Chapter 10

As Irene was looking around, a portrait caught her eye.

"Who's that girl?" She said not looking away at what to her looked like was an oil painting portrait that was behind Joy.

"Ohh. That's my boss." Joy smiled.

Irene stared at it more intently. She then saw what her mom was telling her; Dragon earrings. She remained calm. "She's very pretty..."

***

Joy smiled at her. "She was here awhile ago. Shame you didn't see her." Irene returned a curt smile too. "Oh, there's still a lot of next time."

A beep from her phone chimed. Irene went to check who it from was.

From: Dara

Where you at?

To: Irene

From: Irene

I’m at a tea shop near school. Waeyo?

To: Dara

From: Dara

I’m on my way to your school. Wendy asked me to stay with you for awhile.

To: Irene

Irene couldn't help but roll her eyes on her phone before typing a reply.

To: Dara

Hmmkay. I'll wait for you near the gates.

From: Irene

Irene looked up and saw Yerim and Joy having a conversation about how their day went. "Uhm.. Yerim ah, I think I need to go first? I still haven't unpacked my things at my dorm. I should get you home too." Yerim looked back and forth to Irene and Joy.

"Don't worry; I'll just drop her home." Joy grinned. Irene looked back at Yerim worriedly. The latter just made a nod and smiled from ear to ear. "Then I'll see you on Monday?"

"Ne~" She waved at them before going out to walk to the gates of their school.

As soon as she arrived, she saw the Range Rover the vampire was driving the first time she met her. She hopped in and saw Dara busily drinking something shiny from a carton box. Again, she was reminded of the similar thing Yerim was drinking.

"What's that?" Irene asked as she was putting on her seat belt. Dara snapped her fingers and the car began to move on its own. "This? Food."

"That's food? Why is it glowing?" Dara sipped the remaining juice from the carton before throwing it at the plastic on back of the car. "That's not blood isn't it?" Irene said with disgust written all over her face. "Excuse me?!" She exclaimed with an equally disgust written all over her face. "I don’t drink blood! This is what we call existence."

"Existence?"

"Hmm. There are rankings in the vampire realm. Royals, Subjects and E class." Dara turned to grab another carton and popped a straw on it. "Royals like me, drink this. It's called existence. It's the existence of a human. Ever wondered why some tomb on cemeteries never get any visitors?"

"Uhmm.. Cause nobody remembers them?"

"Yep. When a person dies, they get forgotten by their families as time goes by. When that happens, we collect their existence and that’s what Royal Vampires eat. Not their blood, not their souls. Just the memory of them existing in this world." Dara paused to drink again.

Irene began to question herself if Yerim was just like Dara. "Subjects are a bit different from E class Vampires. Subjects are the kind of vampire you read from books." She threw a side glance on Irene. "They drink blood."

"What makes them different with E class then?” Irene asked

"They drink blood from animals." Dara giggled. "You see, we can’t drink human blood. It drives us crazy. When a vampire drinks human blood we crave for it even more, then it alters our body. It makes us... Monsters. We lose our sanity and live like animals."

"Does that mean E class vampires are like that?" The range rover stopped at a stop light.

"E class vampires... Were once humans." This shocked Irene. "What do you mean?"

"Hm.. how to say this? ... When a vampire bites a mortal, they become like us too. Have you watch Train to Busan?" Irene laughed out loud. Dara pouted as the car started moving again making a turn to the back of the school. "Don't laugh! I at explaining things~ as I was saying; it's like the zombies from train to Busan. When a vampire bites a human, we sort of infect them. They go crazy after that. The only cure for them is when they drink blood from their creator or when a sanctifying spell is cast on them.”

"I never knew it was as complicated as this." The car has stopped once again, signaling that they've arrived already. "Well, it's not as complicated as it was before. I’m the only existing pure blood vampire now." Dara smiled before going down the car.

‘Only existing? Then what does that make of Yerim?' The car door on Irene's side opened on its own. She looked at Dara who was standing a few meters away from the car. "Unnie... You said you're the only existing pure blooded vampire?" The smile on Dara's face slowly vanished. Irene got off the car and walked to her. "They died."

"A-all of them? Even your family?" Dara nodded.

"Who killed them?"

"I killed them."

***

Wendy, Krystal, and Seulgi arrived at the big house for the pack meeting and sat on their designated seats.

"Now that we're all here we should start our meeting." Seohyun said. "The old vampire isn’t here yet." Yoona arrogantly said.

"I sent her to do some errands under my bidding." Yuri answered looking at Wendy. Yoona looked the other way.

"The last time we had a meeting, you said Dragons still exists?" Seohyun asked Jessica. Jessica gripped Yuri's hand harder under the table before nodding. "My sister and I were once hostages of dragons at Australia." Jessica bowed her head down a bit before speaking again. "A demon named Hwayoung cursed our household and took us away from our family. She sold us off to a flock of dragon's living at the mountains of Bhutan. Later on, those dragons gave me and my sister away to the dragons living in Australia to strengthen their alliance with each other. On our way to Australia, I met my mate and Dara. They followed us to Australia and found out that we were in a worst case scenario. The Dragon king of Kosciuszko took liking on me and held me and my sister captives in their facilities..." Yuri wrapped her arm around Jessica to comfort her.

"That's when we saved them and ran away." Seulgi glanced at her mate and held her hand. "My sister suffered more than I did. The dragons living there were far from being humane. They were barbaric. They get pleasure from hurting people..."

"That's what your scars were all about..." Seulgi whispered. Krystal sadly smiled at her. They were having their own private conversation in their heads.

"What if, those hybrids came in contact with those dragons and asked for help to take you back?" Seohyun asked Jessica with a straight face.

"T-that can’t be..."

"Sica's right, and even if they did, they won’t have much force. Dara wiped most of them when we took them away from that place!" Yuri exclaimed.

"Pfft. Fairytale much. A knight saving a damsel in distress." Yoona said earning a kick on the shin from Sunny who was sitting beside her. "Ouch!"

"Watch what you say." Taeyeon said. "I'm sorry for making you tell this story Jessica. I’m sorry you had to recall some hateful memories." Jessica shook her head. "It had to be done. In order to protect our family." She said looking at Wendy.

Wendy smiled gratefully to her. "For now, we have to gather intel as many as we can. We need all the information that will help us." Taeyeon said swiping the table to life showing all sorts of locations. "Victoria and Luna, you have to go to China and see our friends there. Ask them if they know anything about GDragon." Sunny continued.

Victoria and Luna smiled, "Leave it to us. We'll do our best to find something helpful."

"Amber, you're being sent to LA. Gather as much information about the dragon that helped GDragon escape and that child Dara bit if they're still alive.” Amber's usually playful attitude was now nowhere to be found. "Don't worry unnie. I'll ask my fairy friends from there to help us too."

"Hara and Yoona, you two should cooperate with Dara and Seohyun to strengthen our defenses even more. Do a thorough sweeping in the city. We need to find those hybrids that got in our city." Taeyeon instructed. Yoona just grinned and Hara nodded.

Taeyeon and Yuri shared a look. "I think everything is done for now. As Yuri and I said, you will all leave this midnight. Your flights are already booked. Careful not to attract attention from other entities. Yuri already handled things when it comes to your school affairs. Meeting adjourned." Taeyeon said standing up. The rest followed.

That's when Wendy realized... If Victoria and Luna will be in China, who's going to look after her mate at the dorms? "!" she exclaimed making a run to their house.

***

"I killed them." Dara repeated. Irene did a double take. "Y-you killed them?" Irene asked.

Dara smirked but her sad eyes betrayed the emotion she was trying to show Irene. "All of them. Every pure blood vampire died in my hands. And yes, even my family." Irene saw through her.

"Why?" She said with sad eyes.

"Because they betrayed me. They killed my mate." She said with a bitter smile plastered on her pale face." Irene clutched her chest as if she felt how much it hurts to lose one too. "Losing a mate makes you crazy, Irene." Dara said walking away. Irene followed her keeping her distance.

"You feel like dying, at the same time you feel like killing." She momentarily stopped to look back at Irene. "For me, it was both. And those feelings haven't diminished ever since. I still feel like dying. Gods, I am dying every day thinking of her. Missing her. Wanting her to be with me. And I still feel like killing everyone involved in her death." Irene looked at her full of sympathy. "Don't wait for the time you lose her, Irene. It's too hard to explain things that we feel, little one. Even harder for you and Wendy because you're... Human. Don't wait for the time that she won't be there for you. Cuz when that time comes, it'll be worst than dying…”

***

Irene felt like crying. 'So that's why Wendy was acting that way at the library? It's all because losing a mate is equal as dying?' she thought to herself.

"I don’t want you or Wendy to live like me." Dara smiled. "You should cherish each other every living day. If Wendy were to lose you in vain like how I lost mine, she might end up doing far worse than just killing a pack of wolves, a flock of fairies, or any other supernatural race out there. Believe me when she says you're the only one she loves. Werewolves can’t cheat on their mates. Never. No supernatural being can cheat on their mates." Dara looked up and smiled. A loud screeching was heard that made Irene turn her head on the road.

"Go get her." Dara whispered to her which made her jump on her place and turn to her. "Thank you, unnie..." She whispered before running to the girl who was riding a motorbike and was now taking off her helmet. Wendy. It was Wendy. Irene practically threw herself on her hugging her. Sobbing as they tumble down on the sidewalk.

"I love you so much Kwon Seungwan. I love you to the moon and back..." She said burying her face on Wendy's the crook of her neck. She looked up and saw a surprised meme worthy face of Wendy and giggled before claiming her lips.