Even though they try to hide it for my sake, I can see their already pale faces grow paler as minutes tick by with Jungkook's absence.

Six hours.

And still no Jungkook.

"Something must've happened to him," My voice sounds panicky and rushed as I shoot up from my seat for the millionth time, waiting for Jin to push me back down.

But he doesn't, and I take this chance to hurry my way towards the front door.

"Jimin, go with her." I hear Jin say quietly behind me as he quickly hisses commands that makes my heart beat wild.

"Taehyung and Yoongi. Look for him near the bridge and the river, alright? Watch for signs of hunters, and be careful— if you get caught, I'll kill you personally."

The duo shoots up to their feet, as if they'd been waiting for Jin to give the word. In a moment they've both disappeared, eyes glowing vampiric.

Jimin pulls me out of the house before I can hear what Jin says next, his eyes already its own shades of flashing storm gray. Concern and panic tenses my figure as his brows furrow with focus.

"I'm going to open my senses, Elle. Hold still— don't move a single inch, don't let the wind carry your blood scent to me."

When he says that, I nod and plant my feet firmly to the ground. My body falls completely still as his irises deepen another shade, another level of color.

"He was here." Jimin whispers, running his fingers through his hair as his eyes narrow with concentration. "Definitely— no. Not that way. Five meters down— around the corner—"

I watch him in amazement as he snaps out of his trance, pointing down the street to our right.

"That's where he went. Come on, Elle— hurry. We can't waste any more time than we already have."

Adrenaline pumps through my blood as I nod, breaking into a run as I follow his flashing figure down the streets. Jimin somehow magically seems to know where Jungkook had gone— until he stops, expression unreadable.

"What's wrong?"

His eyes narrow as he looks around the buildings, gray flickering. "This is where the trail ends— everything ends here. But how—"

My mind suddenly closes off his words when my eyes catch on a dark figure, strangely familiar in the black of the night.

Him.

A startled gasp runs between my lips as my legs move by themselves. Within a breath of a moment, I'm right in front of his hunched body, eyes wide and words rushed with relief.

"What were you thinking? How could you not come back for six hours, Jungkook? Do you know—"

Something thick and wet seeps into my hand, pressed against his shoulder.

What...

"Jungkook," Jimin is beside me in a flash, voice shaky as he grabs hold of the swaying maknae. "What happened? Are you okay?"

His arms wrap around me, and the same moment his head falls against my shoulder do I realize that he's trembling.

Violently.

The metallic tang of his blood fills the air, and I quickly wrap my own arms around his body as I suck in a harsh breath.

"We need to go," Jimin says stiffly as he grabs my sleeve, his body tensing before the teleportation. "He needs to be treated."

And then the air vibrates.

"What happened to him?" Taehyung exclaims as Jimin sets Jungkook's heavy body down onto the couch, which soon shifts its color from blue to dark red.

"Shot," Yoongi breathes, jaw tightening as he pulls out two thick rolls of bandage. "Those bastards."

Jungkook's forehead is heavy with sweat, breath uneven and abnormal as it rushes out of his body in an unnatural rhythm. His shoulder is torn in a bloody mess, his hands looking like he dipped them in a pool of red.

With a wound that severe, he required his regeneration abilities. And that ultimately meant—

"What the hell are you doing, Elle?" Taehyung growls as I draw a line across my wrist with the first sharp object that I could find from his equipment while Yoongi wasn't looking.

Everyone realizes too late, and they naturally avert their gazes instantly from the sudden lust and temptation that I bring with my blood.

"Stop whatever you're doing right now," Namjoon hisses, his usual gentle tone iced over as he covers his eyes. "Elle, I'm serious— patch that up this instant."

A mental apology runs through my mind as I pay no attention to his order. But instead of sealing the cut, I reach over Jungkook's limp figure.

"Elle."

My features draw in focus as I carefully guide the rivulets of blood running from my cut into Jungkook's parted lips, ignoring Jin's last warning call.

Even though he's unconscious and immobile, Jungkook responds to my blood with an instinct— a natural reflex.

I manage to get a few drops in before Yoongi slaps a bandage over my wrist, eyes slitted and angry as he tightens the gauze against the wound.

"You can be so stupid sometimes," He scolds as I look at him in surprise, confusion clear as day on my features.

"But I thought human blood speeded up the regenerative abilities? Remember when Taehyung was in the hospital— you told me that, Jimin!"

"Yeah," He murmurs shyly, and all the others shoot a glance at him. But I didn't understand. Why would they want to keep something like that a secret?

"It's not like it's going to do anything," Yoongi snaps, going back to his work on bandages. "But it's morally wrong. Bet that cut hurts now, doesn't it? And when Jungkook wakes up, you better have a good excuse planned out for it. He's not going to let something like that go."

A weak smile twists my lips as I laugh awkwardly. He was right— it was starting to get really painful for a tiny cut on the wrist.

Yoongi sighs, and throws another roll of bandage and a tube of ointment towards Hoseok, who stands right next to me.

"Take care of that. Jungkook's healing faster already— the bullet wound is almost closed."

"You took the bullet out, right?" I ask him, wincing even at the thought of his skin closing with the weapon still inside. "Because—"

"Of course I took the bullet out!" He shrieks, flapping his arms like they were wings. "What do you take me for— an amateur doctor? I have a freaking PhD, okay! I have one!"

A sudden groan echoes from the bed, and everyone falls into immediate silence as Jungkook's eyes flutter open.

"PhD....?" He mutters confusedly as Yoongi hurries over to his bedside, pressing his slender fingers against the maknae's wrist.

We all hold our breath until Yoongi lets out a relieved sigh, and all the tension releases from the air. I hadn't realized how much I'd really been worried until he'd woken up safe and sound.

Then Jungkook suddenly shoots up to his feet, eyes wide as he runs his tongue over his lips.

"Elle—" His body lurches to the right before he can finish the sentence, having stood up way too fast after being out so long.

But when there's six vampires surrounding you, there's just no way you would ever hit the ground— even if you tried to.

They all flash for the maknae, pulling him back upright after making sure that he's found his balance. But Jungkook isn't standing for much longer— Yoongi's already forced him back into the bed.

"I taste gardenia— her blood." Jungkook quickly says, eyes wide. "Why do I taste her? Did I bite her by accident?"

"No, you didn't." Hoseok defends hurriedly, patting the boy back down to sitting position. "It's probably just her smell— affecting you and all."

"Who shot you?" Jin finally asks, his voice stiff and tense as he leans against the walls. "And where were you for the past six hours?"

It's a simple question.

But the moment Jin asks, Jungkook's face goes so pale that Yoongi quickly waves for someone to get some blood for him.

"No," Jungkook rasps, wincing when he looks at the blood packet. "It's— there's something going on, hyung."

"Something bigger than anything we've ever imagined."