*** BaekHyun heard all the ruckus, the chaotic situation and noticed the urgent in the palace head of security voice every time they asked for back up, heck, they even requested his assistance earlier before he snatched the communication device from his ear and throw it away, claiming that all the static noises were annoyingly distracting his hearing,   He didn’t know where his other pack members are, JoonMyeon didn’t even make a contact with him regarding the problem so BaekHyun just stay put and headed towards the Red keep instead, he have a hunch that this mess have something to do with his little sister and my, he’s right about that,   Running quickly through the hallway, BaekHyun eyes easily spotted his beloved sister determined face flashing right towards his direction while being tugged on her wrist by an unfamiliar man and the werewolf instantly halted his feet, frowning as the pair coming closer to where he stood, unaware of his presence until they finally stop just a few steps away,   The boy was the one who realized first as he grew defensive by pushing JooYeon behind his back and two solid swords formed on his hands. BaekHyun lifted a wondering brow at the acts as he did nothing but pocketed his hands casually, turning his attention to the girl instead,   “I always told that I have tendency to make a right predicament about things, now I know it's true” the werewolf mused lazily with unreadable expression and JooYeon fidgeted on her feet before she peeked from TaeHyung’s back,   “oppa” she squeaked and BaekHyun eyes soften almost immediately,   At the term she call the strange man, TaeHyung shifted his eyes towards the girl slightly but doesn’t lower his weapons for a little bit as he keep silent to listen,   After a short pause, BaekHyun finally sighed, chuckling softly as he take a step forward. TaeHyung instantly take a step backward, urging JooYeon to back away, an action that didn’t slipped from BaekHyun eyes and his eyes fixated to the other male instead,   They hold a staring battle, BaekHyun calm brown eyes meet TaeHyung’s onyx ones. Another step and you’ll lose one good arm, the black orbs sent the message clearly and BaekHyun frowned at the unsaid threat,   JooYeon stared back and forth at her brother and her arch-enemy-slash-mate -really, after all what happened before, she didn’t even know what to call her and TaeHyung’s relationship with each other at this point, she’ll just think about all that complicated things later- tear apart by the urge to cower back into a ball under the intense atmosphere surrounding them or laughed hard in amusement because, Good gracious, does her thought were right about BaekHyun remind her of TaeHyung when they first meet, the two do looked like each other, even more so when they practically stood nose to nose like this. It feels like she stare at a twin right now, TaeHyung could easily passed as her own brother’s younger sibling instead of her!. It feels so weird and funny at the same time,   “are you feeling better?” BaekHyun ask out of the blue whilst still holding his eyes on TaeHyung and JooYeon gasp before meekly nod her head then realized that her brother didn’t even look at her to know her answer and shake her head as she replied “yes, I feel much better, thanks to TaeHyung”, BaekHyun hummed in appreciation and the silence continued,   “do you know what you’re doing right now? Who you’re trying to kidnap?” BaekHyun said after the silence, eyes didn’t waver under TaeHyung’s hard stare and JooYeon couldn’t help but wondering just where her goofy and happy-go-lucky brother went to, this man in front of them is nothing like the brother she remembered, he’s cold and distant, the kind of person who would kill his opponent in a blink of an eye without remorse,   TaeHyung eyes squinted a bit at BaekHyun’s words before he gritted his teeth, he refused to bent from the man’s intimidating aura, “kidnap? Don’t make me laugh, we merely here to take what’s rightfully belong to us, if anything, I was the one who should asking those question to you, why did you kidnap our mate, she’s the heiress of Vampire kingdom throne” he spat coldly, tightening the grips on his swords as his blood vines start to whip around,   BaekHyun lift a rather amused brow at the aggressive retort, a secret smirk formed on his lips but he decided to push it for a bit more. This boy’s entertaining   “you could claimed whatever you want but let me tell you, I can't let you do as you like because that one right there, is a princess of Reaper empire, does JongIn didn’t tell you that?”, TaeHyung hitched a breath at the mention of the other werewolf and BaekHyun openly smirked at this. He knew, of course he knew, he’s not stupid to naively thought that this ambush didn’t have anything to do with his exiled younger brother, in fact he felt rather relieved to know that JongIn was very much alive, for now. But he won't be alive for long if the Empress know of this betrayal, BaekHyun thought warily,   Having enough of the tense atmosphere, JooYeon break through TaeHyung’s protective vines barricade and stand in front of the boy, instantly distancing both males from each other as she ignored TaeHyung loud protest, she glared at her brother,   “what would you do to prevent me from leaving then? Kill me? Because you as well do that right now and get over with, oppa,” she paused for a mere second to look at TaeHyung -Yoongi’s bat tugging on her hair, trying to pull her back- before turning back to BaekHyun with a hard determination in her gaze as she continued “but let them go”,   BaekHyun eyes softened as he maintained his cold demeanor “that’s one big request you ask there, princess” he replied and a deep crease formed on JooYeon’s forehead,   “you know what happened to me if I ever lose them, you know what this place did to me” she said in hushed tone, they stared at each other for a long time before a rather harsh tug pulled her back and she fall on to TaeHyung’s protective arms as he growled under his breath, circling his arm around the girl’s waist while the other hand pointing his swords towards the werewolf in threatening manner as he hissed “touch a single hair on her head and you’ll regretted being born”, JooYeon blushed hard at this. What the ’s wrong with me?! This is hardly the time for acting like a hormonal teenager! Snap out of it Lee JooYeon!, she frantically screamed inside,   BaekHyun blinked in surprise, the tip of the sword pointed just an inch away from his nose, he wasn’t prepared from the outburst and before he could completely comprehended what’s just happened a chuckle escaped his lips before it turned into a set of amused laughter, shocking both JooYeon and TaeHyung at the man’s unpredicted reaction,   “what the hell?” TaeHyung muttered, clearly lost as he exchanging glance with the no less confused JooYeon,   After a few more seconds, BaekHyun finally collected his wits back as he straighten his back with closed lids and smirked, sighing lightly, he ran a hand through his thick brown hair then opening both eyes “go” he smiled,   “what?” was all JooYeon could muster as she looked at her brother, flabbergasted,   BaekHyun give her sad smile as he reached for her head -ignoring the sharp object that still pointed at him- and ruffled his sister red hair lovingly, “I hate to admit it but this is the only thing I can do for you,” he paused before muttering to himself, conflicted “and for me”, then smiled with more ease as he wipe a single streak of tear that escaped the corner of JooYeon’s eye,   “it's clear to me that this isn’t where you belong, every single day I see you dying, physically and mentally, I wanted to send you away but I can't, I have this thought of kidnap and send you myself for awhile already and been contemplating of any possible reasons to tell JoonMyeon in case he found out but now that your mates here to take you away,” he turn to smile at TaeHyung -who frowned in return- “I relieved beyond anything”,   JooYeon opened to say something but nothing came and she ended up closing just to open them again, repeating the same movement until BaekHyun put his hand to stop her ridiculous antics as he chuckled. Better cherished this moment as long as he could, who knows when will he managed to see her again?   Its seems like forever for JooYeon as she tried her best to remember her brother’s touch before a loud noises heard from where they came from and she jumped slightly on her feet while BaekHyun and TaeHyung reacted more accordingly, turn their attention towards the hallway, alarmed,   TaeHyung tighten his grip on JooYeon as he draw his swords but BaekHyun put his hand on the younger boy wrist and push it down as he shake his head, eyes haven’t strayed away from the whatever source of the noises, he get very much clear idea what’s -or who's- coming their way, “I’ll distract them, you both go” he said calmly before advancing forward,   JooYeon breath hitched when she finally grasped the situation and grabbed her brother sleeve “you should come with us, oppa, please” she begged, she practically can't think of anything at this point, all she cared about is how she could make sure her brother’s safe so she did the only thing she could came up with,   But BaekHyun just shake his head before push her hand gently and gave her his usual toothy grin “you better hurry up before they could see you” with that said he turn around and walk away, ignoring JooYeon’s desperate calls as he vanished from her sight, she keep on struggling to get away from TaeHyung’s grip before the boy pull her harder and she finally look at him angrily but TaeHyung not in the mood for her pathetic attempt to intimidate him any time soon now. She could curse him all she want later but now his top priority is how to get them to safety as soon as possible   “hey! hey, Lee JooYeon! he’ll be fine! Listen! The only thing you can do to help him now is being away from this place quickly without being seen! Trust me!” he shake her shoulders and JooYeon gaped, finally calmed down,   Nodding his head in satisfaction, TaeHyung proceed to take her wrist once again then pull her with him to run, glancing towards the way BaekHyun vanished earlier for a mere second, he bit his bottom lip out of frustration as he held back a scowl,   You have plenty to explain later on, Lee JooYeon.   *** Cold indifferent eyes watches closely as the ruckus beneath her unfold, red painted nails mercilessly dig into the piling snow on her balcony. The explosion blasted again but the Empress remained unflinching on her spot, staring down as her fortress wings teared down, not even once she blinked her eyes as she observed the situation quietly,   Not long after the last explosion, knocks could be heard from her door and the woman tilt her head aside slightly as she acknowledge and permitted the person to come in, one of her thaumaturge walked in. Im YoonA bowed deep, clad in her battle armor as she reported, “five guards found dead in the princess’s tower and the princess butler also found unconscious in the hallway not far away from her room, he's barely moving but no perpetrator found anywhere, Your Majesty”, the queen turn her body to look at her subordinate more clearly,   YoonA look up as she speak again “as for the explosions at the west and south wings of the citadel, no one seen the executant, it happened out of sudden and no clues left behind at the scene-“,   “meaning, someone has been leading this infiltration, someone with a high knowledge of the palace, the secret turns and all the weak and strong spots” the Empress cut her thaumaturge report short and YoonA blinked before she collected herself back and nod her head, confirming her superior statements,   The Empress turn her body back towards the scene beneath her and frowned before suddenly a sadistic smile crept up on her lips, the kind of smile that so cold it sent shivers down your spine, “I get it, thank you, you may return to your duty” she said without turning her back and YoonA nod her head once before stand up on her feet and turn around to exited the room,   To be very honest,