Head throbbing, Hana suddenly found breathing to be the most difficult thing ever.

"What did you just say?"

"Which part do you wish to repeat?" Jaejoong gently asked. Hana's heart squeezed in a painful and twisted way. "None of it. This must be a dream right? You're just a nightmare in my sleep. When I wake up, you will be gone and Sehun will still be there."

"You keep on saying his name since you woke up," he couldn't help but to feel jealous about it. She trusted Sehun more than him, he bitterly reminded himself. "Is he that important to you?"

Hana bit her lips, "He promised to help me."

"With what?" Jaejoong persisted. He was getting more and more agitated every time someone mentioned Sehun's name. He willed himself to calm down and stared right onto those chocolate orbs that looked at him with so much fear and doubt. "I can help you, as well. I have everything in this world to offer you if only you want me to."

"I never said I would agree," Hana stubbornly remarked.

"What makes you trust Sehun so much? My brother can be one hell of a good liar when he wants to," Jaejoong continued. He was getting frustrated with his mate. Anyone else could harbor deep hatred or fear, but not his mate.

"He saved my life thrice. And you are a complete stranger. So of course I trust Sehun more."

"And I assume he tells you everything then? Did he tell you about the Mark? Did he tell you about what would happen if you turn to a Forsaken? Did he tell you how dangerous your Mark is? Did he tell you things about himself?"

Hana grew silent. She had taken Sehun's secrecy as a sign to keep quiet. "I don't want to press him on things he doesn't want to tell." Jaejoong rose his eyebrows, and now they were staring at each other. "Even if the questions concern you and your life?"

The girl avoided his gaze and looked down, biting her lips, thinking hard.

"I can help you find out who Marked you before," The male sounded so calm and confident, "I will make sure you won't turn Forsaken. After all... I wouldn't want my future Queen to be a berserk, would I?" He threw a wink at her, and her heart fluttered a little.

"I haven't said yes to that," Hana reasoned, stuttering badly as she spoke. She could feel the beat of her heart, chasing her like the sound of buzzing bees. Her head was ringing, and the world blurred out to focus in on him. "And I never said I would sit still here. I... I don't think I am the one you are looking for. There must be another girl who bear the same Mark like mine."

Jaejoong looked at her, too sadly in her eyes, to the point that she felt her own heart broke at the sight. "There can only be one, my Dearest. If a guy bears the Mark, then he is the next heir to the throne, right after the current leader die. If a girl bears the Mark, then she is the Queen and the soulmate to the leader of the clan. You bear the vampire clan's Mark, the dragon, which means that you belong to my clan, and specifically to me."

"And what would happen if I don't want you?" Hana asked. Jaejoong's heart would have skipped a beat if it was still beating, but right now the only thigh he felt was coldness, washing over him. "According to the stories, a leader without a mate will never gain full access to his power. This will bring danger to the whole clan, because a weak leader won't be able to rule over his people."

Jaejoong had never met such a hard headed woman. After an hour convincing her, she was still quiet and hellbent about her decision to go back to Sehun. Normally, his charms would work very well, most people would agree after a smile or two. God, this girl was different. He didn't know how to reassure her everything was going to be okay.

"I... I don't know how to handle such responsibilities," Hana looked terrified, her hands trembled a little. "It's just so overwhelming. Just a week ago, I was an ordinary college student in my second year. Then Sehun appeared, and my world just turned outside down. And then... And then there's you. I don't know you, and you just... said that I'm your... your..."

"My mate," Jaejoong whispered to her gently, when she couldn't finish the sentence and choked on her own word. "You are my mate."

"I won't press you with anything for now. My main focus is to find the one that Marked you, so that you can complete your transition. From what I can tell... Your Mark has been burning a lot, am I right?"

Hana nonchalantly nodded.

Jaejoong smirked.

"What's with that smile?" Hana suspiciously asked. She didn't like it when Jaejoongs lips broke out into a smirk that seemed so... dangerous yet inviting. Jaejoong shook his head, "I'd rather not let you know what the burning and itching means. You'll find out eventually."

He turned back and was about to leave, but right after his body disappeared into the back of the door, half his body suddenly popped out, and with a smile so charming, he spoke, "You'll want me. Not now...maybe, but you'll want me. I will make sure of that."

Hana's face turned beet red. Jaejoong closed the door and smirked. His charm still worked well... thankfully...

***

"So you've heard my call."

Luhan scoffed. Of course he heard. He ran in a heart beat when Sehun called. And he was expecting a life and death situation, but no, here he was, sitting comfortably like a King. They met in an old bar in a shunned out area of the town. There were several others, all of whom were alienated from their own clans.

"What is it that you want, Brat?" Luhan breathed in deeply. He glared at the bartender and asked for human blood, A type. In a short time, two bloody glasses were served. He sniffed it. Still fresh. Drinkable. He dunk it down in a shot and moved on to glass number two. "I was taking care of a werewolf pack in China."

"Yongguk could have helped you. He still held a strong authority in the clan," Sehun remarked. Luhan shook his head, "Nah, he is busy with the dark elves' trading in Transylvania. I doubt he'd help me in any way." His eyes flashed red, "But we're not here for little chat, are we? What do you want? I have other businesses in the human world."

"He took her," Sehun told him in a rough tone. His voice was low and dark, and so was his eyes. Luhan eyed the younger male, "You know that is bound to happen one day or another."

"Yeah, but not this fast," Something stirred inside, and Luhan could see the reflection in his eyes. Sehun seemed almost nonchalant about this matter, but inside, he was raging. His hands was itching again, begging to taste blood, and his heart... Well, his heart was aching like hell. Guilt consumed his conscience and froze what little warmth Hana had provided for him.

"So? You won't call me for something this trivial," Luhan tried to make it sound as cold and cruel as possible. Sehun wasn't reacting, though, because he looked deep in thought. "I don't know what to do anymore. This is so messed up." He drank in a sip of liquor.

They were both silent for a long while. None of the two wanted to continue where Sehun had left off. Luhan, too, dazed off in his own mind. If he didn't know any better, he dared to say that Sehun was shaking inside; jealous and heartbroken. And then, he cursed loudly, in sudden realization, "Oh Sehun, you're in deep ."

"You have no idea," Sehun snickered. His eyes dropped halfway, "And the strangest thing is that everybody keep on telling me that the girl might've been mine instead of that damned brother of mine's."

Luhan's heart constricted and he felt nausea, but ignored it and pressed on, "What about you? How do you feel?" Sehun was intoxicated, the effect of the Faery's wine. He started to feel dizzy and fought to keep consciousness, but as a result, he started slurring more words, the things he couldn't possibly say when he was sober,

"I want to use her against my brother..."

Sehun sighed and put down the drink. He decided he had had enough of the bittersweet taste. He thought he had had enough of the pain that stung his heart like knives to the flesh. He had had enough of this stupid revenge thing. The only thing he needed in his arms...

"But sometimes, a little piece of my mind would tell me she might be the one. And it hurts."

...was the only thing he could not get.

"So you like her," Luhan simply stated, though his head was exploding.

"It's hard not to like her," Again, another surprising confession.

"What are you going to do now, Sehun? The Fallen cannot break the rule," Luhan reminded, though the warning also applied to him. He had long broken the rule, though. He might be a Fallen physically, but he wasn't one mentally. He was far too soft-hearted and too deep in love... with his best friend.

"He could've Marked her," Sehun blurted again, ignoring Luhan's question. "He could've Marked her. God, I feel so useless."

Luhan heaved a deep sigh. Another pause followed. Knowing Jaejoong, he could be impatient enough to have mated her without her consent. And Hana, that weak little girl...

"She couldn't have agreed,"Luhan suddenly spoke. Sehun looked at him questioningly. "Sehun, you know her best. Jung Hana, that human, is far more stubborn than anyone I've ever met. She might be weak, yeah, but she's definitely not a pushover. She's even more stubborn than you, and that certainly means something."

Sehun was stunned, stuck between wanting to laugh or just brush off what Luhan said. But then it was true. He remembered how hard it was to convince her to follow him, and how she continued to defy him until yesterday. And he chuckled. "You're right. I underestimated that girl. She's stubborn even when it concerns her life and well-being."

"And now, Sehun, I will help you do another favor, but this time, you will have two favors to return me anytime I ask you to."

Sehun groaned. Luhan and his favors. He could've been a Devil with that kind of mindset. Such a stingy person, but then... Sehun knew he needed this badly. So he nodded, "What are you planning to do?"

"That, is a secret I can't tell yet, but this matter involves me and a certain someone," Luhan suddenly smirked cruelly, "He goes by the name of Kim-freaking-Jongin."

A/N: Okay, so I'm sure as hell you guys are tired from the waiting, because it takes too freaking long, and even I am frustrated by it. Good news is, I'm uploading another chapter this Friday. So wait for that one, as well. Trust me, something will happen. Picture is credited to dongbangdata, and starN.