Read the previous Chapter, Chapter 31 and 32 were released together. This is Chapter 32.

EVENING

ORCHID PEARL LUXURY SPA :

"No seriously, I never thought you would actually accompany me outside. You never seem to go anywhere far from my sister." Suhan teased Jungkook as they rested in the large spa area personally closed off to be their private space.

"He still wouldn't come. It was because Master was exceptionally angry that he wanted to escape." Jimin leafed through the magazines provided by the spa while he lay down on a long, soft lounger, "Hey! My photospread is in this magazine?"

Yoongi rolled his eyes, "Aren't you a vain one."

"Oh please. Just because you are not a highly requested model, don't project your bitterness on me."

Yoongi continued to sip from his Long Island Ice Tea, "May I remind you, that I WAS in fact approached for the upcoming brand product advertisement but it was ME who refused-"

A scoffing sound from Jungkook, "You did that because you know just how awkward you are in front of the camera."

"Well." Suhan too closed his eyes as he lay back on his lounger, "You did take 4 hours to shoot that simple ad."

"That required the right sense of emotions combined with just the right way of delivering the lines. In itself, the lines were weighty and had to be brought to justice. That work was complicated. It was natural for me, a novice, to take that amount of time." Yoongi justified calmly.

" 'Confidence of work, style of pleasure' those lines you mean?" Jimin drolled out.

"Stapling your mouth will be my new pleasurable hobby, you scaly tubelight!" Yoongi shot back.

Suhan only had the task of signing the proposal associated with the chain of spa with their hotels, expanding the service in their holiday resorts by including the Spa in every country. The director of the merge wanted to make them feel pampered, which was an invitation that Suhan did not reject.

After the morning impromptu visits were over, Suhan had asked who would be accompanying him. Surprisingly, the only remaining three hybrids had all volunteered.

When he brought them to the Spa, he shamelessly went ahead to force them to experience it alongside him, citing, "If we are selling certain services, is it not our responsibility to test it out?"

That was all which was needed to convince Yoongi, Jungkook and Jimin to go along with his idea.

Currently, the four men were relaxing in front of the calming artificial hot spring of the spa after getting a full body massage, manicures and pedicures.

All they were missing was a facial.

Something that the four men had spent a lot of time debating over, ultimately giving up on the idea because it would be noticeable by the other hybrids due to the fragrance, who would then proceed to bore them with their bitterness of not having the same experience.

Changing the deteriorating topic, Suhan asked, "Where are the rest?"

Jungkook finished his 8th mocktail. Keeping aside the Virgin Mojito he answered, "After the way Master short circuited, pretty much everyone was trying to scramble out of her sight. Jin hyung along with Joon Hyung went to the office while Taehyung hyung and Hobi hyung went shopping with Arissa and Peter."

Suhan whistled softly, "Tae, Hobi, Arissa and Peter? Damn that's a killer combo. That group might just bring the entire boutique back home. Just what went wrong with my sister?"

The pool before them was blue and tranquil. The four of them had climbed out of it minutes before collapsing in the lounger. The dim soft lights of the room created a wonderful ambience while the four males gossiped freely.

"I am guessing mostly it happened because she was seriously sleep deprived." Jungkook thoughtfully replied, then he stood up and unwound the towel from his hips to walk towards the pool again, seduced by the invitation of the warm water, "We hadn't done anything wrong if you think about it."

"Oh please." Yoongi grumbled, "If you think we had been a perfectly well behaved bunch then I doubt you'll be out of the doghouse anytime soon."

"Of course you would say that."

"OF BLOODY COURSE I WOULD!" Yoongi exploded, "I was the utterly innocent one dragged in the mess because of you lot!"

Suhan too followed Jungkook in the pool, submerging himself in it, breathing out a blissful sigh, "Ah I needed this."

"No doubt you did." Jimin kept aside the magazine to put his head on the rolled up towel, settling down and shutting his eyes, "After the two ladies last night and Nisa, I'd start doubting you to be a hybrid if you were not this tired."

"Awww little snakey, you jealous of me?" Suhan called out in a sing song voice

"You wanna go there?" Jungkook asked with a smile, "Should I start with just how I wrapped myself around your sister last night before sliding my hand-"

"GAHHHHH OKAYYYY!!!!!!!!"

"The Nisa lady looked almost half dead when she was being escorted out. She barely had her eyes open and walked funny." Jimin directed a stare at Suhan, "Don't send out girls in that state. You could have at least let her rest till she recovered enough to go."

Suhan curiously looked towards the Cobra hybrid, "Why are you bothered by it?"

Jungkook splashed Suhan with an arc of water, "Well why wouldn't we be?? That's the thing which started the entire debacle with Master!!"

"Huh?"

Yoongi let out a long suffering sigh, "The starting point happened due to something Hobi was saying to Master. Apparently, he really hates Song and he changed into his Vrâg with a strong intent to kill. While Master was trying to calm him down, Tae walked in on them in his human form and whole heartedly started cursing Song, not caring that it made Hobi's Vrâg feel solidarity to the extent that it would not retreat."

Jimin took over, "That, had been the point me and Jungkook walked in. Master was still trying to pacify the two, when Mask Cartoon Muscled Cat Man over there vigorously started amping Hobi hyung and Tae up, threate-"

"What the hell !?! What Cat Man???" Jungkook protested.

Jimin continued without stopping "-ned Song to his heart's content, describing in details the ways he would mutilate him."

While Suhan soaked up the tale in the pool, resting on the edge with his chin on his forearms, Yoongi took over, "The commotion brought over Jin hyung and Joon. At that point Master's voice was not even audible when everyone started presenting their own macabre ways of killing Song Joong-ki and Kahil. With the amount of hatred we were supressing from the visit, these bloodthirsty situations and descriptions stirred up everyone's Vrâgs."

Jungkook pouted, "Mine? I was already stirred up! Anyways. . . it kinda led to the situation where there were 6 Vrâgs increasingly getting agitated and hysterical for the blood of Song Joong-ki."

"Hold up." Suhan held his hand up while he floated in the pool, his body horizontal with his hands resting on the edge "Let me imagine the scenario."

With a wicked smile he said, "So in one room, there were six Vrâgs clamouring for a very dramatic shredding death of Song, while my tiny sister was trying to maintain the situation somehow and calm you guys down, but was completely invisible, being ignored and jumping around to be heard?"

"Basically." Jungkook groused.

"But why six?" Suhan urged the Jaguar, "Where were you, o teethless one?"

"WHAT??"

Jimin made an irritated face, "You remain abnormally quiet in situations where words are necessary. Obviously we came up with that nickname. Now shut up when your input is not needed."

"You-You-"

"By the time Yoongi hyung came," Jungkook steam rolled over the Jaguar's sputtering righteous protest, "Master was trying to hold some of us back, because we were kind of marching out of the rooms and going down the stairs with a half baked hare-brained idea of finding and killing Song."

"Its nice to hear the tinge of shame in your voice." Suhan was just thoroughly amused at the scene he had missed.

"Don't you start too." Jimin palmed his face.

Laughing, Suhan replied, "No. no. Don't misunderstand me. Not shame that you feel that way. But because you have the grace to understand that it's a very cliché, tawdry and mind bogglingly inferior way of finishing your opponent. Straight up go and kill? How damn ordinary and dull is that?" Suhan gave a mock shiver, "If that is how you operate, well heavens, I would never associate myself with you guys. My reputation will drown faster than the Titanic."

Yoongi dryly commented, "You are a real piece of work."

"I know. The very best." Suhan winked, "Which is why I fit in with you all so brilliantly. But more of that later, tell me what the chick sized sister of mine did next."

Glumly, Jungkook pouted, "Among the six of us and Yoongi hyung, she sort of, was lost in the middle. One of us might have picked her up and gently put her back down-"

"What????" Suhan roared with laughter, so much so that he dipped in the pool for a second and came back up coughing. He still could not control his laughter while Jungkook, Yoongi and Jimin kept looking at him morosely.

"You-You picked my sister, my SISTER, Anya, like a doll and-" he gasped out, "And put her away while-while she was trying to stop you?"

Yoongi continued the story, "That was when your girl was coming out of the room. She was in a bad shape so she kept pausing while walking. On one such pauses, she saw Master being lifted and then being set down behind us all-"

"Then Tae freaking went ahead to pat her on her head and asked Master to 'STAY'" Jimin snarled.

"That Nisa woman giggled when she saw that." Jungkook let himself drown, "She freaking giggled."

"Worse." Jimin grudgingly replied, "It was heard by Master."

"Oh god this is too precious." Suhan smiled wide, "This is NOT going in a good direction for you guys."

Jimin sniffed daintily, Jungkook gurgled in the water. After sometime, the Panther continued, "At that point, Jin Hyung's Vrâg receded because he took control. But before he could shut us up, Master's phone rang. It was Song."

"Oh shit. Dare I ask?" Suhan was having a merry time.

Jungkook braved, "Hobi Hyung plucked the phone from her hand and smashed it down the floor."

"Then few of us stamped on it." Jimin's voice became smaller.

Yoongi closed his eyes as he relived the memory, "Then proceeded to smash it till every single bit of it was broken. Apparently, that phone-" he breathed out, "Held the final revised data for the sapphire and silver anklet plus body chain, the conversation, and documents from a foreign supplier who after providing the info has died."

"Oh." Suhan tried to stop his maddening laughter, "You guys fucked up big time."

The three hybrids nodded at the same time.

"Our Vrâgs, those pathetic cowardly creatures," Jimin talked with a live vein of anger in his voice, "Vanished in an instant! Not even a second! They looked at Master after the cellphone became scrap garbage, looked at each other, then receded faster than the scientific speed of light!! THEY BLOODY ABANDONED US AFTER GETTING US IN THAT MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!"

"What did she do to you?" this time, Suhan asked in a very serious manner.

The question brought back the shuddering memory that the three hybrids were trying to forget.

For a second there had been pin drop silence. No one moved but all eyes were still on the mobile phone, or what remained of it. With the Vrâgs retreating, the pack felt a sense of doom when they looked at Anya calmly and collectedly gazing at the remains of her phone.

"Is the lady escorted out?" she asked in a dangerously soft and pleasant voice.

With each ticking second, the fear mounted in the pack. Bravely Joon looked around and noticed that indeed, Nisa had been properly escorted out by the staff. Seeing that, he cursed his fate vehemently. At this point, it would have been so, so, so much more beneficial if she had stayed.

Their Master took extreme caution to not let the outside world know about her lunatic-Princess-Xena-combined-with-crazy-Valkyrie side. And without evidence, just who would believe the gentle and cultured Mistress of the empress jewellery and the Prestigious Kim family was capable of transforming into a heartless Titan who laughed while making sure they cried?

"Ummm, yes, she left." Namjoon winced as he replied.

Yoongi was still confident enough that he could talk to her because he had seriously done nothing, he had even joined late. So he went forward to stand before her, bypassing the murder scene of her mobile, "Master, lets take a deep breath and calm down? Okay? Here take a deep breath with me, breathe in. . ." he inhaled loudly, "And breathe out. Come on Master, listen to me and try-"

The rest of the words got lost in a dream Lalaland as Yoongi found himself flat on the ground, gazing up at the ceiling. It was only then he understood that he had been flown in an arc by his delicate Master and then smashed on the ground.

Around him, the hybrids shouted, "MASTER???"

Left and right, the mighty Vrâg holding hybrids dropped like flies on the ground, Anya going completely berserk.

Seeing the scene with horror, Taehyung made the very great and clever decision of fleeing before Anya could reach him. she did not utter a word and she also did not hold back.

At. All.

Using her skills of pressing down on the exactly accurate nerve to get them immobile, Anya systematically went about felling all the hybrids one by one.

Understanding the dawning danger, Namjoon wasted no time in hurriedly stripping and changing forms.

"Where do you think you are escaping to?" Anya's voice rang out like a clang of doom. Joon felt chills in his heart as he sped up his transformation and scrambled on the floor to escape. Behind him, he felt Anya coming after him.

His heart in his throat, the Wolf tried to shake off the remaining clothes and used all four of his paws to muddle forward. He looked back just for a second and felt horror etch in his soul when he saw Anya too on her hand and knees, after having been tripped, crawling rapidly towards him with her hair all over the place.

She looked like the ghost Sadako just out of the movie!

With a deranged loony smile on her face, "YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE ME WOLF??? AFTER WHAT YOU ALL DID????" she screamed as she crawled towards him at a speed which was horrific.

The Wolf, involuntarily, howled in fright and redoubled his effort to go. When he felt a hand grasping his tail, tears of fear fell down his wolf eyes. Poor creature used ALL of his strength to shoot forward like a bullet, successfully running away.

Her anger sparked even more, Anya looked back to see the remaining 5 of her hybrids had somehow rolled down the stairs.

Arissa and the staff had seen the development and very discreetly and intelligently withdrawn from the scene but were currently stationed behind the various doors and windows, peeking in.

"I HAVE NOT SLEPT BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS!!" Anya exploded as she bounded down the stairs and grabbed the first hybrid she got, which incidentally turned out to be Jin.

"I HAVE BEEN TOLERATING YOUR SHIT SINCE YESTERDAY!"

"What did I do?!?!" Jin whimpered when he saw her reaching for something. He used his entire will power to shrug away his shirt which Anya had a hold of, then yelped and tried to transform again.

"THEN TAEHYUNG WENT BAT SHIT CRAZY AND I HAD TO ENDURE IT!!"

Jin and Jungkook both struggled, feeling the sensation slowly return to their limbs. Jungkook tried running in a opposite direction.

"WHERE THE FUCK DOES MR-I-WANT-TO-DROWN-SONG THINKS HE IS GOING??" Anya let go of Jin for a second to make a wild grab at Jungkook, who screamed,

"I AM SORRY!!!!!! I AM SORRYYYYYY!!!!"and tried to run.

Anya snatched a cushion and threw it on his legs, making him stumble. But the Panther still kept screaming and trying to go. Anya leapt forward, diving flat on the floor and managed to hold the edge of his jeans and mightily gave a tug, making Jungkook go splat.

The unfortunate hybrid still kept peddling his arms and legs, looking like a psychotic person swimming on a solid floor.

In the meantime, Jin rapidly shed his clothes and transformed in his Eagle form, only to feel Anya grab his legs as he tried to fly away.

His heart constricting, he felt a bad Déjà vu.

Rapidly he screeched and fiercely beat his wings, but like a deranged ghost, Anya kept holding on to his legs, "THEN YOU GIVE ME A HEADACHE WITH THE WAY YOU KEEP THREATENING SONG !! YOU BROKEN RADIO VRAGS!!! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH TRAUMA MY EARS SUFFER WHEN YOU ALL GO SCREAMING AT ONCE???????? DO YOU HAVE ANY SYMPATHY AT ALL FOR ME????????"

All the bird could do was flap his wings more rapidly, fighting to be let go. Nevermind the shower of his precious shiny feather that was lost during his valiant struggle.

It was truly a gravely frightening sight.

A mighty black eagle madly trying to fly away while a tiny woman with a wacko smile, long dark hair covering her upper body and face, kept holding on to the legs, threats randomly falling like a nutjob, a man splayed, crying on the floor while screaming a litany of sorry, two more hybrids still frozen lying horizontal on the floor against the sofa. Their bodies having stopped after rolling down the stairs with their faces still pressed down on the floor.

Just then, Hobi and Jimin got their sensations back. Both of them stood and ran towards the kitchen. Seeing the two hybrids who aggravated her the most run away, Anya let the Eagle and Panther go as she gunned for them.

In their hearts, both Jin and Jungkook thanked Jimin and Hobi, vowing to remember their sacrifice and promptly pushed a dazed freshly walked downstairs Yoongi towards the kitchen to save their friends.

In the Kitchen, being trapped, Hobi and Jimin looked side to side when Anya somehow snatched a container. Pouring a suspicious red powder in her palm, she gunned for Hoseok, "YOU THINK BEHEDDING IS NORMAL!?!? YOU WANT TO DETACH SOMEONE'S HEAD!?!?!?"

"NO! NO! I REALLY DON'T!! I LOVE HEADS WHERE THEY BELONG!!" Hobi cried as he screamed, "SORRY!"

Anya was lost to reason now as she leapt on Hoseok and latched onto him. Her legs went around his torso. Hobi twisted and turned, feeling no resemblance to any sensual ways, as he tried to detach himself.

Anya took hold of one of his ears and pulled viciously hard.

"AHHHHHHHH MASTER!!!! FUCK SORRY DON'T-"

That hand holding the red powder was slapped on his open mouth, then kept it closed.

Hoseok's eyes went in a perfect circle as his mad dance to let the leech of his Master detach herself stopped, when he apprehended that what was fed to him was red chilli powder.

Task finished with the poor snake literally crying and shaking, Anya let him go as he ran towards the sink with his tongue out, pushing his entire face under the spray of the water while panting hard, piteously wailing.

"NO PLEASE NO"

Jimin was next.

"GET THAT SPARKLY JEYKLY AND HYDE SNAKE TO COME SPEAK RIGHT NOW!"

"YOU ARE ONE TO TALK????? YOU ARE MORE JEKYL AND HYDE THAN I CAN EVER BE!!!" Jimin shot back.

"BRING HIM OUT RIGHT NOW!!!"

"He refuses to come!!!!! I cant control it!!!" Jimin was on the brink of tears only to see Anya looking seriously deranged advancing towards him while in the background, Hobi was running towards the fridge with his tongue hanging out, wanting to stuff ice in his mouth, passing a completely zoned out Yoongi just standing in the kitchen.

Beyond them, faces peeked out of the windows and curtains while money passed hands of the bets that were being placed.

Probably over his survival.

"If you don't bring him out, I will-"

"PLEASE COME OUT!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!" Jimin clenched his eyes and screamed internally as well as out loud, wanting his conscious to be overtaken, desperately praying but whatever side of him that it was, was a very intelligent fellow. It remained stubbornly oblivious to his struggles.

"Master. . ." Yoongi, bless his brave soul tried again, when he saw Anya grab the wooden roller and whirl towards him, charging.

"WHAT THE HELL DID I DO ?!?!?!?!" screamed the innocent Jaguar with horrified frightened eyes.

"Oh." Suhan remarked.

"Oh indeed." Jungkook shuddered. "After she calmed down, we were asked to come meet her. Refusal would cost the skin of our animals being turned into garments, so we went. There, she was sitting so composed, tranquil, beautiful and calmly-"

"That in itself was an utter horror." Jimin interrupted with a shiver, "After the creature from underworld that she had been, to suddenly become a celestial reserved angel is the most horrifying thing I have ever seen."

Jungkook, Yoongi and Suhan, all nodded, perfectly understanding his emotions.

"You have experienced it a lot?" Jungkook looked to his side to Suhan, both in the pool.

All Suhan did was close his eyes. That expression was a profound stamp of all the atrocities he had suffered since childhood. Seeing him, Jungkook just nodded, completely understanding without any words needed.

"Imagine if I could treat Master the way you treated Nisa?" Jimin asked in a whisper.

"Then your ghost would be talking to us."

"What did she say?" Suhan asked.

"Well . . . ." Jungkook floated away, "She was sick of our Vrâgs being childish, tired of us behaving like giant murder loving babies, her eardrums were on the verge of falling out, her brain was screaming to sleep, her body was-"

"Basically, she was darned annoyed." Yoongi summed up, "By us."

"So. . . she redoubled our assignments, gave crucial projects to be headed by us and to take the downfall if it fails. We are also tasked with somehow retrieving all the necessary documents we lost, she really does not care how. Our official work in the company is to be detached from her and should any police or worker harass us for being hybrids, we are to deal with it ourselves-"

"-because according to her, 'if you can enjoy the pleasure of your Vrâgs temper for idiotic things as jealousy and bitching then you damn well can work your ass off equally hard'." Yoongi completed.

Jimin sat up and rubbed his hands on his face extra hard and groaned, "Me, Hobi hyung and Jin hyung are to be transferred to your sector of the company. Yoongi hyung along with Tae are to be Adora's. Only Jungkook and Joon hyung will continue working under Master."

"Oh." Suhan said again.

"Starting from that second." Jungkook helpfully added.

Suhan savagely bit his lips to prevent any laughter from leaking out, "Oh."

"We are to not raise our head to look at any other person until we have been recognised by at least her executive staff for having potential. We have been given 3 months to prove ourselves. If we fail, we are to never come in the office." Jungkook parroted it all out, his tone hiding his heavy heart and complains against being worked so much.

"At this po-point I think you g-g-guuys would have li-li-liked being actual sex sla-slaves." Suhan chortled out, not able to hold it in anymore, "Oh god this is just the starting. She will no doubt instruct the senior lawyers and executive marketing head and HR to go hard on you. She is a slave driver."

Suhan slicked back his hair then tried to keep himself steady, "Oh Man you have no idea what she will do to you. Forget any lovey-dovey feelings, you actually broke the threshold of my sister's anger!"

Seriously morose and in a depressed state, the three hybrids frowningly looked at Suhan, "If you have gone through the same situation should you not have some pity-"

"OH NO. No. just no. stop right there." Suhan raised both his hands and faced Yoongi, Jimin and the increasingly unhappy Jungkook, "I have no desire WHATSOEVER in incurring her wrath by helping you!"

A knock and a clearing of throat alerted them of another presence. A smiling beautiful female employee came in bearing a tray of 4 tall drinks, bowing down and walking forward.

She placed the tray on the small table between Jimin and Yoongi's Lounger, nodded at them, then turned to look at Suhan in the pool, "Sir, will you like to partake in any other services provided by us today? May I interest you in a relaxing aromatherapy with a foot massage?"

Suhan lazily smiled, "No, it is quite enough. Thank you very much, I will let you know if we need anything more."

The female smiled, "Shall I place your drink near you so you may reach it easily?"

"I have plans of exiting the pool in a little while. So no need to trouble yourself. I'll call for assistance if I need it."

The female nodded, bowed deeply and exited the place.

While everyone watched her retreating back, Jimin lightly flicked the top of the glass containing Suhan's Mocha. The glass wobbled, losing its balance, then tripped to one side and fell with a crash.

"This is the second drink." Jimin murmured.

Yoongi kept his eyes closed, relaxing back on his lounger, "It's the female."

"Hmmmm." Jimin mused, "Its getting irritating now."

Shifting his gaze he saw Suhan playfully bickering with Jungkook in the pool, "Can't we just take care of this. The attempts are getting more desperately pathetic and tedious for us."

Losing the game of trying to dunk Jungkook underwater, Suhan replied, "If you think you can play a game classy enough to maintain my reputation as Shadow, then go for it."

Hearing that, Jimin snorted. He too imitated Yoongi and leaned back, letting his body become clay on the chair, closing his eyes to catch a little sleep.

That was the green signal which set them free.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

Anya pushed the door open after unlocking it. With a wearied sigh, she closed the door and then quite simply, dropped on the floor to sit.

Loving her sanity enough to make the compromise, for the first time since the pack had come in her life, she had come to spend the night in her Apartment, the floor below her brother's penthouse.

The peace and quiet of the place welcomed her with a loving embrace.

It was late in night when she had finally became free from the meetings that she could finally rest. Since the Gala yesterday to the morning waking up to the insane pace of visitors leading to the Vrâg's temper tantrum resulting in breaking her phone and subsequent call from her office to deal with the New York and Paris headquarters facing an issue, Anya truly felt like her soul had left her body.

Shower. Not a bath, or I'll drown while sleeping. Come on, buck up. Shower, a nice calming honey tea and then finally the best destination in the world- Bed.

Somehow, she got up.

Refusing to think about the mischief makers, Anya tiredly walked inside her tastefully decorated, modern décor apartment. Going deeper in, she soldiered on through a shower, even though she stood under the spray for more than 20 minutes without doing a thing, then wrapped herself in a transparent robe and trudged towards the kitchen to make herself some tea.

With setting the lights to a soft luminous glow, Anya poured herself the hot tea, her long dark hair damp, her soft curves robed in just a sheer wrap. Taking a sip, feeling herself being alone in a long time, Anya felt a calm happiness envelop her.

Sometimes, time to just oneself was heavily needed. Just to breathe. Just to, be.

Drifting away from the kitchen, she sat down facing the balcony overseeing the lights illuminating the brilliance of Seoul. For some time, she did nothing other than to occasionally take tiny sips and enjoy the view.

In such a voluntary void of pushing away all that she did not want to deal with, a smiling face with love in the eyes haunted her thoughts.

A self deprecating smile graced her pink lips. It would seem, trying to keep away from topics she wanted a break from, pushed in front the thoughts of a person she had been actively trying to banish.

Pursuing her lips, Anya swiped open her new cell phone. She brought up the contact and stared at it for a while.

Breaking away from this seems to be impossible, why be a coward and not acknowledge it?

Decisively, Anya made the call.

The call went on for quite sometime, before it was picked up by an irritated voice, "Hello?"

An involuntary smile came when Anya heard the voice, perfectly imagining the annoyance in the person's face when encountering a late night call from an unknown number. She pulled the wrap a little tighter on her, lifted her legs on the sofa too, and cozied up.

"How are you Yoona?" Anya asked softly.

The line remained quiet. Minutes ticked by, no one talked. Anya lay down with her cushions watching the lights of the city, while talking to her best friend, with whom she was now estranged.

This was the Yoo In-na who had believed in her when no one had. A friend, who had been with her through random situations of sharing her monsterish temper during days her cramps hit, in times when they squealed over music, in times when both of them secretly laughed over some overbearing sponsor or investor talking boastfully.

Their friendship had reached a phase where words were not needed. A single glance could say what the other thought about a situation.

For Years , she had her by her side.

For Years, Anya had known her to be smiling with her.

Even if not all her secrets were shared, like she could with Adora, Yoona had been that friend, the one whom you could blindly rely on to have your back.

Yoona, was her person. Someone Anya knew she could call up in the middle of a night to help her with anything. The sort of a friend whom she could hysterically call, who would come to defend her even without knowing the situation.

Someone, who would help her to go hunt aliens together if she said she believed in them.

She had lost that friend for quite sometime now.

And that loss, hurt.

"Anya. You called." Yoona's voice trembled with emotions.

"Did you think I never would? Silly idiot." Anya softly said. Then asked, "Why?"

That gently spoken word, that simple question stabbed Yoona harder than a spear through her chest. Nothing could help her from falling down at the impact because that inconspicuous three letter question had a wealth of emotions in them.

A heavy, drowning sense of betrayal.

"Because I am an ignoramus, cretin. A snake not fi-fit to b-be cal-call-called a hu-hum-human" Yoona fiercely replied back through her heavy choking tears. She clutched the phone to herself and cried out loudly, letting go of all the remorse, the growing disbelief of her horrific actions overwhelming her in seconds.

She cried, wailed loudly, her dam finally breaking down and crumbling.

She shivered and cried, choking on her sobs but firmly holding the phone, never letting it go.

Anya smiled sadly, letting Yoona cry without any objections. Allowing her the catharsis she so desperately needed.

For long minutes, Anya closed her eyes and heard each and every harsh intake of breath, also heard the deep sense of absolute remorse hidden in those sobs.

After a long time, Anya spoke, "I did not contact you at first because I knew you would still not be in the right frame of mind." She made her voice soft, and kept talking in a mellow way, letting her words and voice sooth the girl, "Whatever belief made you take the step, you had to be pushed till the edge by your emotions to give in to a circumstance where you knew the consequence. For that, I am partly to blame."

Anya lay on her sofa, in the softly lit apartment as she talked on, "I never noticed you falling in love with me, otherwise I would have addressed it. I would never let it be so that you believed you had to bottle it all inside you. You falling in love with me was never a mistake Yoona, but you not acknowledging the fact that it was causing you to change, our bond, our relationship to change, was."

The sobs on the other line slowly subsided.

"Falling in love cannot be controlled. It is a blessing that we can have the courage to actually care for someone deeply, more so than we do to ourself. But, to twist that pure feeling into something so crooked that it hurts the one you love but cant have? That is when you need to take a step back.

So what if that love was not returned?

What is love Yoona?

To care for someone more than yourself. To share your joy, your sadness. To want them to be with you for the common things, to be present with you during the exceptional ones. Someone you want near you at all times, someone to whom you can unload all your insecurities, your fear, wanting that person to support you, listen to you. To love you despite your failures. To want to have that person with you in the future. To know, that the person will stay through your problems, laugh at your absurdities but still faithfully stay.

And, to have a right over their body. To have the right to hold them close, to love them physically. That is romantic love, is it not?

So Yoona tell me, except the part of physical love, what did you not get from me? If sex is taken away from the equation, is romantic love not the same as a deep friendship? Something that you and I had?

So honestly, tell me Yoona, which part, what desperation pushed you so hard that betraying me was more acceptable than to talk to me?"

Occasional sniffs answered her. Anya stopped, feeling her own pain come out while she talked.

Another long silence etched itself between them both, broken by a thready voice, "Anya, even though small, that physical part plays a huge role between partners. But not to the extent of betraying. Not to the extent of doing what I did. I. . . . I lost myself in the bitterness of knowing you will never see me as I do you. And one day, I will have to see you feel all the emotions I have towards you, but not for me.

That knowledge makes a wound so deep, that it can never be healed. It just cant. Its easy to equate all the things I had, but its hard to measure all the things that I wanted, but could never achieve with the person I love.

Broken dreams of a future one desperately desires leaves sharper shards than the sprinkling of reassurance about what you currently possess.

But that is something you will never find out unless you fall for someone you can never have-"

"Yoona." Anya interrupted her, "Do you think these emotions are better dealt with by closing them away, causing the constant hurt to fester to the extent that it changed who you essentially are? What is the point of being hopelessly in love with someone if it causes you to think hurting them is the way to get them to love you back?"

Taking a deep breath, Anya asked, "If what you said about the potential of a lost future will always be more damaging, then tell me, does the past hold no significance at all? Do memories, do the times spent together mean nothing? Does the precious days where we laughed together, fought together, survived together with those smiles that only we would know, with a happiness only we felt, mean nothing at all?"

Yoona could not answer. No one could. Between the human desire of a happy future with the one they loved and the past filled with moments immortalized with the very same person, none could choose only one.

"I am sorry." Yoona whispered, her voice ravaged with regret. "I am truly sorry."

Anya smiled with a bittersweet feeling, "If only sorry could erase emotions Yoona, if only it could turn back time, then the world would have been a better place."

"I-I-" Yoona cried softly again, "I cant lose you. I can-cant. I cant. I really cant."

A world where humans lived, was a simple one. Gifted with emotions made it complex. Friendship, love. Sorrow, regrets. Friend or a lover.

The lines between them all blurred constantly, a melody weaving together creating a song. Unreal was the cause of pain.

Tears of lost love, tears of lost friendship, cries of fear of losing either, the complete heartwrenching fear of losing a friend. Was any of it different?

Because at the end of the day, the pain, would always be the same.

"I cant go back to how things were again Yoona, but neither can I live freely, knowing you are suffering." Anya said, "So--?" she left the line open ended.

It was a rope that Yoona grasped immediately. Knowing Anya the way she had, she understood her meaning instantly. Cautiously, with growing hope in her heart, she asked, "So. . . can I have a chance to start over again? Our friendship?"

"Yoona." Anya sat up. She closed her eyes concentrating on her every word, trying to make the other understand the importance, "I never give second chances. I never have. You know that. But for you, I am making an exception. I am putting the safety of my family in slight odd. That slight odd is enormous for me. Please understand, if you-"

"Never. Never Anya. I will not make this mistake again. I will be verbal and open with you. More than that, I will try to become better, mentally as well. I have my therapist. I don't want to become someone against my own principles. I wont ever hurt you again. All I ask is, for you to be patient with me."

Anya sighed emotionally, "Always."

After that, both the ladies silently lost themselves in their thoughts, having the other on line crucial to move through the difference that had changed the way of things before. It was a comfortable silence, one that was needed.

Anya closed her eyes and almost passed out to sleep when Yoona's voice jerked her awake. Neither of the two knew how much time had passed but the crisp no-nonsense tone of Yoona's voice was dearly familiar.

"About D, Anya, that person is at the same level as you. Although I was kept at bay but I have been digging deeper through Lee Dong Wook and the things I am uncovering is staggering. Not only that, this D is gathering a lot of support too as well. Although none will move against you, they are still becoming dangerous with no way of knowing that the grudge they hold is to just dethrone you from your status or serious enough to want your death."

"Ah. Yoona's back." Anya teased.

"Be serious. I only agreed to take away the bid for your future line in a one time deal. Whoever D is, they had no idea that you had recently traded in with the conglomerate and have a billion dollar turn because they thought the one small assignment could bring you to ruin."

Nodding a little Anya answered in a superior voice, "See? This is why I did not make a public announcement. Is it not beneficial for any of my enemies to underestimate me? Also, I knew the scale was small. Of your betrayal I mean-"

"Can we not talk about it?"

"Sorry." With a laugh, Anya then said, "Forget about D, right now I don't have any plans in investigating that person. Tell me, you were somewhat associated with the trainers of my hybrids. Especially Michael. Do you know anything about him?"

"Your hybrids." Yoona paused, then said with a mysterious voice, "That male hybrid you brought in the office? Seokjin?"

"Huh? Yes?"

"How much do you know about him?" Yoona's voice caused Anya to sit up. The guarded way she asked the question made Anya answer carefully, "He is a bit different from others."

"In which way?"

"He can be a little aggressive. And possessive." Anya answered in a hunch. Which proved to be correct because after a few seconds, Yoona replied back in a relaxed manner, "Oh. So you know. Yes, he is a charmer alright but dangerous too."

It was only then that Anya remembered Jin saying that he had received Yoona in the morning. Confused and curious, Anya wanted to ask what had transpired between them but understood now was not the time to do so.

"Yes, I did investigate all the three trainers. The maximum I got was from the guy named Flaker. I obtained a hard disk of his work and copied it, but mostly it was just the training of small hybrids. Of Michael. . . . . I know all of his contacts."

"That is Gold." Anya exclaimed, "Both the files, bring it tomorrow. Okay?" after a while, "Hello?"

"I'll start from tomorrow again?" just a single quiver gave away her happiness, "But Suhan?"

"Ah." Anya got up from the sofa and went out to her balcony, enjoying the breeze tugging her wrap, blowing over her body, "Suhan. . . . don't worry. If I say its my decision, then he will not interfere in any way."

Yoona shuddered a little, "I always was a little afraid of him." she confessed, "sorry to say but whenever I imagine the word evil, his face- Anya?"

Anya started laughing hearing Yoona's description. Genuine laughter bubbled up from her throat, the melodious and light sound dispersing itself in the night air.

"Oh dear." Anya still chuckled, "Oh my sweet Yoona, don't tell me, even you cannot see him for what he is?"

"If you want to say he is the Devil then I believe you." Yoona replied, deadpanned. "If you want me to believe he is anything but, then I am sending you to the asylum."

That injected another fresh bout of humour in Anya who started laughing again, "My po-poor brother." She couldn't help herself, her eyes becoming a little wet, gleaming from the flushed happy face.

"No Yoona. . . . he is the VERY opposite of what a Devil can ever be."

"Riiiigt. Where are you? I'll send a car to take you to the nearest psychiatrist-"

"No listen." Anya used her hands to gesture her to stop, even though Yoona could not see her. Then she chuckled a little as she settled down in the rocky chair of the balcony, "Oh darling. I am serious. Nowadays, I am living with people who keep calling me Goddess, but in essence, the one who truly deserves the title is Suhan."

After a pause, Yoona asked seriously, "Anya, what has happened during my absence? Did you have an accident? Did you have a stroke? Hit your head?"

Slowly, the lights of the skyscrapers were being shut off, the city preparing itself to sleep. The moon dully shone in a sky blanketed with clouds.

The fragility of the female who sat in a huge chair was bathed by the silver light highlighting her otherworldly beauty,

"A God. God does not always mean a benevolent presence of a higher existence. Sometimes, a God also means something different Yoona. Just someone of pure principles at a higher level than regular people.

My brother is someone not easy to understand and yes, on the surface he might appear evil, but he is the complete opposite of it. He is Pure. Pure in a way of Darkness, yes no doubt but Pure nonetheless." Anya lifted her legs up and hugged her knees.

"He is good to good people, bad to the scum. He will give you respect if you deserve it, not bother if you are tainted. His endings, if ever given to a person having malice in them, is a simple death. He does not believe in torture. He does not believe in prolonging a state of misery."

Anya paused, understanding that she was not making it clear.

"Loyalty, faith, principles and love. Suhan is ruled by these four aspects. He is a being who despises anyone who breaks these four things. Most of the time he cant connect with others because none have all four, he has found none who wont compromise one of the four to get whatever they want.

People compromise with loyalty and faith the most, in order to get a simple desire. Countless change their principles to further their ambition. Love is but lip service, never deep enough to take all the burdens that comes with its beauty. Or the love twists into greed, lust overrides the vulnerability. Suhan loathes it all.

Since childhood, he could never understand why the others. so easily betrayed these four essential pillars which made us who we are. The reason he is still so protective over me and my family is because we were the only people who succeeded the various amounts of tests he gave us. We were the only ones, who remained steady.

And anyone who breaks these, are someone Suhan will never take seriously. He plays by the rule of purity Yoona. He will never harm a good deed, he will never let any bad go unpunished."

No quips came in Anya's direction anymore.

"Suhan is purer than you can imagine. Undoubtedly he is dark, but he is regal and proud in his values too Yoona. He is steadfast in them. Its very simple, if you are a stranger, Suhan will not look your way until you choose to harm one of his. If you want him to be a part of your life, Suhan will be kind to you without fail if you are someone who is inherently a person who understands Loyalty, Faith, Principles and Love.

After facing disappointment and getting dejected time and time again, seeing no one understand why he gave importance to loyalty, to principle, after being confused about not understanding why no one understood love, The deep kind, the kind which made you unconditionally protect, which made you care, a love where betrayal or greed was never born, Suhan closed himself off.

He gave up on trying to find people he could value, that he could treasure. The Suhan you see now is simply a man who does not give a damn. A man who has become jaded and cynical, but still, keeps an open mind."

Yoona understood what Anya wanted to say. If Gods had a mirror opposite of their light image, Suhan would be that Dark shadow.

Growing up with Arissa, Joseph, Choi and Anya, four people who never budged from what he believed in, who never compromised with their principles, for whom loyalty was just a way of breathing, obviously Suhan would bloom. The small non blood related family of those four individuals loved each other fiercely, the price to their love? A commodity that did not exist in the universe.

Of course Suhan, even though disappointed, would not lose himself. He had gotten people who understood him. he truly did not need any others.

The others, would just end up like toys to him.

"Anyways. . ." Anya shrugged off the load, "My twin is someone I understand. As do many others. He is happy the way things are. Yoona, go to sleep. As long as I say I will be taking responsibility for something, Suhan will not interfere. Coming to the office tomorrow, you'll become aware of a lot of changes, including my hybrids working there.

Added to that, I'll want you to help me with something. Gina came to the-"

"Oh please stop with that name! You know I abhor having to do anything with that insane friend of yours!" Yoona stopped Anya from giving her any responsibilities in regards to her.

Listening to that, Anya lightly rubbed her hands on her temple, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

Just what is it with her friends? First Song then Gina. . . why was she getting bashed over them from different directions today??

"Why do you hate her so much? Anya mustered up the remaining few vestiges of her patience.

"BECAUSE SHE HAS NO SPINE!" not expecting the sudden yelling, Anya felt her poor ears be tormented again after it had already suffered so much abuse from the yelling of the idiotic Vrâgs.

"She does whatever her husband likes!! Then she quickly starts loving them!! Her whole life, her lifestyle, her likes and dislikes are the carbon copy of her husband!!!"

Anya was aware of it, "So that prompts you-"

"Do you take me to be a brainless bitch?!?!?!? Of course no! that's not why!!!! But when she started to support and love her husband's vulgar, filthy, inhumane, malicious and frankly satanic lusts, that's when I REFUSED to be associated with her!!!"

So many adjectives?

"What is that vulgar, filthy, inhumane-"

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOCK ME BY REPEATING IT!"

"Okay, so what is that-"

"I'll tell you tomorrow! Thinking about it just makes me really mad because I had unwittingly seen it. And I can never forget it even if I bleach my eyes!"

"Umm, oh. Okay." Anya mildly said, not wanting to aggravate her further. "How about you bring all that you have on Lee Dong Wook?"

"That I can do. He was just discharged and let go, right? Okay I will."

Discharged?

"Anya? Thank you for calling. Thank you for this chance. I am repeating this once again because I wont be bringing this up again. I promise to work myself to a point that this will never be repeated. It will take some time, and there might be times when I want to be selfish, just. . . . bear with it please."

Her heartfelt talk left Anya with no choice but to hear what she was saying. She figured she'd question Suhan about it anyways.

"Goodnight then Yoona. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow Anya. And don't forget to introduce your hybrids to me."

"Oh, I will. But something tells me they will go meet you before I can." With another wish, she cut the call.

Then immediately typed out a message

Anya : Lee was discharged? Were you behind it? Where is he? Jennifer's father is urging Godfather and our father to let him know his location. Dad couldn't get a hold of you so he kept badgering me! Overnight he has become a name no one from South Korea wants to associate with!

Firing the message, Anya went inside and took the time to check the security of the apartment, after putting the code on, she switched off all lights and ambled towards her bedroom, feeling like brushing her hair would be a chore.

Right then Suhan's text came.

Nitwit : Yep. I talked to him briefly showing him the general consensus. Did a crafty little play to get him to stay at the location I want for a while in exchange of my help. Which he badly needs.

Anya : so he is staying under your care? Where?

Nitwit : You don't need to know.

Hmmm. So whatever Suhan or the pack wants with Lee is still to be achieved.

Anya : Fine. I called Yoona back. She'll be back from tomorrow. Behave around her.

Nitwit : Ooooooh Sister wants some lady love for herself. Well, who am I to judge? Have fun!

Anya : SUHAN!

Nitwit : Fine fine! I'll behave. Just to let you know, the proposal is signed and the cooperation with the spa is established. Am going to sleep now. I let the pack know you are in the apartment, they grumbled but did not dare to say anything. Your fear in them is strong. Nice work little sister!

Anya : I await the day you will finally grow up. Goodnight!

Nitwit : DON'T PUT A CURSE ON ME YOU HAG! Go sleep, or your beauty charm will fail and display your witchy ugly face!

Annoyed by the immature messages of Suhan, Anya saw herself in the mirror smiling nonetheless at his antics. She took some time to brush her hair, then slid in her bed moaning with pleasure at the feel of the soft mattress giving way.

Her cellphone pinged again as she was reaching to turn off the lamp. Swiping the screen, another smile bloomed as she recognised the sender.

Jiminie : Your given punishment to us exceeds the crime.

Anya : ..............

Jiminie : You wont even talk?

Anya : ...............

Jiminie : ah, I understand. Should I head over to your place?

Anya : Not if you want your legs broken.

She smiled wider, knowing that the Snake hybrid had achieved his objective of making her talk.

Jiminie : I miss your scent. Cant sleep without it.

Anya : Deal with it.

Jimin was so very whiny and clingy when he was with her, to others, well it depended on what mood he was in. Anya lay down on the bed, switching off the lamp. The cool sheets, the soft cushions and tiredness was all pushing her towards dreamland.

Jiminie : If I request you to forget about the side of me you saw in the garden, how high are my chances of my hopes being crashed?

In this life, no matter what, you cannot die. Neither can we. The intents of others will be induced now, they will try their best. Our Deaths are our bet, to them, its their reward. You. Cannot. Die.

Not this time.

Jimin's words were stuck in her mind, inscribed in it. Even if she wanted, Anya was incapable of forgetting it.

Anya : Sky high. Jimin, may I ask you something?

Anya decided to ask him. Out of all her hybrids, Jimin was the one who remained the most normal, without any indication or inciting any strange emotions in her.

Jimin too understood the question to be something that was of importance because he did not joke around.

Jiminie : Always Master.

Anya : Do you believe in reincarnation?

Surprisingly, Anya watched the dots indicating the reply coming on the screen then going off. Jimin tried replying three times, only to stop and delete. Finally he answered.

Jiminie : Yes. I do.

Anya : Why?

This time, there was no hesitation in his reply

Jiminie : The life that we have got? I refuse to believe its because of something as random as destiny. We must have done something in our past to be living this way.

At once, his reply caused a pang of emotion. The way they had suffered, the way they were endlessly given nothing but torment, must have invoked a question of why.

Anya : I don't think you are capable of evil deeds in this life or your previous.

It took some time for Jimin to start replying.

Jiminie : You misunderstood Master! No! Our past may be extremely torturous, but so is the past and the present of all hybrids. Yes I admit ours was a little extra, but still. It remains at par with most of the hybrids. I did not indicate bad deeds committed in my previous life, in fact just the opposite. We must have done deeds worthy of getting you. Of belonging to you, of calling you ours.

Oh.

Her Cobra was sweet, extremely sweet. And knew just how to be romantic enough to win any lady's heart. And the beautiful part was that Anya knew he genuinely thought what he wrote.

Anya chuckled a little but again knew that the answer she was seeking, was not this.

You. Cannot. Die.

Not this time.

There had been a wild desperation, a prayer and a heart breaking melancholy when Jimin had whispered it to her.

Not this time.

Then had it happened before?

What part of Jimin spoke? Not a Vrâg. In fact, with those physical traits and the old soul eyes, Anya knew with an increasing surety that he was not a species recorded in this planet's history.

Just then, she remembered another line he had said.

You don't understand the Svetlá Dvojče.

Her cell vibrated again.

Jiminie : Memories are no doubt precious Master, they are the only priceless treasure that nothing can overpower. But I hope you know that memories that kindles happiness, joy or love are the only ones we must never lose, because if you take on the pursuit of memories of pain, of separation, of soul deep agony, then those memories from the past have the power to break us completely in our present. Pain, especially of anguish of a loss is more powerful. One can lose their identity in that pain. One can destroy the present filled with love in the flames of utter desolation of that sensation once experienced.

Anya read, then re-read the message again. Even though it all sounded lofty, in actuality, she was stunned at how quickly she felt what he was trying to gently break to her.

Anya : Why are you so sanguine that if reincarnation is a cycle we participated in, our pasts were tragic?

Jimin took some time to compose his reply.

Jiminie : Because we are far too aware of the value of each other. We are far too aware of the unspoken oath of never losing you, not by any means. Our protective instincts are not nascent, but well experienced in the types of situations that could tear us apart. For hybrids bred in captivity, raised in torture, with no encounter of anything tender, having this intrinsic knowledge is questionable, no?

Jiminie : We already fear separation to you that is etched deep in our soul. Without experiencing something, how can we fear it with this intensity?

You Cannot Die. Not this time.

Jiminie : Tomorrow will be a new day Master. Let these thoughts go and please get some rest. You need it.

Jiminie : or if you want, text me the address, Suhan forgot to hand it, and I will be over in a few minutes. Then I can hold you to sleep.

Anya was tempted. She was truly tempted because she wanted to get her mind off the way Taehyung had been behaving in the Gala. The way Yoongi talked to her the day before the Gala.

But she knew for a night, she needed to just rest.

Anya : I'll see you tomorrow Jiminie . . . Goodnight. Sweet dreams.

Jiminie : Dream of me, Master. You are my world.

Anya barely kept the phone beside her pillow when her eyes closed itself.

An hour after she had fallen asleep, her mobile lit up in the dark with another message.

Unknown : I know a lot about the past of your hybrid from Flaker. As I also know that you care about them. I am attaching a partial video to prove my point. If you want to know more, then come to me, I want to see you Anya. I don't have much time left.

Lee Dong Wook

[{Video file attached}]

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

SUNG HO :

Sung Ho gulped down the whisky and then raised the glass to throw it across the room in frustration. The glass shattered loudly on the wall.

"EVERY FUCKING TIME!!!" he shouted to his two friends sitting with him in the library of their compound, "EVERY FUCKING TIME THAT ASSHOLE DRINKS IT!"

"You are telling me?" Ha Kun swirled the beer he was drinking, "I have been on surveillance on that bastard for years. Years. Even before Hye approached us, just watching, waiting. Planning. And every freaking time he drank the Mocha. Everywhere else, his hands automatically reached for it. Its like he is addicted to it. So obviously it would not ring any suspicious bells that he would be offered that drink in the damn Spa he was buying!"

Their third friend, Bon Hwa remained quiet.

Staggering a little, Sung Ho said, "What was it that went wrong?" he counted aggressively on his hands, "The colour? Same! The taste? Same! Any signs of the drink being tampered with? NONE!" he went to grab Ha Kun, "Then why did he not drink it????"

Bon Hwa opened his mouth then, "Can it be that the workers we had developed since the factory level until the employee was somehow found out? Because otherwise there was no way it could fail." He looked at his friends, "A drink that Suhan is addicted to, that being opened from the crate in front of his guards, being offered two times in an environment with no suspicious actions. There was nothing to suspect."

"Hye wont be happy. He said it was our last chance." Ha Kun grimly reminded them, "Maybe we should have gone for something more big. We should have-"

"Please stop." Sung Ho stopped him, "We bloody CAN'T. Have you forgotten the various attempts being swatted away even before it could get to level 2? The security around him is so well organised, it always takes away any potential person within 50 meters of him. Snipers are no good when he bloody travels in swarms and under cover of umbrellas. His schedules are tightly guarded, no one ever sways to betray him due to fear or loyalty. Any object associated with him is kept under observation!"

Bon Hwa took up the rest of the swamp they felt, "Maybe there are better assassins or snipers who would take up the task, but Suhan and Anya have connections deep in the Underground Mob too. No one, not even internationally would want to be given the contract for their kill. They'd rather sell the information on their client than go after the siblings. Its just better to have Anya and Suhan owe them a favour than to take on their death. Too many will come after whoever it will be. The twins are feared far too widely for anyone else to-"

"But we are not them!" Sung Ho shouted again. "We WANTED to kill Suhan since before Hye came! I don't care about the consequence! I don't care if they come after me and I have to live the rest of my life in hiding!"

"More than that, Hye will now not give the cocaine shipment we needed." Ha Kun said, "We are declining fast as it was. Si Hyuk has cut us off from everything else, that shipment was our only chance-"

"ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME???" Sung Ho shook his friend, "I WANT HIS DEATH!! I don't care about Hye!"

Seeing his friend so badly upset, Bon Hwa walked up to him and held him from his shoulders, "Sung Ho. . . . I had been meaning to tell you something."

"What??"

"There are whispers on the street, that a new organization is actually planning to go after Anya and Suhan."

Sung Ho scoffed, "So? What is new? Novices go after them all the time."

Patiently, Bon Hwa shook his head. He had been the scout for this Mob for years. It was always him who had contacts spread all over. He was the one responsible for bringing the information on the table. And it was a point of pride to him, that none of it was ever wrong.

"This organisation is not new crime. Its pretty hush-hush but some say they are from Si Hyuk's defectors, some say they are international assassins, while even wilder predictions goes about them being very special, scientists. Scientists who are working on something illegal and potentially huge."

Sung Ho calmed down hearing that description.

Bon Hwa continued, "I was thinking of trying to find the tail end of this organisation and asking if they wanted to join hands. Word on street is that they have huge financial backing. Huge."

Sung Ho was a little dizzy from the amount of alcohol he had rapidly consumed, but he stood tall and steady with growing excitement. If he was given a chance to get his hands on any of Si Hyuk's loved ones, then that was a deed he would sell his soul for.

Added to it, he wanted to kill Suhan by himself. And Anya. . . .

That bitch was only good for being chained in their basement, open for all to use. Her cunt would be his reward, something he wanted to share with his brothers. That uppity bitch with her fragile body was made for the pleasure of men. Her only use in her life was to cry prettily while spreading those two legs. She was born to be a whore.

"Brother, You have always helped me in this life a lot. You consider me to be your little brother since the day we both came here." Sung Ho looked at Bon Hwa with shinning eyes, "This will be the very last favour I will ever ask of you. Please, please find out about that organisation. I want to be part of whoever it is that can bring them down!"

Bon Hwa laughed and pushed the younger man towards the recliner, "Yes, yes, I figured you'd say that as much. We were restricted by a lot of things and frankly even I thought some of our attempts were pathetic. You sleep off the alcohol. Lets talk about this in the morning, okay?"

Sung Ho bumped the back of his knees on the chaise recliner and sat down on it. He nodded and smiled at his friend and lied down to close his eyes, wanting morning to approach faster.

He needed to be in a clear head not clouded with alcohol for him to work on finding the organisation because he knew, if Bon Hwa was at a stage that he could share the whispers of rumours, then it was a substantial one. Otherwise his friend would never get his hopes high without any cause.

He promptly fell asleep with a buzzing, happy satisfaction.

The day was not a complete failure after all.

........................

Sung Ho woke up suddenly due to a noise. Disoriented, he groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes. He had fallen asleep in the library, the lights still on. He looked around a little but found that he was the only one in the room.

A yawn overtook his thoughts, so wide that it made his jaws ache. He stupidly sat there for some time, then realized that he had suffered a crink in his neck for sleeping in a abnormal posture for quite a long time.

Sung Ho looked around a little, but could not find anyone or anything that would have made any noise to wake him up. Listening for sometime, he found the compound to be silent.

He lightly shrugged it off. Their compound was located in an obscure part of the city and the way of getting to it was long and complicated. Only the brothers, the highest level of the mob lived here. Him being the cousin to the boss with his two friends being the highest position. Everyone else was beneath them.

So naturally, all the actions taken by the rest had a deference to their preference. Including loud noises.

Sung Ho got up from the recliner, deciding to go back in his room. He checked hi watch to see it to be around 3:25 am.

Yawning again, he got out of the library and walked through the corridor to reach the main hall. It was oddly silent. Glancing about, he noticed the lack of guards, but then shook his head and smiled thinking that when the clan slept, they may be played hooky to their posts and slept off somewhere.

Despite tonight's failure, he was still in a good mood for the plans tomorrow so Sung Ho did not raise any issue.

But when he turned towards the quarters passing the surveillance room, that was when his sleepy haze evaporated. Inside the room, all the monitors were switched off. Added to that, the room had four people who monitored 24/7 who were missing. The door to the room was wide open with no one inside.

Sung Ho felt the beginning of anger in his mind. He strode through the corridor to open the first room of the security without knocking, not caring if they were sleeping or not. The door banged open.

"DO YOU KNOW-" his words came to a halt to find the room empty.

He looked carefully, finding no one inside. Feeling a little nervous now, Sung Ho quickly opened all the bedrooms of the security, finding it similarly empty.

He backed out of the corridor, then turned and ran towards the main hall. Usually, the alcohol or the porn made a few of the brothers pass out in the pit with the whores they entertained themselves with.

Reaching the hall, Sung Ho felt an icy feeling of dread ticking down his spine. The TV was still on, with a porn playing, the table and sofas had discarded clothes, cigarettes, glasses with half filled drinks, whisky and beer bottles scattered. Moans kept playing in loud volume but the place was empty.

Sung Ho fumbled about, feeling sweat break out on his forehead.

He knew who he had been targeting and these were the type of setting which dialled up the tension in him to the maximum. Even without checking any further, he made up his mind to just leave the compound.

If this was all just an elaborate joke or even coincidence, it was better to be the butt of everyone's humour than to be netted in the likely scenario of the worst kind.

Gasping and trying to calm his heart, Sung Ho was about to turn when his eyes fixed itself on a male standing beside the window, hazily obscured by the blowing curtain. He stopped moving to stare at him, when the male spoke in an unfamiliar voice,

"Were you searching for your friends?"

The deep voice sounded particularly ominous. Sung Ho took two steps back when he saw the man step away from the window. As the flickering lights of the playing TV fell on the approaching figure, Sung Ho stopped when the person's Black ears were illuminated to be on top of his head.

"You are a hybrid??" Sung Ho said, "How the fuck are you here?? No mutts are allowed on the floor! Who took you out of the basement??"

The hybrid in front of him calmly looked at him. His pale skin contrasted with the black clothes he wore, his direct gaze holding a dangerous aura. Not answering his questions, The hybrid asked,

"Should I take you to meet your friends?"

"SPEAK TO ME WITH RESPECT YOU WORM! HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT ME??" Sung Ho was outraged by being spoken to like an equal by a hybrid.

Hearing him, a cold chuckle greeted Sung Ho's ears.

"27 people live here. Is that correct?" the hybrid's calm alluring speech never faltered, "If you wish to meet them, I suggest you proceed to the outer courtyard."

The hybrid took two steps back, a mocking smile twisting his lips, "We are about done here and I long to go back home."

He backed up into darkness, the whole encounter making Sung Ho feel restless. This was not Suhan's attack! Suhan or even Si Hyuk would have sent their men, why were hybrids moving in his place? That too impudent hybrids who needed to be beaten to death.

Fear was being replaced with anger yet an unknown awareness of something not quite being right.

"Who the fuck are you? Who owns you?" he shouted at him only to hear a sinister laughter the likes of which raised goosebumps on his flesh.

Hating the hybrid for putting on airs, Sung Ho started walking forward to catch that hybrid when he responded from the dark, answering his question.

His deep voice tinged with amusement, rang out in the hall.

"Kim Anya."

Thump

Thump

Thump

Thump

Sung Ho's own heartbeat deafened him to any other noise, his legs felt heavy, so heavy that it seemed to be nailed to the floor. Breathing was slowly becoming difficult for him was he started wheezing, blackness encroaching from the periphery in his vision.

All this happened in response to the name he heard.

Hearing the reply, one truth crystallized in his mind clearer than any thought he had ever had in his life.

I am a dead man walking.

In just seconds, his body was drenched in a cold sweat, his clothes slowly sticking to his body

"I d-don't Understand. I do-don't u-und-understand." He stammered, his eyes blank, "Anya h-hates Suhan. Everyone knows the truth. B-Both siblings hate e-each ot-other. I don't understand." He mumbled out.

When the voice of the hybrid came again, his breaths came out in short puffs of air,

"Run along now human. Entertain me a bit." That alluringly deadly voice held a husky hint of laughter.

Not knowing which part of his body obeyed the hybrid or when he decided to heed his warning, Sung Ho found himself turning and running out of the hall, the hybrid's amused laugh ringing in his head.

Once he started running, he blanked out any other thoughts he could possibly form, his only goal being to somehow leave this compound. He would deal with everything else later. Or just not deal with it at all. If Anya was after them, and she knew who they were, then all he wanted right now was to somehow leave this country.

He zigzagged through the house, going down the stairs, running through the hallways. The whole house was eerily silent, only the noise made by his running feet echoed.

Panting, he reached the main gate. Giving out a prayer when he found it unlocked, he pushed it open only to come to a screeching halt.

Before him, a tall hybrid stood in a nonchalant manner. His imposing figure was shrouded in a long coat which did nothing to hide his impressive frame.

Blazing dragon eyes stared at him, "Did Yoongi Hyung not direct you to where you need to be?" he mildly asked.

Sung Ho was sweating by then, his hair askew, eyes wide, pupils blown far. He tried to close the door only for it to rebound back by just one push from the hybrid.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he screamed as he twisted out of the way and prepared to run again when he felt the hybrid grab his neck. A swift kick on the back of his knees made him fall heavily on the ground, the impact painful on his kneecap.

Another forceful kick was aimed at his back. With a scream, Sung Ho fell down on the ground.

Tears fell from his eyes as he started blathering nonsense while the hybrid walked elegantly around him.

He bent down and grasped a handful of his hair then straightened and started moving forward.

The pull of the hair on his scalp produced a tearingly painful sensation limiting him from fighting. The more he struggled, the more he felt his hair being torn in clumps. Sung Ho cried bitterly while being dragged by the stoic hybrid who never spared him a glance.

Spit sprayed out from his mouth as he tried to desperately bargain, "PLEASE LET ME GO? PLEASE? I HAVE A LOT OF MONEY HIDDEN AWAY, I'LL GIVE IT ALL TO YOU! ALL! I CAN MAKE YOU DISAPPEAR SO THAT Anya CAN NEVER REACH YOU!!"

When he felt the hybrid pause a little on hearing it, he redoubled his efforts, sincerity shining in every word, "I swear!!! I swear I can take you so far away that the name of Kim Anya will never even touch you!!"

The hybrid before him calmly continued on, his indifference almost as frightening as the amused cold laughter of the previous hybrid had been.

Still, he struggled, trying hard to break free, only for the hybrid to suddenly drop his head, which banged hard on the floor. The sole of a boot was placed on the side of his face, exerting pressure.

"Quiet."

That single word was menacing.

Fear and desperation made Sung Ho react, "YOU ARE JUST FILTHY HYBRIDS!! YOUR PLACE IS BENEATH US!! NO HYBRIDS CAN TREAT US THIS WAY, ITS YOUR JOB TO BE USED BY US THAT IS THE LAW!!"

"You are a noisy one." The hybrid with the dragon eyes sighed.

Then he squatted down before him, his uncaring and emotionless eyes looking at him. He grasped Sung Ho's lower jaws and squeezed hard. With one blow from his other hand, he dislocated Sung Ho's jaws.

Sung Ho screamed loudly, his voice having the power to wake the dead. He was drowning in an ocean of pain when he felt himself being dragged again but was powerless to do anything else.

Tears blinded him, and the agonising pain scorched through his brain, making him writhe and twist in torment.

Soon, he heard voices which pierced through his cloudy mind.

"Where is he?"

"He was responsible for getting us in without being detected. Then he faced a few of the men and became bored. The last he said was that he was going to go through this dump to see if there is anything worth our attention."

"Ah Yoongi Hyung checking things means I don't have to."

"Master did not return to the house today." the spine chillingly deadly voice softly hummed, "I don't like it."

Just then, he was hurled on the floor before two more hybrids sitting down, the conversation of the two was interrupted.

Sung Ho cried and cowered, shrinking himself to a ball while the hybrid who brought him walked to greet the other two.

"He is not yelling? What did you say to him Joon?" Sung Ho saw a man with eerily demonic eyes asking the question. He had no ears on his head making it difficult to say whether he was a hybrid or not, but even through his tears, the adrenaline in his body made him alert enough to recognise the maliciously cruel tilt of his lips.

"He was noisy. I fixed that." The one called Joon replied, walking further towards the centre.

It was then that Sung Ho noticed what exactly was taking up the half of the courtyard from the center, spread till the boundary.

A high scream erupted from his throat as he frantically started backing away on the ground while sitting. His eyes could not budge from the horrendous sight in front of him, the situation out of the nightmare of a demon.

Sung Ho could not stop screaming, even through the pain. He clutched at his own hair pulling it out, while that horrible garbled noise kept escaping from his throat.

The normal looking man with eyes of a demon cocked his head to a side, his hands folded in front of his chest, he talked with a quirk in his lips, "I can see what you meant by noisy." He pulled up the sleeves of his black turtle neck shirt then pushed one hand in his pocket, "He is of no use if cannot talk Joon."

"Its been more than 12 hours I have been with the scent of her, I was irritated easily by his screams. Sorry. Did not think." Joon walked forward nodding apologetically.

Sorry?

Sorry? Dislocating the jaw in such a casual manner was because of irritation?

These questions came in the back of his head,

strangely dissociated from the reality of him still being in a state of shock. He had these thoughts in a mind which was abnormally serene while his body still kept struggling, straining to escape, screaming while sweating.

It was because his mind had given up, it had lost any sense, while the body still hopeless held on to the hope to survive.

The scene before him extinguished that fighting hope. His detached mind puzzled at how the hybrids, which were produced for human entertainment, hybrids which were meant to be nothing but use and throw replaceable living toys were capable of doing this.

A lone hybrid sat straight on a chair, his white long sleeved fiting top highlighting his every muscle worn over black cargo, one leg crossed over the other's knee. He looked bored out of his mind as he fiddled with his cellphone, while surrounding him, 27 bodies lay dead with their heads twisted in an unnatural angle.

The hybrid rested his boots on the back of the bodies, using it as a platform to lift his chair up and down. Right beside him, the bodies of Bon Hwa and Ha Kun lay sprawled, their necks broken, head almost twisted back. Their eyes wide and filled with fear becoming hazy with dead, their tongues swollen and lagging out.

The hybrid in the middle stopped his motions and suddenly asked him , "You were the one who accepted the task from Hye? To kill Suhan?"

Sung Ho just garbled out unintelligibly.

The hybrid was devilishly handsome, with eyes that dripped with cold malice. He leaned forward on his chair, "These two" he used his boots to push the bodies of Bon Hwa and Ha Kun, "Were particularly useful with all information. Your friends?"

"Jungkook." Joon sighed, "End this. I need to get back home. Tomorrow will be hellish for us in the office." He walked past them to bend down towards two bodies. As if it was as casual as taking the trash out, he twisted the heads of both body to get them back in the normal place. A horrible sound of broken bones emitting from the action. Then he lifted both the bodies on both his sides and started carrying it back inside the house.

Jungkook still kept staring at Sung Ho, "You tried too many times. Too many times I saw her My Star looking worried after the security report. How dare you?" he asked curiously, but his eyes. . . . his eyes depicted a ruthless cruelty.

All Sung Ho could do was sob even more brokenly.

Jungkook looked around the bodies, "At least she wont be troubled by the likes of you anymore."

The hybrid with demonic eyes crouched beside the dead bodies, "Curiously, I enjoyed it." Looking at Jungkook he said, "felt natural."

Jungkook smiled at that, "Ah Hobi Hyung, don't let Suhan hear you." Then he got up from his chair to walk towards Sung Ho, "Help Joon Hyung move these trash inside. I'll take care of him and join you."

Sung Ho felt an inevitability and closed his eyes to the approaching male, who stood for sometime before speaking, "Hye is being controlled by someone and that someone has to be the aid of D. you were just amusement for us." Then he squatted before him.

"My Star did not hold me today. She did not let me kiss her, because she was angry with me. Over an insignificantly dull and pathetic human. As much as I want to strip Song's flesh using his own bone, I am restricted in doing so."

He carried on the conversation, his malicious and cynical eyes at odds with the smile , "I am the youngest of this pack. To cheer me up, my Hyungs have given me you."

Jungkook leaned forward to whisper in his ears, "Tell me, how painful do you want your death to be?"

................................................................................

By daybreak, the compound was quiet, the rays of morning sun slowly bathing it in its optimistic light, the birds chirping enthusiastically. It looked as normal as any other day.

The rooms were all made, the gate properly closed. The courtyard untouched, the floor polished, the hall clean.

But, in the entrance hall, 27 bodies lay on the floor with their eyes closed, as if sleeping. They were graciously covered by sheets, as if to keep them warm. Their broken necks were not visibly noticeable, but the thick discoloration of the congregated blood was.

In the very centre of the mass of bodies, on the sheet, a small USB was placed. In it, all the atrocious crimes committed by the bodies recorded in detail.

Only the body of most important person of that Mob was not included.

That body floated in the bloody bathtub in his own room, his jaw dislocated, hands and legs broken. On his hands, carved by a knife, cutting deep enough to see the white of the bone were the words, "How Dare I."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ANYA :

In the room which was completely white, Anya felt a deep throbbing pain which paralysed her entire body. Her chest felt heavy and each thud of her heart brought more pain.

Even through that, she did not shed a single tear, she did not cry.

Her eyes were focused on the back of the male sitting with his back to her.

Burying the pain to prevent it from bleeding into her words, she said, "Why are you so calm?"

"Would you prefer me not to be?"

Her eyes burned with the effort to hold back her tears, her lips trembling, "Is it easy for you to talk this way?"

The male replied back in an amused manner, "You knew this would happen. You met me after this certainty. Why would I be bothered for a truth I knew would take place?"

Anya couldn't help the hot flow of tears anymore. She turned away and whispered, "Then is it so easy for you to leave me? Do you feel no pain?"

"Pain?" his dear voice speared her, the familiarity stabbing her, "I met you. I loved you. Pain is not a word I am familiar with."

Sobs choked her, a numbing feeling slowly freezing her, "No. it is something I am well acquainted with." She breathed in and out, whispering, "I wish I would never have taken that file."

The man turned to her, But Anya was trying not to break, to break into a million pieces right then and there. She hugged herself tightly, her tears meaninglessly loosing its value as it kept streaming down.

"If time is turned back again, you will still be drawn to me. You could not escape me Anya, that was always your curse as it was my boon."

"I hate you." She choked out, "I hate you."

Her lover replied in a soft voice, "I hate me too. . . . ."

Anya abruptly sat down, her legs too weak to hold her up, "What did I do to deserve this fate? Why am I the only one in this world going through this corrosive pain melting me away?" the pain, the heaviness in her chest would not go away, "Never. . . . . . Never again. Even in the afterlife, never again. I will never find you. I will never meet you." She took in a shuddering breath, "I will, never, love you."

A soft low laugher fell like a feather, tickling her heart in a bittersweet touch. She felt him coming closer to her, standing behind her sobbing, shaking frame.

"You will always see me." He bent down over her, "You will always captivate me." He kissed her ear, his breath an intimate caress, "You will always fall in love with me the second you find me." His deep, affectionate voice overwhelmed her senses, each confident thought causing her torment to escalate.

"And I, will always wait for you. Whether in heaven or in blazing hell, I will wait for you to come and make me yours." Anya felt a few hot drops of liquid falling on her shoulder when he rested his forehead in the crook of her neck.

His tears scalded her like lava, his silent sorrow destroying the very essence of what made her a human.

With quivering voice, he whispered to her with a smile, "And I will not let you go. I will-" he choked in his own tears, "I will-"

"Don't. please." Anya begged, caught in the embrace with him behind her, his lips tracing her neck, their sorrow, their tears joined together in a melancholic miasma of soul draining pain. "I am not strong enough."

She felt his kiss on her pulse.

"I am your shadow, you will be incomplete without me." His kiss turned to a painful bite, "And my existence is born if you are alive."

"My White Rose. . . . . ."

Anya woke up with a start, the ringing of the alarm bringing her back to reality. She sat up abruptly, panting and shivering, her vivid dream as real as a memory of yesterday.

The pain she felt, the despondency in her chest, carried itself out of that dreamland as she bent down over herself. Sobs brokenly made a continuous presence, tears painting her face in a sheen of sorrow, her breath choppy with her throat closing up.

She felt like being in the edge of death, the pounding torment battering her soul, so much so that Anya let go of all logic and wept.

She sat in her bed in her luxurious apartment and cried like a woman's whose reason of living was brutally stripped away, leaving her buried in the ashes of utter bleak desolation.

She wept like a woman who had lost it all.

Her silky strands of hair covered her grief ravaged profile as she sobbed her heart out. Her loud cries going unheard in the silent, beautiful apartment which became the only witness of her broken heartache.

The world outside of her windows went on in its normal pace, oblivious to the extreme anguish a woman burned in.

It took some time for her to settle, for the feeling to slowly abate. Reason warred with emotions which were running high, obstructing her from truly becoming normal. Because her emotions did not just belong to the person in her dreams, it also belonged to the recognition of a faint connection that established itself from her nightmare, agitating her reality.

The voice of the man was dearly familiar to the Anya in her dreams.

But,

It was also intimately familiar to the present her, the her in reality.

It belonged to the Jaguar she had seen and fallen in love with, the first time their eyes met each other in the auction, who had been holding on, waiting in hell for her to come find him and make him hers.

The voice, belonged to Yoongi.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

OFFICE :

Namjoon took the call, bringing the phone to his ear as he stepped out of the room, "No Hyung, she still has not shown up."

"About that, Arissa called to say that Master just informed her to tell us all to be expecting her at around 3 pm."

"Hmm." Namjoon was feeling antsy. He never knew he could become someone so depended on a person's presence. "If that is the situation, can you take Jungkook and go to the site of the upcoming exhibition? Adora is coordinating with Yoongi Hyung and Taehyung."

"Why?"

"Jungkook is interested in the PR side of things along with the management of exhibition displaying the designs so he was asked to take part and gather the experience of a feel of it. I am swamped with assignments given to me. Jungkook is still not stable, he is barely holding on without her. He needs to be under. . . . . ."

"Surveillance? Authority?" Jin playfully asked, "Supervised?"

Joon sighed, "Thinking it again, I should revise my plea. You are the last person I should let our youngest to hang out with."

"Are you kidding me? I am the best option! Oh, Namjoon, as always your intelligence is never to be questioned. I am heading over, ask him to be ready."

Namjoon looked at his phone with a glum gaze, murmuring, "Why do I feel I have made a mistake?"

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

30 MINUTES LATER :

"So you are saying you don't want to eat?"

"Yes."

"So it means that if I go in that café to buy something for myself, you will certainly not take any part in it?"

"Yes."

"Just to be clear, even if the scent is appetising and you see me enjoying it immensely while you sit there staring at it, you will still not lift a single finger towards it?"

At that question, the boy with doe eyes hesitated, then said , "Maybe?"

"Nopes. 2 out of 3. Majority wins. You wont eat it." Jin said happily before entering the café.

"Hey!! Wait up!! Aren't you here to cheer me up??" the outraged Panther hybrid followed after him.

Jin turned a little to his side to reply, "Dream on Kitten. I am here to cheer ME up. You just happen to be entertaining enough to bring along."

"How rude are you????" Jungkook replied hotly, "When its because of ME that you could escape from the mountain of work Suhan kicked you in!!"

"Hmmm, true. Which is why I will reward you by allowing you indirectly enjoy my food by giving you the opportunity of smelling it and seeing it. See? I am generous to the fault of-"

"How is that being generous?????????"

"Silly idiotic child." Jin said in a patronising tone, pausing just before the door to wag a finger at the angry Jungkook, "With food, You enjoy it with four senses. You enjoy the visually stimulating site, then you inhale the mouth watering aroma, appreciate the crispness, or softness or the sound it makes when you cut it after which you taste the divine creation. I am allowing you 3 out of the 4 things! You should thank me!"

Saying so, Jin pushed open the door to the upscale café and entered with a flourish. Heads turned to watch the handsome man walk in wearing an immaculate three piece suit, his cool and confident aura attracting attention from all the staffs and patrons.

Following him, was an equally striking and attractive young man in a white formal shirt, dark trousers and a coat.

Such was the arresting picture they made that it took some time for the people to notice the elegant platinum Cuban link chain they both wore, or the tiny fuzzy ears atop the younger man's head.

By then, Seokjin had already reached the counter, greeting the staff by opening, "We are Kim Anya's hybrids. Kindly don't bother with the hybrids are not allowed in here crap. Thank you very much in advance."

"N-no S-sir. We wo-would never do th-that." The staff gulped hearing the name, "May I st-still bother you to provide an-"

Before he could finish his thoughts, Jin took out his wallet from his suit and showed the person his ID. Jungkook groused as he did the same.

Suhan and Anya had consulted the Minister heading the country's hybrid division. According to the laws, a hybrid owned by his Master could be used in any way the Master saw beneficial. Just like pimping them out to be used for monetary gain, employing them for profit without giving them any pay was along the same lines. If the Ministry had a problem with them working in an official front in the company owned by the Masters, then all types of activities generating money by using hybrids in the capacity of sex workers, labourers, trash collectors or such lowly works should also be declared illegal.

Being in the list of top 5 richest and influential individuals since the day the siblings took the reigns of the family business, the Minister could only nod and accept as long as the hybrids belonged to them. But, a request was made for Anya and Suhan to understand that beyond the seven hybrids, even if they purchased any more, they would not be considered in the deal.

It was then that the requirement of an ID was made, in order to authenticate their word while dealing with various other humans in the world. Although it was just a matter of time after the Gala that the entire planet would know the hybrids names, appearance and the fact that they belonged to the Kims, still, legally it was important to carry the ID of them being Anya's slaves.

Of course, that principle had prickled both Suhan and Anya, but the hybrids on the other hand were over the moon having a legal document with a written, recognised claim on them by her in the eyes of the whole world.

"Very Good Sir. Ummm, would you like a seat?" the staff regained his composure.

Jin gave him a mesmerising smile, "I don't much like humans. So how about a seat away from the prying eyes?"

Even though being a pure heterosexual male, the staff gulped a little at the effect of that potent smile from the walking Greek God, "Yes sir, please follow me."

Just then, Jungkook irritably replied, "No need. Just point out the direction to us. Your rising lust for my Hyung is ticking me off."

The staff blushed profusely at those words, while Jin laughed at his youngest brother's grumpy attitude. Blushing and stammering badly, the staff provided them with the directions and assured them of a server reaching them as soon as they indicated they wanted to order.

They were given a secluded section on the second floor of the Café, in a quiet corner. Even with the beautiful ambience, the mildly relaxing scent of a delicate fragrance being diffused, the Panther hybrid was in a bad mood.

Jin took up the menu to flip through it, "I heard you were given quite a lot of leeway for yesterday's task. Your temper still bad after that?"

"A substitute, no matter what, will never give the satisfaction that the real will provide."

Jin smiled as his eyes quickly settled on the things he wanted and Jungkook would like too. This was a café Suhan frequented. He had brought them here many times making him familiar with what all it had to offer. It did not feel different for the first time he came by himself.

Selecting the beverage, he asked Jungkook, "And you want Song?"

"I know I cant."

Signalling for a server, Jin looked up at the grumpy and annoyed Panther, "Do you want Master to love him even more?"

Jungkook stared at his hyung till the time it took for an obviously informed server to come to them. The server was stiff, not polite at all, but neither was he insulting. He swiftly took their order and turned to leave.

Just when he did so, his hands knocked with Jin's hand coincidentally, the momentum of the combined swing almost toppling a glass. Jin quickly corrected it, with the amount of water spilt being minimal.

Once the server was gone, Jungkook replied, "If we harm Song, if he plays the generous man of putting up with our hostility but still remaining steadfast beside her, it will make an impression on her about him being serious about his love to her?"

Jin raised a brow then leaned forward to playfully mess up Jungkook's carefully styled hair and give him a noogie, "There, my baby Vrâg finally gets it! He is so intelligent!"

"Ah Hyung let go!!!!"

"Hello."

The cultured and bright female voice made both of the men look up at the same time to see a beautiful, young woman dressed in a floral dress with a jacket standing beside their table.

Jin recognised her instantly. It was the woman in green gown who stared at them throughout the Gala.

Knowing that Jungkook was not able to pretend to be anything other than the Vrâg that he was, Jin knew he had to gather all of her attention to himself. Furthermore, he was curious about who she was and what exactly she wanted because of the influence and relationship Anya had with Gina, this lady had to be connected somehow as Gina was the person she had been beside throughout the Gala.

He deliberately effused his face with a slightly smitten expression and smiled charmingly, "Hello Ma'am."

That smile had the desired effect as the girl stood there, mesmerized by Seokjin, "Ahem, I . . . . Can I take a seat here?"

From the corner of his eyes, Jin saw Jungkook give an irked frown, opening his mouth to no doubt rudely turn her down.

Jin gave him a discrete hard kick shutting him up at the same time he stood up, "Please Ma'am, it will be our pleasure." Suavely pulling out the chair and helping the girl to be seated.

Jungkook drolly looked at him as Jin put on the persona of a chivalrous gentleman.

The girl's cheeks tinged a little with pink, her eyes seemed unable to detach from Jin. She waited till he was seated, to talk, "Hello, I am Ruby."

Jin nodded, "Pleased to meet you. I am Seokjin, and this is my brother-"

"-who is not interested." Jungkook completed for him.

Ruby got startled at the downright rude attitude . Jin felt like smacking his baby brother but could only attempt salvage the situation.

He looked at Ruby with sad eyes and a bittersweet smile, "Yesterday was. . . . . . tough for him. please don't mind his manners, he gets defensive as a way of coping."

Ruby's face instantly morphed into a sympathetic smile but only few seconds later, her eyes blazed fiercely. She boldly reached out and grabbed Jungkook's hand.

Shocked, Jungkook froze, staring at the woman with round eyes giving her time to grab hold of Jin's hand as well. Furiously, Ruby said,

"I am here to save you! And I am promising you, I WILL get you out of this! You may not believe that there are humans who sympathise with hybrids but there are! Not only do I sympathise, but I also lead a large organisation for the welfare of hybrids by rescuing them! You DO NOT need to live like slaves. I am telling you this is not a dream, nor a way of duping you, even though you may feel that way. I am truly, truly here to recue you!"

Jungkook and Jin wore identical expressions of being utterly gobsmacked.

The spiel that came out of the woman's mouth only got the response of several blinks from both the seated hybrids.

The woman gave them a sad smile, soothing their hands, "I know. I know what you must be feeling. You are thinking that this lady is just here to play with us like everyone else does but she is crueller than any other because she is the only one talking to us with love and giving us the dream of not being a slave. I know its hard for you to believe, but I really want you to trust me. Really. I am here to help you out."

Both kept staring at the woman, half amused and half . . . . . . . . . uncaring.

Jungkook quietly tried to get the woman to remove her caressing hand from his arm when she tightened it.

Fiercely she turned to Jungkook and said, "Listen to me! Just listen okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she looked Jungkook straight in his eyes, and glanced at Seokjin too. She brought both of their hands in front of her, not realizing that both the hybrids were slightly jerked forward with their hands stretched out.

"Hybrids should not be treated the way they are, you deserve better. You don't deserve to be abused at all! You should be cared for, your Masters should love you. I head an international hybrid justice organisation. We operate underground and we have a fairly high network. We help hybrids be taken away from harmful environment and arrange it so that the owners think that the hybrids have died, making them lose interest while we take the hybrid with us. We provide medical service to them, love, food shelter, care. We treat them like the precious being that they are. I swear to you, even if you find it hard to believe, look at me. I am treating you unlike the way hybrids are treated. I really don't have any problem with you sitting on the chair or eating food with me, I find it a good thing. I am willingly touching you. I know that a lot of hybrids have said that they have good sense of smell and can sense emotions. I ask you, carefully see for yourself that I am being sincere. And I am allowing you to do so."

She sighed, "I know, Anya is someone who likes to be in the centre of attention. With her amassed wealth passed down to her and more flow from her uncle, she likes being the name that will be on the lips of the world. She does crazy things to achieve it, not that its bad. Similarly, she did use you guys to again remain in the minds of everyone by making you all her models, making you celebrities outrageously making sex hybrids celbrities but truly, I feel its worse. She makes you work, uses you and then plans to pimp you or use you to sweeten deals with her top customers."

"I am sorry to interrupt," Jungkook said, sounding not sorry at all and indolently asked, "But why do you think that?"

Ruby sighed, "Did she not mention it yet? She is building you guys to be shiny, the kind of forbidden that everyone will want by pushing you into focus. Then when your demand is at its peak, when people become frenzied owing to the fact that no one can touch you since you belong to her making you the forbidden fruit, that is when she will use you to barter favour. She'll give you away to her top investors or any other people she wants favour with. Because then, you will fetch the highest price."

Jungkook shook his head and persisted, "How do you know that?"

"Because you are sex slaves she purchased in a high bid." She gentled her voice consolingly, "That's your only use dear. That is just who you are in the world."

Jungkook got more disgruntled at the firm belief she had of herself being right. Ruby spoke with a conviction, taking her own observation, her own theories to be the established fact, shamelessly thinking of herself to be supremely knowledgeable about his Star, acting with a mighty feeling of a saviour.

By her words, she had already proved herself to have the same line of thinking as the rest of the world, calling them sex slaves and believing them to only behave accordingly. Fundamentally, she was the same as the rest of the greedy humans, it just so happened, she had a working and fully functioning conscience.

"Look at how everyone still treats you. The server was rude, he deliberately spilled water-"

Ruby's speech was stopped when the server came back and placed the dishes in the table without once looking at them or even speaking. He slammed down the glass then left.

Jin would have said something to that fellow if Ruby was not present, who sighed, looked up again, her eyes awash with anger and pity, "Look! This is all that Anya enjoys. The knowledge of you being disrespected everywhere. She is not alone, majority of the humans are this disgusting. Especially the rich ones." She gave Seokjin a serenely beautiful smile, "This will never happen with me."

Seokjin was divided in 2 lines of thoughts.

One, he was vividly amused by the little lady portraying herself as a saviour, better than his Dove or Suhan for that matter, having a huge superiority complex. She never doubted herself, knowing it as the truth that created the world, that she was undoubtedly more virtuous than Anya.

Other than that, the organisation she talked about, caught his interest. He knew Gina and her husband to be powerful, if this lady was associated with the couple, then her claims about her organisation having a huge network was something to be noted. Because with her as a leader, her beliefs would be the law that her people believed in.

That meant, the huge network of humans spread internationally had the wrong impression of his Master. If they chose to act on it, Jin wanted to know just how much pull they would have. Enough to be annoying?

He sadly sighed, putting on a show of an abused hybrid, "How will it be with you?"

His question breathed life in Ruby, who shifted her chair towards Jin, closing the distance between them. She cupped his cheeks in both of her palms, "I would never let you leave the house without me. I would never force you to go in a café or anywhere else without me, for people to bother you. I would always take care of you. Anything that you would desire, I would bring it to our home, and only take you outside when I can be beside you minimising their hostility to just indifference."

That sounded. . . . . . . . not quite right

Seokjin paused slightly, then took one of her hands from his face and looked deep in her eyes. With a smile, he asked, "What will you expect from me? How will our life be in this beautiful picture you are painting?"

Jungkook on the other side, completely ignored them both. He pulled the Irish Latte, Pork and mushroom patties, roasted duck sandwich, white chicken salad and chocolate cupcake to himself and merrily began devouring the food.

Ruby was too enchanted by the elegantly handsome man with his dark hair and full lips, that she did not take notice of Jungkook's unfriendly coldness.

She closed the distance, then clasped Seokjin's hand to herself, "I would give you a happy life Seokjin. A life where you only wear a collar when outside and I promise, I will not take you outside too much. Only in hybrid friendly places. I will never allow anyone to come to you, you will enjoy a privacy of your life. Beside me, you will never have to meet anyone. You can take care of the house if you want and as for sex. . . . ." she lifted up his hands and placed a kiss on his knuckles, "You will never have to have sex with anyone other than me. And I will give you some days to adjust first before pleasing me in the bed. I will speak with you normally Seokjin, I will share my bedroom with you. I don't like or believe hybrids being kept in basement or cages except when in heat. I will have my entire home fitted with a soft carpet so that whenever you sit, you wont feel cold. I will also give you food that I eat alongwith the nutrient paste which is good for you. I will allow you access to television whenever I am not around or when we both see it. You can also remain clothed in the house if you so wish. I wont let my friends talk with you so they will never have the opportunity to harass you or taunt you. You will have a peaceful and happy life with no abuse, no pain. Is it not your dream?"

It used to be. Seokjin thought. If this option was given to him when he was still in Park's collection living in that dank cell, then yes, it would have been a dream life.

But now?

A house with isolation and his freedom snatched away, interacting with just a Master who expected him to sit on the floor, be grateful for entertainment, be caged up in his heat, and have sex whenever she wanted.

She was no where near who his Goddess was. No where near the family he was now a part of.

Because for all the commodities and actions Ruby deemed to be considerate, in her heart, she still believed his existence to be inferior to her. What she was underlining, was her generosity in choosing to bestow her kindness to someone beneath her, feeling lordly and supercilious.

She wanted to be worshiped for it, wanted to be admired like a God, with hybrids falling to her feet. She was a lofty person who wanted to be hailed as a sacrificing angelic person.

Sacrificing, because she chose to associate with beings she knew to be inferior.

The complete opposite of Anya.

Still, Seokjin knew it was a dream life for countless other hybrids in this world.

"What do you think our Master does?" the question came from Jungkook. Jin turned to glance at him when he heard the younger man speak, only to be stupefied.

In the time taken by Ruby to give him that answer, his monster of a young brother had cleaned up every single plate of food! The dishes were shiny with no crumbs left.

"We have our ways of having inside information." Ruby replied with a superior smile, absently tracing Jin's long finger, "We know you were given some form of highly dangerous and illegal drug and inhumanely demeaning training to remodel your conditioning into making it like she has a hold of you psychologically. These suits" she rubbed Seokjin's suit clad arm, "Are only given to you when outside. We know that you are heavily collared, stripped and then locked in cages till morning."

Huh?

"We also know about the secret sex parties." Her voice turned soft, "We know it all. See? I really did not lie to you about being a vast network. I do admit, taking you away from Anya, who is far more influential than any other we have encountered, will be difficult and," she looked at Seokjin with glazed eyes filled with affection, "I might not be able to take all of you out from her clutches. After all I know she must have invested a lot of money into making you, so she wont let all of you go, but I can take some of you, maybe you both away."

Ruby leaned further, leaving no personal space between her and Seokjin, "I liked you the second I saw you in the Gala. It was obvious Anya had threatened you all to make others want you so that she could have a lot of bidders wanting you. It was right then I had decided to rescue you, make you mine and give you a good life. I told my sister I was going to get you but she just laughed."

Latching on to the important bit, Seokjin asked with a slight hesitation, "Your sister?"

"Yes. Gina. She is Anya's friend. Which is why I hate her even more. Why is my sister still friends with someone who obviously got seven sex hybrids to train and make more money?"

Seokjin lowered his voice. He sat back, breaking the connection from her and asked her with a squeezed out bitter smile, "Did you never think that she might have gotten us just for herself?"

"To use?" Ruby shook her head with anger evident on her face, "I did. She truly is just someone with a face of an angel but heart as blackened as the devil."

Jin felt a kind of pity for people who were this blind and comfortable in being so. He truly wondered how such egoistic individuals lived, where from they got that insane confidence in themselves never doubting their own deductions to be wrong.

It was getting late and Jin did not want to play anymore. He reached forward to take Ruby's hand in his, then brought it to his lips, ghosting the knuckles in a form of a kiss, teasing her, but never actually touching.

He gave her a winsome smile, "Will it be possible for you to go against my Master?"

"Don't call her that!" Ruby exclaimed, then said in a low voice, "In my heart, you are already someone I rescued. You are mine. No, our network does not have the power to deal with someone the likes of Anya yet, but my sister does."

Ruby tugged at the hand Jin had and with fire in her eyes, determination in her voice, fiercely said, "But I PROMISE you. I will take you away. Give me some time to think it through, now that you have accepted."

Then abruptly stood up a little to close the distance between them. With the fumes of too many sprays of floral perfume assaulting his senses, he took sometime to understand that Ruby kissed him on his forehead, "Just endure a little more for a lifetime of happiness with me. I will get you out."

Before Jin could react, he heard a light cough from the back of their table, some distance away. To others, it was background noise. Some one lightly cleared their throat at a café, no big deal. It was just a light cough.

Just, a light cough. Something that no one would hear, let alone notice.

But for Seokjin, that sound was equivalent to the blasting of fire canons which filled every single cell of his body with million particles of concentrated fear. For him, his hands, lost its heat, his body heat evaporating at an alarming speed in the surrounding turning him into, what he perceived, an Undead Zombie would feel like.

Simultaneously, his Vrâg screamed in denial, in a horrified terror speaking to him for the second time in life.

HAVE NOT BROKEN PROMISE!!!

HAVE NOT BROKEN PROMISE!!!

MAKE HER KNOW! HAVE NOT BROKEN PROMISE!!!!

Seokjin froze into a perfect sculpture, his heart also slowing down.

Curiously, he had found, that from every noise in a busy environment, he could without fail recognise even her breath. He never knew when he had assimilated this talent, nor could he puzzle out why or what situation led to it, but Jin was fine tuned into her every sound.

He could Recognise her, even if he heard her lightest whisper, diffusing out in the fragrant air.

Just a second had passed, and he looked at the woman before him bent so close, her lips brushing his head.

He clenched his eyes shut, thinking about the various miracles he had heard and wishing for one to help escape this doom.

Because undoubtedly, the person who had coughed, was Anya.

The usually cold and confident Black Eagle Hybrid, was at a loss as to how to diffuse the situation. He was in a blind panic and frantically whispered in a very, very, very low voice to make sure only his brother heard.

"Jungkook. Help. Master is here."

The continuous annoying slurping from the straw stopped when Jungkook heard Jin. The brat looked extremely amused and smiled in a way that reminded Jin of a shark.

"We need to be going, even though I know my hyung would love to talk with you, spend more time with you, but we have to reach our Master." Jungkook said in a loud voice. Loud enough for the floor to hear. Definitely loud enough for her.

Jin just resigned himself without feeling any anger at the bratty Panther. It was no use wasting energy there.

He knew he was already a goner.

Ruby stood up, still very close to Jin and used a hand to lift his face. Seeing his closed eyes and miserable expression, she understood that even in so little time, she truly had connected deeply with this magnificent hybrid. Looking at him it was so obvious that he did not want to leave her.

"Don't be sad. I know what I represented to you today was a dream that you perhaps never saw." She whispered to Jin in a lover's caress, her voice soft, "Its okay to like me this instantly. I like you too. Here." She reached back for her purse to get a card out and held it out, "If you get a slip to call me, here is my number. I will definitely contact you again in person. Just please wait a little while. But believe me, I really WILL contact you." She was trying to soothe him.

Jin just nodded miserably and blindly took the card, wanting her to leave quickly.

Jungkook on the other hand, was having fun. He sat there, amused as you may, and did not try to help at all. He nibbled at the end of the straw, liking the sight of his eldest hyung in a pit.

"Jin. . . . ." Ruby breathed, "I will find a way to get you." She said her goodbyes with a heaviness in her heart but also an elation for having talked to the most beautiful hybrid she had ever seen, and that too, a hybrid owned by someone no one would touch.

As she descended the stairs of the second floor, she was glad in the knowledge that inner beauty would always triumph materialistic power. In this case, she won the heart of a hybrid who had belonged to the powerful heiress.

She would, find some way to get him out.

Ruby walked out of the café, mobile in her hand, dialling the number of her sister Gina.

Inside the Café, Seokjin sat straight for a few minutes, then slumped over the table and buried his head in his arms, the very picture of inconsolable misery.

"Serves you right." Jungkook said unrepentantly. "You don't always have to seduce to get answers."

"You didn't see her at the Gala!" Jin mumbled, his words muffled by his suit, "Just Shut Up!!"

The server came again to collect the trays. He saw Jin slumped on and could not hold back anymore. He sneered and spoke, "Get away from the table mutt. No matter who you belong to, never forget the sullied mongrel that you are. If you are done, get up, pay and then leave!" he lifted the huge tray in a threatening gesture of wanting to hit Jin's back.

The people around the café remained quiet, except one cultured and light feminine voice, "Very eloquently spoken. What might your name be?"

Jin buried his head deeper in his arms when he heard the voice, moaning a little in despair, while Jungkook, uncaring at the reception of the crowd, shot up from his seat and made a beeline for Anya sitting 2 tables down.

Unashamedly, the Panther hybrid enveloped the tiny girl in his big embrace, nudging his nose to breathe in her warm cherry blossoms scent.

As the server trembled and sweated, Seokjin felt a kinship with the man.

It would seem, no matter his good intentions, today would also be a difficult day for him. He just prayed that the consequence of his actions would not be reflected in Anya's action that would reach the pack.

If that happened, the Eagle shuddered at how many paws would reach to capture, defeather and then stuff him in an oven to bake him as a thanksgiving turkey.

The possibility was high.

He groaned again.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

GONG YOO :

His phone rang for the 19th time. Gong Yoo did not spare even a second on watching it as he continued shredding all the documents. He hurriedly signed the forms pertaining to dissolving any association with Hye by giving the case of the entire Cocaine investigation to another.

Then, he took the phone once it stopped ringing and chucked it hard on the floor, destroying it. From there, he took the card and crushed it to bits too.

The police had discovered the 28 bodies in a remote compound after an anonymous call early in the morning. Before the rest of the small mob followers or apprentices could reach, the police had arrived.

Gong Yoo did not have jurisdiction so he was not informed. As a result a different division of detectives had reached the ghastly scene.

The way the killer had created the scene, like a sleepover of the entire brotherhood of criminals with their eyes closed and blanket covering them had been a page taken from the handbook of a mentally disturbed serial killer.

Mob or not, this kind of a mass murder could never be overlooked by the police.

It was no coincidence that the day the criminals made an elaborate attempt, was the day the entire hood was wiped. The style screamed the work of Shadow.

But the USB. That USB contained all the vile details of everything that had been committed by each person, making it so that the police, really did turn a blind eye to it. The things in the USB was too disturbing. So much that even the head had stiffly expressed a thankful prayer that the scums were dead. After that, They cleaned up the bodies and quietly left, making a report of 'Mob Violence' and closing the case.

Gong Yoo brought up D's contact.

One thing was proved. Suhan definitely knew this Shadow, otherwise someone of Shadow's calibre would not stoop down to waste his time for the small group of criminals. His next target would no doubt be Hye.

If Shadow was backing Suhan, killing him now had an added risk. He knew he had to push the attempt on his life by the office worker back. Before that, he needed to make himself safe.

"I have told you countless time not to call me randomly." D answered the phone.

Gong Yoo got directly to the point, "Why did you not tell me that Suhan has befriended Shadow?"

A silence.

"I didn't know it myself."

Gong Yoo closed his eyes, the phone clutched hard. Then he asked, "Lee Dong Wook. Can he compromise us?"

"No. He never met me."

"I am postponing the plan."

After a little while, D answered,

"Understood."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

SUHAN :

Suhan sat in his chair after finishing a meeting and checked his phone. A message from Nisa blinked on the screen. Swiping it, he opened it.

Nisa : I talked to Uncle. He was never really interested in the property, as I told you. Now that he has heard you are interested in it, he is open to negotiation for a fair price. You can contact him whenever you are free, he is waiting for your call. Also, when you complete this business, can we go on a date?

Suhan distractedly sent back the reply.

Suhan : After the negotiations are done, I'll take you to the club. Be prepared.

Then he called her Uncle who answered on the third ring proving that he indeed had been earnestly waiting to be able to get a chance to do business with him.

It took 3 hours, but the process of legal transaction of the property was very amicably achieved. Suhan thanked the man for his cooperation over the video call then asked his lawyers to hurry with the transfer process.

Once everyone left his room, Suhan walked to the windows to see the view outside. His mind filled with unsaid thoughts, wild speculations.

The tall man remained peaceful as he stood being lost in his thoughts. With his suit jacket discarded, tie loose and sleeves pulled back, he looked the very picture of sophisticated wildness, the contrast perfectly in equilibrium with his chaotic thoughts hidden within the quiet exterior.

Deciding something, Suhan made another call, "Get me a plane ticket to Ilsan tomorrow. No, I don't know when I will be back yet." He listened to the opposite end confirming his wish then added,

"Keep this from my sister. I don't want anyone to know."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

EVENING

"A starry night, delicious meal, mellow wine and the most beautiful woman in the world in front of me. I think I can die happy, now that I have achieved the dream every man on this planet fantasises about."

Anya raised her brows playfully, resting her chin on the back of her hand with her elbows on the table, smiling teasingly, "There is no doubt about your rightful appointment as the Foreign Liaison and Affairs Minister for your country. Your words can flatter anyone into feeling particularly inclined towards you Kahil."

The man in front of her asked her in a sensual voice, "Forget about the world. Tell me, how inclined are you feeling towards me right now?"

Anya touched her neck, spreading her fingers to cup them as she tilted her head, her tresses cascading in an inky cloud of delicate fragrance, "How inclined would you like me to be?"

His voice pitched lower, Kahil replied in a whisper, "Inclined enough to not end the night here." His sexy lips quirked up, "Inclined enough to accompany me to. . . . . . a cup of coffee in my hotel?"

Anya tsked, "We have just had our appetizer Kahil. Are you the kind who rushes a woman? The night is young, why not enjoy it rather than racing ahead?"

Kahil sat back with a smile looking every inch the debonair sheikh, "Alas I am greedy. I prefer to have a guarantee that my magical night with an Elvin fairy wont just end when we part from this public place."

"So you'll ignore wooing the fairy in the present to the cloudy promise of the future?" Anya bit her lip slightly as she shook her head sadly, "I am afraid Sheikh, if that is the case then you will never meet that fairy again."

Unbidden, a voice echoed in her head.

My Little Fairy. . . .

Will you Marry me?

Anya shook her head abruptly, trying to dislodge the husky, intimate voice which had been plaguing her since the Gala infrequently.

Thankfully, Kahil did not notice. He laughed, "Ah Anya. . . . . Don't call me Sheikh. It feels too much like you talking to my brother."

Anya covered up with a sexy smile, nodding.

Kahil looked up at the starry sky of the rooftop restaurant, then glanced around the mellow ambience of the secluded private section, the glass door closing them from the rest of the crowd. A violin player spun the most achingly sweet melody, intoxicating them further in a night which seemed to belong to them.

"Your Brother's hotels are always an experience. No matter which country." He gave her a little bow, "Getting a reservation in, is difficult, even for me, so I am grateful for you to meet me here." Then he paused a little, his eyes tracing her bare shoulders in the strapless blood red dress. "Though honestly, when u called to inform you would be a little late, I thought you wouldn't make it. You are rarely ever late."

Anya acknowledged it with a smile and then quickly grabbed the wine glass to hide her face while taking a sip.

Because for a while, she had thought she wouldn't be able to make it. Not with the circus ongoing in a high demand in her house. Just remembering the chaos sent her in a shock.

When Anya had been changing her clothes after coming home at the last possible second before going to the date, her pack had been waiting just inside the door.

Unsurprisingly, Seokjin had been hiding behind the rest, but still present to welcome her.

The problem had started when Anya refused to talk to ANY of the hybrids, treating them as invisible ants. That was when they had all tripped over themselves, following her around in herd, falling over themselves, whether it be when she was going to the kitchen to drink water or upstairs. The followed her in a line, like a straight line of chicks following a duck, clamouring to know why she would not talk.

Anya had calmly shut the door on their face, but the pack had acted like abandoned puppies, scratching and knocking her door fruitlessly while she went in for a quick shower.

It was then that Jungkook dropped the cause for the whole pack suffering mistreatment, his twitching finger pointing to the eldest Hyung, who had backed away.

Anger filled the eyes of each hybrid as they heard the tale Jungkook ELABORATELY recounted, digging it in, that they were all suffering due to the mistakes of one.

That was when the crowd in front of her door had suddenly dispersed.

Anya had frowned, but then shrugged, going about her own business.

It had been half an hour later that Hobi, Joon and Jungkook had come to her with long droopy faces and whining question that she had let them in.

Once they saw her dressed in red, the three had flocked around her buzzing about asking her to not go. Anya had just proceeded to put on her makeup then comb her hair. The three had tried their hardest.

"Master, you know I really cant take it if you are touched by another." Hobi had pleaded.

Anya had succinctly asked back, "Me or Seo In-Guk?"

Hobi had made a frustrated face then tried again, "Please Master, come on. Why don't you ask him to come here? No? he can have dinner here!"

"Master. Come on, please." Joon too had pleaded.

Jungkook, seeing that words did not sway Anya, had quietly changed into his Panther form.

Then he had walked up to the vanity where she was seated and bonked her side with his head. When Anya stopped to look at him, he shyly lifted his eyes and placed one paw on her thigh. Then he placed his head on her lap, emitting a mournful sound of unhappiness.

Anya's grip on her comb had tightened, the cuteness of the Panther hard to resist.

Only for the spell to be somewhat broken when he heard the other two idiots talking behind her in hushed tones.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hoseok furiously asked.

"Don't you see? She is susceptible to cuteness! I can do cute! I am changing!" Joon replied.

"The only thing your Wolf form will achieve to create is the animal version of the horror movie of some psychotic Joker! Are you forgetting how multicoloured you are? If you try acting cute with that form of loopy deranged boozy spirit animal, you'll just make her want to leave here even quicker!!! Imagine a multicoloured half fur lost mutated rainbow creature coming after you with his tongue lolling out?? Most would just run!!!" Hoseok hissed out.

"Well, then you change!!"

"Into what?? A python??? What about a python is cute you moron!!?? What should I do? Coil around her and hiss cutely????"

"Then should I just bleach my fur and cut the remaining hair?" Joon asked hopefully.

Hoseok's eyes went wide with incredulity, "And resemble a hybrid pig-canine hairless naked abomination?? Is that your definition of cute?? If it is, then something is definitely wrong with your brain!!"

The sweet adorable Panther in her lap gave a growl to his idiotic hyungs, then switched back to looking at her with his big wet eyes, yawning adorably and using his soft damp nose to boop her on her neck, his tail clinging to her.

The Panther then gave a soft mewl, bending his head. The two triangular fuzzy ears twitched and then flattened, asking for pets. When Anya did not do as he wanted, he raised his paw over her heart. Then rested his head over it, closing his eyes.

But the effect had already been shattered by the two bozos who were now discussing the actions needed for a python to be cute.

"Go teach a Python and a Mutated Animal Tooth Fairy how to be cute, Panther. Your tricks wont work on me." Anya stood up from her seat.

Hearing her, Jungkook got mad over his usually successful efforts being a failure due to still arguing dufferheads. He pounced on them with a snarl.

"OWW! What the fuck!! Go put the helpless, adorable kitten act, why are you attacking us???"

Leaving the trio of two men fighting with a massive Black Panther in her room, Anya coolly closed the door to venture out. Only for her to be stuck at the scene below.

She then understood why the crowd had suddenly dispersed in front of her door.

The crowd had basically chased the Eagle who had been on the verge of escaping when he had been tasered by his brothers. Then his true punishment had started.

Seokjin was currently duct tied to a rocking chair, his arms, legs and mouth taped on. There was a massive headphone over his ears, also taped to his head. Loud music kept blasting in an extremely loud volume while he violently tried to free himself from it.

After observing for a little time, Anya understood it was the same one song on repeat. A nursery rhyme.

The Tomato Song.

Poor Jin was straining with all his might but the ties had been made keeping the strength of his Vrâg in mind. And he dared not break the furniture to upset the sleeping Dragon that Arissa was.

So the hybrid remained tied to a chair forced to listen to The Tomato Song for the foreseeable future without any reprieve.

As if that was not enough, Yoongi and Suhan were sitting RIGHT in front of Jin, filming him with various filters on. Suhan had one with dog ears and tongue, while he kept changing angles of the angry and violently fighting Jin, clicking pics to record the moment.

"Ah so CUTE! Look at him!" Suhan awwwed over him as he knelt in front to capture his expression while Yoongi, who had a reindeer filter on to film his hyung agreed with full support, "This is Gold!" he replied.

Seokjin glowered fiercely, his eyes black, vines creeping over his face, his mighty Vrâg on surface being filmed by Yoongi and Suhan, struggling to be let go, all the while his headphones blasted the song-

"------ Giving out sweet and sour scent

is The Stylish Tomato! (tomato)

I will become a juice! (gulp)

I will become ketchup! (squirt)

I will dance! (Hey!)

Boastful tomato (tomato)------"

Anya became speechless at the merciless punishment given to her poor Eagle. Even Anya would not have been this heartless.

She thought of going to stop him, when a sudden sound frightened her.

With a "DHAANGG" sound imitating a small blast, the lights to one section of the house went out. In seconds, the backup power kicked in.

Anya descended the steps as quickly as she could to go towards the kitchen where the sound originated from.

Apparently, Taehyung and Jimin had made a plan to make Anya a dish for dinner and guilt trip her into staying. They both had snuck in 45 minutes ago and started making preparations. No one supervised as the two friends brilliantly consulted each other, praising their intellect and confidently forged on.

Right now, the oven was completely black, smoke rising from it. That had been the cause for the short circuit of the house. Anya looked further only to see Jimin sitting atop the counter, his legs drawn upto his chest, cowering in fear, his eyes staring at his friend being devoured by a demoness.

"YOU MADE THIS RIGHT???? THEN EAT IT!!! EAT IT!!!!"

Arissa had backed Tae into the corner and had a hold of his shirt. The Tiger hybrid was frantically shaking his head from side to side, his lips firmly closed to escape from the thing Arissa was intent on feeding him.

It appeared to be a black brick.

Looking closer, it was perhaps. . . . . . . . . . . . Lasagne.

"YOU OVERSIZED PEA BRAINED GARFIELD GORDON RAMSAY WANNABE!!! EAT YOUR EXCELLANT CREATION!!!"

While Joseph on the other hand was immediately on the phone, asking for the mechanic to be sent over. He answered all the questions on the phone while calmly bending over the oven all the while his wife terrorised a boy to death right behind him.

Jimin watch with fascination, making himself smaller, trying to turn himself into an invisible furniture as he saw Arissa almost tackle Taehyung on the floor.

Arissa held the back of his head while forcing the charred blackened stiff thing on Tae's lips, which he kept refusing. Taehyung did not even try to escape, instead he used all his energy into making sure that brick did not enter his mouth, twisting his neck to keep away.

Arissa pinched Tae's tummy viciously hard and then stuffed the cracked black chunk of supposed Lasagne in his open mouth when he tried to scream.

With tears streaming down his eyes, the poor Tiger tried to spit it out, only for Arissa to sit astride his prone lying form on the kitchen floor, pressing it back in, "EAT IT!!! EAT IT!!!!!! THIS IS THE 4TH BLOODY TIME YOU RUINED MY OVEN!!!!! NOW I WILL RUIN YOU!!!!!"

Taehyung looked traumatised, while Joseoh continued on a normal conversation, "Yes, yes. Yes I am afraid a visit will be necessary. No, its okay if it needs to be replaced."

Jimin took advantage of this distraction to put one foot down from the counter he was perched on, only for his eyes to go round in terror as he heard a yell

"JUST YOU WAIT YOU STUFFED WHITE STOCKING!!!! DON'T THINK I HAVE FORGOTTEN YOU!!!!"

"Very good. Yes it would be better if the oven is from the same company, oh no, its okay. Tomorrow is just fine too."

Anya backed out of the Kitchen to see the situation in the living room.

Peter had joined in the crowd with Choi, who were both taking turns to pose in front of a livid and tied up Seokjin, positioning themselves in between his tied legs, or behind him, give out a "V" finger sign with broad toothy grin while Suhan and Yoongi helpfully clicked the pics.

Seokjin kept growling and vehemently shaking the chair, his form completely changed to a Vrâg, wanting to get out. This went all the while two maids peacefully kept cleaning and dusting the furniture around them, as if the commotion behind them was just a hallucination.

When Jin started moving too violently, a creak of the protesting wood was heard.

"DO YOU DARE TO BREAK MY FURNITURE AGAIN YOU BLACK FEATHERED STEROID INJECTED CHICKEN????? DO YOU WANT TO BE EATEN????????"

The shout was more demonic than the Vrâgs could ever hope to be.

One shout from Arissa was all it took to completely make the Eagle's Vrâg go still. Even Suhan and Yoongi paused, Choi and Peter frozen where they stood. Only the maids kept cleaning while the song floated over the hall, blasting from Jin's headphones.

"I will become a juice! (gulp)

I will become ketchup! (squirt)

I will dance! (Hey!)

Boastful tomato (tomato)"

Anya stood for some time, then took out her mobile to make a call. "Yeah Kahil? I will be a little late."

Anya forced out a light laugh, "I do apologise for it. My family came up with a situation that needed me."

Kahil nodded genially, "I admire the Family you have. The way you mesh and work together so seamlessly shows how in tune with each other you are. It all boils down to the fact that you share the similar personalities. Calm, poised and courteous."

Anya smiled and did not comment on it. Because what could she comment? When her family was being described as Calm and Poised?

The scene from before she left floated in her mind again.

"By the way," Kahil drew back her attention, "Khalid has asked me to inform you about Sebastian. As I told you before, Khalid was directly contacted by Sebastian asking for help against you. Seeing that he could reach my brother meant he did have strong connections. He claims of being hunted by you."

Anya traced her fingertip over the mouth of her wine glass, "And?"

"And," Kahil placed his hand close to hers on the table, "Khalid arranged an appointment to hear him out because this was the first time someone had asked him for help from you. He was curious. So was I. The appointment was on the night of Gala, Khalid asked me to go. It was only later, after my meeting with him was over, that I found out that Sebastian, had already died."

Anya smiled saucily, still tracing the rim of her glass, "And?"

Kahil observed her calm acceptance. He understood whatever it was, was a move made by someone who Anya had her sights on. "The content of his meeting was . . . . . unexpected. He wanted funding for a group of scientists. He claimed he had some biological technology that you wanted, but did not want others to find out about and thus wanted to steal it from them then bury the secret with their bodies."

"So dramatic." Anya murmured, amused.

Kahil laughed, "It gets better. Talking to him, it was becoming fairly transparent to me that he did not actually expect to gain anything from it. Rather, it felt like he was leaving a footprint. That he was planning something in the future, for which a reference to have been in a situation when he asked for help against you could be traced."

Anya made an appreciative gesture, "You were able to infer it? I must say, you have me impressed."

"I may not be used to navigating through agendas set against me everyday like you but Anya, I can hold my own. Don't be surprised." Kahil ruefully replied.

"Hmmm." Anya hummed , taking a sip from her glass, "If that is how you want me to view you, then allow me to predict your next step. Did you agree to fund him?"

Kahil shook his head as he chuckled good naturedly, "One day, I will be unpredictable enough to stun you Anya. I truly will."

"Oh Kahil, the day you become unpredictable to me will only come to pass if I become senile."

"Such confidence. . . ."

"Its what makes me, me." Anya lifted the thick tumbling mass of her tresses from her neck and shifted it over one shoulder, exposing the vulnerable curve of her neck, "And that is what enchants you, does it not?" she asked in a challenging tone.

"Me, my brother, Song. . . . . countless others." Kahil gulped down his wine and pored more while the waiters delivered their mains. "You are cruel, Anya." He said once they left.

"Because I am the way I was born?"

"Because you make a person so addicted to your sweetness that escaping that web becomes impossible." Kahil replied in a hoarse voice, "Because you weave a spell which ensnares the heart in a gentle grip hiding the thorns. But no matter the pain, one still would endure it gladly than getting away."

Kahil traced the veins on the back of her hand, "You hold the string to the control of a person's mind body and heart, enslaving him in a desperation of deepening desire to keep feeling that pain but you never do pull on it. You never even acknowledge it."

He flicked his glance heavy with emotions in her azure beauty, "You are cruel."

Anya took away her hand, "Its never intentional."

"Which is why its stronger." Kahil sat back, but his eyes sharpened becoming heavier with desire, "Which is why, its impossible to resist. Its not your fault for casting it Anya, but neither is it mine to be caught in this prison of yours from which I don't want to escape."

Anya felt the need to reply seriously because Kahil was taking off any mask, any armour that he had, allowing her to see his true self. She did not want to flirt, but wanted to make him realize the truth.

She opened her mouth to reply when a crash sounded to the only other occupied table of the rooftop quite a distance from theirs, facing her located behind Kahil.

She flicked her glance reflexively and then felt her serene temper take a mammoth jump to boiling anger.

On the table that she had assumed to be of a business dinner of four friends working in some high official posts, a man in a black suit, shirt and beanie, stood up flustered as the glass he was drinking from was lying sideways after being broken.

In his haste, he bumped into the man sitting with him, who had been in the process of taking a sip from his wine. Naturally, it fell on the person's clothes. While the beanie guy became panicked and tried to help his friend, he knocked over the dishes on the table out of which one dish containing Mushroom Chicken fell down on the floor.

The man sitting opposite the disaster-attracting-beanie-wearing guy, instinctively bent down to maybe stop the racket or catch the dish, when his cufflink snagged on the tablecloth, pulling it downward with his movement.

Several other dishes crashed on the floor.

With such a racket, Kahil too glanced back, his vison filled with the backs of two men sitting facing away from them, the beanie guy shifted to one side, his side profile hidden while his companion seemed to dive to the floor on the other side, presumably to maybe salvage something.

"Huh? They seem odd." Kahil puzzled.

You wouldn't say.

Anya smiled at Kahil and flicked his knuckles lightly, "Kahil, did you fund his entire demand, or did you lure him by paying a sum and promising the next lump after he exchanged more details of his research with you?"

Kahil still absently kept looking at the frozen statues of three men, the fourth man still out of sight on the floor, even while the waiters swarmed them.

"I was touched by your poetic visions of my supposed web of temptations that one never wanted to escape from of which you spoke so passionately about, only for your attention to be so easily taken away while I ask you a question?" Anya's tone was a touch petulant with infused humour but it also had a bite to it.

Kahil responded to it immediately, turning around to her, "Anya, no. I just cant imagine an establishment such as this to be allowing dumb and unrefined people like them, that too in a private rooftop."

Anya dismissively waved her hands, "They must be the bored sons of some Minister playing grown ups with matching formal suits and airs. What's so interesting about it?"

Her description fit the situation accurately enough for Kahil to not think about it anymore, "You are correct about my dealings with him. fortunately, Khalid had the foresight to ask me to make video recording of the encounter, I'll send it to you."

Anya tried maintaining an interested and engaged expression without letting her anger flood in. From her periphery, she saw the fourth guy who seemed to have found Atlantis on the floor finally sit back up in his chair.

He glanced at her and then gave a cheerful wave.

Both the men facing away from her instantly facepalmed themselves while the beanie guy had enough grace to give her a very constipated, half apologetic half embarrassed smile.

"I think I know who that person is without the recording but such help would be appreciated." Anya mildly admitted, then asked, "This is your last night here?"

Kahil concentrated in cutting a piece of his steak, "So eager to see me go? Don't wound me so badly."

"You misunderstand. I am invited to the coronation taking place in a few months. I merely wanted to ask if you would enquire if hybrids can attend."

Kahil stopped and a genuine heartstopping smile spread on his face, "You are coming?"

Anya shrugged, her soft curves rising from the upper edge of the dress to hint the shadow of her alluring femininity, "I happen to be invited along with my family by not just your soon to be King, but also the entire minister cabinet. I can hardly refuse." But she too wore a pretty smile.

Kahil scoffed, "Please. You have had no trouble refusing our invitation in the past." Then he talked a little rapidly, his enthusiasm spilling over, "I think there will be no problem at all to bring your hybrids. By the time the Coronation comes around, your hybrids will be known by all anyways."

Then he thought of something, "Your parents will also attend?"

Anya paused, "Ummm, if you have sent an invitation, I can ask?"

"You said family?"

Anya understood as she made a gesture of amusement, "Sorry! No, its my mistake. When I say family, my parents are independent. When I meant invitation that is accepted by my family who will travel to your country includes Arissa, Joseph, my hybrids and my megalomanic brother."

Instantly, the floor diving loving person whose shirt no doubt reeked of wine frowned at her. Then proceeded to show her his middle finger.

As immature as he ever would be.

Spying on her sister's conversation with 3 more of his buddies shamelessly, what else could she expect from him?

"Ah, why do you guys always be at odds with each other?" Kahil asked in a long sigh.

"My brother still remains at the mental age of 15 whenever he is anywhere near me." Anya dryly said, ignoring the now standing and waving crazily Suhan.

She did, however, notice Joon grabbing him and pulling him down.

This at least proved that the table was bugged. In no way was her dumbass brother's ears as sensitive to pick up her words and the conversation being carried out in English meant that the hybrids were basically at the mercy of Suhan's rapid translation.

Anya got a headache thinking about the way Suhan would be paraphrasing. He was truly abysmal in that.

Kahil chuckled but let it rest, he took up a different conversation, "It was very noble of one of your friend to take up the charges and arranging a proper funeral for that lady Jennifer's hybrid. You do surround yourself with good people."

Anya froze just as the table with four men did.

Kahil continued on while eating, "But after what I heard he was involved in, in abetting the forced assualt of his Mistress, even if he helped in the end, it was natural of him to be put down. I would like to say I quite liked Jennifer trying to protest, but she could not go over her father."

Kahil glanced at her, "For a moment, she reminded me of you. But then I saw you in your house with them. That's when I realised what a fool I was to even think about comparing you both."

Anya quietly ate her food, not answering.

"You gave them the same status as you. As Suhan. It was easy to deduce. Tell me, how did you decide that? What happened for you to have such a radical thought of going against the flow of actions we have been born to live with?" Kahil asked with genuine curiosity.

Anya carefully wrapped the noodles around her fork, not aware of the small, beautiful smile kissing her lips, "The second I saw them. The night I met them." Anya inhaled deep, "They were never meant to be caged the way they were Kahil. They were different right from the first glance."

Kahil did not understand it but he nodded then said sympathetically, "it's a shame some of them have been castrated."

Hearing that, Anya bit her lips hard, controlling her laughter which Kahil took as a sign of unhappiness and moved on from the topic. She glanced at the other table to see Joon poking Suhan, prompting him for a translation while her brother wisely kept his mouth shut.

Oh, if this spread when we visit during coronation, Suhan will be deep fried in a tank of oil by the hybrids. . . . . . . .

Kind of feeling happy and excited about the pack collectively turning on her brother, Anya did not correct Kahil about his misunderstanding. After all, she was just preserving her brother's dignity by not exposing his lie.

"Speaking of your Home, I wanted to ask, are you tailing Song Joong-ki?"

The change in topic and person was great enough for Anya to become a little disoriented, "Sorry?"

Kahil carefully replied. "When I left your house, my car had some issues. By the time it was okay, I saw Song driving away too. I was following him as the direction of my hotel is in the path of his house, so I noticed a car tailing him."

Kahil shrugged, "I was free and curious enough to tail both cars. Saw Song getting off when he reached home. The car that tailed him paused for 5 minutes, then drove off." Kahil sipped his wine again, "he is being observed. Or, someone is keeping tabs on his movements."

Anya helplessly asked, "Why did you not share this with him?"

Kahil looked at her curiously, "I take it Suhan did not share anything to you regarding Gina?"

Anya was stumped, "No." she glanced at her brother to see him on his third glass of wine.

Third FULL glass of wine which he drank like chugging a glass of milk. That was answer enough for her.

Joon sent another apologetic smile on seeing Suhan's behavior which she frostily ignored.

"Then its best if you ask him." Kahil shook his head, "All I can tell you is that she is looking for someone. And chances are, he is one of your hybrid. Also, she and her husband have history with the said hybrid. If rumours and whispers are to be believed, a very twisted, ugly and painful history."

Anya glanced at the other table again when Kahil looked down at his plate, only to see Hobi trying to lower the fourth glass of wine by tugging and downright pulling at Suhan's hand, both standing up while Suhan followed the glass, his mouth not getting separated from the rim. Like a leech superglued to the wineglass, he finished every last drop not letting go.

"Yes, I'll be sure to ask him about it."

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1 HOUR LATER

CAR :

"Master, just let it be. Please? Nothing you say will either be understood or be remembered by him." Jimin persuaded the irate girl sitting beside him when the drunk boy sitting on his other side leaned forward to say,

"What he said!! He is so much better than you!! You are nothing but a bully!!"

"Oh please! Who asked you to come??"

"You didn't take us out for dinner so we came!!! Anyways that's my hotel!! I can go there anytime I want! Its their Hotel too ! Now what will you say??"

"How can he speak without slurring?" Namjoon asked from the front passenger seat of the car. He took off the beanie turning to look at Anya and Suhan seated on both sides of Jimin in the back seat.

Hobi answered, "Experience with him tells me he doesn't slur. Ever. Nor will he show any signs of being drunk. He'll just pass out." He drove the car expertly, his posture relaxed, with one hand on the wheel and the other loosely set on the gear.

"And do you bug the tables of the rest of the people dining there as well??" Anya continued hotly.

"Well. . . well. . . ."

"See? Disgusting, you cant even answer!"

"THAT'S BECAUSE I AM DRUNK!!" Suhan roared, "Don't take advantage of this fact!!!"

"I wont have to EVER take advantage of anything to win against an argument with you. YOU need that excuse to lose." Anya retorted back.

"Ah arguments cannot be done with people suffering major memory loss such as you! The gall of you saying in front of my friends that I never won an argument!"

Anya snorted very inelegantly, "If its your image you want to preserve then let me inform you, it went down the drain at the time you developed a love affair with the floor of the rooftop-"

"Actually," Hobi interrupted, "It was pretty much destroyed the day we met Suhan."

"HEAR THAT YOU DUMBASS? Hah! Take that!" Anya cheered.

Suhan indignantly reminded, "That was just a normal reaction! Anyone would have it! I bet my entire fortune that Ms. Hoity toity over here was scared the first time she saw you too!!"

"GUYS?" Jimin shouted. When both the twins looked at him from both sides, he sighed, "Lets just call it a night okay? Things have been really overbearing since yesterday. Lets have some peace now."

"He started it-"

"She poked at me-"

Hoseok too sighed at the twins, "For once, just once, why don't you act like the Masters who are supposed to take care of us? Instead of children we need to babysit?"

Anya Hmphed and looked away while Suhan too felt adequately chastised by the simple line.

She knew they couldn't just stay home after 2 days of her being miffed at them, hence her anger wasn't deep. As the lights of the city flashed by the window of the smoothly moving, quiet car, Anya felt the emotions of the day catch up to her.

"I am sleepy." She declared.

Jimin curved a hand around her shoulder and pulled her unresisting body towards him, urging her to lay her head on his shoulder, "Then sleep." He spoke softly to her.

Anya lay her head and closed her eyes, feeling a butterfly light kiss land on her cheek.

Jimin's eyes softened looking at Anya, when he felt a tickling on the other side of his neck. He turned his head to be shocked to find Suhan's face extremely close to his, his hair the culprit which tickled the Cobra's neck.

"What? I want to sleep too." He petulantly said with a frown.

"I-"

Jimin remained stunned as Suhan too comfortably lay his head on his other shoulder, falling asleep in minutes. Both the twins slept with peaceful expressions on the shoulder of a Snake Hybrid who carried a Vrâg within him.

Namjoon turned to see the scene, Hobi glanced repeatedly via the rearview mirror, both wearing soft, affectionate smiles.

The car stopped at a red traffic light for a few minutes, at par with another car. The other car had a family of three seated in it, with the parents in the front. The child was strapped in the back seat while 2 hybrids sat on the floor of the car, their heavily collared leash tethered to the door on each side.

They glanced with dull eyes to the car beside them being driven by a snake hybrid and a wolf hybrid in the front, another snake hybrid smiling down at the heads of the two humans fast asleep trustingly on his shoulder.

That single glance caused a happy jerk in their hearts, but they could not quench their thirst at the sweet sight for long as the car pulled away leaving the leashed hybrid with a hope in their hearts.

A hope, that was just a wild dream.

"Capture this moment Joonie." The smile in Hobi's voice lightly floated in the car, "This is a treasure I can fight thousands of battles over."

Joon got his phone out and quietly took a pic.

Then sent it to the group chat.

Jimin kept his eyes on the innocent faces of the sleeping twins curled up against him with their hands around his torso, free from worries, assured in their hearts of the safety of being in a safe place. Yes, this was the treasure Jimin would burn the world for.

Trust, Love.

Family.

His Family.

Jimin recalled the time he had been afraid of stepping out of the car when he had come here the first time. Anya had patiently waited for them and gently said,

I promised you a beautiful future being mine. It begins from this moment

And Jimin would do anything to make sure that the promised beautiful future, remained that way.

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NEXT AFTERNOON :

SUHAN :

Suhan briefly sent a message to Anya.

Suhan : Have to be going for personal things. Been curbing my appetite for long, need juicy willing girls, bed, booze and no interruptions. Will come back when I have my fill. Till then, keep training to be a virtuous priestess, you are already so great at it. if you choose to join the nunnery, let me know!

Her reply came in a few minutes.

Sweet Roach : Please stop making me wish to harm myself with bleach. I truly have no desire to read such messages. Kick yourself out.

Suhan : Don't you mean knock yourself out?

Sweet Roach : JUST GO KICK YOURSELF.

Suhan smiled, then pocketed the phone.

Glancing at the address and directions written in a book describing the place he had bought from Nisa's Uncle, Suhan placed it back in the inner pocket of his coat and went ahead to board the flight to Ilsan.

Sweet Roach : When you come back, you need to talk to me about what you know about Gina.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

ONE MONTH LATER :

Hoseok came running in with Jimin, both of them crowding the monitor room where a recorded feed looped and was watched by the rest of the pack, with Adora and Yoongi madly doing something to the monitor while Joseph, Arissa, Peter watch on.

"What do you mean by Master and Suhan have been kidnapped?????" Jimin burst through, only for Namjoon to shoot him an extremely angry stare. He clipped out coldly, "Precisely what it means."

"This was supposed to be private visit. The information was not known to many. How did they get taken?" Jungkook had his eyes fixed on the screen, half side of his face openly filled with black vines, his eyes pitch dark. Only his voice remained human.

"The crew is the problem!" Peter said through clenched lips. "They are professionals. The darts are needle short. The efficiency they employed to take them out. . . . ."

On the screen, Hoseok watched as in the dark corner of a parking lot, Suhan and Anya touched their necks, looked and each other and fell down. Swiftly, six people in scrubs and masks emerged, three on each. Two carried one body while the third placed a handekerchief on their mouth.

A simple looking car switched to life, both of them loaded in it. The car took off, while the six people got up on a different vehicle and left.

The whole thing barely took a minute.

Jimin was shaking in anger, "How. Did. This. Happen?"

"What the fuck do you think we have been trying to find out you moronic snake??" Jin gritted out, working on another computer, tracing and jumping different route cams.

"WELL YOU CALLED US AFTER YOU GUYS FOUND OUT, NOW YOU WANT ME TO KEEP MY TEMPER?" Jimin screamed at Jin who squarely ignored him. Hoseok suddenly looked around, "Where's Tae?"

Namjoon replied, "As soon as he saw this, his Vrâg took over. Currently he is sedated." He looked sharply at Hoseok, "He is unstable."

His glance was sharp on Hobi, his stare carrying a worry to which the Python hybrid answered, "I wont lose it. I am stable."

Joon gave a curt nod.

The ones who were the quietest were Arissa and Joseph, who quietly played the amplified and zoomed in image of Anya and Suhan getting out of the car, getting tranqed, looking at each other then falling down, repeatedly.

For over thirty times, they saw the close up on loop, concentrating mainly on their expressions.

Then, they looked at each other.

Then the hybrids, Adora and Peter.

Then at each other again.

Together, they whispered, "Shit."

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UNKNOWN MINI VAN :

Suhan groaned as he came to, wonkily sitting up straight with much effort.

"Ah! Mr Lets-Get-Kidnapped-it-will-Be-Fun is finally up????"

"Ah please!" Suhan groaned again, "Will you keep it down??"

"That's rich, WHY SHOULD I??" Anya screamed it close to his ear while the poor guy winced hard and batted her away like a fly, "Give a guy a break! At least let me wake up properly after getting drugged!!" he moaned.

Anya silently fumed as she sat with her legs and hands tied, in the back of a mini van which kept moving, watching her brother finally shake off the drugs.

"Remind me again," she snarkily said, "Whose bright idea was it to deliberately get kidnapped??"

"Chill out." Suhan looked at the van with appreciation, "At least be happy that the ones who have us kidnapped are well off. I would hate to experience my first kidnapping stay in dingy atmosphere."

"Whatever asshole!!! Why the fuck did I agree to your crazy scheme??????"

"Ah, Language baby sis." Suhan irritated her with his signature smirk, "You agreed, because this was the quickest way to find out about the organisation of those dexter level mad scientists who wanted to experiment on us. If you have forgotten, being the airhead that you are, these are the very scientists who are responsible for making the Vrâgs. Including, Michael."

Suhan's expression took a faraway distant look, "We need to know about our pack. Their childhood and the potential of these scientists having something that could not only expose them but god forbid, do something worse. They wanted us? It was better to go to them."

Anya apathetically watched the serious aura on Suhan, then completely shattered the image when she lifted her tied-at-ankles legs and started kicking him.

"It. Could. Be. Achieved. Without. Getting. Kidnapped. You. Complete. Demented. Monkey!!!!!!!"

Each word was attached with a kick.

"Ah! Ah! Oii! You idiot! STOP YOU CRAZY OURANGOUTAN!!!" Suhan protested against her, "Its gonna be fun! I promise! Its not like we can actually be kept prisoner by them! We can leave anytime we want!!! Remember who we are!!! STOP THAT!"

Anya stopped. Settling down, she sat back all prim and proper, making Suhan gape, "I know that! But what of my reputation? Being kidnapped is just such a shame! And have you thought of the pack? Adora? Peter? Jackson? The staff? Yoona? It was a last minute plan!"

"Its okay." Suhan said breezily, "besides their reactions and actions need to be authentic. Also," he wiggled his brows, "Arissa and Joseph will know. They'll handle them."

He sat back comfortably, "Right now, we need to play victims and know what this organisation wants. Bonus, we need to know more about the origins of the Vrâg. Our investigations did reveal that some scientists teamed up with Michael and know of their existence. As such, the quickest way to eliminate them is to meet them. To meet such hidden scientists, we needed to be kidnapped."

Suhan sure had been extra protective of the pack ever since he had come back from his 3 day trip.

"Ugh" Anya sighed, "Why do I always go along with these ideas of yours?"

"Oh come on cheer up!" Suhan snapped, "The Kim siblings playing victims and running wild. It has been a looooooong time since we had fun."

Reluctantly, Anya smiled. Yes, it would be fun indeed.

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A/N : 29k (58 pages)

First thing first. RIGHT AFTER THIS, READ DARK EMBRACE (HOBI'S PREQUEL). Its necessary guys.

So, had to break the chapter as together it was 55k.

As for how I am, I am somehow hanging in. life's never easy, I guess, instead of trying to wait for it to get better, the secret is to get used to the change fast. Sorry it took a little bit for me to find my footing.

Updates are going to be two or three weeks. On weekends.

As compensation, I wanted to give you guys these 2 long chapters of SOF and 20 chapters of Dark Embrace.

My EXTREMELY talented frnd LittleLezbo has made this Vrag inspired vid which is VERYYYYYY accurate! Is she not amazing??

🌸🌸The "Tomato Song" is the one in Run BTS Episode 31! If you haven't seen that episode ( what are you waiting for? Go watch it! Its hilarious!) 🌸🌸

As for the kidnapping, well, what do you think of it?

More details of the situation will be revealed later

The siblings are gonna have fun while the pack will be trying to get them, all the while Arissa and Joseph..... poor them.

Any favourite part?

Or any part you found intriguing? Wanting to see more?

Are you enjoying the story so far?

Please do let me know.

If you like it, do comment and vote. . .