Jungkook's POV

"You can come in, pup, I don't mind, not anymore" Namjoon invites me in the nest out of nowhere and my eyes widen on him as his knowing orbs rest on me, warm and kind.

How did he find out? I thought I was looking detached enough, I made sure to not appear too longing-

"You've been staring at the space besides her for over an hour now with the most expectant eyes I've ever seen on you. It's not hard to guess" he chuckles and I feel a blush crawl on my cheeks. Shit.

Taehyung and Jin chuckle, endeared and I push them away softly, bashful and too embarrassed to handle their teasing now. They coo and give me a few kisses to reassure me, to which I let them, secretly enjoying it.

I then turn back to the bed, heart wanting so much, but also hesitating. "Are you sure, hyung? I don't want to intrude or make you uncomfortable, I know she hasn't fully woken up yet and-" I start rumbling, really worried about how this could make him feel even though I'm also a mate but he calmly shakes his head and pats the space on the bed.

"Go in, Kook, it's fine" Jimin insists as well, a gentle nudge to urge me to get up and that's all I need before I'm rushing towards the bed, soul sparkling in rejoice for being allowed near them again after all that occurred.

Not like her recovery had been terrible to watch as she doesn't seem to hurt anymore, it's just the memory of her blood haunting my nose and reminding me that she was dead a little while ago, the sounds of her heart silent, something that shouldn't ever happen, something I never want to experience again.

Her skin had looked so cold, lifeless. I just need to feel her alive under my fingers after all this.

I slowly climb into bed and above the blankets to cuddle by their side, nose going to find respite in Y/N's neck where I can smell her scent, honey and strawberries. Honestly, her scent reminds me of sunset clouds. If they had a smell, it would be hers.

I close my eyes, let my soul register how she's breathing in and out softly and soon, fingers slide against my scalp, Namjoon's fingers following a path across my scalp that he knows helps me calm down and suddenly, I feel again like the baby of the coven, cared for, loved.

Where I had once felt like Y/N had taken my place, that I couldn't be treated as such anymore, I only recently realized that it's not true. A foolish thought, selfish.

I gained someone to baby, someone to love, to take care of, but I never once lost my place. I'm still my coven's young and stupid mate who sometimes cannot see further than his own nose.

Her warm skin, her strong heart, both felt under my lips send a wave of comfort over me and I let myself get intoxicated by her scent, let it fill all of me, let it remind me that she's with us, that she's now one of us on a deeper level than before, a reality so satisfying that I can't help but let my thoughts wander to when she'll be marking me, to when I can do the same to her.

Where would she bear my mark? Here? I let my lips slide over her skin, soul seeking for a reaction, anything, the unconscious always reacting to a mate's touch no matter what.

Hm. Maybe here?

I follow a path, let my instincts lead me, guide me through the valley of flushed skin that is mine to love, to cherish, until I reach a certain spot besides her left collarbone, a place that has her body tensing, a sigh leaving her lips, goosebumps traveling across her body and I press a kiss to it, claiming this section of her body as mine and mine only.

"Leave us some space too, Kook-ah" Yoongi chuckles, his words eliciting small laughter from the others as well. I smile and kiss my future mark again before looking down at them to see their endeared eyes gazing at us.

"Don't worry, I want to see all of ours on her beautiful skin, mine being alone would be a sad sight" I reassure them before freezing when I feel her body move, their eyes widening on her form.

I let my gaze fall on her to see her raising herself up on an elbow, eyes set on Namjoon, his own wide, surprised and for some reason, it looks as if he's having a memory.

But... it can't be, can it?

Your POV

I wake up to the sound of laughter, a sound so soothing, loving, pretty voices sounding happy and in turn making me happy.

I feel so good, no pain, nothing but bliss and fondness, the clothes soft to my skin as they bear the scents of my soulmates, Namjoon's scent still there, still strong as ever, but another one is stronger as well.

It reminds me of Jungkook's, it still has that mature side to it, but much more precise. He smells like a warm summer day, of clean sheets drying outside in the fresh breeze, it's so comforting, it suits him so well.

It's the feeling of lips on my skin, of warmth surrounding me that has me feeling at peace, at home.

Feeling rested enough to open my eyes, I raise myself up to my elbow, slowly, just to test my energy but finding that my body follows smoothly without resistance, I look up to meet the man's gaze in front of me, the vampire who turned me, the one who remained by my side from the very beginning, the one who I now share a blood bond with.

My eyes fall on his and his on mine and suddenly, it's like the world stops, his eyes widening, as if he's transported somewhere, as if he's seeing something.

Confusion, that's what's written on his face but it doesn't last for long, not when he finally registers that I'm staring at him, that I'm not sleeping anymore.

Gasps fill the silence and I smile, a giggle bubbling out of my lips at the excitement easily heard in the sounds.

"You... you're finally up, peach" Namjoon murmurs, relief showing on his face, hands going to cup my cheeks to take me in, as if he's seeing me for the first time before he's leaning in to pull me in for a sudden kiss, the sensation of his lips on mine reminding me of the one we shared before the change began.

His scent gets only stronger, makes me unable to focus on anything else but him and suddenly, a hunger, scary and new and coming from so deep within me, ready to seep out and control me has me gasping for air as I try to pull back from Namjoon, afraid to hurt him but he only leans forward to claim my lips again, eyes warm and understanding as he caresses my cheeks gently.

"Joon wait-" I start, the feeling of my teeth elongating taking me aback, something that has me truly seeing the extent of the change that occurred within me.

That's right, I'm not human anymore. I'm no longer simply a human halfie, I'm now a vampire.

It's a feeling of need and thirst about to burst out, a craving that feels foreign, terrifying that has me trying to get away from him because I don't want to hurt him but he pecks my lips to stop me and pauses to gaze at me, hand going to softly caress my jaw before he smiles.

"Don't fight it, peach. You liked the taste of my blood, right? You remember?" he whispers and my thoughts go back to our first kiss again, to the taste that had covered my tongue, how much I longed for more, except it didn't come with such a need to suck him dry.

"B-but- What if I can't stop?" I ask him, throat starting to close up, out of hunger, of fear, I don't know, but a reassuring touch of lips to my shoulder has me relaxing, instincts soothed, not fully, but like a sweet promise of something better in a near future. It helps.

"You won't hurt him, you won't drink too much. His blood will be much more effective than random blood, if you decide to give this a chance" Jungkook's calm voice reassures me just as Namjoon tilts his head to offer me full access to his throat, to his beautifully marked skin.

My eyes zoom in on a vein, barely seen under all these muscles, yet I can almost hear as the blood flows under the surface, his scent seeping out and driving me crazy, so addictive, so delicious, so...

Before I know it, I'm leaning in, lips on his skin, but the vein is forgotten, not when something else calls out to me, begs for me to find and take as mine, a new mission given to me that my newfound thirst cannot beat and as I reach slightly under his left ear, right where his lower jaw starts, he shudders, a quick intake of air and I smirk, feeling pride beam within my soul.

"Found you, little sweetness" I murmur before sinking in my teeth without an ounce of hesitation.

Instantly, my soul flows forward, exalted and enchanted by the vampire finding himself pinned under me, unable to move, unwilling to even try, his eyes shut in blissfulness, his own soul welcoming mine in, a link taking place that has pink and purple bursting like fireworks in his mind.

What follows next has me groaning as I bite harder, the taste of his blood coating my tongue again making my mind blank and although part of me tries to resist losing myself into it, the gentle hand that settles on the back of my neck and keeping me in place is the only reassurance I need to truly indulge myself, throat bobbing up and down as I swallow his delightful blood.

As I feed myself, I come to realize. I'm feeding myself on my soulmate.

"That's right, muffin, just like that, such a good girl for us" Jungkook's voice enters the daze to let me know that I'm doing well, that this is fine, needed, wanted.

The growing hunger that was scaring me, so new and different from what I've known all my life lowers and settles back into the depth of my soul, content and satisfied because I'm not resisting the urge.

His taste is just like during our first kiss, nothing has changed and that is oddly comforting, reassuring, that I hadn't imagined it, didn't invent anything. He still tastes like the campfire that welcomes marshmallows and laughter and cuddles, his taste making me long to experience such a night with all of them one day.

A distinct feeling of having had enough slowly starts to emerge and I let it guide me, let it help me retract my teeth, tongue lapping at the mark, my mark, the skin healing and bringing an end to the flow of blood to only leave behind the proof of Namjoon now being mine.

I kiss where I just bit, out of breath and still processing what just happened, what just took place, how right it felt, how natural it felt, feels to be like them.

I was expecting to feel overwhelmed, I was expecting... resistance of some sort, to be scared of my senses, hesitant to bite, to mark, yet it all came innately after just enough encouragements from them, instincts guiding me, not with the intention to hurt but to please, to love, the act of feeding myself an act of care from me towards my soulmates because that means being willing to be healthy.

It's so much to process, to be guided by more than just knowledge and emotions but by something that runs so much deeper within me, something that feels like it was always mine, but only just now managed to gain life, freedom.

It's like all of who I am was reborn, an awakening of potential, like I was always meant to reach such a strength but was only lacking what was needed to achieve it.

Namjoon's arms wrap around me and he signs in contentment. "Thank you peach, thank you" he lets out, lips going to kiss the side of my head as I rest my face against his shoulder, body relaxing in his hold, drowsiness taking me over again after getting so much of the warm liquid, the same effect a cup of hot milk would have when you can't fall asleep.

I close my eyes, not willing to fall asleep but simply to rest. Jungkook cuddles my back, a smile on his lips as he hums, just as happy as the others by how things are developing.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" Jin asks, his voice seeming so close, yet I can also determine just how far he is, which is nowhere near the bed. Two other heartbeats in sync with his, is he cuddling with our other soulmates?

"I feel great, Jinnie" I muse softly, feeling as if I'm in a dream. "I think she's experiencing some buzz, probably had a tiny bit too much, it's cute" Yoongi chuckles, his voice sounding closer, just enough to make me feel safe, like he's there to protect us.

"I'm so jealous, Joonie hyung got marked first, I thought you'd said it would happen somewhere outdoor!" Jimin exclaims, no malice in his voice, just slight teasing, but his words have me frowning a little.

"Right, Joonie, you looked like you saw something when our eyes met" I say, confused. It was supposed to happen outside? "Right, I noticed that too, what happened hyung?" Jungkook adds and Namjoon shifts, a little nervous.

"About that... it... erm... the memory changed. Not by a lot, but the setting of outside changed to this room, in the bed. It could only be happening now, everything was the same" he explains and it elicits confusion from all of us.

"You're saying that your memory changed?" Hoseok repeats, an undeniable hope in his voice, as if he's been longing for his to change forever. I admit mine wasn't so fun from him either, could it really be possible that we changed the future?

Could it get better?

I think about all the memories I got that pained me. Yoongi, Jimin, Hoseok. Could the bad ones change?

Unable to not find out now, I pull myself out of Namjoon and Jungkook's arms and sit up to find Yoongi but in the process of finding him, my eyes meet Jimin's from his position on the floor as he cuddles Taehyung and Jin and suddenly, my vision blurs.

I stare at my hands. Bloody, smeared with red, fresh blood. Still warm to the touch. My heart is beating so fast, broken, split in so many pieces, yet no tears make it out of my eyes.

"Baby..." I look up to see Jimin walking towards me, a limp to his leg and I know right away that what I did was to protect him, because as heartbroken as I am, I have no regret.

You don't threaten to kill my soulmate and get out of it alive.

I blink a few times as the memory ends, a future that is unsettling, but not nearly as bad as what it used to be. Worried, Jimin stands up and walks to the bed, his hands taking mine as he crouches near me, Namjoon and Jungkook remaining by my sides, observant.

"What... what happened, Y/N?" he asks softly. I open my mouth before shutting it just as quickly, unsure myself of what I saw.

"I... I think I... I think I killed someone to protect you. It changed" I let out faintly, my words welcomed by silence because what can you say to that?

His arms circle around me and he hugs me tightly, this act expressing more than words can. I hug him back until Taehyung comes by to pull him away gently, sensing that Hoseok and Yoongi also want to have a go at it and see if fate can have pity on them, on us some more or not.

Hoseok is first to come in front of me and when a hand goes to my chin to lift my head up, when our eyes meet, scared yet expectant, nothing happens, not on my side.

Hoseok's POV

"She's not here, she's not in the house" I gasp, eyes panicked, where could she be?

"Do you think she heard? Did she hear everything?" Yoongi asks, fear making his whole body shake. "Please tell me she didn't, she didn't go by herself, she can't do that" he adds, his tone a plea as he heads to the front door, her scent having left no trail behind, none at all.

"She'll get herself killed! She can't win alone!" he exclaims before sinking to the floor, overwhelmed by his panic, lost. I rush to his side, take him in my arms, the sound of multiple feet coming to join us, scents I haven't smelled in a long time, old friends along with my mates.

I can't help but be shocked by what I see. Are we going to get close to them again? No, we shouldn't. We're not part of the same world anymore, that... as much as we miss them, we'd promised not to see each other again, that it would be good for all of us. Damn it.

"We need to go now before it's too late, I didn't do all that to keep her safe only for her to jump straight into the lion's den" Yoongi states as he forces himself back up to his feet and I help him, agreeing wholeheartedly with him.

But agreeing to what? Who's the lion? Fucking hell, this memory doesn't tell me anything important!

Namjoon steps forward and settles a hand on his shoulder. "We go together, all of us. We put an end to this". We look around us, at our friends, at our mates and we nod.

We can do this. We might not be fast enough to catch up to her, but we'll be damned if we don't do our best anyway. We're not losing her.

The memory comes to an abrupt end and I find myself clinging onto her tightly, eyes wide, the information I just gained making me incredibly confused.

What the heck was that? Who are we fighting against? How could it go from her being beaten almost to death to her going straight into danger? And alone? Goodness fuck. Why does everything have to revolve around her death?

"Hobi..? What did you see?" her sweet voice asks me, worried, her hands reaching behind me to hug me before stroking my back up and down to comfort me when I don't reply.

I bury my nose in her neck, breathe in deeply to calm myself. "If I ask you... no... if I beg you to never go somewhere dangerous all by yourself, no matter the circumstances, could you listen to me? Could you let us come with you? No rushing off all alone?" I try, knowing that no matter how much I plead, it won't change anything but I still wish, still hope it would change something, anything.

She freezes a little before her arms hug me tighter. "I don't know what you saw, Hobi, but I promise I'll try" she murmurs and I nod, not convinced but still comforted by the thought. "Okay... thank you, bun" I say before kissing her cheek.

I pull back to see her eyes, orbs orange, worried and nervous and although it feels weird to see such a vampire trait on her, it also makes me really happy because there's no more hiding. No more hiding how she feels, no acting strong, no pretend games.

I kiss her nose, heart melting when her eyes turn purple and pink, the colours so vibrant, much more than anything I've seen before, something beautiful, captivating, but then I feel a hesitant presence behind me and I pull back to see Yoongi stepping closer, face into a concerned frown, lips pressed tightly, heart anxious and I feel my soul cry a little for him.

"Hobi-ah, can you..." he doesn't finish his sentence but I understand right away what he wants. He wants to see if her memory of him has changed. If she'll see something else, something happy.

I nod and squeeze his hand before letting go of Y/N to stand aside, eyes anxiously taking in what's going to happen as he gets closer to crouch in front of her, fingers lacing with hers, as if to gain strength to face the truth, a truth bearing an ominous song, a song of terror and of fear.

"Yoonie... look at me?" Y/N whispers, just as afraid but she tries to smile even though her eyes show a whole other range of emotions, nothing to do with happiness. We all hold our breath as we watch Yoongi slowly look up, and when their eyes meet?

Nothing.

Nothing happens.

She doesn't show any sign that she's seeing anything, no. Her eyes simply fill with tears because she hates that memory, it scares her so much, enough to have made her keep away from all of us to avoid hurting us.

Yoongi's sudden sob turns the air in the room into something heavy and painful and Y/N quickly slips out of bed to wrap him tightly in her embrace as he starts crying, everything too much for him.

First hearing about her past, something that broke him, something that made him unleash his anger on the house, on life because he couldn't bear to know that something so terrible happened to her, then knowing that her worst memory comes from him, one that won't change no matter how much he begs fate every night?

Y/N breaks down all of his walls, makes him face his emotions head on and it hurts, it hurts so much to hear him cry, yet it's so much better than keeping it all in.

She murmurs sweet nothings into his ear, her hands playing with his hair, fingers caressing his cheeks, lips brushing against his and where I would expect to find her crying too, I instead find golden eyes and at this very moment, it's clear as day.

She's the one protecting, the one caring for him, the one wanting to keep safe and that's the first thing that my brain takes notes of about her change.

Gold is rare. Very rare. It only appears from determination, a determination whose source comes from a strong need to protect a loved one.

Not just a... I'll kill whoever did this to you. No.

It's a... I'll destroy the entire world if it can put the smallest smile on your face.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise" she whispers, eyes closing and cheek resting on his head.

I stare at the others, everyone having gathered closer to the bed to show support and I understand that they all saw the same thing I did when I see their widened eyes, all of them as taken aback as I am by the rare sight.

Something happened to her during the change. It goes deeper than only a physical transformation. She got mentally stronger too. It's like she gained strength in every possible ways.

I think back to the memory I had, to how it changed and suddenly, it makes sense. Today is the first hint of why she left alone on that particular day that has yet to happen.

She's not to be protected anymore.

She's the one protecting us.

Well excuse me while I start gushing over how cool she's getting, ya'll have no idea how happy this makes me *runs around in excitement*

Am I the only one feeling like this story is finally starting? It feels like we just got a freaking long prologue and it finally ended to give place to the main plot lmao.