Mythical

99. Consent

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank look. It was one of those nights which had no meaning. One of those nights which had me thinking of more things than one, all at once. One of those nights that I hated the most. One of those nights when I considered ending the pain.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. Or more accurately, diverted my focus. The thoughts were always there, but the focus could be shifted.

"Come in," I voiced out. In walked Namjoon and Seokjin. They closed the door behind them and climbed into bed. I spooned Namjoon, who lay in the middle. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Which is very boring," Namjoon complained. I smiled into his back. Seokjin intertwined our fingers. "What's up with you? You've been very reserved today."

"Nothing. Don't worry. I've only been thinking some things through," I responded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Once I reach an answer, I'll tell you," I promised. He hummed in response. I slid out of bed and left the room, ignoring the worried glances sent my way. There was only one person I knew who would help me before jumping to conclusions.

"Come in," Yoongi's voice rang through the door when I knocked. I entered his bedroom.

"Can we talk?" I asked. He nodded. He let me snuggle up to him in his bed, my head rested on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around my waist.

"Is everything okay, doe?" he asked, leaving a small kiss on the top of my head. I hummed as a vague response.

"I have a question," I said. "Promise you won't be mad at me?"

"I promise," he said.

"I've been thinking since Taehyung... confessed. I don't- I..." I trailed off, my body heating up in fear of his reaction. He rubbed the back of my neck, leaving small kisses on my cheek. I took a deep breath to compose myself. "I don't know how I feel. I'm not even sure what love is. It's clawing at my mind, I don't like it. I want it to stop, but it doesn't. It just makes me feel guiltier every day."

"Doe, you don't have to return your feelings for us. It will take time to do so. Love is not something you can describe so easily. It's just something along the lines of: 'you know it when you feel it.' A lot of people tend to be delusional when it comes to love, they think they're in love when they're not. It's one of the rarest and purest emotion, and can be easily manipulated, which is why no one can describe it. Don't feel bad because you're not able to return our feelings. We didn't exactly treat you fairly in the past, I'm sure they still haunt you. We'll shower you will all the love you need, and we'll give you as much space you need to figure out your feelings," he explained.

I fisted his shirt in response, digesting his every word. I did feel a little better knowing that I didn't have to return their feelings yet, but I still felt guilty. No amount of reassurance could wash that away.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"100 per cent I am not," he said.

"Oki," I said. I got up from Yoongi's bed and went back to my room. Only Seokjin was in the room when I arrived. I took a deep breath before announcing my thoughts. "I'm ready to talk."

"Oh," he said, sitting up. "Okay, what do you want to talk about, Bambi?"

"Well, I want to talk to you, and you only. It's going to take some time," I started. "Do you have anything planned?"

"No, I don't."

"Okay... Can we go to the cliff and talk?"

-

I took a shaky breath before speaking. "Recently, Taehyung confessed his feelings. I... It took me a while to think it through. I don't- I don't feel the same way. I do like you guys, a lot. But I don't feel love. Not yet," I said. "I do, however, know that I'm ready for what I wanted to ask you. I have thought it through, and I am scared. But I trust you," I said. Jin listened to me intently. "I consent to the transformation."

"Are you sure, Bambi?" he asked. I nodded. "Do you know how it works?"

"A book said only a pureblood vampire could do it, and the process would depend on the vampire," I responded. "But if you're part-werewolf, then how can you turn people?"

"My mother was a pureblood and my father was part wolf. I barely inherited my father's wolf genes, but I inherited most of my mother's genes, including her pureblood powers," he explained. "How I do this... I have two methods. One is very painful. It works less painfully if you're near death for this. We exchange blood to mark you as a part of my clan. I give you my blood to keep you under my protection as a clan member. Now, when I bite you to take your blood, I will voluntarily release venom from my fangs that will go straight to your brain. You will become brain dead within seconds of the venom reaching your brain. During the time you're brain dead, your body will strengthen, your skin will become stronger, thus not very easy to penetrate. Once you turn, your brain will awaken, however, it will stop secreting somatotropin(growth hormone) and your body will not be affected by sun exposure, so you will stop ageing. Your strength and your body will remain as they are right now."

"What's the second method?" I asked.

"What happens once I release the venom remains the same. The other method is less painful but still painful. For that, we need intimacy. Since your mind will be too preoccupied with the pleasure, you won't feel the pain too severely," he said. "But this method is slower and can cause death. The first one does not have the risk of death, but the second method has a risk of death by 40%."

"I'll go with the first method," I said.

"Are you sure?" he asked in worry.

"Yes."

-

"Are you sure, Bambi?" Jin asked, pulling me on to his lap. I pulled my shirt to the side until it dropped from my shoulder. Jin pulled me closer by my hips. He placed one hand on the back of my neck and gently pushed my head until it was resting on his collar.

"I'm sure," I consented, fisting his shirt as I mentally prepared myself to feel the pain. He kissed and licked the area where he was going to bite. His arms were tightly wrapped around my waist as his fangs pierced my skin.

I had been bitten by vampires before, but this was the first time I felt a burning sensation journey through my veins. It burned as his venom travelled through my veins. He sealed the wound after drinking and pulled away. I pulled away from his neck as he bit his forearm and helped me drink his blood. I cringed at the metallic taste, but that didn't last long as I felt a sharp pain in my head. I whimpered, not only in pain but also in fear when flashbacks of my encounters with vampires surfaced.

Tears escaped my eyes as I felt the pain increase and my vision turned dark.

(One more chapter left.)