Little Seungwan deligently walks through the forest path, nose sniffing high up in the air. Everything here smells a little stronger, too many scents to sort out. Still, she puffs her chest and works hard.

It's almost dark out now. She needs to hurry if she wants to find that ball before the sun totally sets.

She had been playing with the kids from the pack all afternoon. They were having fun until her friend Seulgi kicked the ball a little too far after being goaded by Yerim. She's always been a little devil. Seungwan immediately volunteered to go looking before those two started bickering again.

That's how she finds herself walking among shrubs and greeneries taller than her tiny body, her well worn hoodie keeping her safe. Seungwan does her best to navigate through the unfamiliar landscape.

The wind rustles the trees up ahead and Seungwan shivers. Only because she's cold of course. She's definitely not scared.

"Where's that stupid ball," she grumbles, tiny feet hastily moving in front of the other.

Seungwan has already covered a lot of ground when she starts to feel tired. She's been sniffing and squinting for a long time and there's still no sign of where that ball could be.

She's reached the part of the forest where sunlight barely penetrates through. The shadows are starting to look scary. Nothing looks familiar anymore.

It's awfully quiet, too.

Seungwan's ears start to come out on the top of her head, an uncontrollable reaction to her nervousness. The realization slowly crawls up to her.

"I... I'm lost."

The forest has always been something off limits to young wolf pups like Seungwan. She's usually so obedient so she's never been here before. Now she's ventured a little too far and she doesn't know what to do.

Her eyes start to warm, a familiar surge of heaviness rise to her chest as quivers. Warm rivulets of tears drop from brown eyes shifting to blue.

Then, a soft voice.

"Are you okay?"

Seungwan flinches. She can feel the pelt buzzing underneath her skin, her small hands desperately clutching at her hoodie for comfort as her eyes dart around for the source.

"Hello," the voice says again.

There. She spots her. Standing right by one of the tall trees is a pale little girl in a fancy looking red dress. Her hands hold a familiar red ball that has Seungwan gasping and pointing excitedly.

"B-ball!" She hiccups.

The girl stares at her, then raises the toy up a bit. "Uh, yes," she says. "This is a ball."

"No, I mean that's my ball."

The girl blinks, looks at the toy once and then back to Seungwan again.

"Oh."

Seungwan wipes at the dampness on her cheeks and slaps them lightly. She gives the girl a smile. Her mom always said she had a pretty smile. Maybe the girl will give it back if she shows her a pretty smile.

"May I have it back, please?"

The girl bites at her lip, hesitates. She holds the ball a little tighter and looks at the pleading eyes of the child in front of her. She nods, acquiesces.

Elated, Seungwan bounds closer with a skip in her step towards the girl. Her ears prick forward, a beaming grin easily taking over her happy little face.

Then she stops abruptly, close enough to really see the little girl. Seungwan gasps, eyes wide and face openly expressive.

"You're really pretty!"

The startled girl only furrows her brows before handing Seungwan the ball. Little Seungwan takes it from her and the girl's eyes widen when their fingers brush.

"You're warm," she says quietly.

"You're not very warm," Seungwan says back. "What's your name?"

"J–" the girl seems to shrink back, bites her lip, remembers. "My name is Irene."

Seungwan tilts her head, squinting blue eyes trained on Irene, cheeks puffed in thought. She must have come to a conclusion, smiling again.

"You look like an Irene," she says. "A pretty name suits a pretty girl like you."

Irene smiles for the first time since they met and little Seungwan finds herself unable to look away. She looks even prettier, just like those fairy tales her mom used to tell her for bedtime.

"Thank you," Irene shyly says.

"You're welcome!"

Seungwan abruptly plops down on the ground making Irene flinch again. The little wolf laughs at her startled expression then pats at the spot next to her.

"I'm tired from walking. Do you wanna sit with me?"

When Irene gives her a confused stare, Seungwan's eyes dart to the girl's fancy looking dress and her ears prick. She takes off her hoodie and lays it on the ground next to herself.

"Sit with me?" She asks again, giving Irene the friendliest smile she can muster.

Irene reluctantly walks closer. She lowers herself next to Seungwan gracefully, trying to make herself comfortable in what to her is an unfamiliar situation. She daintily folds her hands, place them neatly on her lap as she settles in.

"I'm Seungwan by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure."

Seungwan pouts, head tilting in wonder. "You talk weird," she tells the girl.

Irene doesn't seem to hear her, however. Her eyes are trained on top of Seungwan's head. Little Seungwan feels her ears twitch at the attention. The movement makes Irene giggle, the loveliest sound Seungwan has ever heard.

"I'm a wolf," she says proudly. "My ears come out sometimes but someday, I'm gonna be big and strong."

Irene nods her head. Her hands start to reach up halfway as if an unconscious reaction, then she catches herself. Irene's eyes widen, gaze shifting to meet Seungwan's.

"You can touch," the young wolf giggles.

With permission granted, Irene carefully traces a finger right on the outline of one fluffy ear making then twich again and again.

"That tickles!" giggles Seungwan.

Irene joins her, unable to resist the joyous melody. Then she decides to settle her hand on top of Seungwan's head instead, patting the wolf pup gently.

Seungwan relaxes to the touch and finds herself humming contentedly. Her body reacts to the light petting, languidly draping herself over Irene's lap and savoring the pats from the giggling girl.

"So," Seungwan drawls lazily, unable to be anything else. "What kind of wolf are you?"

"I'm not a wolf," came a soft reply.

"You're not?"

"I'm a vampire," Irene tells her. Then adds, "I drink blood."

"Blood?" Seungwan perks up. "I have those, see?"

Seungwan rolls up her shirt sleeves and shows Irene her wrist.

"I got hurt one time when I climbed a tree but it's okay. It's not a big hurt. I just fell and blood came out of here. It got healed up pretty quickly though but blood really did come out."

Irene feels the familiar tugging in her gums, an itchiness clawing at her drying throat.

"Hungry," she murmurs.

Seungwan immediately pats at the pockets of her shorts until she finds what she's looking for. She makes a triumphant sound when she finds a couple packs of gummy worms and raises them to Irene's face.

"Want some gummies?"

Irene shakes her head. She doesn't even know what those are. Her eyes are more drawn to pale arms flailing around as tiny hands try to open a plastic pack.

"I drink blood," she reminds Seungwan.

Seungwan finally manages to tear the packaging open and pops a few colorful gummies into .

"Is that all you eat?"

"It's all I can have," Irene tells her. "Other things make me feel sick since I'm too young."

Seungwan hums in thought, mouth chewing slowly as she ponders. This is the first time she's ever met a vampire. Her mom hasn't told her anything about them before. She feels a little bad for her new friend.

"That . Gummies taste really good, too."

"Of course."

Irene closes her eyes, tries to remember all the lessons she's been taught. She knows she's not supposed to feed on people without supervision. She needs to calm down.

"How do you eat anyway?" Seungwan asks, breaking her from her short meditation with cheeks cutely puffed from all the gummies being stuffed.

Irene reaches out a cold hand to brush Seungwan's long dark hair away until it no longer obscures her neck. She taps at the pale flesh lightly with her finger.

"I drink from here."

Seungwan shivers, breath stuttering as Irene traces over her neck lightly.

"That's where the mating mark goes," she gulps. "You shouldn't bite there."

"What's a mating mark?"

Irene removers her hand, giving Seungwan all her attention once again.

"I don't know," Seungwan shrugs. "Mom said it was important."

Irene coos at the furrowed brows and determined puff of cheeks little Seungwan displays. She's never met anyone so adorable, not even Joy, their youngest clan baby.

"Say," the little wolf says interrupting once again her line of thought, "can you pat my hair again? It felt really nice."

Irene obliges, running her fingers on silky dark hair and feeling comforted by the gentle rumbles from the wolf's tiny body as she melts back into Irene's lap.

"Are you not cold?"

"Nah, I don't really get cold," Seungwan mumbles. "Your skin's kinda cold, though. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am. There is nothing to worry now when the sun is nearly setting."

Seungwan sits up, disentangling herself from Irene's soft hands, eyes wide as she looks at the startled Irene in horror.

"I am so dead."

The tiny wolf looks around and finally notices how it's become noticeably darker since she's arrived. She makes to stand, eyes shifting as she tries hard to remember which path she took only to come up with nothing.

"Seungwan?" came Irene's confused voice.

"I'm supposed to be home before sunset but I got lost and then you found me and then—"

"Please calm down, it will be alright."

Irene stands with her, patting her small back tentatively and smiling when she feels terse muscles relax. Growing bloder, she rubs soothing circles on Seungwan's back, effectively bringing the little pup closer for more.

"I have to go home," Seungwan breathes out.

"Would you like me to walk you there?"

"You know the way?"

"We'll figure it out together, I'm sure."

Irene gives her a confidently brilliant smile. Seungwan feels her heart skip then steadies and then it's loud. It's very confusing for a young pup.

Seungwan believes her without a single doubt.

The two little girls walk through forest paths hand in hand, traipsing through shrubbery and grass taller than their tiny bodies until they reach a place that's familiar for Seungwan.

Irene accompanies her until the forrest boundary, waving Seungwan goodbye as the little pup bounds for home.