The Hunt

47

Sarah's face shifted from pure confusion to a look of shock. 

"Y/n, you're a hybrid?" She whisper-yelled. "How? How have I never noticed?"

"I-I haven't changed in years, not until last night," I shook my head. "Your scent is so faint. How long has it been for you?"

Dread washed over her face, and I saw her shoulders tense slightly. Something was amiss. 

"Wait. You're a hybrid?" Yoongi asked while standing up from the couch. He took a few steps closer. "I can't smell you at all." 

I glanced over to Jimin, but he just shook his head and narrowed his eyes at my friend. 

"What are you?" Yoongi took another tentative step toward her. 

Sarah stood a little straighter, looming over Yoongi. I stepped between them. 

"Let's sit." 

I grabbed a dinning chair for Yoongi, and Sarah and I sat on the couch. 

The atmosphere in my small living room was thick with tension. 

"What are you," Yoongi asked again. His eyes were full of distrust, but I picked up on something else. Fear. He was sweating while staring her down. 

What is he afraid of? Can he really not sense that she's a hybrid?  

Sarah cleared her throat, and turned to address only me. "I only change once a year. Around my birthday. That's how just how it works." 

Her words seemed carefully chosen and I wasn't quite sure what she was getting at, but I felt like she was expecting me to pick up on something. She arched an eyebrow at me. 

She doesn't trust the guys. Of course not! Why would she? She's never met them before. 

I nodded toward the two men sitting to my left. "Min Yoongi and Park Jimin. Yoongi's a leopard, and Jimin is a fox. I only met them a few days, and not under the greatest circumstances, but I do trust them." I paused and glanced at the two men. "Well, I trust Jimin." 

"Fair enough," Yoongi mumbled. 

Sarah made eye contact with Yoongi. "I'm a bald eagle." 

"Why do you only change once a year?" he fired back. 

"That's just how it is. It's always been that way." 

We all fell silent, no one wanting to be the first to speak. 

"So, how do you know each other?" Sarah asked, her focus on Yoongi. Okay, so it's not just me who finds him a little shady. Good. 

Yoongi smirked. "Jimin and I grew up together." 

"And how do you know our mutual friend here?"

I couldn't help myself. I laughed. Loudly. 

Yoongi's ears turned a deep shade of red, and all of the color drained from Jimin's face. 

"Go ahead, guys," I goaded. "Tell her how we all met." I definitely took a sick pleasure in seeing their discomfort. In fact, it had me feeling a little giddy. 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Jimin kept his gaze on the floor. 

"You go ahead," Yoongi grumbled. His eyes never left Sarah, and the intensity of his scrutinizing glare remained steady. 

Sarah rolled her eyes and turned to me with an unamused, but quizzical look. 

"Short version?" I shot Yoongi a withering look. I didn't want to recount the details. "In a case of mistake identity, Jimin kidnapped me-"

"What?!" 

"Hold on, it gets better," I tried to regain my friend's attention. "So, turns out I was engaged to Jimin's cousin who was murdered, and now I'm engaged to Jimin. And I'm working with these two and their other friends to find the hunter that murdered JiHoon." 

Sarah was silent for a few moments, her eyes focused on each of our faces briefly. 

Taking in a deep breath, Sarah opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly closed it. 

She tried again. "I think you left out too much. Like, why do you think he was killed by a hunter?" 

"It was caught on surveillance. She stabbed him and slit his throat," Jimin stated, his voice devoid of emotion, but his eyes were burning anger. 

"Okay, but why do you think he was killed by a hunter? Did he cross somebody? I mean, I've heard the old wives tales too, but that's not really how we operate."

"We?" Maybe I heard her wrong?     

"Yeah," Sarah said slowly. "Hunters. Half-breeds. Mutts. Whatever. I know we have a bad rap, but I haven't heard of anyone going around killing pure-bloods just for fun."