Chapter Text
The supernatural was a very closed world. It never allowed its problems to transcend its borders, every little matter being taken care of directly by the clans or species they affected, or in extreme cases, by the merciless government.
Composed of a wide variety of breeds, from vampires to shape-shifters, from witches to faes, each having its own internal laws and may we say... ego, made it no surprise that conflicts often arose between the different clans.
That was why, to avoid any kind of unfair decisions, the government was directed by a representative of each of these species.
Amongst them, Kitsunes were a very secretive breed, never taking part on any kind of matter that didn't involve one of their own.
One of the many varieties of shape-shifters, the first kitsunes were originally foxes granted the ability of taking on a human appearance after having lived a hundred years of unfailing loyalty and servitude to Mother Nature.
As a gift from the goddess, the Great Kitsune and his small pack acquired a second tail and a new one every hundred years for eight centuries and with the tails, new abilities.
At the time, Kitsunes were a species that tried its best to keep the balance between the human and supernatural worlds, being often in charge of resolving the conflicts. However, it only took a discordance between one of the Great Kitsune's daughters and a werewolf for the peace between the two breeds of shape-shifters to come crashing down.
Faced with her father's refusal of doing something about the werewolf that had humiliated her, the kitsune, blinded by rage, turned to witchcraft to take her revenge and lost all good in her. She became the first Gumiho and after that, was followed by many others in thirst for power.
That marked the end of the Kitsunes' active collaboration with the supernatural world, even more when it came to werewolves, whom they held responsible for the division of their kind.
That didn't come without consequences however, as the foxes' insistence on distancing themselves form the other creatures was seen by Mother Nature as an act of treason and ungratefulness towards the gift she had given them.
Hence, her punishing the whole species by making their surviving harder. If they wanted to live they would have to feed off living beings' livers.
The Goddess knew how kind Kitsunes were deep inside, but couldn't forgive them turning their backs to others in need of guidance, so by forcing them to hurt and kill others, in order to survive, she hoped they would go back on their decisions. Even if it was only to be relieved of the punishment.
But the Great Kitsune and his pack were too hurt by the predicament to see what the Goddess wanted from them and ended up closing themselves even more to the world.
Knowledge about them stopped there however, and any information about how their community worked or whatever more abilities they held were very rare, both human and supernatural literature being based on assumptions. All built on the very scarce trails they left behind.
Being a peaceful species, in thousands of years, the conflicts Kitsunes had been involved in could be counted on the fingers of one hand and they seemed to intend to keep it that way.
Taemin's mother was a seven tailed Kitsune, which made her approximately a little more than seven hundred years old. But that was all he knew. He was, what his fae friend had called, a half-breed: born from the union of a kitsune and a human.
The first and only one she had heard of.
He was never able to discover more about his supernatural heritage though. His mother never told him anything that didn't directly affect him, like the fact his simple existence was a crime and that he should be kept hidden from her fellow kind.
Because of that, he also learnt that when his mother had gotten pregnant, she had had to flee her home, being compelled to hide amongst humans, like a criminal for more than two hundred years.
She had had his father by her side for a while, but he was human, a simple mortal and passed away when Taemin was twenty-five, from a disease human medicine was unable to cure at the time.
Since then, the redhead had been compelled to watch his mother slowly exclude herself from the world, just like her kind. Having never been able to adjust to the human customs, she had lost all interest in it after the loss of her beloved and Taemin had taken it upon himself to ensure she was alright, taking care of her every need and always making sure to be reachable.
He knew Luna loathed that he made so his life only revolved around her well-being, and that he'd given up settling down and building a family of his own, just so he could tend to her and her only. But Taemin didn't feel like he deserved that, not when his existence had been the cause of why his mother was exiled from her kind. The least he could do, was ensure that her life was good in that world that she didn't belong in.
His mother was the only that truly mattered to him.
Yet, even after he had lived the past two centuries tending to her, he was still unable to put a sincere smile on her face or to give her what she really desired. He wasn't blind to the longing stares she threw at the forest they lived in the borders of, every time she thought he wasn't looking. It pained him to know that because of his existence, she couldn't go and be with her kind.
He never truly understood why what she had done was so taboo, and the lack of information, both from his scarce connections with the Otherworld and his mother herself, only made it more frustrating.
“Mother, I'm leaving now, do you want anything from the city?” he asked as he entered the living room.
The woman was sitting on the couch, the TV displaying a variety show he knew she didn't really understand.
“No... it's fine. Have fun.” she answered, eyes momentarily leaving the screen.
He approached the woman and put a light peck on the top of her head.
“I'll bring you fresh liver.” he said before making his way out.
His mother hadn't fed in over two months and neither had she shown any intention to. This had been plaguing Taemin. Every time he would hunt for her, she would barely even spare the food a glance and he feared she was trying to starve herself. Just like she had so many times before, although never as long.
While kitsunes were a species dependent on livers to survive, they could go on for months without feeding off the viscera, consuming other types of food instead. But Taemin made sure to always have the treat close by, just in case his mother needed it.
He was conscious of how mentally fragile she was and he couldn't risk losing her because of carelessness.
One could go into a frenzy if too starved from the viscera and having almost gone himself into a killing spree when he was a child, he knew better than to push his boundaries.
At first, his parents hadn't been too worried as they thought that because he was only half, he was an exception to the rule. He had almost gone a year without showing any sign of starvation, while he ate normal human food. But it had only taken one trip to the city with his father, for him to loose his mind and attack a passer-by.
Since then, he had been forced to feed at least every six months, and had slowly started appreciating the treat.
Now that his mother seemed to be trying stop feeding, he couldn't help but to be even more haunted by worries. He wasn't really afraid of her going into a frenzy, since he knew if that was the case, he was more than able to control her. What he actually feared, was for her to die from starvation.
Letting out a sigh, Taemin made his way to his Jeep, but stopped on his tracks just by the vehicle, a frown making its way in between his eyebrows as he sniffled the air, listening intently to the noises around him.
The woods that surrounded their chalet were strangely calm and he had learned this was never a good predicament.
Suddenly, a hard gush of wind blew and his nose caught a very unfamiliar sent that had all his instincts on alert, and he growled lowly.
Mother, close the doors, he told his mother through their telepathic bond.
What's wrong? Was the vixen's answer.
Just do it, I don't want you out here tonight.
Taemin, what is happening?
There's something in the woods.... I don't like it.
Is it a wolf? Werewolf? His mother asked, and Taemin could feel her slight panic through their bond.
I don't think so... I just don't like it... I doesn't smell good.
Taemin started sniffling the air once again to try and identify what it was, but the scent was already gone, as if it had never been there. The forest seemed to slowly go back to normal, and his frown deepened. He couldn't have possibly imagined it. The shivers running down his spine were very much real.
“Taemin?”
He jolted slightly, startled by his mother's voice. He looked behind him, only to find the woman at their doorstep, looking worriedly at him, her pupils yellow-ish and cat-like, as if she was ready to turn.
“Baby, are you alright?”
“Mother, I told you to stay inside...”
Yet, the sentence that was meant to be a scolding, only came out as a worried remark.
“I wouldn't let you deal with danger alone.” was the kitsune's reply.
Taemin only sighed as he walked over to his mother and pushed her inside the house before closing the door behind them.
“What are you doing?” the kitsune asked as she watched him take off his jacket.
“I'm not leaving any more, I won't leave you alone here.”
“I can take care of myself, you need to feed.”
“I'm doing just fine, and I'm more worried about you...”
He looked into her yellow eyes only to have her avoid his gaze, an expression of hurt flashing through her features.
“Please honey, go... I don't want you to stop your life for me any longer...”
Taemin sighed, his heart clenching at her wavering tone of voice, before engulfing her in hug, and resting his chin on the top of her head.
“I'm not stopping my life mother, just postponing a hunt.”
“But I don't want you to!” she exclaimed, suddenly pushing him back, her eyes filled with tears. “I've been burden enough these past years, why can't you just pretend you have a life that doesn't revolve around me? Live Taemin, I didn't give up on my kind to give birth to you, to have you wasting your time on me!”
Taemin looked shocked at the crying kitsune and stood there for a moment, not knowing how to react.
It was the first time his mother vocally expressed how she felt about his taking care of her and though it should've been something for him to be happy about, he couldn't help the pang in his heart. He never knew that all his efforts to make the woman happy were actually making her think so low of herself.
“You're not a burden...” was all he managed to utter.
The kitsune scoffed a humorless laugh as she wipe away her tears.
“Don't bother Taemin... just... go... have fun. Feed... whatever... leave me alone. I'll be fine.”
“Mo–”
“Go, damn it!”
Shocked, and a little lost, Taemin found himself shrugging in his jacket and leaving the house. As he got inside his car, he threw a last glance at his mother standing by the window before driving off.
*
“What's with the long face?”
Taemin looked up from his drink at the teenage-looking woman that came to sit across from him. He tried giving her a small smile but failed miserably before bringing the bottle of beer to his lips.
“Oppa... what happened?” she looked concerned now.
He sighed. “I was born.”
The girl rose a questioning eyebrow at him. “... what?”
“Forget it, Joy... It's just not a good night.”
At that, the girl came to sit by his side, one of her arms coming to sneak around his waist, and propped her chin on his shoulder.
“I think I have a pretty good idea on how to bring your mood up.”
Her green eyes twinkled in the dim lighting of the club and the man couldn't help but smile a little at her.
Joy was his closest friend – actually, she was more than that – and he could trust her with his life. She was the one who had taught him things about the Otherworld he, as a half-breed kitsune, had never been able to discover.
Being the daughter of the highest ranked fae of the government had its perks, he had learned from her. Well, when she wasn't constantly watched by guards that is... which wasn't often, seeing as how she always managed to lose them.
“How did you even make it inside?” he asked her, though he had a pretty good idea of the answer.
Despite being just twenty years younger than him, while he looked like more of a young adult, she still harbored the features of a seventeen year-old girl.
Joy smiled innocently and batted her lashes at him.
“I have pretty eyes.”
Taemin snorted at that but didn't comment. She had probably used seduction to trick the security guard, being a fae, she had a Charm that made so anyone could fall for her, although most of the time she toned it down.
“Anyway... look over there... don't they look appetizing?”
Taemin followed his friend's gaze to find a couple dancing heatedly with each other and he could practically feel the lust cursing through their bodies, if he tried, he knew he would. And if that was any indication, these two would be very easy targets.
For a moment, his worries seemed to fade as his instincts took over and his hunger reminded him why he had come.
“Hum... I guess we found our preys.” he replied.
*
“Please... faster~”
Taemin smirked at the woman withering underneath him, as she moaned at his every thrust, too blinded by desire to notice how inhuman his eyes looked.
Dragging her from the club to a hotel room had been a piece of cake and Taemin almost felt disappointed he hadn't encountered more resistance. In the room next to theirs he could almost feel the male his victim had been dancing with, be consumed by his own lust as Joy had her way with him.
“Oh God... I won't–”
The human's moans became louder, almost like small screams and Taemin took it as his cue to work his magic. He pounded harder, pushing her to her edge. As she came with a yell of bliss, nails digging into his biceps. He kept on pounding for a few more minutes, not quite done as he nipped at her neck, small moans still erupting from her throat.
When he finally reached his own climax, he pulled out just in time to release his seeds into the condom hugging his manhood, unwilling to take any unnecessary risks of impregnating his prey.
As he rode the last bits of his orgasm, slightly out of breath, he observed the woman closing her eyes, her own breath hitched as she seemed to slowly lose conscience.
“My, my...” he murmured into her ear. “are you tired already?”
But he only got a little whine and a smile stretched his lips, knowing fully well that the haze he provoked in his victims was the primary cause to her state.
Slowly, he took support on his left arm as he brought his right hand to her sweaty stomach, tracing the outline of her right ribs with his index finger, before swiftly piercing the flesh and cutting through it a long perfect coma.
He watched as the woman's face slightly contorted, but he knew it was more because of discomfort than pain. Having sex with his victims always numbed them to any kind of pain he could inflict them with. That was one of the many abilities he was proud to have inherited from his mother.
With the expertise he had gained with hundreds of years of experience, he inserted his hand into the wound and let his fingers blindly look for the organ of his desire. He didn't hesitate on cutting half of her liver, once he found it, before extracting the piece, not minding the copious amount of blood oozing out of his victim's body.
He straightened up, sitting back on his heels and looked at the bloody piece of viscera in his hand. He didn't wait much to taste his small treat, munching on it with an animosity his human side would've never been able to.
It was only when he was done with his feeding, that he seemed to a go a little back to thinking straight.
He made it to the bathroom to throw away the used condom and as he came back, looked at his victim, wondered what he could do to save her. Usually, with a little licking over the wound, it would close by itself, but there was to much blood to make it possible and he wondered if he didn't mistakenly cut an artery or something.
If there was one precious thing he had learned over the years, was to never leave a trace of bodies behind him. It would only bring unwanted attention to him and his mother and though there were many gumihos around to put the blame on, he knew it was always better if he avoided killing. Besides, kitsunes didn't murder humans, that at least, was something his mother had always been adamant on. Most of them would even turn to animals instead of people to avoid hurting them.
He didn't want to be an exception to that rule, even more if that could spare him another negative thing besides not being a pure race.
Joy, I think I got a little too excited over here... he called out to his friend, through the old telepathic bond they had tied between them years ago. She's bleeding too much. I can't patch her up like this.
Ay... you kitsunes always get carried away... she mentally sighed and Taemin rolled his eyes, though he knew she couldn't see him.
As if you knew any more Kitsunes, he replied.
A short pause answered him before Joy spoke again.
I'll be there in a second.
A second it was before she materialized by the bed in her naked grace and a look of disgust on her face.
“You made a mess.” she commented.
“I was hungry.” was Taemin's excuse.
“Right.”
Then she proceeded on working on the human's body, Taemin watching in envy as the blood that had been pooling on the sheets slowly flooded back into the human as Joy's hands hovered the wound. A few seconds passed before the work was done and the woman's body appeared to have never been hurt as she slept peacefully.
“Thanks.” he smiled at his friend.
She only winked at him.
“Are you done with the guy?”
Joy pouted. “You're going to take his too?”
“I need to bring my mother something.” he replied.
“Fine.”
With that, she walked to him, touched his shoulder and they disappeared from the room.
*
The sun had already started to rise when Taemin made it home. He couldn't help, as he exited his Jeep, to look around him, looking for any sign of threat or anything abnormal that resembled what had happened the previous night.
But everything seemed to be in its rightful place and he felt relief wash over him as he convinced himself that whatever it was that was near their home, had only been passing by.
However, his relief was short lived as he reached the chalet's door only to find it was open. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he hurried inside, the icebox with his mother's meal falling to the floor as he found the furniture of the living room out-turned, the TV with a cracked screen and the few decoration destroyed on the floor.
He instantly started sniffling for his mother, but her scent was faint and mixed with others he didn't recognize.
“Mother?!” he called, desperately trying to convince himself the kitsune was somewhere in the chalet.
Yet, he got no response and panic hit him. He looked everywhere in the chalet, in the backyard, in the surrounding woods, even near the river, though he knew his mother never went there, but he found nothing.
The woman seemed to have vanished and he felt himself breakdown as he got back home.
Suddenly guilt invaded him as he recalled the previous night. He had left her even though he had sensed danger around them. He had went to the city and had fun while his mother was attacked by who-knows-what.
His mother was gone and he had no idea where to start looking.