ANYA :

The evening had gracefully submerged in the arms of night to envelop the skies when Anya finished all the things she had mentally prepared a list to achieve. The agenda for tomorrow, her uncle, the call to her brother, several to Adora and the information she wanted about a particular detail, placed.

She detoured to the kitchen and together with Ari and the staff, set about making the Pizza she had promised her hybrids, making the dough and prepping the toppings.

Once it was late enough that the grounds of her estate had been properly lit up with the soft illuminating lights, she made her way to the meadow behind the Manor.

As soon as Anya pushed open her door, her heart gave a mild start. Even from this distance, she could see the cluster of Wild animals playing some distance from where she stood.

Pausing for a bit, she just took in the scene. Hybrid or no hybrids, a scene like this was uncommon in the world.

To have a backyard of Predators, twice the size of the normal ones, openly roaming and playing about, with no restrictions whatsoever, was a sight, worthy of being included in a book of rare dangerous experiences.

Shaking off the thin shroud of fear, Anya went to them.

"I believe that's enough for today guys. Come inside, you all must be hungry. Wash up and lets have dinner." She shouted as she neared them.

All at once, the playing animals turned from their activities to fix their attention on her.

Yoongi and Jin were perched on the lowest sturdy branch of the tree, while the rest were playing around.

Even with the grounds illuminated with soft yellow lights, everywhere, the small light holders placed everywhere, even with the bright moonlight blanketing the grounds, Jin and Yoongi remained almost invisible.

It was the way the slivers of light caught onto the rustling feathers of Jin, that Anya could see his shape on the tree.

As for Yoongi. All she could make out from the distance was his watchful, dangerous golden eyes. Only those eyes, staring at her from the massive tree.

Eyes, shinning at her, from the huge shadow of the massive oak, everything else dark on it.

Like a haunted chase in a doomed situation, signaling the last warning anyone could get.

Anya had a feeling, she was able to make out that golden gaze because he wanted her too. If he so chose, the Jaguar could easily cloak himself in the swirls of darkness, remaining unknown for any prey, right until the moment he pounced.

Anya had by now reached the edge of the clearing, a few meters separating them.

She took her eyes off the eldest of the bunch, to look at Joonie trying to come to her, but at the same time trying exasperatedly to make a certain silver snake let him go, who still hung around his neck.

The Python was coiled right beside them, watching the playful fight, while the Tiger had happily made the Python's coils his personal pillow, resting his head on it while he chuffed occasionally. Content in the moment.

That left one of them missing.

A certain hybrid, that she suspected, was the most playful of the Pack. His blossoming nature had remained hidden behind his compulsion.

The Tiger lifted his head from his comfy pillow, lifting his weight, to look at her. The Python beneath him slithering away instantly. Poor Hobi.

But the way the Tiger focused his eyes behind her, gave her all the warning that she needed.

Feeling the slight whisper of wind behind her due to a body blocking its flow, Anya waited a beat, sensing the approach, and then nimbly jumped lightly to the side. A dark heavy body of the Panther, flew past her, tumbling to the ground.

The Black predator lifted himself up and shook his head a little and then fixed his gaze on her again. The green eyes sparkled with mischief, as the Cat approached her again.

"Jungkook . . ." Anya said warningly, her tone light with laughter, "Don't."

Not heeding her words, the Panther suddenly charged at her. Anya let out a small laugh as she dodged again at the last second, making the Panther topple over yet again.

His face a little pouty, with accusing eyes fixed on her, the Panther let out a growl of complain, the sound deep but sulky.

He wanted to play with her.

Anya laughed at the sweet hybrid, and said, "Come on big fella. Don't you want to eat-"

She was reaching out to pet his silky jet black fur, when Jungkook abruptly skidded back and stood back from her. He crouched low and let out a rumbly sound, his body tensed to sprint away.

He had just dodged her touch. Now, he was daring her to catch him.

Anya sighed indulgently.

So it seems I wont be able to get him inside without playing with him a little.

Anya's face broke out in a smile as she bent at her waist, one leg forward, in a position to start chasing. As soon as the Panther saw it, he chuffed excitedly and crouched lower, happy that his human was playing with him.

Anya bolted towards him without any warning, almost reaching him, but the Panther lowered himself almost to the ground, to evade her touch and then sprinted away from her. His black body leaving just a glossy reflection of shine of the moonlight in the pleasant summer night.

"Oh you think you can run from me do you?" Anya playfully mocked the Panther as she charged towards him.

Hearing her, the wild cat dug his paws to the ground as he zigzagged away from her touch each turn. But he never ran far away out of her reach. He just wanted to play, he wanted her to laugh with him. Love him.

So he kept up his delighted little sounds, as he kept brushing his massive body past her, running and ducking from her touch like a little kitten, going in circles as he headbutted her softly when she missed.

As soon as Anya would reach out to grab his body, the Panther would let out a mewl and then spring to the opposite side, then still for precious few moments to make sure she would chase him again, as he then went behind her, lightly touching her with his body, to emerge a little to the other side.

"Oh, this is how you wanna play? Fine, Game on." Anya laughed out gaily.

Jungkook's precious happy chuff was her answer.

Anya charged at him again, but this time, before he could jump, turned on her spot and went running back in the opposite direction, away from him.

The Panther stopped, surprised that she was no longer coming after him, and raced after her. To get her to chase him again. Just so that he could hear that beautiful laugh. The sound that filled him with Joy.

When he was almost upon her, with a mind to gently knock her down, Anya turned gracefully on her spot, startling him.

Then she reached out to boop his nose.

"Gottcha." She said softly.

At the sudden change of pace, due to the force he used to stop himself, added to the wonderful sensation of having his nose booped by her, the Panther went down.

Anya saw the surprise in his eyes, the confusion as she touched his cute soft damp nose, she saw him wobbling to stop himself, and then adorably falling down on his face again.

"Awww!" she exclaimed as she sat down very close to the poor Panther. She reached out to rub the soft and silky fur on his head, gently petting him. She softly thumbed his delicate ears, earning herself a long mewl, as the Panther shyly placed his paws in front of his face, then looked up at her with one eye, the rest of his face hidden.

"My Panther." She said to him, her voice as soft as her eyes were warm.

Jungkook slowly raised his head at her words, his whiskers twitching, as he reached up to her.

The Panther's nose softly grazed Anya's chin, and then the savage predator, licked her with his pink tongue. He raised himself further to quietly press his head to her forehead, closing his eyes as he breathed in her fragrance.

The fragrance of cherry blossoms entwined with the warm notes of vanilla, filled him with a strange contentment. It filled him with euphoria. Even his animal found comfort in it, delighting in it.

Her scent made him feel like he was home.

To him, she was Home.

The night remained silent and soothing with the stars in the sky shinning with the moon, a gentle breeze coaxing the fragrance of the night flowers across the garden, as the figure of a beautiful woman resting her forehead to a Wild Panther remained untouched.

The bubble surrounding the priceless moment remained strong, allowing the beauty and the beast to bask in the quiet love and trust they felt, bonding them together.

Anya drew back to watch Jungkook open his green eyes. Those emeralds radiating an inner peace that she knew he had never felt. Had never known.

She smiled beatifically, her dimples deepening as she kissed the spot between his eyes with her ruby lips.

"Come inside? Hmm? Lets have something delicious for dinner?" she asked him, her voice low, meant only for his ears.

The Panther came a bit more closer and let out a deep groan near her ears, then leisurely licked her bared neck. His fangs directly above her pulse.

Jungkook stood up then, with a small chuff, he trotted away from her, to fetch his clothes.

Anya stood up too and turned to the rest of the group, "Guys listen-"

Even though she could see Jin, Yoongi, Tae, Joon with Jimin still in their animal forms before her, she cut off her sentence as the frightening sensation from the afternoon returned.

She could feel the thick, heavy body of her Python, slowly coiling around her. He wrapped himself around her knees as he steadily climbed her frame, his body twisting sinuously, the power in them blatant.

Her heart rate spiked up crazily. Who could blame her? Here she was standing in the coils of a monstrous python, the tensile strength in them more than sufficient to crush every single bone in her body with ease. His enormous proportion would have no trouble swallowing her mangled self.

The problem with the snakes was, that she could not see the person in them.

With the cats, wolf and also the Eagle, their eyes reminded her of their human form. Their expressions apparent to give them emotions. To make her see the friendliness, to see their warm playfulness, their love.

With the snakes, she had no such luxury.

Nothing in their form gave way to what they felt like. Nothing in the animal form even closely resembling their human self.

Save their eyes. But judging the expression in those eyes was impossible.

All she had in herself to deal with them was her own bravery and the faith in them.

Her trust in them.

Which would remain absolute.

Anya calmed herself down. By now Hoseok had coiled twice around her, his form moving, his dry scaly cold skin continuously rubbing against her.

"If you coil around me completely, I'll fall Hobi. You weigh a ton." Anya lightly remarked while looking at the Python's face.

His head a distance from her at her level, with his partial body coiled around her thighs and breasts, Hobi stilled himself to look at her. His tongue flicking out.

Anya let out a long suffering sigh, "Honestly you guys can transform any time you want from now on, why the reluctance to come inside?"

"Anytime?" came Joon's voice from her front. His human voice.

She looked up to watch him donning his tshirt, already having fastened his jeans. Beside him, Jin was almost ready, while Tae and Yoongi were nowhere to be seen.

Not liking her attention straying from him, Hoseok tightened his coils around her, crushing her very lightly.

"Yes Hobi, I am seeing you." Anya's drawn out tired voice answered caused Jin to laugh. "And yes, anytime you want, I thought I had made it clear already." She answered Joon.

The Python's head came closer to her, his face approaching hers.

"Hoseok, a python coming close to my face does not exactly inspire warm emotions. All I feel is that you are looking at me as if I am desert." She dryly told him.

Hobi stopped. He hesitated a bit, then lowered his head as he approached her. Placing his lowered head directly below her chin.

Anya understood.

He wanted a kiss. Like the one she had given Jungkook.

My Bashful Python.

Smiling softly at his antics, Anya lifted her hands to hold the face of the reptile in her palms. His head was fear inducingly big in them.

Ignoring it, she leaned a bit closer, "Does my Hobi want a kiss?" she asked.

She surprisingly felt a tiny nod against her palm.

That tiny action, sent an avalanche of guilt cascading down in her mind.

Hoseok just wanted to feel accepted by her. But what had she done?

The Wolf, the Eagle, all her Cats, even though she had been a little fearful of them at the start, she had wholeheartedly strived to get over that fear. And her efforts had been apparent for all to see. She had actively gone to them, caressed them, played with them, reassured them.

Bonded with them.

Even Jimin. Jimin was as incorrigible in his snake form as he was in his human form. Even though her mind had ticked off the reasons for her to be afraid, she had not been that greatly affected by it because of his appearance.

Jimin's silver body, even though agile and deadly, was so different from any normal snake she usually saw, that the fear did not settle. His albino variety so rare, that her fear had turned to curiosity.

But when it came to her Python? All of it went wrong.

His body, his scales, his enormity had badly frightened her, her mind ruled by the prejudiced, infectious terror that all humans had, which was instinctive.

Her abject fright was a cumulation of generalized knowledge about Pythons, the films and documentaries about them, the tales of horror about the way Pythons and Anacondas killed.

The generalization was common in every human faced with a creature of this size.

She was no different.

But she should have been. This was no mindless animal, it was her Hybrid. A Hybrid who had bonded with her from the start, had accepted her in his heart as his Master even when he was not conditioned. Her hybrid who had supported her every step of the way, had given all he could without being asked.

Her Hobi.

Her Hobi who had been afraid of her rejecting him, had been afraid she would refuse him after witnessing his animal side. Her Hobi who would rather remain in collar than hurt her.

Her sweet hybrid who worshipped the grounds she walked on, who looked for her warmth. Someone who would yearn for her intimacy as he watched her with Jimin and Yoongi, but never asked.

Her Hoseok who was stunned at the prospect of being bought, of being owned.

Her Hoseok, who just wanted a home.

Somewhere to belong.

And what had she done?

She had let irrational fear take a hold of her and grow. She hadn't even tried to seek him like the others. Yoongi had led her to him. She had rejected him in that manner.

As for Hobi? He had patiently waited for her. He had understood her fear. Had kindly accepted it even when he had pledged to her before he turned. Even though he had begged her to not fear him, before he turned.

Now Anya realized why Hoseok had coiled around her when she had approached him. He wanted to show her that she had nothing to be scared of. He had enacted the most lethal scenario of her being completely coiled with him, but then let her go, trying to make her get over her worst nightmare.

His scales were itchy and cold on her skin, but was that something he was to blame for? He was just born the way he was, that was who he was. Why was she rejecting him emotionally for it? Because keeping her distance from him in his animal form, was, rejection.

Anya leaned in to place her soft lips on the Pythons head, lingering her touch. His coils tightened around her at that, but not a flicker of fear budded inside of her. She caressed his patchy coloured scales, learning the feel, adapting to the sensation, accepting his touch.

She lifted her head as Hosek did too, looking at her as he flicked his tongue out, hissing a little.

"Sorry for the way I reacted Hobi, Forgive me?" Anya said.

The Python's head tilted a little and then it came closer to rest at the crook of her neck, laying his head down on her shoulder, while his body encircled hers.

The sight would be terrifying to any onlooker.

To them, it was soft.

But immediately broken in an instant when she saw a familiar looking white snake head peeking at her from behind the coiled body of the Python.

Startled, Anya looked down to see Jimin had easily climbed up using the Python's body around her, in a way that she did not even feel him.

The silver menace reached for the other side of her neck, fully planning on happily making himself comfortable around her neck, when Anya said, "Ah. No, you don't. Jin!"

Within seconds, a strong hand reached out to grasp the snake, who started wriggling around in his hold.

Looking up, she saw Jin's smiling eyes gazing down at Jimin, "You really are incorrigible, aren't you?" he asked him.

Jimin simply let out an angry hiss in reply.

Laughing, Anya shrugged her shoulders lightly, making Hobi draw back.

"Inside, now."

Hoseok promptly uncoiled at that.

"I am in the kitchen, go wash up if you want and then come find me there." Anya instructed.

"Yep." Jin replied, his arms stretched out in front of him holding Jimin, evil smile on his face. The Eagle was not letting the Cobra in his clutches, go and be free.

An involuntary chuckle spilled from Anya at the sight.

"Aww Jimin, looks like the snake is in the grasp of an Eagle, however will you become free?" she taunted him.

The Cobra became still at her words while Jin laughed too, "Hah! Tell us snake how will- OWWWW" Jin flinched as he let Jimin go at once.

The snake had very cutely bitten him a little.

"MOTHERFU--!" Jin screamed out clutching his hand when a very naked Jimin, transformed into his human self, replied, "Serves you right Hyung." In a oh-so-innocent voice.

Shaking her head, Anya turned and headed back inside.

Her crazy hybrids were hungry and she needed to finish their pizza.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

JIN :

Jin stood beneath the shower stream, letting the jets of warm water pour down on him. His head bent, he luxuriated in the feel of the rivulets sluicing down his body.

He used the bath cloth to swipe down his taut sculpted frame, cleaning away the grime of the day. His corded arm reached out to turn the knob, shutting off the water.

Jin stood still for some time, his eyes closed, as he absorbed the memories, the emotions that had bombarded him. His jaw clenched as a muscle ticked. Raising his head, he slicked back his dark wet hair, his biceps bulging.

He padded out naked from his shower, his tall muscled frame dripping beads of water, gathering around his rippled abs, as he went towards the walk-in closet.

He casually swung the door open to reveal the room inside, stocked partially with more clothes than he could wear in this lifetime.

His agitation grew.

Eyes steely, jaw sharp, he went to the nearest cupboard to retrieve the first Tshirt and sweats he saw.

Holding the clothes, Jin felt the material of it. It was soft, comfortable. Definitely expensive. Only for him.

Balling up both items, Jin hurled it at the nearest wall. Then closed his eyes and let out shout of pain. Breathing deeply by his mouth, his chest moving with his breaths, Jin sat down at the settee, his handsome face contorted in rage.

Pure bubbling rage.

Directed, at himself.

Drops of water continued to flow down his neck, teasingly winding around his broad shoulders to the defined chest, dipping around his abs to form a puddle on the seat. Jin ignored the sensation as he entwined the fingers of both his palms and rested his forehead on it, his posture resembling the one of a prayer.

A knock sounded at his door.

"Hyung? Master is calling us. The food will go cold." Taehyung's voice called at him. Then he lowered his volume, "She made it for us. Don't upset her. Not again."

The last part pierced Jin's heart, agony that he had rigidly controlled, spreading across his body faster than fire.

"I'll be out in seconds." He answered back.

He heard Tae leave.

Robotically, he stood up and went to the clothes he had thrown. He picked them up and gently straightened them out. Gazing at them, he let the anger at himself spread, while he pulled them on.

Jin picked up a towel next, drying his hair carelessly, then tossing the towel in a hamper. Finger combing his dark hair, he went to stand in front of the mirror.

The reflection revealed a tall darkly handsome person with a wildness in his eyes. A wildness that naked eyes of any spectator could perceive.

A wildness, he abhorred.

His animal side had merged with his human psyche. Every instinct, every emotion was heightened in him. His desires burned hotter, his determination ran stronger, his fury became uncontrolled. His love, became deeper.

The freedom and the savageness of his animal left a permanent mark on him, the mark manipulating his behaviour, his actions.

Not a single trace of compulsion resonated in him for any human, except his Master.

A Master who wanted him to have this freedom, to have his true personality emerge. A Master, who risked her own safety to help them in their most vulnerable state. A Master, who without asking gave. Gave them the best clothes, gave them all her fortune, gave them a family, gave them a home. Made sure they commanded respect. Showered them with warmth.

Gifted them with her trust.

Gifted him with her trust.

How did he reciprocate?

Jin's jaw clenched harder, his dark eyes becoming flinty, his fists curling on himself. The chords of his neck stood out taut as he tried to control the loathing he felt.

He had returned her trust by slicing through her flesh. He in turn rewarded her with pain.

Disgusted at himself, he tried hard to shake off the emotion.

Right now, she was happy. She forgave him. On spot. A Master, shrugging off a serious wound inflicted on her by her slave. And wonder of it all, she meant it.

But Jin could not let it go. He laughed and smiled for her in the field, but he was burning on the inside.

What was even worse was that this emotion, twisted itself in his animalistic side. Part of him was deliriously happy that it had happened. That she now bore his mark. That she had bled for him, that moment binding his soul profoundly to hers.

His obsession in her grew when he felt darkly satisfied at the physical reminder she would carry, felt a stamp of possessiveness nail itself in him.

His submission, his devotion to her becoming alarmingly absolute.

It made Jin even more agitated. His emotions were in extreme and differing.

How could he feel this draw to serve her, to worship her, when he felt equally possessive and obsessed? How did he crave to submit as well as crave to make her scream under him? Why did he feel this keening need for her approval as well as the yearning to show her his dark desires?

Why did all the emotions run so dangerously deep in him that he felt completely chained by them, unable to contemplate any other way to live. This change in him felt bone deep, something that was embedding itself in his soul.

His love for her was no longer gentle, but it submerged itself in a passionate ocean of need.

He was dangerous to her. He was the most vulnerable to her.

He was completely, hers.

Jin let out a deep breath, feeling defeated. Somewhere inside, some part of him was laughing, urging him to give in. To accept this change, to follow it, but he resisted.

He had to.

And the worst of it was the insurmountable, deep pleasure that bubbled inside of him, whenever she smiled at him even when he hurt her. Whenever he had the luxury to openly hold her in his arms.

A pleasure that was visceral, and at a conscious level which Jin could not identify. It was his feeling, but the emotion ran deeper than the reality he was living in.

Another thought slated itself in the forefront that made him jerk.

If he felt this way, did the other do too? Were their longing for her darker? What about Jimin? He was Unclassified.

Unclassified.

Someone else was Unclassified too. This was the time the Code would take effect. What if it was him? What if it was someone else? What if that person could not control himself around her? What would happen if he could?

Jin stood up.

The pack needed to talk. Without her.

He went to the door of his room, but the twinges of guilt grabbed him again.

What was done was done. He could not change that. But he could damn well make sure it never happened again.

His Master, deserved the best.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

All the hybrids gathered around the low seating table in the living room while Anya loaded the table with the 3 mega sized homemade pizzas. The boys sat on the floor around the table, looking at the food in wonder, as she joined them with the ketchup.

Anya distributed the slices after putting on flakes and oregano, then sat back to watch their reactions.

The pizza, was a major hit.

All the boys LOVED it, their palates stimulated at the cheesy texture, eyes round with happiness, as they dived right into it.

Chattering away about their experiences of the moment they had transformed, sharing with each other their feelings, while Anya just quietly observed them. Soaked in the atmosphere.

This was the family she had always secretly dreamed of. The future that she longed for. For herself.

It hit her hard, that she was lucky enough to get the right people for it.

As the dinner continued, she noticed something . . . puzzling.

The behaviour of Jin and Yoongi had changed. It was extremely easy to spot.

The blazes of fire that she had caught glimpses of in the depths of Seokjin's gaze now burned in his eyes, unhindered. His mannerism though same, changed into an attitude of sexy confidence. The way he behaved around the staff, completely different.

His jokes contained a suppressed meaning, his touches to her were invitingly lingering, his eyes openly caressing, his voice, gently bewitching.

The way he walked altered too, a swaying grace added to it, a hint of contained ruthless power.

His tall silhouette with his plush pink lips and chiseled handsome face, now bearing an aura of a prince.

She had expected all of it to occur.

Yoongi was slightly different. His wildness was more apparent. His mannerism reminded her of a predator being kept in a domestic setting.

His dark eyes were always silently burning with desire, his speech indolent. His voice had deepened, while every single of his movement felt like witnessing a hunter.

Yoongi's smirk had a hint of merciless brutality to it, his posture that of a lazy Jaguar indulging in activities, having the knowledge of the power he held, dormant by his will.

The way he held his glass, the way he silently toyed with objects while he gazed at any other person beside her and his pack, talking to him, highlighted his danger. His edgy violence, hidden.

The open dark possessiveness he gazed at her with, his urges barely contained, actually provided her with a sense of relief.

Because, the person Yoongi was now, was who he was meant to be. His animal side, more dominant in his psyche. As such, he was someone who could NEVER be subjugated. Someone who would NEVER be a slave to any. A hybrid who was unapologetically wild. Completely untamed.

It was a relief now, that he had imprinted on her before this change. That he had given himself to her voluntarily, before he had transformed. It was only because of this reason, that he was deeply bound with his own feelings and emotions, to her.

Both his and Jin's personalities did not puzzle her. Nor did the slight change in Joon, Jimin and Hobi. The snakes had never been deprived of their animal side as they had never been conditioned, to begin with. So, their minds had melded long ago. The transformation for them was just a physical change of forms, without any effect on their psyche.

Joon too, being a silver hybrid, would remain more Human like in his intelligence, combining the wisdom, instincts and strength of his animal. His change too, was minimal.

What puzzled her was the way Taehyung and Jungkook were.

Both of them had not changed a bit. Both remained the exact same as they were, with her.

The same bashfulness, the same submission, the same devotion.

Playfulness seemed to have been the only thing which was additionally added.

That confused her. They were both the most extreme cases. Their animal influence should have been the biggest.

Yet.

"Master? That was awesome! Can we have it again?" Jungkook's enthusiastic voice broke her out of her reverie. Anya looked at the doe eyes filled with happiness.

"Anytime you want. But let me first give you the taste of all the things I think you might like. There is a lot of different food, right? Although I think we can order pizza again." She told him.

His pure smile growing bigger, he wrinkled his nose cutely at her.

And he was a black Panther just an hour back.

Her cellphone rang.

"Adora?" she answered the call.

"Yep boss, the job is done. Currently the whole of financial business sector knows that you are displeased and annoyed at Suhoon and Hye-in. I believe the effect will start in about two days." Adora stated in a manner which described what she felt about the given assignment.

"You are bored." Anya drawled out Adora's emotions, hitting bulls eye.

"You know I am not cut out for holiday Anya! And you give me this puny task? Honestly, this was so damn paltry in comparison to what I know you can do."

"Tsk tsk tsk. Sometimes small actions, or few well placed, words have bigger impact than a list of implemented big actions." Anya chuckled.

"No. Gimme something more to do." Adora plainly sulked.

Anya paused for a bit, leaning back a little. The silence announced loudly to Adora about the challenge of what Anya was going to direct her towards.

"I can handle it. whatever it is you are thinking." Adora whispered excitedly.

"Are you sure? You need to be very, very thorough. I already have researched and gathered quite a bit myself. But if I give you the task, you need to be going over everything via tooth and comb." Anya warned.

"Yes! You know I can!" Adora all but yelled.

Anya knew she could.

"Micheal, Sebastian and Flaker." Anya curtly told.

The sound of keys of the laptop could be heard from the other side. Anya continued.

"These are the names that these three people use. Currently settled in Seoul for 28 years now. All are in the ages in the range of 51 to 52." Anya continued.

The continuous sounds of keyboard.

"Find out everything about them. Their zodiac signs, their habits, their likes, their neighbours, the brand of clothing they use, every single known interaction they had, friends, family, desires. Everything. I need you to give me their whole life history up until this point. Cherry on the top will be if you can give me their future plans too."

"Hmm, time limit boss?" Adora easily accepted the request, having done various such tasks in the past.

"I found more than half of their lives in 11 hours. You tell me how much time you need?" Anya threw in the challenge, smiling a bit.

Adora cleared her throat. "I'll have to prove to you that I am almost at your level."

"Are you?" Anya's smile was easily heard, her voice teasing.

"Just you wait Boss. Who are they? Why are you interested?"

"Apparently, these are three of the top hybrid trainers. They trained my hybrids."

"Got it. Every last minute deets will be relayed to you." Adora said seriously.

"Another thing. Do you still monitor my Mayfield Assets? Also my evaluations of the subsidiary for the travel agency?" Anya asked.

"Yes. Everyday. Why?"

"Nothing. Just tell me if there is any unknown activity."

"You got it." Adora signed off.

Anya kept the cellphone down to look at the hybrids gazing at her. They had heard every single word from both sides of the conversation, but obviously did not understand it.

She smiled at them, "You can always ask me anything. I will never hide any facts or information from you. If I feel like I need to, I will tell you the reason, or when I will reveal it. As I said before, nothing in my life is off limits to you." She looked each in the eye, "All you need to do is ask."

They remained quiet as she reached for the last slice of Pizza. The others had all completed their meal.

"Why do you trust Adora so much? Who is she to you?" Taehyung's question was simple, his voice without any inflection.

Anya lifted her head to answer him, when she snagged his gaze. For just a moment, Taehyung's naked emotion blazed in his expression before he schooled his features into the Tae she knew.

Anya sat back, a zing going through her spine, spreading through her body.

"Adora is an orphan. I found her near our apartments trying to find food when she was 10 years old. By then I was already in 10th grade since I graduated school at 13. She and I are the same age." Anya blankly answered with facts, while she still tried to control her heart to not give away her sudden disturbance.

"I insisted in taking her in. My parents obliged. She is sharply intelligent. Been with me since then. Practically like my sister. Extremely loyal. Tremendously loving to me." Anya still looked at Taehyung.

At her sentence, that emotion she had witnessed, briefly flared to life. It was banked instantly as he replied, "Oh."

The emotion was of flaming unadulterated pure jealously. A darkly obsessive, maniac jealously. The kind which twisted a person completely from the inside. A tinge of psychotic sadism present in it.

It was terrifying.

It was concealed.

Taehyung HAD changed. Which meant Jungkook had too.

Both of them kept it masked? Or did it not manifest around her?

Anya looked at Jungkook, lounging back casually, stretching his leg in front while he bent his other at his knee. His hard tall frame folded against the sofa, his expression portraying a happy state.

"Those were our trainers?" Yoongi's alluring voice commanded her attention.

Snapping to look at him, lying sideways on the sofa facing them, she answered, "Yes. High time I know about them."

Yoongi's lips curved in a slight smile. He knew her well.

"Why?" Hoseok asked.

Jimin sat back, his back resting on the sofa body, as he let his head drop to the sofa, resting there looking up at the ceiling, "Master wants to know them. If they are interested in us and in touch with Mrs. Han, its only prudent to know everything about them. It will keep us one step ahead."

Impressed, Anya lifted one eyebrow at him, a proud smile playing on her lips, "And?" she asked.

Jimin lifted his head, to lock his otherworldly eyes with her. He studied her for a bit.

"And to confront them? Before they confront us?"

Her snake learned extremely fast.

"And?" her delight never left her lips, her pride in Jimin growing immensely. Jimin always observed her closely, tried to perceive things in an open manner. He wasn't just clingy to her, he was truly trying his best to become her companion. Her partner. Ever since day one.

But before he could answer, Joon's deep voice did it for him, "You want us to face them. You want us to get over their hold on our mind. For that, you are preparing, understanding them, to then make us understand."

The hint of her smile blew into a full dimpled, wide beauty. She looked at Joon still sitting cross legged beside her, a thoughtful expression in his face.

They were catching on to how she worked.

Her pleasure fully evident, she said, "Spot on."

"Ahhh." Jimin remarked as he again let his head drop back to the sofa.

The hybrids did not appear surprised. Somehow, they knew that if she thought they could achieve it, then it had to a fact.

Hoseok instead asked, "Master?"

"Hmmm?"

He hesitated a bit before continuing, "Earlier today, in the afternoon, I saw you talking to a lot of security officers. What was that about?"

Observant in his sightings.

Patient in his thirst for answers

Anya loved this about him.

"It was to discuss tomorrow's agenda. Not only them, a few of my Uncle's trained men will be joining us. It involves us all. I will explain it all in the morning. Its related to security factor. First thing, even before breakfast, we'll discuss it. Right now, there is no point to it." She answered without any hesitation.

Jungkook stared a bit, but then again went back to lounging.

In fact all the hybrids trustingly accepted her answers as they sat back to just zone out.

In the entirety of their lives, they had always remained hungry. The pangs of hunger were so common, that the pain was almost comforting. The constant presence of the twisting wrenching feeling inside their stomach, a feeling of the background.

Suddenly now, they were given food regularly. No limitation to the serving.

Without exceptions, all the hybrids gorged themselves with the meals till they could no longer eat. The sensation of a full stomach, satiated appetite, foreign and wonderful.

So it was no surprise, that the food coma hit them all. Given the emotional stress and physical changes they experienced, it hit them even harder. All of them droopy with sleep.

"Go, sleep. I'll be soon retiring myself too." she indulgently told them

Such was the tiredness in them, that none of them argued. One by one they obediently got up, bade her goodnight and proceeded to Hoseok's room. The decision to sleep together in their futons unanimous and wordless.

Anya sat up when she saw them all close the door of the room. She helped the staff to clean up, messaged her brother, bade everyone for the night, checked the security once, then went to her room to change into her nightgown.

Although they had changed to some extent, the Codes had still not been unlocked in them. As Anya put her body butter on herself, she thought about it more. Although the animals had melded with their human psyche, their savageness, the essence of their lethal form still remained dormant. Their TRUE nature, still slumbered.

Anya shook her head and finished her task, then proceeded to braid her hair.

It was only when she slid beneath her cool sheets that she realized something.

Her Cobra had not taken the promise she had given him. He did not claimed his kiss.

Jimin was not one to forget these things.

He is changing up his pattern. Keeping me on my toes?

Atta boy, she thought.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

HYBRIDS :

Their biological clock woke up all the hybrids at 7 am sharp. All of them had entered dreamland the second their heads hit their soft pillows.

Waking up, each of them fought against the tempting blanket of sleep still clinging to them, trying to draw them back in its embrace.

Somehow, they resisted. All agreed to return to their rooms to freshen up and change, to meet at the base of the staircase, then greet her.

Joon dressed himself in a Blue V-neck fitting tee and comfortable jeans, closed his door to the room and then padded down the stairs to greet Jimin, Jin and Yoongi. The other three were presumably still getting ready.

Right then, Arissa passed the living room, with stacks of clothes in her hand. On noticing them, she paused.

The four of them straightened up. They were not bothered by the staff, but they didn't quite know how to respond to Arissa.

"Can I help you?" the older woman prompted, mischief in her eyes.

"We were wondering if you could direct us to where Master is." Joon asked her, not pausing.

Arissa turned completely towards them, resting the clothes against her hip. She looked squarely at Joon and answered, "What if I say no?"

Yoongi inched slightly in front of the group, while Jin quietly observed the woman. For a beat, no one spoke.

"You need to ask questions in a manner that does not make you dependent on the will of the person who will provide you the answer." Arissa kindly explained.

Eyes shrewd, Joon tried again, "Take us to her."

"Better, but Still dependent." Arissa was patient.

Joonie looked at the older woman. He could sense the empathy she felt, the understanding and kindness integral to her personality. But she also possessed a spine of steel, someone who fit perfectly with the nature of their Master. And currently, she was trying to help him.

"Where is Master?" Namjoon's voice was firm, a quiet hint of command in them.

That was exactly what Arissa was trying to teach them. Save Anya, they were not to be demure to the presence of any individual.

She smiled genuinely at them. "She is in the study. I trust you know where it is?"

"Its our house. It's a given fact that we know the location of each room in it." Jimin replied, his delight and pride crystal clear for anyone to hear. Jimin loved that he could formulate this sentence. Formulate it, to be immediately accepted in the society.

Giving out a fond chuckle, the older woman nodded, "True. Let her know breakfast will be served in 5 minutes. And," She hefted the clothes, going back to the route she was taking before the interruption, "Goodmorning." She said softly.

A pleasant warmth grew in their chest. They were slowly being accepted in the world, in a status which was miles higher than their former one. Slowly, they believed that the days of them being addressed as slaves, were truly shut in the past.

Yoongi pushed himself from the banister of the stairs, to silently start walking in the direction of the study. He was restless since waking up. Even though the imprinting had slowed down a bit since his melding, the animal in him became agitated being apart from her for so long.

He had still not talked about the deliberate mark he had given her.

Quietly, the three others followed, their pace slower than Yoongi. All of them were still taking in their beautiful home.

White and Pastel long drapes, drawn to one side, fluttered in the breeze streaming in from the giant windows, Open to let in the sunlight. Windchimes weaved a soft melody in the air. The décor of the house stylish, elegant yet warm and comfortable.

They made their way towards the back of the house, greeting staff working around with a nod, then climbed up the stairs to reach the first floor. The corridors were spacious, with splendid paintings adorning them, ample natural light making all of the house bright.

They reached the door of the study. Expecting the one leading them, to knock and announce their presence, Jin, Jimin and Joon were startled when Yoongi simply banged open the door, the force of it nearly taking the door apart from its hinges.

Once open, Yoongi strode forward inside, stopping in the middle, his dark anxious gaze getting solace, when it rested on the lovely features of his Master.

"You know, there is really no need to break my door Yoongi." Anya lightly said while her eyes remined fixed on her laptop, never looking up.

Her study was just a cozy room, adorned in white.

Anya loved working in the small room, which helped center her thoughts.

Finally finishing the documents she needed to send Suhan, she looked up to see Yoongi standing tall, attired in black tee and black jeans, his dark hair slicked back. His ears kept twitching on his head, while his gaze burned her. His attractive face blank, he looked as handsome as he projected his quiet lethal edge.

Smiling at him warmly, she greeted him, "Missed me?"

"Yes." Simple answer. No hesitation, no shame.

Shaking her head, she greeted the others, "Goodmorning. Sleep well?"

Jimin by then wandered off to the center of the room, having a small nook, overlooking the quarters of Arissa and Joseph. He sat down and lifted the squishy cushions and held them close to him, snuggling himself in its softness.

"Yes Master, though the rest 3 are just freshening up. Arissa asked to remind you about breakfast being set in 5 minutes." Joon answered her back.

Sitting back on her chair, she swiveled around in it, contemplating them.

"Do you know how to read?" she asked.

"Yes. We do know Korean. But that is the only language taught to us." Jin answered as he went to the other extreme of the room, the window looking out towards the woods.

"Why did they teach you?"

Yoongi reached to stand behind her. He rested both his hands on her delicate shoulders, shaping them with his huge warm palms, content with the fact that his touch, was never rejected by her.

"It was needed in case our temporary owners wanted to experience animals in human forms. Their instructions then needed to be carried out in the form of detailed letters." He told her.

Anya herself was dressed in a deep jade coloured V-neck blouse, with strings tying it up from the back, with black slacks. She had left her hair open, the dark tresses falling down in a cascade around her shoulders to reach the middle of her back. It shone silkily in the summer sun.

Anya rested the back of her head on the firm abdomen of Yoongi, then tilted her chin to look back at him, "Explain."

The Jaguar simply stared at her Azure blue depths. Those were the eyes that had made him lose himself completely to her. His hands trailed down from her shoulders to gently caress her exposed neck while he helplessly longed for her.

"Human animals was the term given to the demands of quite a few patrons." Jin's husky voice broke the spell. Anya looked at the elegantly striking Man, seated on the nook at the other end of the room. His profile turned towards the gardens outside, sunlight washing away any misconceptions about flaws ever gracing his features, he could easily claim to be one of the descendants of Greek gods.

He continued, "Those owners did not want us to talk. They expected us to remain on all our fours, walk and eat like an animal. They wanted to feel the thrill of fucking an animal without the stigma of bestiality attached as a tag on it." his words fell from his lips, while his gaze remained outside.

"As such, to fulfill this fantasy, they only talked to us in the way you would to pet dogs. Any instructions about how we were to behave, our do's and don't during a party they hosted, where we were to be the entertainment, was conveyed to us by written letters." Joon completed.

Anya scoffed, "That's completely absurd. People give into such fantasies and actually live it as a lifestyle?"

No one answered her. The hand on her neck, kept soothing her skin.

"Were there many? She asked.

"All in the past Master." The reply from Joon, was tinged with a melancholy of remembrance.

That voice alone could cause her to drown in the ocean of depression, at the thought that she could have reached out to them, maybe gone to the auction before this one. Maybe then, she would have seen them, taken them. Saved them at least 4 years of hell.

Lately this was a thought which kept coming back time and time again, to torment her. As her connection and bond with them grew, the 'what ifs' grew too.

Not wanting to be affected by it, she ignored the direction the present conversation could potentially take. They already did not have time for this.

Shrugging off the mood, she said, "I need you to do something, it requires your ability to read."

That snapped the attention of all the four in the room. Jimin looking up from his musings while Jin stood up. Abruptly, all the four came before her, Yoongi sliding from behind.

They went down on their knees on the floor, heads bent.

"What-?" Anya pushed back her chair a little, shocked at their response to her innocent sentence.

"Command us." Jimin's voice was disturbingly reverent.

"Huh?" clueless and confused, Anya looked at them, mollified. She helplessly fluttered her hands about, awkwardly laughing, "Ummm, why are you down on your knees?"

She bent forward, trying to tug her nearest hybrid to sit up, hell, look at her, but Namjoon stubbornly kept his head down.

Puzzled she gave up, "What just happened right now?"

"You have asked us to do something for you. For the first time Master." Joon's emotional voice clarified.

What?

"We have been waiting for this. It will be our honour to follow your command." Yoongi's voice was thick with tears of joy.

"Hold on-"

"Knowing that you are willing to let us serve you, is a feeling that echoes in the deepest part of me. I shall bring my best self to satisfy you." Jin's voice carried suppressed delight and excitement.

"Wait, that's not-"

"What? No! Why only them?" came a sudden shout from the door.

Anya looked up dazedly to see the rest of her three hybrids come barreling in the room, kneeling down in front of her at once, heads worshipfully lowered.

"Master, please. We heard Jin Hyung. Give us an opportunity to serve you too. We will not disappoint you in whichever task you had in your mind." Hobi urgently said.

"You have it wrong-"

"Please. We are really not wrong. Master, we do have the potential to serve. Taehyung Hyung and me are the best trained."

Anya was fast losing her very limited patience in the sudden circus that was born out of nowhere. She still tried to calmly explain, "There has been a -"

"We will not be this way with others. You have our promise." Taehyung pledged.

"That's good to hear but-"

"Its good for us to hear too Master. Our promise to you will be abided by." Jimin sang out happily.

"This is ridiculous, listen-"

"But you just said its good?? Don't take it back again." Yoongi asked alarmed.

Oh my god! Seriously? These chatterboxes legitimately did not listen!!

"Master, please. One chance-" Taehyung was abruptly cut off by an extremely tetchy and vexed female whose final beautiful seal of serenity completely fried itself to a spectacular crisp.

"WILL YOU BUFFOONS LISTEN TO ME?" she growled out fiercely.

All the hybrids blinked rapidly at that display, sitting back on their haunches.

"You said you need us to do something for you Master." Yoongi's confused voice came.

"YES. Yes I did. But its not what you imagine it to be!"

"But, you want us to serve you." Joon still sounded confused.

"No! no. just listen to what I want first."

"But you said you want us to take an action for you. How is it not serving?" Jimin asked.

Anya strived to still say, "Honey, listen to me. it's a task, yes. But not something for you to have the notion of servitude."

Jimin pouted and turned his face to the side, sulkily saying in a low voice, "Should not have used the word 'do something' then."

Anya sighed and closed her eyes, "Lord give me patience." She murmured. Then said again, "Will you guys get up?"

Light grumbles of their hopes being set up only for it not to be the truth, met her ears.

Yesterday strengthened their bond with her. It also moronically strengthened their desire to serve.

"I also told you it required you to be able to read. How can that be used for whatever serving you have in mind?" she exasperatedly sighed.

Jimin came close to her and bent down, "Well Master, it can be that you are shy and would want us to read the things you are too reserved to ask outright and then . . . OWWWWWWWW"

Jimin's head bent to one side as Anya reached up to strongly pull his ear, twisting it particularly hard to make the unrepentant snake hybrid go up on his tiptoes, turning around on the spot to get himself free.

"Will you ever stop?"

"OWW OWW OWW sorry!!!" his chimes gave Anya a satisfaction, as she let him go.

"Serves you right." Came a whisper. Pretty sure it was Taehyung.

Jimin felt the same too, "Hey! This is how you side with a friend?"

"I want to go have breakfast!" Jungkook complained.

"Then tell that to this silver menace! I have been trying to tell what I wanted for quite sometime now!" Anya complained back.

Jimin now turned at her, "Not fair! I never- Hey!!!"

Jungkook had very joyously come to her rescue, simply picking up the snake to carry him bridal style, away from her.

"I'll get back at you for this you muscled pig!" Jimin scowled.

"Nah Hyung. You are shorter than me to ever do anything." Jungkook shot back.

"I NEED YOU TO READ SOME FILES!" Anya shouted at the top of her lungs in frustration.

Silence.

Silence.

More silence.

She then composed herself, cleared her throat and sat back in a ladylike manner, her episode of screaming out just a few seconds ago, apparently not existing in her mind anymore.

If I don't remember doing it, it did not happen.

"I need you to read some files. Read them, understand it, then share your opinions. Discuss it with me."

Trying hard to not laugh at her antics, "What files?" Hoseok asked.

Gladly, she reached behind her to heft up two thick folders and place them before her hybrids. She looked at them all, making sure that their attention was focused on it, and then said,

"This is all the information in the entire world about Codes Silver, Black, Red and Unclassified. Its not digital because the scientists wanted to keep it to themselves. It has all observations, experiments, tortures and hypnotism they were subjected to."

Hearing her, all the 7 boys easily resembled the predators they were, their razor sharp gaze, acute attention and keen senses, tuned on what she was sharing.

Anya patted both the folders, "There is no video or audio evidence, but the transcripts and notes are fairly detailed. Since you are also the same, I NEED you to read it all, understand and try to corelate. Once you are done, we'll discuss. Reading this, I feel there are a lot of discrepancies. A lot of it absolutely misleading. As it concerns you, I'd want your opinions on what I think about it."

All that could be heard, was the silent whirr of the air conditioner in the room.

Surprisingly, Taehyung reached out for the folders, "How much time do we have?"

His questions broke the paralytic spell, the rest were ensnared in.

"Take all the time you need. Discuss your theories among yourselves too. Make inferences and then inform me when you are ready." She smiled.

"This is a huge power you are giving us. Directions on our Codes, especially its fails, would only point us to the measures we can take to become better. To not end up like the hybrids on the file. Will it not be prudent for you if we are kept in the dark?" Jin asked her quietly, while he had his back against them, again choosing to let the gardens outside take his visual focus.

"But I want you all to be powerful in your own right."

Her answer resonated in 7 souls.

She quietly continued, "I want you to have no weakness. I want you to properly harness the power of your Codes. I want you to never again go through what your past is structured of." Looking at everyone, she said,

"I want you to be so indomitable, that no one will dare to raise their eyes at what you have. Of who you are, or what you covet."

Taehyung clutched the folders close to his chest, hiding his eyes. the entire pack did the same except Hoseok.

His eyes were too filled with an emotion that she did not want to acknowledge. It overflowed from him, the intensity of it, making her weak.

Love.

The kind which made you irrevocably vulnerable to someone.

The kind which held someone the way the stars held the moon in the night sky.

The kind which flowed like the air, invisible, but needed to breathe, to survive.

The kind, which she wanted.

Standing up from her chair, she walked past them to the door. She could not withstand the potency of such a beguiling, pure emotion yet.

She was not ready.

Yet.

"Once you keep the journals in your room, come down for breakfast. We have an agenda today." She exited the room, leaving her hybrids stunned to their core, at the truth of her promise, at the extent of her protection. At the devotion of her feelings for them.

Little did she know, they reciprocated it, to the limits of infinity.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

After the breakfast was completed, Anya asked the pack to shift to the outdoor room. It was shaded in the canopy of heavy trees, just past the shed. It had a charm to itself, having the fireplace to warm them even during the winter season. A kitchen and bathroom in it, it was a small intimate room, just to laze in.

For what was going to happen now, the location was perfect. It was situated between her and her brother's estate, a cozy area to catch up and rest when the siblings were practicing their martial arts.

The pack sat down on the luxurious sofas, while her guards and others, dressed in black, stood in front. There were 24 men besides her and the pack.

What really made her happy was, even though together, the 24 men made an intimidating sight, her hybrids were completely at ease, confident in their knowledge of their own abilities pitted against them.

That or their belief in her.

"Let me begin with introductions." Anya addressed her Uncle's men.

She named all her hybrids to them, then turned to her hybrids, "The 17 men to the right are my Uncle's men. I have requested them to come over and then thought we could do this."

The pack waited.

"We are going to play a game." Anya announced.

"A game? With the these men?" Jin asked.

Anya lifted her brow, giving him a playful look. "Yes. A game where you all will play against all of them. Before you twist it, I literally do mean an actual game."

All of them seemed confused. Usually, men from mafia did not allocate time to play with hybrids. Besides, why would she need someone else to play with them? She could do it herself. They would be more than happy about it.

"Don't think to hard to draw conclusions. We don't want a repeat of the moment in the study, right? God's honest truth, its just a game. I need you to trust me."

Trust in her?

Absolutely.

The guys settled down.

"What kind of a game Master?" Taehyung asked now. For some reason, he was excited about it. If Master said it was safe, then he was going to enjoy it.

He glanced at Jungkook to see the same enthusiasm reflected in his eyes.

Melodic laughter pulled Tae's attention back to her.

"Tae don't get too excited. I want to see you guys win against them. That won't happen if you don't take it seriously."

"I will definitely Win for you." Jungkook proclaimed.

Smiling at his exuberance, Anya brought out the basket beside her, opening it to dip her hand inside.

"Okay then Kookie, here you go." She said as she extended her fist, having the object she had lifted from the basket, towards Jungkook.

Eagerly Kook extended his palms, feeling the weight of the object placed on it, he brought it closer, only to get bewildered.

"That's an egg." He stated the obvious.

"Yep, it is." Anya said, as she distributed 7 eggs to her 7 hybrids.

"Okay listen up." She went to stand in the middle.

"The game is extremely simple. All you need to do, is protect the egg given to you for 20 minutes, while the men here, try to take it from you, or break it."

She paused to let it sink in, then continued.

"The entire estate, both mine and my brother's is the arena. You all will start from here, carrying your eggs. The men will come after you. They are allowed to engage in light physical fights, but light. No force or moves to cause permanent damage. If after 20 minutes, you still have you eggs intact, you win. If not, you lose."

She knew her hybrids were understanding it all.

"There are rules :

One hybrid will have 3 men to chase him.

You cannot shift in your animal forms.

You can fight back, but same applies, no permanent damage. No scars or injuries.

You can hide your eggs if you want. But make sure the men tagging you don't find it.

For your own safety, don't enter the maze. You don't know the way out of it.

The main houses and staff quarters are off limits, other than that, just stay within the estate boundary.

Try to defeat the guards. Try to make them give up chasing you, but in a manner that does not harm them, since this is just a game."

Anya stopped. she looked around at her hybrids, "Any questions? Anything you didn't understand?"

"Why do you need these men? Why could you not arrange this game with your own security guards?" Yoongi curiously asked.

Perceptive.

Anya deflected from the real reason. She would be sharing it with them soon enough anyways.

"The way you move, your speed, your potential abilities, is something my guards are not capable to handle. After your melding yesterday, you have your animal instincts and its specialties in your arsenal. Furthermore, your human forms will adapt to your animal's agility extremely fast since you have had held this form longer. My uncle's men are trained for an attacker's speed and cunning. They are the only ones who will be an equal match for you."

Yoongi accepted the logic. It was sound.

They collectively thought that this was an exercise their Master wanted them to do, to further absorb their animal's skills in their current form. To make them stronger, to bring out more of their natural personas.

Although that was a benefit from this, it was not Anya's motive.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Having never been in a situation such as this, the pack was skeptical about it. The only time they interacted with a crowd of humans had been when they were being used as the sexual entertainment. To actually do something different, to chase, to defend, to essentially play, was an experience none of them had.

It was new.

It was terrifying.

And it was because of that, they needed to push themselves. Every hybrid remembered Joon's pledge.

To try to be better for her. To be worthy of her.

And who knew? Maybe it could be fun?

Yoongi and Taehyung were surprisingly stoked about this turn of even. The hunter in them liking the sound of the games. The opportunity to hunt.

They all stood up from their places. That was the answer Anya needed.

"Okay, let me pair you up." She paired each hybrid with 3 men. The hybrid and the men just acknowledged each other with a nod.

They moved out of the room to the grounds.

Anya said, "As soon as 20 minutes are up, the men chasing you will be notified of it on their watches. They will inform you. But in case you don't hear it, I'll sound an alarm to alert you."

"What will be our reward if we win?" Jimin suddenly asked her. At his question, Hoseok and Taehyung turned to her with smiles on their lips.

This time, Anya answered truthfully, "Jimin-I don't think any of you will win."

Seokjin stilled at her statement, while Yoongi's dark gaze turned contemplative.

"Still, all the best. Fighting!" Anya cheered for them and then started the timer.

The hybrids took off like a bullet in different directions, the men hot on their feet.

Anya herself ran out of the room to go towards her mansion, racing to the security room. She entered it to find her guards, Arissa, Joseph, Jackson and Peter already seated before the numerous monitors covering every inch of the estate grounds. One seat was left empty for her.

She hurriedly went to sit in it, the place between Peter and Ari.

Anya looked up to observe the feeds, easily spotting all her boys.

"Do you think any of them have a slight chance of winning?" Ari asked.

Anya saw the clear determination in her hybrids, moving with a lethal precision. Their predator instincts taking over them.

She murmured her answer, "None. That is the whole point of this game."

She saw each of her hybrids give their 100%. Saw them starting to use their intelligence and abilities together, with acute focus. Saw their resolve to prove her wrong, to prove their worth.

"That is what they need to learn. No matter what, they'll lose. I don't think they will last 20 minutes" She smiled.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

HYBRIDS :

The pack went in different direction, but quickly realized that the men chasing them were not just playing. Their objective of capturing them was serious.

2 minutes in the game

Jimin was running towards the gardens of his house. The men chasing him keeping a distance with their efforts, but maintaining it. He zipped through the different statues, trying to lose them, but 2 of them kept up, never losing him from their sight.

Jimin ran and crouched down the artistic hedges of the garden, then silently went backwards on the balls of his feet. As he reached a statue surrounded by plants, he picked a stone and chucked it in the direction he was running forward to. Immediately he heard the sounds of two feet following it.

Jimin sat down, with the egg in his hand, while he remained unmoving, trying to concentrate on where the third person was.

Sweat trickled down his forehead as he heard the chirping of the birds but nothing else.

He needed to move. The men who ran ahead would undoubtedly double back once they understood he wasn't there.

He heard the faintest whisper of wind, the kind when something silently sliced through.

The 3rd man was directly behind him, on the other side of the statue.

Jimin crouched low again, agilely moving forward on his elbows and knees silently, when he heard the 3rd man round the statue.

He had just turned the corner of a bush, his body out of sight for the 3rd man, but he heard the previous 2 coming back.

He could either confront them, or he had to find a path to slink away.

The decision was made for him. The 3rd man, suddenly charged forward, in the direction of his bush.

Jimin had to spring up to confront him.

The man did not get startled but threw him a punch which he dodged. The man attacked again, swiping Jimin's ankles with his feet while he aimed a upper cut at him.

Trying not to lose his balance, Jimin back flipped on the ground, ready to resume his fighting stance when he felt the egg break in his own grasp.

The man in front of him noticed it too.

Jimin stilled. Not even partially into the game, he had already failed.

"You lost." The man straightened and told him.

6 left.

3 minutes into the game.

Taehyung straight up ran in a random pattern, his eyes going towards the maze. He was blank about any strategy, having never tried to think in this manner. So he let his Tiger psyche take over.

The hunter in him urged him to go to a place HE could hunt, somewhere he could be the one in charge of the situation.

His speed was overpowering for the man chasing him, his pattern so random, that guesses would never fit.

With a burst of speed he headed towards the maze, thinking of using the structure to his advantage.

When he reached it, the men behind him were at a distance. But only two.

Tae swung his gaze to the far side, instinctively knowing that the best strategy would be to cage him in from the side. He spotted a man cutting off his route towards the main house.

Tae went inside the maze, then tore out the carefully manicured hedges of the lower wall of the maze, being careful to not create an unevenness. He went inside the space he had created and crouched low, placing the torn shrubbery over him.

The branches and sticks grazed his skin, cutting him in places, but he remained oblivious to it. His only thought: winning the game.

He wanted to ask something from her, and he wanted to ask it as a reward.

His thoughts were cut off when the silhouettes of two men entered the maze.

They stopped before reaching this hiding spot and became silent.

Then they retreated.

Taehyung remained where he was.

Why would they go?

He strained to listen, but there was no indication of any people around him.

He felt the egg in his trouser pocket, still intact.

Just as he was about to stand up, the rustling of leaves and branches directly behind him gave the warning he needed.

He dived out of his hiding spot, to watch a long wooden handle piercing through the outer wall of the maze, right where he had been.

Something must have given away his location to the men.

He got up, ready to run, when he heard the whispering of the wind. His body acted on its own as he swiveled and went to a side, evading a flying kick. He jumped back lightly on his balls of feet when the person kept advancing.

Quickly, he made up his mind to deflect towards the entrance and then head towards the woods. He only had to go past this man.

Tae blocked the punch aimed at him and twisted the man's arm to one side, then bent forward to ram his shoulder in the man's stomach, lifting him and then tossing him on the ground behind.

As Tae turned around to run forward, he felt the man, still lying on the ground, kick at his outer thigh.

He stopped. Feeling an acute sense of disappointment, he closed his eyes as he stood at the spot.

He felt the man behind him get up, then gently pat his back, and walk out.

The man's kick had been well aimed at the bulge clearly visible of his pocket.

The egg was smashed.

He lost.

5 left.

6 minutes in the game.

Seokjin and Yoongi bumped into each other in the meadow, both having taken different routes to reach the oak tree.

One glance was enough to know that both of them thought alike.

Jin nodded to Yoongi and handed over his egg, then turned around to the direction of the men they had left behind, scanning the area to set up any kind of trap or find something useful.

Meanwhile Yoongi sprinted to the oak tree, jumping up and easily climbing the sturdy branches, trying to find a hollowed pocket of wood. He spotted one at a higher level.

He pulled himself there and hid both the eggs, then covered it up with leaves.

Once the task was done, he jumped from that height, landing softly on his feet. The Jaguar in him coming through.

Jin had by then collected one water bottle, left from their time the previous afternoon, and tossed it to Yoongi.

Yoongi in turn looked around then poured the water on the ground, wetting it. Then he clawed out 2 chunks of ground and grass. He quickly shaped then into balls of the appropriate size and threw one towards the waiting hands of Jin, who, just like him put it in his pocket, creating a bulge, creating the illusion of having the eggs on them.

Both nodded at each other when they spotted the men catching up, and visibly ran in two different directions.

Both heard the sound of feet chasing them and led them towards the gardens, leading them on a merry empty chase.

What they didn't know was that 2 men stayed behind, going towards the tree, while two men followed each hybrid.

The grass and chipped away marks on the branches indicated the ones Yoongi had climbed on.

It took some time, but they eventually found both eggs, dropping them to the ground.

3 left.

11 minutes in the game.

Hobi and Jungkook had stuck together, going towards the unknown estate of their Master's brother. But they soon realized their absolute disadvantage.

They did not know the territory, but the men did.

All they could do right now was to just run.

"Hyung, lets bury the eggs in the ground, or a plant?" Jungkook suddenly said.

Liking the idea, Hobi and Kook put in their all, trying to run ahead. Suhan's Estate was lush rolling fields of manicured grass, spread out all around, without any tree in sight.

When they felt they had come quite a distance from the men, Kook quickly bent down, to scoop out dry land and grass. Hobi joined in his efforts, keeping a watchful eye behind too. they dug up a hole big enough to hide the eggs and then quickly filled it up. Kook made sure to put the grass on it, trying to make it look like undisturbed ground.

When they were done, they sprinted back towards Anya's estate, making a roundabout from the security as they passed.

They were successful in their plans, the men, chasing them instead of suspecting what had happened as they figured the hybrids were probably lost on the unknown estate and were going back to the one they knew, to continue the chase.

But the spot where they buried the eggs remained unmarked. No landmark near it able to distinguish where it was laid.

Even if the Python and the Panther circled back to retrieve it, in the unknown acres of huge fields looking the same all over, chances of finding it in time was . . . low.

12 minutes in the game.

Namjoon had formulated a plan as soon as they had started the chase. He had a clear-cut idea of what was needed to win.

As soon as the chase had begun, he had put everything he had on his speed, to jet away as a bullet. Or one could say that he simply gave the impression of it.

In truth, he jetted out of sight, only to double back and press himself flat against the outside wall of the room they had been talking in. He had seen Anya leave, had seen the three assigned men to him get confused about his whereabouts.

Silently, he had padded back in the room and gone to sit in the kitchen.

While the others kept searching for him, Joon simply sat and waited for the game to end, right where it had begun.

He glanced at the clock, noting the time. 8 more minutes left.

Hopping up on the counter, he relaxed back, idly watching the gardens outside.

He was still trying to understand why she had made them participate in such an activity. What did she want them to learn? Because it was extremely obvious that she had a goal in mind. Something that did not cause them any harm. Their Master was trying to make them understand something that words alone could not teach.

Absently, he dipped his hands in his pockets to trace the shell of the egg he had, but his hands encountered something sticky on it.

Focusing his attention, he brought the egg out.

It was cracked from the middle. The yolk, slowly seeping out.

Joon wrinkled his eyebrows. He had been so careful in making sure it did not break, he had handled it with such care.

More of the yolk flowed out from the crack, the viscous yellow substance falling on his fingers.

Joon remembered what Anya had said to Jimin, "Jimin-I don't think any of you will win"

He smiled ruefully at his broken egg.

When would he learn to always believe what his Master said?

5 with broken eggs, 2 without it.

Winners : None.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

The game ended a few minutes ago. Hobi and Jungkook could not find the place they hid their eggs, while Jin and Yoongi had yet to say a single word after they discovered theirs broken on the ground at the base of the tree. The rest of them were strangely quiet.

It was a type of quietness that was foreign to the pack themselves.

In the past, their pain and abuse had robbed them of their voice, but this was entirely different.

The sense of acute crushing of their hopes, the sense of defeat, was something that they had not known. The blame, this time, was not on anyone else.

It was due to their own actions and thoughts.

Never did they think, that losing in a game, a game that had no links to the lifestyle of servitude, could affect them this greatly.

Anya had taken one look at their morose faces and hugged them. They were too adorable in their sadness. She had then thanked the gang of men and talked to their head, discussing their schedule to come back to the estate, after which, they took their leave.

She collected her unhappy and pouty hybrids to take them back to her house.

Once there, she took them to the parlor, settling them down with some snacks and chilled lemonade, letting them take their time to come to terms of what they were feeling.

In the meantime, she asked the staff to not enter the wing to provide some much needed privacy, sealing them in beautiful isolation.

Although it was a parlor, Anya rarely allowed guests there. The homey setting was a place she always went to, when she felt distressed. The décor and the couches always soothed her.

Her hybrids too, snuggled in the cozy comfort of the pillows and sank down in them, their faces drawn.

"Why such long faces?" she asked gently.

Jin and Yoongi went to the window, avoiding looking at her. Both her snakes sat on the floor, their heads on the coffee table. Joon sat straight on the sofa, Taehyung's head on his lap, while Kook lay down on the other sofa, laying on his back, his arm covering his eyes.

"It feels . . ." Hobi tried to describe his feelings, his head still on the coffee table, "its just, we are feeling disappointed. We tried, really tried Master. And we truly though we would succeed."

"And now it just feels like we fell down from a height, landing hard on the ground." Kook completed.

"Is it not something positive for you?" Anya asked softly.

"How?" Yoongi asked from his spot, further down the room. His back to the rest of the pack and her.

Anya said, "Did you ever feel it? Disappointment?"

As the question was contemplated, Tae raised his head from Joon's lap and looked at her. His eyes were on her but his thoughts traced back to his past self.

"No. Never." He slowed said.

Looking around, the pack too had come to that realization.

"Let me refine the question a bit more. Did you ever feel disappointed because of the lack of your own efforts? Did you ever feel happy enough with yourself, that the sadness of not getting what you wanted haunted you?"

Jin turned around to look in their direction. Yoongi came closer to sit on the sofa where Kook was lying. The panther too got up to sit down now, think and evaluating his emotions.

"Never." Jimin said pausing a bit.

Anya sat back, "Because there was nothing in your life that you wanted to do that needed your own skills. You all had no ambitions catering to just yourself." She said.

"You never wanted to develop beyond the circle of being a slave. Never wanted to sharpen your edge for things other than your submission. Never thought about taking control of your life."

As always, she had their attention on her.

"You never truly wanted to live. Live with yourself. Be happy with yourself. Be happy for Yourself. Not your owner. Not your Master. But for you."

Jin took one step towards them with every word she uttered, understanding them. Recognizing its implication.

Anya got up from her spot to go to Hobi sitting on the floor with his head on his folded arms, listening to her raptly.

She sat near him, and drew her fingers through his silky black hair, combing it lightly, "So tell me Hobi, is it not positive? Does it not mean you want it all now? That you want to change?"

She leaned down to place a small kiss on his nose, looking at him with fond eyes while he stared at her like a child in wonder.

"And if you want to change, if you are slowly learning the desire to be a cut above the rest, to be better, don't you think it is something to appreciate? This sadness? This feeling of disappointment? The proof of your desire?" Anya cupped his face.

"Don't you think it is something you'd like to cherish? The first time you all wanted to evolve. The first time, when in your heart, your compulsion Broke? The urge to be someone other than a sex slave finally arose?"

She smiled at him, as Hoseok reached out to hug her.

Anya sat down with her legs crossed, as she cuddled his frame to her, resting her chin above his head, comforting the Python who understood he was fundamentally changing.

She looked at the rest, who too understood it. No longer did they look gloomy. Jin had reached them, and was now standing near the fireplace.

She then gaily said, "Anyways, you all were doomed to fail. It wasn't actually your fault."

All it took was a microsecond to make out her meaning, then the protests started.

"Wait--?"

"Hang on--?"

"Why?"

"How--?"

Only Hoseok was completely comfortable with his state, and he happily stayed that way.

Laughing, Anya said, "I was monitoring you all from the security cameras with Ari, Joseph, Peter and Jackson. So I know what happened. Let me tell you why."

"First can you tell us how the men knew where we had stashed our eggs?" Jin questions cut through.

Anya turned around, Hobi still having his head resting on her bosom, "Yours was easy. Both of you wanted to make sure that the guards come after you so you made sure to make it visible for them from where you were running.

Although the part about imitating having the egg in your pocket was a brilliant one, your plan failed because you underestimated your opponent. Rule number one, is never ever to do so.

They saw you both together before you ran. They knew you both were out of their sight for a long while. They understood you wanted to be seen, which meant you were being deliberate. So they investigated.

The chunks you had taken out, which by the way Choi will be super angry about, could be easily seen. Did not take them long to understand what you were up to.

Your shoes Yoongi, have small spikes below them for better grip. When you climbed the trees, grass stuck to the branches along with scratches made by them. All that the man had to do was to climb up those same branches and stop at the right one. Little search, and they found it.

Still. Your strategy was something that made me proud. For beginners, you were ingenious."

Yoongi bit the side of his tongue, his attractive face, thoughtful while Seokjin sat down on the floor on her opposite of the coffee table, a slight smile on his lips.

"Proud?"

Her smile grew making her dimples wink at him, "Very. Now you know what to avoid if you ever use this again somewhere down the road."

She let Hobi go to stand up. Walking towards the counter in the extreme of the room, she picked up the basket which had the eggs she had distributed earlier. Taking the basket back to them again, she silently passed on new eggs.

Tae looked puzzled as he received his. "This is far more heavier than any normal egg."

"That's because its not one. Right, Master?" Joon said.

Nodding Anya let them check out the white coloured object whose appearance resembled a normal egg.

"These are stones. They are made to resemble one, and then painted white. I need you to think, what would have happened if I had handed you this originally? Do you think you would have won?" her question was met with immediate response.

"Absolutely! I could have easily gone with my plan." Tae at once said.

"Easily. Would have won easily." Joon agreed.

Jimin, Jin, Yoongi agreed too.

Nodding her head, Anya stretched for a bit. Then she went around to Seokjin, enveloping him in a back hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. Jin instantly reached up to hold her hand to him.

"The eggs I gave you were fragile and delicate. It needed extreme attention by you all, in order to keep it protected, while you were fending off attacks on it." Anya rubbed her nose softly on Jin's ear, making the hybrid shiver and then let him go.

Standing up, with a knowing look, she said,

"Jimin's own strength broke it, even though he was the one protecting it, Taehyung dropped his guard for but a moment, and the opponent smashed it. Joon's broke on its own, maybe because it was too breakable that it could not withstand the chase on itself."

Quick as lightening, Jimin, Joon, Yoongi and Jin grasped the reason behind their Master's game. In her one sentence, they realized what she wanted them to appreciate. Joon was right, it was a lesson they needed to live through, her words alone would not have taught the severity.

Anya continued, "Yoongi and Jin's were discovered, the opponent could easily break them and move on. While Hobi and Jungkook had to hide it away from them, for it to survive the chase. Even if you cant find it now, you know it will go bad by the time you do. It wont remain the same. Neglected the way it is."

Joon closed his eyes as he slouched back on the sofa, a wry smile on his handsome face. His Master was a Genius.

"But," Anya went to the mantle, and leaned back on it, her hair falling in one side, the posture emphasizing her tiny waist, also drawing attention to her generous curves,

"If it was this Stone that just looked like an egg, none of this would happen. Jimin would not crush it, Tae would have withstood the attack, Joon's would have been intact, Yoongi and Jin could have retrieved theirs back from the men, and Hobi and Kookie could have searched for theirs without the fear of it going bad."

A pause.

"Right now, at this point, the eggs represent all of you." Anya delivered the truth she wanted them to know. The one, she had discussed with Ari.

Joon, Jimin, Yoongi and Jin remained quiet. They had realized it already.

The rest of the three grasped it now.

"No, No Master, we are stronger." Kook said, his protest voiced with heavy realization of the truth he was denying.

Anya glided forward to him, to hug him. She drew his muscular body to her, standing before him while remained seated on the sofa. Her hair fell around him, creating a scented curtain while she placed his head above her heart.

"Yes sweetheart, I know you are strong, But you have to understand. The way I am, the way my brother and I are in the society, the envy and greed for our empire never dies. More and more people want to take us down. They keep a look out for every small opportunity they can find, like hungry hyenas. Me and my brother are extremely capable to keeping them in check, but I cant keep them in check and constantly look out for you, especially the way you are. You are my soft spot, and they will realize it soon. Their mind games and attacks will be focused on you all."

She drew back, and rubbed his soft ear, making him tilt his head to look at her.

"Just like the eggs, I cant keep the attacks at bay and also protect you. What if my own power harms you? What if you cant withstand these devious games? What if I let down my guard for a second? Just like what happened to the eggs."

She gently shushed him and placed a finger on his lips when Jungkook started to speak. Her feminine body stood between his big muscular thighs, her dark loose hair making her appearance more mysteriously elysian, more exquisite than she was.

"But if you become stronger, if you become like those stone, that people might mistake to be breakable but is actually more dangerous to them, then what?"

Anya caressed his devastatingly sinful face with his innocent eyes, soothing him. Loving him.

"Don't you want to be that way? To give back at the attackers? I will always protect you regardless, but wouldn't you like it if you only indulged me?" Anya kneeled down in front of Jungkook, taking his palms in her hand, she placed them on her face. Making him hold her.

"Don't you want people to mistake your strength, your intelligence, only for you to mockingly turn the tables? Don't you want to stand by my side, and see the envy and fear in their eyes for your identity too? Tell me Kook, would it not be wonderful, the feeling you would get, at humans not daring to speak wrong to you even though you are a hybrid? For the people who used you, to become anxious in your presence?"

She kissed one of his palms.

"Would you not like to know in your heart that only you all can remain by my side? That no one, no other hybrid or human can ever dream of having me?"

Anya looked in his chocolate eyes, "Don't you want to have a right on me just as much as I have on you?"

Jungkook's eyes were dilated. The new dream she had painted for them, haunting every cell of his body, making a fever spread through him. Making him ache to have it.

A dream to be someone. Someone who mattered on this earth. Someone, whose name, would be known by all.

In a life, where his identity was the same as a rolling piece of trash dumped in the mass of decomposing garbage, She was asking him to become someone, whose identity would be his individual recognition. The name 'JUNGKOOK' would mean something. His existence would leave an imprint on time.

His existence acknowledged not JUST by her, but others too. Humans, too.

Did he want it?

He was afraid of desiring it. Something so big was not a fruit that any hybrid could even dare to see, let alone dare to reach for. It was just the way of the world he was born in.

But the courage to want it, came from the fierce craving of the consequence of its achievement.

He could make his Master belong to him too.

He could without any fear claim her too.

He could fearlessly call her his just as much as she called him hers.

The Panther focused his eyes to get lost in the depth of her blue gaze. He gently cupped her face by himself, and caressed the delicate skin of her cheeks with his thumbs, light, like a whisper from a butterfly.

His breaths synchronized with hers, his heart beating hard.

Slowly, still drunk in her scent, lost in her azure whirls, he inched forward.

Her breathing hitched. A lovely blush suffusing her cheeks, warming his palms.

She did not stop him, nor did she draw back.

Deaf to every sound except his own frenzied heartbeat, blind to his surrounding except her divine, beguiling beauty, he touched his lips to her soft rose ones.

That's all he did. His lips pressed lightly to her warm ones, he breathed in her air. his hands slid from her cheeks to her hair, one supporting the back of her head.

He drew back just a whisper, then opened his lips to embrace hers roughly.

Jungkook kissed her with his devotion, his love for her present in every little lick, ever small movement.

His lips sipped from hers, like she was a fine wine. His lips moved over hers, sucking her bottom a little in his mouth, before releasing it.

She was his universe, his Goddess, and he was paying her homage.

She was his Star. Bright and mystical in the darkness of his life.

Jungkook kissed her again, then drew back just a little, to bathe in her scent, warmer now with her desire.

He opened his eyes and cupped her face again.

Reverently, he kissed both her closed eyes, then backed away.

To all who had witnessed it, it was clear, that the kiss was one of pure unadulterated Love. It was the expression of his loyalty, his bond to her.

The kiss was his vow to his Master.

The kiss, was his Salvation.

Voice husky from his emotions, he said to her. "Yes, I want it. I want it Master. And I will have it."

Anya inhaled shakily, moved greatly by the extent of his devotion. She felt the love behind his kiss, she felt his vulnerability, that he openly exposed to her.

Moving back a little, she finally looked at him.

Her shaky shy Panther was nowhere to be seen. The Jungkook in front of her had a fire in his eyes, intelligence and self-awareness stroking it higher. His face looked harder, his expression radiating a savage confidence, an almost violent determination. His posture of being seated was blatantly male, his soft smile, roguish.

Still seated on the floor, in front of him, she looked around at the expressions of the other watchful hybrids.

Each and every one of them had subtly changed, just like Jungkook.

Their Codes were unlocked.

Finally.

A jubilant smile surfaced on her face, as she got up to move to the center again.

"I take it all of you want it?"

"Yes." An unapologetic agreement.

This was what she wanted. This was what she had aimed for.

"You'll have to work hard for it." she warned them, "Your training will be extensive."

Yoongi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, placing his chin on his entwined palms, "What kind of training?"

"Vastly different from what you know. There will be no pain involved. That's not the way I do things." She addressed the concern behind his question.

Then continued, "Presently, you have a lot of deficiencies.

You will react to your trigger word the way they made it to be. If anyone calls it out, you will be down on the floor, writhing in pain, just as they conditioned you to be like. This is one conditioning even humans find hard to break.

You can easily be subdued by an electric collar. A simple form of past trauma, in the visual form of a whip, can make you start panicking.

If any of you are tied up, be it to a chair, a bed, or just by yourself, you'll be lost.

Your physique is not in top condition. You are not using your preternatural speed. You still cant harvest your animal's abilities.

You have no knowledge of how to make strategies. No knowledge of how to find someone's weakness. You cant read people yet, cant understand how to play them.

You are not aware of business plays, how to use one's own power against them. How to lure them, how to make them do things according to you, influencing them from afar.

You don't know how to fight. Your hunting skills are just emerging.

In short, you have a lot to learn. Both in terms of physical and mental capacity."

Silence lengthened in the room as the pack absorbed her words and thought about it. Anya let them contemplate it. She had a haunch it would be her clingy angel who came up with the obvious question first.

"How will you make us invulnerable to the collar? How will you drive the whole training?" Jimin asked curiously.

"Not with Pain. Never that. I don't like flimsy temporary basis for any serious training." Anya answered.

Joon sat back, his expression contemplative, "How is pain a flimsy basis?"

"Pain drives the ability you acquire. Its because of its fear that you master your skill. Take away that emotion, and your ability will flounder. Taking it away is possible too, I don't want that for whatever I want you to learn."

"Explain it Master." Hobi asked.

Taking a deep breath, she obliged. "If you take the example of your own obedience, you executed that absolute submission to avoid pain, the fear of it making you behave. But when I took that possibility of hurt away from you, do you think you will submit to anyone the way you had? Then look at the discussion we are having now. Trigger word is literally developed with torture, but it can be overcome. Once it is, that will become useless to be used against you. Pain makes for a flimsy basis. I want your abilities to spread to all your being, not be dependent on the fear of one sensation."

"Fascinating. I never thought of it this way." Taehyung murmured.

Joon and Yoongi agreed.

Anya reached in the basket for a taser like object, "Hybrids have a higher tolerance for pain than the extent of what humans can inflict. Did you know that? You were trained to respond to the threshold of a human. Your endurance is technically higher. So it should be easy for you to not flinch at the first voltage used in a collar."

"Doesn't that mean we should be subjected to that voltage till we are immune? Will it not cause pain?" Jungkook asked. Only pure curiosity in his tone, no hint of accusation in it.

"No, that is one way to go about it. I want to take a different route. Time." Anya answered.

"Aah." Joon realized, "The training will be painless, but the repetition will be longer. Our training to reach the level you told us about will take time."

"Again, Spot on."

Anya switched on the taser like object. The whirr of the electricity buzzing in it could be heard. "This is the device I plan to use for the collar exercise. The current in it now just causes a buzz. It hurts, but the level is like a sting. Here, see . . ."

She tilted her head to the side, to expose her neck and then pressed the device on it.

Collectively, the hybrids shot to their feet, promptly reaching forward. Hoseok being the nearest, snatched it out of her hand without any hesitation. His actions rough.

"I was just proving a point that the voltage-" Anya tried to explain to the now agitated hybrids.

"Then you do it on us. Not yourself!" Jin's voice was thunderous. His anger, dark.

Jimin reached out for the device and pressed it to his neck. After a second, he threw the device and came charging at her, crashing his body to her, enveloping her in his arms. His hug was suffocating as he spoke to the top of her head,

"That was painful. It still hurt. Don't ever do that to yourself while we are still alive." His voice was icily dark. The emotion behind it, warm.

Anya just smiled.

"When will we begin?" Jungkook asked.

Still cuddled up to Jimin, she answered, "From tomorrow. I have no doubt that the one who sent Han, will make their play for you again."

"Will we be training all day?" Joon asked.

At that, Anya pushed Jimin, who let her end the hug, but did not let her go.

"Goodness no! they'll be hours for it. Mainly the afternoon."

After that, Jimin pulled her to him again.

"From Tomorrow Then." The hybrids promised in a voice, that held an unknown, burning enthusiasm.

They were mesmerized by their new dream.

They wanted it to be breathed into reality, they wanted it to come true.

And this time, its fruition, depended on them.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

Anya groggily went down the stairs, not bothering to turn on any lights. It was 1 am in the morning and she had stupidly not brought a bottle of water in her room before retiring.

She was wearing a black silk cami with shorts, her hair bound in a careless bun, wisps escaping all around. Silently, she crossed the living room to go into the kitchen beyond it.

She beelined for the refrigerator, forgoing the light switches again. Opening it, she bent down to take one bottle, when a low growl alerted her that she was not alone.

After the parlor discussion, she had asked them to learn all about the estate, its grounds, and her brother's with Peter and Jackson. Afterwards, she was informed that all had shifted to their animal forms, familiarizing themselves to the grounds.

They had opted not to have lunch, while she worked on her upcoming launch of collection, closed the financial bid of Calypso with the hotels the guests would be staying in, and some more odd business.

Dinner had been an enthusiastic affair, especially when they were served with Chicken sizzler, rice, chilly pork, noodles and kimchi.

Everyone had retired around 11 pm.

Or so she thought.

She took the bottle and shut the door to glance up and see a huge Tiger silently looking back at her from the kitchen entrance. His eyes glowed in night. The wild beast looked, disturbingly, alert.

"Couldn't sleep Tae?"

The tiger yawned wide, his fangs long and glistening, then stood up again. His height covered half of the kitchen wall.

Silently, the striped cat padded forward, while Anya took a seat on the barstool of the breakfast bar.

The tiger reached her to bump his head to her abdomen, making his desire known.

"Aww you kitten" Anya started to pet the predator in front of her, easily reaching till her chest. His massive jaws on her bosom.

The Tiger emitted a deep groan, the sound frightening and resonating. Times like these, completely shrouded in the dark save for the moonlight from the kitchen windows, Anya felt a thrill.

She kept petting the Tiger, softly massaging his head as she reached down to kiss him.

As if he knew, the Tiger lifted its head.

Anya stopped. Her lips dangerously close to the massive hunter's nose.

Tae paused for a bit, then reached up, to gently touch the tip of his nose to her lips. After that contact, he unashamedly licked her lips.

Anya drew back, not expecting it, "Whoa kitten." She murmured and rested her hand between on his head, her thumb rubbing the spot between his eyes.

The Tiger closed his eyes, savouring the touch, as he groaned deep again.

Sitting in the dark kitchen, petting the Tiger made her feel content. She felt a sense of belonging, a sense of true quiet happiness that she had been missing previously.

They completed her.

The Tiger then, opened his eyes to focus his gaze on her.

He came closer to swipe his scratchy pink tongue slowly on her neck.

Anya stopped petting him. The deliberateness of the Tiger's made her realize that the atmosphere had changed.... That Taehyung's intentions, were not limited to a normal cuddle.

The Tiger did not stop. He kept licking the crook of her neck, then running his hot tongue over her shoulders.

"Tae . . ." Anya slightly pushed at his head. He retreated, and lowered his it.

For some reason, Anya's pulse was throbbing loudly. The atmosphere not making things easy. Where just a few moments ago she felt at peace, now vibrated with a strange tension.

The darkness of the night seemed to wrap them in a blanket of secrecy, making the interaction between the animal and her something........ more.

She felt the Tiger's hot breath on her exposed thighs, moments before his warm tongue lingeringly licked along her smooth skin. The sensations, again, out of place.

"Taehyung." She said, a note of desperation in her voice, as she firmly pushed the Tiger back, adamant in her stance.

Tae resisted, but then sat back. His glowing eyes held a flash of something dark as he stared at her unflinchingly.

Anya got up from her seat and brushed by him to reach the counter on the other side. She needed to find her balance. She had no idea what she was feeling.

"Do you want something to eat? I am in the mood for chips." She tried to make things casual as she stretched her hands towards the upper cupboards, opening it to retrieve the bag of mentioned snacks.

She felt the heat of a body right behind her before she felt his hot breath on the back of her neck. The words he spoke, whispered in the air between them, wrapping around her,

"Never tasted it Master, I am interested in tasting something new." He murmured.

The heat along with the alluring timbre of his voice, spread like a slow molten fire inside of her, making her warm.

She remained that way, trying to find her voice.

Something else clenched in her chest, a bewildering sense of deep longing surfacing.

Taehyung's palm grasped her extended arm, his grip warm and firm. His palms encircled her arms and then seductively dragged along till her wrists, squeezing them lightly before letting go, to grab the packet of chips in the cupboard.

Anya lowered her arms, still standing with her back to him. The tension in between them was escalating rapidly.

"Master?" his drawl was enticing.

A sound of opening of the packet, then the plastic bag was delivered before her on the counter.

Anya still remained quiet, her heart beating loudly.

After just a few seconds, strong arms encircled her from behind, wrapping themselves around her, Tae's hot body pressed flush against her back. The embrace was securely firm, not allowing any space between them.

Taehyung lowered his mouth to her neck, rubbing his nose slowly against her skin, his soft hair caressing her cheeks, his breaths, warming her skin.

Night . . . Eleven o clock . . .

What?

He pressed an open mouth kiss on the spot behind her ear, his tongue making patterns on the skin, making an ache blooming to life in her lower abdomen.

"Stop." Her voice was too low, too breathy to be taken seriously.

Taehyung's hands which lay on the side of her chest, spread. His fingers splayed on the material of her silky cami, his thumb below her breasts.

Taehyung laid kisses down the line of her neck, his lips soft, his tongue scorching. As he reached her shoulders, he lightly dug his teeth on her skin, while small hot licks kept making her throb, wetness slowly seeping out of her.

She was responding instantly to him, she wanted him right then with a ferocity that felt . . . Long awaited.

Anya was not the only one affected by it, as she felt Tae's very obvious desire for her rubbing on her back.

How did she forget?

He was naked.

That thought gave her a jolt. She pushed back on him. For a moment, he resisted, his arms tightening around her. Then he let go.

Anya turned on spot to face him, her back to the counter.

What she saw, made the raw sexual tension the Tiger had generated, ratchet up a notch.

His eyes were dilated in lust, his dark gaze possessively molten in his desire. His expression revealed his dangerous obsession for her.

Her eyes involuntarily dipped low.

Hard muscles greeted her vision, as his chest tapered down to chiseled abs, below which, his length was frightening.

Anya wrenched her gaze back up at him, to see a smile on his face, dark hair messily falling around while his eyes magnetically held her.

This was not the sweet and shy Taehyung that she knew.

The person before her, resembled the Devil.

"What are you doing Taehyung?" Anya somehow managed to speak normally, although the volume was low.

Taehyung's big hands settled on her hips, shaping her, pressing into her soft flesh as he took a step closer to her, his hard abs pressing into her. "I am waiting for a taste Master."

His voice was so mesmerizingly deep, that it made her want to close her eyes, just to give in to the sensations he created.

As her core became wetter, she ran her tongue along her lips.

Tae's dark gaze dropped on her lips, eyes tracing the action hungrily.

He slid his hands from her hips to the small of her back, pushing her closer to him, fusing his lower body to hers.

His erection heavily rested on her soft stomach while his hands slid upwards, trailing up her spine, his touch, territorial.

"Give me a taste?" he tempted.

Proud of herself still possessing a working brain, Anya drew a chip from the packet to hold it out for him.

Taehyung bent down to close his lips over it. He chewed it hypnotically, his stare holding her captive.

He swallowed the morsel, while Anya admired his strong neck, his throat moving in a way that made her rub her thighs.

Tae reached out to take the hand she fed him with. Still looking at her, he lifted her hand to put her finger inside his mouth, swirling his devilish tongue around it, cleaning it of the salt from the snack.

Anya couldn't help the small moan that escaped her.

Eyes snagging at that sound, Taehyung pressed impossibly closer to her and sucked her finger in his hot cavern. The tugging sensation radiating to her core, like a chain linked to it.

Did unlocking his Code result in this?

Popping her finger out, he said wickedly, "Delicious."

The night around her deepened, its intimacy and his embrace seducing her. Right now, all she could concentrate on was the dark and sinful creature, with a sinful voice and possessive eyes, weaving an bewitching spell around her.

The Tiger bent his head, to bump his forehead to hers, staying like that for a moment.

"Your fragrance is driving me crazy." He groaned in a tortured voice.

His hands caressed her back, roaming everywhere, until he encountered the edge of her cami. Without any hesitation, he parted it, to slide his hands inside it. His touch, hot on her naked skin.

Feeling her smooth supple skin beneath his palms, he groaned again, pressing his chest to hers, as his mouth descended on her pulse, strongly sucking at it.

Anya's head fell back, as she found herself surrounded by him. His body holding hers in a lovers embrace, his mouth on her, breathing in his unique scent of coffee and musk.

Taehyung, was dangerously, lethally potent.

But what was making him act this way? What was driving this fever in him?

But more importantly, why was she feeling like she had been waiting for this?

Suddenly, she found herself being lifted to sit on the counter. The suddenness of the act, making her instinctively wrap her arms around his shoulder, to keep her balance.

The Tiger parted her thighs and stood between them. His hands reached her back, to push her closer to him, tightly pressing his hard length to her now damp shorts. Only a layer of cloth separating her weeping core from his invasive thrust.

Taehyung moaned deep, then tugged one of her cami strigs down, moving his mouth feverishly on her skin, marking her lightly with his rough kisses.

His fervor kept burning as his obsession deepened. The notes of Vanilla from her scent clouding his judgement.

Anya too was trying not to drown, trying not to get caught in the lustful, enchanting lava of need. But just when she felt she could regain her ground, Taehyung wildly thrusted against her, making her lose to the dark web again.

Through the clamouring haze of pleasure, she felt a keening nostalgic longing. A part of her was crying in joy, a part of her deep self was crying, in happiness.

A promise was being fulfilled.
Thats all her mind could think. For absolutely no reason, a part of her was weeping in joy, weeping in happiness. A promise was being fulfilled.

She felt one of his arms leave her, to extend somewhere to her back.

Taehyung peppered addictive kisses from the base of her neck to her chin, "Master," his voice hypnotized her further, "Please give me what you promised."

His voice was thick with need, his craving spilling out in it.

He hovered over her lips for a beat, then he crashed down on them, his kiss hard and deep. His lips parted over hers, his tongue tracing hers before sliding in deep to taste her sweetness.

The kiss was bruising and rough, his tongue, repeatedly sliding over hers sensuously, his hands clutching her to him, his grips leaving marks.

He kissed her like a man possessed, slanting his lips over hers, drinking from her like she was the elixir of the gods.

The fire in both of them consumed each other, driving each of them to a new peak of madness.

But a thought kept tingling at the back of her mind. Tae said he wanted something she promised?

Anya broke the kiss with some difficulty, leaning back from his seeking mouth, his sole attention, fixed on her lips, on her drugging kiss.

"Taehyung." Her voice stopped him.

He dropped his head on her shoulder, while he embraced her even tighter.

"What is going on? Why are you suddenly this agitated?" Anya was starting to shake off whatever black magic that had affected her, her concern over her Tiger overwhelming her desires.

Taehyung too felt her slip out of the blanket of need. He lifted his head.

"Tell me Tae." She softly crooned.

He looked at her with desire filled eyes, then bent again to kiss her, but this time softly.

His kiss was slow and languid. His tongue lazy in its battle against her. He kept going in for her sweet taste, feeding himself with her essence.

Anya felt his hand which had reached behind her earlier, press something in hers.

Taehyung kept up his compelling kisses, as he then directed the object in her hand on him.

Anya understood. She understood why Tae suddenly wanted to feel her, to want to be closer to her at a level that he was trained in. she understood that he would not have taken it further than the kiss.

The kiss had been his way of affirmation. He NEEDED to be close to her. Physically close to her, because he knew she did not want to give him the thing he wanted the most.

Anya opened her eyes and withdrew, to see a sharp knife pressed to her hand, Taehyung's grip on her grasp of the object, unyielding.

The knife was pointed at his honey skinned chest, pressed on the spot where his heart was.

Taehyung was holding her hand captive, with a pressure on her unwilling grip, that made the tip of the knife pierce his skin. A thin stream of dark red blood flew down from the point he had pressed it against.

Eyes sultry, his gaze held a hint of violence in them as he looked at her.

"Mark me. Now."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

A/N : 19.9k

This is the point of turning for the hybrids, from this point on, they will start shedding their past completely while embracing the emerging dominance.

About Updates : I profusely apologise for the delay. Its been a week since the last. What happened is that I had been posted in the emergency department, that including the lectures, assignments and college itself was hectic for me. all I got was 4 hours to sleep. I wanted to do justice to the plot so I did not write it sloppily since this part for the explanations is important. My duty changed to Gyane/Obs recently so I am back to the better schedule I have.

But then, BTS went to LA and I got caught up in the AMAs and their first concert after 2 years! Thanks to the ARMYs who kept sharing every moment with us, I was fully engrossed in the reunion between our boys and ARMYs. The concert was so so very beautiful! Next two concerts are after 2 days and I have the online ticket for the last, so I might be a bit distracted even further . . .

But, updates will start being 2 times a week again after that. I did make this chapter lengthier to compensate.

We are progressing in the darkly alluring part of the story finally, with the hybrids nature becoming almost as savage as Anya . . . so stay tuned for that.

Are you enjoying the story so far?

Thankuu to all the people who commented and voted for my story. All those wonderful comments gave me the will to keep going. All your comments are extremely appreciated.