This is the part 1 of the double update.

Please do vote

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ANYA :

Anya got up from her chair and slowly stretched a little. It hurt. Her body still felt as if it had gone through a blender.

Now that the excitement of all that she had planned was completed and dimmed, she really felt the protest her poor body was directing towards her.

Last night had been extremely rough. The amount of times she got pounced on, attacked and bruised had been one too many.

She was almost positive that one of her wrists were sprained. The headache was blinding her now and she seriously thought if her skull had suffered a hair line fracture or not.

Well, even if it had, there is not much you can do about it, can you? The doctors will suggest rest, and resting while the Vrȃgs roamed was as good dropping Sharks in the swimming pool and then happily going to sleep on the floaters.

It obviously did not help matters that instead of sleeping and taking a break to mend her body, she had been high on caffeine and stayed up all night just to get the things in order.

Anya stretched a little and then stopped, wincing and gasping at the shooting sharp pain.

"Fighting the way you did, did not help. Now that your anger and zeal have cooled a little, how are you feeling?"

Anya groaned at her twin's voice and wrapped both hands around her chest.

Because, not only was her head throbbing, wrists hurting, arms aching, back sore and legs burning, but her Breasts . . . they were sensitive and painful.

Too damn painful.

Her nipples were still beaded and wearing a bra was akin to consent to wear a torture device.

Jin and Joon's Vrȃgs had been extremely rough with her.

"I'll live." She sighed.

Suhan came to sit on the chair she had recently vacated, "Meaning you feel like shit."

Anya sighed again, "Is it absolutely necessary to go to the stupid Dinner tonight?"

Suhan Tsked at her, "Should have thought about it before you went all 'Karate Kid' on your poor hybrids."

Anya sharply looked at him, "I take offence to being called a kid!"

"Ninja turtle?" Suhan offered.

Anya folded her hands and turned her little nose up, "From which angle do you think I resemble a green, bandana wearing reptile?"

"A, they do not wear bandana, and B feels a Taaaad bit wrong for you to be condemning reptiles when you have 2 shiny venom spitting and body gobbling monsters that you actively cuddle with."

Suhan shot back.

Anya bit the inside of her lip in irritation, then said in a ladylike manner, "Comparing me to princess Xena or Wonder Woman will do."

"HAH! Fat chance of that!"

"Excuse me?"

"Your jumps were pathetic, you did not even reach the right height. Your kicks were misdirected and your posture while doing them was absolutely off. Your jabs had more strength behind it when you should actually be working in using your opponent's strength against him. DO NOT start with me about your spins or jumps. You were SLOW. If anyone knew your moves, they could have easily taken you down. Peaking of which Your moves were far from being unpredictable. You were awkward during most lifts. You winced whenever you were going for a left jab making your thoughts blare out—"

"OKAY! I get it! I was bad!" she had been upset, hurt, insulted, sleep deprived! I little concession was in order!

Suhan's eyes softened at her scream as he looked at Anya. He got up from his seat and stopped before her. Then, cupping her face he leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her head.

"No Anya, you were not bad."

Anya nodded and placed her head on his shoulder, wanting a little more comfort.

"You were worse than worst." Suhan finished.

Then easily dodged a punch directed at his stomach, laughing at his sister's angry face.

"WHY? WHY THE HELL was I given an utter rapscallion like YOU as MY brother???"

Suhan's smile stayed in place as he looked at her irritated face, so much more better than the fatigued exhausted and worried expression she had on previously, "Because, this rapscallion is very capable of taking your mind off things for a bit." He said softly.

Anya paused.

Then smiled.

"You know we cant delay the dinner today. Knowing Mom, she must have invited all our Uncles, Aunts and cousins." He sighed.

Anya let out another loud groan at that. She knew he was right.

"Come, take a walk with me. It will do wonders. Then come back and sleep. We'll wake you up an hour before we leave." He extended his hands towards her, inviting her to place her small ones on his larger palm.

Anya trusting reached for her brother and let him drag her towards the main door, "Should I be concerned how very NOT concerned you are over the state I am in?"

They walked out of the room upstairs, and towards the staircase, slowly climbing down with Suhan leading the way, towing her with his hand like a naughty little girl being taken back after a scolding.

"I am. But I need to talk to you. That concern takes higher precedence over your physical health, or even mine. It takes higher precedence than any of our aches and pain." Suhan quietly said.

At once, Anya understood why he was taking her outside the cottage.

She looked around for her hybrids, but she saw none.

"They are packing. Also taking out whatever they will be wearing to the Dinner party and going through our family Photo albums." Suhan answered her unvoiced questioned.

As they stepped out of the house, they started walking towards the small cluster of trees they had at the far side, away from the cottage.

The sky was over cast and a chilly wind rolled over the green meadows as the stream gurgled merrily at a distance.

"Looking wont help." Anya pointed out.

"Don't worry, I took time last night to label all the photos with the names and then wrote up notes to who is who and married to whom with which brats they claim as kids. Along with the number of hybrids they have, their nature and the position with rankings of donkeyhood we have discovered them to have. I also included their likes, dislikes, pretentions, weakness and habits."

Suhan and Anya stopped near the trees as Suhan let go of her hands and turned with a puzzled look, "Thinking back now, their list of superfluous needs took up an entire a4 sheet to fill." He shook his head, "And still we pay respect to them."

Anya gave him a nod and an understanding smile, "Well, they are family. Even if not in our inner circle. Who is ever satisfied with their entire family? Does not mean we can treat them as we treat others."

"We should be able to." He said in a disgruntled manner.

Anya laughed at the little boy expression he had on and then turned towards the nearest tree. She walked forwards to sit on the swing they had tied to it years back. Anya closed her eyes as she let the wind go through her hair and swung up a little higher.

For a few minutes, she let the chirping of the birds and the gentle breeze soothe her. She let the slightly wet grass beneath her feet take her back to the carefree days of her childhood, she let the swing creak and fill her with nostalgia dipped in happiness.

For a while, she paused on the discussion she knew her brother wanted to have.

He let her, as he stood opposite to her, leaning on another tall tree, one leg bent at his knees, foot resting against the bark.

For a few minutes, they remained quiet.

"How bad Anya?" Suhan finally asked.

Anya dug her feet in the grass to stop the impromptu ride she was having. Opening her eyes, she looked at her brother.

"Bad."

Suhan inhaled deeply, looking away towards the house "Tell me."

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HYBRIDS :

A black shape blurred as it flew at a dizzying speed from the house. It shot out of the balcony and rose up to a chilling height in the matter of seconds. Its black feathers shone as the cloudy sunlight fell on them as the Eagle flared its wings out in its majestic span, the colour so deep a shade of darkness that it reflected in the tinge of Blueish black.

It twisted and spiraled in the air to climb up in the sky and the leveled out far above, circling the land it saw keenly, its eyes focused on finding the one person who commanded his every breath.

The eagle spotted the pair of brother and sister near the cluster of trees. It circled them slowly, then ever so gently made its descent to the tree behind them.

Such was its control over its movement, that even when he perched himself on a deeper branch, no sound alerted the humans of his presence.

Its eyes tracked the girl who was swinging from the tree, her hair touched by the wind like a hand of a lover caressing her tresses, her smile soft as she enjoyed it.

This was the girl he could burn the entire world for and gladly burn with it, only for the privilege of a gentle kiss from her petal soft lips.

The Eagle sharply turned towards another sound it detected, it senses far sharper and superior that the human siblings.

Easily, he could make out the shape of a Panther crouching low on its belly, hidden by the unevenness of the ground, making its resting place in a dip of the ground which both humans would not be able to see.

And just to its side, a Python slowly slithered out of the stream, its body camouflaged by the colours of the meadow. It lay on the ground like a log, careful in the way it positioned itself on the unmanicured grass, shifting its body to remain completely out of sight.

"How bad Anya?"

The Eagle refocused on his humans, sure that the Panther and the Python had their attention fixed on the same situation as him.

They were all here to find out why their Humans felt the need to have a discussion out of their hearing range.

Because the fact about his beautiful girl was, that she would hide all the pains, all her fears when it came to them.

Because, in her life, a single smile from them held a priceless value to her in a way that she would undergo countless times of agony just to evoke that smile again. And again. And again.

And he, had enough of that sight. He could not go through yet another situation knowing her to bear her fear close to her heart while she smiled in happiness for them. While she comforted them.

While she unconditionally loved them.

No. His priority was her.

And it was time that his priority won against hers.

Especially if it meant keeping her safe.

From him. From them. From herself.

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ANYA :

"Tell me."

Anya looked down at her feet, "I was scared." She paused, then said something that she knew her brother would grasp immediately. Would understand the gravity and extent.

"I still am."

Just a second pause. Then curses flew from his mouth.

"The Vrȃgs." Anya soothed the grass with her shoes, "I have not seen anything like them before. Not in our reality at least. Suhan, not even novels or movies can prepare you for them."

"Anya . . ." Suhan hesitated a little, "I heard most of all that happened but I did not witness it." he paused again, "But the psychology, the way they were made to be . . . it screams innocence. It screams their vulnerability—"

"That is exactly why it makes them exponentially more dangerous." Anya cut through his lines, "their innocence."

Suhan became quiet at that, understanding her, "You mean that innocence combined with the power they wield?"

Anya nodded. She pushed herself back on the swing lightly as she continued her conversation, "The power they had was beyond my imagination. They were holding back for me. They were being so very careful not to hurt me." she remembered the entire evening, "But I could FEEL it. Feel it thrumming inside of them, running through their veins. Not to mention the hint they gave me of some hidden power."

Anya stopped the swing again, feeling uneasy about what she wanted to say.

Her brother was intuitive enough to guess it, "That kind of power should not exist?"

Anya flinched at his matter-of-fact tone. But she nodded.

"That kind of power in the hands of an innocent, who has only known depravity, pain and abuse, is bound to lean towards a negativity which will push them towards a violence that will demand more of their soul. Will be addictive to them."

Anya looked up at Suhan, "It has the potential to morph them into the monsters they were made to believe they already are."

"I see you are using the word 'potential'."

Nodding Anya bit her lips, "It has not happened yet, but make no mistake, we are almost on that threshold."

Suhan acknowledged her and remained quiet. He casually reached up to break of a twig close to him and twirled it in his fingers.

"Its not just their physical or hidden power is it? The holder of it matters most." He said.

Anya looked at him, "Antichrist would start out as a child too."

Suhan snapped his gaze at her, "What—"

"NO!" Anya slashed her hand through the air to stop him, "No I don't mean that they are in any way evil. I am just pointing out that power is inconsequential if the wielder is weak and deadly in the opposite."

"But they were NOT born this dangerous." A statement from her brother.

Anya felt a sickening rage climbing up her stomach. It twisted her heart and sparked a heavy combination of sadness mixed with an acute helplessness.

"No." was all that she could get out.

No. Her beautiful and happy hybrids were not born to be that. They were simply another species, albeit a new species. Yes, they were dangerous in their own rights given their heritage and bloodline, but they were not this complicated. They were not born to be this . . .

She could not even put a name to it.

"The way their psyche was split, the way their Vrȃgs were isolated, the way they were kept suppressed is the reason for this calamity." Suhan continued breaking the twig systematically, his voice still maintained that low timber.

"The Darkness inside of them was vacuumed into a core and just left there to fester." Anya gritted out, "That darkness, without any light, was bound for the fate of decay setting in it. THEY made them this."

Suhan let go of the bits of wood left in his palms. Leaning back once more, he closed his eyes, "But the connection was not entirely cut. The Vrȃg could not feel the emotions, could not sense anything but it could see. All that happened to them. It could learn, from the ugliness displayed to them."

His sister said nothing.

"Surrounded by depravity, steeped in pain, drowning in obscene perversions, all it could understand was that the bar of normal was set in a corrupt fold. Inflicting hurt, killing, raping is normal to them. The disconnection from their human minds kept them from being educated." Suhan stopped.

He looked at her, "Correct me if I am Wrong Nya, I know you have a better grasp of psychology than me, but they are my family too. I need to be on the same page."

Anya gave a small nod.

Suhan inhaled and came towards her. He went behind his sister and gently massaged her shoulders a little. They sat together hearing the merry sounds of the monsoon season. Then, he pushed his sister a little, just like he used to when they were both children, making her swing below their old tree.

The tree was the same as before.

The siblings were still the same.

Only their love for the recent family members was new.

"You still love the swing."

Suhan whispered.

"It helps me." Anya whispered back.

For a little time, Suhan gathered his thoughts while Anya did her own. For a pocket of time, they pretended like everything was okay.

That moment passed serenely.

"The suppression was suffocating to the Vrȃg because they were the animal part of the hybrids, but were forcefully separated from its own identity. It cried and screamed to be heard, to have the basic connection that their human halves had, to feel the warmth of being held, but were rejected. Not only by the other people surrounding them, but by their own human mind too.

That started breeding resentment, anger. The anger in them was exponentially more to be feared because the part was in itself dark. It was inherently lethal on top of which the loneliness and unhappiness drove it mad. Made it completely insane."

"Yes." Anya said.

"The desolation did not stop there. Slowly the desperation and rage kept building in the Vrȃg for just wanting acceptance, but all it felt was more stabbing pain because no one understood. No one even KNEW of its turmoil, of its struggle. The Vrȃg felt that they were screaming in a void, that their voice was as inaudible as it itself was invisible.

The pressure kept building, their darkness kept getting stronger, they kept getting more and more twisted, violent tendencies started breeding more all because they kept calling out to be loved, but were crushed time and time again, until they felt they did not even exist.

That, in their childlike innocence, left them utterly destroyed. Their one simple wish, vanquished because they did not understand that they were not normal. To them, they were no different from any other. In fact, I guess they did not even understand that they were not human. They were too ignored to be educated of that.

So all they wondered was when they had committed a sin to be so badly abandoned by like people. By themselves? They raged. And raged. And raged. Only to be imprisoned even more effectively."

Anya closed her eyes against the stinging tears.

Her babies had been confused and alone.

Not knowing why the pain came, not knowing why they were not loved.

"Yes."

"Until they felt and saw their human minds speculating if the Michael person loved them or not. That made them pause. They suddenly found the worst emotion flooding them.

Hope."

Anya's lips trembled. "Yes."

"They were jubilant. The Vrȃg did not even wait for their human mind to make the inference or judgement whether Michael truly loved them or not. They were sanguine that he did."

Suhan mockingly scoffed. The sound dripped in painful sadness.

"To them, Michael would hold them. He would make them not feel alone. Make them feel wanted. Love them. That was all they ever wanted. In return? They would do whatever he wanted to keep him happy. To make sure he kept loving them.

That night, the Vrȃgs pushed with all they had, to surface, to talk, to ask him to hold them. They must have been so happy."

The swing kept creaking as Suhan kept pushing his little sister higher up. He knew she had her eyes close, so he was even more careful about it.

"Only to see Michael's face distorting in horror. Only to see the person they thought loved them, flee in terror. They still tried reaching him, not even understanding that they had killed the security. They still wanted to believe, against their instincts screaming at them, that Michael must have made a misunderstanding.

The final blade to their heart was when their collars activated. Not only did the betrayal burn them down, but that was the first time they physically experienced pain."

Anya swallowed and broke in, "But the betrayal changed them."

Suhan became quiet for a bit, "It changed them completely. They now became wary of anyone claiming to love them. They still wanted love, but their loyalty withdrew. It only extended to themselves. They built walls around their hearts with barbed wires.

And worse? They wanted to break free, with or without their human halves consent. They coiled their hatred, their power and wanted to come out. To maim. To destroy. To burn the whole world down. To make everyone suffer as much as they were suffering.

To become the monsters they were made to be.

To become death."

"But then the auction happened." Anya said.

Suhan smiled at that statement, "No Nya, Then you happened."

Anya dug her heels in the ground, stopping the swing. She turned towards Suhan.

"Once they had tasted freedom, they kept watching through the animal side in subconscious. They felt more of their human mind. Whatever happened in the auction, not only could they understand that all your actions were different from the ones they had ever seen, but that you made their human halves happy too. Deliriously so. They remembered how their Human mind had still been wary of Michael, but none of that indecisiveness came with you.

You, THEY loved without any reserve.

That was all it took for them to imprint.

Again, the freedom you gave, the love you shared, they wanted to see that again. And somehow, even though you ran from them, the knowledge that you sealed them all in, including yourself, the fact that you made sure they were not hurt, made their obsession over you stronger."

Anya got up from the swing walking towards the nearest tree.

Suhan continued, "Right now, they are singularly fixated on you Nya. And that focus from them is deadly. Their passions, their desire does not include submission. Nor does it include sharing. They may tolerate me, Arissa, Choi, Peter, Joseph and Jackson, but they will not hesitate to butcher any other that they perceive can threaten their bond.

One single word of opposition from you, and they will unknowingly maim you too. One wrong gesture from you, and they will gut you from your throat to stomach. They will not tolerate another supposed betrayal Anya, especially from the woman they think belongs to them.

If it happens, not only will I lose you, but them too. The pain will drive them to kill anyone in their sight, the whole world will drown in red till they are either put down or they kill themselves.

And Anya, no one in this entire planet can stop them. Not with the amount of training we have already given them and will continue to give."

"But they will seek you out too." Anya countered, "Mainly you. Then Arissa and the rest. They are still too innocent. They crave that touch too. they'd want you too, because they know that their human halves and me love you all."

Suhan nodded and sat down on the swing himself, "I know that. And no matter what form, human, hybrid or Vrȃg, they are always welcome to seek me. But Nya, please don't forget that they have imprinted on you. That bond is already darkly possessive but taken on a whole different level with the bloodthirsty Vrȃg. Have a care."

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HYBRID :

The eagle felt an icy feeling in his body. It felt like he could lose his balance and fall down. It made its claws grip the wood, its nails scratching and digging in. Neglecting all that he had heard, all that he could concentrate on was the brutal threat their Vrȃgs presented to his Master.

He saw the Python slowly coming closer to the clearing, physically drawn to her as he had heard the vile things they could do to her. He wanted to show her that he would never let that happen, but stopped when he reached the edge.

The Python steadily reached the tree a little further from them, and without making a whisper of sound, climbed up.

The Panther, remained in place.

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ANYA :

"Having said that, onto the main question. What can we do to help? We need to pull them back from the edge at the same time make sure that the original integrity of the Vrȃgs is the same."

Anya looked at her brother, biting her lips worryingly, "The main friction which is agitating the Vrȃg the most is the suppression they are facing from their own human halves. The continual rejection.

What is problematic is, for freedom or for me, they will want to manifest often. There is no doubt that their full potential, their Code will be unlocked soon. The problem is the alternative it will commence in."

Suhan started rotating the swing, going a little higher up, "I know. Either they can merge their animal psyche with the Vrȃg, or the Vrȃg will fully overpower them completely. No trace of the human half will be left."

Anya feared that the most. The Vrȃgs would now want to explore, venture out. The draw they had with her, they would be likely to want to hold her, talk with her, feel her emotions and affections. But if their human halves kept suppressing it, the rage would cause them to obliterate the human psyche, gaining control of their body permanently.

She had a real danger of losing the hybrids she loved. To themselves. Forever.

"They need to understand their Vrȃg. They NEED to control it, even if it means that their behavior will change and be influenced heavily by the Vrȃg. that's better than losing them forever." Anya said with a slight bit of desperation.

"That alone wont do." Suhan looked up at the sky, his gaze unfocused, "WE need to make them feel safe, make them feel wanted while making sure to teach them. It falls on us to make them understand that while we wholeheartedly welcome them, their human halves are cherished too."

Anya sighed and closed her eyes, "And therein lies the next huge problem. We cannot afford mistakes. One episode of their sparked fury resulting in a rampage of human lives is not a mistake they can learn from. We don't have the luxury of making them learn of their errors after they commit any mistakes. Any slip they have will result in something too gruesome."

Suhan's eyebrows drew together, "What do you mean?"

Anya hesitated. She stopped to turn back to the tree, resting her forehead on the bark.

"Nya?"

"It means no one can know about their true Code Suhan." She whispered, then lowered her voice even further to say what actually needed to be done, "For their safety, anyone knowing about them, cannot live."

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HYBRIDS :

The panther almost stepped up and back but stopped himself at the last second. It closed its eyes as it absorbed the words his Master said. He knew how much she hated doing exactly what she wanted to. Honestly, he still did not think if he had heard her correctly.

But if he had, then he needed to tell her to stop.

They would fight with themselves, control themselves till they choked on air, but make sure that they stayed within the limits.

As it was, the boundaries and limits she set for them spanned oceans. Doing the bare minimum, to gather the strength of work hard on controlling themselves was the least they could do.

It was what they SHOULD be doing.

He started to get up, to go her, when he saw something in the periphery of his vision.

A black eagle, almost camouflaged within the branches of a tree had been slowly spreading its wings to catch his attention.

Once the Panther looked at the Eagle, the Eagle shook his head.

Forbidding him.

The Panther was torn. He did not want her to make compensations on her principles on his behalf. That would just categorize him as weak. As someone who could not even do something for his Star who selflessly kept sacrificing something or the other for them.

Ever since they had been bought, all they gave her had been more headaches and misery.

The reason why the Panther still clung close to her was not just based on his selfishness and greed to want her. It was because he knew the desperation with which she loved him back.

She would be destroyed without him.

But if it kept meaning for her to compromise on the very principles she centered her personality on, if it meant that she let go of the very basis which made her who she was, then did it mean what he was evoking was NOT toxic?

He was making her give up on who she essentially was.

That made him disgusted.

He should be strong enough to take the helms of the fate in a manner which accommodated her wishes to make him the better person. To bring out his best self.

Not this. Not for her to fear for his safety and step down in the mud.

The Panther was feeling like the egg in the game she made them play.

And he hated it.

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ANYA :

"Glad you saw it at last. Took you long enough to reach this conclusion." Suhan drawled from behind.

Anya remained as she was.

"The day you bought them, the day you called them your own, was the day they became family Nya. Not just family in the sense of it, but the family we chose, the family that makes us who we are. The family, which we live for.

And you know my principles on the view of my family, do you not?"

"Live for them, smile with them in their happiness. Kill for them, smile in the face of the death of those who dared to make them cry." Anya dutifully parroted.

Suhan smiled, "Ergo, it was a forgone conclusion dear sister. I just needed for you to verbalize it. The second I realized their Codes and their Traits, I knew no one could know. The government would have them put down with or without our consent, and that is something which will never happen in my watch."

He stood up from the swing, "I have already collected every name Anya. Each security guard, their friends, the doctor who helped with the births, the minister who sanctioned the appeal for them to be born outside of the lab. Every. One."

Anya turned swiftly at that, "Minister?"

Suhan calmly kept his gaze on her, "No exceptions. Not in this. The stakes are too high."

Anya looked in the warm brown eyes of her brother, currently rigid in its purpose. She nodded her assent.

"You'll be pleased to know that every single one of those attached names have heinous criminal history to them. Even the Minister, or should I say especially the Minister. He knows that the breed was experimental, does not know about the Codes but is still waiting for his money from them. He had taken great pleasure in abusing them too. I promised to never let you see the footage Anya but I saw it. That cursed footage we retrieved, I made myself see the entire thing just to catch every word being spoken. Trust me, I will sleep easy knowing such scums no longer breathe the same air we do."

"You have a plan?"

"I have a plan."

Anya stared at her brother for a while, "Then I will be excluded from this Suhan. If I take part in it, my hybrids will be agitated, thinking I am compromising my principles for them. They will take themselves apart thinking that they are making me go through something I abhor when you and I both know its not the case."

Suhan inclined his head, "As it is Nya, these are the things I handle. Not you."

"They don't know that."

"Yet."

Anya sighed, "Then you have to take them with you."

"Come again?" Suhan was taken aback at that.

Anya sighed more heavily and raised both her palms to hide her face in it. In a gesture of agitation she roughly rubbed her face and then speared her hair with her hands clutching fistful of the silken wealth.

"They are Vrȃgs Suhan. Not just Code Unclassified. The violence in them lives in their blood. If I leash them in the ways of only sophisticated revenge, then I am no better than their trainers, caging their tendencies, manacling them in ways that they will feel repressed."

Suhan still looked puzzled.

"I wont change who I am Suhan. Even if I want to, I cant, because I know that will just be taken by my hybrids to mean that they are weak. But you." Anya smiled then, "You, they still don't know. At least that side of you."

Anya spread her arms "Look at it properly Suhan. They are intelligent and savage. They have known the way of me. Do you not think they should be introduced to your methods now? Let them decide in the future how they want to proceed with anyone."

She lowered her hands as her eyes sparkled, "Afterall, it is not fair to keep them only in the influence of the Light Twin. I think, they might prefer the Dark more."

Suhan smiled wickedly, "They are more than capable."

Anya returned the expression, "Collaborate with them then. You have been complaining long enough for not finding someone whom you can trust when in these . . . . operations? Well, you have 7 now. People whom you can trust blindly."

Suhan rocked back on his heels, both his hands in his pockets, "Be careful Nya. They might like my method more."

Anya returned his challenge, "I wont let them slip Suhan. My opinions will always weigh more to them."

Suhan raised an eyebrow but laughed in assent, "Who do I take first?"

Anya did not hesitate to answer, "Jin, Joon, Taehyung and Yoongi."

Suhan's eyes narrowed at the way the names came flying out of her lips, without even pausing to think. "Why those specifically?"

"The snakes are too wild to be tasting what you will offer without proper preparation in the form of others recounting their deeds. As for Jungkook . . . . its been a long time since I truly spent time with him."

"Ah." Suhan nodded sagely, "Now that we have gotten the perfunctory reason out of the way, may I be eligible to avail myself to the knowledge of the real one?"

The animation from Anya's eyes flew away.

To be replaced by a nameless emotion Suhan himself had never seen. He, who knew every aspect of his sister, did not know this.

"If you are thinking its because Jimin is the deadliest and I am keeping Hobi and Jungkook to control him, then you are dead wrong."

"It is not?"

"If only it was Suhan. I know what you are thinking. While we taught the pack on how to study a human, their body language, to understand what made them tick, how to know their habits, when to understand the flinches which gave away their emotions. How to look for someone's weakness, to know just how to manipulate someone without their knowledge, they did learn.

But Jimin turned all of that on me. He studied me."

Suhan shrugged and leant against a tree, "He knows you better than anyone. Including me."

Anya couldn't help but smile, "I know." She walked a little out of the trees, "But still, he is not the most deadly out of the 7. He has his own twisted games, he has become a deadly manipulator. He is no doubt LETHAL when he wants to be, but still, not the worst."

She looked back at her brother as she sat down on the ground, not minding the little wetness. The petrichor had always been a fragrance she loved, "Jungkook's Vrȃg, I cant tell you much about. After the initial anger, I did not wait to get a feel of him. I subdued him before he could do anything. Hoseok, I believe will have a better control of his Vrȃg than others. He had the ability to think, to strategize and start transforming, meaning he was too in touch with his human mind. The artless and naïve Vrȃg would not have been able to think of that. In a way, Hobi is brutally dangerous for anyone who will cross him, but not us."

Anya closed her eyes and turned her face towards the sun now coming out of the cover of grey clouds,

"Joon has the most power I believe. And he is quiet in his approach, a shadow who can move without letting you know. His singular focus is deadly Suhan, his mind works faster than the speed of the second in which the situation commences. But, he is emotional. If that is settled down, if the state of his mind is content or happy at a given time, then rationality will prevail because his drive will be gone. As such, I do believe, he will achieve an understanding with his Vrȃg quite easily."

Suhan did not need for her sister to say anything about the Tiger, "Taehyung is unpredictable. But his heart only beats for you. His attention is always going to be on you. He will only retaliate or even bother to engage with anyone else, if he feels you can be harmed or you ask him to. He himself and his Vrȃg are completely enamored and obsessed with you."

"Yep."

"Yoongi?" Suhan asked.

"Yoongi."

The time when she had drawn out their human conscious from them to overpower the Vrȃg yesterday night, she knew something had changed.

She knew Jimin was greatly affected but Yoongi was on another level.

"As it is, Yoongi's psyche was imbalanced. When they melded with their animal, the animal had more influence on him." Anya quietly said. "When I drew out the human mind yesterday night, he was still in his animal form."

Suhan sucked in a breath, "You mean the psyches clashed?"

Anya really did not want to tell this to her brother.

"Spit it out!"

Opening her eyes, she looked him square in his, "I believe Yoongi had unleashed his Vrȃg the night I asked Jimin to whip me. I think," she drew in a breath, "he can manipulate his Vrȃg."

A silence passed in serenity of fear. Pure fear in Suhan.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Anya thought back to the time Yoongi had been carefully applying balm to her bruised form the lashes of Jimin's whip.

"For the heavy price you made us pay, our change will be your debt to fulfil."

"There will be no limit Master, the change in us will be the collar you wear for the rest of your life."

He had tried to warn her, in a way that was a game to him. And she, was his prize. He was playing the game still, Anya had realized. And so was Jimin.

She was right to tell Suhan that Jimin was not the worst when it came to dangerous among the pack, but he was lethal when it came to HER. He wanted her, but Anya knew of the other desire he had too.

He wanted to ruin her.

He wanted to devour her.

In a way that would leave her deliciously broken.

In a way, Anya wanted it too. But not with the undertones of powerplay. Oh no, her sweet Cobra wanted to play? She would oblige.

But Yoongi . . .

"I dismissed that I saw something in his eyes that night when I came to your room. I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me." Suhan murmured.

That snapped her attention, "What? What did you see?"

Suhan looked half scared and half in awe, "Golden eyes"

Anya felt her heart stop at that.

Golden eyes was the color of his Jaguar's gaze, not Human. When their eyes changed the color of their animal's WHILE IN their human forms, would be the indication of them having completely unlocked their Code.

"Were his eyes Golden in the backdrop of black?" she asked urgently. Because that was the fear. Black eyes, with golden iris.

Suhan shook his head.

Still.

She needed to talk with him.

"Seokjin. What about him Nya?"

Suhan's question pulled her attention. She blinked and refocused her attention.

"He is the most dangerous of them all."

"What?"

Jin was the hybrid who ruthlessly suppressed his Vrȃg, in fact it had been one of the first things she had noticed about him, had admired in him. The easy ability he had to tame his desires. And the desires that ran through him had been forbidden. The depths of it pure madness.

She still remembered what he had told her.

"Why do you keep such a stone cold control Jin?"

"I have to, otherwise my need for you will burn us both"

"My morning starts with thoughts of you and the day ends with my obsession being spread farther. I am drowning Master. I am struggling to control myself. The fever in me keeps getting hotter while I try to hold back."

Once too often, she had caught glimpses of it. and shivered.

Out of all the Vrȃgs, his was the darkest. There was no depth to his obsession or his greed. The endless fall into his needs would not let anyone survive.

And the way he had managed everything in his life, and hardened him in the worst possible way, his struggles to keep his brothers safe had inversely made his Vrȃg even more rigid. And manipulative.

There was no boundary he would not cross, no limit that he would not break to get what he wanted. He would either twist the person or butcher him to take him out. He did not know right from wrong and neither did he care for it.

Jin, had no fear. His obsession rode him intensely and all he did was answer to it. His intelligence prompted him to toy with whoever he wanted, when he got bored, and then ruthlessly take what he fancied.

Jin by himself had always been intuitive, something she loved. His Vrȃg, however was uncompromising.

And its desire, its need, was her.

"What happened with him last night?" Suhan demanded now.

Anya looked straight in his eyes and lied, "The way he fought made me aware Suhan. You know I took him down right after Jungkook. It wasn't what happened that hinted it, it the observation of it all that made me realize it."

Her brother nodded, "If he is that critical then I think we should let him know—"

"Trust me. He knows. That was the reason why his protests were vehement."

Suhan took it all in then said in a frustrated tone,

"And we have that blasted dinner tonight."

"Yep"

"And the Gala after just 2 weeks."

"Yep."

"We are screwed 6 ways to Sunday."

"Elegantly put."

"And that too without a Master. The closest I can come to compare them, I feel Vrȃgs are like Wild Hunting Dogs. They are savage and an apex predator answering to just one master. Sadly, even through the comparison fails, the fact remains. Things would have been better if they accepted you as Master."

"They are animals Suhan. They will always be able to sense sincerity. If I am honest with them, sincere in my thoughts and actions, they will respond. That is something I am not worried about. Subterfuge is not my way with them."

Suhan drolly looked at her, "Really? Then what is this?"

"Nothing I said here that I wont tell them if asked. Right now as I said, my priority is to put that conflict at rest. They need to stop clashing and accept the Vrȃg." Anya winced again as her head started throbbing with her breast and wrists. The pain was starting to become worse.

"Master?"

Anya and Suhan both looked over to watch Hobi striding towards them from behind the trees.

"Hobi?"

He gave her a shy smile, "I was out walking about."

Anya and Suhan both smiled in welcome.

"But you," Hoseok looked at her, "Don't look that good. I think you should be resting."

The Python did not even wait for Suhan or Anya to react. He simply bent down to scoop her in his arms, holding her close to his chest like a precious doll. He urged her to tuck her face in the nook of his neck as he started striding back towards the house.

"Hobiiiii" She laughed delightedly at the affection bestowed on her, her happiness instant and wholesome, "I still need to tell Suhan of the plans for you all starting to come to my office and the auction I arranged!"

Hoseok stilled a little at the word 'Auction' but then started walking again after shaking his head, "Then you can tell him and me both about it in your bed. If we are to attend this dinner, we need you to be actually able to sit through it."

Anya just laughed and snuggled closer in his cold embrace. Her pains taking a backseat in the light of the joy she felt after being held.

Since yesterday, none of her hybrids had embraced her. None had hugged her close. She had not received a single kiss.

"I missed you." She contentedly whispered in Hoseok's shirt.

Those 3 little words made him Jolt to a stop, Suhan narrowly avoiding bumping into them from behind. After rectifying himself, Suhan simply went around them to continue inside the Cottage to her room.

While Hobi, lifted her a little closer to himself, "Why would you miss me?"

"You did not hold me after yesterday night." She complained.

His eyes softened, "That matters to you?" he asked softly, his lips just inches away from hers.

Anya bit her lips, "I am as needy for you as you are for me. Do you not know that by now?"

His smile was slow and tantalizing. It was filled with dawning realization and happiness. He leaned forwards to rest his forehead against her, gently touching her nose with his, "That is your weakness?"

Anya nodded, "I am not immune to you as I make you believe Hobi."

Hobi angled his face down a little, just so that his lips touched hers as he whispered, "Then I will never let you be bereft of my touch Master."

The moment of intimacy was profound and gentle at the same time. They both parted and smiled at each other before he continued towards her room. Though they had not kissed, both of their hearts beat loudly, hammering due to the wild pleasure of a simple gesture, the nearness to one another brought.

That was the first seed of true love that the Vrȃg in him touched.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

SEOKJIN :

The Eagle watched the Girl going back inside. He flew closer to them, riding the air just above to hear the whispered conversation.

He gracefully landed on the ground as he watched them go deeper in the house.

"Hyung?" Jungkook's voice made him turn to look at the Panther transformed back into human, looking at him, "What are you planning? Whatever it is, please don't."

The Eagle stared in the eyes of the little brother he adored and loved, but he rejected the plea in them. Because he loved and adored the girl too. And from what he had learnt, he needed to extend his protection to her.

No matter how tough she was, she was as fragile and delicate as a thin needle of crystal when it came to them.

If she wanted him to commit to the actions she desired him to make, actions which would result in her walking on eggshells, actions which would make him afraid of each second he spent with her, in the fear of hurting her, or worse, then she needed to prove it to him.

That she was capable of being strong for both of their sakes.

Because he could not lose her.

He refused.

She was his morning. He would not let his life become an eternal night.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

EVENING

ANYA :

Anya looked in the mirror of her spacious bathroom as she pulled a white robe over her still wet body. The dark circles under her eyes were minimum at least now.

Thankfully after telling Suhan and Hobi of her plans for the Gala and Auction, she had taken a painkiller and knocked out.

Hobi had come again to wake her up and also inform her that Suhan had somehow managed to uninvite their extended family from the dinner. It was only going to be her mother, father and Uncle.

But, Anya thought waspishly as she started the process of drying her hair after plugging in the hair dryer, the servants and maids were a completely different issue.

Although not disloyal, information was easily passed from them to whichever hand held the largest sum of money.

So in a way, tonight was her hybrids formal introduction to the society. The Gala would be a debut in the echelon of the elite.

She winced as she dried and styled her hair. Her wrists were still tender although her headache was gone for now. But her arms and breasts stubbornly did not agree with the agenda.

Anya took her time with her hair.

Must be here where I sing and I brush and brush and brush my hair.

After 25 long minutes, her hair was perfectly styled and dried as she wanted it to be. Honestly, maintaining that length had become cumbersome for her. She wanted to get a shorter style.

But she had seen how fascinated her hybrids were with the length. How much they loved it.

And so, Anya put up with the amazingly boring and intensely annoyingly long process of caring for the long length.

Once finished, she swiftly applied a little tinted moisturizer followed by her lipstick and eyeliner. It was after all a family dinner, she did not need to get dolled up.

Much.

As long as her diva of mother swanned about, she could not just turn up in a simple shift dress and her hair in a messy bun.

They had an image to keep, according to her mother.

Makeup done, she applied her preferred body cream and started on her nails as she waited to dry off.

Once completed, Anya took the white satin robe and put it on, exiting the bathroom, she crossed the room to her bed, seeing her causal yet stylish black dress lying on it.

Just as she was reaching forward to pick it up, a voice made her pause, "May I delay you for some moments?"

Jin.

With a smile on her face, she looked up, only to freeze a little to find both Jin and Taehyung standing at the corner of her room. The reason why she had missed seeing them.

Taehyung was turned away from her, talking with Jin no doubt. His expression was blank, but his eyes had a gleam to it. His focus was solely centered on her, his gaze burning her entire body.

While Jin's expression was guarded. Neutral. But his sharp jaws were clenched. And his eyes . . .

His eyes were lasered on her, his gaze so magnetic that all Anya could do was be taken in by its intensity.

How were they real?

They were dressed simply, but the impact they had was nothing short of a grand wave of lust which crashed on her, drenching her in her own desires.

NO GIRL COULD RESIST THAT GAZE!

Anya refused to take it in any means, as her fault.

"Huh?" came her extremely intelligible response.

Jin did not say anything but maintained her eye contact and started walking towards her, Taehyung following him closely behind.

"Spare me some more minutes of your time." Jin said as he reached closer to her, his voice soft.

Anya nodded.

Taehyung reached from behind to gently take her hand in his. He tugged her forwards towards the vanity.

Puzzled, Anya simple followed.

Taehyung pulled the seat from the vanity and guided her to sit on it. Anya made sure to clutch the robe in place as she sat down, but, the robe parted over her thighs and slithered away from her skin, exposing her legs.

Anya did not feel like covering herself again.

She looked up at the larger mirror in front of her to find Taehyung and Jin on either side of her, standing behind her.

The tension in the air had started thrumming.

She remained quiet and waited for them to explain to her what they wanted.

Taehyung kept looking at her via the mirror as he lifted his hand and placed it on her shoulder.

The touch was warm, as was it heavily possessive.

He molded her shoulders, carefully rubbing it. Then, he drew his long fingers over her chin, tantalizing her with his feather touches.

His eyes remained steady on hers, while his fingers caressed the side of her throat, making circles on the soft skin with his rough pads of fingers.

He tilted his head to one side, his eyes dark and heavy on her. Burning with a mysterious emotion.

Slowly, he gathered her long hair and pushed it away from one side and let it fall in layers of spun silk across her back and other shoulder.

"Don't stop me." his deep voice murmured as he parted the satin robe on her bared neck, pulling it till the bite on the base of her neck became visible.

His eyes fell on it. The bite he had given her, the canine that had torn through her flesh to bring her sweet blood to surface.

A primal light came in his eyes as he saw that wound, his hands reached to gently touch it, ever so softly that she did not feel it.

The pain was still there, it would likely scar, but for the life of her, all she inappropriately felt was a desire so strong, that it was a miracle she remained seated on the chair instead of throwing herself over to him.

"I remember the taste of your blood on my tongue." He whispered, "I remember wanting more."

Anya breathed in deeply.

Taehyung bent down to place his lips softly on her injury, "The taste of you satisfied me, because I know, that was an intimacy that no one had done. Not with you."

Somehow, Anya answered, "Your idea of intimacy is painful to me Tae." Her voice contradicted her statement. It was breathy.

Tae kissed the bite marks, his lips lingering on them. Anya felt a shiver go down her spine. The warm kind.

"Not if it was timed right." He murmured against her heated skin, "Not if the bite was given when you were reaching your climax." His lips strayed away from the wound as he left burning kisses on her neck.

"Given at the right time, the pain of that bite, would be as delicious to you as your blood was to me. Given at the right time, I could make you ride that violent pleasure longer, make you writhe in my arms until I came with you."

Anya blinked a little, her breathing was becoming rapid. The satin of her parted robe, slipping a little more down her shoulders.

Abruptly Taehyung straightened, his eyes banking that fire, "But what I did instead was only to cater to my selfish needs." His hands brushed over the marks, "What I did, the pain I caused will never be repeated again. I will make sure of that."

Hang on. Then why did he paint such an erotic picture in the first place if all he had to say was to never repeat it again??

And why, in the name of all things holy, was I feeling disappointed??? Since when did I have vampire fetishes??????

Anya reached to pull her satin gown up when a strong hand stopped her.

She flicked her eyes to the guarded dark ones of her Eagle, his hand extended to keep hers a prisoner, across her chest.

"What is it you came here for?" Anya asked at last.

"To see the damage we inflicted." Taehyung answered as he took a step back, "To see the result of the lust we let free, if only for a few moments."

Anya fisted her palms and tried to jerk away from Jin's hold. He let her go.

"I don't like to be played with Tae."

"Your pain is not a source of amusement for us. Neither is it a source of arousal." Jin spoke up, his voice deep and heavy. Serious.

The state she was in, she could not stop herself from saying, "This coming from you?" she focused back on her Eagle, "Am I the only one who remembers what happened between us last night?" She looked back at Tae, "The wildness we felt? The way we moved?"

Her words caused a little black to bleed in Taehyung's eyes, his sculpted jaw firming a little at the memory, But Seokjin remained steady.

"None of what happened yesterday was enjoyable for you. You were fighting for your life, against us."

Something in Anya could not let him deny the desire he had, the desperation he felt.

"And you? Did you not enjoy it?"

Jin straightened and looked at her from the mirror, "Maybe at that time, I did. But I was not in control of my actions. Now? When I remember it? I feel disgusted."

"But I am not." She solemnly said. "Looking back, without the adrenaline in me, I enjoy the memory."

More black bled into Taehyung's eyes and he backed away from her, to stand at a distance, away from her scent. But Jin's demeanor sparked into life.

His blank expression crumpled to give way to anger. Directed at himself.

"Which part of being mauled was enjoyable?"

"All I remember is you hotly laving my skin with your tongue."

"Which part of me tasting your blood is memorable??"

"All I can think about is your hands on my bare skin, your fingers sliding over my breasts, teasing me, petting me. Arousing me."

Jin knelt down again, his hands gripping her arms gently, but firmly. His voice raised higher but a tortured tinge afflicted it.

"Do you like the way I intolerably hurt you? Bruised your softest curve??"

"I loved the way you kissed me, your taste. The way you stroked me. The desperation with which you wanted me."

Jin was breathing hard, "Did you like being under me? Pinned? Helpless?"

"Yes."

"Liar." He released her.

Anya said, "You say that but I can see it in your eyes Jin, you want all I said to be the truth. It is."

She looked at Taehyung, sensuously rubbing her exposed legs together, "Will you disagree too Tae?"

Taehyung came forward again, his eyes normal, his voice deep but sad, "I wont. As much as I hate the lapse, the hurt, I cant let go of the memory. I never will." He bent down.

Gently he placed a kiss on her cheeks, "But when I take you for the first time, I want it to be on my terms, not my Vrȃg's. I want to watch your eyes dilate in pleasure, I want to feel the embrace in which you will hold me, even when the sensations become too much to bear. I want to hear your voice screaming my name in ecstasy, I want to feel your body going plaint in my arm in exhaustion. Not in fear."

Anya smiled a little, " 'When?' "

Tae returned the smile. That was answer enough.

Jin came back a little more controlled, to her other side.

He boldly reached for the knot keeping her robe tied. Anya instinctively stopped him, placing her hands over his.

Jin raised one brow, "Have I not seen you already last night? The memory you claim to enjoy?" he waited for her to say something, "Did you not say you loved my attention?"

Anya looked at Tae, only to find his gaze fixed on Jin's hand as well. He was waiting for him to untie the sash.

"Jin . . ."

"There you go again Master." He whispered in her ears, "How many times do I need to remind you that YOU are mine?"

Anya's heart thudded against her chest.

"How many times do I need to make YOU understand, that seeing you, touching you, taking care of you, is my right? Don't ever stop me again."

Anya withdrew her hands, and clutched them tightly in her lap. They were shaking with need. This was her Hybrid without his Vrȃg. She would not survive the merge.

Jin held the sash and flicked his wrist, undoing it instantly.

The white satin robe parted a little, showing a sliver of her skin.

Jin took hold of one side of the flap and placed an open mouth kiss on her neck, "My Vrȃg touched you in a way that I did not. And you let it." he stood up.

Eyes glittering and fixed on her form he whispered, "Was that fair?"

With excruciating care, he slowly parted the gown. Taehyung did the same from the other side.

Both of their gazes deep and burning, their breathing rapid as they uncovered her in front of them.

Once the robe parted, they let it fall, the satin pooling around her elbows.

Anya could only sit in front of the mirror, stunned at what was happening. Her dark hair fell in luxurious waves, framing her lush figure. The slip of white satin remained pooled on her lap and back, her silken smooth skin obscenely on display.

Her breasts rose and fell with every breath she took, the soft curves heavy with desire, the berry red center beaded and pebbled, begging to be touched.

Taehyung and Jin fisted their hands as they saw the beautiful girl seated naked before them, her lush virgin curves, theirs to enjoy.

A woman, who no one had seen this intimately. An Angel, only they had a claim on.

But the heat in their desire considerably cooled as they saw the purplish bruises marking the smooth skin of her breasts, marks of callous fingers so carelessly embedded in her flesh.

Jin's Handiwork.

Slowly, with infinite care, Jin traced the bruises on her soft curves with light fingertips causing a wake of fire in Anya. But she remained quiet. She knew they could recognize her arousal, but she also knew that this moment, had a different effect on them than it did to her.

This was not sexual to them.

"You let me do that to you?" A tortured voice asked her. "You let me hurt you this badly?"

Anya smiled at that, "You did not know you were hurting me."

"But YOU did!" Seokjin retaliated wildly. "If it was me, I would still understand, but you let my Vrȃg do this to you."

Anya covered his hand with hers, holding it over her naked flesh, "You and your Vrȃg are the same Jin. Both are—"

"NO!" Jin surged up to an embrace, holding her within his arms, pulling her face to the base of his throat. He held her naked form to him, his hands supporting the back of her head, another encircling her completely.

"We are NOT the same. You love ME. You don't even know the Vrȃg."

"Jin—"

"We are late. I will not be keeping you Master. I shall be waiting with the rest downstairs for you." He mumbled in her hair and kissed her head. Then paused, and kissed her forehead again.

Then without looking back he strode away from her.

"Hyung has only ever learnt to worry about the people he loves." Taehyung stepped closer to her. He drew the robe over her nudity, covering her, "And you are his Sun. It will take time for him to ever allow himself to think about merging with an entity that has the potential to harm you."

Anya stood up from her seat, "And you?"

Tae tied the sash loosely again, "Will discuss it with you tomorrow. Lets get through the dinner first. I am too anxious about the way I need to behave in order to impress your parents."

Anya detected a slight shakiness in his voice. Her Tiger was telling the truth.

"Tae, you don't have to think about impressing anyone. Regardless of what they think, your bond with mine will not be broken. Besides, the value I place in the family I live with exceeds the one I am born in. And I know my father and uncle will love you."

"But not your mother?" Taehyung sharply looked at her.

Anya opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. She smiled sadly at him, "My mother, is a typical high society wife who values the status of being a billionaire's wife more than being a true woman."

Anya walked away from him, going towards the bed, "She is the typical donating to the charity and mingling with her friends while attending every party kind of mother. Never did she have time for me or Suhan. Or sometimes, even father. She is not bad, just, a spoiled socialite. She adheres by society's rule, the appearance, the presentation, the image.

She doesn't know how to be a true mother, or a true wife. She truly just doesn't. Having being born in a wealthy family, being married to an equally wealthy husband, she just kept going about her life as she was."

Sitting down on the bed, she gave Tae a smile, "She is just . . . Shallow. She loves bragging about me and Suhan. Our achievements, our success, but never does she take the time to actually talk. The kind of talk that matters, not the once a month lunch."

Taehyung came to her and knelt down in front of her, "And you wanted a mom."

Anya shook her head, "I got one. Arissa."

"Then why the long face?"

Anya looked away.

Taehyung stood up and sat down on the bed, then he lifted her and placed her in his lap. Once she was settled, he banded his arms around her, "because, she is still, your mom. That longing wont just go away."

"She is not a bad mother. She is just—"

"I know." Taehyung shushed her, hugging her, "I know. And for your information, those are the kind I can win over the easiest."

Anya jerked away. Looking at him she said dryly, "Really?"

Tae laughed at her expression. He booped her nose and said, "Just because I was conditioned does not mean I could not observe. In fact, me and Jungkook are the ones who are close in competition with Jimin when it comes to knowing a person."

Anya wrinkled her brows.

"Oh Master, You'll see."

Anya stayed silent with him then curiously asked, "Were you not affected at all?"

Taehyung did not pretend to not understand her. He pulled her more closer to him on his lap, until she could feel the evidence of his desire against her thigh.

Tae's arm settled and tightened on her waist, his palms resting just below her breasts, "Never doubt my desire for you, Master." He kissed her on her chin, "It just makes me want to prove it to you."

Smiling mischievously, she winked at him, "And if I invite you to prove it now?"

Tae however did not smile back. "Do you wish it? Do you want me to?"

This stupid blasted dinner!

He smiled at her then, looking at her crestfallen face, "We have the rest of our life, Don't look so glum. We have a lifetime ahead of us, and i promise you, Every Single Day of it, I will make you feel cherished. Emotionally and sexually." Tae kissed her on her head.

Anya felt a sharp pain in her head at those words.

She guessed it would be better to take the medicine for headache after all.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

HALF AN HOUR LATER

HYBRIDS :

Joon completed the task of wearing his boots and looked at Suhan again, "So just the three members?"

Suhan adjusted his shirt and nodded, "Still, I would like it if you play your cards close to your chest. Don't show them your real personality."

Jimin sat down on the sofa, "But aren't they your family?"

Suhan shrugged, "The three of them are, the staff are not. The extended family we have like to get to know the happenings of that house from the staff. And then spread or act on whatever they heard."

"If so then why don't you change to a much better staff?" Jungkook asked.

"Hired help will never be loyal Jungkook, even with the change, the lure of money will always sway them. The staff in our house is different because they were selected by Ari and Joseph when we were young. And anyways, with my father retired and my uncle not talking about business, there is hardly ever anything news worthy occurring in that house. This evening being the exception."

Yoongi tilted his head, "And you don't want information about us leaking out before the Gala?"

Suhan laughed, "No. That is exactly what I want." She moved towards the small case he had kept on the table, "Speculation about you is already rife since you were made a part of my sister and my life. Right now I want the speculations to become into a maelstrom of rumours so varied, that no one will know what to believe, or know which fact to be the truth."

He picked up the case to open it, "That, will be your smokescreen. A persona YOU make and use as a mask whenever you want to, choosing to show your true self if you so care or never to disclose it."

"And that starts tonight." Hobi asked.

Suhan nodded and opened the case to take out 7 thick Cuban link chain necklace. "More of these are distributed in your rooms. These are simple, the rest of your selections have diamonds with platinum, or white gold inlays in them. Some just made of white gold or platinum. More will be designed and sent to you all on a monthly basis. Choose from these whenever you step out."

He passed the chains.

"These are . . .?"

"Law states you must have a collar when you step out. Well, this is our version of collars."

"Are you kidding me?" Joon exclaimed as he looked at the necklace.

Suhan shrugged again, "We are the Kims who rule this country. No one will dare question it. They will accept it as yet another show of power play. This is a simple piece Joon, since I did not want to listen to my mother bitching about diamonds. But the rest of your pieces are more magnificent."

The pack did not question it and wore the statement pieces, somehow not surprised.

"You don't like your mother too?" Taehyung asked.

Suhan looked at him and paused. He sat down in front of them, "Its not that I dislike her." He toyed with his watch, "All I remember is mom always going away to attended some party or gossip with her friends, leaving us with nannies. I remember trying to cheer up little Nya when that used to happen. This was before Ari. She just, never had time for us. She loves us, just like my father, but both never had much time. Mom with her busy society life being a airhead, father with his work. Uncle never talked to us too much in the fear that his enemies might know about us and target us. We were still young, so mostly the correspondence occurred via phone."

A smile, "It was mostly me and my sister. Then Ari and the rest. Now you. For me, this is my family. The rest, are just obligations."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about your parents." Jungkook said.

"Oh Panther," Suhan's smile turned a tad darker, "I am not a very nice man."

"Just to us." Jin realized.

Suhan groaned, "Where is my sister??"

Jimin looked towards the staircase, "She has just exited her room."

"You can hear that? Do you mean to tell me you can actually hear everything in the house?" Suhan whisper yelled.

"If you are worried about the countless calls from women you receive at night, don't worry about it too much" Yoongi closed his eyes and rested back on the couch, "Its nothing that we have not heard. Or done."

"Although the constant fake moans do irritate me a lot. Especially since I have the room next to yours." Taehyung leaned back on his seat, his face showing irritation.

Suhan opened his mouth, though no sound came out of it. when he heard his sister coming down he whispered furiously, "Those are the girls who keep throwing themselves on me for the sake of claiming to be my flavour. I only respect girls who respect themselves, others, I don't bother with. But don't tell Anya about this, she does NOT need more ammunition against me!"

"Ready?" Anya said as she came down.

Suhan got up immediately, "Funny, the one coming down late is the one who voices that."

"I am only 10 minutes late! Do be a little considerate of my aches!"

"Oh yep. Yesterday. No wonder you got hit. With lines like those, I bet you would hunt yourself down." Suhan mocked her.

Anya came to a standstill. "What. Lines?" she gritted out.

Suhan struck the most idiotic pose with a hand on his hip which he pushed out and the other cupping his chin, he fluttered his eyelashes outrageously and then said in a high pitch girly voice,

"Oooh, Why don't you come and show me who the boss is" then he moaned, "Please, I beg you!"

Anya launched herself at her brother, who had dodged away.

"YOU ABSOLUTE DISGUSTING MANCHILD!!"

But unfortunately, Joon caught her by her waist mid jump and simply turned towards the door.

Anya kept struggling in his hold as he bodily lifted her from her waist and tucked her in his side, trying to get free to go claw at her brother, "At least I am better than YOU!!! The way I saw you asking that girl to call you DADDY!!!!!"

Suhan burst out, "OYI! THAT WAS JUST ONCE! And you were not supposed to be in the penthouse!"

"Hah! At least I don't have cringy fetish like you!!"

Joon just shook his head and carried the screaming bundle that was his Master to the car.

"Festish??? You—owww—what the fuck Jaguar????"

Suhan rubbed the back of his head where he was flicked rather hard by Yoongi, who strolled past him, "You were being loud. My ears hurt."

"HAH! HAH! TAKE THAT!" Anya laughed while being deposited in the car. Before she could say more, Joon gently closed the door.

He looked at Suhan and sighed, "Behave?"

Jimin shook his head, "Honestly, its supposed to be you both taking care of us while we go to your house."

Suhan straightened his non existent tie, "Well I would have done an exemplary job if the hellion of my sister could actually take a joke, LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN!" he shouted the last part.

A muffled shout filled with litany of words came from inside the locked car.

"What did she say?" Suhan asked.

"Move your ass to the other car if you don't want me to pluck your eyeballs out." Yoongi said in a bored manner.

Suhan paused, "How much of it was said by my sister and how much of it is yours?"

Yoongi gave him a slashing grin, "Guess?"

Muffled laughter from the car. Suhan flipped her the bird and pivoted to go to the next vehicle, taking his keys out.

The pack all smiled at that. Yes, those two were their family. Their only family.

The only family that mattered.

The only family they loved.

The only people they would live for. And kill for.

Without hesitation.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

THE DINNER :

Anya moved her hands to the part of her arm which was bruised and hidden under the sleeve of her dress. She circled on it and pressed down hard.

The sudden pain radiated down her hand sharply.

Okay, so I am definitely not dreaming. This is actually happening.

Anya got up from the sofa and left the room, her head still turned towards the scene she was finding hard to digest.

She almost bumped into a maid who was carrying the tray of ice cream to serve her parents, Uncle and her hybrids, who were talking and laughing so animatedly that none of them noticed the crucial absence of both the siblings.

How did this occur??

Anya thought back to the time they had arrived in the house.

Her parent's maintained a residence in one of the most affluent society apartments, having the top 3 floors renovated to be used as their house.

The security of the building had been informed about Anya's wish for a private entry and had kept their word. Till the time they reached the door, no one had been able to see them.

When however the door had opened, an extremely rude maid had screamed at Taehyung to lower his eyes.

Before Anya or Suhan could have reacted, Taehyung had smiled at the maid.

Seductively.

That was when the maid had turned into a living statue with her mouth open and eyes dilated. That had also been when Anya had turned into a seething livid imitation.

Never had Taehyung EVER directed that kind of a smile to her. Where had he learnt to use that more-effective-than-a-firearm weapon?

And that, had been just the beginning.

Predictably, her mother had thrown a fit at her 7 hybrids being given this amount of freedom while her father and uncle had looked on curiously.

But wonder of all wonders, even her mother's famous lasting fits of absolute nonsensical stubbornness of adhering rigidly to societal rules had fallen flat and disappeared in 20 minutes.

20 minutes was all it took before her hybrids had the ENTIRE household eating from their palms.

20 minutes. That's all.

Her hybrids, had changed right in front of her eyes!

Jimin, the sly snake, had somehow turned into an adorably cute boy. Someone who pouted without actually pouting. He looked at her mother with impossibly big eyes, talking with a beakie, his every action utterly innocent and sweet.

The way he laughed, the way he smiled with his eyes almost disappearing, the way he nommed on his food had her mother swooning with the amount of endearing 'Awws' she put out.

Somehow, Jimin was being extremely spoiled and cuddled to death by her mother who forgot about him being a hybrid in a society where they were supposed to be slaves and treated him more like her favourite pet, getting him anything and everything he even looked at.

Close behind him competing for everyone's affection were Jungkook and Taehyung. It was like innocence dripped from Tae's boxy smile and Jungkook's big doe eyes.

They smiled at everyone, looking at everyone and everything in wonder. They were so very polite that even politeness had to be taking lessons from them. Tae's attitude changed completely whenever a staff came to interact with him, going from being a big baby to . . . well, a charming devil capable of making any girl drop all her clothes with just a simple wink and 'Hi' from him.

That alone had given Anya a whiplash.

By the time dinner was being served, the hybrids sitting on the same table as them was not even being questioned, so lost was everyone in their charm.

If her mother had been overwhelmed by the bursting cuteness of the younger three, her Uncle and Father were completely mesmerized by the older of the pack.

Jin was someone she absolutely did NOT recognize.

Gone was his calm and seriousness. Gone was his quiet, strong and supportive presence. The smoldering darkness and leashed wild violence was nowhere to be seen in his eyes.

He was somehow, someone who laughed a lot! The level of his jokes were absolutely at par with the ones her father and Uncle enjoyed. The trio of them kept laughing uproariously, while Jin talked so animatedly that sometimes Anya had reached out to rub her eyes.

Speaking of which, her Python, dazzled!

Hobi smiled and charmed her parents with a kind of buzzing spontaneous energy which made him shine like the sun. He was filled with a fountain of positivity so infectious, that it was nearly impossible for anyone to be near his vicinity and not feel good. To not smile.

Although Joon and Yoongi both remained a little reserved than the others, they still excluded a bashful shyness, a mischievous humour which made the other want to talk to them more.

Both of them, were besieged by questions which they answered wittily enough but with the right amount of artless guile that they were mistaken to be utterly naïve and gullible.

Yoongi and Joon gullible.

Right.

Still, at least she jad some faith in her Uncle who kept glancing at Joon.

By the time dinner had ended, everyone on the table had been chattering away, singing praises of the delicious meal they had enjoyed, except Anya and Suhan.

Their plate had been too full when the maids had collected it at the end of dinner.

Because both had been too gobsmacked, too busy staring at the positively alien transformation of the pack they both knew.

Which brought her back to where she was standing a little behind the window of the gameroom, watching her pack and family interact.

She found Suhan standing at the other window, bent and looking in the same direction as her.

Anya crept to him.

"What the hell is going on???" she whispered to him

"You are asking me??" he whispered back.

Both their eyes remained fixed to the scene before them.

Jimin and Taehyung were sitting on soft pillows on the floor in front of her mother who was scooping ice cream and feeding it to them while smiling and laughing.

Jungkook had his nose in the bowl completely uncaring of the world.

Jin and Yoongi were laughing with her uncle whose eyes were sparkling like a little excited kid, not befitting the King of South Korea's underground dark mob. Her father was nodding and talking passionately to Joon and Hobi about a topic which had both of the hybrids being shy and humble.

"Did she ever feed us icecream?" Suhan asked.

"No dude. She was never into that." Anya answered

They creepily spied some more.

"Do you think they are possessed?" Anya said, her eyes still on them.

"I will actually bet on that possibility." A whispered answer.

"I mean, look at them!"

"I know!"

"It took us our entire lifetime to practice our personas" Anya murmured.

Suhan scoffed, "And we are still not perfect. But these clever little buggers! Took them only 20 minutes!"

"You catalogued the time too?" Anya asked feeling a little better at sharing the trait.

"Huh! You bet. The way they wrapped them around their little pinkie, of course I counted." He paused, "And the Cobra? At times even I wanted to pinch his cheeks. They are bloody good!"

As the staff brought out coffee next, the conversation in the next room flowed while two figures hunched and spied at them from the small window of the adjacent dark room. Of their OWN house. In a dinner hosted FOR them.

Suhan let out a mocking sound, "Forget about the Vrȃgs. These hybrids are to be feared."

"I'd rather take care of the whiplash I am getting."

"Right???"

"This is crazy!" Anya whisper yelled.

"Tell me about it!!"

A clearing of throat made Suhan and Anya jump in fright from their bent position. Both of them startled at the same time, resulting in bumping both of their heads against each other hard. Emitting out groans of pain, they straightened up just as the light switch was turned on.

"Behaving like burglars by hiding in your own house in the dark snooping around like some weirdo? Are you both alright?" Their Uncle raised his eyebrow at them.

"Anya had a headache—"

"Suhan had vertigo—"

Both siblings looked at each other, then tried again.

"Suhan had headache—"

"I am having vertigo—"

Suhan sighed, his sister was pathetic when it came to such situations. Still, he tried again

"I think my headache is causing my vertigo."

Anya nodded, "What he said."

Then it was Hyuk's time to sigh, "After all these years and you still cant come up with a plausible excuse?"

Anya found the carpet on the floor to be very interesting at the moment. The plain black colour was so inspiring. The plainness of it contributed to the subtle nuances of the décor for its vibe. Carpets were indeed very important. And interesting. So fascinating.

Hyuk just shook his head, "Suhan, go, you are being missed."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe." He muttered under his breath as he exited the room.

Once Suhan was gone, her uncle gently closed the door, shutting them in the Game room. He visibly collected himself before he cleared his throat.

"I cannot believe these are the hybrids that had my men scared. I think that aspect of them is something you don't want known, this early?"

Anya smiled.

Nodding his head, Hyuk said, "Seeing them as they are, I am even more curious to what they really are like. I am correct in assuming that this is just a mask?"

"Not fully." Anya said and went towards the armchair, "They are playful, they are funny, they do love adoration and obviously, they are adorable. But that does not make it their whole personality. Here, right now, they are exhibiting only the amplified small part of themselves."

Hyuk grinned, "Then I need to applaud them."

"You have no idea." Anya complained sourly.

Hyuk's eyes shined with pride and love as he went to her and raised her up from her perch. Enveloping her in a bear hug he told her, "I am happy that you found the right people in your life. Your eyes are no longer vacant Nya, you have so many more emotions in your life now. I couldn't be happier."

He kissed her head and then looked down at her, "And the fact that you found the people who not only bring you this amount of joy, but are also at par in my league, that has me preening. Not to mention, they mean a lot to Suhan too."

But he sighed then, "I am truly sorry what they went through though."

Anya curiously looked at her Uncle.

She had never told him their past torture.

"How would you know?" she lightly asked.

Hyuk answered right away, "Well, you know Joseph came to question the men you caught in your estate about some recording files they had?"

Anya vaguely remembered it. That was a time she would rather erase from her memories. All she remembered was the hot skin of her sweet Silver and her endless attempts at singing to bring him back.

"He got the files, but as standard protocol, I made 1 extra copy. He forgot to collect that. So I watched a little of the footage." He closed his eyes and shook his head, "What I wouldn't do to unsee that Nya. Even I found it hellishly brutal. That amount of torment should NEVER be a part of any living being's life. Not even a dumb animal. Let alone a hybrid."

Anya remembered Suhan telling her about his promise to the hybrids to never let her see it. He had destroyed the USB after retrieving all necessary data. Anya had made a mental note to never talk about it to anyone.

She looked at her Uncle. If he, being who he was, was disturbed by the content, then she needed to see it.

"Seeing them smiling after watching that video will help me sleep better, that is for sure. Thank you for bringing them Anya." Hyuk said to her warmly.

"Do you have it? The footage?" Anya quietly asked.

Nodding, her Uncle released her shoulders and reached for a Tab. He took it out and gave it to her, "Here is the copy of the file. Its not mine to keep. It's the only existing copy."

Before handing it over, her Uncle hesitated a little, then asked, "Namjoon, he--"

"Yes?" Anya asked.

Shaking his head, her Uncle said, "Nothing."

Anya took the tab from him. While she powered it on, she could hear the muffled sounds of cozy delight coming from the family room, but her hands were oddly cold.

She did not want to watch it.

All incidents were sailing in a relatively calm sea of her life. She still had to have her entire attention centered around the Vrȃgs, not forgetting about the game she was playing with D. or Yoona. She did not want to disturb her own mental peace. But if any action could make her Uncle draw a step back, the action being related to her seven men, then could she stay in the dark bliss of ignorance?

She had to watch it.

Anya chose the 1st video over the two and started it. Not wanting to deal with the start, she randomly pressed a point in the bar to play at that point. The footage was after all a compilation of all the sessions.

This particular session that she opened had been with Flaker. The frame held him standing half naked over the forms of two hybrids. She could not recognize them.

Because they were completely covered in blood. Both were laying on the ground, naked, in the pool of scarlet.

Flaker was laughing at them, "No matter what you do, you will always remain a fucking hybrid. A lowly slave in this world."

He spit at them.

Anya was frozen in her place, her hands tightly gripping the Tab. A buzzing sound started in her ears as she felt completely cut off from her surroundings. She could not hear or see anything except what she was watching.

"St-sto-stop. Pl-pl-plea-please" a completely broken whimper came from one hybrid.

Namjoon.

"Let him go. I promise to take all that you want to do and still remain conscious." The second hybrid tried to get up, but slipped in his own blood.

Jin.

It felt as if her body started shutting down. Her senses, her mind, her thoughts. All stagnated.

In the video, Flaker brought out a chisel and a hammer, "Oh but I want the both of you."

The air became icy for her and her heart thudded heavily. Anya felt a blackness come over her as Flaker started a heinous activity on both of her hybrids.

Midway through, Joon's scream pierced through time.

The scream was terrifying. Soul shattering. Heartbreaking.

Ugly sobs came from his chest but he seized on air, wheezing, a painful keening sound utterly destroying her heart.

The torture continued.

The screams continued.

And with every audible noise of Joon's heart wrenching cries, with Jin's Shaky voice trying to help his brother while he himself suffered, bit by bit, Anya lost herself.

Suddenly the Tab was snatched out of her hand.

Anya did not even look at who it was. She stood still with unblinking eyes, her mind, completely undone.

"FOR GOD"S SAKE UNCLE!!!"

"I Am sorry! I did not know the effect it would have on her!! I was calling her out to stop it!!"

"Master? Master?"

"Master, Look at me once?"

"IT'S A GOOD THING MOM AND DAD WENT TO THE CELLAR!"

A crashing and breaking sound.

Amid the din of noises surrounding her, Anya kept listening to the phantom cries she had heard. The screams kept echoing in her ears like a curse from ancient times.

And the one who caused it, was in her house.

"Master? Look at me? I am absolutely fine. I am standing right before you."

Anya snapped her eyes to Joon's, blinking and trying to make the world come back in focus.

All her hybrids were surrounding her, looking at her worriedly, Suhan was stomping heavily on the Tab while her Uncle steadily looked at her, his eyes filled with extensive guilt and apology.

I don't need any apology. What I need, is something else.

She ignored her hybrids and addressed her Uncle in a calm voice, "I need 60 pieces of item onyx within the time it takes for me to reach my house."

Suhan abruptly stopped and looked up at her in mild horror.

"Done. I will have it arranged right away." Hyuk was already getting his phone out.

Still maintaining that unwavering calm, Anya looked at the rest, "Its time we went home, excuse us to our parents Suhan, tell them something in our business sector came up. I will be in the car."

As she turned to leave, Yoongi spoke, "Can you drive right now?"

"Never will I put your safety at fault." The words were controlled, and very, very normally spoken. She left.

Joon turned to Suhan, "This is exactly what I had predicted. This is exactly what I did not want to happen."

"Leave it Hyung." Taehyung cut in, "Right now she is barely holding herself together. This is not when we focus on trivial matters."

"Joon, Jimin, Yoongi and Jungkook. Go with her. We'll come with Suhan." Jin's crisp command got everyone moving.

He turned to Hyuk, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

Hyuk grasped his hand and pulled him in a hug. Patting his back, he curiously asked him, "You are not at all anything like what we saw today, aren't you?"

Jin kept his gaze steady, "I am. But there are more facets to my identity."

"When will I be able to acquaint myself with them?" he let go of Jin's hand.

Jin did not answer, but another hybrid, who had been nothing but smiles and laughter, came up behind the Eagle.

With a tone as serious as his eyes, he coldly answered back, "Never."

Hyuk raised a brow.

Hoseok slowly pulled the contacts out of his eyes and flicked them on the floor.

Seeing the unnatural reptilian eyes with vertical pupils made Hyuk take a physical step back. His heart galloped hard as he realized the breed of the most sunny hybrid.

Snake.

"Our true selves belong to just our family. As for our identity? That was shaped by my Master. No outsider will have the opportunity of knowing it." Tilting his head once at the stunned man, Hoseok addressed Suhan. "We'll be waiting." Then turned and left with Jin and Taehyung.

Hyuk turned on Suhan, "Snake!"

Suhan rolled his eyes, "Old news Old man." He patted him on his chest as he passed him on the way to the door, "Try and keep up."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

HYBRIDS :

Anya drove the car peacefully, her gaze on the road, her body relaxed. She was serene. But Jimin knew the particular mask of hers, was intimately aware of the faced.

She was at the pinnacle of emotional chaos and pain. Whenever the pain exceeded what she could handle, she shut down.

It was easier for her to deal with it that way.

Jimin looked at the others looking worriedly at her. None of them could help her, she wouldn't let them.

At least, not yet. She was too raw.

He never wanted her to see that footage.

Liar.

Jimin closed his eyes against the whisper from his Vrȃg, not wanting to acknowledge the need he had. He hated putting her through torment, especially the ones which she could not physically touch.

Physical injuries, he knew she could overcome. It was the emotional agony that she was acutely vulnerable to.

But a tiny part of him rejoiced at seeing this state. Her obvious distress helped soothe his past self.

Jimin closed his eyes, remembering the times when the cold had frozen his naked body, when his own chilled blood had stained the ice block he lay on. Broken and whimpering. But unable to move, unable to speak or even cry.

During those moments, he used to dream. Used to think about an Angel coming to him, who would melt that ice, would pull him closer to her to warm him, then finally grant him the freedom from this life by gifting him death.

Seeing her reaction to their past, made it seem like that pain mattered.

That their past suffering had not been unknown. . . had not drifted in a sea of cursed souls, whose agony did not even matter to any other.

Usually it used to feel like the world would still move on perfectly while he was screaming for someone to help, his voice not heard. His pain so inconsequential that no one stopped. they kept walking around him.

Like maybe the pain he had gone through was phantom, like it never happened.

Or maybe, his pain was truly supposed to bring enjoyment to the one witnessing him. That was, after all the purpose of a slave. To entertain. May it be with his body, or his blood.

Her overwhelming emotions, her breaking down after seeing it, eased his heart a little.

Jimin felt that the violent history he had, could be labelled as such. That he HAD suffered. That his torture mattered to someone.

That HE mattered.

Anya made those memories something he could be proud of. She made him smile at the thought of enduring it all to still stand tall now, to have lived through it and emerge better. Stronger.

She turned that heinous torment, that paralysing despair into a badge of honor.

At the end, Jimin's dream had come true, his angel HAD come.

Not only to warm him, but to give him life. Never death.

Mine.

Need her close. Need her blood.

Mine!

Jimin breathed through the demands of his Vrȃg. Oddly enough, his desires were the same, which made it harder to control it.

He glanced at her, still calm and composed, and his heart twisted in a piercing pain.

No. even though it validated his past, he had NOT wanted her to see it. Because in her eyes, Jimin could see the desolation. And that hurt.

Jimin never needed any evidence of her love for him, unlike his brothers. He could see that in every touch she cherished, in every glance she bestowed on them. Her love for them was a living breathing thing inside of her, so vivid and abundant, that he knew, she was still unaware.

Which meant that this, what she saw today, would have torn her up inside, and when she would break, the torrential gushing emotion would be something, he would not be able to handle.

The car stopped.

Jimin looked up to see that they were inside their estate, in front of their house, the Manor.

Anya exited the car and walked straight towards the quarters behind the main house.

Jimin, Joon, Yoongi and Jungkook scrambled out quickly to catch up with her. They heard the doors of the car following them slamming shut, followed by Jin, Tae, Hobi and Suhan run to catch up to them.

They followed her to the black room where Flaker was being kept, her gait had been normal, without any hurry.

That in itself had Hobi and Joon fearful.

Anya signaled for Peter standing outside the black room to open the door, "Please get the bathtub ready. Fill it with water and 30 of the item delivered."

Peter clicked open the door and promptly went away.

Anya pushed her way open and went straight for the figure sitting handcuffed to a pipe at the far end. Flaker's eyes rounded in fear on seeing her, but then he started trying to crawl away, whimpering in fear, at the sight of the well dressed hybrids walking confidently behind her.

Anya did not pay any attention to that.

Hoseok observed how she went to open the cuffs without any spoken words.

"What have you done?!? Please!! Kill them!! You still don't understand what I said?!? KILL THEM WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!!"

Hobi watched as his Master did not even flinch a bit. To anyone watching, it would seem like Anya was deaf.

Her beautiful hair bound in a classy hairdo with a chiffon black dress on her winsome but lush frame, she looked too beautiful, too much like a princess to be doing what she was engaged in.

As soon as his cuffs were released from the pipe, he tried to jerk away from Anya, "STAY AWAY!"

Hoseok was moving forward to assist, when a loud smack echoed the soundproof room.

Even Flaker looked up at Anya, stunned at the power with which she had slapped him.

Not pausing, Anya grabbed Flaker with 2 fistful of his hair, and started dragging his body on the ground, towards the exit.

Flaker screamed and started struggling in earnest.

Immediately, Suhan and Joon went to her and hauled their former trainer in their custody. Anya simply let go and kept walking out of the room, knowing they all would follow.

At the sight of Joon, Flaker became quiet.

They exited the room and sharply turned right to go towards another space having a moderate sized bathtub in the corner. Curiously, Hobi went ahead to see what it was.

The bathtub was filled with water. And, 30 leeches.

Flaker saw the tub and reeled back, screaming and fighting the hold. With the way his mind was still broken over the mental torture with the insects Anya had inflicted on him, the sight of the black Leeches was too much for him to bear.

"Strip him." Her voice was steady and calm.

Peter, Joon and Tae instantly followed her order.

"NOOOO PLEASE!! PLEASE!! I'LL TELL YOU ALL THAT YOU WANT TO KNOW!! I PROMISE!!"

Flaker was bucking like a wild horse, desperately trying to break free while his clothes were ripped apart.

Once nude, Suhan hesitated.

"Put him in the tub."

"Anya—"

"Now."

Suhan still did not move, but Taehyung did. He bodily lifted the hysterical man and dumped his body in the tub.

"NOOOOO PLEASE AHHHHHHHHHHH PLEASE!!!!"

Anya watched with critical eyes as Peter held him in the water. The leeches were swimming around his body, trying to attach themselves.

Flaker screamed again, "PLEASE I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING! WHAT THEY DID, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ASK! PLEASE!!!"

"Anya, I still want crucial information from him about 3 people I have still not found, who knew about the Code. You are going to break his mind! He will be useless to me!" Suhan urgently whispered as Flaker kept trying to get away, completely crazed in his fear.

Anya stood still, watching the man, not responding to her brother.

"This is not right." She murmured.

Not understanding her statement, the sudden silence had everyone turning to look at Flaker who had fainted.

"Wake him up." Anya softly said.

"Nya, listen . . ."

"I SAID WAKE HIM UP!" Anya shouted. Then strode to where Flaker was. She slapped the person hard again, then again.

"WAKE THE FUCK UP!" she kept slapping him hard enough to cause his face to become red. Flaker came to, disoriented.

"Now Scream! And Scream like the one you inflicted on them!" Anya slapped him again as Flaker's face crumpled at horror when he realized again where he was.

He screamed.

"Its not the same!" Anya panted.

Her composure was completely gone. No hint of calmness in her frame, she was a woman on the verge of breaking down.

"YOUR SCREAM IS NOT THE SAME!" she shouted at him, clutching his hair, shaking him violently, "SCREAM LIKE THEM! CRY OUT WITH DESOLATION DAMN YOU!"

Anya let go of him and snatched the nearby jar containing 30 more Leeches. She opened and dumped it all in the water making Flaker sob.

Suhan hugged her from behind, bodily taking her away as Anya struggled like a possessed soul to get free, "Calm down Nya."

"NO! MAKE HIM SCREAM LIKE MY WOLF! MAKE HIM CRY WITH THE SAME PAIN! LET GO OF ME SUHAN"

Anya violently struggled while Suhan signaled Peter to take the limp man out of the tub. He had fainted again.

"Anya—"

"NO! No!! Did his cries seem drawn out from his last drop of soul?? Was he screaming like his whole world had melted down?? Did his sobs knife your heart and shred it in ribbons?? Did it???"

"No." Suhan still held on.

"THEN HE DID NOT FEEL THE PAIN MY WOLF DID! HE DID NOT FEEL THE HOPLESSNESS LIKE MY JIN DID!" Anya was becoming violent now, twisting and trying to get free, as a nude Flaker with some leeches on him was dragged out.

"NO! I AM NOT—LET ME GO! NO! HE NEEDS TO SCREAM!"

Joon suddenly came to her and wrapped her in his embrace, sheltering her fighting frame in his secure embrace, "Master."

That one word from him made Anya go limp. She sagged against Joon, her body shaking. Suhan let go of her from behind and Joon gently picked her up. Anya looped her hand around his shoulders, her face tucked away in his neck.

The room became quiet, as every hybrid watched the force of her anger, the sting of her pain, leaving her drained and limp.

Suhan saw the depths with which she loved them.

The hybrids saw the extent she kept her emotions hidden.

The Vrȃgs, understood her sincerity.

"He did not cry like you." She said in a small painful voice.

Joon smiled as he gently rocked her.

Anya whispered again, "Your screams are still ringing in my ears. I cant make them go away."

"You are in my arms, in our house. Don't let a past which will never repeat take away the joy from the present." Joon bent down to lovingly kiss her cheeks.

"Take her to her room, can you help her settle down for the night?" Jin asked.

Joon looked at him and nodded.

"Come back to the library soon. I have something I wish to discuss with everyone."

Joon turned away with Anya clutching at him, tremors racking her whole body, and went out of the room.

Jin looked at Suhan and the rest, "Please join me?"

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

Anya breathed in Joon's earthy masculine cedarwood fragrance as she kept her face pressed to his neck. She clutched him to her, the memory still haunting her, leaving her drenched in a turmoil of sadness so strong, that it left her in a state of paralysis.

She had knowledge of their past, knew the basics of what had happened to them, but all of that had been black and white on paper. Seeing it, hearing their voice, witnessing the disgusting acts had been different.

She felt she could not breathe. Knowing that in no way could she take that away from them, those memories.

And worst was the knowledge of her own past at the simultaneous time. She had been blissfully unaware of their existence, of the abuse, while she forged on, building her empire.

Namjoon flicked on the lights and carried her to her bed, sitting down with her on his lap, holding her close to him, brushing his nose gently over her head, "Will you let go of me for just a second?"

Anya shook her head.

"I need to get the necessary tissue to remove your makeup."

Anya pressed closer still, which made the Wolf smile. Joon got up again and crossed the room to reach her en suite, placing her on the marble counter top. He carefully detangled her from him. Turning, he bent down to take a few wipes and went to her.

Placing his palms on her thighs, he parted her legs to stand between them. Bending a little, he cupped her chin and tilted it towards him, then gently started rubbing the wipe to remove her makeup.

Through it all, Anya kept looking at him.

Once done, he discarded the wipes and took her hairbrush. Bending forward to her, he breached her personal space and pulled her a little closer. With his breaths falling hotly against her neck, he took out the pins from her hair. One at a time.

Shakily breathing at the nearness, Anya held still. Each drop of the pins was loud in the en suite.

When the weight of her hair tumbled down from the hairdo, Joon did not back away. He stayed close to her, between her parted legs, lips dangerously close to her sensitive spot below her ear.

"I am here now." He whispered as one hand went to comb her rich dark hair in a lovers caress.

He used a little force to make her tilt her head just a little more, his lips ghosting over her delicate skin, "I am the one touching you."

He inhaled in her addictive fragrance, licking her just a little, "Holding you."

His warm palm settled on her back as he pushed her, making her soft curves flatten on his rock hard chest.

He nipped her earlobe, then hotly sucked on it, making goosebumps erupt all over her body as she closed her eyes. "Feel my heartbeat."

Enclosing her more securely, Joon left no space between the beautiful woman sitting on the countertop with her long unbound hair while he held her within his arms, fusing their upper bodies together.

Finally leaving soft kisses down her neck, crushing her breasts to his chest, he murmured against her heated skin, "Feel my desire for you, let yourself free in the love you have for me."

Backing up a little, he looked down at her, "Let the past remain in the discarded folds of unwanted tense. That has no influence on our present."

He lifted her hand and kissed the middle of her palms, then placed it over his heart. "Will you do that for me?"

"I cant."

His gaze changed completely after that, his eyes sharp and dark, his demeanor changing from the softness he had a few seconds ago. He backed away from her completely, leaving the intimate hold.

Eyes of a Wolf trained on her, he lifted his hand to his face, contemplating her sitting erotically before him.

That was a gaze, Anya had always wanted to see on him, was something she searched for. Joon had been the only one who had kept his distance from her. But now, faced with the potency of his needs, she felts doubts creep in.

Maybe, just maybe, he was a fire that could reduce her to ashes.

"I held myself back from you, because I value you too much to let you suffer from my deranged hunger. At least not until I can control it."

"I never asked you too."

"Irrelevant." Joon bit out, "I will not demean you."

He suddenly shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall on the floor, "I still wont."

Anya's eyes went to the pooled material on the floor, "Then is there any point in your undressing?"

"You once told me you dislike if anyone saw me undressed. You excluded yourself. Should I stop?"

What?

Her mind reeled. How did they go from the bloody past to whatever he was doing?

Joon did not wait for an answer, he pulled the snug tshirt over his head, letting it join the jacket on the ground. Anya eyes drew to his body like a magnet.

His body, was a work of art.

Her mouth ran dry. Defined pecs leading to taut abs, the golden skin completely unblemished. His body was hard and aggressively masculine, his muscles flexing with each movement.

His body screamed sex, it was an invitation for a erotic escape. An invitation, that Anya wanted to accept.

"My control over my hunger is not strong enough for me to indulge, but I will be damned if I let you be haunted by the ghosts of my past." He ran a hand over his abs once.

Huh?

Joon walked closer, each step calculated. He picked up the brush again and leaned over her, reaching behind to brush her hair while facing her.

His body heat and earthy scent slammed her senses, making her dizzy. Trapped in an unexpected situation, she anticipated his next move and waited for his kiss.

It never came.

Anya kept breathing shallowly, her desire slowly mounting on, making an ache bloom in her belly, while her Wolf, pressed closer to her, rhythmically brushed her hair. All of it was a pretense.

His heavy stare never left her face, his possessive embrace suffocated her in a delicious manner. His scent made her want to dive in.

Anya shifted on the counter, her core slowly seeping.

But Joon remained rigid, casually continuing in a task while setting her aflame.

She sat there, tremors of desire slowly spreading throughout her body, as the controlled male finished his task. Carefully setting the brush aside, he pressed forward again to reach her back, making sure to rub his hot naked skin against her. Making sure to let her feel the unyielding strength of his muscles on her soft curves.

His biceps flexed as he started plaiting her hair. Anya released a shaky breath, her thong getting wetter by the second.

So drunk was she in his scent that she moved her face to kiss him, only to feel a sharp tug on the plait, jerking her head back.

Joon speared her with his dark look, then wordlessly went back to tying the band at the base of her plait.

"I will make you forget" he whispered.

He picked up her hand again bringing it to his mouth, "You smell delicious." Saying that, he kissed her fingertips.

Anya moaned slightly at the image of her Shirtless hybrid focused on her, standing between her obscenely parted legs. She was curious about what he would do.

Joon, did not disappoint.

He opened his mouth and licked the tips of her 2 fingers, tasting her. Then, he closed his mouth over it, sucking the tips wetly in his hot mouth.

His eyes held her prisoner as his wicked tongue swirled over her digits, making them wet.

Making her, wetter.

"Joon . . ." Anya breathed through her mouth, the sensation of her fingers directly connecting to her core, tugging on an invisible line, making her throb wildly.

Joon placed his other hand on her thighs. For a hot minute, his large strong palms rested there.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he uncovered her bare thigh, pushing the chiffon dress to the side. his hands clamped down on her skin then ever so slowly, glided over her smoothness, going higher towards her intimate core.

The double assault of his warm tongue and big hands possessively touching her inner thighs made Anya close her eyes and lean back her head, arching herself in his tight embrace.

Joon's hand never hesitated, or stopped. he claimed every inch of her skin as his right, leaving fire in its wake as he reached the band of her thongs.

Rubbing the soft and virgin skin of her inner thigh, he suddenly took hold of the thin barrier of cloth and pulled hard.

Her thong snapped and tore like wet tissue.

Anya gasped at the aggressive move and looked at him. His hand still stayed dangerously close to her core, his thumb running circles on the crease of her thighs, driving her crazy.

She shifted restlessly when he ruthlessly tightened his fold, clamping down on her to keep her in place.

He popped out her fingers from his mouth, then licked them again. His tongue leaving a wet trail, making her think of it licking her in a far more intimate place.

Still making sure to lock his gaze to hers, he let a little of his saliva drip down on her tips, the liquid sticky and hot.

Then, he directed those fingers to her own parted legs, on the little swollen bundle of nerves.

Anya was breathing from her mouth, exhaling in gasps as Joon made her touch her own clit, the wetness of her finger sliding over her sensitive nub, sending a pulse of electric jolt through her body.

"Make yourself come for me. right here. In front of me." he whispered in her ear hotly, as he directed her fingers over herself, refraining himself from touching her.

Anya was struggling with the need flooding her veins, she moaned loudly as she felt his handmaking her fingers dip in her wet folds, pushing her to pleasure herself. Her fingers parted her slick wet folds, circling her nub, drawing out her pleasure as Joon kissed her cheeks.

Joon made her go faster, made her press harder on herself, while he placed biting kisses down her neck, his other hand rubbing her thighs, covering it, caressing it as his right.

"Your arousal smells sweeter than nectar" he groaned as dug his fingers in her skin, "The wet sounds from you is driving me insane." He pressed his tongue on her collarbone, laving it in his heady lust.

Anya's breaths were coming in pants, Joon guiding her to rub circles around her clit, faster and faster.

"I cant wait for the day I will be driving inside of you. I wont stop, I wont relent. I will fuck you as hard as I can." He said against her flesh.

Anya felt so close to her crest, she was trembling in need. She blindly angled are lips seeking his.

Joon jerked her head back again, "No. I want to hear your scream."

He made her press her swollen nub hard suddenly, "Cum for me."

Anya unraveled completely at that.

She screamed out her pleasure, her head falling back against the mirror, her climax hitting her hard.

Joon allowed himself the pleasure of watching his Queen gasp and tremble for him. Her beauty, her moans, his reward. Her pleasure, his prize.

He nursed her through the after shock, pulling her soft pliable body in the shelter of his arms, soothing her, leaving small kisses on her face. Calming her down.

She clung to him.

When she calmed down enough, Joon tilted her head towards him, "That is the only screams I need you to remember." He softly said and kissed her forehead.

Scooping her up, he took her out of the en suite and laid her down on the bed, making sure to keep the fluffiest pillows below her head. Only after drawing the blankets up did he sit back.

Shirtless, Joon caressed her hand, and waited for her to speak.

"Why do you never touch me?"

Joonie smiled, "Did I not?"

"No, you made me touch myself. You did not even look."

"Are you complaining?" he teased.

Anya remained quiet, waiting for his answer. Namjoon sighed as he saw her determined face.

"I am not worthy yet, to attain that pleasure." He picked up her hand, licking her taste from the tips, "This is as close as I can come to indulge in it yet. No further."

The ticking of the clock indicated her ire, Joon listened to it weel. He answered her unspoken question, "I am . . . A little different than the rest . . . I" he paused, struggling to get the words out.

"The things I want to do to you, the way I want you, is not. . . Normal."

"So you will refuse to touch me the entirety of your life?"

"NO!" he panicked at that. "I just, I need to . . . I will. Just not yet. I—" he sighed again, "I cant do they things they did to me to you." He said in a low voice, "But that is exactly what I want to do. Make you use me the way I was used."

He lowered his eyes, "Claim you the way . . .I was."

But something in him still denied what he said. Something in him, did not want to touch her.

That part of him held him back ruthlessly.

And none of the reasons he said were able to describe his inability to.

Anya did not respond, and Joon did not look at her. He imagined her to be outraged, and she would be within the rights to. But when he scented salt mixing with the sweet vanilla, he looked up alarmed, only to watch big tears rolling down the corners of her eyes.

Tears, from the Master, who never cried.

"Why did this happen to you? What did they do for you to think something normal is to be ashamed of?" Anya tearfully said, "Why can I not go back in time?"

For a second, Joon was stunned. Then he leaned over her, caging her slight body by placing both his hands beside her head, "But you are here now. So teach me?"

Tears still falling, Anya nodded. And Joon could no longer resist, he could not resist the allure of those pink lips, of the person, who wept for him. Who felt for him.

His lips gently touched hers, sipping from her, tasting her.

Anya encircled his neck with her hands, kissing him back, even as her heart cried for the injustice they had to go through. The scars that still influenced their thoughts, held them prisoner of its own disgusting standards, still not freed from it.

Joon kissed those petal cushions, keeping it gentle as tears kept falling.

He loved her.

He loved her.

The Wolf kissed the girl till she no longer cried, till she snuggled closer to him. Till she forgot all about what she had seen.

Only when she closed her eyes, did he pull back. Wiping the crystal droplets from her eyes, he carefully undressed her, making sure to keep the blanket covering her at all times.

He waited till her breathing evened out, then lifted himself from the bed to gaze down at the delicate beauty, who was his savior. And now, his lover.

He would never let anything happen to her.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

THE LIBRARY :

As soon as Joon entered the library, 6 heads turned his way and frowned, pausing a little, the expression morphed into an angry mask.

Suhan looked puzzled, "What? What am I missing?" he asked as he looked back and forth between Joon and the rest 6.

"She cried." Jungkook grit out, inhaling the salt mixed with the fragrance of her arousal coming from the Wolf.

At that, even Suhan frowned.

Jin shook his head, "This is exactly why I called you all." He remained seated at the chair and addressed Suhan, "You know what she wants is dangerous for her."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"Irrespective of its innocence, Vrȃgs have been surrounded by only depravity Suhan. After gaining a connection, the first thing we noticed is they are very good at reading Master, and they are manipulative. Almost as good as us."

"So?"

Jin speared him with an enigmatic look, "Your sister is vulnerable to us. Gravely so."

Suhan shrugged, "She is that way with everyone she loves. Even me. Even Arissa."

"And do either of you inspire an aching, longing lust in her virgin body that she battles with every single second that she is in your presence?"

Suhan shut up.

A cruel smirk twisted Jin's lips, his dark eyes glinting, "During the early times, her will to not take advantage of us ruled her, it was easy for her to ignore it. But now with the ways things stands, that reason has long disappeared."

Suhan put up a hand, "Hang on, why are you discussing this with me??"

Joon strolled towards the stairs of the Library leading to the upper floor filled with bookcases. He sat down on the third stare, "If directly presented with what Jin and Me want, you'll argue about the rationale behind it. Which is why, the explanation is branching out from this point. Listen."

Suhan sat back on the sofa and looked back at Jin, who continued.

"Not knowing anything about our real Code, we all have been battering at her defenses. Constantly. It has reached a point that she is a hair width away from giving in. She loves us with every drop of blood in her body, you saw what the footage did to her. Anya needs us as badly as we do her. Let alone a kiss, a stimulated conversation will have her wanting more, will have her letting go of any thoughts holding her back. She will give into the physical aspect of our bond."

Suhan tried to keep an open mind. If he was to help them navigate this lethal phase of their psyche merge, he could not afford to be prudish, given that they had imprinted on his sister. She was the only one for them.

He could not afford for awkwardness to mess up their candor.

"And somehow I don't see this is a problem? Right?" he asked.

Jin flicked him a dark look, "Our Vrȃgs know this too."

Oh.

Oh.

Shit.

Jin gave him a mocking smile, "Grasped it at last?" saying so he got up from the sofa.

Jimin and Jungkook were in their animal forms, Jungkook resting his head on Yoongi's lap, while Jimin was wrapped around Tae. Hoseok sat beside Suhan, his chin cradled in his joined fingers.

Jin picked up the decanter of whisky, "If you insist on us letting the Vrȃg merge with our animal, you know our behaviour will be influenced by the heavy bond it carries. There will also be times when we WILL lose control of it. There WILL be times when it will manifest." He opened the stopper.

"Who do you think it will target at those times?"

"Hyung," Tae interrupted, "I know what you are hinting at. Yes of course it will want her, but why are you forgetting that it has a bond with her? It will not harm her."

"The bond is the exact reason why it can unknowingly hurt her because it will be compelled to seek her, hold her." Joon spoke, "Knowing about her weakness to us, make no doubt, it will instigate a physical relationship with her. And she, is too exposed, too vulnerable against it. She will give in."

"So?" Hoseok asked.

Jin let out a chilling laugh, "So?" he mocked him, "Tell me Hoseok, do you want to wake up to your consciousness to see her throat slashed by the Vrȃg's claws, her blood drenching your body in red, her eyes open and vacant??"

Hobi reeled back in shock at the graphic image.

But Jin was not done yet, "So, do you want to push your Vrȃg back to see her choked to death while the Vrȃg was rutting into her? So, do you want to see her broken lifeless body lying beneath your naked sexually satisfied form??"

"Stop it Hyung!"

"We will just have to learn how to make sure that it does not take over or manifest over our conscious!" Taehyung shot back hotly, "Can we not be strong enough to do that for her? When has she ever wanted something from us?? This is the first time she is asking something—"

"Can you think a little before you talk?" Joon raised his voice to cut him off, "If the merge takes place, we will be LEARNING how to be strong. For a short period of time, we WONT magically be able to control it. She will need to be strong enough for us all. She will need to hold strong against the manipulations of it. And that is the period of time we are afraid of."

Tae did not back down, "We can ask her to keep us in a different room or basement or house for the period of time required to learn how to completely control the Vrȃg."

Yoongi scoffed, "Aside from the extreme impossibility of her even thinking of agreeing about it, the separation will drive the Vrȃg crazier. It will battle us more violently and if once freed, its rage will be higher in comparison to any given normal time."

Suhan cut in, "So you are proposing to have the electric collar made permanent around your neck, caging you for life, so that the Vrȃg never surfaces? So that you remain proverbial slaves forever?? You do realize that one day, the Vrȃg trapped inside will make you go insane? In a few years, it will probably cause you to die?"

Jin poured a splash of whisky in a glass. Raising it, he took a sip, "I am aware."

Suhan stupefied, "You are THAT selfish? Making my sister go through the loss of losing you?"

Joon answered simply, "Yes."

"Its better we die after years of being happy with her than kill her with our hands." Yoongi's deep voice said, "Yes Suhan, we are that selfish."

Suhan let out a mocking laugh, "Anya will never in her life agree to it."

"I know." Jin said.

"Then?" he demanded, "You must have had a plan before telling me this utter nonsense?"

Jin tossed the whisky back and closed his eyes against the burn. After a few moments, he said, "I will test her. When she loses, she will agree to it."

"Test?" Hoseok asked, his expression full of foreboding.

Jin shrugged, "If she wants me to say yes, to agree to her plan, then she needs to prove to me that she is mentally strong enough to take on the challenge. That she will stay rock steady against its manipulative games. So yes, I will test her."

"Are you even hearing what you are saying Hyung?" Taehyung's tone was laced with a disbelieving outrage, "Test the person who gifted you life? You have the audacity to say you want to TEST the person who—"

The glass was hurled across the library as it shattered against the wall. In another violent gesture, Seokjin upturned the entire table containing different crystal decanters on the floor, the glasses breaking and smashing all over the marble, the pieces getting scattered in a forceful shower of sharp crystals all around the room.

"DO YOU THINK I AM ENJOYING IT??" Seokjin shouted out.

Turning on Taehyung, his eyes dark with anger he bit out, "If she asks me just ONCE to cut of my hand, or any part of my body, I will be picking up the knife before her sentence gets completed!" striding towards Tae, he came to stand right before the Tiger

"If she so much as Hints at enjoying me getting used by others, I will be shedding my clothes before I see them! If she wants to take a risk that can result in my life being taken, I will jump at the chance! BUT when it comes to HER life, HER safety, HER reputation, not only will I pause, but if necessary I WILL STOP HER!"

He pushed Taehyung roughly, making him stumble and sit back down on the couch behind him.

"And if I sense her harm coming from my hand? Yes, yes goddamn you I will bloody well test her!"

Panting, his voice came out destroyed, "Life will lose its meaning in the time I explain what she means to me Taehyung. I cannot lose her. I would rather be cursed with a thousand more lifetimes of being a slave hybrid than allow myself to hurt her."

Tae had tears in his eyes, "Hyung, you have to trust her." He stood up again, "She wont smile at us, she wont be the way she is with us if you wear the collar. She hates it. For her, I will find another way."

Jin shook his head, "Sometimes I love your optimism. Unrealistic may it be."

Jin let out an humorless chuckle, "Shall I tell you a secret? shall I let you know just how desperate my Vrag is for her? Do you know when my Vrag first stirred? In that bloody Auction Mansion, the night I thought Yoongi had attacked her"

Every Hybrid except Yoongi got shocked at that.

"Hyung--"

"If I may, how exactly do you plan to test her?" Suhan ignored the latter part and asked Jin with a smile in his voice. "Am I right in assuming you will want her to resist your advances and hold her resolve while you make sexual advances on her?"

Jin narrowed his eyes, "Yes. History has proved that empires got crumpled, wars raged due to the weakness of lust. She herself is at the last thread of her resistance. If she can hold back on me while I try my best with my skills on her, then I'll consider her to win."

He turned towards Suhan, "She needs to show me that Vrȃgs wont be able to take advantage of her. When they manifest, in the time it takes for us to learn to master them, she needs to prove to me that she will be immune against their machinations."

"You do understand that it is a form of torture?" Suhan asked mildly, "Sexual mental torture is no joke Jin, it is in fact a method of extracting information applied by highly skilled spies. It causes pain. That pain is not seductive, it seriously hurts. That pain slowly disorients a person, changes their mental capacity, if lingered, it can cause someone to make heinous mistakes"

Jin stared back, "I am aware."

"And you still wish to apply this method?"

A regal tilt of head.

Suhan was actually impressed, "Okay. Go for it."

Stunned silence.

Joon spoke up, "You? I mean . . . wont say no?"

Suhan laughed. He really laughed for a long time.

When he stopped, he said, "My sister was very thin when we were young, I used to constantly worry about her physical state, especially her self defense and martial arts classes, they were leaving her bruised. One day, I told her about it, wanting her to withdraw. She was getting hurt a little too much for my liking. She understood the extent to which I was worried about her. Any guess what I saw the next day?"

"More amount of bruises on her?" Yoongi said, the smile in his voice clear to hear.

Suhan's smile stretched wide, "Right on target. Damn Jaguar, you and the Cobra really know her."

Yoongi shrugged, but his smile was visible.

He looked at Jin and Joon, "She started training even harder, even more fiercely because she wanted to end my worries. Not by withdrawing but by becoming so excellent that not only would she be able to fight spectacularly, but the training would never leave her bruised any more. All it took was 15 months. Since then, I have never seen a single bruise on her during her practice."

Suhan grinned at Jin, "So yep, Go ahead. I do understand your worries, frankly, all of it are valid. But I am afraid the challenge you will put to her will not end up the way you want. Yes, she will suffer and come close to giving in, but let me tell you one thing Eagle,"

He stood up and went to him. Grasping one shoulder he told Jin, "The reason why Yoongi and Jimin did not agitate her much on this subject is because they know, once she understands the stakes, she will burn alive, but never give in."

Releasing him, he backed up a little, "All you will be giving me is endless days to tease her."

Jin did not say anything. His eyes shuttered, he glanced once at Yoongi and Jimin, then bid them all goodnight to walk out of the room, followed by Joon.

Tae looked at Suhan, "Why do I sense you are happy?"

Walking towards a table set in the corner, Suhan picked up a beautiful vase, "This is an antique, do you know that? Its priceless china. Beautiful, right? Just one of a kind. Unique." He said.

Tracing the porcelain in his hands he continued, "Even though the making procedure is difficult and complicated, it the last step that is the most important." He put it back.

"The products have to withstand heat of an immense fire. The impurities get burnt away while the object becomes stronger. The faulty ones break."

He looked at the rest of the pack in the room, "Remember what I am saying.

If you want something beautiful, something extremely unique and mythical, the intense fires in different forms of struggle, trails or complications will batter down your door wanting to keep you sealed inside, keeping you from attaining it. It will be the testament of your strength to burn in them to emerge strong enough to snatch it from fate."

"The relationship you have with my sister is molding in a form that is as fragile as it is unbreakable. I am happy, as it is taking the right direction. Because something that special will never be gifted to you. You will need to take it."

Hoseok said, "We don't have a relationship with your sister."

Suhan smirked, "You and I both know that there is a YET attached at the end of your sentence."

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A/N : 23k😅

I know! The length was too great so I had to break it up.

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