Chapter Text
Jungkook was woken up in the middle of the night by Hoseok for an emergency. He walked beside the beta, still in his sleeping shirt and pants, his hair fluffy and disheveled with sleep.
“What’s going on? Is someone sick?”
Hoseok nodded. “Someone… or something.”
Jungkook frowned. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be woken up in the middle of the night for emergencies—he was the pack’s best healer—but he had never been led toward the dungeons instead of the healing hut.
“Why are we going down here?”
Hoseok panted, obviously nervous. “Just come.”
Once they reached the door and Jungkook saw Namjoon, his frown deepened, and the last remnants of sleep vanished.
“What the hell is going on?”
Namjoon looked deadly serious, his normally warm cinnamon scent sharp with anxiety, almost freezing cold.
“Jungkook, finally,” he said upon seeing the younger alpha.
“What’s going on?” Jungkook asked for the second time that night.
Namjoon glanced at Hoseok before lowering his voice.
“You remember when we mentioned that we let Seonho and Hyun take some time off to rest?”
“Yeah.” Jungkook frowned. He had heard the two pack guards were taking a vacation, but he hadn’t thought twice about it.
Namjoon cleared his throat. “Actually, they were captured by vampires.”
This made Jungkook gasp, his eyes widening as a sudden wave of alarm crashed over him, matching Namjoon’s.
“What the hell?” he uttered in disbelief. “Why did you keep it a secret?”
“Because I didn’t want to alarm anybody,” Namjoon hissed. “And I had a plan. In return, we captured a vampire who was lurking around the border a little over a week ago.”
Jungkook closed his eyes for a second in disbelief as Namjoon continued.
“We are holding him as a bargaining chip, but he’s not in a good state right now since he hasn’t fed in over a week. So that’s why we need you.”
Jungkook blinked, not understanding. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Find a way to keep him from decaying,” Namjoon said, as if it were the most obvious and normal thing to ask.
Jungkook’s eyes widened. “Are you out of your mind? The only way to keep him from decaying is to give him human blood!”
“Don’t look at me with your big eyes like that, Jungkook! I know that. That’s why I called you here. You have to find a way to keep him on his feet without human blood,” Namjoon hissed, sounding desperate.
Jungkook glared. “Hyung, I am a healer. I specialize in living things, in helping living things live longer. How the hell am I supposed to know anything about a walking piece of dead meat?!”
“Jungkook,” Namjoon said sternly now, “if we don’t find a way to keep this leech alive until the trade is over, we’re doomed. Otherwise, they will kill our guards and start a war!”
Jungkook snapped, “Why the hell would they start a war?! They kidnapped our people first!”
Hoseok sighed. “Apparently, we didn’t capture just an ordinary vampire. We captured a very important one.”
Jungkook felt a migraine pound through his head. “Great,” he muttered in disbelief.
The hateful history between vampires and wolves was known by everyone. It was ingrained in their very creation. Werewolves were created to defend the living things God made, while vampires came from the devil’s den, killing everything with their already dead bodies. A werewolf pack was stationed between every human and vampire territory, trying to prevent vampires from reaching human villages as much as possible.
As a result of years of war, vampires and werewolves had formed a treaty: vampires would not cross into werewolf territory to attack human villages, and wolves could not impose penalties on vampires captured outside of protected areas. The werewolves were stronger now, succeeding so well at protecting their borders that they were effectively starving the vampires by limiting their access to humans.
But now the situation was different. Leaving a kidnapped vampire to rot in their own territory could have fatal consequences—especially if this vampire was as important as they claimed. And even if nothing else happened, Jungkook wouldn’t let his two packmates die because of this.
“Let me see him then,” he said, voice tight with annoyance.
“What are you planning?” Hoseok asked.
Jungkook shrugged. “I just want to talk. Maybe he knows more about his own survival.”
They nodded and guided him down the long corridor through the dungeons. “Be careful, he smells worse than normal now that he’s decaying,” Hoseok warned.
Jungkook nodded, already expecting that. By their very nature, vampires and werewolves smelled like shit to each other.
“Although he couldn't do anything due to his state, just be careful anyway,” Namjoon said as they stopped in front of the last door.
The heavy metal door opened with a loud creak. Namjoon and Hoseok went inside first to light a candle in the pitch-black room, but Jungkook was focused on only one thing: the scent. The moment the heavy doors opened, the air changed—and it struck him all at once. Peaches and vanilla drifted through the space, soft and intoxicating, an almost unreal sweetness that lingered in the breath. Ethereal and dangerously warm, the scent wrapped around his senses like a quiet temptation he couldn’t quite step away from.
He felt his alpha inside stir with a strange attraction, craving more and more of the scent, making him almost forget where he was and what he was about to do.
“Jungkook?” He snapped out of his daze at the sound of Namjoon’s loud voice. He looked at the older alpha and realized this wasn't the first time he had been spoken to.
“What?” he asked, feeling incredibly strange. He looked around, finally landing his eyes on the corner of the dim room.
His eyes met a pair of crimson ones. He felt a shiver run through his body as his alpha grew tense, ready to attack. But strangely, it wasn't a desire to kill; it was almost like his alpha wanted something else entirely, though Jungkook didn't have time to process it right now.
He walked over to Hoseok and grabbed another candle from his hands to distract himself. “What’s this scent?” he asked, his lungs still filled with the mouth-watering peaches and vanilla.
Hoseok glared toward the corner of the room, gesturing with a nod of his head as he whispered back, “What do you think? It's him.”
Jungkook looked at the way the beta was scrunching his nose in disgust; they definitely weren't experiencing the same scent. Confused, he took small, hesitant steps toward the vampire. Even though the creature was shackled to the wall with heavy metal handcuffs, Jungkook was still nervous. As the candlelight illuminated the vampire clearly, Jungkook caught his breath.
There, against the filthy wall, stood an unsettling kind of beauty staring straight back at him. He looked young, with wavy ash-blond hair falling softly across his face and marble-white skin that seemed almost unreal in the dim light. A small button nose and the plumpest, fullest lips Jungkook had ever seen gave him a fragile, almost delicate appearance.
Even in his current state of decay—his lips chapped and dry, dark blue veins visible beneath the thin skin under his eyes—he was still gorgeous.
But Jungkook wasn't going to be fooled by appearances. Every vampire was like this: beautiful and flawless so they could easily allure humans and suck them dry. The weird part, however, was that upon closer inspection, instead of the stench of rotting flesh, all he could smell was that intoxicating aroma growing even stronger. He noticed the vampire's nostrils flaring slightly, clearly trying to catch his scent too, a frown creasing his brow. Jungkook truly wondered what was going through his head.
Deciding to focus on his mission instead, he spoke up. “Hi. I am Jeon Jungkook, the healer of the Kim pack.”
The vampire tilted his head, his eyes—a dark burgundy, likely from the decay—zeroing in on him. He smiled lazily, flashing his sharp fangs. “Ooh, a healer. What a lucky day for the dead.”
He mocked Jungkook in a slightly dry, hoarse voice, though Jungkook had to admit he possessed a beautiful tone.
“Do you know of anything that can keep you from decaying, aside from human blood?” Jungkook asked, completely ignoring the mockery.
The vampire scoffed. “Sure, a good beef meal and a glass full of pomegranate juice will do the trick.”
Jungkook rolled his eyes, his patience running thin. He was not in the mood for any of this in the middle of the night. “I am trying to help you here, so I’d appreciate it if you cooperated.”
The vampire gave him a smug look. “No, you are trying to save your own asses. I told those dimwits and now I am telling you too—since you’re a healer, maybe you actually have some brain cells. I am more important than you think. Release me now, and maybe I’ll consider not going to war against you!”
Jungkook sighed. “We are not going to release you, even if the whole leech world goes to war against us. So, if you want to survive this and not go to hell from decaying, tell me if you know another way to stay on your feet.”
The vampire gave him a furious look. “Nothing. Aside. From. Human. Blood,” he said, emphasizing every single word.
Namjoon sighed from behind him. “This isn't working, Jungkook. Maybe we should summon a warlock.”
Jungkook stared at the vampire’s neck, noticing more blue veins appearing, signaling just how dangerous his condition was. He shook his head. “We don’t have that much time. You should still call one, of course, but we need to think of something else until then. He looks like he could decay within hours.”
“Shit,” Namjoon muttered under his breath.
Jungkook sighed. “Let’s take him to my hut. I’ll look for a solution there.”
Hoseok frowned. “He’s better off staying here.”
Jungkook clicked his tongue, turning to the beta. “Hyung, he isn’t in a state to do anything. And even at his strongest, I can handle one little vampire,” he said, despite feeling a burning stare drilling into the back of his head from the blonde.
Seeing the others hesitate, he persisted, “We need to hurry.”
Finally, Namjoon nodded, telling Hoseok to unshackle the vampire and bring him to Jungkook’s hut.
***
Jungkook had a small healing hut in the basement of his cottage, which he used for treating long-term patients right in his home. They locked the vampire inside while they flipped through books upstairs.
“Maybe pig blood would hold him over for a while,” Jungkook murmured, scanning a text on animal blood types. “It’s the closest to human blood.”
“Okay, let me go talk to the hunters,” Hoseok said, already heading out.
Jungkook called after him, “Ask them to catch a deer and a bear too!”
The beta nodded and hurried outside. A moment later, Namjoon asked, “Are you sure you’ll be okay with him alone? He’s a secret only a few of us know about, but I can gather some guards for you.”
Jungkook shook his head. “There’s no need. The fewer people who know, the better. Besides, you’re forgetting how good of a warrior I am. He isn’t even in a state to lift a finger anyway.”
Jungkook really was one of the best fighters in the pack, well aware of how to handle a vampire. But he had chosen healing as his profession; despite their brutal world and his natural combat talents, he chose to heal.
Namjoon nodded. “I have no doubt. Then I’ll leave him to you. I’ll handle the negotiations.”
“What’s the status?” Jungkook asked.
Namjoon shook his head. “They refused to return our guards and said they will start a war if we don’t send the vampire back.”
Jungkook frowned. “Who even is this vampire?”
Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Park Jimin. The lapdog of the Lee clan. You know Lee Jaejoon, the leader of the Lee clan? This is his lover. Rumor has it that Jaejoon was completely blinded by him the moment he saw him—so obsessed with him that he would leave even his own people to decay if someone so much as looked at him the wrong way.”
Jungkook chuckled angrily. “And you captured him?”
“Yes,” Namjoon scoffed. “I really am the luckiest.”
Jungkook understood the situation much better now. Namjoon had just become their leader after his father’s passing. He was too young to handle all of this pressure, and the young alpha was terrified that he would fail. Now, he was on the verge of starting a war between vampires and werewolves all over again.
“I will find a way,” Jungkook said, determined not to fail his friend. He would find a way, one way or another.
Namjoon squeezed his arm and nodded. “Thank you, Jungkook.” With that, he left.
Once he was alone with the vampire in his basement, Jungkook let out a heavy sigh. He sat down in a chair with a book in his hand, his heart thumping with a sudden wave of anxiety. How the hell was he going to find a way?!
***
Jimin was sitting in the stark white infirmary of the healer alpha’s cottage. He frowned as he looked around, thoroughly disliking the blinding brightness of the room. He wasn't bound anymore, left free in the small space. Of course, they weren't afraid of him anymore since he was on the verge of decaying. He cursed himself. How had he gotten into this situation?
He had been really careless, to be honest. He was already thirsty before he was captured, searching for a human to feed on. But those damn werewolves made it almost impossible for them to find anyone to feed on anymore. Every day, more and more vampires were rotting away. And for a vampire, decaying was nothing like finding peace. They were already dead, soulless creatures. Once they decayed, there was nothing left—not even hell, just absolute nothingness. It was as if they had never even existed. Jimin had just been trying to capture a human to survive. Yes, he had acted carelessly because he was the boyfriend of Lee Jaejoon, the most powerful vampire out there. He had thought no one would dare put him in a position like this. Well, they did.
But he wasn't hopeless. He knew his boyfriend would burn the world down to get him back.
Still, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt pain. Maybe it was the night he was turned into a vampire five years ago. He didn't remember his life before that anyway. But now, from the prolonged thirst, he could feel his veins drying up and constricting, and his normally endless strength was completely gone. He could feel his muscles cramping and his flesh aching. If he still needed to breathe, he was certain he would have run out of air by now. Was this really how his end was going to come? These dogs would never give him human blood in a million years!
He heard approaching footsteps. It was just one person, and Jimin was guessing which one it would be. The lock turned, and the healer entered. He looked perfectly calm and unbothered, and it was obvious he wasn't afraid of being in the same room alone with Jimin, because he locked the door behind him once he was inside. He walked over to the table and began taking out a few herbs.
Jimin watched him with narrowed eyes. There was something strange about this alpha that Jimin couldn't quite name yet. Earlier, when he had come in with those wolves who smelled like wet rats, the healer hadn't smelled like them at all.
And now, with the two of them completely alone, Jimin could clearly perceive that exquisite aroma of rum and bitter cherry chocolate—a scent that, even in his weakened state, made his mouth water. What the heck was wrong with him? Was decaying like this—losing your mind?
He watched the alpha approach, carrying a cup of tea in his hand and offering it to him. “Drink it.” He wasn't commanding; his tone was soft. Jimin stared up at the doe-eyed man, who looked remarkably youthful, almost innocent. He was gentle-looking, completely different from the savage alphas Jimin usually saw around the borders. Maybe it was because he was a healer. Still, his physique was well-built, tall and buff, which was obvious even through his cotton pajamas.
“What’s this?” Jimin asked in a hoarse voice.
“Herb tea,” Jungkook answered simply.
Jimin scoffed. “Ah, yes. This will definitely replace the blood I need.”
Jungkook sighed, his hand growing tired from holding the cup out. “Just take it. This is to help soothe your veins.”
Jimin glared but reached for the tea anyway. His hands were shaking as he took it and took a small sip, waiting to see if it would actually make him feel any better.
“We are going to try a couple of things to keep you from decaying, okay?” the alpha said, watching him carefully as he drank the tea.
Jimin looked down into the cup. “And if they don’t work?” he asked, already knowing deep down that nothing would work. He needed human blood.
Jungkook looked away. “One of them will,” he said surely, as if failure wasn't even an option.
Jimin finished the tea and handed the cup back to the alpha, who asked, “Do you feel better?” Jimin glared but nodded. He actually was feeling better; the ache in his veins had dulled a little.
Jungkook smiled gently and placed the cup on the table.
Jimin watched his broad back, his brow furrowing. “They don't care about leaving you alone with me?”
Jungkook shrugged, turning back around to face him. “They know nothing will happen to me.”
Jimin stared hard at him. “I am still a vampire, and we are alone in a closed room. I think I could manage to knock you out.”
Jungkook chuckled as if it were a joke. “I doubt that—even if you were in your strongest state.”
Jimin scoffed. “You are underestimating me just because you are broader than me, but my strength is no joke.”
“Oh, you've got it wrong,” the alpha said. “You might be strong, but you see, I am one of the best fighters in this pack. I just choose not to do it because I prefer a quiet lifestyle.”
Jimin scrunched his nose. He didn't really care, but that slight movement of his nose made him catch that intoxicating scent all over again, causing him to grit his teeth. What did this even mean? He wondered how his own scent smelled to the alpha. He glanced at the alpha, who was now reading something from a book. His posture was completely relaxed, his breathing comfortable, without a single grimace of disgust on his face. This was weird—really, too weird—but his current survival situation was keeping him from overthinking it. There had to be an explanation for it, right?
Jungkook suddenly stopped reading, walked over to a closed cabinet, and pulled out a few tiny bottles. Jimin watched his every move with narrowed eyes. He guessed they were potions. “Are you going to curse me?”
Jungkook raised a brow while preparing a mixture with them. “I am not a warlock. These are pre-made mixtures. I am preparing a blend that increases the iron levels in the body. Maybe it will help.”
Jimin scoffed, already knowing what the result would be, but he let the healer do whatever he wanted. It gave him a chance to scan the room. There was a small window right behind Jungkook, but it was locked too. He glanced at Jungkook’s pocket and saw that the alpha had put the key in there.
He pouted. He had to find a way to escape.
After a while, Jungkook came closer with a bottle in his hand, holding it out. “Drink it.”
“This is ridiculous,” Jimin snapped, but he still took it and drank it anyway, hoping that—like the tea from before—it might soothe his pain a little.
After the last gulp, he started to cough. He felt as if something were squeezing his insides. He dropped the test tube from his hand, sending shards of glass scattering everywhere. Jungkook grew frantic, “Hey! Are you okay?” he asked, completely unsure of what to do.
Jimin calmed down after a moment, looking up at him with teary eyes. “No, it made it worse,” he hissed.
Jungkook looked apologetic, returning to his book to read. He frowned. “I guess trying to increase your iron levels when there's no blood in your system didn't work out.”
“No way!” Jimin said, feeling even worse now than he had before that tea.
Without saying a word, Jungkook opened the door, locked it behind him again, and left Jimin alone in the room. Jimin didn't care where he was going. He needed to get out of here and find a human immediately. Keeping his senses sharp in case the alpha returned, he approached the window. It was reinforced with wooden shutters. Jimin pried at them, but they were locked tight. Normally, Jimin could have broken them easily with his vampire strength, but he wasn't in his normal state; he was far too weak. Still, he tried to force them open without making too much noise.
He jumped as the sound of the lock turning caught him red-handed. Jungkook came inside, locking the door behind him once more. Despite seeing Jimin at the window, he calmly walked over to the table with a tray in his hand. “Don't bother trying. Everything in this pack is made with iron specifically designed to withstand vampire strength,” he uttered without even looking up.
Jimin pouted, angry. Jungkook gestured toward the tray. “Eat it.”
Jimin came closer, furrowing his brow as he looked down at the tray. There was chopped liver and clams. He scoffed angrily. “You've turned me into a complete lab rat! Enough already. I don't eat food.”
Jungkook sighed, his arms crossed over his chest. “You're not exactly expecting me to pity you, are you? A soulless, dead creature?”
Jimin’s frown deepened. Wolves were always like that, thinking that since vampires had no souls, they couldn't feel any pain. Yes, they were resilient to wounds and fatal blows, and nothing but blood loss could kill them, but that didn't mean they didn't suffer. Still, he had no intention of telling that to the alpha. “I don't eat.”
“We are trying to keep you from rotting here,” the alpha uttered angrily.
“Look, I’ve really been playing nice from the very beginning. Even though I knew none of this would work, I’ve been doing whatever you say just so you could see it for yourself. But stop already. Nothing but human blood can stop my decay, do you understand? You know this perfectly well too—I thought you were someone educated!” he hissed. His patience was running thin now. After so many days without blood, he really had been understanding, by his own standards. Normally, he was a sharp-tongued person; he would pick fights even with the vampires back at his own home. He had been remarkably patient, even trying to understand that they were just trying to save their own people, but enough was enough. This was pointless.
Jungkook looked taken aback. He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. “You are right. Then let’s wait.”
Jimin froze for a moment. “Wait for what?”
Jungkook shrugged. “The hunters went out to catch some animals. I’ll make you drink their blood one last time. If that doesn't work, we'll just wait for you to rot.”
Jimin huffed in frustration. “Look, you don’t get it. You don’t know who I am. There will be a war if you don’t release me—a war so bloody that even vampires haven't seen that much blood before.” He was being sincere; he really didn't want to go through a war like that.
Jungkook looked him dead in the eyes. “I know who you are, Park Jimin. You are the lover of Lee Jaejoon. I heard he is smitten with you, and that he threatened a war for your sake. But we don’t care. You see, the werewolves are stronger than the vampires now more than ever. And your side took our people first. You were caught in our territory. I think he will realize he can find someone prettier than you before he goes through all that trouble.”
Jimin was taken aback by the surprisingly gentle tone of the alpha, but the way the man spoke to him only made his nerves fray further. "You think that’s all I am to him? A pretty face? You wolfs are so arrogant, thinking you are the only ones who possess real feelings."
“Oh, so you do have feelings for each other,” Jungkook said mockingly. “He loves you so much that he’s willing to declare war over you, despite the risk of a large portion of the vampire population being wiped off the face of the earth? Your stakes are much higher than ours.”
Jimin stopped for a split second, hesitation freezing his tongue. Why couldn’t he answer with a simple, immediate yes? He was certain of Jaejoon’s love—certain in the way one was certain of the ground beneath their feet. Jaejoon had been the one to turn him when he was on the brink of death; the one who had stayed by his side through the agony of transformation, watching over him as he writhed and broke apart. He had waited patiently for Jimin to accept him, enduring every spoiled demand, every sharp edge of his temper without complaint.
And yet… would he truly risk everything for him?
Jimin shook his head slightly, as if trying to clear the thought. Of course he would. Jaejoon was obsessed with him—had always been. Anyone who looked at Jimin the wrong way disappeared soon after.
“Of course he will,” Jimin said, but the words came a fraction too late.
Jungkook was already watching him, a smug, knowing curve to his lips.
Without another word, the alpha left him alone with his spiraling thoughts.
Jimin sank deeper into the chair, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself. Somehow, the encounter had dragged him into something heavier than he expected—a quiet confrontation with his own past.
He was on the edge of vanishing from this world entirely, and for the first time, he began to look back.
Five years, that was all he had. At least, that was all he remembered. Before that was nothing—only a blank he could never quite reach. He had been in his early twenties, or so he assumed. What had brought him to the brink of death? And what had Jaejoon seen in him that made him choose turning over draining him dry?
Jimin didn’t know.
All he had ever known was the aftermath—the slow, brutal adjustment to vampirism, and Jaejoon.
Jaejoon had appeared like salvation carved out of nowhere. He had taught him everything—how to survive, how to control the hunger, how to exist in this new body without tearing it apart. He had given him safety, a place, a name within a clan that bowed to his presence.
And Jimin… Jimin had loved him for it. Or at least, he thought he did.
Everything he understood about love had been shaped entirely by Jaejoon’s hands. He loved being indulged, loved the power Jaejoon’s status gave him, he loved the way the older vampire looked at him with an eternal, burning thirst, and how deeply he respected Jimin whenever they shared a bed.
But that was the extent of it.
Perhaps the wolves were right about one thing: since vampires had no souls, this was the absolute limit of what they could feel. There was no room for burning, consuming passions—no feeling like you would die if you weren't with that person. They were already dead, for fuck's sake. It was different for wolves, of course; they experienced emotions ten times more intensely than even humans did. They were mating with their souls, binding their very beings to another. Jimin couldn't even fathom such a concept. Despite his immense debt of gratitude, he knew he would never bind his non-existent soul to Jaejoon.
Even if what he and Jaejoon had wasn’t that kind of bond… Jaejoon wouldn’t simply abandon him here. Would he?
***
Jungkook walked down the stairs, carrying a glass filled with the closest equivalent to human blood that animal hunting could provide. He was well aware that he had been harsh with the vampire earlier. But Jimin was a vampire, after all—it wasn’t as if his heart could break. Besides, the sheer gravity of their situation had set Jungkook’s nerves on fire.
What he had told Jimin was true: the wolves held the upper hand. Yet, no matter the cost, they had to ensure Jimin survived. And deep down, Jungkook knew very well that a vampire truly needed only one thing to thrive: human blood.
But that was something they absolutely could not give him.
Even if it were just a single glass, and even if they didn’t kill a human to get it, a werewolf pack supplying human blood to a vampire would spark a catastrophic scandal. If word ever got out, the Kim pack would be utterly destroyed—and it would be by the hands of their own kind.
So, knowing full well he would be proven wrong, Jungkook held onto a tiny shred of hope as he unlocked the door once more and stepped inside. Jimin was staring blankly at the wall, looking even paler than before—if that was even possible. Without a word, Jungkook extended the glass toward him. The implication was clear.
Jimin glared at him with pure hatred before yanking the glass from his hand. He grimaced at the metallic scent. “This looks disgusting,” he muttered weakly.
Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Well, it’s blood,” he replied, as if human blood would look any different.
“After this, you promise to leave me to decay in peace, okay?” Jimin demanded, his eyes boring into Jungkook’s, desperately seeking confirmation.
For a brief moment, a sudden, unexpected pang of sadness washed over Jungkook. He cleared his throat, shaking it off—why on earth should he feel sad for an already dead, soulless creature? He simply jerked his head, gesturing for the vampire to drink. Jimin closed his eyes and downed the red liquid in a single gulp.
The moment the glass was empty, Jimin stared at the shards of broken glass on the floor. His hands began to tremble violently. Fearing the glass would meet the same fate, Jungkook immediately snatched it back and set it aside. Jimin clutched his stomach, clapping a hand over his mouth. Jungkook cursed under his breath as he realized the vampire’s stomach was rejecting it.
Right on cue, Jimin retched, vomiting the blood all over the floor. Jungkook leaped backward just in time to keep his feet clear of the bloody mess mixing with the broken glass. He looked up to see Jimin glaring at him with raw malice, blood staining his chin and lips.
Jungkook swallowed. Normally, the sight of a vampire with a blood-smeared mouth would have triggered his anger, but right now, Jimin just looked utterly pathetic. Once again, that sharp prick of conscience stabbed at him. For a split second, he felt like he was genuinely torturing someone.
Letting out a long, heavy breath, Jungkook turned to grab a towel and held it out to the vampire. Jimin snatched it away, aggressively wiping the blood from his face. Jungkook realized then that enough was enough. Jimin was right; there was no point in torturing him further. Deep down, Jungkook knew very well that nothing else was going to work.
So he just sat there. Across from Jimin, he stared blankly at the wall while the vampire coughed, spitting out the last remaining traces of blood from his mouth. It was glaringly obvious how much Jimin reviled the animal blood. Jungkook turned his gaze toward him and saw Jimin desperately trying to scrub the stains from his hands.
“Was it that bad?” Jungkook asked, unable to stop himself.
Jimin glared, his eyes flashing with resentment. “There’s a reason no vampire feeds on animals. If it were possible, someone would have done it a long time ago. Killing humans doesn’t entertain all of us the way you think it does.”
Jungkook was taken aback by the admission. Never in his life had he imagined a vampire could experience moral conflict over killing a human. He simply remained silent, the revelation weighing heavily in the room.
Sighing, Jimin leaned his head against the wall of the infirmary bed. Jungkook could see that the vampire didn’t have much time left. It was as if everything they had tried to do to save him had only weakened him further instead of making him stronger. Now, the dark veins were becoming increasingly visible beneath his translucent skin, and his eyes had shifted from a deep burgundy to a hollow, midnight black. Jungkook was certain that within a couple of hours, this vampire would vanish forever.
Oddly enough, his inner alpha hissed fiercely at the thought.
Jungkook clenched his hands into tight fists, furious with himself. It had already been a bizarre, exhausting night. When the faint sound of birds chirping reached his ears, he realized the sun was beginning to rise. He stared at the blond vampire’s right profile and had to admit that even in this state—even while decaying—Jimin was breathtakingly beautiful. Jungkook bit the inside of his cheek as he noticed the intoxicating scent of sweet peaches starting to fade from the room, a silent declaration that the end was drawing near. A sudden sadness filled his chest, accompanied by a strange, intrusive thought: letting a beauty like this fade away felt like a crime against nature itself.
He shook his head sharply to clear his mind. This was completely absurd. Jimin’s very existence as a vampire was a defiance of nature, and his destruction should be considered a good thing. Yet the fact that this vampire smelled so heavenly, unlike the foul stench of any other vampire he had encountered, was completely throwing his senses into chaos. It was tricking his alpha into perceiving Jimin as a fragile human who needed to be protected. Yes, he told himself, that had to be the reason.
Hoping to distract himself, Jungkook stood up and began to sweep the puddle of blood and shards of broken glass from the floor. Jimin didn’t look at him. The vampire’s gaze remained fixed on the wall, as if something monumentally important were written there, though his focus was completely dazed.
When Jungkook threw the broken shards into the trash, he knelt back down with a cloth to thoroughly wipe up the rest of the blood. But a stray fragment of glass missed earlier pierced right through the fabric and sliced deep into his palm. He hissed in pain, cursing under his breath as he dropped the cloth.
On his knees, he stared down at the dark, thick blood welling up from his hand. At that exact moment, a low, guttural groan echoed through the room.
Jungkook snapped his head up. Jimin's dazed focus was gone. His eyes had flared back to a sharp, burning red, locked intently onto Jungkook’s palm—or more accurately, the blood pooling in his hand. The vampire’s nostrils flared, his breathing turned into frantic pants, and his dark veins rippled as his fangs snapped out completely. He looked like he was fighting a brutal war against his own body just to stay seated.
Their eyes locked, and Jimin let out another pained whimpering sound.
Jungkook gasped as a sudden, shocking realization hit him. The vampire was thirsting for his fucking blood! A werewolf's blood.
Frozen on the floor, Jungkook didn't know what to do with this impossible information. Never in the history of the world did a vampire crave a werewolf's blood; by their very nature, the two species found each other repulsive. If a vampire ever tried to drink a wolf's blood, they would purge it instantly, choking on the bitter, toxic taste. And no werewolf would ever permit a vampire to do something so inherently disgusting as feed on them.
Yet oddly enough, even though Jimin was clearly starving for his blood, Jungkook's own alpha wasn't repulsed by the idea at all. Instead of snarling in disgust, his inner wolf was entirely calm—almost eagerly waiting, fiercely urging Jungkook from within: Feed him. Save him.
Cursing violently to drown out his instincts, Jungkook scrambled to his feet. He grabbed a clean towel and wrapped it tightly around his bleeding hand to cut off the scent. As he did, he tried to reason with his chaotic alpha, desperately reminding him that no matter how heavenly Jimin smelled, he was not human. He was a vampire. And they had absolutely no reason to save him.
A sudden, heavy thud cut through his racing thoughts. Jimin’s head had slumped back against the wall, his mouth slightly open and his eyes closed. He was on the very precipice of decay.
Jungkook gasped, a sudden, consuming terror wrapping around his chest. Without a second thought, he rushed to the vampire’s bedside and cupped Jimin’s face in his hands. “Jimin!” he called out desperately.
As if acting on pure instinct, Jimin weakly nuzzled his nose against Jungkook’s bandaged palm, moaning in sheer agony. Looking down at him, Jungkook was absolutely certain of one thing: the vampire was in a state of excruciating torture.
In this hopeless, frantic moment, a dangerous realization hit him. Maybe this was disgusting. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was absurd, dangerous, even unforgivable. But if it worked, it wouldn’t just save Jimin—it could also save the entire Kim pack from a war.
“Jimin,” Jungkook said, his voice firm and grounding. Jimin forced his eyes half-open, looking up at him with immense effort. “I don’t know if this will work. I don’t know what the consequences will be. But if we do this, it stays a secret between us forever. If a single person finds out, I will come back and drain you dry myself.”
With grim determination, Jungkook extended his arm, holding his bare wrist directly in front of Jimin’s mouth.
Jimin’s eyes snapped wide open. Jungkook could see the raw excitement, the predatory hunger flaring deep within those ruby depths. Jungkook braced himself for the oncoming onslaught. He was certain it would hurt like hell, and he expected his inner alpha to thrash wildly inside him, ready to rip the leech apart the moment his skin was breached.
But none of that happened.
Jimin parted his dry lips, exposing his sharp fangs, and gripped Jungkook’s forearm desperately with his small hands. He plunged his fangs deep into the alpha’s wrist.
Jungkook gasped. There was a sharp, fleeting flash of pain, but it was instantly replaced by a wave of intoxicating pleasure flooding his entire nervous system. He trembled violently, his eyes fluttering shut as a completely foreign sensation enveloped him. As Jimin drank his blood, Jungkook felt like he was floating on air, experiencing a euphoria unlike anything he had ever felt before. His inner alpha was entirely silent, almost purring with satisfaction. The sweet, heavy scent of delicious peaches and rich vanilla saturated his entire being, forcing an uncontrollable moan from his throat.
When his eyes drifted open, they locked directly with Jimin’s ruby gaze. The vampire pulled back just an inch from his wrist, a drop of crimson staining his lips. In that exact second, a sudden, profound connection sparked between them, vibrating deep within Jungkook’s chest.
He stared at the vampire’s bloodied lips, and a sudden, violent wave of panic crashed over him.
Horrified by what he had just allowed, Jungkook abruptly yanked his arm back. He turned and bolted for the door, threw it open, rushed out, and carefully locked it behind him with shaking hands before sprinting up the stairs.
When he burst onto the veranda, he collapsed against the railing, drawing in deep, ragged breaths of the morning air. He pressed his palm hard against his throbbing, tingling wrist, his heart hammering against his ribs.
What the fuck did I just do?