Several thousand feet in the air Mark gave the private jet he was riding in one more long look over, from the perfectly crafted leather seats to the plush carpet, and absolute luxury surrounding him. It was his plane. That was what Zhou Mi said, one of several now under his name as head of his family. And it was only the tip of the ice burg. All of the homes that were currently under the care of relatives, were now legally his. He now owned properties and businesses and a million things that he hadn’t had a clue about. It was all overwhelming, and he hadn’t really had the time necessary to process it all.

“This,” Zhou Mi said quietly, seated across from him, “is why heirs are primed from birth to be ready by the time they’re introduced. And no doubt it’s part of the reason your uncle tried to keep you under his thumb for as long as possible. You being off balance benefited him greatly.’

“I don’t care about any of this,” Mark said dejectedly, staring out the window. They were above the clouds and there was nothing but pitch blackness to see. It would be another two hours before they were touching down in San Francisco, and racing to intercept the vote. Two more hours in addition to the five that Mark had already endured with endless anxiety.

Next to him, Jackson was slumped a little in sleep, breathing evenly and looking like he needed every bit of it. Mark still couldn’t believe he was there, playing the role of knight in shinning armor, charging right into the lion’s den just for Mark.

“I must admit,” Zhou Mi said, his eyes on Jackson. “I have never had much respect for him. I was, as you’ve suspected, jealous of how easy he was by your side. But I am impressed by his willingness to abandon everything at the mere mention of you being in danger. No doubt he’s evoked the ire of his parents and school faculty.”

“How did he get here?” Mark asked, tugging the blanket that was draped haphazardly across Jackson’s legs, a little more firmly up his body. “How did any of you get here?”

Mark glanced about the rest of the plane. Changmin and Minho were further towards the back, clustered together with both Hoya and Dongwoo, but also more vampires that Mark hadn’t seen before. The plane was almost at maximum capacity, and all for him. They’d all come, and put themselves in danger to rescue him, and Mark was absolutely humbled.

The others weren’t paying anyone else the least bit of attention, talking in low voices, probably dragging together some kind of plan for when they landed. Mark could see Hoya glance at him every couple of minutes, as if checking to make sure he hadn’t magically disappeared from the airtight plane.

Zhuo Mi chuckled, “You will get used to it, I promise.”

“Huh?”

“The babysitter feeling Hoya will give off for the next hundred years or so, or at least until he fully trusts you to follow him instinctively for your health and safety.” Zhou Mi looked reassuring as he added. “Hoya was trained for this position by his father. He won’t be a burden to you. He’ll know how to stay out of your way, mostly stay out of sight, and not act heavy handed unless absolutely necessary. But he will always be here from now on. He’ll give his formal oath to you soon.”

Mark snuck a quick glance to Hoya one more time, noticing the way the vampire’s fingers were curled subtly around Dongwoo’s wrist. Dongwoo was turned towards Hoya, focused on him, and the level of intimacy between them while still maintaining professionalism was remarkable.

“I want a doctor to examine you soon,” Zhou Mi cut in. “You don’t seem well, aside from the trauma you’ve recently endured.”

“Will you tell me now?” Mark asked instead of responding to the statement. “About the accident and everything that came after? I remember some of it--getting into the car with you at least. But nothing after. I’m still trying to put the pieces of what happened together. Siwon helped, correct?”

Zhou Mi gave him a somber nod. “We were rear ended and forced from the road. The car flipped and I was thrown clear from it. I admit, I was dazed and unsteady. I tried to make my way to you as soon as I was able, you were still in the car with the driver who died I suspect during the flip. But I encountered resistance.”

“My uncle’s men?”

“Several of them,” Zhou Mi confirmed. “I had no choice but to retreat. Forgive me, but if I had stayed, I would have died. And I knew your uncle would have no choice but to keep you alive for the time being. He still needed you to vote, and there was no compromise to that. So I left you there, I’m ashamed to say, and retreated back as far as I dared.”

Mark insisted, “You did the right thing.”

Zhou Mi offered nothing on the comment, and instead said, “I was contacted via Prince Kyuhyun by a young vampire several days after the accident. A girl from Hawthorne that you’ve had contact before--a friend. She said her name was Min, and that she’d been having the oddest dreams.”

“Min,” Mark choked out in a startled way. Jackson stirred next to him a little, but didn’t wake. “Siwon got through to Min.”

Zhou Mi nodded. “I suppose he found her prevalent in your happiest dreams and believed she could be trusted to get word to me. You understand how Prince Siwon’s ability worked, correct?”

Mark hadn’t missed the tense Zhou Mi had used, but he nodded anyway. “He can only get into the dreams of people who are actually dreaming, and there are other stipulations, too.”

Zhou Mi continued, “She brought with her all the information necessary we needed to assemble a group to come for you. She passed along Prince Siwon’s last words, all in a desperate bid to save you.”

Min. To Mark, she was one of his most loyal and wonderful friends, even if they didn’t get to spend nearly the amount of time together that he would have liked. She was always smiling and happy and supportive. She made him feel like the weight on his shoulders was a little less heavy, and now she was part of the reason he was still alive.

But Siwon …

“You said you think he’s dead?”

“He must be,” Zhou Mi said with a bowed head. “He stopped contacting your friend days ago, and his sister is expected to attend the council vote in his stead. There has not been a formal announcement of any kind, but those of us who have been knowledgeable to what has been happening, know his health was failing him. He was not expected to survive, from what I’ve heard. He was in a coma.”

“Because of my uncle,” Mark ground out. “That’s what Siwon said. That he thought he was dying because he was going to tell.”

“Tell?” Zhou Mi asked in a curious way. “Tell what?”

Voice going thin, Mark asked, “You don’t know?”

Zhou Mi shook his head.

This wasn’t the time or the place, Mark didn’t think, to attempt to explain that Siwon was just as much a traitor as Mark’s uncle. It was true that Siwon had shown remorse in the end, and attempted to right his wrong, but it didn’t negate what he had done. Siwon had been part of something terrible, something that he had contributed to directly. Siwon had given Mark’s uncle the location of the council meeting. Without it, the attack never would have happened, and so many people would still be alive. Maybe the fire still would have been set. Maybe Tammy and Joey would have still died. But Mark’s parents and Grace would still be alive. Siwon’s father would be alive. Kyuhyun’s sister would be, too.

When Mark told the others what Siwon had been a part of, there’d be no going back. His name would forever be tarnished. And Kyuhyun … Mark couldn’t believe to think what this would do to him. But it was going to be devastating. Kyuhyun likely wouldn’t be the same, because he loved Siwon, considered him family, and Siwon had killed his sister.

But for what? That was still the biggest question. Mark wanted to know who this puppet master was, and who could possibly be pulling the strings to manipulate and force the hands of so many vampires who naturally were not inclined to follow others. Like Mark’s uncle. He was not a follower. There had to be a lot more to the picture than Mark could see. But what about Siwon? What could possibly been said to Siwon to encourage him to go against Kyuhyun?

Mark wondered if he’d ever know. Or maybe Siwon’s reasons would stay gone with him. It was possible that was the best alternative.

“I promise,” Mark said, and really meant it, “I’ll tell you everything. But now isn’t the time.” He gave a look around the plane once more, eyes roaming over familiar faces, and then those not so. “Kyuhyun is going to meet us in San Francisco?”

“He will,” Zhou mi confirmed. “He might have had the chance to join us here, that’s true, but we decided it would be better if he went ahead to secure our presence there. It’s impossible to determine how far the web of deceit in this matter goes, so we must have an ally there for the vote that we know is trustworthy.”

Feeling a chill himself, Mark drew up his own blanket, tucked his feet up on the seat and asked, “Kyuhyun sent Changmin and Minho to you as backup?”

Zhou Mi admired, “You’ve truly endeared yourself to him, Mark. They’re his most trusted companions, and they’re tasked with protecting his life. No doubt if Prince Siwon is gone, and your uncle had both a hand in that and trying to snuff out your own life, then Prince Kyuhyun is in danger as well. Any other pureblood would keep Changmin and Minho close to him, but Prince Kyuhyun elected to send them to protect you instead. It means he values you very much.”

“I trust Kyuhyun like I trust you,” Mark said simply to him. “I can count on one hand the amount of people I trust like that.”

Zhou Mi gave him an approving nod, then said, “When Prince Kyuhyun and I realized that your life was hanging in the balance, he sent his companions, and I called for Dongwoo and Hoya.”

“But what about Jackson?” Mark pressed. “How did he get mixed up in all of this?” The idea that Jackson had come to be part of the group that saved him was thrilling. It made his chest swell with appreciation and something a lot more romantic. But there was also a nagging apprehension in Mark that said things were far too dangerous for Jackson to be present. And if anything happened to Jackson because of Mark… well, he’d felt that guilt before, and it had almost crushed him. “It’s so dangerous for him to be here.”

Zhou Mi wasted no time in saying, “He knew something was wrong. He says you failed to contact him, and he could feel it in him that you were in danger. When Prince Kyuhyun heard I was calling for Dongwoo and Hoya, he sent Jackson with them. He’s a halfblood, and untrained in any type of combat, but even I’m forced to admit there’s something undeniable about a person who is willing to risk everything for another. As long as he didn’t get in the way, I saw him as a potential asset.”

“If anything, he’s another set of eyes to watch our backs.”

Zhou Mi made a soft sound and said even more quietly, “I’m all you need to watch your back.”

Mark huffed a little. “I don’t doubt you, Zhou Mi. Come on, you know that. But Jackson is one of those people I trust unconditionally, so I think you should too. How much you trust him shouldn’t have anything to do with how you feel about him. And we can always, always use more people we trust watching our backs.”

Zhou Mi was silent, and Mark hoped he’d given him something to truly think about.

Mark sunk a little into the plush seat he was relaxing against, feeling the rumble of the engine through his feet. He was still hurt, and still so exhausted, and moments away from falling into a light sleep himself when he heard Zhou Mi mumble another apology about his tardiness. As if Mark were going to blame him for not taking on a hundred of his uncle’s men.

Wearily, Mark told him, “I don’t know why you think you have to apologize for not making a suicide run. I already told you, I was perfectly fine. My uncle was keeping me sedated, but he wasn’t hurting me. You knew I had time until the vote, and then after I rendered mine, you made your move. It all worked out. The timing was fine.”

And Mark absolutely wasn’t going to tell Zhou Mi how close he’d come to death. The vampire didn’t need that kind of guilt on his conscience. The timing had been fine … technically … because Mark hadn’t fully waited around to be rescued. He’d fought, and he’d won, and that was all that mattered.

“Kyuhyun suspected something was wrong,” Zhou Mi relayed, “when I told him that I’d been watching the house for several days and I’d yet to see you. We were ready to move on the house regardless of the numbers we’d face just before your uncle left abruptly.”

Mark heard one of the unknown men in the plane laugh and he leaned forward, his voice at a whisper to say, “I recognize Minho and Changmin, and obviously Dongwoo and Hoya who just introduced themselves, but who are the others?” The other four men in the plane were a complete mystery, though all of them certainly were older than Mark.

Zhou Mi cracked a half smile. “The one directly across from Changmin and Minho is Jonghyun. The three of them affectionately refer to themselves as the Kyuline. It’s a joke due to the fact that those three and Prince Kyuhyun have been friends since they were toddlers. They’re all roughly the same age and you’ll hardy find four people more loyal to each other.”

“And the others?”

Zhou Mi named off, “The other three are Yunho, Leeteuk and Heechul. They attended Hawthorne Academy a few years ago and their loyalty is most decidedly for Prince Kyuhyun. They’re all from council families, but so far from their individual lines of succession that they make me look more eligible for mine. However, their family standings have nothing to do with how they’ve pledged themselves to Prince Kyuhyun. He has them on his side, and they make him stronger.”

Idly, Mark noted, “Kyuhyun seems to be very good at inspiring loyalty. People seem to give it to him so easily, and mean it when they do. At least he makes it look easy, and we both know earning loyalty from a vampire of his or her own free will, is tricky and costly and very, very hard to do.” It was why, Mark suspected, his uncle bought his men, rather than earning them.

Zhou Mi agreed, “Prince Kyuhyun is most certainly the type that inspires loyalty in those around him. But their loyalty to Prince Kyuhyun is beneficial to us. It means their loyalty is for you as well, Mark. You and Prince Kyuhyun will always be tied together now by your actions these days. You’ll always be expected to uphold a strong bond between your two families, and your loyalty can never waver.”

Mark questioned, “But Grace and Kyuhyun never got to marry. Our families aren’t officially tied together, unfortunately.”

“That’s inconsequential,” Zhou Mi said. “Prince Kyuhyun has made a bold statement in taking you under his wing and offering you all he has.” Zhou Mi made an odd face, then said, “Honestly, if your mother had survived this terrible series of events as head of your family, and we hadn’t been matched, Kyuhyun might have made a play for you. In fact I’m certain of it. He would have proposed a match to the head of your family--your mother and sought to bring your two families together in the end after all. It’s unconventional, but you’re both too alike for him to deny, and next to Grace, you are the closest he will ever find.”

“That’s really kind of creepy,” Mark said with a sigh. He really liked Kyuhyun, trusted him with his life and considered him a dear friend, but he certainly didn’t want to be married to him. And not as a sore replacement for Grace.

“It’s not that uncommon, Mark.” Zhou Mi chuckled out. “Siblings replace each other in matches frequently enough. Though if that were the case, it might stir up some controversy. As a rule, heir are not matched to each other, in order to attempt to keep any sort of influence from manifesting in the council. You know this. But an acceptation might be made if your mother were still alive, and if you denounced your hold on Grace’s ious title. Something tells me you would, if given the option at all.”

That was more of a truth than Mark had heard in a very long time. He had never wanted to be heir. He’d never wanted to be the head of his family. And he detested the things that came with it all. If he had the opportunity to pass on the title, or if any of his direct family were still alive, Mark would have in a second.

But it was pointless thinking about the possibilities of what could have been. Pointless and depressing.

Mark felt Jackson shift towards him as the plane banked a little. He truly wanted to let Jackson try and sleep as long as possible. He deserved all the rest in the world. Especially if they were flying towards a fight of some kind. Mark didn’t know for certain what would happen when they arrived, but Mark very much doubted it would go over well when they crashed the vote and exposed his uncle.

“Do you know how my uncle found out about Amber?”

Zhou Mi shook his head. “No. But something you should learn now, and with all seriousness, is that there are eyes everywhere. Ears, too. And my family’s financial situation is not as unusual as you might suspect. While your family has flourished through wise business ventures and investments, many pureblood families have made poor choices and indulged too much. A great deal more vampires than you would suspect are susceptible to bribery.”

“Integrity and honor are the key tenants of pureblood vampires. It’s what they’re supposed to pride themselves on. So how can so many of them turn to spying for money?”

Zhou Mi arched an eyebrow and asked, “Haven’t I mentioned before that you’re an exception to the rule, rather than the standard?”

Mark only shrugged.

“Few purebloods,” Zhou Mi said, “practice what they preach. This is something you should never forget. Friends like Prince Kyuhyun are priceless, and very rare.”

“Henry?” Mark prompted. “He’s safe? He’s okay?”

Zhou Mi replied, “I contacted him as soon as I had finished speaking with Prince Kyuhyun the first time. I warned him that his position had likely been compromised, though I didn’t know at the time that your uncle had learned about Amber’s condition. He’s assured me since then that they are both safe. He heard about you being in danger, he wanted to come for you, but I asked him to stay away.”

“To stay away?” Mark asked faintly.

“To protect Amber,” Zhou Mi replied. “She’s a formidable vampire in her own right, but she is susceptible right now. Henry’s place is at her side, giving her and their child additional protection. Until you produce an heir of your own, Mark, that child is literally your family’s future. It is your heir.”

“Good, good.” Mark let his eyes rest closed. “One less thing to worry about.” One less thing to feel guilty about.

After a few more moments of silence, Zhou Mi said, “Are you absolutely certain that you are ready to confront your uncle?”

Jackson tipped even further, his head resting against Mark’s shoulder. It was a nice weight to have on his shoulders for once.

“I have to be,” Mark said simply.

“He took a small army with him,” Zhou Mi replied. “If anything escalates, the situation will be very violent and very dangerous. We should take into account that should things degenerate into any kind of altercation, there will only be very angry, very deadly vampires in the fray. Casualties are … certain.”

Mark let his own head tip down against Jackson’s, soaking in his presence.

Gently, Zhou Mi said, “It’s one thing to claim you are ready to take your uncle’s life. It’s another to do it.”

“Zhou Mi,” Mark said roughly, more than he intended, “my uncle killed the whole of my immediate family. He betrayed the people who loved him in the most ruthless and despicable way, and he planned to use me from the start to further his own agenda. He lied to me, tricked me, and after I was no longer useful to him, he planned to kill me just like he killed everyone else. This man deserves no mercy from me, Zhou Mi, and I won’t be able to feel as though I’ve seen justice done to my family until he’s dead. I will kill him. I will. I didn’t arrive at this decision lightly, and I’m not making it easily. But I am making it.”

“All right,” Zhou Mi said. “I suppose I’ll help you. I certainly can’t let you do this on your own.”

Mark appreciated the sentiment, but he wasn’t certain Zhou Mi had any right helping him. The whole matter felt like something Mark had to do on his own.

Half an hour before they were scheduled to touch down in San Francisco, Jackson was awake, Zhou Mi had moved off to speak with the others, and Mark was beginning to feel as though he’d finally reached the end.

Thank god he had friends. All he could think of was how lost he’d be without their support. He owed them more than they would ever know.

Jackson’s sport calloused fingers surprised him by brushing across his jaw and drawing his attention.

“Stop worrying so much. We’re going to kick major .” He laughed a little. “Or hey, this could all go down horribly boring the way of diplomacy and I’ll have reneged on school, right in the middle of our standardized testing, for a snooze fest.”

Mark gave him a forced smile. “Are you going to be in trouble with your parents? There’s no way you won’t be missed, especially with the testing.”

Jackson scoffed. “I’m sure the school will be sure to notify them that I’ve been absent from class for half a week, but they either won’t get the message for a few more months, or won’t care. As long as I stay out of trouble, I can pretty much do whatever I want.”

“This doesn’t count as trouble?”

Jackson leaned forward to press his dry lips against Mark’s. “You don’t have a clue what I did to get kicked out of my last school. This is nothing.”

Mark kissed him back, more out of relief than anything else.

The pilot came over the intercom to announce that they were coming up on their destination and Mark watched Zhou Mi make his way over.

“I’ve already spoken to Prince Kyuhyun on the plane’s satellite phone,” Zhou Mi said. “He’s arranged for a car to be waiting for us on the tarmac when we land and it’ll take us directly to the council’s location. The vote hasn’t happened yet, but we’re going to be cutting it very close. Your uncle is already there.”

“Kyuhyun’s okay?” Mark asked worriedly. “There’s no way my uncle doesn’t know Kyuhyun suspects him. Does he know to watch out?”

“Trust me.” Zhou Mi laid a heavy hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Prince Kyuhyun is more than capable of taking care of himself, even without Minho and Changmin there to watch after him. And he has a great deal of other allies that your uncle has no knowledge of. He’ll be okay.”

Mark gave a shaky nod. “Okay. Thanks.”

Zhou Mi gestured back to the others. “Strap yourself in for our decent. I’m going to go over a few more things with the others. Call for me if you need me.” Zhou Mi squeezed Mark’s shoulder one more time and then left his side.

“Wow,” Jackson said, his fingers lacing with Mark’s. “I think I was way off the mark with that guy. I can see why your parents would want you to marry him.”

Mark froze, dread welling up in him. “Jackson … I …”

“He’s pretty awesome,” Jackson added. “As far as matches go. Mostly I thought they were just really crappy, between people who didn’t like each other, or like, one really old person and one really young one. But you two are compatible, and not what I expected.”

“I …” Mark was terrified now that Jackson knew. He’d wanted to be the one to break the news to Jackson, to cushion it as best he could. He didn’t want to hurt Jackson, and he knew Zhou Mi was the subject that could hurt the worst.

“You’re pretty much a pimp, I guess.”

Mark’s eyes widened. “What?” That was not what he had been expecting.

“Well,” Jackson said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You’ve got Zhou Mi pretty much infatuated with you, willing to do anything and everything for you. And you’ve got my fine to boss around and make out with. You’re a pimp, Mark. A pimp.”

“I am not a pimp,” Mark said sourly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And for your information, I didn’t even know I was matched until a little while ago. I didn’t know Zhou Mi existed before coming to Hawthorne, and I had no idea that my parents had matched me to begin with. My mom had always told me she wouldn’t, but she did it when I was just a kid. Then she lied to me about it.” It still stung terribly to think about.

“Well, he seems to totally be into you, not that I blame him.”

Mark made sure his voice was a low as possible, then told Jackson, “I’m not playing the both of you. I’m not, I swear. I have no plans to marry Zhou Mi, no matter how nice I think he is. I’m the head of my family now, and that means I get to make decisions on matters like that. No one can force me to do anything.”

“Mark,” Jackson said softly, as if to stop him.

But feeling panic rise in him, Mark rushed to say, “I was going to dismiss our match at my introduction. But something came up. Something serious. Jackson, I wouldn’t keep the match unless I absolutely had to, and I feel like I do. In order to protect someone, the match has to stand for the moment, but only for right now. When the time is right, at the first chance I get, I will dissolve the match. I don’t want to be matched. I don’t want to have anyone else tell me who I should or shouldn’t be with. Zhou Mi is my match because neither one of us chose it, but I do choose you, Jackson. I chose you to be my boyfriend because I like you and I want to have a relationship with you. Truthfully, I never wanted you to know about Zhou Mi. I didn’t want this to hurt you, because I care about you so much.”

With a narrowed gaze, Jackson asked, “You’re going to dissolve the match? It’s a sure bet? You’re not going through with this arranged marriage that your parents just sprung on you after they’d already … passed away?”

Mark gave an affirmative nod. “Right after we finish dealing with my uncle, and I work out a solution to avoid getting some people hurt, it’s a done deal. By the end of the year. I swear.” He couldn’t imagine it taking longer than that, not to figure out a way to protect Liling, and Zhou Mi by extension. When Mark figured out how to keep them safe within their own family, then the archaic match process was going right out the window for him.

He had … some kind of feelings for Zhou Mi, and when he had a moment to even catch his breath and sort them out, he would deal with them for what they were. But no matter what, regardless of who he had feeling for, Jackson or Zhou Mi, he couldn’t stay matched. He couldn’t be a part of something he saw as oppressive.

“Good.” Jackson leaned over for a deeper kiss than they’d shared in a while, his mouth moving hungrily against Mark’s. It probably should have been an embarrassing kiss, so open and public with so many people likely seeing. Including Zhou Mi. But it felt amazing, and it was strengthening Mark to a degree, so he pushed away all his other unease.

“Good?” Mark asked.

“Good,” Jackson repeated, “Because I fully acknowledge that Zhou Mi is pretty awesome, and I don’t think we could have saved you without him, but I am the way more ier catch. And you are far too smart not to realize that.”

Mark leaned his head down on Jackson’s shoulder as he felt the plane dip down in altitude a little. “I am very smart.”

“Recognized.”

“Good,” Mark echoed one last time. He leaned over to kiss Jackson’s cheek. “And I was kind of wondering something, too.”

“Hmm?”

“After we do this,” Mark said quietly, reflecting on the sadness of the situation, “I’m not going to have any family left at all. Not any I’m close with. I mean, I have Henry, but he’s going to be pretty busy with Amber for a while. A long while. So I was wondering, if the offer still stood, well, Santa Monica sounds great.”

The smile Jackson gave him in return was enough to melt any bit of resistance that might have been lingering in Mark’s heart. “Yeah?” Jackson asked, almost like he didn’t believe what Mark was offering.

“Yeah,” Mark confirmed. “It sounds good to me if it sounds good to you.”

Jackson leaned in for a better, even more consuming kiss. To Mark, it felt like heaven.

They were on the ground in twenty-five minutes, faster than expected, and Zhou Mi was rushing Mark and Jackson into a waiting car.

He must have felt the hesitation racing through Mark’s body when he was close enough to realize the car looked almost identical to the one that he’d last been in. The one they’d had the accident in. Because Zhou Mi leaned down to whisper in his ear, “I’ll be with you the whole time. Do not let your fear conquer you.”

“Come on,” Jackson said almost defiantly, pulling Mark into the car before Zhou Mi could say another word.

“What about the others?” Mark asked when they were zooming towards their destination.

“They’re in the second car,” Zhou Mi said, and for the first time Mark realized Zhou Mi had a briefcase with him. Silver and thin, Mark gave it a hard stare. “They’ll be seconds behind us.”

“We’re going to need all those guys?” Jackson asked. “This thing is really going to turn into a fight?”

It struck Mark in that moment how utterly brave Jackson had to be. He was loud and boisterous half the time, full of unnecessary bravado and ego, but only a man filled with courage and bravery would be hurdling head first into the upcoming situation.

Zhou Mi said, flipping open the catches on the briefcase, laying it out on his knees, “Mark’s uncle took a small militia with him. If we run into resistance, and I assume we will, you’ll be thankful to have the others. Each of them would give their lives to protect Mark on Prince Kyuhyun’s orders. Keep that in mind.”

Mark paled the second he was privy to the contents of the case. He felt a little dizzy and his ribs were burning again. He healed at an accelerated rate due to his blood legacy, but he was still in pain. He would be for a while.

“Zhou Mi.”

“This is insurance,” Zhou Mi said plainly, extracting the black gun from the case and a matching ammo cartridge. “Your uncle’s men will be carrying weapons with them, and while I’m confident in my abilities without a gun,” Mark could personally attest to seeing that, “I would like to not take a chance with your life.”

“Put all that ammo to a pureblood vampire and it still won’t stop them,” Jackson pointed out, peeking around the case to add, “Not unless you’ve got some Underworld UV bullets in there. But even then I don’t think a couple taps to the heart would do it.”

“No,” Zhou Mi agreed, meeting his gaze. “I don’t have fictional movie bullets in this case. Neither would such bullets likely make our kind explode. But several rounds of regular iron and lead to the brain will. A pureblood’s heart stops beating several years after maturity, when the conversion from birth is complete. But take out the brain and regardless of species, the target is neutralized.”

“How many do you have in there?” Mark asked, feeling his pulse pick up with the speedometer in the car.

“Enough,” Zhou Mi said simply. He inspected the gun once over and held it far too comfortably in his grip afterwards.

Jackson whispered at Mark, “I say we stick next to him and that gun. Deal?”

Mark eyed the gun as they drove on. It was supposed to make him feel better, he knew that. But it only made him apprehensive. And scared. Mostly, the idea that they’d need it, made him scared.