Chapter 14 

 

Pushing all thoughts of Jessica to the back of her mind was one of the hardest things Yuri had ever had to do; Jessica was so close to being gone forever that Yuri could already feel the mournful tears that would wet her eyes when she finally let herself feel but Yuri had no choice but to focus on Yunho and Yoochun. Jessica was in the best hands she could possibly be. Jessica was Donghae's wife and wolf mate; if there was a way to save Jessica's life then Donghae would find it. 

 

Jessica was his everything and Donghae would never stop. 

 

A war was being fought, a war that would determine the fate of the entire world and as hard as it was for Yuri to admit, fighting this one battle was more important than the life of one, even if that one was a princess. Jessica understood that. Jessica believes that Yuri herself was the key to the end of her people's suffering and maybe even this war. It was why Jessica had sacrificed herself for her over and over again but honestly, Yuri didn't know if anyone was worth the sacrifice of so many lives but by the goddess, whether Jessica lives or die, her sacrifice would never be forgotten and it damn well would never be in vain. Yuri was going to help Yunho end Yoochun once and for all. No matter what it took, no matter what it cost, Yoochun's final day on earth had finally come at long last. All around the trash throne room were two sides, good and evil, clash against each other again and again. The evil bloodthirsty damned fought savagely against the vastly outnumber immortals who fought desperately to defend their home and protect those they love. The immortal Lycan's and vampires, although different in so many ways, fought together as one with the harmonization of those who had been born to stand together. The two races that had once been enemies now fought together on the same side against the same enemy for the same reasons. Watching them work and fight together now, Yuri could hardly believe that the two immortal races had ever been enemies at all. 

 

On the dais that was cover with shards of shattered glistening glass and chunks of other various pieces of debris that had once made up the mostly glass wall, Yunho lay on the floor flat on his stomach as Yoochun stood over him with bloody hands and a chilling gleeful murderous look in his soulless eyes. 

 

Yuri, in her chocolate brown Lycan wolf form, releases a furious growl at Yoochun that was a clear lethal warning; her thirst for revenge in Jessica's name was burning hot in her, flooding her veins with the scorching heat of pure fury. 

 

Which Yoochun realize, judging from the way he back up a step. Either that or he hadn't expected her to re-join the fight after being so effortlessly foiled by him the last time. Either way, alarm fill his black eyes and he took a cautious step back. 

 

Being careful of her footing, Yuri moves cautiously forward until she was standing protectively over Yunho, effectively shielding him with her larger furry body. 

 

Yuri had enough of watching Yoochun hurt the people she loves. Tonight would be the last time Yoochun would ever threaten anyone she cares about or even knew. Yoochun didn't think much of women, of any species but he was going to learn a woman's power, a woman's might but most of all Yoochun was going to learn the truth to the old saying that there was nothing more terrifying than a scorn woman's wrath and Yuri felt very scorn. 

 

Yunho knew very well who stood over him in her glorious wolf form and if the situation hadn't been what it was he would have beaten his head against the cool marble floor beneath him. 

 

Yuri never listens, not even to him. Hell, especially to him. Here Yuri was once again very foolishly and without any regard for herself, standing between him and Yoochun with the obvious intention of facing the king of the damned in battle. What was it going to take to make Yuri understand that she stood absolutely no chance at all against Yoochun in battle? 

 

For a moment, in his battered and weakened state, Yunho entertain the thought of shaking some sense into her even knowing that he would never do such a thing. His hands never could and never would do anything to cause her any harm; Yuri would only ever know tenderness in his touch. 

 

Against the cold hard marble floor, Yunho's hands curl into fists. 

 

Yunho was so weak, so mentally and physically exhausted, that all he wanted to do was lie there and let his battered body rest but he couldn't. Yuri was trying her damnedest to get herself kill again and he had to intervene. Again. 

 

By the goddess, Yunho loves her. He loves her inner strength and fierce drive to have her own way. He loves her brave and courageous heart and he loves the way Yuri love so completely, so selflessly, that she cares nothing about her own life as long as she was doing everything she could for those she loves. He loves that even though Yuri was so physically small she possesses the strength and will of someone fifteen feet tall. She never backs down, no matter what, no matter who she was warring against. 

 

Yuri was the most selfless, courageous, loving and infuriating stubborn woman Yunho had ever met, mortal or immortal and the world would never know a stronger or better queen. Yuri didn't even know it but she had all the traits of a true queen, of a woman born to lead, inspire and protect. The moon goddess couldn't have picked a better match for him had she search for the remainder of eternity. 

 

If only Yuri would listen to him once in a while or at the very least show the tiniest shred of self-preservation. 

 

It would be one of the many things she would have to learn. As royalty, it wasn't just their duty to protect and to lead but to also survive. There always had to be someone on the throne, for the sake of the preservation of life and peace. It was a hard burden to bear but sometimes the lives of others had to be sacrificed so that those who lead could live. He had witnessed such noble sacrifices many times during his long life. 

 

Yunho didn't like it in the least as it was his nature to always protect others but as a crown prince of a dying race, it was something that he had accepted a long time ago. 

 

Off to the side, Yunho was well aware that Donghae was fighting for Jessica's life and as much as Yunho wanted to go to his sister who very likely had sacrificed her life for Yuri's this dark night, he couldn't. He had to save Yuri from Yoochun again so that Jessica's sacrifice wouldn't have been made in vain. 

 

First Yunho would make Yoochun pay for what he had done to Jessica and then he would mourn his brave fallen sister as he had never mourn any other but never would Jessica's sacrifice be one made in vain. Yunho would spend the rest of his life keeping Yuri out of harm's way. Maybe he would take her to the royal court. The life wouldn't suit her, at least not at first but inside of his parent's stronghold she would be well protected. The modern Lycan's stronghold had never been breached. 

 

'If you think you are going to lock me away like some precious gem you had better think again!' Yuri growls into his mind, at hearing his thoughts. 

 

Yunho didn't reply. It would be something they would deal with later. If there was a later for them. 

 

Clenching his teeth tightly, Yunho forces his exhausted limbs into motion, pulling his arms and legs beneath him and lifting himself up into a crouching position. He didn't know if he had the strength to make it to his feet but he had to try. He had to fight, not just for himself but for his people who continue to fight even though each and everyone had to be as exhausted and battered as he was. 

 

Yuri remains still and alert, keeping her eyes firmly glued to Yoochun as Yunho grasp hold of a handful of the fur that covers her side and uses his grip on her to pull himself to his feet where he leans weakly against her side. 

 

At the sight of Yunho in his weakened condition, Yoochun smirk with evil triumph. 

 

Rage surged though Yuri at the sight of the cold delighted smirk that Yoochun wore on his pale lips and Yuri raises her lips, baring her sharp canine teeth and growl menacingly to complete the wordless threat. 

 

If Yoochun thought he had his victory then he was going to be very disappointed. Yuri was going to see to it personally. 

 

She was so over Yoochun and his narcissistic attitude. Yoochun believe that everything Yunho had was owed to him, that he was the rightful king of the entire world and Yuri was going to relish in teaching Yoochun just how wrong he was and Yoochun was going to learn that lesson through blood and pain and eventually his own defeat, "Really, Yunho?" Yoochun purred, darkly amused, "You couldn't make this easier for me if you tried. You could at least attempt to keep this interesting." 

 

Not that Yuri needed it but the flippant way Yoochun dismiss her as any possible threat only fuel her fury. Who was Yoochun to dismiss her as he would a fly? He so completely underestimated her that it only made Yuri want to fight him all the more. 

 

Yuri had never been a violent person and that wasn't due to her ordinarily small size but Yuri had never hesitated to stand up to defend or protect someone she loves or even someone who was weaker or less assertive than herself. Of course, she had never gotten into an actual fight before, Yoona had always taken care of the physical fight if it was called for but she hadn't been able to turn into a lean mean fighting machine with sharp teeth and claws before either. 

 

"You would watch your words more carefully Yoochun if you could hear her thoughts." Yunho exhaustedly remarks to Yoochun, indicating his head towards her, "Yuri may be small and inexperienced." 

 

Yuri gave a low warning growl in the back of , making her displeasure at his choice of words very clear, "But Yuri has a way of getting exactly what she wants and right now what she wants most is for you not to see another dawn." Yunho ended with a small affectionate smile. One that said that he found this particular trait of hers a little irritating but love her all the more for it regardless. 

 

Yoochun's smile waned and his eyes took on a deadly glint, "We shall see just what this miracle of yours truly is. By day's dawning, everyone shall see this puny human for what she truly is. She is nothing but a pathetic mortal, an anomaly that will fall as quickly as she rose. I will show all that she is no miracle." 

 

Both Yunho and Yuri growl furiously in union. 

 

Yoochun grin with evil anticipation and without another word, lunged at them with his teeth bared and his claws outstretched. 

 

Donghae's entire being was so focused on Jessica and the systematic motions of CPR that he was aware of nothing else. The roar of the battle that rage around him fell unnoticed on deaf ears, the battling men and women who fought around him went completely unnoticed by his eyes that were fixed on his wife. He saw nothing but Jessica's still formed beneath his continuously pumping hands. He felt nothing. Nothing but his wife's cooling flesh beneath his hands and his mouth as he breathed air into her lungs that refuse to draw breath. There was nothing else but Jessica and his fight to save her. 

 

Donghae couldn't recall a moment in which Jessica hadn't been in his life, hadn't been his life, the entirety of his very being. He had existed before Jessica had been born into this world but not one moment of the time that he had existed before he had known his wolf mate matter to him at all. As far as Donghae was concerned, his life hadn't started until Jessica had been born and he had known with all the certainty that he possesses that Jessica would grow up to be his wolf mate. 

 

He had watched over Jessica, had been there for her from the very instant she had been born. He had fought to protect her and he had risen to her defense each and every time it had been called for. He had been there as her big brother when she had fallen over her own skirt as a young child and had picked her up and seen to any wounds. He had been there to dance with her at her first ball, he had been there watching over her when she had left the safe castle grounds and he had been there for her in every capacity he had been capable of until she had become of age and they had married and then he had been there for her in all ways. 

 

He had been everything for her and always would. His entire life center so completely on her that he wouldn't, couldn't live a single hour without her. 

 

The moment his efforts were deemed futile, Donghae would follow his love into death rather than continue to bare this soul-shredding agony. 

 

Donghae had fought in countless of wars and been injured many times, he had come close to death more times than he could recall and he had acted with complete disregard for his own life on a regular basis but never had he known such agony. Before Jessica, there had been only endless darkness and hollow loneliness but never this. Never had every cell of his insides felt like they had been shredded and torn from the inside out and on top of it all, he was to blame for this. He hadn't been there to protect her as he had always sworn that he would be. Donghae had long ago pledge before the Lycan king, queen, and crown prince that he would give his own life before he would ever let anything happen to Jessica, their darling princess with spitfire's eyes. 

 

That had been the day Donghae had ask Jessica's family, his king, queen and crown prince, for her hand in marriage, declaring brazenly before the entire Lycan court that Jessica was his wolf mate. 

 

That day and the day that had follow had been days of celebration throughout the Lycan world as their princess had found her wolf mate and had promptly wed him. 

 

It was one of the happiest days of his life, the highly treasure memories held within his heart and frequently call upon so they would never grow dim in the sands of time and now the day had come that he had failed in his most sacred duty; he had broken his vow to never allow harm to come to the Lycan princess in any form. 

 

Even if Jessica live, how could he live with the shame and disgrace of his monumental failure? He had failed his king and queen, he had failed his crown prince and alpha but most of all he had failed the woman he loves, the woman who was his wife and wolf mate, his one and only. He had failed her and now she may very well be lost forever. 

 

'Please, Jessica. My precious princess. Please come back to me, don't leave me. Not like this, not this day. Please. Please, moon goddess, I beseech you, don't take her. Take my life, ask anything you wish of me but please spare her?' 

 

Donghae was so far gone that he didn't even notice the tears streaming down his face. He was so focused on his task that he didn't even notice when the two fingers of Jessica's right hand twitch. 

 

"Would you please get off of me?" 

 

Seohyun made no attempt to conceal her building irritation towards the woman dress completely in black who was hovering right above and over her and had been for a few minutes now. 

 

Seohyun was trapped low and awkwardly in the driver's seat and between the steering wheel and Shinhye, she couldn't shift more than an inch or so in any direction. To say that her current position was awkward would be the understatement of her life. This woman, who was a complete stranger to her, seem completely unaware that her tightly clad s were barely an inch above Seohyun's blushing oval-shaped face and to top it all off, Seohyun was starting to cramp up in various places, including her neck and back and her uncomfortable position was becoming harder and harder to ignore. 

 

"You heard her get off of her," Yoona warn icily, from the back seat. There was no question that it was a warning and knowing Yoona it would be the only warning Shinhye would get before Yoona acted. 

 

Normally, when Yoona use that threatening tone people obey her without much of a hesitation but Shinhye remains where she was, motionless and alert as she continues to stare into the darkness as if she could actually see through it. 

 

Yoona had enough. In one swift gracefully move Yoona open her door and step out into the night. About a minute and a half ago everything around them had once again fallen silent, leaving only the still darkness of the night. Yoona didn't let herself think about the danger that might be waiting in the blackness; she had to deal with this strange woman who was still literally hovering very protectively over Seohyun. 

 

Yoona didn't understand why this strange woman was so obviously overprotective of Seohyun and right now she didn't really care. Seohyun wanted to be free of this strange and quite possibly unstable woman and Yoona was going to see to it. 

 

Seohyun didn't hesitate. The moment Yoona yank open the driver's side door, Seohyun threw herself through the opening. It wasn't the wisest or the most ladylike choice but Shinhye was really starting to freak her out with her overprotective behavior and she just wanted to get some space between them. 

 

Seohyun expected such overprotective behavior from her friends and family but not a total stranger. A stranger who was getting way too familiar with her. 

 

Seohyun had never considered herself someone who values her personal space but this woman had invaded it big time and right now Seohyun just wanted a lot of space around her. Or more to the point, Seohyun wanted as much space as possible between Shinhye and herself. 

 

In her desperation to put some space between them, Seohyun leaped before she had look. As a result, Seohyun landed unceremoniously on her back with a soft feminine grunt on the cool damp compacted dirt of the track they had been driving along before all audible hell had broken loose around them. 

 

On the ground where she had landed Seohyun took a moment to reflect on how weird her night had become. Here she was lying on the cool hard ground in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger who was more than a little weird staring down at her from where she remains arched protectively above the driver's seat. Her eyes stare down at her with open fascination and something that seems strangely like reverence but Seohyun had to be mistaken about that. Right? Here she was lying on the ground with her feet still in the car and in the perfect position to look up Yoona's rich black Vince Camuto pleated shift dress while the gothic woman continues to look at her like she was her much cherish queen. 

 

It was a lesser version of the look Yonghwa had worn when he had first stepped out of the darkness. 

 

What on earth was going on? Who were these people? And why was she still lying on the cold ground like a stun baby bird? 

 

"Do you require assistance rising?" Shinhye ask her kindly, without any trace of sarcasm or humor in her voice, "No, she doesn't!" Yoona snap, before Seohyun could say a word and then promptly made a liar out of herself by bending down, sliding her hands under Seohyun's arms and lifting her up onto her feet. 

 

Seohyun idly wonders if Yoona saw the irony in what had just happened and then Seohyun's eyes fell on the interior of the opposite side of the car and grimaced. 

 

Leaving Yoona and Shinhye to their glaring match, Seohyun hurried around to the other side of her car and groan again, the sound drawn-out and pain. 

 

Her parents were going to kill her. 

 

How was she going to explain this? It looks like she had hit a tree, except there were no scratches or any of the marks in the paint you had expect to find after hitting something, anything solid but she hadn't hit anything, something had hit her. 

 

Yuri had better be in real trouble or Seohyun was going to kill her herself. 

 

Through the badly crack windows, Seohyun notices that Taeyeon had moved into the back seat and was sliding smoothly across the back seat towards the opposite open back door as it was her only unblock exit from the car short of crawling out through her broken window. 

 

Seohyun wasn't at all surprised that Taeyeon hadn't even tried to open either door on the damage side of the car. The entire side of the car was bow inward, the abuse and contorted metal made it obvious to everyone that neither of the two doors would open. 

 

Seohyun sense movement to her right and turn to see Taeyeon now standing beside her, staring with wide eyes at the damage. 

 

After a full minute of silence, Taeyeon turn to her and enquired almost casually, "How are you going to explain this to your insurance company?" 

 

Seohyun groans again and buried her face in her hands so she didn't have to look at her car anymore. There was no saving the car, not with this amount of damage, at least not without spending more on it than it would cost to replace it. 

 

What would she do if the insurance company refuse to cover it? It wasn't as if she could tell the insurance evaluator what had really happened. Not without ending up in a straitjacket. 

 

Seohyun could just hear herself now, explaining this to the insurance evaluator, 'Oh, what happens? Oh, that's simple. I was out late one night, following this strange woman's directions when all of a sudden I was in the middle of a war I couldn't see and out of nowhere this man ramble into the side of the car, imploding it as you see here. What? Oh no, he didn't seem hurt at all. As far as I could tell, he just got up and jump back into the fray.' Yeah, that would go over real well and of course, he would believe her when she told him that it had been the impact of a man that had virtually halved the size of the vehicle. 

 

Not. 

 

"Did a bear rammed us?" Taeyeon asks doubtfully, as she surveys the damage in the poor light. 

 

Seohyun knew it hadn't been a bear, although they had been hit with the force of one, "No." Seohyun replied, her words slightly muffled as her face was still buried in her hands, "It wasn't a bear." 

 

At least Seohyun knew that much. She didn't know exactly what happens but she did know that it hadn't been an animal that had hit them, at least not an animal you will find on animal planet. 

 

That was it. Seohyun had enough of all of this. She was fed up with not having any answers. She was sick and tired of being left out of things, left with only questions and worry. She was going to get some answers and she was going to get them now. 

 

Seohyun lower her hands from her face and look over the top of the car to see that Shinhye had joined them outside the car and was standing near the front of the car with her eyes focus intently on her, as if ready to jump on top of her again to protect her from an enemy only she could see coming. 

 

How had Shinhye seen that man coming towards the car in the pitch black of night? 

 

Just one more question to add to her growing collection. 

 

With her exasperation giving her courage, Seohyun put on a hard determine face and step around Taeyeon to make her way over to Shinhye. 

 

Shinhye was standing in the beam of light from the headlights and every one of her features was light up like a model on a New York runway and what Seohyun saw hardly seem human. 

 

"The danger has passed." Shinhye said serenely as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened, "We aren't far from our destination. When you are ready young miss, we can resume our journey." 

 

The three girls look at her incredulously. Was this woman really that crazy or was something going on, something that they couldn't piece together with how little information they had been given? 

 

Yoona was the first to regain her senses, "What in the hell is going on?!" She demanded hotly, as she glares through narrow eyes at the woman, "What is our friend involve in?!" 

 

"Your answers you will have but I'm not the best person to provide them." The woman said, with calm politeness, "Your friend is only minutes away. I'm sure lady Yuri would be the best one to give you all your answers." 

 

Lady Yuri? Since when had Yuri been lady Yuri? 

 

Yoona had enough, partially with this woman who was as cryptic as she was strange, "Listen here, we aren't moving an inch until you tell us what the hell is going on! What happens just now?! What danger is there and who were you talking too before?!" 

 

"Again, I'm not the most suitable person to give you the answers you seek but what I will tell you is that I'm here to protect all three of you. I would sacrifice my life to save any of you because of what young miss Seohyun is to my prince and my people. It is clear how much it would hurt her to see harm come to either of you." 

 

Seohyun's jaw drop, "And just what am I to your prince? What are you talking about, what prince?" 

 

The young woman looks straight into Seohyun's eyes with such immense significance in her eyes that it left Seohyun speechless, "You, young miss, are the salvation or the destruction of the prince I serve; the prince who will one day be our king. I would protect you at the cost of my very soul. You can't yet comprehend what you are in my world, in the world you and your friends have stumble into but know that you have never been safer than you are from this night onward." 

 

Yoona shook her head. She had heard enough. She had to get Taeyeon and Seohyun out of there and away from this nutcase. 

 

Before anyone could say another word, Yoona step in front of Seohyun, effectively putting herself between the two girls and the woman in black. Yoona was tense and ready for anything but unless Shinhye became violent Yoona wasn't going to show any aggression that might set Shinhye off. The thing about crazy people was that they were unpredictable and there was no telling what they were capable of and that made them one of the worst kinds of dangerous. 

 

"I think we should get going now," Yoona said, with a fake chirpy tone, although she didn't even try to fake a smile as in the current situation it was beyond her. She was hiding it from the others but she was severely freaked out. She steps back forcing Taeyeon and Seohyun back a step as well, "We will take it from here. Thanks for the directions." Seohyun didn't hesitate; any chance to get away from the woman in black who wouldn't stop watching her like she was tasked with protecting Seohyun's life. 

 

Seohyun turns and instantly froze. 

 

They were surrounded. 

 

How? When? What? How were they surrounded? There was at least a dozen men surrounding them, all tall, standing in a perfect circle around them on the edge of the light, all space out evenly around them. Every one of them stood perfectly still and every one of them was noticeably pale, just like Shinhye was and just like Shinhye, their eyes were glue on Seohyun. 

 

Yoona tense, ready to fight their way out even as outnumbered as they were. 

 

Taeyeon notices Yoona tense and she instinctively knew what Yoona was going to attempt to do. Yoona was highly protective of those she loves and wouldn't hesitate to fight to protect if the occasion calls for it but Taeyeon instinctively knew that against these men Yoona didn't stand a chance. Taeyeon was no warrior but she was observant and there was something about Shinhye and those around them that scream combat ability and danger. 

 

They scare her. No, that wasn't a powerful enough word. Terrified. That was the word. These men terrified her. Taeyeon just knew with all certainty that these men were capable of murder and the way they were all watching Seohyun was unnerving her greatly, so much so that Taeyeon fear more for Seohyun than herself and her worry and concern gave Taeyeon more courage than she normally would have had in such a situation. 

 

Taeyeon reaches out and wraps her hand around Yoona's forearm, wordlessly telling her not to attack without provocation, "Yoona." Taeyeon whispers softly, moving her lips as little as possible as she finally spoke the suspicion she had for the last twenty minutes or so, "I think they have been taking us in circles." 

 

Yoona's eyes flickered in her direction before she turns and looks Shinhye straight in the eye. In true Yoona fashion, she shows no fear in her narrow accusing eyes. It was a look that promised pain if she threatens those Yoona saw it as her duty to protect. 

 

Yoona has always had strong protective instincts and she never hesitated to protect someone weaker than herself. If Yoona's intimidating and threatening demeanor worried Shinhye at all then she conceals it well. In fact, the woman in black seems downright nonchalant. 

 

Seohyun looks back and forth between Yoona and Shinhye, studying their expressions. Things were rapidly getting out of hand. Way out of hand. Seohyun had no idea what was happening here and she didn't understand why it all seems to be focused on her but they had to find a way out of their current predicament without resorting to violence as Seohyun knew that this was one fight that Yoona had no hope of winning. 

 

"We don't have time for this!" Seohyun exclaim loudly, "We need to get to Yuri! You promise you will take us to her but instead you have been taking us in circles!" 

 

Seohyun didn't doubt that Taeyeon was right about them being taken in circles. Taeyeon was very rarely wrong. About anything. The girl had off the scales intelligence and a healthy dose of common sense to boot. Sometimes Taeyeon's mind was more terrifying that Yoona's threatening demeanor. 

 

"You need not worry about your friend." Shinhye assures Seohyun in a reassuring, but placating tone, "Aid has been sent. The Lycan's prince's mate will be protected at any cost as our prince has commanded." 

 

Not one of the three girls fails to notice that Shinhye had in no way denied intentionally taking them out of their way. 

 

Seohyun wanted to scream in sheer frustration. She was so over not understanding a single thing that was going on or what she was told. Lycan prince? What the hell was a Lycan anyway? And why was everyone they met some form of royalty? Were these people acting out some weird story or something or were they all just plain nuts? Enough was enough. Whatever was going on Seohyun wanted to know, even if it didn't bode well for them. Seohyun wanted to know exactly what situation they were trapped in. She was so tired of being in the dark, first with Yuri and now with these pale strangers. 

 

Seohyun push passes Yoona and glare at Shinhye, ignoring everything and everyone else and focusing only on making sense of this nonsense. 

 

The best way to do that was to ask straight simple questions and demand straight simple answers. 

 

"Who are you?" 

 

For a long moment, Shinhye was as silent and as still as a statue and Seohyun fear that Shinhye wasn't going to answer her but then Shinhye crosses her arm across her stomach and bow her head to her like something out of a Jane Aston novel. 

 

"I'm Park Shinhye of the vampire crown prince's clan." Shinhye declares proudly, her head still bowed, "First among his proud warriors and second in command of the clan's security forces. I'm henceforth your personal bodyguard and first amongst your ladies." She looks up into Seohyun's eyes but didn't rise from her bow, "I'm yours to command, my lady." 

 

Three pairs of wide shock eyes stare at her dumbfounded. 

 

Seohyun caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turn to see every one of the men that surrounded them in a near perfect circle bowing to her on bended knee. 

 

Seohyun gasp in astonishment. All of the men were identical in their bow positions and not one of them had their eyes open. They look like marble statues. 

 

Seohyun turns back to Shinhye to find her standing tall and proud once again, "As for what you are Seohyun." Shinhye said gently, with a small gentle smile on her lips, "You are more to us than you could ever truly understand. You are the destined mate of our crown prince, the only one who can ease his suffering and drive back the darkness within him. You are his light in the darkness, his reason to hope, his purpose for living." 

 

Shinhye looks around at the men in the circle with a strange sadness in her eyes, "But you are so much more than that. You are hope for our people, hope we have only recently tasted in the Lycan prince's mate but now we have our own gift from the moon goddess." Shinhye looks directly into her eyes, the unyielding reverence back in her gaze, "In you." 

 

Seohyun shrank back in fear, not fear of harm but fear of the reverent intensity in Shinhye's eyes. Shinhye believes everything she was saying with a startling conviction. 

 

"Can you say with all honesty young Seohyun that you didn't feel it?" Shinhye challenge her, with her eerie steadfast gaze, "The instant and powerful connection between yourself and our crown prince? Have you been able to banish him from your thoughts for even a moment since you saw his face?" 

 

Deep heart-twisting sorrow fills her dark brown eyes, "I don't know it myself, the peace and serenity a mate brings as I haven't yet found my mate. I have been alone for centuries, fighting my own darkness for my sanity and humanity. I have travel far and wide in hope that I would find him, in hope that I can bring peace to one of my own who waits for me as I wait for him but my search has thus far been in vain. It terrifies me that he has fallen to the darkness, that I will never know him and will eventually follow him into his fate. All I have had for so long is my duty. My duty to my prince and my people and then I heard the miracle that is the Lycan prince's mate and I felt a hope that I haven't known since my adolescence. There is new hope for us all who dwell in the night and that is why I would gladly give my life for lady Yuri or yourself. The two of you who we all pray are only the first two found of your kind are our future. Because the two of you exist our people will have a future, with the hope that the two of you alone will grant our people we will last this millennium whereas before we wouldn't have lasted the century." 

 

Seohyun blink. Once. Twice. 

 

"Oh," Seohyun mumble tonelessly, and then she turns, leans over with one arm resting on the hood of her car to keep her on her feet and then she promptly threw up. 

 

Yuri made no move to avoid Yoochun's blow, instead choosing to stand her ground. She refuses to be move from her defensive position and leave Yunho unprotected in his weakened state. She would never call Yunho defenseless, especially not out loud but in his state, he wouldn't be capable of putting up any sort of fight. 

 

With her newly enhance Lycan's eyes Yuri could see Yoochun coming at her whereas before she had changed she never would have been able to see him attacking and right at this very moment a large part of her wish that she still couldn't. Yoochun's claw hands were outstretched towards her neck and his face was so twisted with evil bloodlust that he truly did look like the monster everyone knew him to be. 

 

Yuri fought her instinctive urge to jump out of Yoochun's path as Yoochun obviously expected her to do but she stubbornly held her ground. She would defend her love as doggedly as he had defended her from the very first moment they had met, a moment that seems to have been so very long ago. 

 

'No!' 

 

Yuri wince at Yunho's sudden loud mentally cried outburst a split moment before she became aware of movement beneath her. 

 

What was Yunho doing? 

 

Yunho didn't care how weak and battered his body was after fighting a battle against an enemy that greatly outnumber him and his own, Yoochun wasn't going to lay so much as a finger on Yuri ever again. Not knowing where within him the strength came from, Yunho forces his body to its feet in one surging motion and caught Yoochun's hands in mid-air that was aimed for Yuri even as the room spun nauseatingly around him like he was on a carousel that was spinning too fast. 

 

For a single moment in which time itself seem to come to a standstill, the two foes glare into each other's eyes with age-old hatred and raging fury and for that single moment, Yuri saw the two great princes for what they truly were. Yunho was a noble prince and leader fighting to protect his newly found mate whom he had come to love and need so much in so little amount of time. 

 

While Yoochun was a mighty fallen warrior who fought to avenge the mate that had been taken from him before he had even had the chance to know her. 

 

Yuri felt a small measure of pity for the man Yoochun had once been. Without her, in his life, this is what Yunho would have become. Without her, this is what Yunho would be. 

 

Ending Yoochun's life would be a kindness to the man Yoochun had once been as only death could truly set him free and then the moment ended. For all three of them. 

 

Yoochun wretched his hands from Yunho's grasp with an irritated warning growl and Yunho sway dizzily on his feet as he forces himself to remain standing defensively in-between Yuri and the damned king who had dared to try to attack her. Had Yunho had even half his normal strength, Yoochun would have already been dead at his feet but Yunho wasn't at full strength. Yunho doubted he even had one-third of his usual strength and he was experienced enough to know that it didn't bode well for him or his people. All around him his people, nearly all of whom were some variation of weak and/or injured continue to fight against the damned who most of which weren't beyond their endurance by half. A fact that didn't stop any of his own from fighting and that made Yunho proud and appreciative of his pack and family. They were fighting so hard, refusing to give in even though they face such overwhelming odds that Yunho would have given his life to stop what he knew was to come. 

 

His people were going to lose in a crushing defeat. Yunho had fought in too many wars, too many battles, not to know the outcome of this one. The damned outnumber them greatly and it would be those greater numbers that would grant Yoochun victory this day. 

 

It all seems so surreal. After so long, after fighting so many battles, this was how it ended; with the complete and crushing defeat of his pack. It made all those long centuries seem wasted. 

 

Had it all truly been for nothing? All the suffering, all the fighting and loss, and sacrifice. What was the point of it all? 

 

'Alright, that's enough of that!' Yuri snap irritably into his mind, having heard every thought and felt his dejection and despair. 

 

At his back, Yunho could sense her shifting her weight forward until he could feel her astonishingly soft fur brush his back, turning her position from that of on being defended into one of someone intent on defending. 

 

'What are you doing?' Yunho asks, even as he reach into her mind, searching for the answer himself. It should have surprise Yunho how strong and deep their mate link was, that he was so easily able to reach into her untainted loving mind deeper than he ever had any other but it didn't. He had learned over his brief time of knowing her that where Yuri was concern nothing was impossible or beyond her reach. 

 

Yuri's inner strength and force of will were stronger than that of anyone he had ever known in all his long lonely immortal lifetime. Her strength was more than enough to save both the immortal races from despair and extinction. 

 

'We aren't going to lose, do you hear me Yunho Oppa? Not to Yoochun. Not today, not ever.' Yuri told him, with iron determination flowing through her veins like liquid fire, 'Whether you like it or not, I'm part of this now, part of this world, the good and bad. The happy times and hard times. This fight is just as much mine to fight it as it is yours and I will not run from it.' And with that Yuri once again lunged at Yoochun determine that this time the outcome would be much different than the first. 

 

The first thing to pierce the empty blackness was the pain. A pain that weighed so heavily on his consciousness, Changmin fear it was going to crush him. 

 

There were only two places Changmin knew. The blackness that was empty; it was a nothingness and because of that, it was peaceful and then there was the darkness. It was different than the blackness because in the darkness he was semi-aware. In the darkness that held him in a grip so tight that it was all Changmin could do not to let himself fall back into the peaceful dark oblivion of the blackness that he had just barely managed to partly pull himself out of, there was the pain and there was fear. 

 

The fear of both the pain and that if Changmin let himself fall back into that peaceful painless blackness then he would never find his way back out. In some far-off distant corner of his clouded consciousness there was a voice whispering that the pain was good; if he could feel pain then he was alive. 

 

The tempting peaceful oblivion he knew as the blackness was the path to his death. Changmin knew it as sure as he knew anything and death was tempting, the peace the oblivion offer was such Changmin had never known. It promises no pain, no loneliness, no beast savagely clawing at his insides thirsty for life's blood that was always there. Always trying to tempt him to betray all he loves and become one of the damned. 

 

In death there was no war or loss, no betrayal or pain, there was just peace. 

 

Peace Changmin hadn't known since his boyhood that had ended centuries ago and then there was another voice, a voice that was nagging at him, drawing him away from the peace that death promise. This voice beseeched him to fight so he may live; it was important that he lives. 

 

There was something left unfinished that he had to do but what? What was it he had left to do that he couldn't leave unfinished? 

 

Changmin couldn't remember, his mind was too cloudy, too deeply buried beneath the pain and sweetly tempting darkness that still tried to seduce him forward. Why couldn't he remember? What was so important that he had to deny himself peace just to see it done? 

 

For so long Changmin had secretly yearned for peace, true peace and he was so tired, more so than he had ever been. He just wanted to rest. He wanted to bask in this peace. He didn't care if he couldn't go back to the life he knew. 

 

Changmin just wanted to know peace. He wanted to know light and warmth again, the kind he had known as a small child before the burden of his beast and the endless weight of immortality that had plague him for so long. Why was dying a sin? Why did it feel so wrong when it felt so right? 

 

Because those he loved were in terrible danger. 

 

The answer came abruptly out of the darkness in a rush of clarity that pulls him further away from the blackness, from the brink that was death. That was right, that was what he had been trying to remember. There was a battle, a war being fought and everyone he loves, everyone he calls family was fighting for their lives and he was an important part of it because he had to protect Yuri. That was the task entrusted to him by his prince, his alpha. His brother and it was the most important task of all. 

 

His life didn't matter but hers did. More than any other. 

 

Yuri. Everything that matter revolves around this one extraordinary being. 

 

Yuri, the mortal girl with life, laughter and love in her depthless beautiful eyes who was the embodiment of renewed hope for all his kind was in terrible danger. 

 

Yuri wasn't his wolf mate, she wasn't his to have but he loves her regardless. He loves her because of what she was to his alpha, his brother. She made Yunho laugh and live again. The small delicate beauty had brought his brother back from the brink and had brought him to life in a way he had never been. Changmin loves Yuri as his queen and as the mate of his alpha. He loves her because of what she was to his people and his most live and cherish brother. 

 

That was why he had to live. Changmin wanted to live to see Yuri become queen. He wanted to bow before her, to see her laugh and smile at Yunho. He wanted to see them marry and he wanted to see her blossom into the woman he knew she would become with just a little more time. He wanted to make her laugh again and he wanted to hear her voice echo through the halls as she once again tore Yunho a new one because he was trying to prevent her from getting her way. 

 

He wanted to be there for the queen-to-be when she needed someone other than Yunho to confide in; just as she had done that night she had come to this very room in search of something he had only remotely been able to understand. 

 

Changmin wanted all of this because it gave him real hope that one day he might watch as his own wolf mate as she laughs in his arms and even if he never found his own wolf mate, seeing what Yuri gave his brother was more than enough for him. 

 

Only when Yuri was safe, only when Yuri stood beside her love as his wedded wife could Changmin rest, could he find peace in the oblivion of death.

 

It took Changmin everything he had to embrace the pain and force away the blackness of death that promise him peace, forcing himself back into the body that was his and to take control of it once again but finally, after what seemed like hours, Changmin was awake enough to open his eyes and became aware of that that was outside his own mind. 

 

The light that greeted him wasn't warm or peaceful or welcoming; it was cold, noisy and excruciatingly painful. His entire body felt too heavy, as if it was made of lead and he ached in every muscle and as he return more and more to the world of the conscious Changmin became more and more aware of the pain from his injuries and badly battered body and he wanted so badly to close his eyes and return to the warm peaceful painless oblivion but he stubbornly fought it. 

 

He had too. There was no other choice, not for him because he wanted something more. He wanted the survival of those he loves and that was far more important to him than even his own life. 

 

Changmin turns his focus from his own body to what was happening around him and what was happening all around him was a bloody violent war, something that wasn't an unfamiliar sight to him. 

 

The floor was cover in blood, scattered debris and broken glass and amongst it all lay the crumpled bodies of the dead, the dying, the gravely injured and the unconscious. Some of who were being trampled by those that still had the strength to remain on their feet to fight. 

 

It took Changmin only a few moments to realize that very few of the bodies that littered the floor were damned. The damned were winning this fight. 

 

No. It couldn't be. Not this battle, not the battle that would determine Yuri's fate and in turn the fate of all life, mortal and immortal alike. 

 

Drawing strength from that chilling thought Changmin force his body to move, battling against the pain and severe fatigue to raise himself up onto his elbows but even that cost him greatly. 

 

Locks of familiar brownish black hair on the floor not eight feet from him caught Changmin's eye. Hair that was normally neatly kept was now marred with grass, mud and drying blood. 

 

Changmin weakly and with a great deal of pain turn his body until he lay on his stomach and then he weakly and awkwardly slithered across the filthy floor, pulling and pushing himself along until he reaches Changwook who was still and pale in his unconscious state. 

 

Over the racket of the battle that rage around him Changmin could just barely hear Changwook's slow heartbeat. Changwook was cover in blood, mud, and pieces of varied vegetation that Changmin strongly suspected had once been part of the perfectly manicured lawn and beautiful gardens of the grounds that now lay in ruins but what really caught Changmin's attention were the five long slashes across Changwook's chest that Changmin automatically identified to be injuries made from damned Lycan's claws. Congealed blood was slowly oozing from the cuts and even though Changmin knew the wound would be as painful as hell, it wasn't life-threatening. Nothing crucial had been severed. 

 

Unfortunately, Changmin knew that like him Changwook was done for this battle. Neither of them would be in any shape to fight, if they live of course, for the next couple of days. At least. 

 

As if he had sensed that he was no longer alone, Changwook stirred. A low drawn-out moan escapes from his parted pale thin lips and a moment later his eyes slowly open. 

 

Changmin sigh in relief and move back a little as Changwook slowly sat up, wincing as he did. Supporting his weight on his outstretched arms, Changwook looks around. 

 

"By the goddess." Changwook gasp weakly, as he took in the battle that was raging on around them that neither of them had the capability of re-joining. 

 

Changmin nodded, wordlessly conveying his own angst and that was when the two of them simultaneously laid eyes on their commanding beta but it wasn't Donghae that had their eyes widening in absolute horror. 

 

Donghae was on his hands and knees, his back to them but the two of them could still clearly tell what he was doing to the beautiful woman with long light brown hair who lay on the floor as white and as still as death. Without another moment lost, the two beta's scramble across the floor, crawling most of the way, as fast as their wounded and battered blood cover bodies were capable of moving. Neither of them notices that they left long smears of blood and dirt on the floor behind them as all of their attention was on the Lycan princess as Donghae desperately perform CPR on her. 

 

Just as they reached them, Changmin and Changwook heard a faint and weak heartbeat. 

 

Their eyes flare wide as they dare to hope for their princess whom they had fear was forever lost. 

 

Movement beneath his hands brought Donghae out of the trance he had unknowingly been trap within. There had been nothing else but his one purpose; to bring Jessica back to him. That was all that matter to him now. 

 

For the seemingly endless minutes that his wife had been gone Donghae had essentially been as dead as his wife had been. He had felt nothing, thought nothing, had been aware of nothing but the heart beneath his hands that he was determined on forcing to beat again, to bring his wolf mate back to him. 

 

Without Jessica, he was lost. Without Jessica, he might as well be dead because she was his everything. Living even a moment without her would have been completely and utterly unbearable. 

 

"Donghae!" 

 

The familiar voice that thunder in his ear returns him to the land of the living, in all meanings of the expression and all at once Donghae realize that his efforts had rewarded him. 

 

Jessica was coughing. 

 

Jessica was alive. 

 

He could hear her heartbeat. He could feel her presence once again through their mate link. 

 

Jessica was alive. Jessica had returned to him. She had come back from the dead. 

 

May the moon goddess praise the mortals for they had been the one who had invented the method that had brought his mate back to him. 

 

Tears of joy ran freely down his face but Donghae scarcely notices as he leans down over his wife, gently cup his wife's precious head in his shaking hands and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and listening to the steadying beat of her heart. 

 

Jessica had come back to him. Jessica was alive. The center of his being, the very essence of his soul would live. 

 

They would both live. 

 

Never in all his centuries had Donghae been so terrified nor so close to his own death. He had fought in countless of wars, he had been gravely injured more times than he could ever hope to recall but never had he been so close to the abyss, for if his wolf mate had truly died then he would have promptly followed. He couldn't nor would he ever know life without her. Jessica was what matters most to him, more than his pack and his loyalty to his prince which Donghae had long considered his purpose for living, his duty, and burden. 

 

Donghae loves Jessica with all the love he had to give; she was everything good in him and in his world. Jessica was his sun, his moon, his stars, his air, his water and his everything else. He could do without anything else but Jessica. His existence before Jessica had been born had been dreary and hollow. He had been born the day Jessica had and he would die the moment Jessica did, the day she was beyond saving but thank the goddess, today wasn't that day. Jessica was alive. Her heart was beating and she was drawing breath. The terror still remains in him, only now it no longer paralyzes him because she hadn't yet woken but now Donghae could feel her mind and he was confident that she would wake, once her weaken and exhausted body had rested. 

 

That was what had woken him; the severing of their mate link as Jessica had died had wretched him violently from his unconscious state but now it was all back, the mate link between them was just as strong as it had ever been. He could feel her as she slumber. He could feel her peace and love for him that had always been there since the moment they had link, it was the very foundation of their link. No matter what else they were feeling, beneath it at the link's core there was love and trust. 

 

Jessica live. She had come back to him. 

 

The pain in Changmin's throat told him that he still didn't have his voice back; the damage to his larynx must have been a lot worse than he had originally thought. He would have his voice back soon enough but it wouldn't be soon enough. Changmin wanted to offer words of reassurance to Donghae, promising that Jessica would be ok, that her heart was already beating strongly considering her weakened condition and long moments trap in death. Changmin wanted so desperately to remind Donghae who lay over his love desperately holding onto her as he wept freely with joy that Jessica was the strongest woman he knew and she would live to rage her temper against him again but the best Changmin could do in his mute state was reach out and place his hand on his brother's shoulder, silently offering what comfort he could. 

 

For a long moment neither man move but as the moments turn into a minute Changmin became more and more aware of the battle in which they were quite literally in the middle of but unfortunately, now that Jessica lives, there were more pressing matters that needed attending too. 

 

Such as the battle they were literally right in the middle of. 

 

Once certain that Donghae had all the time to hold his wife that they could spare right now, Changmin tighten his grip on his commanding beta's shoulder and pull him up into a sitting position. 

 

Donghae turns to him questioningly, he was clearly still more than a little out of it and Changmin unable to explain, nodded in their prince's direction. 

 

Donghae's gaze lifted, following Changmin's nod to see their weak and injured prince and his combat-inexperience wolf mate battling Yoochun. 

 

A battle they were very obviously losing. 

 

They needed aid but the rest of the pack were engage in their own battles against an enemy that greatly outnumber them; there was no one to spare to help the royal couple. No one but the one beta still capable of rising to his feet. 

 

"Go. Your mate lives, now do your duty." Changwook's usually hard voice was gentle with understanding and fierce promise, "We will watch over her. No more harm will come to her." 

 

Donghae hesitated. He knew his brother betas were right but he just couldn't leave Jessica. Not when he had very nearly lost her forever, not when she had just come back to him and especially not when even the slightest possibility remains that she could slip away again. 

 

"Your mate lives." Changwook repeated his tone now much harder with urgency and the weight of duty, "Now go tend to your duty so that your mate's near-sacrifice will not have been in vain. Jessica was willing to die to save those two, are you going to deny her what very nearly was her dying wish?" 

 

Donghae's heart lurch and even though he felt downright nauseous from his lingering terror at the near loss of his wife, Donghae knew that Changwook was right. Jessica had been willing to give her life so that her brother and his mate might live and claim victory. How could he do any less than re-join the fight to protect the prince Donghae had spent centuries serving? 

 

For Jessica. For the future, they would all have. 

 

Donghae turns back to his wolf mate, kiss her gently on her warming but still pale lips and then slowly, weakly rose to his feet. He was exhausted and wounded but he was the strongest of the three betas and Changwook was right. He had to trust his wolf mate to his brothers and join the fight or else all of this would be for nothing. 

 

It was his mate's wish that Yunho and Yuri survive this day and survive it with their freedom and Jessica's wish was his command. 

 

Yunho was the prince, alpha, and brother to both Jessica and himself. Donghae had allowed himself to forsake his sworn duty to his alpha for the sake of his wolf mate but now that Jessica live once again he could forsake his duty no longer. 

 

Donghae knew it was Yoochun who had very nearly ended the life of his wolf mate, Yoochun's scent on Jessica's bruise and swollen throat was unmistakeable and deep within a burning hot rage hunger for revenge for the pain and harm Yoochun had cause, not just Jessica and himself but also those he called family. 

 

Yoochun had hurt and killed so many this night, the pain and suffering the damned king had brought down upon them would last well beyond the hours of this night. The time had come for Yoochun to suffer before he joins his fellow fallen damned writhing in the deepest pits of hell. 

 

Yuri had never fought in a real fight in her life and she had especially never fought one on four legs with a tail and if it hadn't been for Yunho constantly shouting orders into her head and diverting Yoochun's attention from her she would no doubt be dead or dying. 

 

Each time she recklessly attacks Yoochun, knowing what she was doing was reckless didn't keep her from the fight, Yunho was right there to keep Yoochun's attention, along with his teeth and claws off of her but Yuri had no experience in battle and even less in attacking as a Lycan. She had no idea what she was doing and was mainly acting and reacting on instinct and Yunho's order. As a result, Yuri had done almost no damage to Yoochun and Yunho was too busy keeping Yoochun from hurting her that he had no chance to cause any damage himself. However, Yoochun was under no such disadvantage; he had ample chances to cause Yunho even more injuries. Yuri fear that Yunho wouldn't be able to last much longer and facing Yoochun alone in a fight Yuri knew that she wouldn't last long against him. 

 

There had to be something she could do. 

 

'Yuri, focus!' 

 

Yuri's sharpen gaze flickered to her wolf mate while Yunho's reprimand was still echoing around her skull in time to see that Yunho's single moment of distraction had cost him. 

 

Yoochun lashes out with his claw hands and caught Yunho across the shoulder and Yunho cried out in pain as sharp claws slice through skin, flesh, and muscle. 

 

Instinctively, Yunho leaped back away from Yoochun and took a more defensive stance, noting right away a weakness in his arm that hadn't been there moments ago. 

 

Damn! With each new injury, Yunho slows down a little more. Eventually, Yoochun would stop playing with him and go for the kill. 

 

Literally. 

 

Without a single thought for herself, Yuri leaped in front of Yunho, the front half of her massive Lycan body held low in a rigid offensive stance, ready to spring at any moment and growl threateningly through her razor-sharp teeth. 

 

Right now Yuri wasn't a woman protecting the man she loves but a fierce creature protecting her injured mate from danger. 

 

That was the last time Yuri was going to let Yoochun hurt Yunho and it was absolutely the last time that Yunho would get himself hurt because she was distracting him. 

 

Yoochun grin with cruel anticipation at her as he tenses his own body, "Such a temper for such a small thing. I see hurting him distresses you then allow me to ease your suffering." 

 

Yuri tense every muscle in her wolf body, waiting warily for the attack she knew was coming. Her entire being was focus on Yoochun, so much so that she couldn't even hear Yunho screaming at her in her head not to try to take Yoochun alone. 

 

Yoochun lunged at her but before Yuri could lunge at Yoochun, a large red and black blur caught Yoochun by surprise from the side, catching Yoochun in mid-lunge. 

 

Yuri's ear perks up as she recognizes the pelt of the Lycan who had taken Yoochun by surprise and was now savagely attacking Yoochun with murderous vigor as they tumble across the floor, each trying to regain their footing while at the same time trying to kill the other. 

 

Or in Donghae's case, trying to tear Yoochun into pieces with his savagely snarling snapping jaws that were slick with dripping saliva that was going in all directions. 

 

No. It couldn't be. 

 

If Donghae was there fighting Yoochun, did that mean Jessica was...? 

 

No. Donghae would never give up on Jessica. 

 

Yuri spun her head around and zero in on Jessica who still lay where she had fallen, to see Changwook and Changmin on their hands and knees, kneeling protectively over Jessica as they kept her from harm in the middle of the inside battlefield. 

 

Jessica was alive. Yuri could see the color that had return to her once lifeless face. 

 

Jessica was alive. 

 

'Easy Yuri!' Yunho snap, although his mental tone was one of relief and a hint of joy, 'Remember I'm in here too.' Yuri roll her eyes as she felt a wave of Yunho's love for his sister and joy that she live, 'Like I could forget.' Unfortunately, the moment ended and they both return their attention to Yoochun and Donghae to see that the two had managed to find their feet and separate; they now stood feet apart, Yoochun hissing at Donghae while Donghae snarl and growl back as they circle each other looking for an opening. 

 

Yuri turns her massive furry head and looks Yunho in the eye with one ear perk in question, 'Can you still fight?' Yunho gave her the smallest of loving smiles as his eyes twinkle with love and lingering joy, 'With you by my side, I can do anything.' 

 

Yuri couldn't return his smile, she didn't know how so instead Yuri sent a wave of warm love through their mate link, allowing him to feel her love for him. 

 

'Then let's go kick Yoochun's .' And the two hurriedly join Donghae, the three of them, Donghae and Yuri in Lycan form and Yunho in human form face Yoochun, ready to do battle together and put an end to Yoochun once and for all. 

 

Yuri was very satisfied at the sight of Yoochun's scowling expression; his sadistic grin was nowhere to be seen. Face with all three of them, Yuri could practically see the wheels in Yoochun's twisted mind turning. Yunho was dangerously weak and injured, Donghae wasn't much better and Yuri herself was inexperience in combat and with her new Lycan abilities while Yoochun was, for the most part, uninjured and was still strong enough to fight. However, it was still three against one and Yuri knew that Yoochun had to know that his chances of winning against three-to-one-odds weren't as favorable as they had been before Donghae had joined the battle. 

 

Yuri saw it in his black eyes the moment Yoochun made his decision and she knew what that decision was, just as Yunho did. 

 

Yunho knew Yoochun better than anyone alive and Yunho knew well that Yoochun hadn't survived for so long by taking chances with his life. 

 

In short, Yoochun was a coward and there was one thing all cowards did when the odds weren't tipped in their favor. 

 

Yoochun took a small step backward. 

 

"You may have won this battle prince!" Yoochun snarl, so viciously that his voice didn't even sound human, his face contorted with such evil rage and loathing that his face match that of human legend, without any humanity at all, "But the war will be mine!" And with his snarl menacing warning, Yoochun turn on his heel and like a flash was gone. 

 

With her new improve Lycan's eyes, this time he didn't disappear into thin air. Yuri saw a flash of him as he leaped over what was left of the manor's surrounding walls and disappear amongst the trees beyond. 

 

Yoochun was fleeing, leaving those left of his army to fight on without him and cover his escape. 

 

Yuri couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let Yoochun getaway to threaten them another day, to hurt and even kill more of her people. She was one of them now; she had the power, the strength to fight for others. So many had died for her and so many others had been prepared to die for her, they still were. How could she be prepared to do, to give any less for them? 

 

She had been given this amazing gift that she in no way deserve, although Yunho did and Yuri had to do everything she could to be worthy of it. She was scared but she wasn't alone anymore, she was a part of something that was so much greater than herself and she would throw herself wholeheartedly into it for the rest of her life however long that was. She would become everything Yunho and their pack needed her to be and without any more hesitation, Yuri will her new larger body forward, running on all four paws to the fence where she leapt into the air and was awed at how far and how high she so effortlessly went and with a flash of her chocolate brown tail, Yuri to disappear amongst the trees right were Yoochun had disappeared only moments before. 

 

Ignoring the nauseating smell of vomit, Yoona smoothly steps in front of Seohyun, glaring threateningly at Shinhye, warning her to keep her distance from her ill sister at her back. These people were crazy and Yoona knew enough from years of training in various forms of combat to know that each and every one of these people was dangerous. 

 

More so than anyone Yoona had ever met. She could read it in the way they stood, in the way they move and in the way they watch. They were very well trained; no they were more than that. These were men that had spent their entire lives guarding something that they had dedicated their lives to protect. Guarding something that they would die to protect and that made these men and Shinhye too, very dangerous and unpredictable. 

 

"Back off!" Yoona snaps at Shinhye, but her words were for them all. 

 

Yoona loves her friends more than anyone else in her life and she would never let anything happen to any of them, no matter what she had to do. 

 

Yoona tense, ready to fight all of them if need be to protect her family at her back. 

 

"I know this is hard to understand." Shinhye said soothingly, holding up her hands in a non-threatening gesture, "But I have spoken nothing but the truth to all of you. All of you are in danger as you will always be for the rest of your lives. I'm sorry but none of you can return to the lives you had, not without being a constant target of the damned. Such was the lesson learned by the Lycan's prince in regards to his own mortal mate." 

 

Yoona said nothing. What could she say to that, especially when she didn't understand any of it? 

 

Just what delusion were these people so reverent of? 

 

Taeyeon reaches out and took hold of Yoona's elbow, pulling her back ever-so-slightly. 

 

Yoona understood Taeyeon's unspoken plead. Taeyeon didn't want her to start anything, to act before thinking. Yoona took no offense. She knew Taeyeon as well as she knew any of her sisters and she knew that Taeyeon was fearful for Seohyun and Yoona herself before her own well-being. No doubt Taeyeon's highly intelligent brain had already calculated Yoona's very slim chance against such unfavorable odds but what other choice did Yoona have? These people were dangerous and it was very clear that they weren't going to let them go voluntarily. 

 

To make matters even worse the three of them were trapped in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night with no functioning vehicle. 

 

Seohyun wipes with the back of her hand as she straightens, ignoring the bad taste in , the burning in and her still queasy stomach. 

 

The entire situation felt so surreal like a dream, except Seohyun knew that despite the absurdness of the situation, there was no waking up from this. How could their lives have changed so dramatically in a matter of hours? 

 

Who was Seohyun kidding? Her life had been changed forever in a single moment. The very moment Seohyun had felt that connection with Yonghwa, Seohyun had instinctively known that her life would never be the same again. Whatever situation they had been pull into, whoever Yonghwa was, Seohyun couldn't deny what she felt so strongly. 

 

There was something there, something between Yonghwa and herself that she felt compelled to explore, to embrace but Seohyun had no time for that right now. No time to reflect on any of this, not until Seohyun knew that Yuri was alive and safe. Not until Seohyun saw that Yuri was alright for herself could she spare another thought about anything else. 

 

They had come to find Yuri and that was what they were going to do. Everything else could wait until then. 

 

It had too. It was too much, too complicated for Seohyun to absorb right now and Seohyun felt more than a little guilty that she was using Yuri as an excuse to delay in facing whatever this was, with Yonghwa and those who follow him. 

 

"Yoona." Seohyun spoke, barely louder than a whisper, beseeching her to stand down and then Seohyun lean to the right, poking her head out from behind Yoona until she could meet Shinhye's eyes, "I want to see Yuri. I need to know she's safe." 

 

Seohyun saw the relief in Shinhye's penetrating eyes in the brief moment before the woman bows her head and place her fisted hand over her heart, "As you wish." 

 

Shinhye straightens and reach into her black solid open front long blazer and pull out a black iPhone 4. Before she press even a single button, the cell phone slip from Shinhye's short fingers and fell unnoticed to the ground with a soft plastic clatter and then, as if they were all well-rehearsed actors in a play, all of the men surrounding them spun around on their toes until they were facing the darkness that surrounded them. 

 

For long silent moments, there was nothing. Everything was silent and still, there was absolutely no sound, none of the usual sounds of the night. No crickets chirp, no night birds call. Even the wind and trees were silent as if mother nature herself was on alert along with those guarding them. 

 

It felt unnatural and it scare the hell out of Seohyun so much so that every instinct she had was screaming at her to run and it was all Seohyun had to do to remain where she was. 

 

Unconsciously, Seohyun took a step closer to the wrecked car at her back, instinctively putting something at her back. 

 

Seohyun's mind was dazed and she felt so mentally exhausted that all she wanted to do was sleep to rest her mind as well as her body, despite the adrenaline flooding her veins. 

 

Something had put these men on alert and not knowing what it was didn't help any at all. 

 

Seohyun was so fed up with this whole night. So much had happened tonight and she was so over it, she didn't want to face it anymore, she just wanted to find Yuri and return to their normal safe lives. Things had become very strange as a matter of hour ago, beginning with Yuri's call, no scratch that, things had been strange since before Yuri had disappeared weeks ago without a single word of warning and since then things had continued to get strange until about thirteen minutes ago when they had left and had driven straight into bizarre and taken a sharp left into creepy and it all had something to do with Yuri and the dark red-haired male with the haunting gorgeous eyes that stole her breath and held her bewitch. 

 

"To arms!" Shinhye abruptly shouted authoritatively, her entire body rigid as she stares with hard alert eyes into the darkness in front of them, "Prepare once again for battle! Don't forget what it is you fight for!" 

 

Yoona, with the grace and swiftness of someone who had spent most of her life training her body for physical combat, twirls around on the toes of one foot and planted herself firmly in front of her two sisters. 

 

Seohyun shook her head, both physically and mentally, dislodging the ill-timed thoughts that form out of the fear she was struggling to keep under control. 

 

Beside her, Seohyun notice Taeyeon wrap her arms around herself and needing comfort as much as she needed to give the smallest of the three of them comfort, Seohyun closes the tiny space between them and wrap her arms around her protectively. 

 

Again acting as one, the men that circle them took long steps backward, shrinking the circle until they were virtually shoulder to shoulder. 

 

"Oh my god." Yoona breathed in near terror and took another step back, bumping into the two of them and pushing them against the bumper of the car. 

 

Still holding Taeyeon close, Seohyun fought down her fear and dread at Yoona's reaction to what she had seen and against her better judgment, Seohyun follows Yoona's gaze to see what had Yoona so terrified. 

 

Seohyun's breath caught in . 

 

It was a wolf but this was no ordinary wolf. It looks like something straight out of Stephen King's nightmares. 

 

This wolf was five times the size of her car. Its feet were larger than those of an elephant and it had to stand at least four feet higher than Yoona. Its fur was scruffy and the color of rotting hay. Its eyes were black, blacker than any black Seohyun had ever seen, blacker than even the deepest darkness around them and its teeth. Oh god, it's teeth. They could hardly be call teeth. They were longer than her hand and its mouth was full of them and it was snarling savagely, intentionally displaying all of its teeth. 

 

Seohyun whimper in terror as she shrank back against the cold metal of her car. She didn't need to fight the urge to run anymore. She was frozen in terror. 

 

Shinhye was suddenly in front of all three of them, she had somehow moved so fast that they hadn't actually seen her move, her arm pointing at the impossibly large wolf, her eyes blazing with cold hard purpose, "Kill them!" Shinhye commanded loudly, "Protect the women at all costs! Surrender your very lives if need be but no damned shall break the circle!" 

 

At her words, every second man in the circle that surrounded them step forward and out of the circle while those who remain step back once again forming a smaller protective circle around them. 

 

Unbelievably the men of the front line started advancing on the wolf. 

 

Not one of them seems to be armed with anything other than their bare hands. Not one of them seems alarmed that they were facing a massive wolf unarmed. 

 

Seohyun tightens her hold on Taeyeon. Regardless of her fear Seohyun still felt the need to protect the smallest of her sisters. Like her, Taeyeon was pale and her eyes were firmly fixed on the bluish wolf with black eyes that was bigger than the car at their back. It was as big as a damn Hummer. 

 

"What the hell is that?!" Yoona demanded of Shinhye, fear making her voice uncharacteristically high pitch like a terrified blonde in a horror movie that was about to get gruesomely slice up. 

 

"That." Shinhye answer sharply, her focus on the impossibly huge savage wolf, "Is a Lycan damned. One of the very monsters we are here to protect you from." 

 

For the first time, one of those who stood in the protective circle between Shinhye and those advancing on the wolf with lethal intent, turn and look at the three of them, his confident expression shows no sign of fear or doubt, "Fear not, my ladies. We will not let any harm befall you. If need be we all will lay down our lives for you." 

 

Inside of Seohyun's embrace, Taeyeon whimper softly and wrap her arms around Seohyun but instead of holding her tight as Seohyun expected her too, Taeyeon yanks her back until Taeyeon was standing in front of Seohyun by Yoona's side, her stance was timidly protective. 

 

Taeyeon didn't understand what was going on but in her logical mind, she knew without a single doubt that it was all focus on Seohyun and quite possibly Yuri as well and she was going to do what little she could to keep them from getting hurt. Unlike Yoona, Taeyeon had no battle skills or greater than average womanly strength but she had her determination and her need to protect her friends who had always protected her from everything that could possibly cause her harm. 

 

Last year when a boy, he had been twenty years old but his level of maturity had been closer to that of an eight-year-old, Taeyeon had been tutoring had become disturbingly attach to her, it had been Yoona, Seohyun, and Yuri who had ended the situation before it had evolved into something dangerous. He had started stalking her and having always been a good girl who had limited experiences with the opposite , Taeyeon had been ill-equip to deal with the situation but her friends hadn't been. Yoona and Seohyun had made it very clear that he needed to back off and stay away from Taeyeon while Yuri had organized a girls night in with ice cream, chocolate and popcorn and the next morning all the three of them had started taking self-defense classes from Yoona that Yuri had suggested and arrange. 

 

Yoona had been surprisingly very knowledgeable on the topic, especially with how to incapacitate a male attacker. Quite frankly, it had made Taeyeon suspect that Yoona had more than one unpleasant situation with a pushy date who had no doubt promptly felt very sorry for his wrong-doings. 

 

Taeyeon remembers that day of their first self-defense lesson in the park by the campus. Standing on the cool lush grass in the park in amongst some trees they had used for some privacy Taeyeon had been reminded of how lucky she was to have such dear friends who care about her, who put each other before themselves. 

 

Taeyeon hadn't let herself forget that again and even though she was more terrified than she has ever been in her entire life, Taeyeon wouldn't back down. She was going to protect Seohyun just as tenaciously as Yoona intended and there was nothing that was going to make her back down. 

 

Not even a wolf that was more than five times the size it should have been. It was three times the size of the extinct saber-tooth tiger that had once roam the earth and its teeth were twice as long. All the exaggerated wolves Taeyeon had ever seen in horror movies were teddy bears compare to this monster of a beast. 

 

Taeyeon swallows and closes her trembling hands into fists. She was small and mostly unskill in combat but she had all the strength and will that real love granted those who put others before themselves. 

 

Seohyun's heart swells even despite her horror. She loves her friends so much; they were her family, family who love her in return. They both stood protectively in front of her, ready to defend her from a monstrous wolf that they wouldn't last eight seconds against. 

 

Without hesitating, Seohyun steps forward and took up Yoona's other side. If this was how it ended then the three of them would stand together. 

 

Shinhye look over her shoulder at the three young mortal women who stood shoulder to shoulder side by side as a united force and despite the threat, they were facing, Shinhye allows herself to smile a small proud smile that was only a little sad. 

 

The young women were so brave. Her prince had found a rare jewel in his mortal mate, one who had strength, a good true heart and who knew loyalty. Shinhye was happy for her prince and was proud to be the one chosen to protect his most precious treasure. 

 

Seohyun gave her hope that she would find her own mate someday but in some deep shielded part of her soul, Shinhye envied her prince just a little at finding such a special mate. 

 

Secretly, Shinhye had long ago come to believe that all the good qualities that had made their immortal ancestors cherish the human race were long gone. For far too long Shinhye had witnessed only greed, hatred and corruption in the mortal race but in one moment these three young mortals had altered her perception forever. There was still good in the mortal race and one day, as they had been so long ago, the immortal races would step back into the sun, metaphorically speaking in regards to the vampire race of course and become the teachers and guides of the mortal race once again. 

 

Movement drew Shinhye's eye back to the damned Lycan in time to see two more damned Lycans step out of the darkness, the two even larger than the first. It wasn't a surprise; after Shinhye and the unit had heard the first they had reached out with their senses and had detected the two lurking in the trees one hundred yards up the road who had been moving towards them at a mortal pace but it matter not. The three damned were going to fall just as easily as their counterparts had. Shinhye doubted any of the damned that had attack them tonight knew the importance of the black haired mortal they were escorting to the Lycan manor and it had most likely matter very little to them other than they had seen a target to attack. 

 

They had no idea just how fiercely they would fight to protect the three mortal women with them; likely all three of the damned consider Seohyun and her friends to be nothing more than tasty snacks they could delight themselves in while they no doubt guarded Yoochun's back and they were going to die for their impertinence. 

 

Shinhye grin like a demoness. A grin that if the three damned were smart would have had them back up in fear but they weren't smart and so they continue to advance with their eyes on the three mortal women. 

 

"Take them out," Shinhye said, in a voice so low that the mortals at her back wouldn't be capable of hearing but the immortals around her heard as clearly as if she had shouted the order. 

 

That was all her advancing offensive line needed. The six men, two for each damned Lycan rush forth and just like that their second battle of the night had begun. They had lost no man in the first attack and they wouldn't lose one in the second either, Shinhye was sure of it. 

 

Hopefully, prince Yonghwa was facing much more favorable odds at the Lycan manor. 

 

'Yuri! What the hell are you doing?! Come back to the manor immediately!' 

 

Yuri wince at Yunho's shouted words that exploded through her mind with a thick wave of anger and fear and immediately swerved to avoid running headlong into a tree as she ran in the pursuit of a fleeing Yoochun. 

 

It was so strange to have someone else in her head and she knew it was going to take her a very long time to get used to it. She could feel Yunho's heart-gripping fear for her safety and his desperation for her to return. She could also feel his rage at both his own inability to follow after her as quickly as he normally would have due to his injured and dangerously weaken state and at Yuri herself for being foolish enough, Yunho's phrasing, not her own, to pursue Yoochun alone. 

 

'I can't.' Yuri calmly answers him, again thinking of how strange it was to be having a conversation with someone else inside of her own head, 'This has to end. Yoochun must be stopped and you are in no condition to take him on, Oppa. I can feel how exhausted you are. Let me do this, believe in me.' 

 

Yuri could actually feel Yunho struggling against his urge to argue with her, to continue to push his point as he usually did and his warm endless love for her that demanded that she always be kept safe. Yunho wanted her to be safe but at the same time, he didn't want her to think for even a moment that he had no faith in her. 

 

'Yuri.' Yunho reassures her gently, 'I believe in you more than I believe in my own goddess who brought you to me. At your command, I would forsake my goddess for always and worship at your feet and yours alone.' 

 

The sincerity in Yunho's charming words humbles Yuri more than she could ever express. He spoke with truth, limitless love, and eternal devotion. How could such a man exist below the clouds of heaven? Yunho was more than this world could ever deserve in a guardian and so much more than she could ever possibly deserve. 

 

'Don't put me on a pedestal.' Yunho caution at hearing her thoughts, 'Come back to the manor. Please. I know Yoochun and I know what he's capable of. Now that he can't have you as his own he will kill you just to kill me in the most agonizing way an immortal can die.' 

 

'Oppa, do you think for a moment that I would let Yoochun kill me after this taste of being a Lycan? Or this bliss now that I'm your bonded mate?' 

 

Yuri pulls her attention back to the physical world and put her muzzle to the ground. Yuri was new at this but it wasn't hard to follow Yoochun's scent; it was so thick and distinctive that it was almost visible. The disgusting sickening scent of rot, blood, death, and something that was distinctly Yoochun that sicken her more than anything else was thick and fresh, it was almost too easy to follow. 

 

Yuri could smell the scent of the woods, of nature, of animals that had crossed her path in recent days and as much as she wanted to investigate each one, to learn and explore with her new abilities, Yuri force herself to ignore them. There would be time for that later. 

 

Deep in her mind where Yuri had felt Yunho's presence since the moment they had forge their wolf link, she heard him decide to switch tactics. 

 

'At least wait for me.' Yunho pleaded with her, his words accompanied by a wave of his fear for her safety. 

 

Yuri reach deeper into the link, Yuri was pleasantly surprised how naturally using their wolf link came to her, maybe she would master their link faster than she had thought, to learn that Yunho was struggling in vain to catch up with her. He was still in human form and limping urgently through the trees barely one hundred feet from the manor's wall as he follows her scent trail. The link was so powerful that Yuri could feel the bite of the coarse bark of the tree Yunho was at this very moment leaning against, trying to catch his breath for a single moment before continuing on after her. 

 

Yuri didn't waste her time telling Yunho not to follow her, mental or otherwise, as she knew he wouldn't listen to her. Besides, Yunho was moving too slowly to catch up with her any time soon. 

 

In response to her thought, Yuri sense Yunho quicken his pace, pushing himself harder than he ever had before in an effort to prove her wrong. 

 

Had Yunho had the strength Yuri had no doubt that Yunho would have growled at her in warning of her candid underestimation of him. 

 

Yuri mentally shook her head at him, the man could teach stubborn to a mule. 

 

All of a sudden Yuri skidded to a halt, her head spinning a little at the sudden halt after moving so fast but it took only a moment for the disorientation to pass, a single moment in which Yuri simultaneously realize two things. 

 

First, she was standing in a clearing with a single tree in the middle. The same clearing in which Yunho had been forced to kill his damned brother Jaejoong to save her life and second, Yoochun's scent had disappeared. It ended where she now stood, only a few feet inside of the clearing. 

 

Yuri looks around, confuse. Where had Yoochun disappeared too? How had he managed to cut off his scent just like that? And why hadn't he done so sooner if Yoochun had that ability? 

 

Yuri looks upwards into the tree, eyeing each branch with her now superhuman sight. With her new Lycan eyes, Yuri could see all the way up into the tree to its uppermost branches, branches which were empty and held no traces of Yoochun.

 

Deciding to put her new canine nose to the test, Yuri lowers her muzzle to the ground and inhale deeply. 

 

It was astounding all the things Yuri could smell. She could smell the scent of nature, the damp rich scenting earth, the damp thriving grass and the scent of decaying foliage from the dead dry leaves and twigs that did well to keep the earth damp and the animals that live in the forest. In fact, if Yuri wasn't mistaken a small creature had scampered through the clearing only a short while ago before continuing on its way and on top of all of that Yuri could also smell evidence of the violence the clearing had witnessed only a number of days ago. The smell of old rotting blood which even after many days still carried two separate scents, one of which Yuri recognize as Yunho's and the other, this one stronger as there was more blood to smell was Jaejoong's as he had died here. Strange, even days after his death part of Jaejoong still linger here but the only trace of Yoochun in the clearing was days old, no doubt from that very night that life's blood had been spilled here. 

 

As Yuri had seen countless of dogs do countless of times, Yuri move her nose back and forth along the ground, searching for a fresh scent of Yoochun. 

 

Deep in her own mind, Yuri felt Yunho's anxiety spike. 

 

In response, the hair on the back of Yuri's neck stood up as her newly acquire Lycan instincts scream a warning of danger at her. 

 

'Yuri! Get out of there!' 

 

Yuri lifted her head. 

 

All a moment too late. 

 

With a ferocious earth-shaking roar, Yoochun exploded from the trees behind her and rammed into her back end, sinking his extended vampire claws into the muscles and tendons of her hind left leg. 

 

With a wolfish scream of pain, the back half of Yuri's Lycan body drop to the ground with Yunho's warning becoming a roar of rage and pain mid-way through thundering through her mind and just as quickly as he had appeared, Yoochun was gone.