Of Blood and Brooms - Chapter Seventeen
Of Blood and Brooms
Chapter Seventeen
She was incredibly glad that she had decided to remain out on the balcony instead of heading inside with Henry when the others had shown up. The sight of Ryeowook covered in blood and laying weakly in Yesung’s arms as he had climbed the building to the balcony had been enough to turn her stomach. She didn’t think she would have been able to handle it if she had Henry’s Gift, not even knowing that those wounds would soon be closed.
Her own Gift would have helped them to have two healers instead of one, but it wasn’t as though there was a long line waiting for Henry’s hands to work on them. Most of the people that would have any sort of hurt were supernatural enough that anything Henry could heal, their own bodies could just as well. Perhaps it made her a coward but she would much rather hold onto the Gift that allowed her to assume any animal shape she chose for just a bit longer.
Staying out on the balcony had also allowed her the opportunity to watch for Siwon. She couldn’t bring herself to even entertain the idea that he could have died, he was simply too strong and graceful to do so. Besides, she had heard that every wolf pack sang when one of their own died and she had heard no such song this evening. That left her waiting and wondering, leaning against the railing of the balcony and debating whether or not she should expand the energy to allow her eyes to see in the dark.
Jessica had nearly decided on using a variation of a finding spell when a dark blur barreled up and over the edge of the balcony just beside her, startling her backwards. She stumbled a single step before the blur was on her, knocking her backwards and causing her head to smack painfully against the solid flooring. A furred body that smelled horribly like blood and death settled on her body, fully covering her and not allowing movement. Golden eyes that she knew stared down at her and a tongue that had likely touched things she didn’t want to think about, swept out to slide over her cheek.
Strangely enough she was more disgusted then she was afraid of the massive wolf pressed against her body. “Siwon,” she whined, shoving at his immobile bulk. “You are crushing me.” It wasn’t entirely true, since the wolf seemed to be keeping the majority of his weight off her, but she hoped it would make him move. It didn’t.
His body seemed to shift at her words, but not in any fashion of moving away. Instead it seemed to shrink in size as fur began to disappear beneath her fingers. It was strange enough to watch a transformation of a werewolf, but even worse to feel him shift against her body. The change, leaving the fresh new skin raw and sensitive, was never painless for the wolf and she was surprised that he made no move to shift off of her.
When he was finished and pressing possibly more weight into her body than he had been before, his golden eyes were still staring at her with a hunger that really should have frightened her. “Jessica,” he growled, shifting slightly.
“Siwon,” she returned, sliding hands over his upper body knowing that it was likely painful for him but not caring. She had been more worried then she had thought about his condition this night. The thought of him having died had scared her more than she would have liked to admit, even to herself, and she curled her hands against his skin glad to be touching him.
A growl rumbled through his chest and she felt the vibrations against her own body. His Beast was likely very in control of him at the moment, and oddly enough she wasn’t frightened of it. It cared for her, she realized, as much as she cared for it. His head ducked, nudging at her chin and encouraging her to tip her head back in submission. She did so willingly, trying not to shiver at the heated fingers that had found their way beneath her shirt and were slowly caressing her stomach. The Beast was thrilled at her submission and rumbled his approval as he lifted himself slightly giving himself more room to work.
“As much as I really don’t mind this or you,” she said softly, sliding her hands down his bare muscular back. “You should probably give Siwon back control of his body. If we do something he will never forgive himself and neither one of us want to live with his guilt.”
“You are mine Bitch,” the voice rumbled sounding darker and more animalistic then his normal one. Teeth nipped at her neck not hard enough to draw blood but enough that she could feel it. It thrilled her, a response that startled her likely as much as it did him. He chuckled lightly and repeated the action. “You desire me, I can smell it.”
“I do,” she agreed, “I desire both of you.”
“Convince him of that,” it was a snarled order if she had ever heard one and his hand drifted low on her stomach before pausing and sliding around to the small of her back.
The mouth on her neck gentled until it was a soft press of lips instead of teeth and she found that it thrilled her just as much as the rougher version had. “Jessica,” he murmured again, gentler this time and with something akin to wonder in his voice. Then his head was lifting and he was staring at her with eyes flecked through with gold.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, sliding his hands from her skin leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
“I’m not,” she countered, and then to prove her point she called upon a portion of her current Gift and allowed her fingernails to lengthen into feline claws that she dragged lightly down his back. His eyes flashed brightly as he trembled panting over her, his weight supported on his hands to either side of her body.
“He would hurt you,” Siwon hissed. “I would never live with myself if I let him hurt you.”
“I want you,” she insisted. “Both of you.”
“Jessica,” he said firmly, rocking his weight back onto his knees so that he could grip her arms and hold them still. “He would not take you gently. You’re first time should be sweet and make pleasure sing through your body, not make you cry and bleed.”
She sighed and let her eyes drift over his body, not resisting his stilling hold despite how much she wanted to. “You’re poetic and old fashioned,” she murmured. “Who is to say that I haven’t had my first time already?”
He growled, his eyes flashing brightly with anger. “Jessica,” he warned.
“Not that I have,” she corrected quickly, “You just shouldn’t assume.”
“You test us,” Siwon growled, then sighed. “What am I going to do with you?” he murmured, his voice softening back to his sweeter tones.
“You could just claim me and get it over with,” she suggested with a shrug. He was going to argue again she knew, so she continued. “I mean you are already naked, that is half the battle.”
His checks flushed as if he had only just realized the fact that he was naked and that his position gave her the perfect view of any part of his front she would like to look at. Quickly he shifted forward, blocking her view of his body by pressing his chest to hers. It quite possibly had the exact opposite effect of what he was trying to do because he groaned lightly at the contact.
“Jessica, you make this very difficult,” he murmured.
She wiggled her fingers against the skin that she could reach. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“You will be my wife before I take you to bed,” he said firmly, in a way that told her he would not budge on that point.
“Did you just ask me to marry you? That was entirely unimpressive if you did and I think my answer might have to be no,” she teased lightly.
His eyes danced with humor. “I’m glad you are alright.”
“Me too,” she agreed, then she tapped him lightly with a finger. “But if you don’t stop crushing me I will probably have bruises.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized instantly lifting himself from her and abruptly turning his body away.
She was treated to a view of his chiseled backside and she whistled appreciatively more to embarrass him then anything. “Should I magic some clothing for you?” she teased.
“That would be very much appreciated if you can,” he agreed.
Jessica thought she probably could, but she had no idea how to do it. So instead she opened the sliding glass door of the small room attached the balcony and tore down the pristine white curtain hanging there.
“You are out of luck. I am out of magic for the night, so you get a curtain,” she said lightly, draping the fabric over his shoulders. He pulled it around himself and turned to face her. “For a werewolf you are very body shy.”
“For a woman you are very forward,” he returned with a smile.
“You’re practically my mate. We have been through enough.” Life or death battles tended to change a person’s perspective on things, she reasoned.
“Not yet officially,” he murmured, tipping her head up with a gentle touch.
She sighed, leaning into his body and loving the security she found there. When her lips touched his, it was in a gentle caress that spoke of desire and more love then she would ever know what to do with.
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Anyone who thought that werewolves were incapable of killing a human much like wild animals, were sadly mistaken. Worse than wild animals, werewolves tended to take joy in the hunt of humans as well as the kill. It wasn’t often that a werewolf killed something and didn’t eat it, a thought that was simply revolting to him.
Onew had researched the species enough that he felt he knew enough about them to say that their behavior was strange. Vampire or not, a typical werewolf would be tempted to eat the remaining pieces of the creatures that they brought down, not carry them and deposit them in a neat pile under the watchful eye of their Alpha.
To the right, a white wolf licked at the Alpha’s muzzle, a gesture that looked affectionate to his untrained eye even if the Alpha didn’t seem to particularly notice. To the Alpha’s left lay a black cat with a paw over his nose. Another wolf lay beside him, head resting on the cat’s back, watching the process with intelligent eyes.
One by one the wolves stopped sneaking back into the surrounding area to bring remains back to the growing pile and instead joined their Alpha. It took longer than he would have liked for the last wolf to settle with the pack and for the Alpha to give him a slight nod. Onew’s fingers found the small charm in the shape of a flame and muttered, “Fire.”
He watched with a growing weariness as magical fire consumed the remains of the creatures they had faced that evening. Onew was troubled by the idea that these creatures had been human only a short time ago, some of them less than a day ago and they had been able to nothing about it. Perhaps with the burning of their bodies they could find rest at last.
Once the entire pile had caught flame, the wolves began to leave one by one beginning with the snow white one until only the Alpha was visible in the flickering light of the flame. The wolf looked across the fire at him and he caught its eyes without looking away. He knew of the dominance games but he also knew that he couldn’t afford to submit, not with what he now was. Minho was a comforting presence at his back, giving him courage to stare right back when he may have otherwise looked away.
A moment later the wolf’s mouth split in the lupine version of a grin and it inclined its head in a strange version of a nod. Then, without breaking the eye contact, it rose and slowly moved backwards until the night swallowed it and its glowing yellow eyes. When they were gone, Onew sighed, relieved that at least they wouldn’t have to worry about a fight between the already tense groups as the pack had likely gone home.
Minho’s hand caught his elbow gently, tugging him towards the seethe, towards his home. A part of him wanted to stay until the fire had run its course, but he knew the spell would consume only what it had been summoned to do and then extinguish itself immediately after that. There was no real reason to remain behind. He let the vampire lead him from the fire, thankful for the strength of Minho beside him while he himself felt so incredibly weak.
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Firelight highlighted Key’s face and Jonghyun thought it was a bit silly that he found it so beautiful. The teen watched the flickering flames down below that consumed the last of their enemies but Jonghyun found himself watching only the witch.
“Stop it,” Key grumbled, not looking towards him but clearly addressing him.
“Stop what?” he asked, grinning.
“Staring at me. It’s creepy and makes me want to do something painful to you.”
“It’s a good thing I have the sword then isn’t it?” Jonghyun quipped.
Key snorted. “Like I couldn’t take it from you if I wanted to.”
“You probably could,” he agreed, fingering the small charm necklace Key had given him.
The movement drew Key’s eyes at last and they narrowed. “You can give that back now,” it was more of a demand then an offer.
Jonghyun found that in no way did he want to do so. “I don’t think I will. I kind of like it.”
“Whatever,” Key muttered, clearly not wanting to show a reaction to it as he looked back towards the fire.
“Hey Kibum,” Jonghyun said softly, aware of just how touchy a subject he was about to touch on. “Do you see us ever being together again?”
There was a long moment during which he thought that perhaps Key wouldn’t answer at all. It would serve him right, after all he knew how sensitive Key was to anything even remotely personal. To his surprise the corners of Key’s mouth turned up before he answered, “That depends on if you can ever find enough balls to ask me on a date.”
Jonghyun was stunned into silence and was certain he was gaping like a fish. Of all the answers he thought Key would give, that hadn’t even been on the remarkably long list. “Kim Kibum,” he said, finding his voice before Key could change his mind. “Would you like to go out on a date with me?”
“When?” Key shot back immediately.
“This Friday?”
“Try again,” Key snapped with almost a teasing air.
“I would like to take you out to dinner on Friday and then to a movie of your choice,” Jonghyun said, trying to sound like he had put a lot of thought into the possible evening.
“Fine, but you are paying and keeping your hands to yourself unless otherwise invited,” Key said firmly.
“Of course,” Jonghyun agreed, it was more than he could hope for.
“You can pick me up at five. You had better impress me with your choice of car,” Key declared, likely knowing about the vast variety that Heechul kept beneath the seethe.
“I’ll be there,” Jonghyun promised.
“If you are late, this whole thing ends,” Key warned and Jonghyun nodded. He was surprised that Key was willing to trust him for a second time, not that he thought for a moment that he wouldn’t have to fight for that trust, but for the young man who did not trust easily or ever again once it was broken, this was quite the miracle.
“I understand,” he murmured, acknowledging what it was that Key was giving him, a second chance. Key said nothing in response, staring instead out at the flickering light of the flames. Jonghyun joined him in watching and tried to keep his eyes on the fire and off the young witch. He had a long way to go he knew, but he was willing to take every step that would be necessary to get there.
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Minho had, thankfully, waited until they were back in the security of his room to begin quickly and efficiently stripping Onew out of his clothing. If it had been any other time Onew would have possibly been turned on by the hands that were ridding him of the barrier of fabric, but as it was he couldn’t do more than grunt as his jeans tore beneath the instant tug. Fingers that were chilled but still tender in the ministrations ran over his skin checking for damage.
Most of the blood on his skin wasn’t his own, or at least not as far as he knew. The few gashes that he had maintained had stopped oozing blood shortly after he had gained them, something he chalked up to the difference in his abilities. Onew’s eyes sagged closed as he let Minho do what he would. The touch of the vampire was somehow soothing on his weary body and he felt the exhaustion from the amount of magic and physical ability he had used that evening setting it.
The touch of a tongue on his thigh made his eyes fly open faster than anything else could have. Minho was on his knees carefully lapping at a small cut he had gotten early in the battle. When he had finished with that one, he moved to a deeper gash on Onew’s opposite hip. Logically, Onew knew that Minho was using the properties in his saliva to close and speed the healing process for the wounds, his body however, had a drastically different idea of what was occurring.
He knew he had been foolish to think that he could innocently experience the touch of Minho against his body, especially as the vampire moved to his right hand and slowly began sucking every finger into his mouth to clean them.
“Minho,” Onew hissed, eyes fluttering half closed at the sensation. It would have been impossible for Minho to miss the effect that he had on the witch since he was still kneeling before him. A sultry look that Onew hadn’t seen the likes of in years told him that Minho knew exactly what he was doing.
“Tease,” he muttered as Minho switched to the other hand and gave it the same treatment.
By the time Minho had made it up to his neck where he was doing more teasing then actually cleaning, Onew knew he had to have a different motivation for his actions. The talented tongue flicked out to curl teasingly around the shell of his ear as the Minho he had known loved to do. The teasing touches had been Minho’s favorite thing, a game of sorts to see how undone he could get Onew. A game that the vampire hadn’t yet indulged in for some greater fear that he refused to share. Now his actions made Onew tremble and clutch at his body, trying to pull the vampire closer.
“Minho,” he moaned, shifting as close to the vampire as he could get with the vampire’s remaining barrier of clothing between them. “Please.”
The vampire’s breath was oddly warm against his ear but the sharp fangs that pricked the lobe lightly reminded him exactly what was pressed against him. His brain, the odd thing that it was, wondered idly if Minho could pierce his ear like that before a hand slid down his back and closed over his buttocks firmly, pulling his hips closer.
“I love you Jinki.” The whispered words were so faint at first that he thought he hadn’t heard them.
“Say it again,” he whispered, freezing in anticipation.
“I love you,” Minho’s voice said again, louder this time and with more of the tones he remembered in it.
“You’re back,” Onew breathed, his hands coming up to catch at the back of Minho’s neck and shifting so he could look in his eyes. For the first time he felt as though his lover was truly there again, changed but still undeniably the man he had been.
Minho smiled at him, a look that conveyed desire and love in one and didn’t seem at all out of place on the face that wore it. “Jinki,” he purred, the syllabus rolling of his tongue like honey. There was pride there too, Onew decided. Minho was proud of what he was capable of.
“Make love with me?” Onew asked, sliding his fingers through the short hair at the back of Minho’s neck. He felt corny as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but Minho didn’t seem to mind.
“My pleasure,” Minho growled, pulling him impossibly closer and fitting their mouths together. The kiss held all of the passion that Onew thought he would never feel again and he happily died in it, only to have Minho put him back together again.
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He could feel it before he awoke, the trembles running through his muscles like a junkie craving his next fix. He had felt it once before and survived it then, only just. He wouldn’t be able to survive that again.
“You son of a bitch!” he snarled, exploding into wakefulness. Anger was better than the craving, the need, and he pulled it around him like a tight cloak. “You had no right!” His hands found the vampire that he knew would be there, wrapping tight around the column of his throat and pushing him back into the mattress.
The moment he touched the vampire he felt the sharp pang of the craving, the need, more powerful than he had ever felt before. He jerked his hand back as if he had been burned, backpedaling until he was pressed against the headboard of the bed a trembling mess. If he had thought it would have helped he would have shifted into an animal and hidden in its instincts. There was nothing that would keep him from sensing what he craved, certainly not with sharper senses then his own.
“It doesn’t become you to be like this,” the voice said softly. He could feel the hand reaching out for him and he batted it away before it could make contact allowing him to feel the blood pulsing beneath the skin. Damn Heechul and his desire to appear human. “Hangeng,” the vampire pleaded, “you need to drink.”
“No!” he exclaimed sharply while his entire being said yes. He couldn’t resist it, would never be able to again. This had always been the danger of associating with the Master vampire, but Heechul had been different enough to intrigue him. His curiosity had snagged him once again in a web that he could never escape and he would rather die than be there again.
The spell was supposed to have killed him, but Heechul, who already knew too much about magic, had prevented that. His last Master, although not for lack of trying, hadn’t been able to pull the same magic from within him. He didn’t have the Talent that Heechul did, nor the knowledge. Hankyung had been a destructive force in the hands of his former Master, one that had destroyed entire cities singlehandedly, it terrified him what Heechul would be able to do with his power.
He would not be a slave again. He would not sit trapped in his own mind as a Master commanded his magic from him, bid him to do horrible things or face the pain of the cravings. He would rather die, had planned to die. He still planned to die.
His weapons had been removed, of that he had no doubt. Heechul would never allow him something that destructive, but he couldn’t simply remove his magic. Years of spell casting had taught Hankyung the skills he needed to perform spells silently and instantly. Magic could be bent to his will in a moment and he reached for it now, called for the magic to end his life.
Suddenly he couldn’t feel his magic; it was as if a wall had been placed in his mind between his thoughts and the deep well that was his own power. The wall tasted of Heechul and he released an anguished cry knowing it was already too late. Heechul’s Talent would allow him to do what his former Master had not been able to do. This Master would be able to reach into his mind and steal control completely from him since through the bond of their blood he would be completely defenseless against it.
“Please,” Heechul pleaded both within his mind and without. “Please just listen then you will be free to decide.”
He didn’t have a choice, couldn’t have a choice with the vampire so deep within his mind and there was nothing he could do against the images. Emotions and thoughts poured into his mind, memories that were not his own and pictures of the possible future. Centuries of information was dumped in a matter of minutes and it left him gasping in the wake of it. He felt the desperation of Heechul to make him see, and the fear that it wouldn’t be enough.
In moments it was over, leaving him shaking harder from the onslaught then he had been. As promised he felt the hold on his magic slide away until the vampire was no longer touching it leaving him free to do with it what he wanted.
“Why do you want me so badly?” he hissed.
“You know,” Heechul said shakily, “I showed you.”
“Say it,” Hankyung commanded, his eyes opening and focusing intently on the vampire sitting in front of him.
“There will come a time that I will lose my mind,” Heechul said softly, “and when that time comes I need you to be here to kill me.”
Hankyung laughed bitterly. Heechul was delusional if he thought that would work. “You forget something Master,” he spat. “You will be so intertwined in my mind that you could easily keep me from killing you.”
“But I couldn’t keep you from killing yourself. I would get crazy and careless. When you die, so will I.”
“You have things confused,” Hankyung hissed. “It is the witch that will die without the blood.”
“No,” Heechul murmured reaching out to brush fingers against his neck, a touch which Hankyung allowed. “The witch can survive, you are proof of that. Having a witch changes us, changes what we need. No vampire can live without it once it is theirs.”
Hankyung inhaled sharply. He had killed his former Master by a work of magic that he had spent years attempting to perfect, a spell that shouldn’t have worked but had. The moment he had been free he had ran as fast as he could in the other direction. That wouldn’t be possible again, not this time.
“You want this or you wouldn’t still be thinking about it,” Heechul murmured.
“Of course I do,” Hankyung snapped. “Your blood is like a drug to me. I’m an addict who was just waiting for the next taste.”
“I can remind you what that is like again,” Heechul whispered and Hankyung instantly knew that he wasn’t referring to the drinking of blood.
Unbidden images rose in his mind of a time long forgotten, a time when magic was a wonder to him and not a destructive force used for killing. He saw himself playing with the wind, learning how the magic of the world all fit together and flowed in patterns, patterns that he had later torn apart. He longed for that feeling again, the one that he had lost. It was a promise too good to resist.
“I will kill you,” Hankyung hissed. He didn’t know if he could at this moment, or even in the next week or year, but he would be the one who killed this vampire. It was a promise that he would not allow himself to break.
“I expect no less, Death Bringer,” Heechul responded with satisfaction in his voice.
Of course Heechul would see when he made up his mind. The vampire was a part of him now, never truly able to be separated. He laughed, more at himself and his own helplessness than anything. If he truly thought about it, his choice had been made long ago the very moment he had stepped into the seethe and laid eyes on Heechul.
“You always knew it would get to this point. Didn’t you?”
Heechul’s lips curled up in a satisfied smirk. “I always get my way.”
“I will not be a Pet,” Hankyung cautioned fiercely. If that was Heechul’s plan for him he would kill them both now.
“Who can tame Death?” Heechul asked, inclining his head in invitation. After resisting so long, Hankyung could no longer. He sprang at the vampire, pressing him back into the mattress. In his mouth his teeth shifted into the sharpened canines of his feline form, perfect for piercing flesh. Without further hesitation he sank them into the side of Heechul’s neck and moaned in pleasure as the rich blood hit his senses.
‘I will kill you,’ Hankyung reiterated, thinking the words to Heechul knowing that the vampire could hear him.
‘I expect no less,’ Heechul purred, tugging the witch closer and sinking his fangs into the side of Hankyung’s neck in a mirror of the witch’s actions.
‘Foolish vampire,’ Hankyung laughed into their joined minds, finding mirth in their situation. ‘You would think you would have chosen more wisely for your mate.’
‘I have never been conventional,’ Heechul replied with a mental smirk. Hankyung had to agree with that, the Master vampire had always been and probably would always be anything but unoriginal.
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It was impossible for a vampire to feel blessed. The very idea of it was a contradiction to what most thought they were, not that he really bought into the idea that vampires were soulless creatures. He could hardly remember his humanity but he didn’t feel as though he had lost anything, simply gained so much. Still, if he had to explain it someone, the only way he could, would be to say that he was feeling very blessed.
On the bed, stretched out beside him, was his Pet with his chest rising and falling in life. The man’s heartbeat was strong and regular to his ears, convincing him of the human’s continued existence. He didn’t know how that could be, he had taken far too much blood for the human to have survived, but he wasn’t going to question it. Perhaps the witch had been more powerful than he had thought.
His fingers reached out and brushed across the human’s cheek, his touch tender. Hunger still ached within him and likely would for the next few days, but it was easier to ignore now. The combination of blood from his Pet and his Brother had given his body the strength to flake off the skin that had been damaged by sun exposure, but he didn’t yet have the strength to do much else.
The human beside him stirred his breathing changing from the deep even rhythm of sleep into a lighter more active one. Before the vampire could think to move from the sight of the human, his eyes were opening and focusing right on him. “Kibum,” the human breathed, his voice holding wonder that the vampire knew he didn’t deserve to hear.
“I’m sorry Donghae,” he whispered. “I needed to make certain you were truly alright. I will leave you in peace. You may leave when you wish and never need to return.” He kept his voice even as only years of practice could allow him and let none of his emotion show in it.
“Why?” the human asked, a flutter of confusion tinged with hurt flowing from him.
“I have taken too much from you already,” Kibum admitted quietly, using his own Talent to push his guilt away.
“Kibum, I came back for you,” Donghae said gently. His fingers settled warm on the new skin of Kibum’s arm. “You gave me my life back, so it is yours whenever you need it.” He could tell that the human really meant that, and he was touched by the admission of it.
“Donghae,” he murmured. “A vampire nearly killed you for the second time in your life. I nearly killed you.”
“I know,” the man’s smile was a beautiful thing to behold. “But this time I chose to give it.”
“I still frighten you,” Kibum reminded him gently.
He could feel the flux of emotions flowed through the human as he contemplated the statement. Slowly, Donghae shifted into an upright position on the bed. “Show me what you are,” he ordered softly.
Obediently Kibum released his tight hold on the animalistic side of himself. He felt his fangs lengthen into place and he opened his mouth so they could easily be seen. His eyes, he knew gleamed red in the low light of the room. They both waited for the deep seated fear to flare up in the human.
It never came.
There was a faint stirring of a caution tinged with the flavor of fear, but Donghae had no trouble pushing that down himself. “I’m not afraid of you anymore,” he whispered as if he was surprised to find this himself.
“Hm,” Kibum hummed. Then experimentally his shifted forward inhumanly fast and scraped his fangs against the skin of Donghae’s neck. The fear flared up brightly in the human but as soon as it came it began to die. For the first time in their relationship Kibum didn’t have to help Donghae find the calm that he could ground himself in.
“Kibum,” Donghae said, excited this time. “I’m not afraid of you anymore.”
“You are, little one,” Kibum purred, nibbling lightly on the soft skin. He was careful not to pierce the tender flesh with his sharp teeth since the human’s body could likely not stand being drunk from again so soon. “There are still tints of fear. I can taste them, but you are able to deal with it yourself for the time being.”
“You are the best therapist,” Donghae said with a laugh, his fingers dancing over Kibum’s fresh skin. It was a strange sensation to find the human leaning into the threat of his bite and it affected him more than he thought it would have.
“You were very foolish to come here for me,” Kibum purred, pulling away so he could watch the emotions flicker through the human’s eyes.
“Yeah well, I couldn’t let Ryeowook come alone,” he muttered as his cheeks colored. It didn’t take his empathic Talent to tell the blush sprung from a touch of embarrassment mixed with a deep affection.
“That you couldn’t, my Pet,” Kibum agreed. He didn’t see any particular value of debating the past as his Brother would undoubtedly be doing with his human Pet. Nothing they would say could change what had happened.
They sat in silence for several moments, simply watching one another before Donghae spoke, “I don’t want to leave.”
“Then don’t,” Kibum said simply. He understood complicated emotions and thoughts, but he also knew that people tend to make things more complicated then they needed to be. Centuries of playing with his Talent had taught him that things were best left simple. His life was interesting enough without him working to make it more so.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” Donghae whispered, his fingers lightly touching the vampire’s cheek. His words brought back the flashes of memories of what had been done and he systematically shut them away like unwanted emotions. He was well used to ignoring that which didn’t merit his attention, there was no way to have a Talent like his and not be able to do so. It made him thankful that he was the one that had been taken. Undoubtedly anyone else in the seethe would still be acting like a wounded animal for several centuries to come.
It wasn’t as thought Kibum didn’t care, he did, but he couldn’t be bothered to let it worry him any more than it already had. To do so would let Seungri win and he had no plans to do that. That particular vampire didn’t deserve the immortality that memories could bring.
“I’m not,” he replied. He truly wasn’t, however it was amusing to see the look of horror on Donghae’s face. “Without what happened we would not be here as we are now,” he explained gently.
That seemed to sooth the human and Donghae smiled. “Do you think,” the human started hesitantly, “that we could try something without you controlling my emotions?” The embarrassment was back full force in the human along with a heavy dose of excitement.
“Of course,” Kibum replied. He was willing to try just about anything the human could think up.
Donghae nibbled at his lip in indication and then said, “Kiss me.”
Of all the things he had expected the human to request, that hadn’t really been one of them. True that they had never touched without Kibum extending a measure of calm over the human, but he had never thought Donghae would be able to tell in most circumstances.
“It would be my pleasure,” he purred, leaning forward slowly. His lips brushed against the human’s and Donghae held tense for a second before relaxing against his touch with a sigh. There had been no fear at all at the contact, just simple pleasant warmth.
The vampire smiled into the kiss and couldn’t help the small spill over of joy that even Donghae could probably feel. He would contentedly kiss the human all night if that was what he wanted. As Donghae melted into the kiss, Kibum’s fingers rose and lightly traced the curling black tattoo on the right side of the man’s neck.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
If there was one thing that Heechul hated about being Master of a seethe it was this. The vampires that lived with him were amusing enough and well behaved that he hardly cared what they did. The others living in his territory seemed to go out of their way to please him, which he preferred. The vampires that were outside of his reign however, seemed focused on doing nothing more than getting under his skin to see how far they could push him. It irritated his already short fuse, especially when he was forced to give one of the other Masters’ vampires an audience.
Admittedly the fur beneath his right hand as well as the mind that found amusement in his irritation made the process somewhat more bearable, even if it was only a bit. It was still strange to have Taemin sitting in a seat all his own, as one of Heechul’s Children and having Hankyung beside him instead. The witch, just as stubborn as he was, had refused to appear any other way than in his feline form, and Heechul had given up on arguing his point. Given up, however, might not have been the proper word. The fact that nearly everyone in the supernatural world recognized the unnaturally large cat and what it meant had contributed to his relenting. He took great pleasure in playing with their mind.
“My Master sends his regrets but his is allowed to do what he wishes in his own territory,” the vampire said, a smile twisting the corner of its mouth. This one was so certain that Heechul could do nothing against it or chance starting a war that was nearly openly opposing him.
“Your Master,” Heechul said dryly, “is a moron.” He really needed to find some more colorful insults, it was on the top of his new ‘to do’ lists.
“I take insult to that,” the vampire snapped. Of course he did. “You have no right to say such things. My Master could take what he wants instead of asking for it politely.”
“You should probably watch your mouth before something happens to it and you,” Heechul said, bored. It was difficult not to lounge in his large throne, but he wanted to look at least a bit interested.
“You and your Pet,” the man grinned, casting a glance in Hankyung’s direction, “can do nothing against me. You know that as well as I do.”
The vampire was correct, Heechul could do nothing without great risk, however the rest of his statement implied one very large fact that wasn’t quite true. He narrowed his eyes and let his disgust for the creature before him show on his face in the form of a twisted smirk. “Too bad for you that no one could possibly own the Death Bringer.”
Hankyung was amused and just this once agreed to do exactly as Heechul wished. The large black cat rose gracefully from his seated position and began padding silently down the stairs. Heechul immediately missed the feeling of fur beneath his fingers, but it was worth it for the dawning look of horror on the younger vampire’s face.
‘You need a hobby,’ Hankyung murmured in his mind.
‘I have one,’ Heechul replied, taking great pleasure in the sight of his mate moving like the deadly beauty he was. Hankyung could feel it he knew, he didn’t really bother to hide anything from the witch anymore.
‘You need a new one that doesn’t involve watching my ass or intimidating people,’ Hankyung commented dryly.
“This is your last warning!” the vampire, a guest in his hall, said sharply. “Call off your Pet!”
‘I’ve never been much good at working with my hands,’ Heechul replied, providing Hankyung with an image of exactly what his hands had been doing that morning.
“You’ll start a war!” the vampire hissed, backing up as Hankyung approached. It was never a good idea to back away from a predator, but Heechul could tell that this one wouldn’t even be much of a challenge.
‘Should we show this one what happened to the last vampire that tried to start a war with us?’ Hankyung asked, his tail twitching.
‘Yes, let’s,’ Heechul replied, his smirk widening as he finally gave into the impulse to lounge in his chair. The last thing the vampire ever saw was a motion that looked suspiciously like the large cat, known as Death Bringer, rolling its eyes.
Masterlist
AN: And so this comes to an end. I'm somewhat sad to see it end as I have loved this little universe. I already am feeling the urge to write in it again so I highly doubt that this will be it.... However I am hoping that my next large project will be something that some of you have been waiting for a very long time for. Here is hopping that the muses will fully cooperate with me on that. I hope everyone enjoyed the end of this story!
Chapter Seventeen
She was incredibly glad that she had decided to remain out on the balcony instead of heading inside with Henry when the others had shown up. The sight of Ryeowook covered in blood and laying weakly in Yesung’s arms as he had climbed the building to the balcony had been enough to turn her stomach. She didn’t think she would have been able to handle it if she had Henry’s Gift, not even knowing that those wounds would soon be closed.
Her own Gift would have helped them to have two healers instead of one, but it wasn’t as though there was a long line waiting for Henry’s hands to work on them. Most of the people that would have any sort of hurt were supernatural enough that anything Henry could heal, their own bodies could just as well. Perhaps it made her a coward but she would much rather hold onto the Gift that allowed her to assume any animal shape she chose for just a bit longer.
Staying out on the balcony had also allowed her the opportunity to watch for Siwon. She couldn’t bring herself to even entertain the idea that he could have died, he was simply too strong and graceful to do so. Besides, she had heard that every wolf pack sang when one of their own died and she had heard no such song this evening. That left her waiting and wondering, leaning against the railing of the balcony and debating whether or not she should expand the energy to allow her eyes to see in the dark.
Jessica had nearly decided on using a variation of a finding spell when a dark blur barreled up and over the edge of the balcony just beside her, startling her backwards. She stumbled a single step before the blur was on her, knocking her backwards and causing her head to smack painfully against the solid flooring. A furred body that smelled horribly like blood and death settled on her body, fully covering her and not allowing movement. Golden eyes that she knew stared down at her and a tongue that had likely touched things she didn’t want to think about, swept out to slide over her cheek.
Strangely enough she was more disgusted then she was afraid of the massive wolf pressed against her body. “Siwon,” she whined, shoving at his immobile bulk. “You are crushing me.” It wasn’t entirely true, since the wolf seemed to be keeping the majority of his weight off her, but she hoped it would make him move. It didn’t.
His body seemed to shift at her words, but not in any fashion of moving away. Instead it seemed to shrink in size as fur began to disappear beneath her fingers. It was strange enough to watch a transformation of a werewolf, but even worse to feel him shift against her body. The change, leaving the fresh new skin raw and sensitive, was never painless for the wolf and she was surprised that he made no move to shift off of her.
When he was finished and pressing possibly more weight into her body than he had been before, his golden eyes were still staring at her with a hunger that really should have frightened her. “Jessica,” he growled, shifting slightly.
“Siwon,” she returned, sliding hands over his upper body knowing that it was likely painful for him but not caring. She had been more worried then she had thought about his condition this night. The thought of him having died had scared her more than she would have liked to admit, even to herself, and she curled her hands against his skin glad to be touching him.
A growl rumbled through his chest and she felt the vibrations against her own body. His Beast was likely very in control of him at the moment, and oddly enough she wasn’t frightened of it. It cared for her, she realized, as much as she cared for it. His head ducked, nudging at her chin and encouraging her to tip her head back in submission. She did so willingly, trying not to shiver at the heated fingers that had found their way beneath her shirt and were slowly caressing her stomach. The Beast was thrilled at her submission and rumbled his approval as he lifted himself slightly giving himself more room to work.
“As much as I really don’t mind this or you,” she said softly, sliding her hands down his bare muscular back. “You should probably give Siwon back control of his body. If we do something he will never forgive himself and neither one of us want to live with his guilt.”
“You are mine Bitch,” the voice rumbled sounding darker and more animalistic then his normal one. Teeth nipped at her neck not hard enough to draw blood but enough that she could feel it. It thrilled her, a response that startled her likely as much as it did him. He chuckled lightly and repeated the action. “You desire me, I can smell it.”
“I do,” she agreed, “I desire both of you.”
“Convince him of that,” it was a snarled order if she had ever heard one and his hand drifted low on her stomach before pausing and sliding around to the small of her back.
The mouth on her neck gentled until it was a soft press of lips instead of teeth and she found that it thrilled her just as much as the rougher version had. “Jessica,” he murmured again, gentler this time and with something akin to wonder in his voice. Then his head was lifting and he was staring at her with eyes flecked through with gold.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, sliding his hands from her skin leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
“I’m not,” she countered, and then to prove her point she called upon a portion of her current Gift and allowed her fingernails to lengthen into feline claws that she dragged lightly down his back. His eyes flashed brightly as he trembled panting over her, his weight supported on his hands to either side of her body.
“He would hurt you,” Siwon hissed. “I would never live with myself if I let him hurt you.”
“I want you,” she insisted. “Both of you.”
“Jessica,” he said firmly, rocking his weight back onto his knees so that he could grip her arms and hold them still. “He would not take you gently. You’re first time should be sweet and make pleasure sing through your body, not make you cry and bleed.”
She sighed and let her eyes drift over his body, not resisting his stilling hold despite how much she wanted to. “You’re poetic and old fashioned,” she murmured. “Who is to say that I haven’t had my first time already?”
He growled, his eyes flashing brightly with anger. “Jessica,” he warned.
“Not that I have,” she corrected quickly, “You just shouldn’t assume.”
“You test us,” Siwon growled, then sighed. “What am I going to do with you?” he murmured, his voice softening back to his sweeter tones.
“You could just claim me and get it over with,” she suggested with a shrug. He was going to argue again she knew, so she continued. “I mean you are already naked, that is half the battle.”
His checks flushed as if he had only just realized the fact that he was naked and that his position gave her the perfect view of any part of his front she would like to look at. Quickly he shifted forward, blocking her view of his body by pressing his chest to hers. It quite possibly had the exact opposite effect of what he was trying to do because he groaned lightly at the contact.
“Jessica, you make this very difficult,” he murmured.
She wiggled her fingers against the skin that she could reach. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“You will be my wife before I take you to bed,” he said firmly, in a way that told her he would not budge on that point.
“Did you just ask me to marry you? That was entirely unimpressive if you did and I think my answer might have to be no,” she teased lightly.
His eyes danced with humor. “I’m glad you are alright.”
“Me too,” she agreed, then she tapped him lightly with a finger. “But if you don’t stop crushing me I will probably have bruises.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized instantly lifting himself from her and abruptly turning his body away.
She was treated to a view of his chiseled backside and she whistled appreciatively more to embarrass him then anything. “Should I magic some clothing for you?” she teased.
“That would be very much appreciated if you can,” he agreed.
Jessica thought she probably could, but she had no idea how to do it. So instead she opened the sliding glass door of the small room attached the balcony and tore down the pristine white curtain hanging there.
“You are out of luck. I am out of magic for the night, so you get a curtain,” she said lightly, draping the fabric over his shoulders. He pulled it around himself and turned to face her. “For a werewolf you are very body shy.”
“For a woman you are very forward,” he returned with a smile.
“You’re practically my mate. We have been through enough.” Life or death battles tended to change a person’s perspective on things, she reasoned.
“Not yet officially,” he murmured, tipping her head up with a gentle touch.
She sighed, leaning into his body and loving the security she found there. When her lips touched his, it was in a gentle caress that spoke of desire and more love then she would ever know what to do with.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
Anyone who thought that werewolves were incapable of killing a human much like wild animals, were sadly mistaken. Worse than wild animals, werewolves tended to take joy in the hunt of humans as well as the kill. It wasn’t often that a werewolf killed something and didn’t eat it, a thought that was simply revolting to him.
Onew had researched the species enough that he felt he knew enough about them to say that their behavior was strange. Vampire or not, a typical werewolf would be tempted to eat the remaining pieces of the creatures that they brought down, not carry them and deposit them in a neat pile under the watchful eye of their Alpha.
To the right, a white wolf licked at the Alpha’s muzzle, a gesture that looked affectionate to his untrained eye even if the Alpha didn’t seem to particularly notice. To the Alpha’s left lay a black cat with a paw over his nose. Another wolf lay beside him, head resting on the cat’s back, watching the process with intelligent eyes.
One by one the wolves stopped sneaking back into the surrounding area to bring remains back to the growing pile and instead joined their Alpha. It took longer than he would have liked for the last wolf to settle with the pack and for the Alpha to give him a slight nod. Onew’s fingers found the small charm in the shape of a flame and muttered, “Fire.”
He watched with a growing weariness as magical fire consumed the remains of the creatures they had faced that evening. Onew was troubled by the idea that these creatures had been human only a short time ago, some of them less than a day ago and they had been able to nothing about it. Perhaps with the burning of their bodies they could find rest at last.
Once the entire pile had caught flame, the wolves began to leave one by one beginning with the snow white one until only the Alpha was visible in the flickering light of the flame. The wolf looked across the fire at him and he caught its eyes without looking away. He knew of the dominance games but he also knew that he couldn’t afford to submit, not with what he now was. Minho was a comforting presence at his back, giving him courage to stare right back when he may have otherwise looked away.
A moment later the wolf’s mouth split in the lupine version of a grin and it inclined its head in a strange version of a nod. Then, without breaking the eye contact, it rose and slowly moved backwards until the night swallowed it and its glowing yellow eyes. When they were gone, Onew sighed, relieved that at least they wouldn’t have to worry about a fight between the already tense groups as the pack had likely gone home.
Minho’s hand caught his elbow gently, tugging him towards the seethe, towards his home. A part of him wanted to stay until the fire had run its course, but he knew the spell would consume only what it had been summoned to do and then extinguish itself immediately after that. There was no real reason to remain behind. He let the vampire lead him from the fire, thankful for the strength of Minho beside him while he himself felt so incredibly weak.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
Firelight highlighted Key’s face and Jonghyun thought it was a bit silly that he found it so beautiful. The teen watched the flickering flames down below that consumed the last of their enemies but Jonghyun found himself watching only the witch.
“Stop it,” Key grumbled, not looking towards him but clearly addressing him.
“Stop what?” he asked, grinning.
“Staring at me. It’s creepy and makes me want to do something painful to you.”
“It’s a good thing I have the sword then isn’t it?” Jonghyun quipped.
Key snorted. “Like I couldn’t take it from you if I wanted to.”
“You probably could,” he agreed, fingering the small charm necklace Key had given him.
The movement drew Key’s eyes at last and they narrowed. “You can give that back now,” it was more of a demand then an offer.
Jonghyun found that in no way did he want to do so. “I don’t think I will. I kind of like it.”
“Whatever,” Key muttered, clearly not wanting to show a reaction to it as he looked back towards the fire.
“Hey Kibum,” Jonghyun said softly, aware of just how touchy a subject he was about to touch on. “Do you see us ever being together again?”
There was a long moment during which he thought that perhaps Key wouldn’t answer at all. It would serve him right, after all he knew how sensitive Key was to anything even remotely personal. To his surprise the corners of Key’s mouth turned up before he answered, “That depends on if you can ever find enough balls to ask me on a date.”
Jonghyun was stunned into silence and was certain he was gaping like a fish. Of all the answers he thought Key would give, that hadn’t even been on the remarkably long list. “Kim Kibum,” he said, finding his voice before Key could change his mind. “Would you like to go out on a date with me?”
“When?” Key shot back immediately.
“This Friday?”
“Try again,” Key snapped with almost a teasing air.
“I would like to take you out to dinner on Friday and then to a movie of your choice,” Jonghyun said, trying to sound like he had put a lot of thought into the possible evening.
“Fine, but you are paying and keeping your hands to yourself unless otherwise invited,” Key said firmly.
“Of course,” Jonghyun agreed, it was more than he could hope for.
“You can pick me up at five. You had better impress me with your choice of car,” Key declared, likely knowing about the vast variety that Heechul kept beneath the seethe.
“I’ll be there,” Jonghyun promised.
“If you are late, this whole thing ends,” Key warned and Jonghyun nodded. He was surprised that Key was willing to trust him for a second time, not that he thought for a moment that he wouldn’t have to fight for that trust, but for the young man who did not trust easily or ever again once it was broken, this was quite the miracle.
“I understand,” he murmured, acknowledging what it was that Key was giving him, a second chance. Key said nothing in response, staring instead out at the flickering light of the flames. Jonghyun joined him in watching and tried to keep his eyes on the fire and off the young witch. He had a long way to go he knew, but he was willing to take every step that would be necessary to get there.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
Minho had, thankfully, waited until they were back in the security of his room to begin quickly and efficiently stripping Onew out of his clothing. If it had been any other time Onew would have possibly been turned on by the hands that were ridding him of the barrier of fabric, but as it was he couldn’t do more than grunt as his jeans tore beneath the instant tug. Fingers that were chilled but still tender in the ministrations ran over his skin checking for damage.
Most of the blood on his skin wasn’t his own, or at least not as far as he knew. The few gashes that he had maintained had stopped oozing blood shortly after he had gained them, something he chalked up to the difference in his abilities. Onew’s eyes sagged closed as he let Minho do what he would. The touch of the vampire was somehow soothing on his weary body and he felt the exhaustion from the amount of magic and physical ability he had used that evening setting it.
The touch of a tongue on his thigh made his eyes fly open faster than anything else could have. Minho was on his knees carefully lapping at a small cut he had gotten early in the battle. When he had finished with that one, he moved to a deeper gash on Onew’s opposite hip. Logically, Onew knew that Minho was using the properties in his saliva to close and speed the healing process for the wounds, his body however, had a drastically different idea of what was occurring.
He knew he had been foolish to think that he could innocently experience the touch of Minho against his body, especially as the vampire moved to his right hand and slowly began sucking every finger into his mouth to clean them.
“Minho,” Onew hissed, eyes fluttering half closed at the sensation. It would have been impossible for Minho to miss the effect that he had on the witch since he was still kneeling before him. A sultry look that Onew hadn’t seen the likes of in years told him that Minho knew exactly what he was doing.
“Tease,” he muttered as Minho switched to the other hand and gave it the same treatment.
By the time Minho had made it up to his neck where he was doing more teasing then actually cleaning, Onew knew he had to have a different motivation for his actions. The talented tongue flicked out to curl teasingly around the shell of his ear as the Minho he had known loved to do. The teasing touches had been Minho’s favorite thing, a game of sorts to see how undone he could get Onew. A game that the vampire hadn’t yet indulged in for some greater fear that he refused to share. Now his actions made Onew tremble and clutch at his body, trying to pull the vampire closer.
“Minho,” he moaned, shifting as close to the vampire as he could get with the vampire’s remaining barrier of clothing between them. “Please.”
The vampire’s breath was oddly warm against his ear but the sharp fangs that pricked the lobe lightly reminded him exactly what was pressed against him. His brain, the odd thing that it was, wondered idly if Minho could pierce his ear like that before a hand slid down his back and closed over his buttocks firmly, pulling his hips closer.
“I love you Jinki.” The whispered words were so faint at first that he thought he hadn’t heard them.
“Say it again,” he whispered, freezing in anticipation.
“I love you,” Minho’s voice said again, louder this time and with more of the tones he remembered in it.
“You’re back,” Onew breathed, his hands coming up to catch at the back of Minho’s neck and shifting so he could look in his eyes. For the first time he felt as though his lover was truly there again, changed but still undeniably the man he had been.
Minho smiled at him, a look that conveyed desire and love in one and didn’t seem at all out of place on the face that wore it. “Jinki,” he purred, the syllabus rolling of his tongue like honey. There was pride there too, Onew decided. Minho was proud of what he was capable of.
“Make love with me?” Onew asked, sliding his fingers through the short hair at the back of Minho’s neck. He felt corny as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but Minho didn’t seem to mind.
“My pleasure,” Minho growled, pulling him impossibly closer and fitting their mouths together. The kiss held all of the passion that Onew thought he would never feel again and he happily died in it, only to have Minho put him back together again.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
He could feel it before he awoke, the trembles running through his muscles like a junkie craving his next fix. He had felt it once before and survived it then, only just. He wouldn’t be able to survive that again.
“You son of a bitch!” he snarled, exploding into wakefulness. Anger was better than the craving, the need, and he pulled it around him like a tight cloak. “You had no right!” His hands found the vampire that he knew would be there, wrapping tight around the column of his throat and pushing him back into the mattress.
The moment he touched the vampire he felt the sharp pang of the craving, the need, more powerful than he had ever felt before. He jerked his hand back as if he had been burned, backpedaling until he was pressed against the headboard of the bed a trembling mess. If he had thought it would have helped he would have shifted into an animal and hidden in its instincts. There was nothing that would keep him from sensing what he craved, certainly not with sharper senses then his own.
“It doesn’t become you to be like this,” the voice said softly. He could feel the hand reaching out for him and he batted it away before it could make contact allowing him to feel the blood pulsing beneath the skin. Damn Heechul and his desire to appear human. “Hangeng,” the vampire pleaded, “you need to drink.”
“No!” he exclaimed sharply while his entire being said yes. He couldn’t resist it, would never be able to again. This had always been the danger of associating with the Master vampire, but Heechul had been different enough to intrigue him. His curiosity had snagged him once again in a web that he could never escape and he would rather die than be there again.
The spell was supposed to have killed him, but Heechul, who already knew too much about magic, had prevented that. His last Master, although not for lack of trying, hadn’t been able to pull the same magic from within him. He didn’t have the Talent that Heechul did, nor the knowledge. Hankyung had been a destructive force in the hands of his former Master, one that had destroyed entire cities singlehandedly, it terrified him what Heechul would be able to do with his power.
He would not be a slave again. He would not sit trapped in his own mind as a Master commanded his magic from him, bid him to do horrible things or face the pain of the cravings. He would rather die, had planned to die. He still planned to die.
His weapons had been removed, of that he had no doubt. Heechul would never allow him something that destructive, but he couldn’t simply remove his magic. Years of spell casting had taught Hankyung the skills he needed to perform spells silently and instantly. Magic could be bent to his will in a moment and he reached for it now, called for the magic to end his life.
Suddenly he couldn’t feel his magic; it was as if a wall had been placed in his mind between his thoughts and the deep well that was his own power. The wall tasted of Heechul and he released an anguished cry knowing it was already too late. Heechul’s Talent would allow him to do what his former Master had not been able to do. This Master would be able to reach into his mind and steal control completely from him since through the bond of their blood he would be completely defenseless against it.
“Please,” Heechul pleaded both within his mind and without. “Please just listen then you will be free to decide.”
He didn’t have a choice, couldn’t have a choice with the vampire so deep within his mind and there was nothing he could do against the images. Emotions and thoughts poured into his mind, memories that were not his own and pictures of the possible future. Centuries of information was dumped in a matter of minutes and it left him gasping in the wake of it. He felt the desperation of Heechul to make him see, and the fear that it wouldn’t be enough.
In moments it was over, leaving him shaking harder from the onslaught then he had been. As promised he felt the hold on his magic slide away until the vampire was no longer touching it leaving him free to do with it what he wanted.
“Why do you want me so badly?” he hissed.
“You know,” Heechul said shakily, “I showed you.”
“Say it,” Hankyung commanded, his eyes opening and focusing intently on the vampire sitting in front of him.
“There will come a time that I will lose my mind,” Heechul said softly, “and when that time comes I need you to be here to kill me.”
Hankyung laughed bitterly. Heechul was delusional if he thought that would work. “You forget something Master,” he spat. “You will be so intertwined in my mind that you could easily keep me from killing you.”
“But I couldn’t keep you from killing yourself. I would get crazy and careless. When you die, so will I.”
“You have things confused,” Hankyung hissed. “It is the witch that will die without the blood.”
“No,” Heechul murmured reaching out to brush fingers against his neck, a touch which Hankyung allowed. “The witch can survive, you are proof of that. Having a witch changes us, changes what we need. No vampire can live without it once it is theirs.”
Hankyung inhaled sharply. He had killed his former Master by a work of magic that he had spent years attempting to perfect, a spell that shouldn’t have worked but had. The moment he had been free he had ran as fast as he could in the other direction. That wouldn’t be possible again, not this time.
“You want this or you wouldn’t still be thinking about it,” Heechul murmured.
“Of course I do,” Hankyung snapped. “Your blood is like a drug to me. I’m an addict who was just waiting for the next taste.”
“I can remind you what that is like again,” Heechul whispered and Hankyung instantly knew that he wasn’t referring to the drinking of blood.
Unbidden images rose in his mind of a time long forgotten, a time when magic was a wonder to him and not a destructive force used for killing. He saw himself playing with the wind, learning how the magic of the world all fit together and flowed in patterns, patterns that he had later torn apart. He longed for that feeling again, the one that he had lost. It was a promise too good to resist.
“I will kill you,” Hankyung hissed. He didn’t know if he could at this moment, or even in the next week or year, but he would be the one who killed this vampire. It was a promise that he would not allow himself to break.
“I expect no less, Death Bringer,” Heechul responded with satisfaction in his voice.
Of course Heechul would see when he made up his mind. The vampire was a part of him now, never truly able to be separated. He laughed, more at himself and his own helplessness than anything. If he truly thought about it, his choice had been made long ago the very moment he had stepped into the seethe and laid eyes on Heechul.
“You always knew it would get to this point. Didn’t you?”
Heechul’s lips curled up in a satisfied smirk. “I always get my way.”
“I will not be a Pet,” Hankyung cautioned fiercely. If that was Heechul’s plan for him he would kill them both now.
“Who can tame Death?” Heechul asked, inclining his head in invitation. After resisting so long, Hankyung could no longer. He sprang at the vampire, pressing him back into the mattress. In his mouth his teeth shifted into the sharpened canines of his feline form, perfect for piercing flesh. Without further hesitation he sank them into the side of Heechul’s neck and moaned in pleasure as the rich blood hit his senses.
‘I will kill you,’ Hankyung reiterated, thinking the words to Heechul knowing that the vampire could hear him.
‘I expect no less,’ Heechul purred, tugging the witch closer and sinking his fangs into the side of Hankyung’s neck in a mirror of the witch’s actions.
‘Foolish vampire,’ Hankyung laughed into their joined minds, finding mirth in their situation. ‘You would think you would have chosen more wisely for your mate.’
‘I have never been conventional,’ Heechul replied with a mental smirk. Hankyung had to agree with that, the Master vampire had always been and probably would always be anything but unoriginal.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
It was impossible for a vampire to feel blessed. The very idea of it was a contradiction to what most thought they were, not that he really bought into the idea that vampires were soulless creatures. He could hardly remember his humanity but he didn’t feel as though he had lost anything, simply gained so much. Still, if he had to explain it someone, the only way he could, would be to say that he was feeling very blessed.
On the bed, stretched out beside him, was his Pet with his chest rising and falling in life. The man’s heartbeat was strong and regular to his ears, convincing him of the human’s continued existence. He didn’t know how that could be, he had taken far too much blood for the human to have survived, but he wasn’t going to question it. Perhaps the witch had been more powerful than he had thought.
His fingers reached out and brushed across the human’s cheek, his touch tender. Hunger still ached within him and likely would for the next few days, but it was easier to ignore now. The combination of blood from his Pet and his Brother had given his body the strength to flake off the skin that had been damaged by sun exposure, but he didn’t yet have the strength to do much else.
The human beside him stirred his breathing changing from the deep even rhythm of sleep into a lighter more active one. Before the vampire could think to move from the sight of the human, his eyes were opening and focusing right on him. “Kibum,” the human breathed, his voice holding wonder that the vampire knew he didn’t deserve to hear.
“I’m sorry Donghae,” he whispered. “I needed to make certain you were truly alright. I will leave you in peace. You may leave when you wish and never need to return.” He kept his voice even as only years of practice could allow him and let none of his emotion show in it.
“Why?” the human asked, a flutter of confusion tinged with hurt flowing from him.
“I have taken too much from you already,” Kibum admitted quietly, using his own Talent to push his guilt away.
“Kibum, I came back for you,” Donghae said gently. His fingers settled warm on the new skin of Kibum’s arm. “You gave me my life back, so it is yours whenever you need it.” He could tell that the human really meant that, and he was touched by the admission of it.
“Donghae,” he murmured. “A vampire nearly killed you for the second time in your life. I nearly killed you.”
“I know,” the man’s smile was a beautiful thing to behold. “But this time I chose to give it.”
“I still frighten you,” Kibum reminded him gently.
He could feel the flux of emotions flowed through the human as he contemplated the statement. Slowly, Donghae shifted into an upright position on the bed. “Show me what you are,” he ordered softly.
Obediently Kibum released his tight hold on the animalistic side of himself. He felt his fangs lengthen into place and he opened his mouth so they could easily be seen. His eyes, he knew gleamed red in the low light of the room. They both waited for the deep seated fear to flare up in the human.
It never came.
There was a faint stirring of a caution tinged with the flavor of fear, but Donghae had no trouble pushing that down himself. “I’m not afraid of you anymore,” he whispered as if he was surprised to find this himself.
“Hm,” Kibum hummed. Then experimentally his shifted forward inhumanly fast and scraped his fangs against the skin of Donghae’s neck. The fear flared up brightly in the human but as soon as it came it began to die. For the first time in their relationship Kibum didn’t have to help Donghae find the calm that he could ground himself in.
“Kibum,” Donghae said, excited this time. “I’m not afraid of you anymore.”
“You are, little one,” Kibum purred, nibbling lightly on the soft skin. He was careful not to pierce the tender flesh with his sharp teeth since the human’s body could likely not stand being drunk from again so soon. “There are still tints of fear. I can taste them, but you are able to deal with it yourself for the time being.”
“You are the best therapist,” Donghae said with a laugh, his fingers dancing over Kibum’s fresh skin. It was a strange sensation to find the human leaning into the threat of his bite and it affected him more than he thought it would have.
“You were very foolish to come here for me,” Kibum purred, pulling away so he could watch the emotions flicker through the human’s eyes.
“Yeah well, I couldn’t let Ryeowook come alone,” he muttered as his cheeks colored. It didn’t take his empathic Talent to tell the blush sprung from a touch of embarrassment mixed with a deep affection.
“That you couldn’t, my Pet,” Kibum agreed. He didn’t see any particular value of debating the past as his Brother would undoubtedly be doing with his human Pet. Nothing they would say could change what had happened.
They sat in silence for several moments, simply watching one another before Donghae spoke, “I don’t want to leave.”
“Then don’t,” Kibum said simply. He understood complicated emotions and thoughts, but he also knew that people tend to make things more complicated then they needed to be. Centuries of playing with his Talent had taught him that things were best left simple. His life was interesting enough without him working to make it more so.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you,” Donghae whispered, his fingers lightly touching the vampire’s cheek. His words brought back the flashes of memories of what had been done and he systematically shut them away like unwanted emotions. He was well used to ignoring that which didn’t merit his attention, there was no way to have a Talent like his and not be able to do so. It made him thankful that he was the one that had been taken. Undoubtedly anyone else in the seethe would still be acting like a wounded animal for several centuries to come.
It wasn’t as thought Kibum didn’t care, he did, but he couldn’t be bothered to let it worry him any more than it already had. To do so would let Seungri win and he had no plans to do that. That particular vampire didn’t deserve the immortality that memories could bring.
“I’m not,” he replied. He truly wasn’t, however it was amusing to see the look of horror on Donghae’s face. “Without what happened we would not be here as we are now,” he explained gently.
That seemed to sooth the human and Donghae smiled. “Do you think,” the human started hesitantly, “that we could try something without you controlling my emotions?” The embarrassment was back full force in the human along with a heavy dose of excitement.
“Of course,” Kibum replied. He was willing to try just about anything the human could think up.
Donghae nibbled at his lip in indication and then said, “Kiss me.”
Of all the things he had expected the human to request, that hadn’t really been one of them. True that they had never touched without Kibum extending a measure of calm over the human, but he had never thought Donghae would be able to tell in most circumstances.
“It would be my pleasure,” he purred, leaning forward slowly. His lips brushed against the human’s and Donghae held tense for a second before relaxing against his touch with a sigh. There had been no fear at all at the contact, just simple pleasant warmth.
The vampire smiled into the kiss and couldn’t help the small spill over of joy that even Donghae could probably feel. He would contentedly kiss the human all night if that was what he wanted. As Donghae melted into the kiss, Kibum’s fingers rose and lightly traced the curling black tattoo on the right side of the man’s neck.
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
If there was one thing that Heechul hated about being Master of a seethe it was this. The vampires that lived with him were amusing enough and well behaved that he hardly cared what they did. The others living in his territory seemed to go out of their way to please him, which he preferred. The vampires that were outside of his reign however, seemed focused on doing nothing more than getting under his skin to see how far they could push him. It irritated his already short fuse, especially when he was forced to give one of the other Masters’ vampires an audience.
Admittedly the fur beneath his right hand as well as the mind that found amusement in his irritation made the process somewhat more bearable, even if it was only a bit. It was still strange to have Taemin sitting in a seat all his own, as one of Heechul’s Children and having Hankyung beside him instead. The witch, just as stubborn as he was, had refused to appear any other way than in his feline form, and Heechul had given up on arguing his point. Given up, however, might not have been the proper word. The fact that nearly everyone in the supernatural world recognized the unnaturally large cat and what it meant had contributed to his relenting. He took great pleasure in playing with their mind.
“My Master sends his regrets but his is allowed to do what he wishes in his own territory,” the vampire said, a smile twisting the corner of its mouth. This one was so certain that Heechul could do nothing against it or chance starting a war that was nearly openly opposing him.
“Your Master,” Heechul said dryly, “is a moron.” He really needed to find some more colorful insults, it was on the top of his new ‘to do’ lists.
“I take insult to that,” the vampire snapped. Of course he did. “You have no right to say such things. My Master could take what he wants instead of asking for it politely.”
“You should probably watch your mouth before something happens to it and you,” Heechul said, bored. It was difficult not to lounge in his large throne, but he wanted to look at least a bit interested.
“You and your Pet,” the man grinned, casting a glance in Hankyung’s direction, “can do nothing against me. You know that as well as I do.”
The vampire was correct, Heechul could do nothing without great risk, however the rest of his statement implied one very large fact that wasn’t quite true. He narrowed his eyes and let his disgust for the creature before him show on his face in the form of a twisted smirk. “Too bad for you that no one could possibly own the Death Bringer.”
Hankyung was amused and just this once agreed to do exactly as Heechul wished. The large black cat rose gracefully from his seated position and began padding silently down the stairs. Heechul immediately missed the feeling of fur beneath his fingers, but it was worth it for the dawning look of horror on the younger vampire’s face.
‘You need a hobby,’ Hankyung murmured in his mind.
‘I have one,’ Heechul replied, taking great pleasure in the sight of his mate moving like the deadly beauty he was. Hankyung could feel it he knew, he didn’t really bother to hide anything from the witch anymore.
‘You need a new one that doesn’t involve watching my ass or intimidating people,’ Hankyung commented dryly.
“This is your last warning!” the vampire, a guest in his hall, said sharply. “Call off your Pet!”
‘I’ve never been much good at working with my hands,’ Heechul replied, providing Hankyung with an image of exactly what his hands had been doing that morning.
“You’ll start a war!” the vampire hissed, backing up as Hankyung approached. It was never a good idea to back away from a predator, but Heechul could tell that this one wouldn’t even be much of a challenge.
‘Should we show this one what happened to the last vampire that tried to start a war with us?’ Hankyung asked, his tail twitching.
‘Yes, let’s,’ Heechul replied, his smirk widening as he finally gave into the impulse to lounge in his chair. The last thing the vampire ever saw was a motion that looked suspiciously like the large cat, known as Death Bringer, rolling its eyes.
Masterlist
AN: And so this comes to an end. I'm somewhat sad to see it end as I have loved this little universe. I already am feeling the urge to write in it again so I highly doubt that this will be it.... However I am hoping that my next large project will be something that some of you have been waiting for a very long time for. Here is hopping that the muses will fully cooperate with me on that. I hope everyone enjoyed the end of this story!