Thick splatters of rain crash down against the windshield, the slick road looks to be a never-ending black sea lightly illuminated by the headlights of the car. Luhan eyes trace the raindrops as they race across the window while his mind runs over the past few days. Only a couple of weeks ago he had thought Sehun to be dead. Now here he was, taking Luhan to see the head of his coven. This decision was only decided late last night; hours of debating and explaining led Sehun to give the mysterious ‘Wufan’ a phone call. It’s just after one in the morning when Sehun and Luhan fall asleep with the promise that tomorrow will be the day determining whether or not Luhan will be allowed to join Sehun’s side in the ranks of vampirism.

Luhan can’t hold back the shudder that racks his body at that thought. Regardless of his seeming acceptance of vampirism Luhan still holds his doubts and insecurities. A life of shadow and night, blood and flight, enhanced senses and supernatural abilities – it’s a lot to try to fathom as an actual possibility and not a haunting horror story. Another shiver skates down his spine and this time Sehun seems to take notice, he turns the heat up as he glances at Luhan a look of worry casting over his handsome features.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. Just…nervous.” Even to Luhan his voice sounds meek, frail.

Frowning Sehun focuses back on the road. He can feel Luhan’s apprehension as if it were his own, thick and heavy. “Look don’t be scared ok? I promise you that no matter what happens tonight that I won’t let anything bad happen to you.” ‘I love you’. Of course Sehun leaves that part out, for some reason he feels that the words can’t come out. Those three years of absence had stolen his right to tell Luhan that he did and still does love him.

Luhan nods, feeling slight better, if only marginally so. To distract himself he starts to talk, “Your coven. What are they like? You said that there was more to the whole underworld than what horror movies let on.”

Sehun cracks a smile at the thought of his coven, thoughts of the ten guys that he now calls a family collecting in the forefront of his mind. “There are eleven of us total including myself. Wufan is our leader; he’s the oldest of us all. Then there’s Joonmyun, he’s essentially our second in command, and the second oldest of all of us. Then there’s Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Yixing, Jongdae, Kyungsoo, Jongin, Minseok, and Tao.”

“A-are you the youngest?” Luhan inquires, eyes shifting away from the window to focus on the silver haired male next to him.

“In actual age, yes. As in vampiric age, no. Minseok was turned a few months after I was, and Tao just got turned about five months ago. Be careful around him by the way, he isn’t fully in control of his Thirst.”

“How long does it take?”

“To control our Thirst?” Luhan nods a small yes. “It depends on the vampire and the coven. For some it’ll take decades, for others it can take a year. In our coven it takes about a year or two to get a semi-decent control over our Thirst.”

“Why?”

Sehun casts a wayward glance at Luhan, a light smirk on his lips as he takes in Luhan’s wide eyes and the enthralled expression on his face. “It has something to do with our purpose. I honestly can’t say much more than that. Not all vampires or covens are the same; we all have a role to play in the night world.”

The conversation gets cut short as the car suddenly starts to slow down. Bewildered Luhan quickly looks around. They’re driving onto a long, spindly road boarded on either side with towering trees that look grotesquely menacing on the backdrop of the ink black night only to be lit up by intermixed strikes of lightening. Out of the dim glow of the moon and the bright flashes of lightening Luhan can make out the silhouette of a rather large house. The closer they get the easier it is to make out the features of the remarkably western fashioned house; low wide steps lead to a broad porch, nearly desolate save a few brambles of wood. Sehun pulls the car to a stop in front of the house before he steps out, umbrella overhead and to Luhan’s side of the car. Luhan huddles close to Sehun as they slosh through the downpour and up the front porch, thankfully protected from the unceasing deluge by the awning overhead held up by four massive columns.

Looking around Luhan finally realizes that there’s no front door or windows, just blank walls with hints of water damage crawling up their sides, with a buzzing florescent light flickering on the ceiling. Sehun doesn’t appear perturbed by this fact; he simply slips his arm over Luhan’s shoulders and guides him to the far end of the porch. They stop in front of a black square in the ground; Sehun closes the umbrella and hands it to Luhan before bending down and tracing a shape in the wood with his index finger. Sehun pauses only for a moment for his sign to set in before the door creaks and groans, slowly opening with a plume of dust gathering in the air. Luhan peers down into the dark hole in the ground only able to make out the beginning of descending steps as they sink down into darkness.

“It’s kind of weird but this is our front door, only those of our coven can open it.” Sehun claims, stepping down the first few steps,

Luhan startles into action at the booming clap of thunder. Swiftly clutching ahold of Sehun’s hand Luhan pulls them both down the first few steps, stopping as the door slams shut and a darkness pitch as tar blankets his eyes. The air is thick and musty and Luhan finds himself gasping in deep breaths of cool damp air, the lack of light suffocating. Sehun is quick to take the lead, pulling at Luhan’s hand and noting that even in the cold underground Luhan’s skin is remarkably warmer than his own. Clutching Luhan’s hand in a grip just a bit too tight Sehun slowly guides the way down the uneven dirt steps. Their trek is interrupted a number of times as Luhan trips and stumbles over the broken floor below them, Sehun is always there to catch him, pulling the shorter male close to his chest in the name of helping him keep his balance. Sehun refuses to admit the pleasure he gets in holding Luhan close, his warm thin body pressed tightly against his cool one. Luhan’s calming scent of cinnamon and vanilla tickling his senses just enough to leave him yearning for more, wanting to taste.

Shaking the borderline disturbing thoughts from his head Sehun rushes them up another set of dirty stairs coming to a stop in front of yet another black door. Repeating the same process form the door above Sehun traces a symbol into the decaying wood, waiting only a moment before the door croaks open.

A sudden rush of light filters into the dark underground, Luhan squints over Sehun’s shoulder as they walk into a short foyer. The foyer is sparsely decorated, a coat rack and a long inn table line one wall, and a heavy dark iron chandelier hangs above, displaying its dull light over the beige walls. Sehun’s pulling him along before he can comment on the lack of substance.

The next room is much larger, the walls are remarkably blank, and other than the sparse furniture nothing else clutters the room. Against the far wall hangs a large plasma screen HDTV, twin leather couches face towards it with a wide glass coffee table squatted in the middle of the space. Sitting on the left hand couch is a tall back view of a man with honey hued hair. He rises gracefully as they enter the room and slowly make their way around the couch.

Sehun stops just to the right of him, a small smirk on his face as offers a greeting, “Nice to see you, Wufan.”

Wufan gives a slight incline of his head, his lips quirking slightly as he fixes he’s ruby red eyes on Luhan. Luhan, for his part manages to keep eye contact with the eerie red irises. It’s as if with just his stare Wufan can discern all of Luhan’s pasts, his secrets, shortcomings, abnormalities; it puts Luhan off, makes his chest feel tight and breath solidify in his chest as if awaiting some divine judgment. What seems like hours later but in reality is only a minute gone, Wufan breaks eye contact in favor of asking, “Is this the infamous Luhan?”

“Yeah, this is Luhan. Luhan this is Wufan, the leader of our coven.” Luhan slaps on a weak smile that falls into a disturbed grimace as Wufan throws him a disarming smirk, fangs bared in a feral mockery of a snarl. Luhan’s muscles tighten, he’s pretty sure that the stiffness of his posture is noticeable but at the moment he can’t be bothered to care. Wufan’s nostrils flare a little and Luhan swears up and down that Wufan can practically taste the apprehension and fear coursing through his veins.

Sehun provides a nice reprieve for Luhan as he blocks Wufan from the shorter male’s line of sight with a low rumbling growl, “Wufan. Please.”

With his head tipped back Wufan lets out a throaty chuckle, “Sorry, but it’s always funny to see how they react. Tao nearly pissed himself before I turned him.”

Leveling Wufan with a stern glare Sehun drops exasperatedly onto the couch, “And now he can’t shower alone. You’re to blame you know that?”

Wufan flips back beside Sehun, slouching down as he throws his long arms over the back of the couch. Luhan slowly takes a seat beside Sehun, as the other two fall into brotherly banter. Luhan can’t help but to feel lost as they mention names with no faces and revel in memories in which Luhan wasn’t present. His heart gives a wistful tug as he watches Sehun’s eyes crease into smiles at something Wufan says; it makes Luhan yearn to do that himself. Ever sense they got reunited it seems like all they could do was to yell at each other, three years’ time opening up a void between them too big to jump. Belatedly Luhan realizes this is the first time he’s seeing Sehun smile and laugh in earnest, and as much as he sight delights him it only further serves to highlight the fact that he’s of another world. A world which Luhan would give his life to join.

---

He doesn’t want to interrupt, he really doesn’t. But Sehun and Wufan have been talking for nearly an hour straight, with barely any regards to Luhan’s anxious shuffling. Heaving another sigh Luhan, angles himself towards the edge of the couch, “Sorry to interrupt, but when are we…well when are we going to talk about –”

“You?” Wufan cuts him off, thick eyebrow cocked in amusement. Luhan has the decency to blush as he pushes out a yes.

Wufan slides up from his slouched position, fixing Luhan with a penetrating stare, “Have you really thought about all of this? I assume Sehun’s told you what you’ll be giving up, but have you really thought about it?”

For once Luhan feels a confidence backing his reply, “I’ll be giving up sunshine and the best taro bubble tea in the whole town. I’ll be giving up a dead end job and an apartment with a broken AC. My parents are dead; most of my friends have either moved away or gave up on me years ago. I don’t have any pets or attachments, because within the last three years all that I was attached to left me. I didn’t find making any new attachments worth it.”

Wufan keeps staring at him, as if waiting for him to back track and suddenly express some doubt, but Luhan is resolute in his decision. His life was dull and dwindling, his therapist that he’d stopped seeing months ago suggested depression as the root to all of his problems but Luhan knew it was more than that. Everything that he had loved and cared for vanished before his eyes within a span of three measly years. His very foundation uprooted and wrecked, and he was left to stumble over cracked pavements. Until Sehun. Sehun, his childhood best friend, his first love. Sehun within the few weeks of his reappearance rained havoc over Luhan’s mind, yet he also turned a monochrome world into something with color.

“It’s worth it because I’ll be with Sehun.” Luhan doesn’t break eye contact with Wufan, not even when he hears Sehun’s sharp intake of breath. A small smile slowly worms its way onto Wufan’s countenance, it’s a warm smile, as if proud and pleased by Luhan’s response. Luhan lets out a small shuddery breath and mentally pats himself on the back as if he’s just past some sort of a test as Wufan leans back into the couch.

“Well you’ve got a damn good amount of resolve, but that won’t get you turned. What can you offer me, that’ll make me want you in my coven?”

Luhan does a double take as Wufan’s words settle in. Casting Sehun a panicked glance Luhan expects to find him in just a bewildered if not distressed state. Sehun, however, is sitting with a steely expression on his face – brows furrowed and lips hard pressed in a thin line – with his toned arms crossed tightly over his chest. As if sensing Luhan’s floundering confidence he finally breaks his statuesque silence.

 “Wufan, does he really have to?” he says, dejection in his tone as he already can guess the answer.

“Of course. Luhan, Sehun,” Wufan waits until he has both of their eyes. “I won’t bend my rules just for you both. I was hoping that by asking me you already knew he had something to offer, like you and the others do. Please don’t tell me that you asked and brought him here without knowing if he had any promise.”

Sehun grunts, shifting imperceptibly in front of Luhan. “I was hoping for an exception. That’s not to say that he doesn’t have any promise, just it’s too soon to tell.”

Wufan’s tone darkens as his disappointment becomes evident, “Sehun, I thought you knew better.”

 “He can still be useful!” Sehun defends, voice escalating in volume as he tries to reason with Wufan.

The taller male just shakes his head as he rises to tower over them. “Sehun you know my rules.”

Sehun stands too, his height nearly challenging that of the blond male. Luhan can see the muscles underneath Sehun’s skin tense, veins popping out in his arms and hands. Slowly Luhan comes to stand behind Sehun, warily watching Wufan from around his figure. He in a sharp breath when Wufan’s crimson eyes fix on him. Sehun lets out a guttural growl that goes nearly unnoticed by both other parties as they stay fixed in their staring match. While Wufan’s face is nearly expressionless there’s something in his eyes that’s borderline deranged – his crimson orbs are nearly empty but there’s a hidden malice in them. The more Luhan stares into Wufan’s eyes the more he sees images of red flashing in his mind, his body feels wired, like it’s waiting to tumble off the edge of a cliff and into a feral madness.

“Wufan!” Sehun barks. Wufan snaps his gaze to Sehun leaving Luhan feeling like a deflated balloon as the images and sensations abandon his mind.

“I can’t turn him Sehun, and I can’t have him walking away with the knowledge that we exist.” Wufan bites out, making a move to step closer.

Sehun takes a step back, further pushing Luhan’s calves into the couch. “So what are you suggesting?” Sehun grunts as he changes into a more defensive stance before Wufan can even respond.

Wufan smiles lightly as he too adjusts his stance, “You know what I’m suggesting Sehun. Move.”

Luhan feels a force push him backwards, with a yelp he lands just in time to see Sehun lunging at Wufan. Their bodies slam together with a loud smack, a duo of growls issuing forth as they wrestle for dominance. Luhan can feel his body freeze in terror, leaking into every limb like freezing water. He can barely make Sehun and Wufan out as they move too fast for his eye to catch, it’s only when Sehun’s body goes pitching forward to crash through the glass inn table does his body work.

He’s on the floor patting at Sehun’s cheek within a second. Ignoring the broken glass that liters the floor around them, Luhan seizes upon shards of varying sizes sticking out of Sehun’s pallid skin as blood oozes in thick trails down onto the carpet. Sehun fists around Luhan’s wrist to stop him from patting. Haggardly he stands back up to face a waiting Wufan, before Luhan can utter another word Wufan is pouncing on Sehun.

Shooting up from the floor Luhan watches in panic as Wufan slams Sehun against a wall, leaving behind a bloody crater. A growing sense of helplessness gnaws at Luhan, choking him and constricting the air in his chest. He wants them to stop; he wants it all to stop. He can hear the growls and whimpers, smell the tang of blood.

STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP. STOP!

Luhan’s trembling. He’s crouched on the ground. Hands clapped over his head. Eyes squeezed shut. There’s silence, no noise, no commotion. Prying his eyes open he can see both Wufan and Sehun, frozen; immobile. Wufan is gripping Sehun’s shirt, Sehun’s hand is paused mid strike in the air. Their bodies are tense, muscles shaking and straining against some invisible force. A whoosh of air pushes out of Luhan and the other two fall backward with a scramble.

Not knowing what to make of it Luhan looks to Sehun for help but Sehun’s staring at him in bewilderment. Cocking his head he flashes his curiosity to Wufan only to find him leering at him with a surprised smile.

“So you do have something to offer me after all.”

--------

A/N: Unedited. Happy New Years (or New Years Eve in my case)! Thank you to everyone that has stuck around this long with my procrastinating . I love you.

You can also follow me at: http://nongujyonojoke.tumblr.com/ or http://exoexogossipgirls.tumblr.com/