Changmin’s eyes drift to Jaejoong’s sleeping figure for what must be the fiftieth time in half an hour, and he sighs, finally giving up on his textbook after trying (and failing) to comprehend the contents of the same paragraph for the seventh consecutive time. “It’s not right to sleep so soundly,” he murmurs, reaching out and tucking a stray lock of hair behind Jaejoong’s ear. “I might take advantage of you.” But even as he says it, he knows taking advantage of Jaejoong is among the list of last things he would do…he didn’t play the adoring little brother for ten years only to lose control now.

Still, it’s one thing to resist temptation when it comes and another to run straight into it.

Changmin gives Jaejoong one last, lingering glance, checking to see if he’s in his zombie sleep where he will sleep like a dead for a long time yet. Satisfied, he shrugs off Jaejoong’s arm and gets out of the bed, silently shutting the door as he leaves.

Yunho’s standing at the front door, as though he anticipated Changmin’s actions. His lips curl into a bitter smile, and Changmin coolly raises an eyebrow, as if daring Yunho to stop him. But Yunho merely steps aside and opens the door. “Marg Stross,” he says.

Happy Hunting.                                     

Changmin narrows his eyes, stepping closer to Yunho and using his full height to try and intimidate him. “Who?” He breathes, voice filled with barely suppressed rage. Averian, as one of the ancient languages, is far too precious a tongue to be given to simply anyone, which is why the gift of understanding and speaking it can only be passed from one person to another by a closely-guarded spell. It's a language for the noble class, and most vampires cannot understand a single syllable of it, let alone a mere Keeper. “Who did this?”

Yunho laughs. “Revenge.” Before Changmin can say anything, Yunho ushers him out of the door.

Changmin swears he sees a smirk just before the door closes in his face.

-{}-

The house is empty, and it reeks.

Blood Singers by nature do not carry their own scent…they take on the scent of the vampire that Marked them, or the scent of the vampire they’re around the most if they haven’t been Marked. That’s why Jaejoong carries Changmin’s scent.

By all rights, so should Junsu.

But what greets Changmin is not his own scent, but an overpowering sweet stench that ades his nostrils, like someone poured a vat of lavender perfume onto the house. What greets Changmin is not a cute, large-eyed teenager with what’s probably the cutest in the universe, but cold, unfeeling silence.

Junsu had been Marked. By another vampire.

Changmin’s not pissed about that…he’s known all along that if he didn’t Mark Junsu and claim him as his own, someone else undoubtedly will. What he’s pissed about is that Yunho’s most likely the one behind this. Yunho's smirk dances before Changmin's closed eyes, and his hands twitch at his sides, fingers itching to circle around Yunho’s neck and snap his head off, but it’s the one thing he can’t do, because the Law states that Keepers cannot be harmed, and the Law is final.

Changmin’s always considered himself a composed person, so he can hardly believe that the scream of rage that echoes through the empty house is his own.