"He's taking too long," hanjae muttered, shading his eyes from the sun and looking toward the pack house. The laughter from earlier had died down, replaced with silence that felt... wrong.
"Ye Jun should be back by now," Ryung added, anxiety creeping into his voice.
Jin stood up abruptly, brushing the grass off his shorts. "I'm going to find him."
He didn't make it far. Just as he rounded the stone path toward the building, he paused. His sharp ears caught it—a snicker. Then another voice.
"Oh my moon—did you hear him? 'Let me out!'" one boy mocked in a high, pitiful tone. "He sounded like a baby bunny."
"That brat acts like he's something special," another chimed in. "He should be grateful we locked him in. Finally made him shut up."
"Bet he's crying in the corner by now."
Jin's body stilled.
He turned sharply, fury blazing in his eyes. "What. Did. You. Say?"
The three boys—older wolves from a mid-rank pack family—turned to face him. Their smirks faltered when they saw his expression.
"Relax. We were just—"
"Where. Is. He?" Jin hissed, stepping closer, his aura rising dangerously.
That's when Ryung, Hanjae, and Kwang appeared behind him, each having felt the shift in tension.
"What's going on?" Ryung asked, his gaze flicking between the boys and Jin.
"They locked Ye Jun in the restroom," Jin ground out through clenched teeth.
"You did what?" Hanjae's voice dropped low, his vampire side flickering across his face.
The tallest of the bullies raised his chin. "We were just having fun. He's not even pack. And look at him—he thinks he's better than everyone."
Wrong move.
Before he could blink, Kwang had him by the collar, slamming him against the wall. "You think hurting someone weaker makes you strong?"
Another tried to run—Ryung blocked his path and punched him square in the face. The third barely dodged a blow from Jin before Hanjae grabbed him by the arm, twisting it back.
"You think this is funny?" Hanjae whispered coldly. "You locked him in and laughed?"
The scuffle escalated fast. Growls echoed. Fists flew. One boy tried to fight back, but he was no match against trained, furious wolves.
Then—
"STOP!"
Min's voice rang out behind them, laced with command. "That's enough!"
Kwang threw the boy to the ground. Hanjae let go—barely.
Ryung's fists were still clenched, but he held back, panting.
The three attackers now cowered on the floor, bruised, bleeding, and wide-eyed.
"Where is he?" Jin asked again, voice shaking with rage.
"R–restroom. We locked it from outside," one whimpered. "We were gonna let him out. Eventually…"
They didn't even notice that Jin was already moving. Behind him, Kwang turned to follow—but stopped, glancing over his shoulder at the boys.
"I'll remember your faces," he growled. "And next time no one will stop me
The commotion had drawn attention, but Jin didn't care. Couldn't. Not when they had dared to touch Ye Jun. Not when they laughed like it was nothing.
The other two boys lay groaning nearby, one clutching his jaw, the other his ribs. But still, no one dared intervene. The pack guards stood with unreadable expressions, uncertain of how to handle the outburst—because everyone knew who these boys were.
And Jin, in that moment, didn't see anyone else. His world was narrowed to red. Rage. Revenge.
Hanjae and Ryung stayed behind, eyes flicking around warily,
That's when Min stepped into the chaos.
He didn't walk fast—he glided, a quiet current of calm slicing through the electric air. His gaze scanned the scene, head tilting just slightly. The scent hit him like a wave—smoke, blood, ozone, and something darker… a rotting sweetness, like bruised peaches and iron. His wolf howled inside him, thrashing.
Something's wrong here.
Then Min heard it—a sound that didn't belong. Laughter. Disbelief. The crowd parted like water as he approached, and there—at the center—was his mate.
Jin.
Punching someone. No—pummeling the kid into the dirt with all the force of an enraged wolf.
Min's breath hitched. His mate. His mate. With blood on his hands and wild in his eyes.
It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing Min had ever seen.
But then another boy from the crowd lunged, rushing toward Yul from the side with a clenched fist and foolish courage.
"Stop!" Min's voice thundered.
The boy halted mid-step like he'd been struck by lightning. All eyes snapped to the seer, whose calm expression now cracked with dangerous authority.
"Enough," Min said, stepping closer. "Before this turns into something you'll never walk away from."
Silence fell.
He turned to the guards. "Take the injured ones to the Park House. Get them patched up."
The guards hesitated.
Min's eyes narrowed. "Now."
They moved quickly.
Min turned to the watching crowd. "Show's over. Go back to your business unless you want to explain to your alpha why you were gawking like clueless pigeons."
People scattered at that.
Min watched, arms folded, until most had moved. Only then did a guard approach him, slightly breathless. "What about the two who ran off?"
Min looked toward the path Kwang and Jun had disappeared down. The trees swayed gently in the heat, silent and waiting.
He smirked. A lazy, dangerous curl of his lips. "I'll take care of them."
And with that, Min turned on his heel, not waiting for permission, following the trail with unhurried ease—but with eyes that gleamed like a predator who had finally caught the scent of what mattered.
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