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New York City, New York, U.S.A.

“She’s gone now,” Kris said to the group, landing as light as a feather just between Lay and Luhan, both perched at the edge of a spire on the Empire State Building, as he folded his wings and retracted them into his back where two deep fissures lined the skin beneath his scapulae, all three of them overseeing the panoramic night view of city.

Lay noticed the tension gone from Kris’s expression, his features softened and relieved from the severe stress he was under just a mere half hour ago.

Kris had to make sure that Luhan’s sister was safe as she made her sweet escape while the rest of the team chased and killed her attackers, with Luhan acting as the group’s commander. Luhan never showed mercy towards his enemies.

“What do you mean she’s gone?!” Luhan bellowed, glaring at Kris.

Kris sighed. “Luhan, relax. She’s not dead. She’s gone to another country.”

“Wise choice,” Lay uttered. “And where did she actually fly to this time around?”

“Seoul,” Kris replied flatly.

Lay smirked. “I thought she’d go back to China or something.”

Luhan shot Lay a glare, which made the younger boy hum a favorite tune to ease the atmosphere before an impending storm. “She would not go back there.”

“We know. She doesn’t remember you…after all,” Lay said truthfully.

“She does,” Luhan countered angrily. ‘Doesn’t remember’ always stung Luhan and cut deep through his heart. “She was…forced to forget…that we are what we are.”

“Does it disgust you, Luhan?” Kris asked curiously. That she doesn’t remember you, or us, at all.

But Luhan thought Kris was asking if he was disgusted of himself, disgusted of being a vampire. “No, but she did disgust me.”

Lay made a popping sound. He knew exactly what Luhan was talking about. It was way back when they were just kids when Luhan’s sister saw her older brother biting and blood from his very own friend. It scared her back then.

Meanwhile, Kris did not miss the falter, the regret, and the sadness in Luhan’s voice. All these years they had been together, Luhan never stopped watching over his sister from afar, protecting her without letting her know, and wishing her all the happiness she deserved to have. Kris and Lay had witnessed that brotherly love—or, sometimes they thought it was something else entirely, too—and saw to it that Luhan never forgot about himself along the way.

“Why do you think she went to Seoul?” asked Lay.

Luhan rolled his eyes at him, knowing that Lay already knew the answer. Lay always enjoyed teasing him by asking the obvious. “Who did you think was the first person she would run to?” Luhan asked crossly.

“Admit it, you wish she would run back to you when she gets scared like she used to,” Lay teased.

Luhan glared at him. “Shut up, er.”

Lay brought his hand over his mouth to hide his grin but his eyes had already taken the shape of crescent moons. Moreover, it was never possible to hide a secret from Luhan. The dude always seemed to know everything.

“So what happened to those vampires? Did you beat them to a pulp?” Kris asked, trying to ask nonchalantly when, in fact, he already wanted to chuckle at the stupidity of his own question.

“We crushed them until they were nothing but ashes,” Luhan said with a snarl.

Lay raised an eyebrow, then said, adding new information he knew Kris would be interested to know about. “Yes, and dear savior ran wild again. In case you’ve forgotten…” Lay pointed his index finger up in the sky then gave the two older vampires a cheeky smile.

Kris looked up and knew exactly what it was all about. It was full moon. Tao, who was never ever able to control his thirst and his carnal tendencies, always lost himself during this vulnerable time of the month. Kris groaned inwardly while running his hands through his hair in frustration. He was the group’s leader, and Tao’s well-being was his responsibility, just like any other member’s was his too.

“Sooman’s gonna kill me,” Kris muttered to himself.

Lay patted him on the back. “Don’t worry. Xiumin and Chen got him. Tao just forgot to take his ‘medication’ before…uh…the rescue.” He paused for a while. Meaning to annoy Luhan, Lay said jokingly, “I can’t believe he was tonight’s knight in shining armor.”

Joining in the tease, Kris added, “I would’ve died for that role.”

Lay shrugged. “What can we do? Tao is an adorable, innocent beast.”

Luhan glared at them both. “Speak another word and I’ll cut your tongues!”

Smiling, Lay whispered to Kris, “Someone’s jealous. Isn’t he scary?”

Kris just nudged Lay on his side with his elbow. “Where are the other three, by the way?”

“Downtown,” Lay replied. “After Tao went back to normal, those three pigs could still not just resist food. Should we come get them, Duizhang?”

“We have to. We need to fly back home tonight.”

Luhan scoffed in annoyance but followed, as the three of them leaped from building to building and blended in with the bustling citizens of the City That Never Sleeps.

“YAH, PARK CHANYEOL!” a voice boomed the moment Chanyeol shut the door behind him.

Chanyeol sighed as he saw all the rest of the members—ah, except for one—gathered in the living room. Suho and Kyungsoo were too busy playing poker on the floor. Sehun was sprawled on the couch while drinking his favourite chocolate boba tea, his feet resting on Baekhyun’s lap while the other man sat at the end of the couch, all concentration reserved for his favorite drama being aired at that time.

It was Sehun who had just yelled at him.

“Kiddo, what’s your problem?” Chanyeol asked. He was trying to act casually, but he thought it wouldn’t really work.

Suho and Kyungsoo set aside their game and stood up to face Chanyeol. Both boys opened their mouths to say something, but Kyungsoo motioned for Suho to go first. “Do the honor.”

“No, you first, Kyungsoo,” Suho urged.

Kyungsoo sighed with closed eyes. When he opened them again, they were red and his face looked really angry. “HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?! BRINGING OVER A HUMAN GIRL INTO OUR LAIR?!”

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