* 18 *

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After dinner, I help with cleaning up and keeping an eye on Jin. My hands absent-mindedly scrub the plates while I ponder what Jin means by saying he was glad I was finally here. Did that mean he knew me before I came to work here? I don't see how that could be. I applied to the center on my initiative. I grew up in the local town and this had been my favorite place ever since I came here on a school trip. I may have gotten lost during the class trip, but I never felt scared. I had loved the forest ever since and had chosen to make it my career from that field trip. Subsequent school field trips only solidified my love of the woods. I never met the animals on any of those trips or I would have remembered.

My dreams flash through my mind for a moment but they are hazy and unclear. I" ve been having a lot of very weird dreams lately but I can never remember them. They started when Bangtan's animals started sleeping with me. Thank goodness I didn't walk around naked around those animals. A blush heats my face that I try to hide before anyone notices.

"Oh, why are you blushing?" Damn owl vision. Hobi comes over and smiles as he looks at my red face. "What are you thinking about?"

I flash to his smiling face before looking down back at the dishes in my hand, "Nothing, just thinking."

"You are so adorable," He takes my cheeks in his hands and squeezes. I can't avoid that bright smile he gives me with my face squeezed between his hands. His ruby eyes light up as he sees my own light up as I chuckle between mushed cheeks. His fangs are on full display with his full smile as he starts to laugh with me. He then wraps me up in a hug.

"Stop hogging her," I feel a hand grab the scruff of my shirt and gently pull me out of Hobi's arms, and I back up into the arms of Jungkook. He wraps his arms around me and leans his head on my shoulder. I feel encased as he stands behind me, surrounding me as I look at Hobi's grin as he watches us.

This feels so weird to me. I'm being shared and yet, nobody seems to be jealous. "I'm not used to this."

"What?" Jungkook asks.

"Being held for one, but that you all seem to be okay with passing me around." my forehead scrunches with my concern. Hobi smoothes out my skin with his fingertips while Jungkook squeezes me in response.

"In 500 years, you learn to share," Hobi says simply.

"We all feel the pull to be with you," Jungkook explains. "You feel it as well." He turns me around to look at me. I look into his jeweled eyes and marvel at the sincerity I see there. "I need you...we need you."

"But this isn't normal," I start but then pause. There was nothing about this whole thing that was normal to start with. "You feel a pull to the witch, right? Shouldn't we be concerned that you feel that with me?"

"That's certainly a valid point," Yoongi points out as he comes to join our conversation. "How do we know you aren't the witch in disguise?"

"Other than I can track my entire life, how would I be able to prove I wasn't?" I ask him. I'm serious about this, "If she could change you, why wouldn't she be able to change herself? If you don't age, she probably doesn't age either. What did she look like?"

"She was Korean like us. So the typical black hair and brown eyes, but we live in an age of plastic surgery and looks can be changed." Yoongi seems to be studying my looks.

"I grew up here," I point out.

"True, but the magic likes you. We feel the pull to be with you like we did with her." I can tell Yoongi is bothered by this fact. "Were you adopted?" Jungkook stills behind me.

"No, I was born at the local hospital to pretty normal parents. They run a small store in town. I can show you my birth certificate." I offer. Jungkook's arms loosen with his sigh.

Yoongi smiles, "Already seen it. Part of your background check before hiring you." He steps closer to me and takes my hand, his fingers caress my skin as he looks at it. I can tell his mind is busy and he's thinking hard.

"Yoongi?" I prompt.

"In 500 years, we've not felt any pull to anyone other than the witch. Then you come to us and we can't stay away. Our animals are drawn to you, play with you," His eyes flick to Jungkook behind me before returning to me, "Then we find the witch's lair and it's suspicious."

"I agree," His eyebrows raise as I agree with him. "This whole situation is suspicious. I've never had a serious relationship before and now I have several men, who look like they walked out of my fantasies, and make it clear that they want me. Who does that?"

His lips smirk, "We came out of your fantasies?"

I chuckle, "Let's see, we've got Dracula, werewolves, and a little Phantom of the Opera." Yoongi's expression lightens a little at my list, "What girl could resist?" And I had no interest in resisting any of it.

"Well, at least your sense of humor is alive and well," He smirks.

I take one of my hands out of his and raise it to gently caress his worried eyebrow. "I will help you solve this and gain your freedom. I don't want to trap you, either."

"You don't trap us," Jungkook whispers in my ear, his arms still holding me.

"The pull between us is a sort of trap." I glance at him. "Humans don't have a draw to a soulmate. That I feel an irresistible pull to men captured by magic makes our feelings very questionable." I want these feelings to be real, but my rational mind has to offer this out. I love the feeling of Jungkook's arms around me, Yoongi holding my hand, and Hobi and Jin's hugs are things I never want to be without. It would hurt to lose this just as I find it. I need this, too.

"Do you not want to be with us?" Hobi asks me.

"I didn't say that, Hobi. I love being with you all. I love the way you make me feel, but I'm a scientist, too. I have to be fair. Are our feelings caused by magic or are they real?" Sadness fills me at the thought that none of this could be real.

"Let's explore that, then," Namjoon interjects. "The only way to determine if it's real or not is to try it." He enters the kitchen followed by the rest of Bangtan.

I look at each man, seeing their jeweled eyes intent and serious. "So, you want me to date you all?"

"I think that's the only way to see if what we all feel towards you is genuine." He replies.

"And you are all okay with sharing me?" I look around and Jungkook tights his hold around my body, pulling me even tighter against his chest. His head rests next to mine.

"We share very well," Jungkook kisses the side of my head.

"Okay," I agree with this crazy situation. Giving myself over to all these feelings, whether they are real or not. I want this, too. Even if it's for a short time, I want to feel loved and wanted.

Jin walks over and extracts me from Jungkook's hold and enfolds me once again in his arms. "Thank you," He kisses the side of my head and I close my eyes at his gentleness. "We've been alone for a long time." I can feel how sadness fills him and my heart aches for the burden he must carry.

"You know it's not your fault, right?" I look up at him.

"It is my fault." The others object, but he cuts them off, "My brothers have forgiven me, but all this started with me. I want to protect you from all this, but you are as intertwined in this as we are now that you agree to be ours."

"I don't know what this is, but I want to find out if my feelings are real, too." I smile at him.

"We're still dangerous for you. We could hurt you," Worries crease his brow.

"Are you going to eat me?" I grin.

"Well, we do have big teeth," a flash of fangs appears as he teases.

"Jin, you need to work on your threats," I try to lighten the mood. "You are too gentle to be the big bad wolf." I feel completely safe in his arms. His wide shoulders may carry a terrible burden, but his heart is big enough to overcome it.

He pulls me close and chuckles in my ear, "Oh, my little girl, just you wait." His whisper makes me shiver with anticipation.

"I can't wait."

A tap on my shoulder causes me to turn and there is Namjoon, who opens his arms and I slide into his hug. He lays his head on my own and squeezes. Taehyung then pulls me into his arms and huffs in something that sounds like a mix between a purr and a laugh. Yoongi and Jimin then take their turns to hold me, cementing that we were going to give this a try.

I just hope this doesn't come back to bite us. 


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