Clock ticked on the wall. Donghae’s wide eyes locked with dark ones partially curtained by vermilion red hair. The color was more striking than last time he saw it. He blinked when the Vampire Prince smiled glanced at his alpha brother with a mocking smirk. Too embarrassed at the attention trained on him, Donghae turned his back to the visitors and observed a spot on his brother’s mahogany desk with a newfound interest.

“That’s great!” Kangta exclaimed and Donghae froze. On hearing the vampire’s voice, he had forgotten that Kangta was also in the room. He quickly turned around and bowed deep in respect. “Donghae,” Kangta said. “Come here.”

Obediently, he came closer to the powerful elder. “I’m very happy.” Kangta patted the younger gently. “I can’t wait to see you two get married.”

Donghae froze. So did every werewolf in the room.

“Neither can I,” Eunhyuk said, “Why don’t we get married today? Right here. Hyung, I wish for you to conduct our wedding rituals.” He requested Kangta.

“What?! Wedding?!!” Siwon exclaimed, his face paling at the suggestion.

“Don’t you agree with me, Alpha Choi?” Eunhyuk regarded the alpha with cold eyes. “Won’t you want to witness the union between your fellow alpha’s younger brother and his lover?”

Lover. Donghae shuddered.

“B-But isn’t it too soon?” Siwon tried to stall. He wanted to talk Donghae out of it and forget this madness. For that he needed time.

“It’s perfectly normal for our species, and yours also. Only humans socialize to announce the world about these matters.” Hyukjae replied. “Am I right, Donghwa hyung?”

The alpha who had been silent, extremely shocked by his younger brother’s unexpected approval, snapped his eyes to the vampire prince. He smiled, faintly, barely.

“I-I’ll leave this decision to my brother.” He said. He couldn’t believe that Donghae liked a vampire. A vampire. Did Donghae somehow forget that Eunhyuk was a vampire? He was ignorant at times. Or perhaps there’s another reason. He will ask his brother to explain himself soon. He might like the vampire but to marry him this soon might frighten Donghae to some extent.

“What do you say, Donghae-ssi? Should we get married now?” Eunhyuk asked the young werewolf.

A ‘no’ was on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to get married to this vampire in the first place. Stalling this wedding seemed to be an appealing option for him. But that would mean confronting his brother which might lead him to change his decision again and put his pack at risk. Sometimes, Donghwa cares a bit too much about him.

“Yes,” he answered in a voice too small that it was hardly audible.

“That’s great!” Kangta, who was standing right next to him, exclaimed.

Donghwa stared at his brother in disbelief. He had expected Donghae to disagree with Eunhyuk. Donghae’s is always unsure at first, after all. But the quick affirmation, with Kangta in presence, made him freeze.

“Donghae,” Donghwa muttered his younger brother’s name who ignored him regardless of hearing the call. But it was Siwon calling his name in a louder voice which he couldn’t ignore.

“Yes, Siwon?” Donghae turned his head in Siwon’s direction but didn’t meet his eyes.

“Are you sure?” The older spoke. Donghae opened his mouth to reply but Eunhyuk cut him in.

“Of course he is. Didn’t you hear, Alpha Choi? He likes me.” The vampire prince’s voice was soft yet with a hard edge to it. “Now you won’t do something as cruel as separating two lovers, will you?”

If it was anyone other than Donghae, Siwon would have answered politely and stepped back. But this was Donghae, his Donghae. Or not really his yet. He was waiting and he liked Donghae very much. If this marriage happened, the young werewolf could never be his.

Siwon remained silent in presence of Kangta. Eunhyuk wanted to marry Donghae and now Donghae had also given consent along with a confession. He’s the one who will look bad if he protests.

“It’s decided then. I’ll marry Donghae.” Eunhyuk said with finality. He raised his hand to begin the ritual. “I know that werewolves begin it by mating and marking.” He smirked and Donghae shuddered. “But that can’t be done here. I want to finalize it in a way so I request to follow the vampire rituals and swear blood oath with my fated.”

“But I need to talk to Donghae first.” Donghwa injected. Regardless of whether Donghae, his sweet little brother, liked Eunhyuk or not, the vampire prince was not an ideal match for him. The alpha remembered the threat that the vampire posed for his pack. He was informed about the creatures surrounding his pack, waiting to attack. God knows what he would do to Donghae. This man was not suitable for someone as sweet and innocent as his brother.

Donghae, on the other hand, panicked. His face paled even more. More than this marriage, he feared confronting his brother given the present circumstances.

“Can we talk later, hyung?” Donghae mumbled loud enough for his brother to hear but he didn’t look.

“But Donghae-,”

“Please, hyung.”

Seeing reluctance in Donghwa’s eyes, Siwon seized this chance to convince the boy. “Donghae, you should listen to your brother first.” He spoke smoothly and looked defiantly at the vampire prince who regarded him with a side glance.

“Why?” Eunhyuk smirked. “Want to give him some lessons for wedding night?”

Siwon proceeded to land a punch on the vampire’s face but Taecyeon stopped him subtly. Donghwa clenched his hands to tight fists under the table.

“H-Hyung,” a very red Donghae stuttered. “I know everything. P-please don’t.”

Eunhyuk almost snickered. He barely suppressed a smile. Kangta raised his eyebrows in surprise and then smiled.

“Stop teasing him now. We must begin the ritual.” He said. In the past, a vampire ritual in a werewolf land was seen as disrespectful, a call for war. Even though things had changed, they still had a problem  because it was a ritual to bind Donghae with a devious vampire prince.

“Here,” Jaehyung produced an antique box decorated with gold and silver lines. When he opened, a dagger rested upon red velvet cloth was revealed. The handle was gold, studded with diamonds.

Eunhyuk buried his hand in the box and curled his fingers around the golden handle. The werewolves in the room were on high alert. Siwon neared Donghae protectively as he stood in the most vulnerable position, in the most vulnerable state.

Dark eyes reflected on the blade, showing their dangerous intent, as sharp and lethal as the edge of the blade. The vampire prince lifted the other hand, palm up, and slid the tip of blade on his palm that left a trail of dark red blood. It was the first time Donghae saw a vampire bleed. The color was dark, too dark. No human or werewolf had blood of a shade that dark.  

The bleeding vampire offered the dagger to Donghae. He glanced hesitantly at Donghwa. When their eyes met, the older shook his head very lightly, a movement that he barely noticed. He saw the hesitance, the denial in his brother’s soft brown eyes.

Donghwa tried to tell his brother through eyes, convince him to rethink his decision. There was Kangta in the room, someone both vampires and werewolves respected. He couldn’t go against him. Vampires were strong but he could join forces with his friends and defeat them. Kangta, on the other hand, was a different deal. He was respected by both species. If he went against the elder, he’d lose confidence of his species also. The present situation, with Donghae willingly marrying vampire prince, wasn’t on his favor either.

For a single second, Donghae’s resolve wavered. The idea of a vampire, mixing his blood with someone of that species, made him want to disappear. He couldn’t do it. But then he remembered his pack. He was aware of the danger his pack could be in if he refused now.

“Take it, Donghae.” Kangin urged him. Tearing his eyes from his brother’s, he clasped his hand on the handle, cautious of not touching the vampire’s skin.

He was surprised that the dagger wasn’t shaking in his hand while his whole soul was trembling. Aware of the vampire wedding rituals, he barely pierced his palm to draw the smallest amount of blood and winced at the pain.

Donghwa gasped, wanting to reach out for his brother.

“Hold hands,” Kangta said and Eunhyuk wasted no time in taking hold of Donghae’s hand in a tight grip. Donghae almost recoiled at the touch but the vampire didn’t let him pull away. Kangta started chanting words that started binding their blood.

If Donghae was thinking that something magical could happen then he was in for disappointment. It wasn’t anything unusual. Wasn’t it supposed to be special? He didn’t know exactly how. Probably sparks. Or fireworks. His fellow werewolves always described wedding, the marking, as out of the world experience. An exaggeration. He lifted his eyes to the vampire prince’s whose eyes were downcast and almost bored. He seemed aloof, uninterested.

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