Kris had been waiting for the moment the sun would rise – heralding the end of the night of the Blood Moon, the only time a vampire could claim his Bride – so he could call his no-good brother and gloat over how he'd messed up his plans.

He was so evil, he gave himself chills.

So the moment sun broke over the horizon, lightening the skyline from lavender to gold – he'd put on anti-glare sunglasses because vampire eyes are quite sensitive – he snapped his fingers, opening his palm so a phone could be set on it.

When nothing happened, Kris turned to glare over his shoulder. 'Lay?' He called, irritated. His clan really needed to stop ruining dramatic moments like this with foolish delays – it ruined his style.

'Sir?' A soft voice floated outside from the French windows that opened from his bedroom onto the terrace he was currently standing on, theatrically posed on the precipice of the day and night.

'My cellphone, please,' he commanded, the Russain accent he'd adopted coming out clipped.

'The battery is low, sir,' Lay peeked, holding out an ancient nokia, 'Care to use the spare?'

Ugh, everyone in this damn clan was against his style. 'Fine, bring that… oh and where's Tao?'

The sunlight was just right and his pictures would turn out amazing.

'He's sick, sir,' Lay informed him, stepping beside him to place the ancient thing in his hand. 'He hit Sehun's face last night and it bled.'

Kris smacked a huge hand over his face, slowly dragging it down and resisting the urge to scratch his own eyes out. 'Where is that boy's fearless predator?'

'Off adopting puppies, I presume,' Lay replied, holding up a warm drink. 'Coffee?'

'Of course.' Even if no one else cooperated, he could still claim he drank coffee – black ­– which was cooler than bubbletea any day.

'It would be nice if you checked on him,' Lay continued as Kris took a sip and resisted the urge to make a face – the drink was bitter as gourd. Or Baekhyun's face when he realized how Kris had snatched his chance at the blood-bond away.

The evil laugh he let out made birds scatter in the trees but Lay only blinked. 'Your gums are showing, sir.'

Kris shut up, frowning fearsomely. 'Fine, I'll check on him – but really, why can't he be frightening, like Sehun? He has the looks for it…'

Lay tutted disapprovingly. Kris tried to glare him down but the shorter man looked at him, pouting, cheeks fluffed and lower lip jutting out; with hair falling in his eyes, he looked like a cute bunny…

Kris sighed in defeat. 'Fine, I'll tell him he's perfect as he is.'

The smile was even worse than the pout, dimple flashing and Kris looked away for fear he'd pinch Lay's cheeks and kill his reputation with his own hands. 'Ahem, yes well… call Baekhyun. I want to hear his screams of misery…'

He thought he heard Lay mutter 'good luck with that' but he ignored it, planning how he would gloat. He'd start with his signature laugh – Muwahahahahaa; with his raspy voice, it sounded scary – and then, rub it in his face. Yes, that's how he shall proceed.

This time when he snapped his fingers, the cellphone landed in his palm and he put the phone to his ear.

'Morning, dear brother.'

……………………………

Baekhyun wanted to hit his head in the wall.

Or better yet, grab Kris's thick head and crack it against it, watch his brain bleed out of his ears. Ugh, he couldn't believe he was actually related to this bumbling idiot.

'How dare you?' he snarled, anger uncoiling inside his stomach. Sehun's eyes had an unattractive bruises underneath, where Tao's ring had obviously dug in and it made him look utterly unattractive, tiny eyes even tinier than before. The Red Dragon's bouncer needed to look intimidating, not like he'd come in contact with the wrong end of a wushu stick.

And Mei's knees were still scraped, her palms still wounded. Luhan would have to answer for that, just like Tao would have to answer for Sehun's eyes and Kris would have to answer for his cowardice. Sending his men behind his back to attack his Bride…

'How can you fall so low?'

The signature laugh his idiotic elder brother had adopted under the tragically mistaken impression that it made him sound cool floated over the phone. 'You call that low, I call it even.'

'Stop trying to sound cool,' Baekhyun snapped, irritated beyond measure. 'I went to the grounds where you'd called the meeting, how dare you…?'

'How dare I?' Kris had the nerve to sound offended, 'How dare you?'

'How dare I what?'

'Find a Bride before me, your elder!'

'Hah, you're not my elder!'

'I AM!'

'Are not!'

'You can deny but your blood says otherwise!' he crowed triumphantly and Baekhyun gritted his teeth. It was too early in the morning to have to deal with this old-family crap. And much as he hated to admit it, Kris had a point – they were related by blood and the call of one's own couldn't be ignored.

Lucky for him, he'd learned how to resist it.

'You had better be prepared to face the consequences of your actions, Kris. Don't think for a moment I'll leave your attacks against my Bride unaddressed. In fact, it would behoove you to close your windows before you sleep for I shall strike in the day and behead you with my own hands and-'

'That is enough,' D.O spoke quietly, taking the phone from him. Baekhyun snarled at him but D.O only looked at him with that serious look on his face until he stopped. 'Fine, do whatever!'

Hissing and snarling, he stalked off, picking up the first thing his hands landed on and throwing it in the distance. The sound of glass shattering wasn't enough, so he kicked the table, the wood cracking under his blow. Kris just had to ruin his morning, just had to bring up their blood…

'Calm down, please.' Suho hurried after hi