes. "What happened? Is everybody okay?"

Jimin shakes his head. "I don't know exactly but the window broke. I think somebody tried to scare us. These two are in a heat paralysis," he gestures to us. "I'm protecting them until they get out of it. Everybody else is outside, but I think Namjoon wants us to stay here."

"Jungkook, Namjoon, and Hobi hyung..." Taehyung mumbles, "That's not enough..."

Jimin's eyes flash with reluctance. "Namjoon told me to stay."

Taehyung nods in understanding. "Jin hyung is okay now. He was a bit surprised, but he's waking up now."

"Jin isn't in fighting condition," I comment quietly. "He's in post-heat, and nobody is combat-ready after that."

We're so vulnerable. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid when I was delaying my heats.

Finally, the paralysis wears off and I sit up sharply. I struggle to my feet despite Jimin's quiet protests and his reaching for me. "I'm going to see if they need help," I say with determination.

"Tell us what's going on," Jimin asks urgently.

I nod at him and rush out of the kitchen. I grab my boots by the door, not caring if I'm in shorts and a t-shirt on a freezing November night. The heat cycle lingers on my skin like a tattoo and pulses through my body like a heater. I'll be fine. I open the door carefully and peek through, straining my ears to hear beyond the howling wind.

Standing in front of the house, illuminated by the porch light, stands the pack and three people kneeling before them.

They're younger than I expected. Perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old?

My lips curl with disgust at the thought of Nik sending kids to do his dirty work. He's a coward, a vile coward.

"We're sorry!" one boy blurts, tears still streaming down his blushing face. He bows his head in total respect, "We're so sorry! We shouldn't have done this!"

I raise my brow.

The kid beside him, a girl with wild long hair, turns to him with betrayal on her dirt-stained face. "Shut up!" she whispers as quietly as she could.

My eyes narrow at her, wondering what type of motive she has for keeping them quiet. If this is an attack from Nik, they would be challenging us or attempting to run away. They wouldn't be kneeling before Namjoon and the others like this. They wouldn't be afraid of us, and why aren't they in shifted form? If they aren't from Nik then where are they from?

It takes me a moment to realize that Jungkook is the only one standing as a human. I recognize the large muscular build of Namjoon behind Jungkook, his tail flicking menacingly, and probably staring the young kids down. Hoseok circles the three in measured steps. The fur on the back of his neck stands straight and there is deadly alertness in his eyes.

Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest. "Who are you?" he demands. "Which pack are you from?"

"Pack?" the smaller boy echoes.

The girl looks up with contained rage. "We're not from a pack!" she spats. "We're humans!"

Hoseok stops walking.

My body relaxes back into the door and a wave of sympathy passes through me. I press my lips together in thought. Why would they be here? Why would they throw something at our window?

Jungkook pauses, taken aback by her answer. "You're not from a pack?" he repeats.

Namjoon sniffs the air and looks back at me, noticing my presence. Our eyes meet for a moment before he breaks his gaze to look at the humans again.

"Which colony are you from? Who's your town's leader?"

The first boy opens his mouth to answer but the girl elbows him.

A low growl reverbs from Namjoon, threatening and deep.

The second boy flashes the girl a half-panicked look before looking up at Jungkook again. "We're from Valentine."

They're the colony south from us. It was renamed after their current leader. They are one of our allies, so why did they attack us?

Jungkook nods slowly. He reaches back and lightly pets Namjoon's neck, smoothing the ruffled brown fur. In shifted form, Namjoon's head is slightly taller than Jungkook's height. He's a giant wolf, even when compared to other Alphas. He's in a league of his own. No doubt that those kids are scared out of their minds at the sight of him.

"Did Valentine send you here?" he questions. "Are you trying to send a message? Threaten us?"

"No, no we're not," the second boy rushes, shaking his head quickly. His face flushes with shame, "We were being stupid. Very stupid."

The first boy hiccups on his tears. "We were dared to come here."

Namjoon would probably like to talk with them. I study Namjoon in his wolf form before stepping back into the house. I search through the dark living room and find Namjoon's pants lying in a corner. I grab them and run back to the front door. I poke my head out and whisper, "Namjoon?"

"Dared? To do what?" Jungkook continues to interrogate.

Namjoon looks back at me and notices the pants in my hand. His eyes soften with relief. He walks back to me and his body casts a shadow over me. He opens his mouth and gently places the pants inside. He nods at me before running to the other side of the house in an instant.

The girl gasps at the sudden movement. She stares at him as he goes before looking directly at me. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of me.

Jungkook looks back as well and sighs in relief. "Lottie," he says.

I step out of the house and into the illumination of the porch light. "So you three broke the window," I state.

The first boy, still recovering from distress, stares at me in complete silence.

The second boy drops his gaze immediately and turns a brighter shade of red. "We did," he replies meekly.

The girl, however, begins to glare at me. "We were dared to break your window," she admits with a bit of pride. She attempts to discreetly smack the first boy's leg to snap him out of it. "Harmless," she claims.

My eyes narrow at her as I remember how Yoongi cried out in pain. "It wasn't. You hit somebody. That was dangerous and completely reckless. You're lucky we didn't drag you back to your colony by the necks." My voice remains dead flat and filled with increasing anger. The heat is returning with a bite and I'm beginning to lose it.

She hurt Yoongi. That could have hit his head, and the glass, all that glass!

"We're sorry!" the first boy cries out, scaring me by his volume and desperation in his voice. He falls forward on the ground, trying to bow to us, "We're so sorry!"

Jungkook flashes me a wide-eyed look, seeming at a loss.

"Stop!" the girl scolds. "Don't look at her! You're falling under her spell!"

I raise my eyebrow. "What spell?"

She freezes before casting me a look of absolute hatred. "You're one of the witches ."

I squint and tilt my head to one side. "A witch? I don't think I'm a witch..." I shake my head and place my hands out, "Look, you shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous to wander into wolf territory, and it's worse if you're a human. Second, you shouldn't go around shattering people's windows, especially when the occupants of the house are your town's allies ."

"They ruined the garden," Jungkook mumbles.

I feel a sharp kick to my chest. The garden... I swallow back my anger and take a moment to remind myself that they didn't know. They're not innocent, but they're children. They don't know what the world holds for them. They don't know how important that garden is.

"The garden you destroyed was part of your town's food supply." Namjoon appears around the corner of the house, wearing pants. His broad chest is bare and just as beautiful as I remember it with tanned tones and curves in his arms. He comes to Jungkook's side and observes the kids. "Do you understand that your prank has cost part of your food supply?"

The girl gapes at him. "No it hasn't," she argues. "We don't even get food from you."

"Actually, you do. We will have to talk with Valentine," Namjoon says calmly but I can hear his annoyance.

Hoseok unfreezes and starts walking around the children again. They jump at his movement, seeming to have forgotten his presence. He comes to Jungkook's side and casts them a level look.

"We will finish this conversation with Valentine. Jungkook and I will accompany you back to your town." Namjoon looks at me and then at Hobi. "Lottie, could you grab the walkie-talkie? We'll keep in touch tonight."

I nod dutifully. "Alright."

"Hobi hyung, could you check the border with Taehyung? Maybe do some scent-marking to be sure?"

Hoseok nods slowly at Namjoon, maintaining eye contact with the Alpha.

Without another word, I dash back into the house and search through the coat closet for the basket of walkie-talkies. I kneel down and turn two of them on, test them, and confirm that they have good batteries. I ran back outside and handed the device to Namjoon. "Do you need a shirt?" I ask quietly.

Namjoon shakes his head, "No, it's alright. I'm not cold." He looks at the three kids. "We're going back to Valentine."

The girl pales with fear. "Wait, you don't have to take us!" she stammers. "We can go back ourselves, this doesn't have to be a big thing!"

"You made it a thing when you broke our window," Namjoon scolds.

"It's just a window!"

"And ran through our gardens and trespassed on our territory after curfew," he lists sternly. "Don't play dumb with me, I know Valentine has everybody on a curfew."

"And they did it sober," Jungkook mutters.

Namjoon turns his back on the three kids to face us. His eyes reflect his exhaustion and frustration. His scent is still spiking with traces of tree rot and sourness. He's so stressed out and coming out of a hangover judging by the smell of the living room. He shouldn't have to deal with this on top of the Nightwalkers.

"We'll be back soon. I'll talk to Valentine about some kind of punishment for them. If they did this on a dare, it might become a common thing with the other teens."

"Rotten kids," I comment playfully.

Namjoon smirks in response. "Yeah."

"Be safe," I tell him and Jungkook. "We'll be listening for you. Yoongi should be out of his heat paralysis by now..."

Namjoon's brow raised in surprise. "A heat paralysis?"

Jungkook nods and gestures to me. "Both of them."

"Are you alright?" Namjoon asks worriedly. "Is he alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine and Jimin's with him. We'll be okay."

Hobi's head bumps against me. I smile softly at him and pet back his ears. "We'll be okay," I repeated to him. He looks up slowly with sadness in his eyes. I scratch his neck for a moment before smoothing the fur back.

"We'll come home soon, I love you," Namjoon says. Then he kisses Hobi's head and pulls me close to him, also kissing my forehead. He gives me a quick hug before turning back to the three kids.

Jungkook watches us sadly before nodding. "See you soon." Then he leans forward and kisses my cheek. He turns to Hobi and kisses the top of his head, wrapping his arms around his neck. With that, he joins Namjoon for their journey back to Valentine.

"I'll go get Taehyung," I tell Hobi. "Hold on a second.." I ran back inside the house and called for Taehyung. He appears in moments and I explain that he needs to check the border with Hobi.

A pained groan echoes from the kitchen. "Help--, fuck, Jimin, help me ." Yoongi's pleas twist my heart.

Taehyung shares a look with me after he takes off his shirt. "He's stuck," he explains. "He can't get out of it, he keeps panicking. I don't think he's ever had heat paralysis."

"Probably not," I say quietly, looking towards the kitchen.

"Have you?"

I smile wryly and lightly pat his bare arm. "Many times but they were of my own doing. I did a lot of panicking in my youth."

I was so afraid of heats that it would accidentally trigger the paralysis. Namjoon and I ran into a lot of problems because of it.

Taehyung's expression falls with sympathy. "It sounds awful."

"It's over now," I reassured him. I plant a small kiss on his lips and taste his sweet berry scent. "Stay safe out there, I love you."

"I love you too," he replies softly. Then he strips the rest of his clothing, shifts into his wolf form, and plunges into the night.

A/N: This was an intense chapter for Lottie and company! Tensions are rising as we draw closer to the meeting date with Nik and his Nightwalkers! What do you guys think so far? Of the characters, the world? I'm curious to know what you think! Thanks for reading! It means EVERYTHING to me!