Flights of Hope

[be_ddelusionall]

Title: Flights of Hope
Pairing: Yoochun/Jaejoong, Changmin/Junsu, Junho/Yunho, Heechul/Leeteuk
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Even after so many years, Yoochun still doesn't have fangs and wings and that's because I do not own him. Or any of the others.

Summary: Peace and freedom are all they have ever wanted, and it all shatters when Jaejoong falls from the sky, a gaping wound that reminds Yoochun of hundreds of years ago when Avixiary were hunted and destroyed. This is part of the Flights world. Yes, you have to probably read that to understand this story.

Warning: bloodplay, bondage, master/sub

A/N: This is because Flights won on the poll of which JaeChun fic I should add more to. I'd written just some JaeChun, and then realized that a Flights revival would not be complete without some MinSu and HoHo. I will not be adding more to this, so please don't ask for a sequel to it.


Warning: bloodplay, bondage, master/sub

Yoochun felt the pull of the night to his bones, and he smiled over at his mate before pushing a bit faster and rising higher in the air. Jaejoong’s laughter followed him up and they spun together a few times, twisting bodies and wings in an intricate dance.

Azure sat low against the horizon. Its blue light deepened the shadows of the trees, but brightened the pale hue of Jaejoong’s spotted wings. Yoochun would never tire of admiring his mate’s wings in the glow of the moonlight.

The wind in their faces was cool, the barest touch of winter announcing its imminent arrival.

They flew on a well-explored trajectory around the tops of the forest that had become their home. There were many nights that Yoochun did not want to leave the bed, stay with his lover for a few rounds of delicious sex. But Jaejoong loved to fly. Even after three years of being an Avixiary, he took delight in their flight, his energy and soul soaring as much as his body, buffeted by the wind, pushed higher by his pale, spotted wings. He flew every night like it was his first flight. His enthusiasm was usually contagious and Yoochun felt five hundred years younger.

The last few years of his life had almost erased the previous decades of human control.

Changmin warned him almost weekly that the threat was still real. The humans were drafting treaties, but some of their demands still kept the Avixiary close to being controlled again, like reporting to a station every month so the humans could keep track of their numbers and locations.

Yoochun should have paid more attention to his warnings.

A noise broke through the wind of their flight. Pain blossomed along their link, through Jaejoong’s soul, and his scream started strong and then faded as he fell toward the treetops.

Jaejoong! Yoochun shouted and dove after him. He was so in tune with Jaejoong and his body that he felt the gaping hole in his mate’s side, blood flowing freely through the air.

The same noise broke the buffeting noise of his dive, and Yoochun stopped short in the air, feeling something just brush over his wings.

It was a moment that saved him from being shot, but Jaejoong was unconscious. And falling to his possible death.

Yoochun put all the speed he had into a steep dive that whipped the tears off his cheeks. He tried not to look at how close the treetops were and kept his focus on his mate. Almost too late, he managed to grab a wing, twist and pull up, barely keeping Jaejoong from tumbling into the trees. It was hard to get Jaejoong into his arms, and then it was even harder to land. He staggered on his feet, falling and jostling his poor mate.

He lowered Jaejoong to the ground and assessed the wound in his side. It was gaping enough to see ribs, and blood poured from it. He was still breathing, but barely, and his heartbeat was strong. Too quick, but strong. Yoochun waited a few seconds. The wound did not start to close. Listening carefully, he realized that the wound was sizzling. Like simmering water in a pot left too long on the stove.

With all of his mental might, Yoochun screamed, CHANGMIN! YUNHO!

Changmin’s consciousness felt of lust and greed, and Yoochun whimpered something that sounded like Jaejoong’s name. Out loud and mentally. Shot. He was shot. Changmin. Help.

Changmin was alert in a moment.

A twig snapped near him, and Yoochun spun around, standing over his fallen mate. With a bit of a shift, he put one eye in red vision.

Seven humans glowed back at him.

Humans, Yoochun said, panicked. They are surrounding me, fuck, Changmin.

We are moments away. Leeteuk is following.

Three deep breaths later, wingbeats filled the air and his hair was whipped through the wind. Changmin landed softly next to him, followed closely by Junsu, Junho and Yunho.

Yoochun let them all feel his gratitude for coming at his call. Junho fell to his knees to check on Jaejoong’s side. He cursed in his head and pulled his own shirt off to staunch the wound.

A voice from the trees rang out, “For your best interest, we suggest you come quietly. Do not resist.”

Changmin scoffed in Yoochun’s head. “For your best interest, I suggest you take your team of men and leave.”

There was no reply, but the red body-shapes images in his eye moved closer.

Changmin huffed in frustration.

This is not healing, Junho said. It’s like something is eating him from the inside.

Yoochun met Changmin’s eyes, knowing his own were wide with fear. Poison bullets. Like so many hundreds of years ago.

We’re here, Leeteuk said. There are seven humans surrounding you.

I do not think they know there are more of us yet, Changmin said. Molted, but they’re stupid. Did they forget that we have telepathy? Leeteuk, everyone, surround them, form a ring around them.

“Again,” Changmin said as soon as Leeteuk and the others were positioned, “for your best interest, I suggest you take your team of men and leave. You’re now surrounded by almost twenty Avixiary. We do not wish to harm you, but we will not stop if it means protecting those we love.”

What do we do? Junsu asked. Their guns aren’t electronic. They aren’t going to be affected by TechGrenades.

No, the gun won’t, Changmin returned, but everything else of theirs will be.

He tossed one to his mate and another to Yunho. Stay within the trees. Go East, my love. Yunho, go south.

Glad you added my name to that, because for a moment, I almost thought you were in love with me, Yunho said.

Changmin snorted.

Can’t really blame him, Junho said, voice layered with admiration.

Yunho pressed a kiss to Junho’s forehead and then jumped up and flew to the south.

Changmin and Junsu followed him, each going another direction.

Yoochun, Junho said, come and take his hand. He’s unconscious, but he’ll still be able to feel you. He needs your support to fight this. I can’t stop it from spreading.

Yoochun immediately dropped to his knees beside his mate. Junho’s shirt was soaked with blood, and Yoochun took off his own. He gripped Jaejoong’s hand and pushed mental support down their link. Junho was right. He felt Jaejoong calm, his heartbeat moved a bit slower.

You know what did this, Junho said.

Yoochun nodded. Hundreds of years ago, when they started killing off the female Avixiary, they used these weapons. They shot at everything that flew. The poison is never enough to actually kill one of us, Jaejoong will eventually fight it off and heal, but it was meant to knock us to the ground where we could be captured or killed. The poison weakens us and all of an Avixiary’s energy goes to fight it off.

Yunho is mostly a mess right now. His mind is full of scary images and too many memories for me to follow. This happened to Yunho, when the humans tried to take his wings?

Yes, but Yunho was strong enough to fight the poison off before they were expecting it and he managed to escape. Jaejoong is still young ... he’s not ...

Hey, you just said he’d fight it off.

Yoochun took a deep breath. He had to keep up his hope.

Changmin said, NOW! in their heads, and a moment later there were sizzling electronic explosions.

The humans shouted and one of them came just close enough to them that Junho jumped up and tackled him, hitting him hard on the back of the neck. Bones crunched. The others panicked and Changmin said not to kill those that surrendered.

Well, I was pretty hungry anyway, Junho said and attached his teeth to the human’s neck.

Shindong and Eunhyuk dragged a few others into the clearing.

Heechul kneeled next to Yoochun, wrapped an arm around him, and asked, Poison bullets?

Yoochun nodded. Yep. Again.

Within a few minutes, their small patch of trees was full of Avixiary and human. One of the injured humans whimpered in the noise, and Yoochun’s body flared with hunger. Junsu did not need to be told and brought him over.

Yoochun growled at him, ignored the human’s fear, and bit down on his neck. The blood tasted really good, helping restore his strength. He heard and felt Jaejoong whimper in his mind. He dropped the human, and with Junho’s help, positioned him close enough to Jaejoong’s fangs, that Yoochun was able to control his movements enough to get him to eat. The extra human blood would help him heal faster.

The human died and Yoochun tossed the body away with a grunt of satisfaction.

Yoochun, Leeteuk said in admonishment.

I don’t care. They shot Jaejoong.

Changmin had four of the humans surrounded by the rest of the Avixiary. They were all tied up and gagged except one whose mouth was free. Changmin asked question after question. The man did not talk.

“You know, I don’t really need anything more than your military numbers to find out the answers to my questions,” he said and walked away from them.

“What do we do?” Yunho asked. He had blood on his mouth. “Three of them are already dead. The human government is going to take this personally and blame us for it when they are the ones who shot Jaejoong.”

Changmin nodded. “Yes, but as of now, the government doesn’t know they’re missing. I’m actually expecting that the government doesn’t know they are even here. I need to contact Eric. Spread the word about this. Tell Avixiary not to fly alone. I need to find out their orders.”

“Do we kill them?” Eunhyuk asked and motioned to the four humans who were suddenly very eager to talk, but only to beg for their lives.

Changmin shut his eyes, head tilted back. A strip of moonlight painted his skin pale. He sighed. “No. We need to keep them alive. If we let them go, they’ll return with a report that we killed three of them. They will lie and say we ambushed them. The government will turn it against us. If we kill them, it will be even worse. We cannot afford that, not now.”

“We’ll make them disappear,” Leeteuk promised. “Get Jaejoong back to your stronghold. He needs rest.”

Changmin nodded. Let’s fly. Stay under the trees.

Junho helped Yoochun secure Jaejoong in his arms. It was a bit difficult to take flight with him unconscious, but he didn’t need much height, just enough to follow after Changmin and Junsu.

---

When they arrived at the bunker, Changmin cleared off his main table, and helped Yoochun settle Jaejoong on top of it. They removed the bloody shirts and then Junho went to work on cleaning and bandaging the wound as best as he could. It was wide, gaping, and something a human would not have survived. With painstaking care, Junho used a pair of tweezers to remove the bits of shrapnel. Changmin held an x-ray bar over the wound to make sure every piece of metal was removed.

The bullets were maddeningly effective. Changmin had studied them so many years ago. They were built to explode on impact, sending their poison internally as far into the body as possible.

As soon as Jaejoong was stable, Changmin went to his computer. He had a single phone that he used to contact Eric and Kangta when he needed to. His hands were shaking as he dialed their shared number.

Eric answered first. Kangta was only a moment behind. Their faces were grave.

“We were attacked,” Eric managed. “At random.”

Changmin swallowed roughly. “Not random. We were too.”

“Same here,” Kangta said. “Two were brought down, but there were enough in the sky to help them right away, and get away.”

“Same,” Eric said. “Their panic and alarm was enough to bring half our flock to them.”

“The humans?”

“Dead,” Eric said. “I didn’t try to stop them.”

Kangta heaved a sigh and said, “Same.”

“We have a few captives,” Changmin said. “Jaejoong was shot, but Yoochun managed to evade the bullets. It’s different this time though. The poison is spreading faster.”

“They aren’t healing quickly,” Kangta whispered.

“So what do we do?” Eric said.

“Give them as much fresh human blood as you can,” Changmin replied. “That helped Jaejoong. Make an announcement, flock wide, to everyone. No one flies alone. Fly in fours or fives. The humans here refused to say anything about their orders. I have their military numbers. I can hack into the system and find out. Before morning hopefully.”

With grim faces, they disconnected the call.

“There were more?” Yunho whispered.

Changmin glanced over at them. Yoochun lay right next to his mate, eyes shut. Shaking. Yunho sat next to him, his hand gripped tightly in Yoochun’s.

Junho frowned, focusing on the wound still. He was cleaning it the best he could. It had stopped gushing blood, but it was still open. The edges of the skin were not knitting together like a normal wound.

His own sweet darling mate was kneeling right by his feet, and Changmin tangled his hand in his hair. “There were four more, all across the country.”

“Good thing we have the smartest Avixiary here to figure out the why,” Junsu said.

Changmin turned back to his computer. “The why is simple. The why is because they still consider us threats and they are not actually taking our declaration of peace seriously. What I need to figure out is how to respond.”

He touched the screen to bring the computer to life. It was not hard to hack into the military system. He monitored it constantly, but there hadn’t even been a whisper of this on any of the sites he checked. Their army forces were focused more on keeping rebels at bay. Some had taken Changmin’s words to heart and formed militant groups. That wasn’t exactly what Changmin expected, but the army was too busy with them to even bother with the Avixiary any more.

Or so Changmin thought.

Within an hour, Changmin found exactly what he was looking for. He searched every military site he could for the word “poison.” There were many instances of it, but the place he finally discovered it was a top secret, encoded site for only the most senior of officials. Yes, it was all hidden and in code, but it was not a coincidence that all seven of the humans military numbers were involved in this operation.

Operation EAGER EAGLE.

The orders were in code, like the military expected him to hack into their system and then not be smart enough to figure it out. But it was also a smart idea, because if he exposed this, there was not even a mention of Avixiary.

The main order read this way: Operation EAGER EAGLE is top secret. The mission is to rid our world of unwanted pests in anyway possible. This is an extermination order.

It continued with details on the weapons best used for the pests and how there would be small groups of men sent out to fulfill the mission. Seven total groups had been deployed.

Changmin hoped the other four groups had not seen an Avixiary in the sky.

But the operation order had the preliminary locations all of the groups. That was good information. The men chosen were those of the elite. The order even detailed what weapons to use to bring down the pests. Right at the bottom, was the signature of the General.

As Changmin read, he realized that he did not need it to say Avixiary anywhere. He had enough proof.

Changmin leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head and shut his eyes.

Junsu had not moved from the floor, but now he did, sliding his hands up Changmin’s thighs and then climbing up into his lap. Changmin wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face at Junsu’s neck. It was so easy to bite, drink, love. He pushed all his worry away and pushed all his love and need at his mate.

Junsu hummed in submission and Changmin slid his hands to his ass.

It was just a moment. For only a moment.

Reluctantly, he pulled his fangs away and kissed at the rapidly healing marks. Healing as they should.

“What did you find out?” Yunho asked.

Changmin glanced at the other four. Yoochun still lay next to his mate, hand tracing patterns up his chest and shoulder. He was worried, but did his best to keep the negativity out of their bond and buoyed Jaejoong up with positive thoughts.

Yunho and Junho were curled up together on a couch. Yunho had blood on his neck.

“It’s a secret operation, ordered by the General. Not very many people know about it, definitely not the main government.” He told them all the details that he managed to find.

“What do we do?” Junho whispered.

Changmin shrugged. “Right now? We wait. I’m going to call Eric and Kangta again and warn them about the other four groups. And plan an announcement for the news.”

---

Junho felt the pull of the sun all the way to his wing bones. Yunho promised him that he’d soon get used to it, but soon to an Avixiary could mean decades. Junho was still living in human time, and three years of being an Avixiary seemed long enough to get used to the pull of the sun when he was awake during the day. He really wanted a nap of some kind

Yunho stood up, sensing his thoughts, and took his hand. “We’re going to go lay down,” Yunho said to Changmin. “Call us if you need anything.”

Changmin nodded from his desk, barely looking up from his computer. He’d been working on discovering the updated chemical makeup of the bullets for the last few hours.

They had time for a quick nap before Changmin planned on making his announcement.

Or maybe not a nap.

Yunho’s hand went around his waist and slid down toward his ass.

“Yunho,” Junho warned.

Yunho smiled. “I’m sorry. Do you not want me to touch you?”

Junho huffed. “Not now.”

They entered one of Changmin’s bedrooms, and Yunho pulled Junho back against the closed door. He slid his hands over Junho’s bare back and then ran his fingers through the soft down of Junho’s wings.

“You’re so sexy,” Yunho whispered.

Junho sighed and let himself be kissed. If he was honest with himself, he really could use the distraction. He tugged on Yunho’s shirt and walked backwards toward the bed. He sat roughly, pulling their lips apart. He lay back on the bed, arms above his head.

Yunho did not crawl after him, but sank to his knees. He unbuttoned Junho’s jeans and Junho just let him. He was too tired and emotional to be in charge of anything. He kept picturing Yunho on that table, Yunho with a gaping wound in his side that refused to heal, Yunho with his wings gone and bloody stumps at his shoulders.

I’m right here, Yunho assured him. Right here, where I belong. Next to you. Kneeling for you. Worshiping you.

His mouth closed around Junho’s cock and balls. He wasn’t hard, not really, but he did not stay soft for long while Yunho sucked at him. He so loved his mate on his knees. One hand went to his head and tangled in his hair with a quiet moan. His other went to the curve of his wing, brushing feathers through his fingertips.

Yunho kept his movements steady, a conscious stream of I am right here accompanying his ministrations.

Maybe they shouldn’t have been doing this. Maybe they should have stayed in the other room to give support to Yoochun.

Junho sighed and shut his eyes. He felt a little guilty for wanting his mate so badly when Yoochun’s mate was injured and still unconscious.

Yunho released his erection and kissed up his body.

Junho moaned at the prick of pain near his nipple. Another bite blossomed near his collarbone. And then another. Little bites that healed as Yunho licked them free of blood. A few moments later, Yunho was not able to stop his pleading whimpers, his needy whimpers. He let Junho feel how his ass was clenching, wanting to be filled. He let Junho feel how good his cock felt down Yunho’s throat.

Junho growled. They had enough time. He pulled Yunho up, tossed him up and over to the head of the bed, and then set about ripping his clothes off.

“Isn’t there rope somewhere in here?” Junho whispered with his mouth brushing over Yunho’s hip.

Yunho whimpered in agreement.

Junho grinned up at him and snagged complete control of his body. “Stay.”

Yunho whined in his head.

Junho ignored him and went to find the rope. While he was up, he finished taking his pants off. Yunho’s feeling flushed with lust, and Junho smiled. The rope was in a drawer, along with a bottle of lube, and a few sex toys. He took the lube and the rope, but left the toys. He’d much rather play with his mate with his hands.

Slowly, and letting Yunho have a tiny bit of control back, Junho made him put his hands up against the headboard. He only tied his wrists, as tight as he could. The marks on his arms would fade too soon. As soon as he was secure, he released the control he had on his mate.

Yunho hummed in submission, his hips rising. His cock was throbbing. Hard and leaking on his stomach.

Careful with his thoughts, Junho smiled and leaned over his chest. Sometimes he wasn’t able to hide his plans to play with his mate from Yunho. He was still learning to cut back the eagerness. To keep his ideas a surprise.

“That isn’t enough, is it?” Junho whispered.

Yunho groaned. “Please, master, please.”

“Well, since you begged.”

Junho leaned over him, mouth at his wrists below the rope. Yunho had no idea what he was doing, but when Junho sliced open his skin, blood flooding over his mouth and lips, Yunho’s body shook, almost with an orgasm. Enough to have him pulsing and pumping fluid all over his stomach.

Junho hummed in appreciation. He licked at the blood for another moment and then before the wound could start to heal, he pulled the rope down over it. The rope would keep it open, letting a small stream of blood drip down his arm.

Junho smiled. “If you’re good, I’ll do the other one.”

Yunho cursed.

Junho paused just a moment to lick up the stream of blood and then he moved his mouth to Yunho’s lips for a heavy kiss. His gorgeous mate had a bit of a violent streak to him, one that Junho had learned to embrace and to encourage. It was easy to add blood and pain to sex when there wasn’t really a danger of really hurting each other.

“I love you,” Junho said, against his lips.

Yunho smiled and love flared through the lust and greed. “I love you.”

“Now, a few minutes ago you let me know that your ass was clenching, begging to be filled.”

“Please, please!”

Junho smirked and pushed up, hands on Yunho’s chest. He rocked himself back onto Yunho’s erection, head tilted back, sighing in contentment. God, Yunho was amazing. He pulled on the ropes, crying out and lifting his ass up to thrust against Junho’s ass.

“Now, you’re getting it.”

Junho moved down his legs and dumped lube right on Yunho’s erection. He used both hands to twist and spread it, letting one cup his balls for a moment.

He felt Yunho’s orgasm and stopped it, pulling a frustrated cry from his mate.

Laughing, Junho moved back up to his mouth. “Want to feel my ass clench around your cock, baby?”

Yunho whimpered, eyes open wide. “Master, what ... wait ... why?”

Junho rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time he’d sat on Yunho’s dick, it just wasn’t what either of them prefered. But to drive his mate crazy with lust, it was perfect for right now.

Gripping Yunho’s cock by the base, He released his control of Yunho’s pleasure and positioned himself. He pushed back, moaning at the tight stretch of his body as Yunho entered him.

Yunho shuddered and gasped, head falling back between his arms. His hips lifted, pushing more of himself into Junho’s body.

Junho fell forward, hands on Yunho’s chest. HIs fingernails left bloody imprints in his skin that healed over almost before they started to bleed. He pulled up enough to have Yunho almost slip from him and then pushed back down. Another quick backward thrust and Yunho was coming, before he was even all the way inside Junho.

Junho chuckled. “Feel good? Show me how it feels.”

His entire body surged with the pleasure of being squeezed too tight, but also taken, forced, restrained. Junho moaned and with a heavy breath, finished sitting, forcing Yunho inside him the rest of the way. The uncomfortable pain pulsed with Yunho’s pleasure.

Junho sat still, keeping Yunho’s body still too and just enjoyed the feeling of clenching around something so wide and deep inside him. His feelings melted with Yunho’s, so he both felt his body clenching and felt the clenching.

It was amazing. Orgasmic.

With Yunho’s moans and whimpers escalating, Junho let them both come. A touch of his hand had him spraying his release all over Yunho’s chest, and he pulled Yunho’s orgasm from him almost forcefully.

Yunho screamed, and Junho so liked the sound of that, that he did it again, and then again, making Yunho come, making his body shake and tremor, three times before allowing him to sag back into the blankets, gasping for breath.

The blood on his arm flowed a bit stronger, and Junho leaned forward to lick it up, fucking himself on Yunho’s cock at the same time. He squelched in and out of Junho’s body, and Junho moaned. God, it felt good. He needed to bottom more.

He went back to his mouth and kissed his mate roughly. “Time for the other wrist?” he whispered, letting his fangs lengthen.

Yunho’s eyes rolled back and used their mental link to beg for more.

---

Changmin growled at the flare of sex and lust from down the hall.

Junsu chuckled. “They’re coping,” he said. “Calm down.”

Changmin shook his head and tightened his grip in Junsu’s hair. “Flightless ... arrogant wingless ...”

Junsu hummed in submission again, something he continued to do as Changmin worked. It kept him calm, kept his head clear.

“You’re so wonderful,” Changmin suddenly said, wanting a kiss.

Junsu smiled up at him and nodded. “I am. Keep working. We can kiss soon.”

Changmin glanced over to the table where Jaejoong still lay unconscious. Yoochun was asleep next to him. Mostly asleep. More in a light rest that he’d arise from as soon as he needed to.

The very edges of Jaejoong’s wound were finally healing. But it would take more nights and more blood to keep him steady. When the sun set, he’d ask Leeteuk to escort Minho here so Jaejoong could eat again.

“Are you ready for your announcement?” Junsu asked.

Changmin glanced first at a clock and then at a monitor that had eight smaller squares playing different morning shows on the human television. The hour-long news casts would start soon.

“I think I am. I’m not quite as angry as before. Which is good and bad. I won’t yell.” Changmin stood up, keeping his hand tangled in Junsu’s hair for a moment. Junsu moaned and pressed his face to Changmin’s crotch.

Love you, Junsu whispered.

Did you just say that to my dick?

Junsu smiled and looked up at him, licking his lips. Maybe.

Sighing, Changmin kept his hands in Junsu’s hair and let his mate tease him, let him mouth at his erection through his pants, and let Changmin feel just how much he wanted to be fucked over his desk. A small distraction, just for a moment.

Changmin released him and moved around his desk. He arranged a camera where he wanted it. He sent Eric and Kangta a message that he was starting his announcement.

The morning news had just started on six of the eight channels. The main headline was the rebel groups near downtown Seoul.

He resettled in his chair, and then hit a button that took over the airwaves. Immediately, someone tried to kick him out. The humans were getting better.

Changmin attempted to smile at the camera, seeing himself on all eight screens. He hit another button so he could see the news anchors that he had interrupted. Most of them were equal parts terrified, horrified, and curious.

“Good morning,” Changmin said, not having to fake the pain in his voice. He also didn’t try to stop his wings from flexing, stretching, and twitching. He’d been told more than once that his black wings were intimidating. “First off, let me apologize for interrupting your morning broadcast. It has been three years since I have felt the need.”

One of the anchors was daring enough to say, “You are Shim Changmin, correct?”

Changmin nodded. “Yes. I wish I could say that I am here to announce something good, but I bring bad news. As many of you know, we are working on treaties with your government. We agree with most of the stipulations, like not feeding on a human without their permission, and not attempting to actually own any land. We do not need to feed on unsuspecting humans since many of you are willing. We thank you for that. We also have no need to really own land. We live in the forests and in the trees. I said this three years ago and I will say it again. Most of you will never, ever see an Avixiary in your life except as a dark blur against the stars, especially those that live in major cities like Seoul and Busan. Please do not be afraid.”

“I can’t imagine this was the point of your broadcast,” the same anchor said.

“No.” Changmin took a deep breath. “Last night, as Azure was setting to the west, four Avixiary were shot out of the sky.”

He saw their shocked reactions, but did not let any of them talk.

“The weapons that were used were not one of your current weapons, but one that only Avixiary would recognize.” He took the camera and pointed it at the gun. “It is primitive compared to your sleek machine guns now. But its effects are the same, even worse, than a few hundred years ago when Avixiary were first shot out of the sky to be killed or captured.” He held out a bullet, round with a green sheen to it. “This bullet is full of a benzene-based poison that explodes on contact, filling the body with shrapnel and poison that attempts to eat away at the blood and skin. To a human, it’s a deadly shot. To an Avixiary, it’s devastating, but not fatal.”

Changmin picked up the camera again and got up. “The next thing I show you is not going to be pretty and you may want to avert your eyes.” As soon as the camera focused on Jaejoong and his open wound, there were disgusted noises and shouts from the news crews.

“Avixiary heal very quickly. A wound like this, made with a normal bullet, would heal within a day or so, but the poison is eating away at him and keeping the wound from closing. He is lucky that he has at least stopped bleeding. And Jaejoong was very lucky that his mate was next to him in the air. Yoochun was able to keep him from falling to his death amongst the trees, and when the squad of humans surrounded them, the other Avixiary in the area were able to come and support them and keep them from being killed.”

Changmin went silent for a moment, keeping the camera on Jaejoong and Yoochun for another few moments.

“The government has said that no Avixiary is to be harmed by humans,” one of the news anchors said. “Some say the punishment for doing so is not severe enough, but it is a crime.”

Changmin finally moved back to his computers. “Yes, I know that. It is part of the treaty we are working on. But your military feels that it is above the laws set by your government.” He tapped a few keys and a decoded copy of Operation EAGER EAGLE appeared on the screen.

“These are the top secret government orders, directly from the General to a few elite squads of soldiers. They were sent to kill us. I will send this document to all of your newsrooms so you may read it at your leisure. It calls us pests. Its sole goal is extermination. We implore the General to rescind these orders at once. Four Avixiary were brought down with these bullets last night. All four were properly protected by the rest of us and will recover. As Avixiary, we will not hesitate in protecting our mates and protecting our friends.”

“What are your plans?” the anchor asked. “We learned three years ago that the Avixiary are strong enough to fight if needed.”

Changmin smiled and pulled Junsu against his body, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “My plans remain the same as they always have been. I want to fly under the moonlight with my mate, free of the fear of being shot or captured. I think it is more prudent to ask your leaders what their plans are. Avixiary will never be controlled by humans again. I am more than willing to continue our treaty talks. I am more than willing to talk about this latest breach of peace. If the General refuses to reconsider ...” Changmin stopped and took a very deep breath. “I do not wish to think of that. So my message to him is to please reconsider.”

“As you know,” the news anchor said, “we are unaware of this. Many of our viewers are calling and messaging your their support. As a whole, we had no idea.”

Changmin nodded. “I appreciate all of your support. Again, most of you may never see an Avixiary in your lifetime. I am taking this as a hotheaded General attempting to regain control of a situation that he had lost due to his incompetence. This is a personal attack, not one sanctioned by all humans. It’s time for me to sleep. Thank you for your attention regarding this matter. I will keep you informed on Jaejoong’s health, since I also see many of you asking about him. He is alive. He is weak. But he will survive. Just as all Avixiary will survive. I hope all of you have a great day.”

The news anchor asked him to wait, but Changmin cut the connection anyway.

After a moment of pause, the news anchors all began talking about Changmin’s announcement.

“You still talk too much,” Yoochun muttered from the other side of the room.

Changmin smiled. “Is Jaejoong stable enough to take to a bed?”

Yoochun frowned and shook his head. “No. The wound is still open. Everything is closing too slowly. I fear that moving him will make him bleed all over again.”

Changmin moved over to the table and touched Yoochun’s bare shoulder.

Yoochun turned to look at him, sadness all over his face.

“Your mate will live,” Changmin whispered and moved his hand to cup Yoochun’s cheek. “We will not give up hope of peace.”

Yoochun swallowed deeply and nodded.

With a smile, Changmin leaned down and pressed a long kiss to his lips. One that had Junsu whimpering in his mind. Not out of jealousy. Out of lust. His mate found it extremely sexy.

“Try to rest,” Changmin whispered.

Yoochun smirked. “I would say you too, but I doubt that is going to happen.”

With the amount of lust running through his mate, Changmin knew that Yoochun was right. Junsu did not plan on sleeping any time soon.

---

Yoochun slept as much as his mind allowed him to. Every hour, he’d wake up in fear, his body thinking that Jaejoong had died while his mind replayed him falling to the trees over and over again. Every hour, he woke up next to his mate, curled against his side, and flushing relief and love through their connection.

Jaejoong grew stronger every hour. The wound still refused to heal, but the poison in his bloodstream was slowly beaten back by his healing abilities.

Junho came to check on Jaejoong every few hours too. He smelled of sex and Yunho. Yoochun wanted to be angry that the two of them and Changmin and Junsu had left him to fuck, but he understood. The best way to make sure your mate was alive and well was through sex. He had plans of his own to give Jaejoong so many orgasms after he woke up.

“You might want to wait until his wound is actually closed,” Junho said with a grin.

Yoochun shook his head. “I know that.”

“He is really strong,” Junho said again. “The only poison left that I can sense is in this main wound. His body is pushing it out and neutralizing it every moment. He should wake up soon.”

Yoochun sighed in relief.

When the sun set, Jaejoong’s consciousness flared. Mostly with pain, but Yoochun was so happy. He snuggled close to him, whispered and sent reassurances through their link.

I hurt, Jaejoong whispered.

I know. But you’re alive. I’m so glad you’re alive.

Did you do this to me?

Yoochun snorted and glared down their link at him.

Jaejoong’s thoughts smiled. The last two times I felt like I died, it was your fault. You can’t blame me for asking.

The truth, but it still stung a bit.

Jaejoong mentally curled up against him, crooning in submission.

Yoochun huffed out loud, but let it go. You got shot, by humans. The bullet was full of poison. Your body is still fighting it off.

It hurts.

I know.

I’m hungry.

Leeteuk is sending Minho over to feed you.

I want a kiss.

I’ve been giving you so many. I want one back.

Yoochun felt Jaejoong push, and he swallowed a reprimand when Jaejoong’s pretty eyes fluttered open. He hadn’t meant to force Jaejoong awake if his body needed to rest.

Jaejoong groaned again, the noise echoing around the room. A moment later, Junho was there, checking his wound and his eyes and his heartbeat.

“The worst is over,” he said.

“Tell that to my body,” Jaejoong grumbled and turned his head. “Kiss. Now.”

Smiling, but also crying a little, Yoochun leaned over him and kissed him.

Jaejoong hummed in his mind. I love you.

I love you, my mate, my moon, my stars.

“Now I wish I was unconscious,” Junho muttered. “Sap fest.”

Jaejoong laughed and then winced in pain. “Don’t make me laugh. Ouch.”

“Leeteuk is here with your dinner,” Changmin said from the doorway. He was topless, chest spotted with blood. Yoochun felt Junsu’s greedy satisfaction from down the hallway.

Jaejoong’s lust flared, and then his pain. He moaned. “God, even that hurts.”

“Blood will help.”

Leeteuk was there a few minutes later, with Heechul right behind him and Minho bringing up the rear.

“We didn’t fly here,” Leeteuk said. “We left as soon as the sun went down. Neither of us saw any other humans.”

“Our captives?”

“Still quiet,” Leeteuk said.

Changmin huffed. “Part of their orders were to keep their mouths shut if they were captured.”

“What are we going to do about the other four groups of humans?”

Changmin shook his head. “Nothing. I know where their orders took them. We just avoid the areas. I haven’t been following the news yet.”

“Too busy fucking.”

Changmin smiled, content and pleasured. “Of course.”

“Oh god,” Minho gasped when he came around the table and saw Jaejoong’s wound. He looked pale, and Yoochun steadied him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Apparently, I’ll live,” Jaejoong said and shut his eyes.

“He will,” Yoochun said. “Blood will definitely help.”

Minho climbed up on the table carefully. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Jaejoong asked.

Minho shrugged. “Just ... I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Hmm, give me some blood and you’re forgiven.”

Minho tried not to laugh and failed. “Sorry. I just ... this is awful.”

Jaejoong tugged on his shirt. “Maybe, but you still smell so good. Come here.”

Settling on his side, Minho turned his head enough for Jaejoong to bite down on his neck. He moaned, hands hovering over Jaejoong’s naked body, but not touching. Every Avixiary in the room could smell his arousal.

But Yoochun was closest. He shifted in behind Minho, took both of his arms and held them behind his back so he was kneeling and bent over. Three years had done good for him, and Minho had grown up so well. He was strong and tall, and still loved having fangs in his neck.

Jaejoong loved Minho’s blood, and Yoochun felt how good it tasted down their link. He didn’t even try to stop himself from curling over Minho’s body and biting the other side of his neck.

Minho whimpered in lust, and Yoochun drank, careful of his swallows. Minho still hadn’t learned self control or restraint, and they very frequently ended up drinking too much from him.

But there wasn’t really any reason to leave him wanting. Yoochun released one of his hands, and it immediately went to the table to keep himself up. Yoochun snaked his hand around Minho’s hip, over his pants. Jaejoong’s essence flared with a conflicted touch of arousal and jealousy. But it really only took a quick firm grasp of his dick and Minho was coming, flooding his blood with sweet adrenaline and sex.

Yoochun took just a few swallows of it and then pulled his fangs away.

Minho was swaying.

Jaejoong was gone with too much human blood, and Yoochun had to snag his control and get him to release Minho.

“One of these days, you’re going to turn our feeder,” Heechul muttered.

Yoochun glanced over at him. Leeteuk was on his knees, face in Heechul’s lap, mouth on his cock, both of them not even fighting the lust that wove through the room. He noted that Changmin and Junho were both gone.

Minho sagged against Yoochun’s chest and said, “Why won’t any of you ever fuck me while you do that?”

“Then we would turn you.”

Minho huffed.

Jaejoong moaned. “God that hurts, but I really want an orgasm.”

Yoochun laughed. “Soon, my love.” He made sure Minho was more or less comfortable, and Minho didn’t bother to stop himself from curling up against Jaejoong’s side, fingers trailing over his chest. His skin was ashen, his breath heavy.

Yoochun checked on Jaejoong’s wound. It was still gaping and open, but it actually looked like it was healing now and not just festering. That was very, very good. With a grin, he went to Minho’s other side and curled up against his back. He licked at the blood on his neck.

Minho shivered. “God, stop. Please.”

Yoochun smiled and took his mate’s hand, squeezing it while they all attempted to calm down.

And then Heechul was moaning, pulsing his own release into his mate’s mouth and flaring the lust back through all of them.

“I certainly do not miss being surrounded by a bunch of horny Avixiary,” Jaejoong said. “I miss home.”

Yoochun chuckled. “Me too. Hurry and heal fast and I’ll take you home. I can’t risk your wound bleeding again.”

Jaejoong sighed. “You owe me orgasms.”

“Don’t I always?”

---

The next day, Changmin finally left his mate in their bed to go watch the morning news. He checked on Jaejoong, whose wound had finally started to close. It’d be a matter of hours before they could safely move him. Yoochun would like that, Changmin knew, to get him back to their own place. He understood. He wanted them all out of his home sooner rather than later.

He sat at his chair, just as Yunho mostly stumbled into the room, stretching his arms and wings. There were thick, deep cuts on his wrists.

Changmin didn’t ask.

“What’s going on?” Yunho asked.

Yoochun shifted and lifted his head from next to Jaejoong’s neck.

Changmin turned on the sound to a news broadcast, the one led by the man who had asked him questions before.

"Our top story is the secrecy surrounding the suddenness of General Han Seungho being dismissed from his post late last night. There are still no reasons why and still more questions than answers, although most are in agreement that it is because of his underhanded and illegal orders to exterminate the Avixiary. The government refuses to comment, but assures us that the Avixiary are not going to attack and assures us that they are still having peace talks with the Avixiary, though we have no confirmation of that from the Avixiary themselves. It is again, that I remind you of Shim Changmin, who said just two days ago, that they only want peace. We hope for the good of all creatures that this is an isolated instant. Avixiary only want to live their lives in freedom, to love and fly with their mates. It is something that, as humans, we must also strive for. Without freedom, we all may as well be dead.”

“Wow,” Yunho said. “Talk about inciting riots and giving the rebels a reason to keep fighting.”

Changmin chuckled. “I like that guy.”

“Of course you do,” Yunho said and shoved his shoulder.

“Guess this means we should release the four that are at Leeteuk’s,” Yoochun said.

“No, we’re going to wait until they contact us,” Changmin said. “I don’t trust them anymore. We can hope this is an isolated instance but I want proof. And we have no confirmation if the other groups have left. There is a part in the orders that says even if they are discovered, their mission is clear. They will hide in the woods to the last man if they need to. I’ll call Eric and Kangta again and we’ll coordinate going to each location and finding the rest of them. Once we have them all in custody, then I’ll feel safe again.”

Yunho gripped his shoulder. “We already do, Changmin-ah, feel safe, I mean, and it’s all your fault.”

Changmin snorted.

“I think what he meant to say is thank you for not giving up when most of us just succumbed to their demands,” Yoochun said.

“And thank you for the rope,” Yunho said and turned his arms enough to look at his wrist. “So good.”

“I don’t want to know. Go away.” He pushed Yunho off him. “Go back to your mate. You’re getting blood all over me.”

Yunho smiled and wiped his wrist right on Changmin’s face. He laughed and ran away from Changmin who lunged after him.

Leave him alone, Junsu said in his head, and come play with me.

Changmin received a very vivid picture of his mate on his knees, one hand tugging at the rope that bound him to the bed by his neck. The other hand was at his ass, three fingers teasing his hole that was full of Changmin’s come.

He had phone calls to make and plans to organize--

Fuck you, Junsu almost moaned. Come play with me, damn it.

As you wish, my love.

.