“You need a ride?” Zhou Mi asked as Mark made his way through the school’s parking lot. There were two lots on campus, both of them small, but considering how few students and faculty actually owned cars, Mark had never seen the limited capacity as an issue.

“I don’t know whether to be worried or not,” Mark said, taking in the sight of Zhou Mi leaning up against a black Mercedes.

“Worried?” Zhou Mi asked with a tentative smile.

“Worried,” Mark said with a nod. “Because I’m really starting to get used to you popping up all over the place.”

Zhou Mi pulled away from the car and opened the passenger side door. “Am I crowding you?”

“No.” Mark couldn’t say that Zhou Mi was. Maybe in the beginning it had been uncomfortable the way Zhou Mi had acted like a shadow, but they had a better sense of personal space now, and Zhou Mi was certainly getting better in determining when Mark needed him, and when he didn’t. “Who’s car is this?”

“Yours,” Zhou Mi said, gesturing for Mark to get in. “Technically speaking, at least. It belongs to your family--one of a couple hundred I’m going to guess. Your uncle brought it up from the house in San Diego where he was attending to business at. He dropped it off for you. I assume it’s his way of thinking that you’ll find it a distraction from yet another attack you’ve had to endure.”

Mark approached the car and couldn’t help being impressed. It was probably only a year or two old, still in pristine condition, and very, very pretty. Mark had been looking forward to getting his driver’s license before the fire, but it hadn’t been on his mind since then. And even before then his parents hadn’t dropped any hints that he’d be getting a car for his birthday.

“I don’t need a distraction,” Mark told Zhou Mi, sliding into the car and shivering at bit as he felt the brush of the taller vampire’s hand against the back of his neck. “I don’t want to be this stupid little boy who’s distracted by shinny things.”

He watched Zhou Mi round the car and then slide into the driver’s seat. Zhou Mi turned to him then, his finger hovering over the ignition button, and said, “I have never thought you were one to be distracted, plied with shiny things, or easily manipulated.”

Mark felt his mouth pull into a smile. “Thanks.” He was surprised by how much Zhou Mi’s words meant to him.

The car rumbled to life quietly and smoothly when Zhou Mi pushed the button to start it. Then he asked Mark, “To the hospital?”

“I’m going to go see Jackson,” Mark said slowly, trying to gauge the reaction on Zhou Mi’s face. He didn’t want to fight with Zhou Mi anymore over Jackson. His stance wasn’t changing, and it didn’t matter how many of Zhou Mi’s family members showed up to try and berate him.

“To the hospital then,” Zhou Mi said simply, and eased them out of the parking lot.

Mark waited for more, surely there had to be more, but Zhou Mi kept his eyes locked to the road and Mark soon came to grips with the steady silence between them.

It took ten minutes to get into town, and another ten to reach the hospital through the congested traffic. Zhou Mi pulled them expertly into the passenger drop off zone, and then asked Mark, “Do you want me to pick you back up? You can call when you’re ready.”

“You don’t have to wait on me like that,” Mark mumbled, feeling as if he were putting Zhou Mi out. “You’re not my butler or driver or anything like that.”

“No,” Zhou Mi agreed. “I’m your match. Regardless of your intentions towards our pairing, it stands at the moment. And that means I’m here for you, however you need me.” Zhou Mi gave him a soft smile. “I have some business in town to take care of. It wouldn’t be a bother for me to come back and pick you up. There are only a couple of hours before sunrise, and I know you plan on going to your classes tomorrow, no matter how much I think that is a poor idea.”

Mark put a hand on the door latch. “I have to go to class. I have to have something that’s normal and not terrible.” Mark returned Zhou Mi’s smile. “Though my literature class is kind of horrible. Hemmingway is dry and boring. At my old school, we did a whole semester on Oscar Wilde, who let me tell you, is infinitely more interesting.”

Zhou Mi offered, “Hawthorne offers a class on Emily Dickenson. I took it several years ago and found it to be enlightening. Maybe you should consider that next semester.”

“Wouldn’t I be the only boy in there?” Mark asked, and it dawned on him what an easy conversation they were having, without any pressure or expectations, and without the sinking feeling in Mark’s stomach that he usually got when having to deal with the person people expected him to marry.

“Hardly,” Zhou Mi promised. “You might be surprised how many young men take that course each semester … though admittedly it might have something to do with the very attractive and eligible vampire who teaches it each semester.” The smile on Zhou Mi’s face only grew wider. “Think about it. Now, about the ride?”

Mark popped open the door and climbed out, only ducking back down to tell Zhou Mi, “I’m probably going to have to face down Henry or my uncle or the both of them. You don’t want to come back to that mess. I’ll see you at school tomorrow, okay?”

“Take care,” Zhou Mi called after him, making Mark hesitate to shut the door. “Stick close to your family.”

Mark gave a firm nod. Then he heel and headed up into the hospital.

In full stealth mode Mark stalked the halls, tracking down Jackson’s room while doing his best to not be seen by anyone who might recognize him. His uncle was completely missing from the halls of the vampire ward, but twice Mark spied Henry. Once his cousin was at a vending machine, loading up on something with excess sugar, and then again when Mark had to dart past him at the nurse’s station to pinpoint exactly which room Jackson was in.

It wasn’t that Mark didn’t want to speak to Henry, but it certainly wasn’t going to be fun when it did happen, and Mark wanted to put it off for just a little bit.

By the time Mark slunk his way past Henry, and the entire nursing staff, Jackson’s private room was remarkably free from anyone else. Jackson was tapping frantically on his phone when Mark came into the room slowly, filled with hesitation and apprehension.

Jackson took one look at him a second later and said, “You need to leave now.”

Mark felt his stomach fall out from under him. “Leave?”

Jackson nodded. “And don’t come back until you’re wearing a y nurse outfit. It’s almost time for my sponge bath.”

Mark hit him unkindly on the leg and snapped, “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Why?” Jackson laughed, leaning over for a decent kiss. “I’m serious. I saved your life. I deserve to see your awesome legs in a tiny little skirt. Then I’ll knock something over and you can bend down and--OW!!”

Mark hit him once more. “You’re supposed to be injured. Can’t you just lay there and be quiet while you recover?”

Jackson slipped a little down his bed and said, “But really, about that sponge bath?”

“I’ll think about it,” Mark teased, heaving himself up on the hospital bed when Jackson gingerly scooted over. “I guess it depends on whether you can behave or not.”

Mark honestly expected a witty comeback of some kind, or a racy comment. What he didn’t expect was for Jackson to put his head on Mark’s shoulder, twine their fingers, and ask quietly, “Are you okay?”

Mark looked instinctively to where their fingers were interlocked, noting Jackson’s healthy skin tone and his own that was still reddened and ugly from his brush with the sun what seemed like so long ago. For the most part he’d fully recovered, but his skin was taking a while to go back to its normal shade. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because some guys just tried to kill us,” Jackson said seriously. “And because you don’t look fine. You look like you’re barely holding it together.”

Mark felt like that all the time, but it was a burden he didn’t want to put on Jackson’s shoulders. His own could bear the weight for a while more.

“I’m not the one who took an arrow to the chest,” Mark reminded.

Jackson boasted, “Like a total boss. Come on, admit it. I get total brownie points for it. I get extra boyfriend points. Admit it. Say it.”

Mark settled more fully against Jackson, being sure not to put any pressure on his freshly wrapped and sealed wound. “Okay, okay. Boyfriend points.”

“And brownie points,” Jackson insisted. “Those too.”

Feeling Jackson next to him, able to count his breaths and heart beats, Mark felt blessed. “And brownie points too.” Incredibly blessed.

Quietly, and in such a comforting way that Mark could have cried, Jackson said, “I’m okay, Mark. I’m okay and so are you. Together, we’re going to be okay.”

Voice muffled a little, Mark choked out, “This is my fault. You got hurt because of me. Those humans hurt you trying to get to me.”

“Please,” Jackson said and Mark could practically imaging him rolling his eyes. “There’s no guarantee of that. Some humans are just douche bags. I mean, some vampires are too, but there’s a very real possibility that these guys were just aiming at you by chance. If I’d been walking ahead of you, maybe they would have shot at me first. Who knows. But I’m not stupid, Mark. I know what it means to be around you. I know there are plenty of humans gunning for you just because you’re you. But I’m not scared, either. And I won’t be run off. I’m strong and I’m capable and I think this proves that I’m serious about how I feel about you.”

Mark squeezed his eyes close and pressed a kiss to the side of Jackson’s jaw. “Don’t say stuff like that. I’m supposed to be mad you threw yourself in front of me. But you’re making yourself seem very charming and wonderful.”

“That’s because I am,” Jackson said swiftly.

Mark couldn’t deny it.

Mark stayed with Jackson as long as he dared, with the minutes flying by too quickly and sunrise too close.

When he finally made his presence know to Henry, who was occupying a seat in the nearby waiting room, he was completely thrown by the way his cousin wrapped him up in thin but strong arms, one hand cradling the back of his head intimately while he babbled into Mark’s shoulder about how sorry he was and how much loved Mark.

“Henry,” Mark said softly, his own arms hugging around his cousin’s waist. “It’s okay.”

For nearly five minutes his cousin couldn’t be dissuaded, dragging his fingers through Mark’s hair, touching him everywhere as if to reassure himself, and apologizing again and again.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Mark told him firmly.

“If anything had happened to you,” Henry choked out, his tears having since dried up, but the hitching of his breath still present, “I would die.”

“Don’t you ever say that,” Mark chided. “Not to me. Not after what I’ve lost.”

A little afterwards Mark was able to drag Henry away from the hospital. Apparently Mark’s uncle had already left, pulled away by something urgent, and with Jackson deep asleep, there was little left to keep Mark at the hospital.

Mark would visit again, but he’d already promised Jackson he’d go back to his dorm and rest, which is what he planned to do.

Henry drove them in his car, the one that Mark had ridden in only once since the start of the semester. It was the same car that Henry had showed off to him the night of the fire and Mark remembered laying on the hood under the night sky, having no idea his life had just changed in an irreparable way. Henry kept the car at school, in the student parking lot, but hardly ever drove it. The low mileage on the car confirmed its lack of use.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Henry demanded, driving with one hand. He stretched his other hand out to Mark’s form. “A doctor checked you over, right?”

Mark leaned against the car’s glass window. “I barely had a scratch on me.” He’d needed stitches on his arm from the bolt wound, but only a half dozen, and it had taken less than a hour.

With a burst of anger, Henry demanded, “Where were the damn guards my father was supposed to have following you around? They were supposed to shadow you everywhere and protect you! And where the was Zhou Mi?”

Mark cut Henry a dark look. “It’s not his job to keep me alive. I know we trust him to have my back, but it’s not his responsibility. Don’t blame him. I think I’ve proven now that I can take care of myself, or at least hold my own. I’m capable.”

Two calming breaths later, Henry relented, “I know you are. But Mark, you can’t be alone right now. like this happens.”

The vulgarity coming from his cousin only highlighted how upset he was.

“Where’s uncle? What kind of business did he have to leave so suddenly for?”

Henry flipped his turn signal on, changed lanes, then answered, “He’s on his way back to the council--at least to speak with the more senior members. He’ll be back soon enough, but you know my father. He’ll argue until he’s blue in the face, or until someone is willing to listen to him. But it’s important that my father goes to represent you to the council right now. He’ll keep the peace, as unlikely as it seems.”

Mark froze at the mention of the council. “Henry,” he said shakily, “am I … in trouble? With them? I killed three men.” He’d given his statement to Lu Han, who’s job dictated he take the first hand account directly back to the council, but there’d been no mention of punishment. Human police couldn’t touch him, at least not directly, but the council could choose to exercise some form of punishment if they wanted--even against one of their own.

Henry snapped, “You killed three members of Humans First, who’s sole intent was to wipe out this family’s last standing heir. You did what you had to. In fact, you did less damage than anyone else would have. There won’t be an inquiry. Father and the council will placate the humans, maybe even make them feel responsible, and this whole matter will go away.”

“But …” Mark pursed his lips. “Isn’t this the last thing the council wanted? Humans and vampires attacking each other?”

“Mark.” Henry glanced away from the road, a somber look on his face. “Things have escalated. Your attack wasn’t the only one that happened last night. There was another. The head of the third family was attacked around the same time you were. He died, along with half of his security force. Thankfully his heir is more than old enough to take his place, but the council is … scrambling. I guess that’s the best way to say it. They’re scrambling.”

“What’s going to happen?” Mark dared to ask. There’d been no hint of this when he’d spoken to Lu Han. Mark hadn’t known.

“Prince Kyuhyun is gaining his seat on the council officially next week, right?”

Mark nodded. “At the end of the week.”

The car blew past the other people on the road as Henry took them straight to the school, and to a place where Mark thought he could defend himself properly at. He’d barricade himself in his room until he got his bearings and figured out what to do. At least until he was sure he wouldn’t lose control of the beast again.

Henry told Mark, “Prince Taekwoon of the third family will have his ascension at the same time.”

“Taekwoon?” Mark asked. He couldn’t remember what the heir to the third family looked like. “What’s he like?”

Henry thought for a minute, then said, “He’s quiet. Very quiet. But he’s honorable, too. He’s not someone likely to wade knee deep into politics like some of the other heads and heirs. He won’t give the fourth family any trouble. But Prince Taekwoon isn’t the important thing I need to tell you.” Henry gave Mark an odd look. “In light of recent attacks, and with Kyuhyun and Taekwoon becoming the heads of their respective families, your introduction has been moved up to the week after that.”

“What?” Mark demanded. Introductions were typically done between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, when a vampire reached maturity in their society and started to be considered an adult. Mark’s introduction had been scheduled for seven weeks from now, and though Mark had known that he was under pressure to move from the position of heir to head of family, there was a reason that introductions weren’t rushed. Moving it to such a soon date was confounding. “But I’m not ready!”

“You have to be,” Henry shot back. “You can’t vote on a single matter concerning the treaty, or anything else even half as important, until you’re considered officially the head of your family and introduced. And neither can my father cast that kind of vote on your behalf. It has to be you, and you have to be an adult when it happens. Maybe the council could have waited seven more weeks if these attacks hadn’t continued to get progressively more lethal, but there’s no more time, Mark. The head of the third family is dead--and that’s no easy thing to accomplish for anyone attempting. You were attacked and almost killed too. That means the fourth, third, sixth and ninth families have all suffered a recent, major upheaval. That’s … very, very bad, Mark.”

“The vote?” Mark prompted, in air through his teeth sharply. “I thought I had so much more time to think it over.”

Henry shook his head. “It’s hard to kill a vampire, Mark. Harder to kill a pureblood. But the humans who are attacking us have managed it time and time again. There is no more waiting to vote. Something has to be decided either way.”

Mark exploded, “I haven’t even started to consider what could happen no matter how I vote.” He tried desperately to catch his breath as he rattled out, “I thought the council was just now reorganizing itself for a vote on whether or not to have the vote! How can we be having the actual vote? How can I be expected to vote so soon! I’m an uninformed voter!”

“Mark.” Henry wrapped is fingers around Mark’s wrist. “There’s no time to contemplate whether or not a vote should happen. It has to now. The council’s hands are tied. Our people are scared. The council’s job is to protect all vampires, and that means protecting them first and foremost from the human threat. So either the vote passes and we strike back at the humans, or it fails and we scramble to figure out how we can defend ourselves without being aggressors. That’s the reality of what’s going on right now.”

“This is just so sudden,” Mark said, head thumping back against the head rest. “I’m not ready.”

Softly, Henry said, “I think the council, or at least a majority of its members, are worried that if they wait any longer they’ll continue to dwindle in numbers. The fifth and tenth families have heirs who are much younger than you, Mark. They would never be ready to inherit quickly, and that’s the kind of instability the council can’t weather.” Henry let go of Mark’s wrist. “The council is agitated. That’s what my father said. They’re starting to realize what he’s been telling them for years, and that’s why he’s gone to speak with them. He hopes to sway some of them on this vote.”

At those words, Mark looked to Henry and asked him seriously, “Then you think the vote is going to pass? You think the council will vote to amend the treaty, therefore voiding it?”

Henry shrugged. “I don’t know how you’ll vote, but I do know how a lot of the council seats will. It’ll be close, but I think the vote is going to pass. I think we can’t keep taking these hits, and the council doesn’t know how to deal with the situations with the limitations it has now. Our people are just as angry as they are scared, and when vampires get angry, I don’t need to tell you the things they’re willing to agree to. So yes, I think it’s going to pass. I think the other council members will vote to end the treaty as we know it. Too many of them have been personally hurt by the humans lately, to vote any other way in my book.”

At a near whisper, Mark said, “That’ll mean war.”

Henry gave him a look of true remorse. “The last thing I want is war. And despite what my father feels, I don’t share his hatred for the humans. Not even towards the ones who killed my mother. But what if we do nothing? Will I continue to lose people I love? What if it’s you or Amber who are the next casualties? That’s the scarier idea to me. Not by much, but it is. So if the council agrees on an act of war, I’ll support it.”

Mark ran a heavy hand over his face. The vote. It was happening and he had a few short weeks to be ready to not only have his introduction, but cast what might end up being the most important vote from the council in several hundred years. Henry claimed he was ready to support a war, but Mark doubted he truly understood what that meant. A whole generation or more of vampires might be wiped out if the humans and the vampires went to war. And no matter what, Henry was going to lose people he cared about.

Feeling depressed, Mark mumbled, “My dad was going to plan my introduction. My mom didn’t have time with her duties, but my dad was really excited. My mom got to do my sisters’, and I was going to be his first chance to live up to my mom’s example. He was going to walk me through it step by step.”

The school came into view and with the sun was pink against the sky behind it, sunrise promising to be less than a half hour away.

“My father will take care of everything,” Henry promised. “He pulled my introduction off without a flaw. He knows what he’s doing. So you just relax and let him do all the planning.”

It wasn’t going to be the same.

Henry, though very reluctantly, let Mark head to his new room without personally escorting him there. Zhou Mi was waiting for him there when Mark arrived, looking as if he had something to say, which Mark was not ready for.

“Please,” Mark said the second he saw Zhou Mi, feeling exhausted, “I just got back from the hospital. I can’t deal with our problems right now, I can barely deal with my own. I just want to sleep.”

Quietly, mindful of the time, Zhou Mi nodded and said, “I’m only here to stand guard. The lesser vampires your uncle assigned to watch over you, the ones that have been missing since your attack, were found dead twenty minutes ago. You may not care for our match in the slightest, but for the moment it remains, and I will continue to respect it. Until you wake, I will stand here and watch for threats.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said, pausing as he pushed open his dorm door. “I …”

“Sleep well,” Zhou Mi said, giving Mark a way out.

It made Mark feel so horrible as a person.

“I’m sorry,” Mark blurted out, his fingers still gripping his door handle. “For being such a jerk to you. I know you’re only doing what you’re supposed to, and I’m the one acting like a child over here. I’ve been avoiding you and in a lot of ways, I’ve been cruel to you. I’m sorry for that. Truly sorry.”

The tension in Zhou Mi’s shoulders lessened just slightly. “I will respect your decision about our match, but you should be aware, when my aunt arranged it with your mother, I was pleased. I continued to be pleased after meeting you, and seeing what a kind soul you have. Regardless of what comes of our relationship in the future, I want you to be happy and healthy. I’ll do what it takes to achieve and keep that.”

Zhou Mi was … a spectacular human being.

Mark tossed him a wide smile. “Look, it’s stupid for you to be out here in the hallway. Not when I have this huge room and I plan to sleep for a really long time, maybe even until my uncle stops hyperventilating about humans, which as you know, might take years to decades. So you should come in, relax, and when I wake up, keep me company.”

Reluctantly, Zhou Mi said, “I might be better served--”

“I picked up some books the last time I was a the library. On Buddhism, Eastern philosophy, and Confucius. Does that tempt you even a little? Despite the fact that you’ve probably already read these books that I am purposely not naming to draw you into my room?”

Zhou Mi asked, eyes crinkling a little in a smile, “You did?”

Mark shrugged, wanting to cheer victory as Zhou Mi followed him into the room. “My life is kind of hectic right now. Stressful. You said Confucius helps calm you down. I decided to give it a shot.”

“Any success?”

Mark offered a laugh. “I haven’t had time to read anything that isn’t for school. But I’ll let you know when I do.” He offered Zhou Mi one last wave, then ducked into his bedroom.

He fell face first onto his bed, toed off his shoes and was out before Zhou Mi cracked the first book.

Zhou Mi was still there when Mark woke, stumbling his way out of his bedroom. He tangled his feet mere inches from the sofa, collapsing onto it with a groan.

“Did you sleep well?” Zhou Mi asked with a grin.

Mark made an alien sound.

Zhou Mi righted him on the sofa, got him settled and then said, “Your uncle will want to speak to you at your earliest convenience. He expects to be back in the area within a night or two, but if he isn’t, he’s asked me to tell you a phone call will suffice.”

Henry asked flatly, “Did he really put it that way?”

“No,” Zhou Mi replied, his smile only growing larger. “He’s quite agitated. Your cousin and Lady Amber have gone missing and he was very upset I wouldn’t let him wake you earlier.”

This forced Mark into a bit more awareness. “Henry and Amber are missing?” The absolute worst ran through his mind, starting with kidnapping and ending with something much worse. “Why didn’t you wake me! Why didn’t--”

“Calm down,” Zhou Mi said, two hands going to Mark’s shoulders. “Henry told me he was leaving. He will be back, and long before Prince Kyuhyun’s ceremony. He did not, however, tell your uncle where he was going or that he was taking Amber with him. You know your uncle doesn’t like not knowing things.”

Suspiciously, Mark stated, “But you know.”

“I do.”

Asking would be pointless, so Mark settled for inquiring, “Are Henry and Amber okay? I don’t think they’d just take off in the middle of the day if it could be avoided.”

Zhou Mi traveled into the small kitchen in the dorm and retrieved an iron tablet for Mark. He mixed it into a glass of water and handed it to Mark saying, “They left not too long ago, with the setting sun. They’ll be gone a few days, but suffice to say, your uncle is less than pleased that for once, your cousin is making his own decisions.”

Mark drank down the glass quickly, saying, “Uncle can be overbearing at best. I love him, but he’s a complete control freak. It used to drive my dad crazy. Well, everything about my uncle drove my dad crazy.”

Zhou Mi asked curiously, “They did not like each other?”

“You didn’t hear the rumors?” Mark asked flatly. “They were at each other’s throats literally, at least twice a year.”

“By the time I was old enough to hear rumors,” Zhou Mi pointed out, “I was also old enough to know you were my intended match. Therefore, out of respect for your family which would become my family one day, I chose not to listen to idle gossip.”

That kind of sensitivity and consideration was something that only made Zhou Mi seem more endearing as a friend, or as something more.

“Why did your uncle dislike your father so much?” Zhou Mi asked, but not at all like he’d be upset if Mark didn’t want to tell him.

“My dad,” Mark said, finding it less burdensome to talk about his family as more time progressed, “was matched to my mom when they were both young--even young by vampire standards. My mom was about a decade older than my dad, so when she was a little girl, he was just a baby. My dad was from the eight family, the same as Amber, and at the time, the eighth family owed the fourth family a life debt. They wanted to square it away, and both families has something to bring to the table, so they were matched.”

Mark wondered if the subject of matches should have been awkward to speak to Zhou Mi about. But it didn’t feel that way, and Zhou Mi was feeling more and more comfortable to be around every day that passed.

“My parents spent every summer together,” Mark continued. “That’s uncommon. Most matched vampires, at least to my knowledge, have a couple of supervised visit’s a year once they hit puberty, and then attend social events together until they’re introduced and declared adults. But my mom and dad, no matter the ten year difference, were together every summer. She had her introduction, and she still spent her summers with him. Then he had his introduction, and by then, they had pretty strong feelings for each other.”

“They loved each other,“ Zhou Mi inferred.

“Maybe from the start,” Mark said happily. “It wasn’t something they learned over time. It was something they each felt almost from the start. And when they courted for the next twenty years, everyone knew and could tell what a good match they were. Sometimes I look at Amber and Henry and see how happy they are, and that’s what I imagine my parents were like at their age.”

Zhou Mi prompted, “It’s a very nice story, but it doesn’t explain why your uncle was so hostile to your father.”

Mark replied, “My uncle and mom were twins. That’s very, very rare. Vampires have enough trouble having one baby at a time. But my mom and uncle were twins--fraternal at that. That’s special, and while my mom found it fascinating, I’ve always been under the impression that my uncle found it more.”

“More?”

Mark had a wince a little. “My uncle was always territorial with my mom. He felt like she was his, in a lot of ways. His other half, his best friend, his everything. He didn’t like that she gave away her heart to my dad. He never said it, but it was obvious. He hated my dad because he felt like my dad was taking my mom away from him. Before my dad, my mom had loved my uncle the most. That wasn’t the case by the time my parents were getting married and then having kids.”

“They were only siblings.”

“It’s probably something we can’t understand,” Mark pointed out. “Neither of us has a twin. Vampires who are twins, those that share the same womb, have a connection that others can’t relate to. It could have just be jealousy my uncle felt towards my father, but over time it became animosity. I loved my dad very much, and I love my uncle too. I never tried to pry too deeply into the complex relationship the two of them had with my mom, but it was always tense when the three of them were around each other. No one was ever happy completely.”

“You may have a point,” Zhou Mi conceded.

Mark dragged hid fingers through the short strands of his hair and said finally, “But I did hear the rumors, you know. The especially scandalous ones. I heard them a couple times, no matter how much my parents, and uncle, for that matter, tried to shield me from them. I heard what the other vampires said about my uncle having too much of a vested interest in my mom--an unnatural one. And if there was any validity to that, I could understand why my dad really disliked my uncle. But I don’t know for sure. I don’t know anything because no one ever said anything to me. It’s not my business in the first place. But yeah, I know the rumors you probably heard, and I know personally how much they upset my mother who loved my uncle very much, but hated the way people talked about him.”

Zhou Mi watched him silently for a minute, and Mark was half frightened he was passing some kind of judgment. Second and third cousins married each other all the time, it was socially acceptable, and even a few vampires skirted propriety by marrying their first cousins. But relationships between siblings were taboo, and Mark hated that his family had been targeted by that kind of rumor.

“Your father,” Zhou Mi told Mark carefully, and speaking words that Mark hadn’t at all expected, “was my distant cousin.”

Mark startled, head cocking. “My father is tied to your bloodline? To the thirteenth?”

Zhou Mi nodded. “Most vampires are linked to a good number, if not all of the thirteen families at this point. There are so few of us left, intermarriage has produced these results. But I don’t want you to think that you are absolutely alone. You are the last of your mother’s line. You are her last hope, but you have other family. You will always have me and many others.”

It was probably the most undignified thing Zhou Mi had ever done, visibly startling the way he did, but Mark threw himself at Zhou Mi and forced the elder vampire to hug him tightly. Not being alone … it was something invaluable to Mark.

“They moved up my introduction,” Mark said, trying to get his face to cool from the heavy blush he’d endured moments earlier. “It’s right after Kyuhyun’s ceremony.”

“I will be your ,” Zhou Mi said, quickly adding, “until such time that you dissolve our match, I am still bound to you. You are required to have an for your introduction, and it will be expected that your match fulfills the role.” Zhou Mi nudged him just in the slightest. “Try not to look so dismayed. It simply means I’ll walk with you in he beginning, stand by your side during the proceedings, dance with you afterwards, and fend off any other possible suitors.”

Mark groaned and flopped a little on the sofa. “I wish everyone would just lay off about the subjected. I’m not even sixteen yet. I want to date and have fun. I don’t want to be matched or get married.”

“You’ll be sixteen in less than two months,” Zhou Mi pointed out.

Mark scowled at him.

Voice thin, Zhou Mi said, “Our numbers are growing perilously thin, Mark.” Mark swore he saw actual fear on Zhou Mi’s face as he said, “There are thirteen families of pureblood royalty, and many others of pure to mixed heritage, but our numbers are not what they were at our peek. We’ve mixed too well into the human population, died off in human conflicts, and grown weary over the passage of time. You are aware that we may live for a very long time, but we are not all suited for such a thing. There are less than a million of us, Mark, compared to the billions of humans on this planet, and that number will only continue to shrink over time. We are a dying breed-- an endangered one. Do not fault the people around you for being concerned over such a thing, and for wanting to prolong our species through arranged marriages.”

Mark rolled to his side, his head propped up on the armrest. “I know. I just--” Mark broke off and huffed once more.

“I have something else to discuss with you,” Zhou Mi said, holding Mark’s attention. “My business in town, when you went to the hospital, was directly related to the deaths of your guards. Your uncle had seven men shadowing you at all times, and all seven of them were silenced without anyone the wiser until it was too late and you were under attack. While I have no doubt your uncle will replace these men, and double their quantity, I’ve taken the liberty of procuring for you the first of your personal guard.”

Mark deadpanned. “My personal guard?”

“All heads of families have them,” Zhou Mi pointed out. “I want yours to be comprised of vampires who will give their lives to save yours without hesitation, especially since I won’t be there to watch your back myself.”

There was a numbness to Mark’s body as he understood what Zhou Mi was saying. “You won’t …” he tried to get out smoothly. “You won’t be around after I dissolve our match, will you?”

Curtly, Zhou Mi said, “I’ll almost immediately be recalled to my family’s main residence. But I want you to know that in my stead, you’ll have two dependable, worth vampires to protect you. Hoya and Dongwoo were very happy to be put to the task.”

What would a life without Zhou Mi look like? Mark realized he’d gotten so used to having the vampire around it was a cold concept to face.

“Hoya and Dongwoo?”

“They’re young,” Zhou Mi allowed, “but Hoya’s father was in the service of your mother for over thirty-five years. His father died protecting your mother at that council gathering. Hoya is more than ready to take up his mantle and be of service to you. And Dongwoo? He’s a bit of a wild card, but where Hoya goes, he goes, and his skill with a blade is unrivalled. The two of them are a perfect team and you won’t have to worry with them around. I’ll make sure you’re fine and comfortable with them before I go back to my family, likely the day after your introduction.”

Mark felt his throat close up. He didn’t want these vampires, Hoya and Dongwoo. And he didn’t want to lose Zhou Mi.

Mark started, “I don’t--”

A firm knock to the door had Zhou Mi rising to his feet.

“Zhou Mi,” Mark whispered to him from the sofa. “If it’s my uncle?”

Zhou Mi inclined his head. “Then you’re still sleeping.”

Mark let out a sigh of relief. Zhou Mi really was the best.

It was not his uncle. In fact it was Kyuhyun, who was a surprise to say the least, because Kyuhyun didn’t seem the type at all to go anywhere without announcing himself first. To simply show up without a prior appointment was out of the ordinary.

“Sorry,” Mark apologized as Zhou Mi led Kyuhyun back to the sofa. He ran quick fingers through his hair, trying desperately to get rid of the bedhead. “I just woke up.”

“Don’t stand on circumstance for me,” Kyuhyun said, and it was odd to see him without his two cohorts who always flanked him on either side. “I realize I’m unannounced. I apologize.”

“Can I help you with something?” Mark asked. He couldn’t help always feeling so nervous around Kyuhyun. His sister had assured him once that Kyuhyun could be playful and easygoing, but Mark had never seen it. Maybe that part of him had died with Grace.

Kyuhyun’s eyes cut over to Zhou Mi. “Leave us.”

“Hey!” Mark protested right away. He understood the ranking system within vampire culture, and even within purebloods, but Zhou Mi was his friend and he wouldn’t have him ordered around like a dog. “You can’t talk to him like that. He’s my friend.”

He’d likely just gone and irritated Kyuhyun or worse, but Mark just couldn’t stand for Zhou Mi to be disrespected.

Always a puzzle, Kyuhyun grinned and seated himself across from Mark. “You have an issue with how I spoke to him? Or that I wish him to leave so we can discuss something of a vital nature?”

Mark looked to Zhou Mi who was caught between the door and the sofa, not sure where to go or what to do.

Mark told Kyuhyun, “I don’t like how you talked to him. Zhou Mi deserves all the consideration in the world.”

Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow. “He should leave now. Unless you trust him explicitly enough to hear the conversation we are about to have.”

Mark recalled Kyhyun’s much earlier warning. If he trusted the wrong person, he’d end up dead. But trusting Zhou Mi had always come like breathing to Mark, and he didn’t doubt the vampire for a second. So boldly, his gaze sliding from Kyuhyun to Zhou Mi to gage his reaction, Mark said, “I take it you’re here to talk about the traitor within the ranks of the council.”

Zhou Mi’s face betrayed nothing, but his body tipped just slightly to the side, visibly tensing up.

Kyuhyun looked absolutely thrilled and called to Zhou Mi, “Come and sit with us, Zhou Mi, since you seem to have Prince Mark’s ear and trust.”

Silently Zhou Mi moved like a shadow, seating himself next to Mark, his eyes sharp as he waited.

“You told me,” Mark directed at Kyuhyun, “that I should make sure only to trust the right people or it could get me killed. I trust Zhou Mi with my life. He can hear anything you have to say.”

“I believe,” Kyuhyun said dryly, “I told you not to trust anyone. But semantics.”

“I would never betray Mark,” Zhou Mi said venomously.

“Kyuhyun,” Mark sighed. “Please, tell me why you’re here. It’s about the council, right? It’s about what we talked about before? The person who’s leaking information? The person who’s a traitor?” Who was responsible for ruining Mark’s life and killing the majority of his immediate family.

The mood in the room shifted , Mark could feel it around him, and he knew absolutely he wouldn’t like what came next.

“I’ve determined the leak,” Kyuhyun said. “It hasn’t been easy, either, and I suspect someone has been working actively to undermine me. But I believe I’ve finally put the pieces together, Mark. Or at least I have a rough estimate of the situation at hand.”

“You do?” Mark asked apprehensively.

Kyuhyun nodded, and there was something horribly unhappy on his face that set off Mark off into a sense of unease. If Kyuhyun knew who their traitor was, why wasn’t he more happy?

“I believe so,” Kyuhyun said. “And now I’m tasked with convincing you of who it is. I don’t expect it will be easy, either.”

“No?”

“No,” confirmed Kyuhyun. “Because I’m sorry, Mark, but it’s the last person you’re going to be inclined to believe me it is, and what I’m prepared to tell you, is something no one can ever take back.”

Hands shaking, Mark demanded, “The last person I’d believe?”

Bluntly, Kyuhyun said, “A member of the fourth family.”