Thrill of the hunt

52. Felix

As soon as we entered the council chambers I was on edge,  after my last few experiences here I was beginning to get a sense of dread every time I was told we would be coming here.  

Tonight had been no exception.

It felt like it wasn't that long ago I held Han in my arms while he was breaking at the thought of losing Minho and here I was doing it all again with Minho.  The second my eyes met his it felt like I'd been slapped, the pain and distress I saw him struggling with made my heart break. But I couldn't focus on that now, right now I needed to help him and make him realise that he wasn't alone, that we were all here to support him.
I'd felt Changbin curl around my mind to comfort me, to lend me his strength while I supported his oldest friend.

After the questions from the council, I felt relief that Minho wouldn't have to deal with them again and that we would be able to go home soon...but then we heard the Rogues say that Minho had killed Han's family.  Initially, none of us reacted to what had been said but when we heard Master Shammatt call for the Rogue's arrest,  I felt Minho tense up, he looked horrified and I could only guess what kind of thoughts were ricocheting around his head, I tightened my grip on him hoping he'd be able to feel it and remember that he wasn't alone. 
We moved into the chamber that the old Attendant had indicated, The second the door had closed behind us Changbin had caught me off guard by wrapping his arms around the waist and carrying me over to the couch.

I could feel that he was worried about Minho but he was focused on me, I hadn't realised how numb and detached from my own feelings I had become until I felt his mind demanding all of my attention on him.  It felt like I had been forced to reconnect to my emotions at the same time as his mind had made me pay attention to him and they threatened to drown me in the torrent of heartache and pain that I'd pushed to the side to help Minho.  But he caught me and held my mind steady so that I had the strength to ride out those waves without drowning in them.  I felt like I was completely surrounded by a thick warm soft blanket made of everything that made me love my BondMate, he was everywhere, physically and mentally protecting me even from my own dark thoughts.  It took me a few minutes to calm myself and I was vaguely aware that Master Malik had joined us.  I watched as Master Shammatt wrapped Minho in a blanket and then carried him out of the room through a hidden passageway behind a painting.

"So did Minho kill Han's whole family?" Chan asked sounding like he wouldn't accept any answer other than No. 

"No...just his Grandfather," Malik said, clearing his throat and sitting on the arm of a nearby couch "It's a long story and I do not have all the details but I will tell you what I know" he looked at us for a moment as if he was trying to decide where to start.  "Han's Grandfather had been abusing and hunting the boy from a very young age...Shammatt told me that he had seen memories from as early as four years old"

Changbin swore under his breath and I even heard Chan swearing as Hyunjin and Seungmin muttered something in an annoyed tone.

"four years old?" I asked, the information made me feel sorry for Han, to be hunted was horrifying as it was, but to be hunted by a member of your own family when you didn't understand what was going on...I tried not to think about how scared and confused Baby Han would have been.

"He wasn't Han's biological Grandfather," Malik said as if this might make the information a little less horrific "When I examined the boy I found multiple bite scars that indicated that the Grandfather was almost a thousand years old, So his fertility was beginning to decline...The Grandparents had fertility treatment, they used a sperm donor which is where Han gets his...genetics from"

What the hell were bite scars? I thought that bite marks healed after a bite because there was something in the Vampyre's saliva.  I added that thought to the list of things I wanted to ask Changbin about later.  Along with, why everyone seemed relieved to hear that a wolf had taken Han?  I felt Changbin's mind nudge me, he wanted to know what I was thinking about and I let him know that it could wait until we were home.