The glow of the moon barely aids in providing the hallway with any light, leaving him completely surrounded by the cover of darkness.

His head feels heavy against his shoulders, a lingering reminder of the harsh hit that he had received earlier that evening. Two strong hands are coiled beneath his arms, keeping him steady as they walk even deeper into the gaping void.

He can feel his toes continue to drag out behind him, protected by the bulky white tipped toe-box of his black and white Converse shoes as they stake over the rough ground below. He notes that his entire body weight is being supported by two shadows on either side of him, their faces barely visible through the darkness.

Jeno draws in a shaky breath, finally realising what has happened.

I've been kidnapped.

Suddenly, just out in the immediate distance, a blurry orange light protrudes from the void. It simmers against the ground and sends out pulses as if it were alive. It's erratic behaviour does nothing to calm his aching head, the pressure behind his eyes making his vision blur beneath the haze of his unshed tears.

He hisses as his eyes force themselves closed, offering him but a moment of clarity while his brain tries to recuperate from the overwhelming feeling of cotton between his ears.

Jeno needs to get his bearings quickly in the hope that he might be able to stand a chance against them, but why can't he remember how it is he got there to begin with? When had they made their move? Where was Mark?

The sound of a metal latch releasing forces him to reopen his eyes, which obviously try to protest at the sudden glare of bright white light. Jeno groans in agony as he is forced to close them again. The shadowy figures on either side of him chuckle at his expense, continuing to drag him further into the metal room.

Jeno can feel his feet catch on the lip of a doorframe, his ears ringing as the door is then slammed closed, the latch falling back into place. As his eyes slowly begin to rid themselves of the blur controlling them, he realises that he is now in a recently renovated room complete with tiled flooring and a full wall of metal shelves which seem to hold glass jars filled with the mementos of past trophies that Jeno really doesn't want to know the origins of.

Instead, he forces his head to turn slowly to the left, finally laying his eyes on one of his two kidnappers.

The offender's face is pale and his black hair is slicked back, but it does absolutely nothing to cover the raging bald spot at the back of his cranium. He is so thin that Jeno is certain that his finger would bleed if he were to run it along the curve of his cheekbone. The kidnapper's eyes are bright blue and his lower lip is far thinner than his top. His nose slants downwards before pooling into a large bulb just above his upper lip. His fingers are long and pale as they work to force Jeno's limp arm into a brown leather strap.

Jeno tries to fight him but realises fairly quickly that his body is actively fighting against him, the cotton in his head growing far more intense as the seconds continue to tick on. He forces himself to turn his head in the opposite direction, spying his final kidnapper.

The man is burly in build with a narrow nose and rich dark eyes. He looks like a mountain, his shoulders are large and square while his torso appears tight and slim. He's wearing black jeans and heavy combat boots. His fingers are chubbier than his accomplice and he struggles a little more with the leather strap.

"Tell us who your Alpha is." The slender man demands once he realises that Jeno is awake.

They're looking for an Alpha? He wonders, brows furrowing.

"We gotta warn you kid, if you don't tell us who he is then we will be forced to make you." The burly man sates, eyes sharp as he stares straight into Jeno's soul.

Despite the overwhelming sense of plushness in his head, Jeno does not mutter a single word. He lays his head back against the metal slab that they have fastened him to and lets out a small sigh.

"Alright," the burly man continues, looking over at his partner. "you leave us no choice."

Suddenly a burning sensation pierces through Jeno's lower side, directed solely at his hip. The pain makes his legs spasm as his body jolts beneath the electric burn of a taser. Jeno feels his eyes burn with tears but his body refuses to let them shed.

Just tell them that you don't have one. His mind screams.

"Still nothing to say?" The slender man's lips curl upward into a snide smirk. "Don't say that we didn't warn you."

The next blast of energy comes even stronger than the first. Jeno's lungs suck in air as his teeth bite down in a grit to contain his screams.

Why are you letting this happen? The voice continues to yell, louder and deeper than before. You have to fight them! Why the hell aren't you fighting them?!

"Come on honey." The burly man places a giant hand against Jeno's forehead, while his partner finally eases up on the taser. The skin feels cool against his heated skin. "Just say the name that we both already know."

Who are these people?

The pain comes again, greater than the previous two times. Jeno feels his entire body spasm, his heartbeat racing in his chest. It's longer this time. They had decided to draw his torment out.

His lips fall open, but it's not his own voice that he hears against his ears.

"Jeno!" Jaemin screams, his tears finally falling over his cheeks as the slender man jumps back in surprise. The burly guy whips around to his partner with wide eyes.

"Who is your Alpha?" The slender man asks again, slamming the taser right back into Jaemin's hipbone.

"Jeno!"

The scene immediately shifts as Jeno is pulled viciously from the room where Jaemin remains tied to a metal slab. His breathing hitches as he finds himself back in the dark hallway, completely alone.

Or so he thought.

Red eyes burn bright in the darkness, making a shiver run down the length of his spine. Recognition burns deep in Jeno's gut as he continues to stare in bewilderment at the eyes of the monster right in front of him. Its black fur is bound by golden chains. Jeno watches as its jaw lowers and its voice continues to scream at him.

LET ME OUT!

______________________

Jeno wakes with a start, throwing his bedsheets off his body and almost colliding head-first against Mark who looks both relieved and terrified to see him finally awake. His best friend's face is pale, his hair matted in places while his eyes and face still linger with sleep.

Jeno heaves.

His hands are sweating and he can feel how his entire body is covered in a thin layer of sweat. His heart rate is erratic in his chest, but he tries to calm himself down.

It was just a dream.

"Dude..." Mark whispers, eyes wide despite the tired look on his face. "You were screaming in your sleep. What happened?"

"Ni- Nightmare." Jeno struggles to breathe.

He presses his hand against his chest and feels how his heart tries to burst through his chest cavity. He gently rubs against the skin and tries to gain a better hold on his breathing.

"That sounded more like a night terror than a nightmare." Mark admits, standing from the end of Jeno's bed.

Jeno watches as his best friend retreats back to his own bed, leans over the tossed sheets to wrap his fingers around a bottle of water on his bedside table. He comes back with it in hand, cap gone. Jeno marvels at the drink and chugs a mouthful.

"I thought it was me..." Jeno explains when he can finally breathe again. "I thought that I was the one to have gotten kidnapped, but it was Jaemin the entire time."

"Jaemin got kidnapped?" Mark's brows furrow, but he still offers his best friend a reassuring smile. "You must really like him if this is what happens when you see him hurt in your dreams."

"Not funny." Jeno spits, though there is no real venom in his tone. He takes another sip of the water, fighting with himself to quell his racing adrenaline. "It felt so real. They were torturing him Mark, with a taser. I felt it, it was right here-"

Jeno gestures down to his hip, which is already bare from his lack of sleeping garments. His boxer brief hangs low on his waist, giving them both the perfect opportunity to see the bruise on Jeno's hip. There is also one in the centre of his torso, right beneath his ribcage.

Mark's eyes widen. "You still haven't healed?"

"Forget it." Jeno shakes his head and pulls himself up from his mattress, his fingers still tight on the water bottle. "My nightmare felt real, like I was the one getting the voltage, not him."

"Maybe you rolled over in your sleep and you put pressure on your bruise? Maybe it was just your mind playing a trick on you by filtering in your own hurt into your dream?" Mark offers, his eyes still lingering on the bruises that he had inflicted on his best friend.

Jeno remained quiet.

There were no words that he could use to describe this feeling. It was like something deep within him was telling him that Jaemin was in real danger. Like there was something actually going on that Jeno wasn't aware of.

Mark took his best friend's silence to mean something. He had known Jeno for years, they had gone through puberty together and had seen each other through thick and thin over the years. Which is why Mark was able to tell that whatever happened in Jeno's dream, was enough to spook him. And Jeno wasn't one who tended to get spooked very easily.

"Look," He states, grasping his best friend by his shoulders. "We can head over to the house tomorrow morning if you want, so we can see for ourselves that Jaemin is fine. We were going to head over this weekend anyway, so why not do a quick check-in?"

"Are you sure?" Jeno sounds relieved and Mark was able to get a fairly good read on just how much Jaemin meant to his best friend. "I don't want to make you go back before you're ready-"

"Dude." Mark shushes him with a playful glare. "It's fine. Besides, I owe Jisung an apology anyway, Jaemin too. It will give me the opportunity to do that before we go back completely. But right now, it's three am and I really need to go back to sleep."

"Sorry..." Jeno's head falls low against his chest.

"Hey, no, don't apologise. You can't control your nightmare. How about you go and get yourself showered because you reek of sweat and I'll start working on making you some warm milk to help you go back to sleep."

Jeno grimaces, immediately shaking his head. "No, thank you."

"I only burned it once before! I've learned my lesson!"

"Once was enough," Jeno groans, sticking his tongue out as he is forced to recall the taste. "Make yourself a batch if you want. I'll probably just end up watching some tv or something before going back to bed."

"Suit yourself!" Mark shrugs, leaving his best friend to attend to his own business.

He groans in quiet disgust as he passes by their destroyed living-room, they had really let themselves go this time. Somehow throughout the entirety of their fight, they had managed to avoid causing any harm to their television, which was a win in Mark's book. Especially since everything else in the room had gone through the war, except their couch which seems to have come out as unscathed as their TV.

The entire room would take more than a few days to properly clean, especially since the ceramic and glass that exploded throughout their fight would linger regardless of their efforts. Mark knew that there would be pieces that they would stumble upon over the course of the remaining few months of their studies.

But that was if they decided to come back at all.

Mark had meant it when he said that he was giving it all very careful consideration. The added information that he had obtained during their fight had made everything else fall into place. Jeno had been changing because he had found a family that he could finally grow comfortable with. Mark would continue to hate himself for having taken him away from it.

But they had talked it all out and they had ensured their peace after everything that happened.

That being said, Mark knew that there were still people out there that he needed to apologise to. People that deserved it more than his best friend. People who had welcomed him into their home only for him to shit on their generosity. Mark had a lot of apologising to do and he was going to start with Jisung and Jaemin.

The cold blast of the refrigerator snaps Mark out of his thoughts, pulling him back into the moment at hand. He withdraws the milk from the shelf and places it down onto the countertop before he busies himself with finding a saucepan amongst the other junk in their cabinets.

Ding Dong!

Mark's head snaps up at the sound of their doorbell ringing. He can faintly hear the sound of running water so he knows that Jeno finally threw himself in the shower.

Throwing one last glance at their destroyed living-room, Mark approaches the front door with caution.

His brows furrow in the centre of his forehead when he spots Regina, their night manager through their peep-hole. She was standing with her arms crossed against her chest and a concerned look on her face. She immediately relaxes when Mark rushes to open the door, smiling nervously at the woman who is twice his age.

"Mark, thank goodness you're awake! We have a situation here." She's smiling politely to someone further down the hallway, out of sight. "I couldn't get you on the phone so I figured that it would be best to come up myself. You and Jen have a visitor."

"A visitor?" Mark's brows furrow again. "We haven't been expecting anyone."

"I know." Regina admits with a sad smile on her lips. "But it sounded really urgent, he said that he needed to speak with his cousin. Does that ring any bells?"

"Who?" Mark was certain that if he had them, his heckles would be raised in alarm right now.

"He said that his name is Jisung? College policy states that we can't let anyone have free access to the dormitories, so I accompanied him here to make sure that he is who he says he is." She motions with her hand and Mark can see the darkness of the hallway waver. Jisung comes into the light of the doorway, his lips pinched in a small smile.

"Hi hyung."

"Ji!" Mark pulls him over the doorframe and into a tight embrace. The younger werewolf stiffens beneath the elder's grip but eventually melts into the hug, lifting his hands up to wrap them around Mark's waist. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you alright?"

"Hyung-"

"He said that there is a family emergency." Regina cuts through their reunion, offering Mark a small reassuring smile. "It sounded urgent so I made a decision."

"Thank you." Mark nods his head and the woman returns it.

"If you need anything else, let me know. I'll be in the lobby if you need me."

Mark shouts his thanks to her before slamming the door closed with Jisung by his side. He immediately locks the door and urges the boy further into their dormitory.

Jisung gapes at the state of their living-room, his eyes wide when he turns to look up at Mark. "Are you guys okay?"

"Oh that?" Mark waves his hand. "Yeah we're fine. Jeno beat my ass around for an hour, but we're fine."

"Are we?" Jisung looks unsure, like he's waiting for Mark to take a bite out of him.

The new werewolf mentally slaps himself upside the head, hating how uncomfortable he had made Jisung. The younger werewolf never deserved to be his punching bag, Mark had a lot to apologise for.

"Ji, I'm really sorry about what happened between us-..."

"He said that there was a family emergency." Regina's voice cut through the beginning of his monologue, halting Mark in his speech.

Dread immediately begins to fill his stomach.

Jeno's dream.

Jisung's sudden unannounced arrival.

Family emergency.

Shit.

"What happened?" Mark's reaction was immediate, his eagerness to learn what had brought the young werewolf to their doorstep taking number one priority over his apologetic rant. "Jisung, what happened?"

It was only at this exact moment that Mark realised that there were dried tear trails on Jisung's cheeks, his eyes were still puffy and red from his sobs, and his chest was still heaving for air.

"It's Jaemin..." Jisung's voice was soft, delicate, and fragile.

He struggled to hold eye contact but Mark didn't care for that right now. Not when his best friend's nightmare was screaming at him from the back of his mind.

"He's been taken, hasn't he?"

Jisung sniffles, his eyes widening. "How did you know?"

"Because I saw it happen." Jeno announces his presence to the room with an incredibly steady voice.

Mark raises his eyes from Jisung's scared face to find his best friend's eyes ablaze with fury. His hair still drips with water from his shower, his lack of shirt showcasing the colourful bruises on his torso.

"Get him something to drink, I'm going to get dressed."

"Ji there are Coke cans in the fridge, help yourself. We will be right back!" Mark shouts over his shoulders as he races after his best friend.

Like hell was he letting Jeno go after his crush all by himself.

______________________

Regina didn't know what to expect when she signed on to be the night manager to one of the dormitory buildings at SM University. She thought because of her position, she had seen everything. From grown ass men sneaking out of their girlfriend's of their boyfriend's dorms just after curfew so they wouldn't be noticed by the flat-mates in the morning, to numerous stalking cases. Being a night manager had prepared her for a lot.

But when a young kid came barreling in the door in a flood of tears needing to speak with his cousin immediately, Regina did not know what to do.

The kid was barely sixteen at best, but he looked as if he had been through a rough night. Three AM should have been beyond his bedtime, so why the hell was he standing in front of her desk right now with mucus and snot all over himself?

She passes him a box of tissues as she waits for him to calm down a little, trying to gather the needed information to see who he could be related to.

This went against all of the university's policies but Regina could see a storm brewing in the boy's eyes and he obviously needed her help getting into contact with his cousin. Whoever that might be.

When he gave Lee Jeno's name, she was surprised.

Especially since Jeno's personnel file indicated that the boy did not possess any known family members. That being said, the boy clearly seemed to know valuable information - particularly his closeness with Mark Lee who was his best friend and roommate. Jisung also seemed to possess details that even Regina didn't know anything about.

When she tried Mark's cellphone, she wasn't all that surprised to find that it went straight to voicemail. It was three o'clock in the morning, no one in their right mind would be awake. Especially a man that was still recuperating from a vicious wolf attack a few weeks ago.

After she had left Jisung in their care, Regina returned to the lobby to continue on with the last stretch of her shift. She didn't expect to see anyone else for the remainder of the night, but then a tall dark haired man slipped in through the doorway.

His eyes were wide and large, his lips curled up into a small tired but polite smile. She took notice of his large ears as he made his way towards her desk. His fingers lingered on the marble, his eyes glancing towards the staircase to her immediate left.

"Can I help you?"

"I was told to wait here." He explains, holding up his cellphone. "I just dropped off my nephew, I just wanted to confirm with you that he made it up to Jeno's room alright?"

Regina's brows furrow but she nods her head regardless. "Yes," she explains. "Mark took him in himself."

"Perfect!" The man smiles, dazzling her with his bright row of teeth. "I'll stay outside, but can you let them know that I'm here when they come down?"

"They're leaving for the night?"

"Unfortunately." The man agrees with a sad smile. "Something unfortunate came up at home and we wanted Jeno to know about it, Jisung informed me that they will be joining us for the night."

"Might I ask your name?" Regina wonders, clicking into Jeno's personnel file again.

"Chanyeol. I was the one who spoke with Woobin on the phone when Jeno and Mark arrived at the hospital. I'm Jeno's guardian, we haven't had time to fix his file just yet."

His explanation was spoken word for word as it had been displayed on the file before her eyes. Regina's computer was only facing her, so there was no way that the man in front of her would have been able to see her screen.

So, this man was most likely legit.

An alert appeared at the top of Jeno's file which immediately drew Regina's gaze. Her breath hitched when she gazed up at the man in front of her.

"You paid for his remaining fees?"

"This morning," Chanyeol nods his head, corroborating the additional information on her screen. "before the emergency. I haven't had a chance to tell him myself yet."

"I know that we have never met each other before tonight, but thank you." She whispers, blushing slightly beneath his intense gaze. "Jeno is one of the good ones. He's very sweet and has often provided me with snacks and entertainment during my shifts. I was sad to learn about his situation. Thank you for keeping him in school."

"It was my pleasure." Chanyeol smiles, glancing down at his phone. "Forgive me," he pulls himself away from her desk. "I have to make a quick call. I'll just be outside."

"Wait!" She calls out after him, pulling herself up from her seat. Chanyeol halts in the middle of the doorway. "How are you related to him?" She wonders, blushing intensely. "I understand that it's none of my business, but to know that he finally has someone to look after him... I need to know."

"He's going to be my future son-in-law one day." Chanyeol laughs, flashing her those brilliant white teeth again. "You're right though," he continues. "He's a good kid. I would do anything to help him out."

He leaves her blushing in the lobby to make his phone call. In her shock she collapses back into her seat, a small smile on her lips.

Lee Jeno is finally allowing himself to feel happiness?

She couldn't be prouder.

Strange though, that his future father-in-law has ridiculously long ears, big teeth and big eyes. She snaps herself out of the haze, waving the idea away with the fairytale.

She barely has time to return to her Netflix show when the ding of the elevator alerts her to another visitor.

Her breath catches when she watches Mark, Jisung and Jeno come out of the metal box that she secretly hates due to her claustrophobia. Mark and Jeno are dressed in entirely black outfits, with Jeno holding on tightly to the metal bat that he had arrived with a few nights ago. His eyes are filled with concealed rage that shines through when he tries to offer her a small reassuring smile.

"We will be back in the morning, before your shift ends." He lingers behind to state, swinging the bat down to his side. "Have a good night Noona. We'll see you later."

She doesn't know why, but she whispers quietly after them. "Stay safe."

______________________

"Are you sure that this is the place?" Mark wonders from the backseat of Chanyeol's truck.

Jeno stares out of the front window from the passenger side of the car, his breathing laboured as his eyes take in the sight of the abandoned warehouse in front of him.

A metal shack in the middle of the forest with ivy growing up against the metal plates of the exterior walls. The roof is weathered and seems to have collapsed towards the west side of the property.

Outside, amongst the foliage stands a single vintage jeep with deep tire impressions leading up to its final resting space near the entrance of the property. In front of the jeep, amongst the blackened windows of the warehouse, was a single window that admits a creepy white glow.

Though there weren't any shadows lingering near it, Jeno knew deep down that they were in the right place. He had seen enough of its interior from his dream to be able to identify the building's exterior.

They were miles away from Chanyeol's territory, which would have been perfect to curb anyone tracking Jaemin's scent. Sadly for the two idiots inside, but a joyful occurrence for everyone else, was Jeno's sudden capability of identifying exactly where they had brought Jaemin.

There was no doubt in his mind that everyone would have questions about it later, but for right now, Jeno was simply going to thank the universe for letting him catch a glimpse of Jaemin's situation because it was able to lead them to his exact location.

Chanyeol had decided to park downwind, claiming that by going against the breeze their approach wouldn't alert the other wolf's abilities. They would be just as much of a surprise as the kidnapping had been.

"Can I use your phone for a second?" Jeno wonders, speaking to Chanyeol despite his gaze never once lifting from the warehouse up ahead.

The elder wolf says nothing as he retrieves the device from his back pocket, Jeno accepts it immediately and rushes to find Chanyeol's contacts.

He doesn't exactly know what it is that he's looking for, but his heart rate picks up when he notices one of the last messages sent from an unknown number.

Jeno selects the chat and it opens to show the last five messages.

SmartAss: I'll believe you when
I see it.

Be careful out there Baekhyun.
I don't want your death on my
conscience!

Jaemin will never forgive you

Unknown: I'll see him soon, I
promise

Now I gotta go before I catch a
tail, I'll be in touch ;)

Jeno doesn't ask for permission to send a message of his own, instead, his fingers rush against the keyboard and the message is sent before he could even begin to think about it.

He covers his tracks and hands the phone back before Chanyeol could ask any questions.

"There should only be two of them." Jeno explains to the members in the car. "But it wouldn't be much of a surprise if there are more hidden."

"Stay here with Jisung." Chanyeol turns to look at him.

Jeno finds himself scoffing. "Like hell I will."

"I wasn't talking to you." Chanyeol explains, glancing over his shoulder at Mark who freezes beneath his gaze. "You say that you're no longer a dickhead right?" Mark is quiet, but he still nods his head. "Then prove it. Make sure that he stays in the car, don't go acting like a hero. Protect him if things go bad, take the keys-" he throws them and Jeno watches slightly perplexed as his best friend catches them with ease. "if anything happens, get the hell out of here and go back to the house."

"Hyung..." Jisung stops him from getting out of the car. Jeno turns back to look at him, his heart breaking at the tears trailing over his cheeks. "Tell him that I'm so sorry... That I wasn't able to protect him-"

"None of this is your fault Jisung." Jeno reassures the youngest of the car, glancing quickly at Mark who is unbuckling his seatbelt to follow them out of the car. "Listen to whatever Mark says okay? I trust him to look after you. You can tell Jaemin yourself when we bring him back, alright?"

Jisung nods his head, pulling his own phone from his pocket to distract himself from the outside world. Jeno joins the others on the forest floor, bat by his side as he slams the car door closed behind him.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Mark whispers, but it's fruitless because they both know that Chanyeol can hear them. "You still haven't healed yet, what happens if something worse happens to you?"

"Then I'll walk it off." Jeno deadpans, staring emotionlessly at his best friend. "You're not going to be overprotective of me right now, I have enough energy to kick your ass all over again."

"Just don't lose your head." Mark warns him, eyes hard. "I've seen how you keep that anger of yours chained, don't let it come out now. It might blind you from your overall goal here. Which is getting Jaemin to safety."

"Trust me," Jeno's fingers coil tighter on his bat. "You don't need to remind me of that. Listen to Chanyeol, if you or Ji hear anything out of the ordinary, leave."

"Don't have to tell me twice. I'll keep you updated, keep an ear out for me big buy!" He turns to look up at Chanyeol who nods his head in understanding.

Mark places a single hand on his best friend's shoulder before climbing up into the driver's seat of Chanyeol's truck. He gives them a nod and Jeno turns on his heel to start approaching the warehouse.

"Remind me again about how this happened? Didn't I tell Haechan and Renjun to keep him out of trouble?"

Chanyeol tries to keep his composure, but Jeno's frustration was already starting to slip through into his voice.

"They were watching Netflix when Jisung came downstairs asking if anyone would be up for a game of baseball. He's been practicing for his match against Mark since you both left a week ago, usually Sehun helps him out but he's been busy with Kyungsoo at the moment. Jaemin took it upon himself to entertain him. They were throwing the ball around on the property but then Jisung said that he hit it too far and Jaemin went after it-"

"Jaemin went outside your property?" Jeno halts in his steps, turning his gaze up at Chanyeol who nods his head.

"For only a split second, Jisung was right behind him. He saw everything. Jaemin told him to run and he did. He came straight to me and I knew that if we did this without you, you would flip so I loaded him up in Jongdae's car and brought him to your dormitory."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"The whole house." Chanyeol explains, somehow managing to keep his head on a constant swivel despite engaging in the conversation. "They knew that the extra bodies would be too drastic so they're just waiting at home for us to return."

"They didn't want to come?"

"Of course they did, but then Renjun reassured everyone that you would have it handled."

"You guys expect too much of me sometimes." Jeno admits, chuckling nervously. "I'm pretty sure that most of the time, I'm just lucky."

"Yeah," Chanyeol agrees, halting for a moment. "Well let's see just how lucky you claim to be."

"After you, sir." Jeno observes the territory marker that Chanyeol had halted just in front of. He smiles as he watches Chanyeol's eyes flash bright red.

Jeno throws a quick glance over his shoulder, Mark isn't looking in their direction and Jisung's phone screen provides them with enough light to show that he's far more interested in watching his phone than he is watching them.

"You're good."

Chanyeol leaps into the air and shifts into his wolf form, pieces of clothing flying in all directions. His four paws hit the dirt below them, his bright red eyes blinking up at Jeno.

Jeno crosses the territory with his metal bat raised.

Let's get this over with.

______________________

Like Jeno suspected, their entrance into the facility was far easier than expected, with Chanyeol's wolf gently nosing his way along the entrance scouting for any lingering scents in the facility.

"Don't verbally reply to me," Chanyeol's wolf whispers through their telepathic connection. "They will hear you speak. Just nod or shake your head to my questions, alright? I can see you perfectly fine through the dark."

Jeno nods his head, taking a tighter hold on his bat as they enter the long stretch of hallway that he had seen in his dream.

"Does any of this look familiar?" Again, Jeno nods his head, feeling Chanyeol's heat radiating against his thigh. "I can see a light at the end of the hallway, is that where they're keeping him?" Jeno nods, allowing his free hand to come and gently rest against Chanyeol's fur.

They linger next to each other as they continue deeper into the depths of the darkness that looked exactly like it did in Jeno's dream. His grip grew tighter in Chanyeol's fur as they approached a wide open chasm right next to their destination, Jeno's hands grow clammy as he recalls the golden chains and the red eyes.

"Are you alright?" Chanyeol wonders, pausing just outside the door.

Jeno can faintly make out the wolf's face in the dark. While it didn't possess any eyebrows, Chanyeol's eyes were narrowed just enough to give the illusion.

It makes Jeno crack a smile and momentarily forget about the horror of his nightmare.

He gives the fur beneath his fingers a gentle squeeze before he goes barreling through the metal door with his metal bat at the ready.

Chanyeol immediately throws himself against the burly man on Jaemin's left leaving the slender man panicked and unprepared.

There is a great distance between them since Jeno doesn't possess Chanyeol's freakish werewolf capabilities but his presence is felt, the slender man's face is pale when he finally raises his gaze to look Jeno in the eye.

"We didn't have a choice!" The man squeals, voice raised and hands out in surrender.

Jeno's eyes lock on the taser which still remains in the man's grip, his steps turn hurried as he rushes forward, composed, calculated.

"I didn't have a choice! We needed to find out who his Alpha was!"

"Shut up and fight him!" The burly man's voice cracks through the air as he struggles to fight against Chanyeol's sharp teeth.

"We had to get him to admit that Chanyeol is the Alpha!" The slender man continues, staring straight at Jeno, frightened. "Chase needed to know that Chanyeol is an Alpha, he needed to know if Park was the one in control of the pack, we had no choice!"

"Stop talking!" The burly man screams, tossing Chanyeol's wolf back against the metal cabinet lining the length of the opposite wall.

Jeno can hear Chanyeol pull himself back up and lunge at the man all over again, his screams echoing off the metal and tiled room.

Jeno still hadn't said a word, his gaze continuing to bore holes into the slender man who had been plaguing his mind ever since he had woken up. He looked unsure, like he wasn't entirely sure if he would be able to overpower Jeno or if it would be easier to run by him on his way out of the room.

"We didn't think that anyone would miss him!" His word vomit continues to spew past his lips, his eyes filling with tears. "We didn't think that someone would come looking for him! We just needed an answer! He's been spewing the same name for hours! It was a stupid mission, Chase should have never asked us to do it!"

"Why continue if he answered your question?" Jeno wonders, voice low. The slender man heaves for breath, arms still outstretched. "Why continue to torment him when he may have been screaming the answer to your question? Explain that to me?"

"We didn't have a choice, Chase would have stopped at nothing until he gave us Chanyeol's name. We would have had to continue until he died, we didn't have a choice."

"You know..." Jeno sighs, flexing his grip on the handle of his bat. "I'm really starting to get pissed off with this guy. I've never met him myself, but he just seems to keep popping up everywhere I go."

"We didn't-"

"Have a choice." Jeno nods his head, finishing the man's sentence. "Well, I don't exactly have a choice about what I'm going to do either."

The man whimpers, glancing over his shoulder. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

Jeno swings the bat and watches as it collides against the man's temple, sending him crashing to the floor. He wheezes in pain, looking up at Jeno with horror in his eyes. There is blood pooling against his hair but Jeno doesn't care, simply choosing to step over him in his pursuit to Jaemin.

The boy is gasping on the hospital bed, bound to the mattress with brown leather restricts. His head is turned, his eyes glazed over as he watches Jeno approach him. A small relieved smile starts to form on his lips, his fingers stretching out to welcome him.

A loud crashing sound comes from behind them, forcing Jeno to halt in his steps towards Jaemin.

The hybrid's eyes are wide, mouth open to scream but Chanyeol's voice gets to him quicker.

"Duck!"

Jeno falls to the floor immediately, the bat clanging as it falls with him against the filthy floor. A dark brown wolf flies over his head, landing right in front of Jaemin's bed with a snarl directed at Jeno.

With a quick glance over his shoulder Jeno finds Chanyeol's dark haired wolf heaving against the cabinet that is dented and on the floor, he's sitting amongst the rumble groaning and lapping at a wound on his paw. His bright red eyes shine as he looks straight at Jeno.

"Kill him."

Jeno shifts himself against the floor, placing his shoulders flat against the floor while his knees come up to his chest. The wolf pounces and Jeno collides his feet straight into its chest. The shove sends the creature flying in the opposite direction.

Jeno has just enough time to gain a proper hold on the metal bat, which he draws to his chest.

He groans when he realises that he has grabbed the wrong end of it, the handle dangling against his thigh.

He doesn't have time to right it, the wolf shaking off the hit and coming straight at him again, snarling and biting.

It takes a moment to learn his pattern, but it's mostly just luck that drives the handle of the bat through the teeth of the wolf. Jeno's palm is flat against the tip of the bat, using his entire body weight to shove it in even deeper.

The wolf's snout crashes into Jeno's torso, hitting the bruise that Mark had given him earlier that evening. The wolf lets out a choked grunt before slumping down onto its front.

Jeno watches as it struggles to breathe, the bat no doubt having tore through his esophagus from the force of his impact and Jeno's additional body weight.

It falls to the floor, where Jeno retracts the bat pulling it harshly at the edge. It struggles like the sword in the stone before it finally dislodges itself from the bowels of the beast.

For good measure, Jeno brings the bat down on the head of the creature. A familiar cracking sound makes his heart start to calm.

When he turns to finish off the slender man, he's not even that surprised to find Chanyeol's wolf tearing into his chest to remove his heart.

Jeno turns his entire attention to Jaemin who is too busy crying in relief to form coherent sentences. Jeno presses a single kiss to his forehead, it's enough to calm Jaemin's tears. Jeno gently removes the leather straps that contain the hybrid, Jaemin gasping in pain when they are finally released.

The bruises that linger make Jeno's heart ache. He can't pull himself up from the mattress so Jeno leans down and gently lifts Jaemin's arms to wrap them around his neck, Jaemin clings to him almost immediately.

Jeno slips an arm beneath Jaemin's knees before they both roll off the mattress, Jaemin now sitting in Jeno's arms in a bridal-style carry.

"Let's get you home, okay?"

Jaemin doesn't say anything, though his head nods his agreement. His eyes linger on Chanyeol, who holds his gaze. He comes to a complete stop against Jeno's thighs, sitting back on his hind legs. His red eyes are such a strong contrast from his black fur that even Jeno feels a little unnerved by them.

"I'm so sorry that you have to see me like this." Chanyeol's voice is a lot less gruff when he is speaking to Jaemin than when he speaks to Jeno. "I don't mean to frighten you."

Jaemin's hand is shaking when he gently reaches out. Chanyeol lets him, remaining still. Jaemin's hand halts a few inches before Chanyeol's snout. Jeno chuckles when the wolf flops closer, gently placing his chin in the base of Jaemin's palm.

"Thank you." He whispers, his thumb gently caressing the fur on Chanyeol's face. "You can never scare me, but thank you for showing me."

"Of course." Chanyeol whispers, lightly licking the wound on Jaemin's wrist. "Let's get you home?"

"Okay." Jaemin agrees, taking his hand back. He curls up in Jeno's arms, gently pressing his forehead against the edge of Jeno's chin.

On their way out of the warehouse, Jeno's entire being is suddenly coated with goosebumps which halt him in his steps.

He turns on his heel and gazes back into the darkness of the evacuated warehouse, waiting for the being to materialise out of the darkness.

It doesn't, but its voice remains strong in his mind.

LET ME OUT!