[A/N: Hey guys, tis Alix (PoisonedApples6) here~ As you can tell I'm trying to update weekly here, but it's proving a bit difficult as I have completely lost my muse. I would really appreciate it if you guys could go ask some stuff on our ask.fm ( http://ask.fm/BWARBroadwayApples ) because that has always really helped me get in character and get past writer's block. Thanks! ♥ )

Alix’s POV

To their credit neither Yixing nor Jiaheng - sorry, Kris - tore my head off after I told them of my little conundrum. However, that isn’t to say they were pleased.

“You’ve ed up big time Xandria.”

I didn’t even bother to correct Kris on the use of my old name.

“Are you sure they know?” Yixing asked, fear evident in his voice.

“Not certain, but suspicious - and I think that gives enough cause to take action,” I replied. Yixing looked pained.

“It’s a waste.”

“It’s not like she has the knowledge to use any of her powers,” Kris snapped.

“It’s necessary,” I told them both, bringing a brief moment of silence to our trio.

“Explain to us why this concerns us.”

I sighed; “You remember the first time we met, correct?”

“Of course,” Yixing assured.

“Remind me,” Kris drawled. I withheld a snarl.

“Back in Egypt I was born to a dying mother, who your people swore to her husband to save,” - this was directed at Yixing - “but they failed.” he looked suitably ashamed. “Because of this your kind are indebted to me as the last of her family. I sought you out over three centuries ago to repay this debt as you were known as the strongest of your kind, and I needed help protecting her and her secret. In my travels to find you I came across your pack, Jiaheng.” Kris growled at the use of his real name but did not interrupt me. “Surely, you remember what I did for you?”

“Yes, I do,” he answered reluctantly. “I couldn’t forget if I tried.”

“Jongdae! Stop being a lout and open the bloody gate!” Jiaheng called out to the gatekeeper.

“Well isn’t it her majesty come to see if we can finally get the sand out of her !” came his oh-so-gracious reply.

“Jongdae I swear if you don’t open the gate this instant-”

“Alright, alright! Keep your calm dog!”

The gate promptly opened and a fuming alpha stalked in, muttering angry vows of ‘beheading that pig swiver’ as he came.

“Tell Jongdae that if he values his life he’ll watch his tongue,” he growled to nearby guardsman who nodded quickly and scampered away. “I offer this village protection, and this is the thanks I get?”

“Now now Jiaheng, you know how Jongdae can be. And besides, it’s not as if you aren’t gaining anything from our deal.”

Jiaheng sighed as he turned to face the village leader; “No, of course not Joonmyun. Apologies.”

“Nonsense,” Joonmyun exclaimed, waving a hand in the air to punctuate his point. “No apologies needed. We are very grateful for what your pack has done for us. Who would have thought that one of our own was a monster?”

“Indeed,” Jiaheng agreed, curling his lip in distaste at the mention of the creature.

“I’m surprised can’t smell her,” a new voice piped up from amongst the council. Jiaheng’s eyes flitted to the familiar face.

“Minseok,” he acknowledged. ‘The woman’s suitor,’ he thought. ‘It’s a surprise the man was still on the council. Then again...’ his eyes flitted to another familiar face, ‘what is more surprising is that her half brother isn’t suspected a monster also.’

“That is because she isn’t entirely demon.”

Joonmyun’s face formed a frown: “You told us she is a vampyr.”

“No, only half of her blood is vampyric. The other is human. She is a half-breed - a dhampyr.”

“Is she less dangerous than a vampyr then?”

“More.”

This caused general grumbling within th group.

“To think, the world is off hunting witches when far more dangerous creatures are hiding amongst us,” Joonmyun sighed.

“To be fair sir, witches can be dangerous too - ‘less they can be reasoned with.”

Days past uneventful for Jiaheng and his pack, until one day the dhampyr’s brother came to him.

“Jiaheng, sir?”

Jiaheng looked down into the wide eyes of the boy, and couldn’t help but marvel at the years he saw in them.

“What is it boy?”

“My sister-” the boy began.

“Is a monster. You know better than to think of her.” Kris was surprised to see defiance in those old eyes when he stated this.

“She is no more a monster than you,” he stated with a calm confidence. *But that is not what I came to say - she is here.”

“What?!” Jiaheng was instantly on full alert. “In the village?”

The boy nodded; “I let her in.”

“Why-”

“She wishes to speak with you.”

It took a lot to make Jiaheng speechless, but he would always remember that moment as one of the few times he truly didn’t know how to respond. He allowed the boy to lead him to a farmhouse in the older side of the village. The boy left before the demon showed herself.

“I am told your name is Jiaheng.”

“And yours Xandria.”

“Yes. You have met with my brother then?”

“He is your half-brother, and I am not here to engage in casual conversation. What is it that you want?”

“To reach an agreement.”

“I refuse.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick - see, you think there is only one of me; that I will be easy pickings to you and your pack. You are wrong in this assumption - my half-brother, as you so keenly pointed out, carries the same blood as I: we were born to different mothers yes but it is our father’s blood that gives us our gifts. And our father has many, many children,” Xandria informed him. She let the information sink in and watched in amusement as Jiaheng paled.

“How many?” he asked quietly.

“In this land there are at nine of us. The farther you go the more you shall find.”

Jiaheng didn’t have to think long: “I suppose an agreement could be reached.”

“Good.”

“You want the village?”

“No.”

Jiaheng frowned; “The safety of your brother?”

“No, no,” Xandria waved a hand in dismissal. “He is perfectly capable of looking after himself.”

“Your human lover, then?”

“Minseok? No. If I wanted him I’d call and he’d come running - he has known what I am for far longer than the rest of these idiotic people. What do you think I’ve been feeding on, animal livestock? We are not all as barbaric as your kind.”

Jiaheng growled; “You can’t have the girl.”

“I do not want the girl.”

“What do you want then?”

“I have been informed that travelling with you is one Zhang Yixing.”

“I allowed you to meet in private with Yixing that day, and in return you agreed to leave the village in peace. I helped you disappear. What is your aim in bringing up such an old story?” Kris asked, genuinely confused as to the point in which I was trying to make.

“My point is this: that day Yixing and I made a pact in which he could finally repay his kind’s debt to my family,” I explained.

“Yeah, I know,” Kris replied, glancing to Yixing and growing worried at the loo of distress on his lover’s face.

“That pact has been broken. He swore to protect a secret, but somehow it has been found out,” I continued.

“What has it got to do with me?”

“You were the collateral.”

He took a while to take this in; “What do you mean, collateral?”

“I mean that on that day Yixing swore not only to protect her secret but to also keep one wary eye on my brother at all times, and in return I offered protection for you and your pack. But it was also agreed that if Yixing broke this pact my protection over you would be null.”

“I don’t need your protection,” Kris snarled; no doubt assuming we both thought little of him. He didn’t seem to know what to make of the smile I showed him then.

“I’m sorry Kris, but you do; because ever since that day my family have been hyper-aware of your pack, and know of the vow you made to protect her. I have told them you are not a threat, but one word from me and they wipe you out.”

“Is that a threat?”

“An oath.”

Kris was quiet for a while after this, before he turned to Yixing.

“You knew about this?”

“Jiaheng I’m sorry.”

The look of betrayal he showed toward Yixing’s confession spoke volumes.

 

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