Night Kiss

by E. T. Malinowski

  Once inside, Soon-joon passed her, quickening his pace as he scented HanYin’s blood. He followed the trail and found his son sitting with Jong-in, who was pressing his shirt to HanYin’s back and side. They had found a small side room. Soon-joon had no idea what it was used for, but it appeared to be perfect for avoiding the human medical personnel. It wouldn’t do for them to try to assist HanYin when he was in such a state. The healing sleep would make them panic and he would be rushed to the nearest facility for treatment, and that would lead to a whole other mess of complications. Fortunately, those EMTs, police, and firefighters were distracted by the many other injured people in the main theater. Soon-joon moved closer. HanYin looked incredibly pale. There were tears in his eyes as he looked at Soon-joon.

  “Wŏ shìguòle, Fùqīn,” he said softly. “Dàn wŏ bù zhīdào rúguŏ wŏ chénggōngle.”

  “Shhh, wŏ de érzi,” Soon-joon said as he knelt and gently pulled HanYin forward. He hissed at the damage.

  “Jiānbăng suì liè,” HanYin said, his voice so tired. “Jĭ gè chuígŭ bèi pòjiě, gŭpén gŭzhé, chāoguò yībăi gè lièkŏu.”

  “What is he saying?” Jong-in said.

  “He is listing his injuries,” Soon-joon said. “We can identify them because of how in tune we are with our qi.”

  “You have a piece of metal sticking out of your side that you won’t let me take out,” Jong-in said, his voice shaking. “Don’t you dare leave that one out.”

  “Our medical team is waiting at the backstage entrance,” Hyun-jo said. Soon-joon looked at him. “I called while we drove.”

  “Méiyŏu yīyuàn,” HanYin said.

  “I know, Ėrzi, no hospitals.”

  “You’re going to one!” Jong-in said.

  “He can’t,” Soon-joon said. “Not a normal one.”

  “I didn’t think,” Jong-in said.

  “It is all right, Jong-in-a,” Hyun-jo said. “We often do not think when those we love are injured in such a way.”

  “He’ll recover best at home, but he’s going to need you to do it, Jong-in-a,” ChenBao said softly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. It was a direct contrast to the fire in her eyes, but Soon-joon had never known his sire to unleash her fire on someone who did not deserve it, at least as far as she was concerned.

  “Anything,” Jong-in said without any hesitation.

  “We’ll take him out in an ambulance to avoid suspicion,” Soon-joon said. He reached out and touched his fingers to HanYin’s forehead. “Sleep, Wŏ de érzi.”

  HanYin’s eyes slid closed, and he slumped. Soon-joon reached for the shirt, but Hyun-jo stopped him. Soon-joon snapped his head around, almost snarling. Hyun-jo just raised an eyebrow. “Jong-in-a and I will see to HanYin-a. You need to find Ki-tae-ya.”

  “You are right.” Soon-joon sighed. He leaned down and kissed the top of HanYin’s head. Then he looked at Jong-in. “Take good care of my son.”

  “Always,” Jong-in responded. Soon-joon liked that answer. It was a very good one.

  “Opposite side of the theater,” ChenBao said. “Cheongul-a, Min-su-ya, and Shin-bai dongsaeng are with him.”

  Soon-joon didn’t waste any more time on words. He strode in the direction she pointed, a wave of energy flowing before him, pushing people out of his way.

  With everything that had been happening since shortly after the concert started, it was too much of a coincidence. No, this was a deliberate attack on his family, and it would not be tolerated. As they approached the other side of the theater, he could hear Shin-bai ordering his men about. Seung-gi was railing at someone. The minute he and ChenBao stepped through the door, all sound stopped. He walked right up to Shin-bai.

  “Ki-tae dongsaeng and Cheongul dongsaeng are safe in the dressing room. Min-su-ssi is with them. Ki-tae dongsaeng is currently… sedated,” Shin-bai said carefully. Then he looked down. “We have not located HanYin dongsaeng and Jong-in dongsaeng.”

  “They are secured,” Soon-joon said. “Hyun-jo and Jong-in-a are getting HanYin to the ambulance as we speak. What happened?”

  “As far as we can tell at this time, the truss supporting the front row of stage lights broke,” Shin-bai said.

  “Broke my ass!” Seung-gi said as he approached them after shooting a glare at the man he’d been yelling at. “I checked all the trusses myself. They were doubled-checked and triple-checked, as is our standard procedure. When I did my last run-through, they were bolted tight.”

  “What are you saying, Byun Seung-gi dongsaeng?” ChenBao crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’m saying this was deliberate, Huijang-nim,” he said. “Someone tried to kill Ki-tae dongsaeng.”

  “How do you know Ki-tae dongsaeng was the target?” she asked.

  “Because if HanYin dongsaeng hadn’t pushed Ki-tae dongsaeng out of the way, the truss would have hit him straight in the chest as he turned for the next step in their choreography. The metal edge of the lights would have hit him in the throat.”

  “There is something else, Huijang-nim,” Shin-bai said.

  “And that is?”

  “Jin-woo dongsaeng is missing. We suspect he’s been taken.” Shin-bai hung his head once more.

  Jin-woo

  JIN-WOO SHOOK his head with a soft moan. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room. It was small, he could tell that much, probably a break room or a meeting room, possibly another dressing room. He reached up to rub the back of his head, only to find he couldn’t. What the hell was going on? He struggled against the ropes binding him to the chair.

  Jin-woo froze as fingers sifted through his hair. It sent chills down his spine.

  Frantically he ran through the last things he remembered. He’d been with Min-su, watching the show. One of the techs had approached him, but not a BLE one; there was no logo on his shirt. Jin-woo cursed silently. He’d been fooled by such a simple thing as a fake phone call.

  A monitor flicked on, drawing his eyes. That hand still stroked his hair. Jin-woo’s heart froze as he saw the truss fall. The explosion of light blinded the camera for several seconds. When it cleared, Ki-tae was nowhere in sight.

  “No,” Jin-woo whispered. “No, Ki-tae!”

  “Do not say his name!” that voice snarled, strident and high-pitched. Where had he heard it before? He wished he had Jong-in’s ear right now. A thin hand grabbed his chin and pushed his head back. Then next thing he knew, his lap was filled with… Mei?

  “What. The. Fuck?” he demanded.

  “Do not say that name. Ever. Again,” she hissed, and he saw the crazy in her eyes but also the cunning. Then her whole demeanor changed. She started pouting, and her eyes got all wide and sad. “I’m afraid I have to punish you now. You didn’t obey, and that can’t be allowed. But once your punishment is over, we’ll be quite happy together. I have the perfect place for us.”

  “Not. Ever. Going. To. Happen,” he said.

  She tightened her grip. “Oh, you are a naughty boy, Jin-woo,” she giggled. “But I’ll fix that, and you’ll never be bad again.”

  “If you’ve hurt Ki-tae, I swear to God, I will bury you,” he promised.

  “You will not speak of him! That disgusting, perverted demon, he tried to take you from me,” she snarled, digging her nails into his neck. “He wouldn’t listen. Twice I warned him away, and he was too stupid to take the hint. He kept sniffing around you as if he had the right to do so. He didn’t respect a girl’s territory. But it’s okay now. He’s gone, and it’s just you… and me.”

  She leaned forward, and Jin-woo’s stomach roiled and his temper surged. Fuck. This. He leaned back and then snapped his head forward, slamming his forehead into hers, sending her tumbling off his lap onto the floor.

  “I would rather die a horrible lingering death than let you kiss me, or do anything else, for that matter. Reality check, bitch. I’m gay!” Jin-woo snapped. “I will never desire you in any way, shape, or form, even if you weren’t batshit crazy!”

  �
��Sit here and think on your words,” she said coldly as she rose to her feet. “You will regret them.”

  She walked out the door, and Jin-woo heard the click of the lock. He pulled against the ropes, trying to get his hands free. The words he heard through the door chilled him.

  “When there’s no one left, you’ll love me.”

  “Oh hell no,” he snarled. “I will fucking kill that bitch first!”

  Ki-tae

  NEED. WANT. Need. Want.

  The coppery sweet scent filled his lungs, driving all other thoughts from his head. His body shook. He needed. He wanted. Ki-tae burst into motion, launching himself off the sofa he’d been lying on. Scents swirled around him, so many scents, but not the one he wanted. Not the one he needed.

  “Holy shit, he’s fast.”

  The female voice…. No, she wasn’t it. Where was it? Find it. Need it.

  “Back away, Min-su. You’re strong, but Ki-tae, he’s not himself right now.”

  That voice, familiar, but not it. Not the source. There. That way.

  “Really? I never would have guessed. What do we do now?”

  “Hope Abeoji is on his way. I can’t put him to sleep like he can, and Ki-tae and I are evenly matched as far as strength goes, but we have to keep him here.”

  Want. Need.

  “Where’s he going to go? It’s still chaos out there,” she pointed out. Ki-tae zeroed in on her. Red eyes, tiny, strong. He sniffed. Shifter, not it, not the source.

  “He’ll hunt HanYin down and drain him dry, given half the chance,” Cheongul said.

  “What?” Min-su’s voice rose a full octave.

  “Focus, Min-su. If he gets out of this room, more people will be hurt.”

  Want. Need. Need. Want.

  Ki-tae lunged at Min-su, drawing Cheongul away from the door. He shot in the other direction and slammed against the wood. It groaned under the impact but didn’t give. Ki-tae roared in frustration. Arms grabbed him from behind. The weight behind him pushed him forward, trying to pin him against the door. He brought his foot up and took the impact before pushing hard, sending him and his attacker flying backward. He rolled with the momentum, tearing out of the restraining grip.

  “Nimble little bastard.” Min-su growled, and then a full-grown wolf slammed into his chest. He grabbed at the ruff, digging his claws through the fur to the neck. Min-su yelped and jumped away, slicing his shoulder with her claws as she did so.

  “Dammit, Ki-tae,” Cheongul snarled.

  Need. Want.

  He launched himself at the door again, satisfaction filling him as it shattered. Ki-tae paused only long enough to get a good sniff. The delicious scent of blood filled his nose, near orgasmic in its sweetness.

  “Ki-tae!” The voice was familiar. Warm. Safe…. Need. Want.

  “Soon-joon, he does not hear you.” That voice, power, threat, danger.

  “He hears me but cannot hold the thoughts against the need.”

  The woman walking toward him smelled of no fear. Ki-tae crouched low, surveying the scene. Three filled the hallway, standing between him and his desires. He snarled, the sound rumbling up from deep within his chest. The female was small, the two men larger, but she radiated power. Ki-tae lunged for her. As he got close, she reached out, and he dropped, sliding between her braced legs, and passed all of them.

  “Clever boy, but I don’t need to touch you to stop you.” The voice slithered through his brain, and his entire body stopped. He couldn’t move. Ki-tae struggled. He tried to push forward, moving his foot just the barest of inches forward.

  Want. Need.

  Blackness claimed him, and he slumped, arms catching him before he could hit the floor. A single word slipped from his lips.

  “Jin-woo.”

  Jin-woo

  JIN-WOO DIDN’T know how long he’d been in the room. Mei hadn’t come back, and that scared him a little bit. If she was there, she couldn’t be out hurting the people he loved. He was starting to lose hope anyone would find him. He hung his head again, thinking about Ki-tae, his beautiful Ki-tae. His bright smile filled Jin-woo’s mind, and the tears slipped down his face. He didn’t know if Ki-tae was all right or not, but something told him his Vampire was suffering. Was Ki-tae looking for him? Had Ki-tae been hit by the crashing lights? Was he okay? Was everyone else okay? Not knowing was killing him.

  “Cheong Jin-woo dongsaeng? Cheong Jin-woo dongsaeng, can you hear me?” He didn’t recognize that voice, but the one after it was beautifully familiar.

  “You have keys for these doors, I presume,” ChenBao said curtly.

  “Here! I’m here! ChenBao-nim!” he yelled, his voice hoarse from the shouting he’d done after Mei left. The sound of running feet was music to his ears. The only thing better would be Ki-tae’s voice. He heard the rattling of keys outside the door.

  “If you cannot manage the simple task of unlocking a door, perhaps you should hand the keys to someone else,” ChenBao said coolly, and Jin-woo could just picture her glaring at the poor person, her arms crossed over her chest, those eyes burning. He felt sorry for the guy.

  Finally the door was thrown open, and people rushed into the room. Min-su was the first to reach him, shoving her way past everyone else. She cupped his face.

  “Oh my God, Jin-woo-ya! Dammit, you scared the shit out of me too,” she snapped, but there were tearstains on her cheeks.

  “I didn’t mean to. What happened to your neck?” he said softly. She touched their foreheads together. “Where’s Ki-tae?”

  “He’s… he’s not good, Jin-woo-ya. He needs you,” she whispered.

  There was the snikt of a blade, and Shin-bai was cutting the ropes free. Jin-woo immediately rubbed his wrists. The skin was red and raw, bloody in some spots from his struggles. Soon his legs and torso were free as well. Jin-woo stumbled as he tried to stand, Cheongul catching him easily, Min-su on his other side.

  “Take me to Ki-tae,” he said—demanded, really. “How badly is he injured?”

  “Physically Ki-tae is fine,” Cheongul said, his voice low. Jin-woo was reminded they were not necessarily free to talk. “He’s having a hard time with what happened. HanYin was injured, but he’s being tended to as we speak. How in the hell did you end up here?”

  “You’re not going to believe me,” Jin-woo said.

  “Try me, and let me tell you, whoever did this is going to wish they never messed with my family,” Min-su said.

  ChenBao chuckled. “A girl after my own heart. I like you.”

  Min-su smiled wickedly. Jin-woo didn’t like the fact that they were both smiling the same smile, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. He wanted out of that hall and into Ki-tae’s arms. Someone had better make that happen—fast.

  Shin-bai and his team surrounded them, leading them through the emergency medical teams and technicians. It felt as if Jin-woo couldn’t walk another step. He sagged against Cheongul.

  “I’m so tired,” he whispered.

  “I know, Jin-woo-ya,” Cheongul murmured before scooping him up in his arms. “Rest. We’ll get you to Ki-tae.”

  He must have slept, because the next time Jin-woo opened his eyes, Cheongul was lifting him out of the car. He thought about telling him he could walk, but it was too much effort. He laid his head against Cheongul’s shoulder. Why was he so tired? It’s not as if he had been able to do anything, tied to a freaking chair. It just didn’t make sense. Jin-woo closed his eyes again, dozing.

  When he came to again, Jin-woo was tucked in Ki-tae’s bed, but Ki-tae wasn’t with him. He sat up, rubbing his face with his hands. Ki-tae’s scent filled his nose, and Jin-woo sighed. As good as it felt to be here, it wasn’t good enough. Jin-woo threw back the covers and padded, barefoot, out of the room. He heard the murmur of voices and followed them until he reached the kitchen.

  Soon-joon was at the stove making… something. He was very focused, and for the first time ever, Hyun-jo, sitting on one of the stools at the island, looked worried. This was no
t how things were supposed to be. Jin-woo looked around. He spotted ChenBao sitting outside by the Zen rock garden. Min-su was curled up on the couch with Cheongul, her head pillowed against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. No, this was not acceptable, and where were Jong-in and HanYin?

  “Okay,” Jin-woo said, putting his hands on his hips. “This is not how things are supposed to be. Jong-in-a and HanYin-a are missing, and where the hell is Ki-tae?”

  “He’s feeling better if he’s getting twisted,” Min-su said, her tone filled with relief. She wiped her cheeks, and Jin-woo knew she’d been crying again.

  “Jong-in and HanYin are safe.” Soon-joon’s voice was… subdued. That was the only way to describe his tone, but his eyes kept flickering from brown to gold and back again. He was holding on by a thread, and it looked as if he wasn’t even letting Hyun-jo near him. He just kept making plate after plate after plate of food. He put one in front of Hyun-jo and then set a second in front of an empty chair. Jin-woo felt his look stab through him as Soon-joon leveled that flashing gaze at him. “Sit down and eat.”

  “I’m not—”

  “Jin-woo-ya,” Cheongul interrupted.

  When Jin-woo looked over, Cheongul just shook his head. Now was not the time to challenge Soon-joon. Without another word Jin-woo crossed the room, sat down, and began to eat. Soon-joon nodded. He shot one of those looks at Hyun-jo, who was merely staring at his food. When Hyun-jo looked up, Soon-joon nodded toward his plate as well and, surprisingly, Hyun-jo began to eat.

  “You haven’t said if Ki-tae is safe,” Jin-woo said quietly.

  “Ki-tae-ya is… contained, for the moment,” Hyun-jo said softly. “You can’t smell it, but HanYin-a’s blood scent is heavy in the air. The amount of damage he sustained should take the better part of two days to heal. His body will start with the bones and internal damage first, so we’ve bandaged his open wounds as best we can. The problem lies in they are still open, and since he refuses to take blood, this makes it impossible for the scent to dissipate or for the healing to progress any faster.”