Unlike before, Luhan was perfectly aware of what had happened when he woke up. There was no blackout this time, no red flashes. Instead, the scene played behind his eyelids as clearly as if it was happening right now.

His heart broke again, shattered and bleeding. It was over, all over. Mei could never be his. He hit his head back, cracking it against the headboard but didn’t feel the pain. The pain inside him was enough to numb him. Tears spilled down the sides, running into his ears but this time, he didn't even bother to stop them.

Mei…

The wolf inside him howled in misery and he curled up into a ball, feeling like there was a hole in his chest instead of his heart. He wished he could go to sleep but even his dreams would be haunted by her.

All this time, he'd never even entertained the possibility that Mei wasn't his mate – that she could belong to another guy. To Kai… his Shadow… the one who'd asked what happened to the other guy.

This was what happened. And to think Luhan had been thinking that they might finally get over their tussle – he was sure it had been Kai who'd comforted him that miserable night. But that was just a trap, wasn't it? To make him lower his guard while he went behind his back and stole her.

The beast bared his teeth and in the darkness of the room, his eyes flashed red. Glowing like embers, they shone with all the pain and rage he felt. He'd never thought he'd ever actually consider killing his Shadow – because they were tied together and ending one meant ending the other – but it didn't sound so bad right now. What was the point in living now anyway?

There was knock on the door and he jumped out of bed, attacking before he actually processed who the person was.

'Easy!' Xiumin held his arms up in a peacemaking gesture, then 'Whoa!' as Luhan tried to push past him. 'You're not going anywhere until you're okay…' Xiumin grabbed him around the waist to pull him back into the room.

'Let me go.' Luhan spoke quite calmly. Dangerously. 

'No.'

'Don't make me do this.' Luhan warned him as Xiumin closed the door behind him. 'I don't want to hurt you.'

'That's my line.' Xiumin told him, not backing off. 'You're not going anywhere until you've calmed down and started thinking clearly.'

'I'm calm.' That was true. Luhan was thinking very clearly. He needed to end Kai so that his own miserable existence would end. 'Now get out of my way.'

'Sorry, can't.' Xiumin planted his feet firmly. 'Doctor's orders.'

'Then I'm sorry too.' Luhan attacked him, the force inside him exploding out, pushing all of his belongings away, into the corners of the room. Cracks appeared in the walls as the force got too much to bear and Xiumin flew into the door, constrained against it under bone cracking pressure. 

Xiumin, however, had been prepared. In the millisecond before Luhan's shield came up, he'd shot an icicle that embedded into his neck. Luhan, too numb, didn't notice the cold that spread around his neck, slowly freezing the air inside his trachea and choking him. He didn’t even realize it when his vision finally blackened and he fell down, limp.

Xiumin rubbed a hand across his chest and thumped it a few times to get his breath going again. 'What am I going to do with you?'

There was no way to undo the claiming, as far as Xiumin knew. And it wasn't like he wanted to see Kai in this condition either. Luhan would have to come to terms with it but no one said the process would be easy or quick. He wished there was some way he could help but in this, unfortunately, Luhan was on his own.

…………………………

'Open up.'

Lay opened his mouth obediently, chewing at the huge piece of fried chicken that was in his mouth while his Shadow reprimanded him for being careless.

'You need to take better care of yourself. And eat proper food.' Baekhyun was loading another huge bite to into his mouth all the while talking – about different things to different people at the same time – it was trick he'd mastered, somehow and one Lay sort of envied – how did he manage to keep track of everything he was saying without forgetting?

He'd barely swallowed before another bite was forced into his mouth. 'Gotta keep your strength up.' Baekhyun encouraged him. 'Eat the neck, it's good for you.'

'The neck's the worst.' Chen muttered.

'Ya, it's great for your voice. Don't disrespect the neck!' Baekhyun reprimanded him, using his own loud voice as proof.

'Pfft, who said that? Chen, equally loud, snorted, picking a leg piece from the plate.

'My father.' Baekhyun told him solemnly. Chen rolled his eyes, going to D.O. instead. 'Is that true?' He asked.

'Leave me alone.' D.O. pushed him away.

'Here you go!' Lay blinked in surprise as another bite was forced down his throat. He coughed and got slapped on the back, in an effort to relieve him. 'Chew properly.'

Nodding, he straightened. He was drained, of course. Today's work had taken its toll and he was getting extremely sleepy – in fact, he had dozed off – but unlike Kai, who wasn't being disturbed, he'd been jerked awake by his concerned Shadow and was now being force fed.

Tao sneaked up behind Baekhyun, eyeing the chicken he'd loaded for Lay greedily. While Baekhyun was chattering with Chanyeol and Chen – Lay shook his head in wonder again – feeding him at the same time, Tao's hand crept into the plate to steal a piece.

'OW!'

'Stealing is bad.' Baekhyun told him, lifting Tao's fork stabbed hand and throwing it away. 'Repeat after me. Stealing. Is. Bad.'

'You're a meanie!' Tao told him, rubbing his hand.

'Meanie!' Baekhyun imitated him, before continuing on with the others and feeding another spoon to Lay. Lay felt sorry for Tao, so he grabbed his hand and rubbed soothing circles over it, healing him.

'Ya!' Baekhyun threw the fork down, glaring. 'Do you want to faint?'

'No!' Lay shook his head.

'Stop healing him.' He pushed Tao away unceremoniously.

'I'm okay now!' Lay tried to speak, then covered his mouth because it was full.

'Don't talk with your mouth full.'

Getting tired of feeding him – or maybe because he was satisfied Lay had taken enough – Baekhyun put the plate in front of him and trotted away. Tao sidled up next to him. 'You're going to eat that?'

'You take it.' Lay told him, then got up and stretched. He wanted to sleep but his body was energized. And he was craving something sweet. He went in the kitchen, poking around to see if anything caught his fancy and finally settled on strawberry jam. He dipped a spoon in it and then slowly it off. Yummy.

Taking the bottle with him, he wandered back out.

……………………..

A/N

Angst :'(