[CONTENTID1]Holly[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Thirty-Three[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Yoonhee’s pulse raced as the magic of her soulmate bond tingled on her skin. An inhuman force crashed into the door to the underground prison, again and again. The door rattled under the assault from the other side. Someone desperately attempted to open it, one of Yoonhee’s clan members. She sensed their familiar auras behind the thick metal.

“Don’t worry, this is my clan. They won’t hurt you,” she reassured her worried companions and sent them a faint smile as they waited for the door to give in. Yoonhee anticipated the moment it would happen since she was eager to reunite with her soulmate. She wanted to see Baekhyun, she wanted to wrap him in her arms and be close to him. They had never been separated for so many days in a row, and she didn’t want to repeat this experience. The pain of separation was simply too great. They were soulmates for a reason; they belonged together. Besides, he had to be starving, there was no time to waste. The thought was followed by an ice-cold realization—Baekhyun was right in the center of danger and most likely too weak to defend himself. Yoonhee’s heart hammered in her chest. She wished she could tear the door down herself.

“Stay away from the door,” Chanyeol’s muffled voice warned from the other side. “It’ll give in soon.”

Heeding his warning, they took a few steps back, tensely staring at the only barrier that stood between them and freedom. There was a loud bang and the door shook, held on for another moment, but then it was torn from its hinges and gave in to Chanyeol’s violent assault. When it landed on the ground, it had many dents caused by the vampire’s brute force. Yoonhee’s eyes widened and met Chanyeol’s ruby gaze. The change in his expression was instantaneous. The moment he saw her alive and well, relief washed over him.

“Chanyeol, you made it! Where’s Baekhyun?” she asked since she didn’t spot him at first. Chanyeol and Sehun blocked the view and the stairway was too dark to see much. Since they didn’t perceive any danger, they moved aside and let her soulmate pass. Baekhyun rushed past Chanyeol, his frantic gaze finding Yoonhee.  

A hoarse cry of her name left his throat and he ran toward her. She was stunned when she saw him. He looked ill. His skin tone was sickly and his eyes bloodshot, underlined with shadows. The deep scarlet hue of his irises demonstrated his dreadful thirst. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how painful it had to be. She opened her arms for him and they collided, embracing each other as tightly as they could.

A shiver racked his body when he felt her warmth and heard the beautiful melody of her heart. It was beating very fast as her fear mixed with excitement. The sound had a cathartic effect on him since it was the ultimate proof that she was still alive. He had reached her in time—although it had been a struggle to find her, he had succeeded.

“You’re alive.” He inhaled her sweet scent and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. Baekhyun had been in a constant state of panic during the past days. It had worn him down, but now that she was safe, the crushing feeling of loss didn’t torment him anymore. As long as she was in his arms, nobody would take her away—over his dead body. His will to protect her was so strong that even his burning thirst was secondary to it.

Yoonhee noticed the trembling breaths he took and his back with calming motions. “I knew you would make it, Baekhyun,” she whispered and kissed his cheek, “And now hurry, you must be starving!” She loosened her embrace and pulled at her shirt to reveal her neck to him, where the fading marks of Haeil’s fangs were still visible—she had forgotten about them since they didn’t hurt anymore.

“What did they do to you?!” Baekhyun snarled, the sudden surge of rage startling her. “Who bit you?”

“It was Haeil,” she replied, a scowl forming on her face. “He was angry at me because I injured him before he abducted me. Apparently, his ego is quite fragile…”

“You hurt him? Good, he deserves that and so much worse.” He shook his head, vowing to take revenge on the vampire.

Baekhyun’s left hand wandered to her chin and gently tilted it back. Red irises focused on her jugular, darkening as his thirst became too strong. He his lips, fangs elongating as he drew in a quivering breath. He couldn’t deny himself her blood any longer—his body needed it to survive. Searching for the most convenient spot to bite into, his lips brushed over her skin. He was too weak and too thirsty to take things slow. Usually, he would give her time to prepare and be gentle, but not today.

His fangs abruptly pierced her skin, prompting her to gasp. The noise caused him to stiffen slightly, but he couldn’t stop himself when the delicious taste of her blood invaded his mouth. Greedily gulping it down, his lips latched onto her skin, not wasting a drop. Yoonhee relaxed in his embrace when numbness set in and she didn’t feel his fangs anymore, only the sensation of his lips on her skin, and the support his arms provided her. She closed her eyes and let him take as much as he desired. The draining sensation accompanying the bite was stronger than she was used to, weakening her knees and making her dizzy. Her hands held on to his black leather jacket, but her grip soon slackened. She gradually lost control of her body, feeling no fear because she trusted him. He knew when it was time to stop, he knew when the loss of blood would become too dangerous for her.

Moments later, his sharp fangs left her skin and he up the remnants of blood on her neck, planting a kiss on the purple mark she now bore on her skin. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he observed her with unmistakable worry in his gaze. His irises had returned to their original blue color for now, crystal clear, and even his complexion appeared healthier than before. Yoonhee was relieved.

“Are you okay, buttercup? Did I take too much?” he asked when she leaned against him, needing to catch her breath. Baekhyun embraced her smaller, more delicate body. His little flower was so fragile, and the thought of Haeil stealing her blood, biting her against her will, enraged him. As he held her protectively, he wished he could have shielded her from the other vampire’s cruelty.

“I’m fine, this is nothing. I will heal the bite and be as good as new,” she smiled up at him and cupped his cheek with her hand. His skin felt warm to the touch. “Don’t worry about me, Baekhyun.”

Her sunny smile was out of place—it didn’t belong in this forlorn prison. He wondered how she was still able to smile so brightly, even after witnessing countless horrible events. She put her palm on her neck and prepared to tap into her magic, but Jaemin’s voice stopped her. “Wait, Yoonhee! Let me do it. You should save your remaining strength for later.”

Suddenly, she remembered that Baekhyun and she weren’t alone. Of course not, how could she have forgotten? She had been hyperfocused on her soulmate, so much so that she had forgotten about the presence of her friends and clan members. The vampires had assembled behind Baekhyun, watching over them in silence. Yerin and Kyungsoo gave her a comforting smile, but the other clan members appeared grim, seething with anger. Yixing and Jongin guarded the doorway, in case any unwanted guests made their way downstairs. They were shocked at how badly Yoonhee and the others had been treated and inspected the underground prison with contempt.

Turning around to her companions, Yoonhee met Jaemin’s gaze and found Jeno, Donghyuck, Jimin, and Minjeong observing her as well. “That’s very kind. Thank you, Jaemin.”

Baekhyun’s arm remained on her waist to steady her as the wizard came closer, hesitantly glancing at him as if he expected Baekhyun to interfere. However, nothing of the sort happened. Baekhyun calmly watched Jaemin work his magic on his soulmate, healing the bruise on her neck. While he was busy, the clan members approached the couple but were mindful of the apprehensive stares they received from the wizards and witches.

“You’re free to leave if you want to. We won’t stand in your way,” Junmyeon addressed them. “My clan and the council will deal with Taeseon and assure something like this never happens again. Our allies are already fighting him and his clan as we speak.”

“I can’t leave yet,” Donghyuck answered and grinned ominously. “Not before I got revenge. I never thought I would get an opportunity like this.” A flame over his jawline, disappearing into his skin. The air around him began to flicker with heat. “So if you don’t mind, I will fight with you.”

“The more the better. Taeseon’s clan is powerful and has many members.”

“Don’t forget about the scroll for the ritual! We need to find and destroy it, otherwise, someone else might use it one day. I don’t trust the vampire council. They never cared about us witches,” Jimin scowled, crossing her arms. Minjeong next to her nodded in agreement.

“Taeseon probably has the scroll,” Baekhyun growled. “I doubt the greedy bastard would hand it over to someone else. He’s our main target… aside from Haeil. I will kill him myself.”

“Oh, you already know about the scroll and the ritual?” Yoonhee wondered. “I wasn’t able to tell you everything when we last spoke.”

“It doesn’t matter, I found out thanks to the council’s leader.”

“We shouldn’t waste time,” Chanyeol impatiently reminded them. His eyes kept darting to the doorway—the loud noises reaching him from above were concerning. “If you want to fight with us, then come along. If not, leave.”

The witches and wizards exchanged glances, reaching a quick decision. They were done submitting to Taeseon’s clan and ready to fight back. It included all of them, even the timid Minjeong and Jaemin, who had neglected his magic until recently.

“Let’s go. The sooner it’s done the better,” Jeno said.

“Be careful though, the fights that have erupted everywhere in the bui