Chapter Text
Supernatural coexistence looked peaceful on paper.
Vampires and werewolves lived side by side, sharing cities and spaces. But underneath all the integration laws and public outreach campaigns, people still clung to their own instincts.
Vampires still saw werewolves as impulsive and uncivilised.
Werewolves still saw vampires as cold and pretentious.
Especially those old vampire families. Full of old, accumulated wealth. They were walking relics of a time when supernatural clans controlled territories, when marriages were treated like business deals, so that wealth can be accumulated into richer and richer families. Even now, with reform and changing times, old-money vampires still treated marriage as strategic.
Oh Haewon came from one of those families. Dynasties- old. Pretty sure some of the buildings around the city had her family’s name on it. Which was how she ended up at JYP Academy – the school for supernatural elites, where “pure-bloods” like herself could meet others similar to her, where they can network for future connections, or even find their future partners to consolidate wealth.
Her name, her wealth, her power – it was obvious that Haewon would be chosen as the student council president. It wasn’t that she wanted this position, to be honest, she would rather not be a leader, but alas. No one was going to run against someone with her last name, scared to anger the great “Oh” family if they were to win.
Lily Morrow was a werewolf, even if some people liked to pretend otherwise. The meaner kids never missed a chance to jab at her. She was too gentle, too soft, too “un-werewolf”-like. It made her an easy target. Still, her niceness did save her hide multiple times, as she made friends easily with other supernatural beings, and among werewolves, there were some that felt a protective instinct towards her as the runt of the pack.
Her parents, however supportive, were nonetheless worried about their daughter. Within the werewolf structure, where dominance was prioritised, Lily was vulnerable. And while wolves didn’t obsess over family prestige the way vampires did, bloodline still mattered. The Morrows were pretty well-off, but they weren’t very influential, and her parents feared a simple truth: that no future mate would choose a wolf like her.
Lily didn’t worry too much though. She had a sister after all – she can do the heavy lifting. Lily would figure herself out on her own time.
Vampires and werewolves mixed freely at school, but everyone knew there were lines people didn’t cross. For example, werewolves had biological “mates” while vampires found their partners the “human” way, except for a more artificial birthing process, as they are technically “dead” and had a harder time reproducing. Crossing species lines wasn’t exactly forbidden, but it was rare, and even taboo within the upper echelons of society, who cared too much about pure-bloodedness.
--
For reasons no one ever figured out, Lily Morrow and Oh Haewon, two opposites in almost every sense, had been glued together since childhood. They met at an English competition when they were eight, of all places, and never drifted apart. Like a moth to a flame, they orbited each other from primary to high school, inseparable. In time, their little group would expand to include Bae Jinsol and Seol Yoona, both werewolves; and eventually Kim Jiwoo and Jang Kyujin, both vampires.
By lunch, the whole group had already claimed their usual spot in the sunlit corner of the cafeteria. Sunlit for the wolves, shaded for the vampires who lounged just out of direct light.
Jinsol had her arm wrapped possessively around Yoona, her mate, while she excitedly recounted her weekend with exaggerated hand gestures. Yoona kept cringing through the retelling, half hiding behind her hands. Jiwoo, who idolised Jinsol, was listening in rapt attention, while Kyujin waved at Lily who just entered the cafeteria.
“Lily-unnie! They have your favourite French fries today!”
“Really? Sweet!” Lily did an immediate 90 degree turn towards the line, her metaphorical tail wagging in excitement over the prospect of her favourite food. “Be right back.”
As she stood in line, another werewolf tapped her shoulder. Bang-chan oppa, one of the older wolves who’d always taken her under his wing.
“Hey Lily, have you heard?”
“Heard what, oppa?”
“Apparently, Huh Yunjin differentiated into an Omega during the weekend. Everyone’s pretty shocked about it, since yknow, a lot of us thought she was definitely an Alpha.”
“Oh.” Lily blinked. “I heard people talking but didn’t know it was about that. How’s she doing?”
“Pretty rough. Her parents had her primed as the next head of the household. Now everything’s up in the air.”
Lily shrugged sympathetically. “Well, just because she’s an omega doesn’t mean she isn’t a good leader. She is still herself – what made her “alpha” before is still in her.”
“Tell that to old farts like her parents.” Bang-chan shrugged. “But enough about her, what about you? Excited?”
“Excited for what? Fries?” Lily finally reached the front of the queue and animatedly told the lunch lady, Mrs Park, to pile as much fries as possible on her plate.
“Your differentiation, duh. You’re one of the last wolves in your year that haven’t differentiated yet.”
“Mm, not really thinking about it. Pretty sure everyone has already slapped an ‘omega’ label on me.” She held her fries triumphantly. “I kinda agree with them.”
Bang Chan just laughed and waved her off when he spotted his friends. “See you around, Lily.”
Back at the table, Lily dropped her mountain of fries and slid into her seat. “Hey, did you hear about Yunjin?”
“Yeah,” Yoona sighed. “My parents talked about it nonstop. Poor girl. Imagine your life plan evaporating overnight.” Jinsol hummed in agreement, then hesitated. “My parents said we should handle things the vampire way,” she admitted. “Since she’s an Omega from a prestigious family, I should court her and merge households.”
“What?” Yoona turned on her, betrayed.
“Baby, I’d never.” Jinsol pulled her close, soothing her by releasing calming pheromones, rubbing her back in a circular motion. “I just mean… that’s how desirable she suddenly is for Alpha families, I guess.”
“I haven’t seen her today,” Lily said between bites.
“Speaking of,” Jinsol added with a glint in her eyes, “what about-”
All of a sudden, the temperature of the cafeteria dropped a degree. “Lily.”
Haewon practically glided into the room, immaculate as always. Her blazer fitted, not a strand out of place, her expression unreadable in the kind of elegant but bored vampire way. “Afternoon girls.” She greeted, eyes seeking out Lily as always.
“Unnie!” Kyujin lit up, grabbing her arm and tugging her to the empty seat beside her. Kyujin idolized Haewon with zero shame.
“Hey Wonnie.” Lily pushed her plate of fries toward her. “Council still killing you?”
Haewon took a fry, sighing. “The year just started and my desk is already drowning in paperwork. Also, Lily, this is pure carbs. You shouldn't eat so much.”
“As a werewolf,” Lily declared grandly, flipping her hair, “I’m obligated to use my metabolism to its fullest extent.”
Haewon actually laughed. “There’s ketchup on your cheek. Do you have to eat like a werewolf too?”
Lily rubbed her cheek, voicelessly asking Haewon if she got the ketchup out. Haewon shook her head, and motioned for her to come closer. She placed a thumb on her cheek, attempting to wipe it away for her.
The moment her thumb touched Lily’s skin, it happened.
There was no warning, no buildup. Just a sudden violent lurch in Lily’s chest, followed by heat flooding her bloodstream so fast, her vision swam.
Lily almost collapsed onto the table between them, the plate clattering to the ground beside her in a loud crash, attracting the attention of the students around her. Haewon reacted instantly, steadying her with her cold hands on her shoulders. “Lily, what’s wrong?” she asked worriedly.
Lily tried to answer her, she really did, but all she can hear and feel was her heartbeat in her ears. She could feel her muscles tightening, her bones aching as they attempted to stretch out, and her skin prickling as if fur was trying to break through. Lily took a breath to stabilise herself.
And that was when Haewon’s scent hit her.
Her wolf roared awake. Unless someone stopped her right now, she was going to transform.
“Lily, look at me.” Haewon had made her way beside her, concern etched across her face.
“Don’t touch me.” Lily managed, voice trembling as it took all of her self control to contain the beast within. She knew, instinctively, that the more she was around Haewon, the faster this shift would be.
Haewon, her dear Haewonnie, did not let go. Always so stubborn.
She heard someone grab Haewon and pull her away from Lily. It was Yoona and Jinsol, knowing what was happening, and tried to get Haewon safely away from Lily. Lily was thankful for them having the wherewithal to react quickly, but she really needed to get away.
Lily made a few steps towards the exit before getting stopped by someone else. Bang-chan oppa. He looked at her worriedly and asked if she was okay.
Lily, who loved him like a brother, who had never said or did an aggressive thing in her life, snarled for the first time.
The cafeteria fell silent.
Bang-chan’s eyes widened, realisation sinking in.
Lily tore herself away, barely holding her skin together. “Sorry oppa, I need- need to go.”
Lily, his sister in everything but blood, the gentle runt he took under his protection, was an Alpha.