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blizzardfluffykpop · 10 months

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Candy Cane

Summary: A holiday party where everyone dresses up as a different holiday. The party where you meet your friend group’s old best friend from high school.

Oneshot

Fluff, Non-idol au, Strangers to lovers au

Word Count: 3,795

Minhyuk X Female! Reader

[Features! The rest of OT7]

Requested: Hiiiiii <3 Can I request A Holiday Dress Up Party with Minhyuk from Monsta X for a female reader? Thank you! ☃️

Prompt: 10. A Holiday Dress Up Party

[A/n: It’s not mentioned but Hyungwon is wearing a flower costume.]

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You call Hoseok up and ask if everyone is dressed up for the party, not wanting to be the only one in a silly costume. And he told you everyone was, but to reassure you he sent a photo of himself dressed in a comically large four-leaf clover with a green undershirt. You laugh and happily walk the rest of the way in your pink and white candy cane costume. You stay on the phone with him and ask, “Is there anyone I don’t know?” He hums, “Only one, I think? You don’t know him cause he’s been out painting murals in France? I don’t know where; you’ll have to ask him. But we’ve been friends since high school. And we talk about him all the time.” You nod, “Oh, am I finally going to meet Minhyuk? What’s he dressed up like?” He hums, “Yeah! I think a Champagne Bottle? I haven’t seen him in a while. I’ve been by the hors d'oeuvres for a while now.” You laugh, “Any good ones?” He quickly answers, “You’re gonna love the spinach feta croissant! If I don’t eat them all first!” You shake your head, “Good thing I’m approaching the door now.” He giggles, “Good thing!”

You ring the doorbell, and a red and green ornament, known as Hyunwoo, greets you. “Ah (Y/n). It’s good to see you.” You laugh, “It’s nice to see you too, Woo.” He smiles and lets you in, “How’s it looking?” “Good. Everyone managed to dress as a different holiday.” “Really?” He nods, “Yeah, I was surprised too!” You see a guy in a mask and immediately recognize, “Changkyun? Are you Guy Fox Day?” He groans, “I’m supposed to be anonymous.” You exchange a look with Hyunwoo before saying, “You’re doing a good job at it.”

You shake your head and find Hoseok eating a croissant, “(Y/n)!” You cheer, “Hoseok!” And Hyunwoo leaves you after grabbing a plate of different hors d'oeuvres, mainly tomato bruschetta. And Hoseok hands you a croissant, “How many did you eat?” “Um… many.” You chuckle before eating it yourself, and your eyes widen as you bite into it before quickly finishing it and eating another. You both finish up that plate with ease. A vampire, Kihyun, comes around and goes, “I had a feeling those would be gone first. It’s why I prepared seconds for the ‘rest’ of the guests to eat.” He emphasizes the ‘rest’ to you guys, making you both pout as you move away. His sharp canines glinting as you move away. You both mutter, “Meanie,” loud enough for him to hear, which causes him to scoff.

You both walk from it, and he goes, “When he leaves, I am stealing the plate until the pizza delivery comes.” You cackle, “Save me one.” He nods, “One.” You shake your head at him, and that’s when you spot the champagne bottle. “Is that him?” You ask softly, and he nods, “You want me to introduce you two?” You shrug, acting indifferent, even though the guy seemed quite handsome. “Minhyuk!” He looks up from his phone and smiles, “Hoseok! And who’s this?” He gestures to you, and you smile, “I’m (Y/n).” He puts his hand out to shake yours, “Minhyuk, it’s a pleasure to meet someone sweet like you.” He winks, and you laugh, “Are you just as bubbly as your costume?” You can hear Hoseok gulp as he makes his getaway. “Wouldn’t you like to find out?” You laugh, “I think we’re going to get along well.”

“I heard you were a painter?” He grins, “I paint murals.” You nod, “Is that why I haven’t met you before?” He nods, “I’ve been busy painting buildings all over Europe. But I’ve heard a lot about you from the guys.” You smile, “I’ve heard a lot about you too.” “All good things?” You think back, “I wouldn’t say that.” He cackles, “Good.”

He asks, “So, how did you meet them?” You grin, “I worked at the dinner on the corner near where Hoseok worked, and he brought Jooheon the first time they came in. And I slowly became each of their friends.” He smiles, “They’re a good bunch.” You grin happily thinking about all the times you’ve had with them, “Yeah.” You ask, “How did you meet them?” He smiles, “In art class, funnily enough. We each shared a class other than that one. And we became fast friends, but what sealed it was our shared lunch period. Which just led to major chaos.” You laugh, “Oh, I’ve heard you were the conspirator behind it all.” He grins, “Always.” You smile, and as he goes to ask you another question, you hear someone exclaim, “(Y/n)! (Y/n)!” You whip around from your conversation, “Yeah?!”

You turn to see Jooheon in a cupid outfit. You hold back your giggle, and he goes, “Pair with me, please?!” “For what?” That’s when you feel someone grab your hand and glance to see Minhyuk holding it, “She’s already taken, Joo.” He pouts, “I have no chance of winning, do I?” And you smirk, “Probably not.” He huffs before he shouts, “Hoseok! Hoseok!” You look back at Minhyuk and ask, “I’m taken?” He winks, “By me.” You can’t help but blush, and he asks, “Are you as good at games as they claim?” Your blush fades as you tell him, “I’d say so.” He smirks, “We'll make the perfect pair then.” That’s when you notice you’re still holding hands. You turn red all over again but don’t say anything or let go as you try to get a grip on reality. You just met the guy, and he’s best friends with your friends. What if he doesn’t actually like you? What if he is being super friendly, and it just sounds like he’s flirting? But then him winking after saying, ‘By me’ wouldn’t add up then.

You shake your head of those thoughts and squeeze his hand, and he leads you to the coffee table, which Kihyun is now standing on. “Alright! This year will be different because we have enough for perfect pairs.” You see everyone standing beside someone. “There will be no rule keeper or host this year. It’s cutthroat. The losing team will have to clean the whole house!” You eye Minhyuk, and his eyes glint with mischief. And you can’t help but grin. You were so winning this. “There will be five games! And the only real rule is if someone catches you and your teammate cheating more than once. You are both cleaning the house, instant elimination.” Your eyes widen, “I’ve never heard that rule before.” Minhyuk shrugs, “They won’t catch us.” You smirk, “I forgot I’m working with a pro.” He smirks, mirroring your expression, “We’ll win.” Kihyun goes over the games, “There will be Holiday Charades.” A few grumbles at that, and he continues, “Valentine’s basket toss,” “Pumpkin Stuffing,” “A true guessing game.” Hoseok and you immediately make an ‘ew’ sound, and you both laugh. “And my favorite, running the package!” You look over at Minhyuk, and he smiles, “That’ll be my favorite this year.” You tilt your head and ask, “What, why?” He smiles, “You’ll see.” You let go of his hand as you both help to arrange the living room better for the first game.

Hoseok claps his hands and goes, “Alright, charades!” “I’ll hold the poster until my team's turn, and… Candy Cane, you’ll hold it for us.” You look around for candy cane until you remember your costume, “Sounds fine, Clover.” You didn’t expect how good Hyungwon was at guessing what Changkyun was doing as he flew through them. Changkyun struggles a bit with guessing but does his best and finishes their papers. As Hyungwon high-fives Changkyun. He cheers, “Flower power!” You can hear Kihyun mutter, “Earth day kids…” Kihyun gets up, and Hyunwoo does pretty well, getting all but one. Kihyun does his best to guess what Hyunwoo is describing, so it takes him some time, but in the end, he gets them all with seconds to spare. You hold the sign and flip as fast as possible for Hoseok and Jooheon. But they weren’t going fast enough even though they were trying hard. They got all but two down before the timer ran out.

As you get up and see Hoseok’s sign, and make a tree, Minhyuk shouts, “Christmas tree!” Hoseok flips the page, and you do your best to make a pumpkin with your hands by making two different motions, and he goes, “Apple! No! Pumpkin! Halloween!” Surprising you with how good he was at charades, but you continue and complete it in no time. When he gets up, you nearly blank out. Even with a champagne costume on, he looks pretty. But you focus on the task and do your best to guess the different holidays by the odd shapes he makes. He points at Hoseok, and you laugh as you shout, “St. Patrick’s Day!” He grins, “Yeah, that’s right, baby!” You blush as he calls you that but continue guessing the different shapes he makes. Kihyun scolds, “No talking!” You shrug yet smile up at Minhyuk as he makes the last motion of a candy cane, “Candy Cane! Me! Christmas!” He high-fives you. While you guys weren’t as fast as Earth Day and Guy Fox, you still did your best as fast as you could. They won by five seconds, and you took it in stride. There are four more games left, anyway.

The pizza comes, and you all stop to have some before heading outside to start the next game. You do your best at Valentine’s toss, which is throwing red balls into deep pink bowls. You do your best to throw it into the bowl, but you’re not that good. You quickly find out. “We can’t be good in every game.” He pats your shoulder, and you pout as you shoot it in again. And it makes it in, he gasps, “Hell yeah!” He high-fives you, and you grin, and he makes a perfect shot. As you miss again, you ask, “Can we blame it on the size of the bowls?” He laughs, “Yeah, I can for you.” You grin, do your best, and make four out of ten. And that was good enough for you. Minhyuk only misses two, but you end up in last place, while Hoseok and Jooheon end up in first. You bow your head and feel him ruffle your hair, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get them in the next games.” You look up at him, “Promise?” And he holds out his pinky, “Promise.”

You head back into the house, and Changkyun carries the guessing game out, “My mom made these. I didn't look, and she didn’t label them. So, I don't know which is which until I open this envelope. But she did say they are all food.” He lays them out on the kitchen island, and everyone takes a piece of paper. “Who’s brave enough to do it first?” You shrug, it's just food, “Nothing living, right?” He shrugs, “I hope not.” You sigh, part with your nerves, and act bravely, writing them down as you think of them. With seven foods to try, the only one that stumped you was the pasta and what shape it was. You nearly screamed as you reached your hand into the last one. You quickly took it out, “Oh gross.” You gulp as you put it back in to ensure you were right.

And write, “soft-boiled eggs”, you return to Minhyuk, and Hyungwon asks, “One teammate, or can we both go and discuss?” You all agree to the latter, and Hyungwon easily tackles it even if he yells at everything he touches. You show him your answers, and he nods, and you point to the third, “I’m not positive about this one.” “Okay, I’ll figure it out.” After Hyunwoo goes, you spot Minhyuk looking squeamish about it and put your hand on his shoulder, “I promise it’ll be okay. It’s just food.” He nods and braves it, making faces the whole time, and you can’t help but giggle.

Jooheon goes, “Alright, everyone, put your names on the paper, and then Kyun can read the answers.” Changkyun goes, “Broccoli, Cucumber, Linguine, Asparagus, Soft-boiled eggs, Watermelon, and Strawberries.” He opens each bowl, “And the order should be…” He looks at everyone’s cards after writing the correct order down, “Hyunwoo and Kihyun won!” You pout, and Minhyuk goes, “We only missed it by one.” You nod, having guessed fettuccine instead of linguine. Hyungwon sighs, “I truly thought that was spaghetti.” Changkyun shrugs, “I didn’t even know my mom bought linguine.” And Hoseok goes, “That’s what those stalks are called?!” “We were at a loss for it.”

Back in the living room, there are four pumpkin buckets. Jooheon announces, “Pumpkin game!” Kihyun goes, “Oh, and a little reminder! No food unless it’s packaged.” Minhyuk smirks, “I knew we’d be playing this game.” As everyone is running around finding things, he calmly leads you to an end table drawer. He tells you, “Paper clips and mini buttons.” Your smirk grows wide, “They said nothing about ‘em.” He nods, “Precisely.” You look over at the bucket and go, “We’re going to need something to dampen the sound.” You rush to the kitchen, grabbing two paper towels, before meeting him at the table. You put the towels in, and he starts dumping them in, which sounds like nothing compared to the chaos ensuing around the two of you. You hear Changkyun shout, “I swear I saw pipe cleaners here last year!” And another shouted, “I already grabbed them!” He stays by the bucket, guarding it, “On the bottom shelf under the sink, he has sos pads.” You nod, squeezing between Hoseok and Hyunwoo to get to the sink. You slide and grab the unopened box.

You rush back and squeeze them around the sides. “They hurt a little.” He agrees as he puts the last one in, and you say, “I bought him a few packs of the jack games as a joke last year. And I know he didn’t use it cause I spotted them,” you whisper, “Middle cabinet, top shelf, hard to miss, very colorful.” He nods, and you giggle as you watch him put his hands up to avoid getting hit by pens thrown to Jooheon. You scrunch your nose, upset that you didn’t think of pens. But you let it slide when he pulls out not only the jacks and bouncy balls but also two boxes of packets of tea that Kihyun clearly didn’t like to drink. He comes over, and you open the boxes while he stuffs the bouncy balls and jacks into the bucket. He gasps, “I got another idea.” He runs off before he can say anything. You quickly dump the tea bags inside and finish fitting the other things in.

“One minute left!” That’s when Minhyuk returns with a packet of cards, and you smirk as you both rush to line the cards along the side. You place the fifty-second card on top of the bucket as Hyungwon counts down, “Five… Four, Three, Two, One!” You both look at your competitions, seeing that they all have a menagerie of stuff coming out. “Alright! Everyone dump your buckets and count!” Hoseok proudly exclaims first, “Two hundred and fifty!” And you both keep calming counting: fifty sos pads, fifty-two cards, forty jacks, twenty tea bags, and four bouncy balls. Hyungwon exclaims happily, “Three hundred and fifteen!” Changkyun and him high-five. That’s not where the numbers were going to come from anyway.

It took forever to count all the buttons and paper clips, even organizing them into groups of ten. There were so many. You’re nearly out of buttons when Kihyun goes, “Five hundred and fourteen.” You gasp as you count the last few, and the rest watch as you do. Minhyuk whispers, “six, seven, eight.” You grin as he smirks at you, three hundred buttons and a hundred and fifty paper clips later. And two paper towels, you total to “Six hundred and eighteen!” Minhyuk shouts happily. And Kihyun gasps, “You planted those two items in my house!” Minhyuk shakes his head, “No, it was in your house before the party.” Kihyun gasps, “No! I would have remembered buying that.” Minhyuk goes, “I gave them to you when you were in college, but like the jacks and bouncy balls, you hid ‘em away.” You cross your arms over your chest and nod, even though you know he is lying through his teeth. As he told you, he put them there the last time he visited Kihyun.

You see the gears turning in Kihyun’s head, but he lets it go, letting you guys have one round of winning. Minhyuk already had a plan before you got outside, “Do you trust me?” You nod, and he goes, “I’m going to sling you over my shoulder just before the race. Are you okay with that?” You look him in the eyes, asking, “Is it the easiest?” He holds your eye contact and says, “I run fast, but the safest decision, considering our costumes, is to do it this way. You’re going to have to hold on tight, okay?” You smile, “Okay. I trust you.” He nods, “Now all you’ll have to do is to reach over and grab a present from the bucket out there, okay?” You look back, “We’re running to that?” He nods, “I’ll have both my hands free then, huh?” He agrees, and you smirk, “Oh, we have this in the bag.”

Hyungwon comes over, “Okay, I chose a short one-minute song. When it finishes, it’s go-time.” You all nod, and Minhyuk and you start internally counting. You watch Kihyun hop onto Hyunwoo’s back first. Jooheon wraps his arms around Hoseok’s neck, and Hoseok catches him in his arms. At forty-five, Changkyun grabs Hyungwon around the middle, and Hyungwon wraps himself around him as you whisper out fifty. Minhyuk goes, “Ready?” You nod, and right after you’re situated, holding onto the bottle's label with Minhyuk’s arm wrapped around your legs.

The song ends, and he starts sprinting. You gasp, not expecting his speed. He wasn’t kidding, and you all reached the bucket simultaneously. You let go of the label, having faith in Minhyuk, and grab a present. You put it against his back and feel him hold you tighter as he runs to the tape line. Looking back, you catch Hyungwon swatting at Kihyun to grab the present first. However, you see the steam engine speed once Jooheon has the present in between his chest and Hoseok’s leaf costume. You gasp, “Don’t look back, but we got company.” You nearly scream as you feel him throw you up a bit to readjust your position to run faster. He rasps, “Almost there!” When you hear Jooheon exclaim, “Throw me!” You gasp, “Please don’t throw me!” Minhyuk whispers, out of breath, “I wouldn’t dream of it.” And just as Jooheon is thrown to the tape. You cross the finish line just a hair faster than him.

As Hoseok collapses onto the ground near Jooheon, Minhyuk sets you down, “You, okay?” You nod, “I’m good.” He grins, “We won.” You mirror him, “We did!” You throw your present down, and as you happily jump up and down together, Hyunwoo’s and Changkyun’s team cross the line. Hyungwon groans and points his finger at Kihyun, “You fucker, we were going to win!” Kihyun gasps as he hops down from Hyunwoo, pointing at him, “Me!? What about you!” You whisper, “You know when you point fingers, three points back at you.” He snickers, “Sore losers.”

They continue, and Hoseok and Jooheon get up and wipe their jeans off before coming over, and they say in unison, “Good game?” You both nod, “Good game.” As the two losing teams duke it out over a game of cards, the four of you move into the hallway. “So, who’s going to tell them that the vampire and the ornament are the real losers?” They all shake their heads, and you look back at them, “Nah, let’s not ruin their fun.” You four tell them to have fun and not to kill each other. “Only if Hyungwon doesn’t tempt me any further.” You raise your eyebrows and gulp, “Yikes. Have fun with that! Don’t end up on the news!” Jooheon goes, “Want to ride with me, Hoseok?” Hoseok agrees quickly, and Minhyuk asks, “Do you have enough time to go out with me tonight?” You look at the clock to see it’s well past 2 am. “Where to?” He smiles, “To the park?” You nod, “I’d love to.”

He walks you there, “So what’s your favorite color?” You shake your head, “(F/c), you?” He smiles, “Red.” You ask, “What do you think of pets?” “I’m more of a dog person, but cats are nice too.” You smile, “Good.” He goes, “What’s your favorite genre?” You smile and tell him, and he says, “I like a lot, but ballads are my favorite to sing to.” “You sing?” He nods, “It’s not as strong as my painting, but I love doing it.” And he goes, “What about you?” You shrug, “Sometimes.”

You sit on the bench and ask, “Why did you like that game the best this year?” He smiles, “I got to hold you.” You blush and look down, “It was fun. I enjoyed you carrying me and winning.” You hum, thinking of the perfect question to ask him. When he says, “What if I told you I wanted to kiss you?” You look at him and signal to your candy cane costume, “In this?” He gestures to his champagne costume, “It wouldn’t be perfect, but it’d be our own.” You whisper as you lean closer, “You like to be unique, huh?” He grins, “Always.” And you whisper, “Kiss me.” And he does.

He walks you to your apartment, and you tell him, “What do you say to Mary’s at seven tomorrow night?” He grins, “I’ll be there.” He leaves you with one last kiss, and you couldn’t have had a better night dressed as a candy cane.

--- Bonus ---

Hoseok calls you up, “A little birdie told me you were dating?” You blink, “Did Min say something?” He gasps, “You’re calling him Min, now? Oh, yeah, you’re in deep. I didn’t think when you met him, you’d fall for him.” You laugh, “What did you think I’d do?” He says, “Honestly, I don’t know. But that was different. But I like it.” “Thanks.” He asks, “When’s your next date with him?” “Tonight.” “Two dates in a row? Oh, he really likes you.” You smile, “I hope so, 'cause I really like him.”

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sotteoks · 2 years

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˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

note: even though i try not to use too much gendered language, my reader usually has female genitalia because i often write to fill my own silly daydreams

Key: [M] - Mature [TW] - Trigger Warning [A] - Angst [F] - Fluff [AU] - Alternate Universe

(let's keep it real...anything marked with [M] is probably gonna have smut in it.)

──★ ˙ ̟ More Than A Helping Hand [M] [AU] summary: your university roommate Hyunwoo is everything you wanted and then some.

──★ ˙ ̟ Fresh Meat [M] [AU] summary: adjusting to the modern world as a centuries old vampire has been mostly easy for you. however, you can't recall the last time you've had a meal that makes you want to go back for seconds.

──★ ˙ ̟ untitled [M] [AU] coming soon! summary: your best friend Minhyuk has been crushing on you for a while but there has never been a good time for him to try confessing to you. all it takes is one conversation for Minhyuk to say fuck it and let you know how he feels about you.

──★ ˙ ̟ Just Touch [M] summary: the boundaries of your relationship with Kihyun always seem to get a little blurry in the heat of the moment.

──★ ˙ ̟ Right Here [M] summary: Hyungwon doesn't expect you to be able celebrate his special day with him but you end up surprising him.

──★ ˙ ̟ No Time [M] coming soon! summary: you've been such a good sport about how busy your boyfriend Jooheon has been with work but he starts to feel guilty about not giving you enough attention.

──★ ˙ ̟ Playing with the Prince [M] [AU] summary: you're a mischievous maid who's a fiend for the prince's attention.

──★ ˙ ̟ Nevermind [M] [AU] coming soon! summary: your playboy roommate Changkyun mistakes you for his hookup and starts seeing you in a different light.

credit to ciaracoloring for the banner template !!! a true life saver for my lazy ass

#masterlist

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checkers-dance · 2 years

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hi user checkers-dance. i was thinking about changki and about vampires and about incest so here's a poorly planned out changki vampire AND incest au. changkyun and kihyun are both from a vampire hunter family but then at some point during one of his hunts changkyun gets turned. he's obviously really disturbed by this and he's trying really hard to keep it a secret from his family, but kihyun figures it out at some point. his first instinct is to kill changkyun but he can't bring himself to do it because that's his little brother. so he lets him go and changkyun runs away and doesn't return. years later kihyun is investigating some vampire killings and turns out changkyun is the one behind them. they have this like angsty confrontation but neither wants to kill the other so they go their separate ways again. as time goes on they keep running into each other and the tension between them grows and they're definitely not in good terms with each other but there's still this unspoken agreement that they won't hurt the other and neither of them crosses that line. i like to imagine sometimes they fall back into their old habits and act the way they used to but they never go the full way because their relationship is messy and painful and they just don't really trust each other like they used to anymore. they can't go back. there's a lot of longing for what they used to have, but also a desire for something more that really scares them both so they both bury those feelings down and try not to think of them. if this was a fic it would be like 20 chapters long and it would be a slow burn and very angsty and edgy and it would fuck so hard, it would be awesome, but it is not a fic, its an ask in your inbox and thats ok <3 made this up on the spot when i was abt to have a migraine so i apologize if it doesnt make any sense ok im going through it

Omfg changki vampire AND incest au AND changkyun is the little vampire brother??? Screaming crying and shaking, this was made for me specifically. Kihyun fits his role SO well here, he's the (seemingly) morally righteous older brother who is dedicated to his cause only bc the ppl around him think that's the right thing to do. But when it comes down to it he rlly can't kill changkyun bc he doesn't actually believe in killing vampires deep down, but he can't admit that to himself

Meanwhile changkyun is having his angsty vampire arc. He's all alone and he was never as into the vampire hunting as kihyun was, but being a vampire is not how he expected he'd spend the rest of his life. At some point he considers turning kihyun too, when he gets rlly lonely, but he keeps deciding against it bc he knows kihyun would hate it. Changkyun actually has so much time to think abt all the things he could've done w kihyun if they were either both vampires or both humans, but not when one of them is a vampire and one is a human. Also, changkyun doesn't want to drink human blood so instead he kills vampires and drinks their blood, and kihyun finds out abt this as he's investigating vampire corpses and he feels guilty abt it (kihyun is also maybe investigating this a bit TOO thoroughly bc he would've wanted to be the one changkyun bit)

#asks #mx au hell (affectionate)

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gaiyofanfiction · 4 years

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Rare Blood Masterlist

Half-Siren!Reader x Vampire Prince!Kihyun

Vampire/Seven Deadly Sins!AU

Angst/Thriller

Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse, manipulation, blood and slight sexual assault.

Disclaimer: This store is pure fiction. Anyone depicted in this fic are in no way like this in real life. Read at your own risk

~~~

In a world where Vampires ruled, humans were the lowest of the low in the food chain. A world where humans are nothing more than mere servants and a meal. Humans were bred to be sold to vampires for just that purpose. But you didn’t want that. You escaped your confinement and ran. Ran as fast as you could. You weren’t just any human, you were part of a clan. The X Clan. A group of humans with special blood, indicated by a tattoo of an ‘X’ on the inner wrist. You had part Siren blood running through your veins, making your blood highly coveted. You thought you were free. Finally free to live a better life. But you made a mistake. And that fatal mistake was breaking into the castle of The Vampire Prince, Yoo Kihyun.

~~~

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 [Final]

~~~

Ultimate Masterlist

#i'm struggling with writing rn #so here is a fic i wrote awhile ago I'm still proud of #monsta x #monsta x angst #monsta x reactions #monsta x scenarios #monsta x vampire au #kihyun vampire au #kpop #kpop angst #kpop reactions #kpop vampire au #yoo kihyun #monbebe

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biffhofosho · 3 years

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Succumbing to Sybaris | Chapter Twenty-Five

Word Count: 12.3k

A/N: This took a bit longer than I’d planned to edit, but maybe that’s in part because I don’t want to let go. Final chapter, everyone, with only an epilogue to follow. Proceed with caution. This one’s long and very heavy.

Cvr | Tr | Pr | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Ep

“Let her go.”

Amber would know that curt, gruff voice anywhere.

Shownu.

Hope blossomed in her heart as she whirled around and looked up to the cliff ledge behind the building to find a strand of the most beautiful faces she’d ever seen. All seven brothers flanked the stone courtyard from above, Shownu and Wonho anchoring the ends with their massive size while the rest of the brothers watched Kai’s lackeys prowl the perimeter of the building—except Hyungwon, who kept his eyes solely on Amber.

Hyungwon took a step toward the ledge, and she charged toward him, but a taloned hand closed around her wrist and yanked her back so hard, she clattered on her knees against the stone.

“If it isn’t the self-proclaimed Lords of Portland. Choi’s illustrious sons show their faces after all,” declared Kai with a quiver at the edge of his mouth. “And, here, I’d wasted my last sliver of respect for you on the thought that you’d conceded your role in all this, but I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. All the same, you miscreants have some nerve showing up here after your repeated failures and blatant disobedience. If I didn’t hate you so much, I’d almost be impressed.”

“We just want the detective back,” Hyungwon continued. “Let her go, and you’ll never have to see us again.”

Kai laughed bitterly. “Now, I am impressed. After feeding me lies for a decade and then outright opposing me, you dictate terms? Let me propose a counter-offer: get out of my sight this second or face the end of your bloodline.”

Kai’s minions closed in on the terrace and hillside, baring their teeth like dogs, but the brothers paid them no attention. They were focused on the woman in the gold dress who was now tucked against Kai’s side.

Hyungwon took another step forward and plummeted from the cliff, landing in the cramped stone building with the softness of a cat. His brothers followed next, each one landing with the same grace and only the crunch of glass underfoot to herald their arrival.

All but Hyungwon sported their vampire masks, but instead of conjuring terror in Amber’s heart, they conjured joy. She thrashed in Kai’s grip as shock echoed in her voice. “You’re here!”

“Of course,” Wonho said with a slick smile.

“We’ll always come for you,” assured Shownu.

“You shouldn’t have,” Kai laughed. “It’s the last thing you’ll ever do.”

If the brothers were nervous, they didn’t show it. They stood tall, shoulders broad and fists clenched, with nothing to betray their cold determination. When they stepped forward, it was in perfect unison, and the moment they did, Kai dragged Amber back with him.

“That’s far enough,” he warned. “I just promised my sweet Ambrosia I would let her little lost lambs go home. Don’t force my hand and make me break my word. You know she’d never forgive you.”

Minhyuk hissed, and Amber’s eyes darted toward him. She barely recognized him. Gone was the friendly puppy with the bright gaze and open smile. Instead, a stranger with serpent eyes and fangs to match rubbed his hands together greedily as he sized up his enemies. There was a meanness to his movements, more beast than man, and it made her tremble. Jooheon laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder, but whatever battle lust had overtaken the charming photographer had turned him into a barely-contained weapon.

Kai, too, sized up his opponents. His grip on her arm bruised as every last muscle tensed along his frame. He coiled like a caged snake, and she knew his strike would be even more devastating. The vampire raised his hand, fingers ready to snap.

At the last second, Amber grabbed Kai’s wrist and squeezed. He froze, his eyes lingering on hers before sliding down to her fingers curled around him.

“Please don’t,” she begged.

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to them?” he growled.

“But you’re the one with the power here, so I’m asking you. Please don’t do this.”

Kai glanced from her hand, still clutching his wrist, to the seven interlopers storming his crumbling castle, and he sighed. “My love has begged me for mercy for you, and she shall have it for as long as I can contain my composure. That means you have five minutes to say your piece before I unleash hell.”

Hyungwon stalled his brothers as he took a step forward alone. Kai’s arm tightened around Amber’s waist while her hand tightened around his wrist. Everyone was holding back what tension they could before the powder keg blew and leveled them all.

“Your Grace,” Hyungwon began without so much as a hint of irony, but Kai cut him off with a snarl.

“We’re well past formalities, aren’t we, Hyungwon? Don’t patronize me one second longer.”

“You’re right. It’s simple: we’re here to take Amber home.”

The detective expected Kai to blow up or lunge forward, but he didn’t move a muscle, not in his arms, not in his jaw.

Hyungwon obviously expected the same, but after a moment, he realized he was expected to continue, so he added, “We love her. We only want to protect her.”

“Hm.”

Kai’s delicate hum startled everyone more than if he’d exploded. His hand moved from Amber’s hourglass to her neck as he turned her attention fully to him. The vampire smiled down at her, his thumb stroking her cheek.

“And you don’t think I want the same?” he said with his gaze bound firmly to his gilded vessel.

Hyungwon took another step forward, and if Amber believed for a second that she had Kai distracted, that belief was dashed instantly. The vampire swiveled, eyes narrow and glinting furiously, and talons long and pointed at his challenger. But Hyungwon didn’t even blink as he answered, “I think you want to protect her the way a child protects his toy from other kids on the playground.”

Kai sneered. “You and your ham-handed brothers have always been far too narrow-minded to see anything beyond your little kingdom on the hill. The world is our kingdom now, Ambrosia’s and mine, and together, we will rule over everything in it. She’s not a toy. She’s my wife.”

“She isn’t, and she never will be,” spat Jooheon, and this time it was Kihyun holding the young punk back.

“That’s neither your choice nor is it mine. It’s already written, you little whelp, here in a riddle older than you are. Ambrosia was always destined for me, and you were always destined to fail—the only difference is, you kept failing. Over and over again. You failed me. Even now, you fail to understand the simplest things.”

“Like you’re mad with revenge against our family?” said Changkyun.

“You don’t get it. I gave you every opportunity to make amends!” Kai boomed. “I put Ambrosia in your path so when you met her, you could tell me at last that you’d found the One. But what did you do? You touched her. You kissed her. You turned her heart against me. Things could have been so different—they could have gone back to the good old days instead of all this foolishness. We could have been allies again! That’s what I wanted. Every choice you made against me changed the course of our destinies. You’ve disappointed me yet again… for the last time. I have been merciful far longer than anyone has a right to be, but it’s clear there’s no redeeming you just like there was no redeeming that duplicitous sire of yours.”

“Where is Seunghyun?” demanded Kihyun.

“Where he should be: at the bottom of a crevasse with a silver stake in his chest.”

“You’re lying!” screamed Jooheon. “He was your only friend. You wouldn’t.”

“He was, and you’re right, I didn’t. Why would I dirty these hands when I knew my Ambrosia would soon have to feel them?” Kai jerked Amber in front of him like a shield, and she lost her grip on his wrist. She knew then, without a hold on him, she’d lost the battle. Now, all-out war was the only outcome. Kai’s arms wound around her, one at her neck and the other sheltering her belly. In a voice cold as steel, he added, “That’s what my subjects are for.”

Even without Kai’s usual beckoning snap, out of the shadows oozed a creature so revolting, Amber winced. His face was pocked and bubbled like the surface of a volcanic moon, cysts weeping dark rivers across clay-like pits and fissures, with only one human eye to look remorsefully through the nightmare. The rest of his skin was mottled like rain-stained leather all the way down to his hooked claws, more dinosaur than human.

“What the fuck…” whispered Changkyun.

Minhyuk slipped into a runner’s stance, those keen, bloodthirsty eyes trained on the monster before them. Still, Jooheon held him back, but even across the terrace, Amber could see how he strained against his brother’s grip.

“This is what a loyal subject looks like,” proclaimed Kai. “Isn’t he beautiful? My avenging angel. My harbinger. Junmyeon understands what must be done to protect Destiny in ways you greedy bastards never could.”

The reality of the horror show before the brothers seemed to sink in all at once. Their gazes shifted as much as their feet, and for a second, Amber thought they would retreat, but Hyungwon caught her gaze, and there was no surrender in his eyes this time. She wasn’t sure which she was more scared of.

“That’s enough,” she said, and all eyes shot to her. She wrestled out of Kai’s hold and glared at him with every ounce of resentment she could muster. “If you cared about me at all like you pretend to, you would let me go back to them. It’s where I want to be. It’s where I belong.”

If she thought she could reach the man inside the devil, she was sorely mistaken. Kai humored her with a crooked grin and shook his head.

“My little Chalice thinks just because she can’t be hypnotized that she can’t be brainwashed either, but I’ve watched first-hand as you groomed her. She’s so naïve, isn’t she?” He hummed as his hand glossed over her shoulders. “She hasn’t even lived three decades. She doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen. A little behavior modification, and you’ve got her salivating like a dog for you. Now, she thinks that is what real love is. It’s unacceptable. It’s unforgivable.”

“Listen to her, Kai,” Hyungwon stressed. “You can’t make her happy.”

“And you can’t fucking tell me what I have to give!” he boomed. “Ambrosia will have the world. She will have everything she could ever want. She will have a family of her own again, and she will have me. Time will help her see how you’ve twisted her against me.

“Speaking of time, Chae Hyungwon, yours is well since passed up, which is interesting because so has my patience. If you have something worthwhile to say, I suggest you say it now because this is your last chance.”

“We’re not leaving without Amber,” was all he replied.

This time Kai laughed, full and satisfied, as though it was the best joke he’d ever heard. “Wonderful, since I never planned on letting you leave at all.”

The vampire cinched his arm around Amber’s waist and tugged her with him as he eased out of the central room to the terrace space. This time, Kai did snap his fingers, and it wasn’t just the patchwork monster inching deeper into the building but a whole army of vampires, some beautiful, some twisted with various marks of devilry. Even the waiters and violinist were there now, this time without their professional indifference.

“Don’t do this,” she begged, but Kai just offered her a compassionate glance.

“Their spell will be broken soon enough, my sweet.”

“Stop this. Stop it now. This is fucking insane, and I will never forgive you. Never. I will never, ever give you what you want.”

“Ambrosia, try and see it from my point of view,” he said gently. “They’ve already proven they can’t walk away. Do you honestly think those fools will ever give you up? I wouldn’t. You understand that, don’t you? All those years searching for the truth of what happened to your sister. We’re so alike. We can’t let things go, even when we know it’s bad for us. They’re bad for you, my dove. They’re a cavity. We have to drill deeper, make it hurt more, before everything gets so much better.”

“You monster,” she spat.

Amber looked at her would-be saviors, braced for battle, and bitterness swelled in her heart. All this power Kai thought she had, and yet there was nothing she could do. People were going to die, and she would have to watch it all. She had to fight back—she always fought back—but everything felt so hopeless.

“Remember,” hissed Kihyun to his brothers as he raised a clawed hand, “incapacitate only. No kills.”

“They won’t spare you the same courtesy,” Kai reminded, but they ignored the bait. With a surprisingly sober face, the vampire added, “Before we cast our lots, I want you to know with all sincerity that before you broke my heart, I was very grateful for your service.”

“I think we have one more disappointment to hand you first,” Jooheon challenged.

“That’s always possible knowing your family. I'll place my bet on Hyunwoo as the last to die. Who's yours, Ambrosia?”

“You,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Good thing you didn't bet any money,” Kai teased.

The air was electric, and every hair on Amber's body stood up. Kai’s men held their line, daring the brothers to light the powder keg. Minhyuk was shifting heavily from foot to foot though Changkyun did his best to soothe his brother. Wonho and Shownu still anchored their front while Hyungwon kept center guard and stared down the unearthly horror that was the dragon man. Both were still as statues, neither betraying himself with so much as a blink.

Kai squeezed Amber playfully and whispered, “If I still had breath, I’d be holding it.”

Suddenly, the brothers charged forward with growls and snarls except for Minhyuk, who zipped into the fray with only the glint of his fangs and the ravenous whites of his eyes to signal his attack.

“Jooheon, watch your brother!” Hyunwoo shouted, and the flame-tipped punk darted after the wild man she barely recognized.

The two sides collided like wild animals, biting and snapping and slashing. Blood splattered the walls in morbid graffiti, but there was no way to tell where it came from.

Kai vibrated beside her. His eyes were wide, and his tongue roved at the corner of his mouth. His fangs dripped down like icicles between his bitter cold smile. Every ounce of his being was captivated by the clash unfolding before them.

And that was all Amber needed to spur her to action.

She hooked her hand around one of his fingers at her waist and jerked backward until she heard a sickening crack and a stunned yelp. Kai dropped his arm from her to clutch at his wrist, but she didn’t spare a look. She was already bounding down the mossy stairs onto the path and into the woods as fast as her legs could carry her.

Her window of time was tiny. Amber knew he would heal quickly the same way she also knew she would never make it out of the woods, but that wasn’t what this was about.

Shouts rang out from the building behind her, battle cries and cracks and smashes rounding out the symphony of combat with one booming tenor to overshadow it all.

“Bring her back!”

Faster and faster, Amber drove her dead legs up the hilly terrain. The path was still muddy in parts, and her sandals clotted and slid, but it didn’t matter. The more distance she covered, the better.

Somewhere behind her, she heard a mocking peal of laughter, not Kai’s but somehow familiar. It only spurred her feet faster. She couldn’t see anyone behind her, but she knew they weren't letting her go. If anything, they were amusing themselves with her head start.

Beneath her, the slope gave way, and Amber clawed onto any root or fern she could find. Her fingernails tore and splinters pierced the meat of her palms. At the top of the hill, she flopped onto the ground, but there was no time to catch her breath. She was up and racing again. Her lungs felt like fire and her throat closed like a fist, but she managed to make it all the way back to the mossy bridge before she felt the shift.

Something zipped to her left and then to her right. Bullets, she thought, but then Amber saw two shadows deeper than the night. Kai's cronies stepped forward as though they’d been waiting for her for hours. Both showcased wolfish grins and hands on hips, and she realized she recognized them from the vampire club.

“Hello again, beautiful,” simpered Taeyong, who was still sporting his leather jacket. He bowed mockingly, but it charged Amber with a sense of purpose.

“Don’t you remember the rules, boys? Out of my way,” she ordered. “By order of the Portland Police Bureau.”

Their smiles broadened.

“‘Fraid that’s out of the question, honeyblood,” said Doyoung.

Taeyong waggled a finger as he closed in, a hook in his smile. “This time we’re not allowed to let you go.”

“So unless you’re hiding a silver stake in that pussy of yours, seems you’re out of credible threats, baby.”

Amber narrowed her eyes at them, steel in her gaze instead. She turned her hand into a claw and poised it over her forearm, nails already biting into her skin. “Come any closer, and I’ll tell Kai you did it.”

The pair exchanged looks, and while they didn’t back away, they didn’t move any closer.

“Lot of hot, tasty blood under here,” she promised. “Think you’d be able to stop yourself from sucking the honey out of these veins?”

Taeyong licked his lips while Doyoung ground his thumb against his fang.

“But how do you think the boss you’ve been kissing up to will react when he finds out you marked up his woman and took from him? You’ve seen that monster he carts around with him. That thing would wear your murders like new tattoos.”

“Maybe, but if we let you leave, he’d kill us, too,” replied the cat-eyed vampire with a brow raised.

Amber nodded. “So where’s that leave us?”

Taeyong shrugged. “Right here until the boss joins us, I guess.”

“Not good enough.” Her nails dug deeper into her arm, and she winced ahead of the next round of pain.

“I know what you’re doing,” Doyoung said.

“I don’t think your feeble little minds could figure it out,” Amber retorted.

He propped himself on his elbows against the railing and sniffed a laugh. “You know you can’t escape, but that’s not what you’re worried about, is it? You think if you get far enough away and draw enough attention, it’ll lighten the load on those holier-than-thou fangfaces of yours.”

She blinked, honestly shocked. Amber hadn’t expected them to see through her diversion so quickly. She was going to argue, but there was no point when they could hear her heart stutter-step.

Doyoung smiled. “But there are two problems with your plan. Number one, His Grace hates those brothers almost as much as he cares about you, and number two? Wherever you go, those pathetic puppies will follow, and it sounds to me like they’re already on their way…”

Amber trained her ears into the tunnel of darkness, and sure enough, she heard the faint sounds of roars and crashes edging closer and closer.

“Well, girly,” Taeyong said with a matching grin, “what’s your next play?”

With eyes of ice and a heart black with fury, she answered, “I’ll see you both in hell.”

The next thing any of them knew, Amber had gouged long troughs down her skin that quickly welled with blood. Both vampires’ eyes flashed brilliant predatory golds, and she returned their smug grins with one of her own. She dragged her fingertips through the puddling blood and smeared it in a flash across their faces before she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Jongin!”

The pair of vampires barely had enough time to widen their eyes before Kai descended seemingly from the trees beside her. Amber grabbed his side, burying her face in his shoulder as she presented her weeping forearm to him.

Kai took one look from the gashes in her soft skin to his subjects’ blood-smeared lips, and with only a snap, he brought his avenging angel to his side. While she was grateful the monster wasn’t back there squaring off with her boys anymore, she knew what his presence meant, and it gave Amber more than enough reason to keep her face buried.

Shrieks and wails pierced the night and her heart. Ripping, tearing, begging. It was all too close, almost on top of her. Cold mist sprayed her skin, and she knew without looking that it wasn’t from the little rapids under the bridge. Kai held her fast, and for once, she was grateful for it.

Something inhuman, primal, and disgusting gurgled behind her. There was a groan and a retch and a long squelch like wet taffy being pulled, and when her curiosity got the better of her, Amber peeked over Kai’s shoulder. All it took was one glance at the dragon man’s new leathery, shredded wings for it to imprint on her nightmares forever.

In a low voice, Kai said to the creature, “Get rid of their bodies, and when it’s done, there was a third who joined with them. Remove him before he becomes a problem, too.”

Revulsion washed through Amber strong enough to bring bile to her throat. What had she done? What was she becoming? A sick part of her soul purred up from the abyss inside her...

You’re becoming like him.

“Sweetheart, you’re trembling,” said Kai into her hair. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere else?”

Amber was too numb to answer. She shook her head, but he pushed her back so he could study her. His eyes shined like lamps as they roved over her, settling finally on her wound. He tore a strip from the hem of her dress and rolled it tightly over her arm before tying it closed.

“You can’t run off again,” Kai said quietly. “They’ll smell you even stronger now, and it would be a shame to lose any more soldiers.”

If he knew about her ruse, he didn’t say anything about it. Using his jacket sleeve, he wiped the blood splatter from her cheeks, and, with his lips to her forehead, he said, “I’m happy you called for me.”

Amber told herself it was a necessary means to an end, but her gut wouldn’t let her forget—it had felt right. She didn’t know what that meant, and she didn’t want to know, but it didn’t matter either way. The battle she’d been dreading had made its way to her at last.

This wasn’t like any gang shooting or a hostage situation she’d ever been a part of. This was war and it was terrifying. Screams and yowls and rage and pain echoed in the cathedral of trees. Bodies flew through the air too fast for Amber to tell who was who. She had no idea if all of her lovers had survived, and part of her was too terrified to check.

“It’ll all be over soon,” Kai said as he rubbed her back. His fingertips generated waves of foreboding and something much darker with every pass they made over her naked shoulders. He ignored the battlefield entirely in favor of tracing the wave of her collarbone with his other hand, but Amber couldn’t turn off the clanging of combat between her ears.

There was another squeal, this one gurgling upward from the depths of hell, and she knew the creature had found the last of the trio from Empusa. All too quickly, her planned diversion was over, and now the monster had even more terrifying appendages as it lumbered back toward the fray.

“Hoseok, on your left!” screamed Jooheon.

Just in time, Wonho hefted up a fallen tree trunk and hurled it at the winged monstrosity. It fell back into the creek, struggling to right itself under the weight of its sopping wings and brand-new horns.

“Hyungwon, behind!” Wonho warned as he righted himself and charged toward the enemy closing in on the tallest brother, who was already locked in a power struggle with another tall, elven-looking vampire.

Wonho bulldozed the other guy to the floor while Shownu picked up another and launched him through the air.

The next thing Amber knew, Kai was flying backward behind the weight of the body Shownu had hurled, and she was in her partner’s arms, skyrocketing up the goat path to toward the top of the trail. Trees whizzed by so fast they melted into blobs, and fresh air raced into her lungs.

“I’m so fucking glad to see you,” she said, burying her face into his neck and inhaling his comforting scent. “I’m sorry! I thought I could give you more time, and I just fucked it up worse like always.”

“Spiros, it’s okay. If you hadn’t, Changkyun might not have made it. That thing had him dead-to-rights, maybe all of us.”

“God, I was so worried I lost you. Is everyone okay?”

“I’m not sure for how much longer. Kai has twenty soldiers, and they’re all willing to kill. Damnit,” he cursed as he noticed her arm. “There’s no way to hide with that wound leaving a scent trail. We’ll just have to wait for the others to catch up. This should be a good enough tactical position. I'll keep an eye up. You watch below. They should be here soon.”

“How can you tell?”

Shownu glowered at her. “You can't hear them?”

Sure enough, Amber trained her ears down in the canyon, and over the rush of the creek, even over the roar of combat, she heard the bickering.

“Damnit, Honey, I said west!” groaned Kihyun. “No, your other west!”

“You try navigating with a feral puppy on your leash and a bloodsucker on your back,” came the bitter retort.

Amber’s heart swelled even as the screams grew nearer. Since the terrain became rockier and steeper, the battle tapered down with Kai’s lackeys regrouping elsewhere. Shownu didn’t stop manning his post even as his six brothers ascended the path in a single-file line, which suited her just fine since it offered her a buffet line of hugs, each man overjoyed to see her until, finally, the last brother reached her.

“Hyungwon,” she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

He squeezed her to him and whispered, “Thank god.”

“I missed you so much. I dreamt about you.”

Hyungwon nuzzled his cheek on the top of her head. “We know. Another minute, and we would have been able to track you.”

“But you found me.”

“It’s hard to miss the stink of Kai’s unwashed masses.”

“I thought you let me go,” Amber sobbed against his chest. “I thought you didn’t care anymore.”

Hyungwon tilted her face up sharply and in a low voice, he scolded, “How could you think that? How could you ever think we’d let you go?”

“Back at the house—”

“I had no choice,” he explained. “I needed my brothers and a plan. Otherwise, I’d have lost in minutes. You think I’d leave you in that devil’s hands?”

“You might not have a choice.”

“There is always a choice, and we'll always choose you.”

Amber gave him a quick kiss on the lips before she turned her smile on the others. “So, what's this plan?”

“We just need to stall for a little more time—” Kihyun said.

“We don't have it!” Shownu shouted. “Incoming!”

Just then, two vampires drifted down from the ledge above onto the path and immediately charged the closest targets.

“Where the hell are they?” groused Changkyun as he leveled a punch in a vampire face.

“The police?” Amber asked, but it was drowned out by the crack of bone.

“They said they’d come. They’ll come,” Hyungwon replied as he tossed the challenger over the cliff edge.

“Shit, they sure are taking their time,” Jooheon whined as another challenger entered the fray. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep Min leashed. He’s so annoying when he goes full beserker.”

“He’s always annoying,” Kihyun corrected as he followed Hyungwon’s lead and tossed the latest offender over, too.

Jooheon groaned. “Shit, where'd he go?”

Even with their keen eyesight, the brothers barely had time to notice before Minhyuk, who had flattened himself along the cliff face, sprang like a lion, talons extended and face still as stone, at the first enemy to pass in front of him. He slashed at the other vampire’s arm with his right hand, then his left, before his right returned and tore the appendage clean off. It fell to the ground with a thud and twitched in the dirt as Minhyuk casually kicked it off the ledge along with the man to whom it belonged.

“Next?” Minhyuk said, his voice wild with manic laughter.

“What’s wrong with him?” Amber worried.

“His bloodlust has taken hold,” Kihyun answered, fear evident in his voice for the very first time she could remember. “When Minhyuk senses a fight, he can’t control it, and that blood of yours isn’t helping. If someone doesn’t hold him back, he’ll kill every person here.”

“We have to get out of here,” Wonho agreed.

The thought of her beautiful Minhyuk ending up like the twisted creature Kai wielded as a weapon nearly broke Amber in half.

“There’s a parking lot right above us,” she said. “Maybe there’s a car there?”

Shownu sniffed the air and sighed. “Kai’s already up there.”

“Fuck,” growled Wonho.

Minhyuk, however, didn’t seem to care. He was already scrambling up the rockface before Jooheon grabbed his brother around his neck and strangled him back, but it didn’t stop the white-haired photographer. Minhyuk wriggled free and pushed back toward the hill.

Amber dove forward and gripped his sharp cheeks between her hands and squeezed as she begged, “Minhyuk, stop! Look at me! Stop!”

His nose was twitching now, so near her fresh wound, and saliva dripped from his fangs. His mouth opened wide before he lunged toward her bandage, and she screamed.

A split second before he could bite her, their eyes met, and she saw brilliant golds dancing with the fiery reds of hate in their depths.

“Damnit, Spiros, get back!” Shownu warned as he raced to break them up, but Amber shook her head.

Minhyuk’s fangs grazed the blood-soaked fabric around her arm, but his gaze held hers as she said, “It’s okay. I trust him. I trust you, Min, remember? I trust you.”

As she caressed Minhyuk’s face, she watched the angry ridges that transformed him into rage incarnate soften back into his ever-sharp but elegant beauty once again. All too slowly, the fire in Minhyuk’s eyes tempered to simmering coals, but Amber knew she was reaching him.

“If he can’t control it, why would you bring him?” she snapped at the others.

“We didn’t,” Changkyun insisted. “Min’s a wild card. Kihyun even put extra wards on the doors and windows to keep him home. Nobody expected him to break through the walls.”

“Missed you,” the beserker managed as he nuzzled his cheek against her hand. “Save you.”

“We all have to get out of here in onc piece for you to do that,” she said with a quick kiss to his forehead. “I need you to stay with us, okay, Min baby?”

“Then we should get going,” Kihyun added. “We’ve divided their forces as long as we could, but the ones we tossed over will be regaining their strength soon, and if they regroup, I’m not sure we’ll have the energy to hold out.”

“Let’s move,” Hyungwon said. “Hyunwoo, take point. Everyone else, eyes up as well as down. Don’t forget the trees. They have the high ground, so they’ll see us coming. Watch out for a bottleneck.”

As their line crested the last leg of the trail toward the exit, Shownu shouted, and the next thing anyone knew, he’d been hurled through the sky and vanished somewhere in the meadow above, leaving only the imposing shape of Kai’s winged vanguard.

“Hyunwoo!” Amber screamed. She pushed past Changkyun, but he caught her arm and held her back. She glared at him, but he looked instead to Kihyun.

Amber had never seen the lawyer look so fierce. His eyes were narrowed to glowing slits, and his mouth was set in the same grim line. With just a flick of his head, all of the brothers shifted their attention to the top of the hill as though they all shared his same thought.

Changkyun scooped up Amber into a basket of his arms, and in perfect synchronization, the brothers bent their knees and sprang upward. The moment their feet touched the grass, a dozen fanged soldiers charged for them, but the brothers were ready. They pivoted like gates, swinging to the side to let their attackers fall over the ledge, and in the seconds they disappeared, the men used the opportunity to gain more traction on solid ground.

Changkyun dropped Amber between Wonho and himself as they slashed and bit at the trio of lumbering pale-faced vampires that threatened to overwhelm them. Meanwhile, the bloodlust had clouded Minhyuk’s eyes once again, and he was on all fours, charging at the elvish soldier who was back again along with the now one-armed guy Minhyuk had thrown into the canyon. At the edge of the battlefield, Hyungwon and Kihyun were battling Kai’s monster, but their knees were buckling under the weight of his fists, and Jooheon looked on terrified as his heart was pulled in multiple directions.

“Go to them!” Amber screamed. “I’ve got Min.”

Jooheon nodded and charged full-force at those gruesome wings, slashing hard enough to call its attention from his brothers.

There was still no sign of Shownu, and her heart hammered wildly as she searched every shadow. Instead, at the edge of the field, Amber found the lithe, graceful shape of the mastermind of all the carnage. Even in the dark, his smile glowed. All around him, chaos reigned. His army was unceasing and unprincipled. They were unstoppable. They were winning.

And Kai reveled in it.

Amber looked to her lovers, each one flagging under the weight of an enemy they could neither kill nor outrun. They were out of energy, they were out of room, and they were out of time.

She closed her eyes and volleyed every last ounce of hope into the sky as she begged for a miracle.

Please. Please save them.

All at once, the enemy stopped and straightened, noses to the air and eyes narrowed. Snarls of disgust creased their fang faces, and whatever they sensed drew their attention from the battle to the perimeter of the woods. Amber couldn’t see or hear anything over the seething of the vampire mob around her, but something lurked in the darkness that unnerved everyone.

From his cliff throne, Kai scoffed. “Really? So this is how far you boors are willing to debase yourselves? You bedded down with actual mutts in the futile hopes of stopping me?”

“An ally’s an ally, even if it has four legs,” Hyungwon replied coolly as he shoved back the dragon man’s now-still fist.

“Consider it an insurance policy,” echoed Kihyun. “You’re not known for playing fair.”

A long, low-pitched howl sliced through the thick air and sent all eyes skittering to the same corner of the woods.

“A pack of stray werewolves won’t stop destiny,” Kai snapped. “Nothing will.”

“So why do you sound so scared?” needled Changkyun, which garnered him a death glare from the all-powerful vampire.

“It’s not fear, you idiot. It’s frustration. You’re delaying the inevitable by a few more minutes, and I hate having my time wasted.”

“I call bullshit,” challenged Jooheon.

With a much more level tone, Hyungwon added, “We may not be able to kill you, but our allies don’t have the same limitations.”

Kai snorted. “But why would they break the truce?”

“You've already broken it,” Shownu trumpeted as he emerged from the tree line, chucking a vampire across the meadow to a sharp yelp. “You've brought too much attention to those of us who live here. They don't appreciate it either.”

A man’s scream tore across the glade followed by canine snarls and growls. Other horrific sounds—slashing, shredding, bubbling—spiraled into the sky followed by absolute silence.

Amber shivered.

With a snap of his fingers, Kai cut through the quiet, and the remaining vampires froze with their heads jerked back toward their leader.

“To me!” he bellowed, and nearly a dozen of his subjects ringed him as quickly as their maimed bodies allowed. With a fence of vampires around him, Kai looked as confident as ever, but Amber caught the slightest waver in his eyes.

“Face us, you coward,” challenged Wonho.

Kai rolled his eyes. “Please. I have nothing to prove to a bunch of vegan vampires with a legacy of disappointment, but I do have a bride I would like to impress later, and I’m not risking so much as a chipped nail on our wedding night.”

“If you don’t come out yourself,” Kihyun said, “then we’ll let our wolf friends have free playtime, and believe me, they’re already sore about you dumping bodies in their forest.”

As Kai mulled over the ultimatum, lights on the road above caught everyone’s attention. At first, Amber figured it was Aisha returning to her master, but from the slick smirk on Kai’s face, she knew something was terribly wrong.

With a sniff of a laugh, he mused, “Hm, do you know what separates a king from his feudal lords?”

One by one, each of the brothers looked with panicked eyes up the slope. Faintly, Amber heard her name resonating from the parking lot above—impossibly close, impossibly familiar.

“Expendable resources,” Kai answered. His smile only broadened at her name ringing out again.

“Spiros! Spiros, can you hear me?”

Lucas…

“No!” Amber screamed but then immediately covered her mouth. She raced toward the tallest brother, clinging to his tattered shirt. “What’s he doing here, Hyungwon?”

But Kai answered instead. “You don’t think I have contingency plans, my sweet? I gave Aisha instructions to make a call you were in trouble, and guess who came running…”

Fear, even more than adrenaline, coursed through Amber now.

“Stop!” the captain shouted as he crested the lot and jogged down into the meadow, gun raised. His eyes darted between the bloody, slipshod crew of brothers and Kai's smooth, beaming face before settling on the woman between them all. “Nobody move. Spiros, you okay?”

“Lucas, no!” she warned. “Get out of here. You have to go now. You don’t know—”

“No, stay,” said Kai with a pleasant grin. “Please join us.”

“This is Captain Lucas Wong of the Portland Police Bureau, and I am placing you all under arrest for assault on an officer and the murders of Han So Hee and Evelyn Hoover. You are to put down your weapons and put your hands in the air or I will shoot.”

“Luke, stop! Please!” Amber begged. “It’s not what you think—”

“Do it now,” the captain commanded, ignoring her, “or I will use force.”

“Oh, will you, Captain?” Kai said with a daring brow-raise.

True to his word, Lucas did not back down. Instead, he continued to push toward his detective, eyes and gun cycling across all his adversaries.

“My officers have the park surrounded,” he said, though no one could see the red and blue whirlybirds of police lights on any horizon.

“I’m sure they do,” Kai said, amused.

“This is your final warning. Put down your weapons and put your hands behind your backs.”

Nobody moved except for a shrug of Kai’s shoulder.

“Now, how am I supposed to put down my weapon when I am the weapon? Really, Ambrosia, what did you ever see in him?”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, first at Kai but then at her before they landed on the hulking red beast behind them. The captain’s gun slipped in his sweaty grip as his brain worked to understand something it couldn’t. “What’s going on here?”

But Kai was more than delighted to fill the space with an answer of his own. “Should I tell him, dear?”

“Leave him out of this,” Amber hissed.

“Of course, my little Chalice. I’d be happy to. It’s all so easy. Leave this nonsense behind and be by my side, and everyone walks away safely. It’s a good deal, right?” Kai said as he smoothed his tuxedo jacket and parted the pair of bodyguards before him. “Just a whisper in that bloodbag’s ear, and he’ll forget everything, even you. Isn’t that what you wanted? For him to move on? You can give him that. I can give him that. Just give me your hand.”

“Step back, asshole!” Lucas interjected as he edged along the perimeter toward his loudest antagonist.

“This part doesn’t concern you, Captain. I would appreciate some silence.”

“This is your last warning…”

Kai sighed. “Honestly, Ambrosia how did you live with someone this dense?”

As Lucas’s finger stiffened on his trigger, the vampire zipped toward him with the speed of a hawk. The captain fired three rounds into Kai’s chest, but he didn't make so much as a grunt or a recoil. Lucas’s eyes went wide and his skin paled. No officers swarmed the park, no sirens sounded in the distance. The captain was alone with the impossible.

With a glower, Kai slipped a finger through one of the bullet holes in his lapel and wriggled it. “This was custom-tailored, I’ll have you know.”

The gun wavered in Lucas’s hands for just a moment before the vampire removed it and dropped it to the ground.

“Captain Wong, if you would, please step into my arms.”

Lucas hesitated but only for a moment before he eased into Kai’s welcoming embrace.

“Look at your pretty detective,” the vampire rasped. “Isn’t she gorgeous tonight?”

To her horror, Amber watched the fog roll into Lucas’s eyes the same as it had Eric’s. The captain’s voice was tinted like glass as he answered, “She is.”

“Stop this madness!” Shownu commanded, but it fell on deaf ears, both the captain’s and their adversary’s.

“Ambrosia was once yours, wasn’t she?” Kai asked of the man in his grip.

“She was.”

“She’s mine now.” The vampire squeezed the captain to a melody of grunts and whimpers. “Say it.”

“She’s yours now,” Lucas said.

Satisfied, Kai stroked the sweaty bangs back from his captive’s brow. “Captain Wong, do you want to live?”

“Yes.”

Kai grinned, his gaze leveled now on his golden prize. “Then tell her.”

The tension at the corners of Lucas’s eyes said one thing while his mouth said another. “I want to live.”

“See?” said Kai to the woman sagging under the weight of each new layer of horror.

“I want to live long enough to protect her…” Lucas managed, still faraway but fighting back with the last of his resistance. Amber charged forward a few steps before Kai sighed again, this time belabored.

“Patience, my dove. The curtain has almost fallen on the end of this act. Captain Wong, please tilt your head.”

Lucas did, though it was slow and halting. His eyes were huge, his grimace was deep, and even from a distance, Amber could see his pulse in his throat.

Jooheon and Minhyuk lurched forward now, but Shownu held them both back.

“Curb your strays, Hyungwon,” ordered Kai, “all of them. You’re interfering with the lady’s choice. This comes down to Ambrosia. It always will.”

Reluctantly, Hyungwon whistled, this one low but rising like a hill. His brothers slinked back, as did the wolves just beyond the thickets, though their eyes still flashed green and gold between the trees.

“Good. Very good,” mused Kai. “Finally, some respect.”

“Goddamn you, you bastard,” Amber muttered. “Just fucking stop this.”

“It stops when you stop denying the pull you feel toward me.”

“Lucas has nothing to do with this.”

“He has everything to do with this!” Kai boomed. “You were going to marry him. You were going to marry him instead of me—him—a common air-sucker. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

Amber shook her head, tears flinging out. “I gave him up.”

Kai squeezed the captain tighter as he shouted, “You gave him up for them!”

“I gave him up for you!”

The weight of her words settled like dew over the meadow. Everything seemed unnaturally quiet now, as though the whole world was waiting for her next words.

“I knew once you had me, there'd be no going back.”

“But you did,” the vampire growled. “The moment you saw them, the moment they came back, you ran to them. You left me.”

The sting of pain was hard to ignore in his voice, no matter how misplaced it was, and it stung Amber, too. She could hate Kai with everything she had, but somehow, she still resonated with him like a tuning fork. It was there in her chest, the uncomfortable truth, that he needed her.

“Jesus, Kai, I’m not with you. Don’t you get that? This isn't love. This is loneliness.”

For a moment, Amber forgot the rest of the world. For a moment, Kai’s grip on Lucas faltered. For a moment, she thought she’d broken through. But the next moment, Kai’s eyes were once again as firm as his conviction.

“I'm sorry you doubt me. After all I’ve done for you, after all I’ve shared with you—things I’ve never told anyone...” His voice was so clear, it was the only sound she heard. “I will make you see my heart, Ambrosia, all of it, but I understand now that you won't believe me at my best until you've seen me at my worst.”

Kai’s teeth sank into the captain's flesh before he withdrew to sprays of blood that showered the vampire’s skin and drenched Lucas’s clothes.

Horror slammed into Amber: He wasn't even drinking. He wasn't even drinking….

He was wasting Lucas's blood.

The crimson mess greased Kai’s hand until it loosened enough for the captain to slip out and puddle onto the grass. Lucas staunched the wound at his throat, but it was pointless. His mouth moved wordlessly like a dummy without its master, but his eyes were once again clear and focused solely on Amber.

“There's still time to make a choice that saves his life, Ambrosia,” said Kai. “Accept your fate or be consumed by it. Either way, you’re mine, but one comes with considerably less collateral damage.”

As if to underscore Kai’s point, Lucas sputtered and spit a little geyser of blood across the grass.

“I accept!” she screamed. “Call off your army, and I’ll go with you.”

“Amber, no!” called Changkyun. He lunged for her hand, but she jerked it away.

She whirled back to the seven steadfast men at her back and felt her decision galvanize in her chest. She stood as tall as she could and said, “I can’t let anything happen to any of you.”

“You don’t know what you’re agreeing to,” Kihyun stressed.

Shownu nodded. “This is worse.”

“Way worse,” finished Wonho.

But Amber shook her head, and her eyes fell to her captain, writhing less and less with every pump of his heart. In a near whisper, she said, “It can’t be worse.”

As she closed the gap between her future and her past, her body felt heavier and heavier, like she was descending into the ocean depths, and with every step, the pressure intensified. Just before she crossed that invisible threshold where she was crushed forever, she turned back for one last look at the men who had changed her life in every conceivable way.

Amber knew now that they would never give her up, the same way she knew which way was up. The same way she knew that if she didn’t put a stop to it, everyone would be dead within minutes.

She steadied her heartbeat before she said to them, “I need you to do two final things for me.”

Wonho was crying as was Jooheon while Changkyun supported a limp and finally sober Minhyuk on his shoulder, and Kihyun glared blackly at her. Though his shirt was in tatters and gashes ran the length of his face and arms, Shownu stood as motionless as she remembered him from that first day she’d met him. But it was Hyungwon’s face that made the most ragged cut.

Those soft, exquisite features were blank of every emotion, as though he were no longer a man but a statue, beautiful and hollow.

Love me, too. Please…

Amber swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, willing away the emptiness in his face.

This is how I’ll love you, she thought bitterly.

“Save Luke,” she said, grateful that her voice didn’t break the way she was breaking inside. “Please, I’m begging you. And find a way to let me go. If you’re alive, then a part of me will go on living, too, no matter what.”

“Amber—” Hyungwon started, but she waved him off. Even the rasp of his voice threatened to send her barreling back to him.

“You have to do this for me because if you don’t, I really won’t forgive you. This is my choice, and by choosing this, I’m really choosing you.”

Behind her, Kai huffed, and even though she couldn’t see him, she could feel how she’d siphoned some of his power. It wouldn’t be long before his delusions overtook him again, but it was enough for him to know where her heart lived right now.

“Swear it, Hyungwon!” Amber demanded.

With lips ever-flushed but now wooden, he said, “I swear.”

It felt as final as a mythical oath. There was no clap of thunder or earthquake beneath their feet, but the words reverberated just the same.

Amber turned to Kai, who grinned from ear to ear and offered his hand. She shook her head and said, “Let them get Lucas first.”

“As you wish,” he said and stepped to the side, as did his soldiers.

Kihyun and Shownu surged past her, brushing her arms along the way so their goodbyes ached in her bones. They gathered up Lucas, whose head was lolling now while his limbs jostled limply with every step.

Amber stopped them long enough to check his leaking wound and comfort him one last time. His eyes were open and full of a dark mix of confusion, horror, fear, and begging. Though he couldn’t speak, she could hear her captain clear as day in her mind.

Don’t do it, Spiros.

With her determination renewed, she turned her attention back to the tuxedoed man waiting smugly ahead of her. She matched his high chin and straight back though her hands balled in her skirt, betraying her confidence. “Now, you. You swear that you will let them be.”

“Yes, yes, that’s a given,” the vampire said with an eye roll.

“Don’t fuck with me, Kai. No tricks, no games. Do I need to name each of them specifically?”

He wrinkled his lip at the pseudonym as much as the threat. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Then, swear it!”

“I swear it, my lady,” he said with his hand on what was left of his heart before he bowed deeply to her. “And I thought I was theatrical. Now, since it’s all settled at long fucking last, I beg you join my side, goddess.”

The slot beside him seemed to glimmer, and she moved toward it as if pulled. As powerful and important as Kai claimed she was, Amber felt helpless, especially when his hands closed around her waist followed by the back of her neck. He was facing her now, differently than he had all night. His smugness made him taller, and his victory made him broader. It was as if he were going to consume her.

“There it is again,” he murmured. “Do you feel the energy between us?”

Beneath her shame and her rage, Amber did. God help her, she did.

It was like the ocean pulling back from the shore farther and farther and farther. She could feel the next wave marshalling on the horizon more ferociously than ever, shaking her bones with anticipation.

“Lean into that. Lean into me,” Kai whispered.

Even if she wanted to continue fighting, Amber couldn’t. She flattened her body against him to his little groan. The hand on her neck urged her forward still until her head rested on his chest. Kai was painfully hard against her hip—at his conquest, at his audience, at her submission—and she shivered. He stroked her hair and clasped her so fiercely to him that Amber thought she might become a part of him.

Kai purred above her. “Look at them one last time, my sweet Ambrosia. Show them what they will never have again.”

He guided her head toward an image that would never leave her.

Lucas was still choking on blood and convulsing on the ground while Jooheon clamped a hand over the captain’s wound, but she could see how wet his fingers were. Minhyuk shook in Shownu’s grip, but her partner held fast even if he begged to release his feral brother. So much heartbreak, so much outrage. But as dead as each brother’s eyes were, all of them stayed rooted until Amber was convinced they’d turned to stone.

Kai hummed in delight.

“Kiss me,” he ordered, wrenching Amber’s gaze from her lovers to the devil above her, “and mean it.”

His mouth dipped to meet hers, and their lips finally connected.

All she could taste was black cruelty, bitter and sad and as painful to the touch as dry ice. As Kai’s tongue slipped into her mouth, a tear slipped down her cheek. Dimly, Amber heard a cry beside her, but she knew it wasn’t from her. She had accepted her role, and she gave her full self unto it.

She shoved her lips harder against his, and Kai moaned when her tongue glided into his mouth. She teased him with it, curling it back like a beckoning finger until he answered her call with a thrust of his bottom lip between hers. When Amber had it, she bit hard enough to draw blood—her last show of defiance before she became the empty vessel waiting to be filled.

Kai snarled but didn’t withdraw. Instead, he took it as permission to kiss Amber more roughly, and when he finally let her come up for air, her lips were blotted with blood and his handsome face had twisted into his vampire mask. His fangs peeked over his wounded lip, and he licked up the speckles of his blood to a satisfied smile.

He let out an appreciative laugh. “Oh, you definitely meant that. You skipped a few steps in our ceremony, but we can seal our blood marriage here if you insist. And, look! How nice. We already have witnesses to our union.”

Amber’s stomach lurched, as much from the leaden taste of Kai’s wrong blood as the horrified looks on the brothers’ faces.

Kai drew her in front of him, face-out just as he had for Lucas, but his grip was different. One hand splayed over her stomach while the other cupped the underside of her breasts. He guided her head to the side so everyone could get a clear view of her neck. His nose ghosted along the skin there with a murmur of appreciation before it crinkled.

He scowled. “Makeup?”

With the butt of his palm, he scrubbed her skin and then howled. The dark stain of Kihyun’s brand still lingered, but even worse, now it was framed by fresh pinpoint scabs.

Kai’s voice was perilous as he said, “Which one of you swamp-blood bastards took what didn’t belong to you?”

The brothers looked between each other, but the questioning glances stopped the moment they noticed Hyungwon’s eyes locked with Amber’s.

The tallest brother took a step forward.

“She doesn’t belong to you. She belongs with us.”

“Oh really?” laughed Kai, fondling her breast for emphasis. “Yet here she is, walking right into my embrace.”

Lean into me…

That next wave was still gathering inside Amber. The further it withdrew, the more of her it laid bare, but now it was building with unprecedented speed, and she wouldn’t deny it anymore. It needed to break. She needed to break.

“Shut up,” she demanded. Fury permeated her every breath as she tossed stray hairs from her throat and pushed back into her captor. “Stop fucking talking and just do it.”

Kai grinned at the ring of defeated faces before him. With vicious irony, he laughed, “You heard the lady.”

The vampire kissed her throat reverentially—once, twice—and then savored a long lick of the sweat stippled there. A moment later, Amber felt the pain, familiar now, penetrating to her soul as her blood pumped into his ravenous jaws. Kai was inside her, not just his teeth but his very essence. She could feel him slinking through her veins and clawing toward her heart.

At last, the wave of their potential smashed against her with enough force to empty the breath from her lungs. It was like a rush of water over her head, spinning her and upending her and drowning her. It wasn’t a current Amber could swim against. It wasn’t something she could tame. Her only option was to lose herself in it.

Against her wishes, one of her hands covered Kai’s, kneading and squeezing as more of her strength and her will flowed into him. With every vigorous gush of blood against his tongue, he moaned and rutted against her while she slackened in his arms the way that Johnny had… the way that Lucas had. Kai was taking so much—so much of her blood, so much of her spirit. Her grip was loosening. Her knees were giving out. Her mettle was crumbling. Maybe this was how she died…

“You’re killing her!” screamed Jooheon.

It was nearly too late by the time Kai realized how limp Amber was in his embrace. Together, they fell to the ground where he sealed the wound at her neck. He held her face in his hands, his fingers digging into her yielding flesh.

“Ambrosia! Ambrosia!”

He was shaking her now, trying to focus the color behind her stained-glass eyes.

“Come back.”

Slowly, she blinked, and the world came back into focus.

“I’m sorry,” Kai said desperately, clutching her against him like a ragdoll. “I took too much. I took too much, I’m sorry. Come back to me. Come back, please…”

Maybe it was her blood-starved brain, but it sounded inexplicably sincere.

Head pounding and vision fuzzy, she pushed out of Kai’s lap and tumbled onto the grass.

“Ambrosia? Baby?”

His words were too soft. Her brain was too scrambled. Her heart felt like it was skipping every other beat. But through all of that, there was something inside her telling her to keep moving, keep surging with the wave.

Her hands groped blindly through the pine needles and damp grass until, at last, Amber found the steely conviction to get up. She pushed up, dizzy but never forgetting that singular something she still had to do.

Meanwhile, Kai shot up alongside her, offering his body as a crutch that she reluctantly used until she got her bearings. Now before each other again, he caressed her cheeks and hair and whispered strange gratitudes and other things that sounded foreign out of a creature with a corn husk for a soul.

“Never again… Never again…”

There was that thing in the back of Amber’s mind again, a nagging compulsion heavy in both her head and her hand, some kind of an invisible compass pointing her in a direction she couldn’t even see, only feel.

Whatever it was, Kai felt it, too. Slowly, his hands stilled on her face until they disappeared, moving instead to his own chest. He staggered back a step and then another. His vampire mask had faded, replaced now with a different kind of twist in his features, this one full of confusion and definitely pain. As sweat peppered his brow, he grasped fistfuls of his tuxedo jacket and wobbled on his feet.

“What is this? What have you done to me?”

His voice was thin with shock, but it was nothing to the surprise in the whites of his eyes when the shot rang out.

This time when he clutched at his chest, his hands came back soaked with blood. He held them in front of his face for a long moment before he turned them toward the woman with blood on her lips and Lucas’s gun in her hand.

“Ambrosia?” Kai whimpered before he fell to his knees.

Amber stood there, gun trembling in her grip before it fell back to the mess of leaves where she’d found it. She couldn’t move. She was frozen, staring at the empty woods ahead of her.

Kai pitched forward, landing face-first at her hips, his nose nuzzling languidly over her womb. He kissed her once there as tears fell from his face.

“All I wanted was you,” he whimpered, his voice as strained as it was sad.

He clawed aimlessly at her skirt as he struggled to hold on, but his grip failed him, and his face fell to her feet now, pine needles and grass clinging to his bloody lips as his chest heaved with breaths he hadn't taken in nearly 700 years. With the last of his strength, his fingers played with the hem of her dress, tragic little tugs as he begged for her attention.

His mouth opened, but no more words came out, just blood and one last breath.

“He's dead?” said Jooheon incredulously.

“He’s human,” replied Changkyun just as shocked.

Amber stared at the elegant fingers draped loosely now around her ankle. Those same fingers had stolen the life from countless victims, from her own sister, and yet something in Amber’s chest ached at the sight of them forever still.

“Goodbye, Jongin,” she whispered as she closed her eyes to blot out the last of the wave as it dwindled away to nothing.

“Amber!”

Shownu’s frantic voice beckoned her from the void, and she jerked free of Kai’s final embrace.

His minions were staring at her, fangs bared and tongues wagging as they sniffed at the honey blood in the air. Without Kai’s will to hold them back, they would be on her in a second.

Suddenly, Hyungwon’s whistle lilted on the wind, this one faster and angrier than the last. In a flash, streaks of gray shot from the tree line and tore into the field with roars and barks. Wolf claws and jaws sank into vampire flesh, wrenching chunks from limbs and gouging holes in chests.

When Amber couldn’t find the strength to run anymore, Wonho darted forward and scooped her up, jetting her back to the rest of the family. Jooheon looked up with saucer eyes and then back down to his makeshift seal at Lucas’s throat.

“I’m sorry. It’s not my wound. I can’t close it,” he said, voice trembling.

Amber knelt beside the captain and pressed the back of her hand to Lucas’s face. His skin was cool and ashen. His eyes were blank, his breath shallow, and his lips bone dry. She put her fingers to his wrist, but his pulse was too low to count.

“We have to get him to a hospital,” she urged, but Shownu shook his head.

“He’s too far gone. He’ll never make it.”

Amber tried to make out her partner’s words, but they were too surreal. All this magical bullshit in the world, and Lucas was still going to die? She wouldn’t accept it. She couldn’t. “Then change him, damnit! He can’t die! You promised me! You swore.”

Kihyun put a hand on her shoulder. “You know about our pact, Ambrosia. I wish we could, but it’s unbreakable. It’s out of our hands.”

“But I can fix it later,” she pleaded. “You saw that, right? It will be like it never happened, okay? Please just do it. Just fucking do it!”

The brothers started to argue, but they were all talking at once, and it was wasting precious time. Amber didn’t have the brain power anymore to weed any of it out especially over the nightmare symphony still going on behind them.

The last of Kai’s great creations, the monstrous Junmyeon, finally fell under the relentless attack of several voracious wolves. His wings looked like streamers and only the last human piece of his face remained unblinking at the sky. The remaining vampire stragglers took off into the woods, leading most of the wolves on their scent, but two lingered behind and trotted over to the brothers.

Maybe it was distortion from her tears, but Amber could barely make sense of the kaleidoscope shift of colors from gray to white and finally tan. Before her now stood one large wolf and a toned, naked man with mahogany hair and the shrewd eyes of a tycoon. The man crouched down beside Lucas and lifted the captain’s limp hand.

“They don’t break their pact for anyone,” the stranger said, “but I’ve been known to bend for a pretty lady.”

Minhyuk bared his fangs at the interloper, but Wonho reined him in with a sturdy chokehold. It didn’t seem to faze the stranger.

“I’ll shoot you straight,” he continued. “I could use another pack member. Been harder and harder to find these days. It’s got to be someone fearless and strong with just the right amount of stupid. I think your captain fits the bill. What do you say?”

Now, Amber was sure she was in some kind of a fever dream thanks to the wound on her arm. Even with all she knew about vampires, this seemed like a ludicrous reach.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about! I can’t make that decision for him,” Amber exclaimed. “I don’t know anything about your kind or you, and I—I don’t think I can ever undo it.”

“You can’t, but the way I see it, your guy only has two options: death or the wolf. You have to decide.”

“Kun…” Hyungwon said softly as he rested a hand on the naked man’s shoulders, but Kun waved him off.

“Does—does it hurt?” she stuttered.

“A lot, yeah, but the pain’s a lot less permanent than death.”

“The window’s closing, Amber,” Jooheon said with his ear pressed to Lucas’s chest.

Out of options, Amber grabbed her captain’s face in her hands and swiped her thumbs along his cheekbones. She brushed his hair back from his face only to find it as pale and cold as the moon. “Lucas? Lucas, can you hear me?”

His head rolled toward her. His mouth moved, but no sounds came out except a faint gargle.

“Lucas, baby? Baby, I have to know. They can save you, but if they do, you’ll be like—. You’ll be—” Her words snagged in her throat as she tried to face wicked reality. “—you’ll be different. Do you want that? Baby, please tell me.”

He couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even move his head. His eyes glazed as they stared into hers, one a blue heaven, the other a divided hell.

“Now, Ambrosia,” Kihyun demanded. “Tell us.”

With her blood in her ears and her heart in her mouth, she whispered, “Save him.”

The naked man swiveled to face the wolf with him and patted it between its shoulder blades. In a low voice, Kun said, “Do it, Xiaojun.”

Instantly, the wolf lunged and bit Lucas on the arm. Several of the brothers jumped back while Shownu grabbed Amber and pinned her against him. It only lasted a split second before the wolf retreated and Kun advanced so he was looming over the captain.

“I need you all to back up,” he ordered. “He has to imprint me as his alpha once the change happens.”

The brothers did as asked though nothing seemed to change. Lucas still looked dead. He hadn’t even flinched at the bite, and hope was waning. But a moment later, every muscle in his body was struck unnaturally rigid, and he released the howl of a soul being ripped from its earthly home. When there wasn’t an ounce of torture left in his lungs to spill into the world, Lucas sagged against the earth, eyes wide and mouth agape.

He was looking at Amber—through her—but he wasn’t there. She sobbed, her nails gouging her thighs. She couldn’t look away. What had she done? What had she invited into his world and trapped in there with him?

“Lucas…” she whimpered.

“Get her back!” Kun warned.

Lucas’s body seized again, this time arching his back sharply as he convulsed. His fingers crooked and his feet twisted as his heels worked shallow graves into the ground.

“Jesus, when will this end? Make it stop!” Amber wailed, but, now back to himself again, Minhyuk held her tightly in his arms, and she was so relieved to have him back, she burrowed into his chest.

“This is the price of living,” said Kun. “It will be over soon.”

She flinched and let Minhyuk tuck her face deeper into him as his arm wrapped around her head.

“It’ll be over soon,” the vampire repeated.

She heard more scuffling mixed with unholy creaks and groans that couldn’t possibly come from a human. If nightmares had a soundtrack, she thought, this would be it. She would hear it forever.

Then, suddenly, all was quiet. Amber peeked over Minhyuk’s arm and saw Kun there, unabashedly naked but looking as confident as if he had his hands stuffed in expensive suit pockets.

“Lucas, is it?” the stranger said in perfect nonchalance. “Nice to meet you. I’m Kun. I’m here to welcome you into our pack.”

“Amber?” the captain croaked.

“Your lady-friend? Yeah, she saved your life. But, listen, things are about to get a lot hairier for you, so we have to hightail you back to the house. Can’t have you going through the rest of the transformation this close to dawn. You two can catch up later, yeah?”

Lucas ignored the stranger and rolled his head to the side until he found Amber clutching Minhyuk. The second his eyes landed on her, she scrambled to his side. “You’re alive!”

“Amber, what’s happening to me? What are they? Are—”

She placed a quick kiss to his lips and shook her head. “All that matters is that you’re safe. I wish I could explain everything like you deserve, but you have to go with them, okay? They’re friends. They’ll take care of you.”

Amber looked up at Hyungwon, who nodded, though it was a little late now to be making sure she could trust transforming wolves from the woods.

Kun smiled, his mouth full of perfect white, perfectly human teeth. “You can always trust your pack. Now, let’s hit the road. The clock’s a-ticking.”

After another quick kiss, Amber moved back so Jooheon and Changkyun could help the captain up before they dragged him back toward his car with Kun and the wolf following. Kun opened the back door, and the wolf hopped in as though it were a pet. Once Lucas was strapped in the passenger seat, Kun waved to everyone and, still buck naked, climbed in the driver’s seat and took off, leaving the rest of his wolves to find their way back.

Slowly, Amber turned around. There was no way to avoid the carnage before her—bodies everywhere, some whole and some in pieces, blood, fabric, huge chunks of turf. There, near the edge, somehow spotlighted by starlight, lay Kai. He was just as she’d left him, facedown, groveling at feet that were no longer there, still beautiful but forever broken.

“It’s getting late,” Kihyun said. “We have to clean up. Let’s get her home and into bed.”

“I should stay,” Amber protested, stumbling forward on autopilot toward the man in the tuxedo.

Strong arms curled around her waist as a chin rested on her shoulder. She was so numb, she barely felt it as Wonho hugged her and said, “It’s time to go, Amber.”

“Everything will be all right,” Shownu promised.

“All right?” she said, her breath hitching. “How could it ever be all right? I just turned Luke into some—thing. So many people are dead. Johnny is dead—an FBI agent is dead. The whole fucking precinct will be here any minute, and there are just… so many fucking bodies. There’s a fucking demon with wings in the same grass where kids play frisbee! And Jongin— Damnit, how is any of this sane or even remotely okay?”

Her words fired like an assault rifle, and Amber struggled for big, hiccupping breaths between every one before Hyungwon cradled her face in his hands and forced her gaze up to him, and suddenly, she could breathe again.

“We’ll get through it, Amber,” he whispered. “We’ll get through it together because we love you, too.”

Through all the impossibilities she’d just witnessed, somehow that felt like the most impossible thing of all, but it was the only answer she could truly believe in. She looked from perfect face to perfect face and felt that swell of peace that could only come from perfect love.

Together…

She’d never heard a more beautiful word.

Her heart once again beating in her chest, Amber nodded as she whispered, “I’m ready to go home.”

A/N: An open letter to EXO:

Dear boys,

I’m so sorry, especially to the very sweet and pretty Suho and the extraordinarily perfect Kai. I wish I could have written it any other way, but this was the only one that worked. I’ll make it up to you someday! No hard feelings? Please! I love you!

Sincerely,

The horrible bitch author :(

#monsta x smut #novel #succumbing to sybaris #original character #shownu #wonho #minhyuk #kihyun #hyungwon #jooheon #changkyun #lucas #kai #Detective AU #vampire au #enemies to lovers #reverse harem #WE GO HARD YO

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miss-noo-na · 5 years

Text

Vos Anima Mea (Kihyun Vampire AU)

Summary: You have been commissioned to paint a portrait for an elusive night club owner, only to get wrapped up in his world of dark royalty, family betrayal, and ancient tradition.

Warnings: Blood, violence, and abuse.

Chapters:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

#monsta x #yoo kihyun #monsta x scenarios #monsta x fanfiction #kpop scenarios #kihyun scenarios #vampire au #halloween #kpop fanfiction

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btswishes · 5 years

Text

Are you for real?

Kihyun (Vampire Au)

Part1 / Next

A/N: Thank you for reading my stuff, I appreciate it extremely. I tried to put a twist on this a bit, hope you enjoy it Anony and sorry for any mistakes made.

Requested by: Anonymous

Request: “ Hi! I was wondering if you could do a Kihyun vampire au? It can honestly be about anything! I love your work btw! “

Word count: 2,304

Warnings: Swear words, blood, organs mention of death.

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The moon slowly rose from it’s place of slumber and illuminated the world underneath in a silver light. The night birds stepped into their spotlight and began singing the songs of their kind, accompanied by the gentle rustling of the leaves and the howling winter winds.

You mumbled something under your nose, before slamming the books shut and stretching your back a bit. After a few small cracks ,you took off your reading glasses and looked outside the window.Night had fallen and you hadn’t even noticed where all those hours went.

Studying for today was finished and you were swirling on the chair, thinking what to do now with your free time. You could watch\read something or just lay on the bed at stare at the ceiling for sometime. Not many good ideas where popping into your head ,when a pretty silent knock stopped your movement.

“Yes?” you said loud ,as the door opened with permission

“You done with studying?” your mom asked noticing all the closed books and your kinda empty stare at the wall.

“Pretty much yeah.” you could see a small piece of paper in her hand fluttering from the outside wind coming in through the open window “You want me to get something?”

“Yes.I am running low on a few things.” she explained, passing over the list

“Where is dad?” usually he was the errand boy for small stuff that didn’t need a lot of thinking or choice

“Your dad decided to show your brother a move and I think he broke his back. He will ok tho, just needs some time to get back on his feet....literally” your mother was obviously trying to suppress a laugh so strong it could shake the whole house.”Can you go?” You scanned everything from number 1 to number 10 fast and decided that it wasn’t something that will take a long time to get and you had nothing else to do anyways.

“Ok. The store is pretty close anyways, a few minute walk.” you jumped off the chair and walked over to your closet putting on some pants, a warm shirt and your hair in a high bun on top of your hair.

Going down the stairs you saw your dad on the couch, face down and ice on his back. You wanted to laugh too but kept your cool out of respect. Popping some shoes on you fixed your coat making sure you were nice and isolated.

“I can go get the stuff you know.” you were stopped by your brother, who as always was concerned about you.

“It’s ok Hae. “ unlocking the door ,you threw the shopping bag on your shoulder

“I can come with you! Muscle power.” he was trying to flex but you were already locking the door at this point. It wasn’t anything new to you, he has always been like this since day one.

The night was cold and you were nuzzling yourself into the coat, trying to stay as warm as you could. Both your hands were in your pockets trying not to fall off from the freezing temperatures. Everything around was pretty quiet and peaceful.Most people were already in their homes, trying to warm up and spend time with loved ones. It was Christmas and New Years week after all.

From time to time someone would pass by you, but you weren’t fazed much by it. Humans lived on Earth after all. Of course some people walking were a bit sketchy and all, but you weren’t that worried. There have been sightings of some strange creature lately in your city, but this isn’t some kind of horror movie you were in, so you didn’t think much of the poster that pulled your attention for a split second.

The supermarket was illuminating the street in front of it so well ,you could almost see the snowflakes as they crackled under your boots. Stepping in the warm space, you grabbed a basket and went around searching for the items on the small list. It didn’t take long before you had almost everything in the basket, the only thing missing was the meat.

You walked up to the section and began telling the worker what you needed. Your mom was very specific when it came to meat in your family. After some time the lady working behind the glass section passed over everything you had asked for. You wished her a happy week and went on your marry way.

“Ok so, I have milk, eggs, the veggies and meat and.....oh liver, liver.I almost forgot the liver.” the paper went back in your pocket as you were once more running around in search of number 10. “Aha!” you gasped when the little packet caught your eye from the distance. You were so happy that you started running in its direction. There was a small moment where you hit something and fell back. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but what you figured out was that the boy holding onto your hand, pulled you in time before you hit the hard floor.

He had an intense stare that wasn’t moving away from your face. His grip was pretty strong and starting to hurt. The boy felt you flinch and let go.

“Are you ok?” he asked with a serious tone in his voice.

“Ah yes. I am sorry, I shouldn’t have been running in the first place.” you said sorry for the whole incident and reached out to grab a packet of liver.

“You really seem to like...meat.” he was looking at the bags upon bags of it in your basket

“It’s not only for me, my family eats it too.” the boy nodded, his eyes locked on your face “I am really sorry again for the mess I made.Have a goodnight.” you bowed a bit and snaked around the aisles.

It was pretty late, so not many people were at the cash registers. You placed everything in the bags and payed fast. Being around so much food made you pretty hungry. Stepping out of the supermarket ,you were hit by the cold air again. You had forgotten that it was winter for a second.Looking up at the moon you were able to clearly see your breath like small clouds disintegrating into the atmosphere.

“Going home?” you heard that familiar voice

“Yes, have a good night.” the boy was standing close to you, with his hands in his pocked and surprisingly lightly dressed for the season you were in. You were giving him short answers. The boy was very handsome, his hair was dark and his eyes an interesting almost black tint mixed in with mystery. His skin was fairly pale and in a way there was something a bit unsettling.He didn’t seem bad, but at the same time not trust wordy in a way. Unknowingly to you, he had taken a liking to your existence. He was quite close when you felt his breath on your neck. You almost jumped when he grabbed you by the waist.

“Wait, don’t move.” in his hand he had a small insect that had fallen onto you from a tree “I didn’t want to scare you, sorry.” he was painfully close and his eyes were fixed at certain points of your body, eyes and neck. In moment of shock you had dropped the bags, so he pulled them up, his head grassing onto your skin for a split second. Grabbing them tight you said a thank you and a goodbye almost at the same time, as you started walking in the direction of your house. The boy staid in the same spot and you could feel the intense stare he was giving you.

It didn’t take you long to calm down and soon your walking pattern became slow. You fixed the shopping bags in your palm, moving them in a more comfortable position. The night had become darker and more cold than you remembered. The streets were empty and your only company at this point were the lights trying to keep the darkness away from the town. There weren’t people in sight and even the cats and dogs were hiding somewhere warm.

Yet you couldn’t shake this feel of being a sitting duck at this very moment. You felt a few chills run down your spine, but shook them away thinking it was the cold. They began from the back of your head, tingling to your ears and down your spine, coaxing a twitch in your neck. You sucked air in your might through your closed teeth ,as you rubbed the skin on the back of your neck, trying to calm the sudden jolt you had.You felt uneasy as if you were being watched and or followed, but there was no one around you or behind you. Then again it was pretty dark and you never know where one could be hiding. Your house wasn’t far from here and you had only 5 more minutes or so till you reached the front door.

In a way it felt calming knowing that you were almost home. Stopping on the step, you started fiddling in your pocket, trying to find the key to the front door. Even if you were relaxed that chill was still present in your body, like you were still being watched. For a second it felt like something cold was close, reaching towards your neck ,when the door opened wide and your brother grabbed the bags out of your hands.

“I was about to go and find you.Took you long enough.” he pulled you in and locked the door behind you. Your brother saw how much you were freezing and helped you take off your coat. “Where did you scratch yourself?” he pointed out the small red line of the back of your neck. You touched the spot and remembered the small insect that was apparently on you.

“There was a bug on me earlier, maybe the little thing bit me.” you shrugged your shoulders before your mom pulled out some ointment.

Dinner was normal, nothing special. You had a nice talk with your family.Afterwards your dad and mom sat on the couch to watch something on TV, while you and your brother get ready for bed. During your shower a stinging sensation took over the small scratch on your neck. You ran your fingers over it again, but payed it no attention as it was going to heal soon anyways. Wrapping a towel around you and stepping out of the bathroom, you called your brother to inform him that you were all done.

Your room was nice and warm thanks to the heater, so you were able to comfortably take your towel off and get dressed without feeling like you are going to freeze to death. After brushing your hair and doing your night time routine, you were ready for bed. You had this habit where when you weren’t tired yet, you would turn on your nightlight and sit in bed, looking at your phone, reading something or just thinking about random things. It was nice to just listen to the sounds of nature. You could hear the wind moving the trees and bushes around, the flutters of small nighttime birds enjoying their life and also random sounds that are a bit similar to foot steps and also the smell of winter, wait....go back a bit!

Your body stood up and froze with your back facing the wide open window. Sounds were mixing in with each other, making it a bit hard to identify which was what. You took a deep breath and pulled yourself off the soft bedding. It took a few seconds before you turned around standing face to face with the small square leading to the outside. Your room was in the back of the house that was opened to a very big field like garden. As much as you didn’t want to, you peeked a bit outside to see what could be making the sounds. Usually a lot of small creatures would pass by and deep down you thought that if maybe you saw one of them it would calm you down and let you sleep calmly.

There was nothing next to the house. You should have been happy, but then again something had to be making those sounds and it wasn’t something simple. You didn’t hesitate to close the window shut and pull the curtains as far as they could go.

The warm bed welcomed you triumphantly, as it’s hands pulled you into a warm and long awaited hug.Almost instantaneously you drifted off into sleep. Your dreams were normal with the occasional appearance of that boy from the supermarket.He looked different this time around, his almost pitch black eyes and blood-red lips were contrasting his pale skin. He looked lifeless on more than one level, yet there was a prominent existence around him. You clearly saw a small talisman dangling on a chain around his neck, almost like a necklace. For a moment during your dream you could hear his deep voice.

Your eyes shot open and you found yourself welcomed by the morning rays. The sun warmed up your skin and the sound of birds calmed you down. You stretched your arms and took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. Jumping out of bed ,you put on your slippers and grabbed the door handle, when your foot hit something small. Almost without a thought you looked down seeing a shining metal object.

“Hm?” your fingers quickly retrieved the material and let your eyes scan over it.It looked like a lock.As you were holding it, your mind went blank.Your body turned around slowly towards the room.

The curtains were pushed back.

The window was open.

The lock was in your hand.

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sweetmorninglight · 6 years

Text

Supernatural AU!Vampire (Kihyun)

His melodic voice echoing in your ears put you in a state of total bliss

Maybe it was the alcohol in your system, or maybe he was really talented, but all you knew was that you were mesmerized by that cute guy on the small stage

He was wearing really formal clothes: a black suit with a dark blue silk shirt combined with a bright red tie that looked more like a ribbon than anything else

A nice gift, you thought running your eyes over his body for the umpteenth time

You were glad you decided to go to the hotel’s bar to enjoy a night of free Martinis and also a pleasant musical performance

The song lulled you while you sipped your last drink, and you allowed him to take you to that amazing place he was singing about

Sounded like Paradise to you

This was the last song you’d hear before going back to your bedroom

You had to fly back home early in the morning and couldn’t afford losing sleep

“Thank you all very much” he smiled wide receiving all the applauses and cheers

And what a smile!, good Lord…

Your eyes met for a brief moment, suddenly you felt hot, as if a fire had started in your stomach

Thinking it was because of the alcohol, you decide to leave before feeling sick in a public place

Holding your handbag, you took the lift up to your floor, resting the back of your head on the mirror behind you

As you closed your eyes, the cute vocalist was there in your mind singing and smiling like he did few minutes ago at the bar

Yoo Kihyun

That’s what you heard one of the bartenders answer when a lady next to you asked him the name of the “talented young man”

Such a shame I’m leaving, you sighed. Such a shame I’m a coward, you added

You knew that even if you stayed for a whole year you wouldn’t muster up enough courage to go to him and at least introduce yourself, let alone ask him out or something

I’ll be single forever… you sighed in misery stepping out on your floor

Your room was the last one on that long corridor, so you walked calmly while trying to open your handbag to get your keycard

Suddenly you heard someone humming behind you, but saw no one when you turned around

Weird, you thought, but decided to walk a bit faster anyway

The bag’s clasp was stuck and you were struggling to get it open to get your card

Footsteps echoed on the corridor, but again there was no one in sight

You got scared and ran up to your door, fighting with that damned clasp

“May I help you?”

“AAAH! Oh God, you scared me!” Kihyun, the cute guy, was right behind you with his hands inside his pockets

“I didn’t mean to” he said, but something in his eyes told you otherwise

“Thanks, but I just need to open my bag to get my card, that’s all” you replied pulling the clasp

Now that you were face to face, there was something rather odd in his looks

He was way too good-looking for a regular guy and there was also this almost dark aura surrounding him

You’ve seen enough crime TV shows to know that this means trouble

“I can give you a hand” he reached forward, making you step back

He seemed amused by your reaction and got closer

“I only bite on the second date” Kihyun’s words made you furrow your eyebrows, but as soon as he smiled, you saw them

Fangs

Sharp fangs hanging from his mouth and almost piercing his lower lips

Before you could scream, he placed his hand over your mouth

“Don’t” he warned you

Your terror became tears that ran down your cheeks without you noticing

“Why do you all cry? Am I that terrible?” Kihyun sounded a bit hurt

You didn’t know what to do, so you just stared at him

Kihyun stared back, and you felt yourself diving into the depths of those dark brown irises

There was so much happening behind his eyes, yet you couldn’t see much of it

It was like trying to remember the lyrics of a song that was stuck in your head for days

Or talking to someone you knew but didn’t remember the name or where you met

It was an ordinary but unsettling feeling

It was driving you crazy

Kihyun let out a short sigh and removed his hand from your mouth

“Maybe I read too much into the looks you gave me at the bar” he said fixing his collar. “I’ll leave you alone, now. I apologize for the inconvenience”

You were dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events of your night, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that lingered over your lips and fluttered your heart

You were excited by his touch in a way you’ve never felt before from anyone else

And you didn’t want this thrilling moment to just vanish like that

Kihyun was already near the lift, but stopped walking when he heard your voice

“It’s the fear of the unknown”

He turned around, puzzled

“Why we cry” you said “You’re not terrible, I think…” you smiled sideways, “We just fear the unknown”

Kihyun stood there without reaction because you caught him off guard

He was expecting to leave and never think of you again, but there you were in that sexy black dress, drowsy from Martinis, wiping away the trace of your tears and giving him a warm smile

“I could actually use your help, Kihyun” you said holding out the handbag in his direction

What was he to do? Deny your request? Deny your inviting lips saying his name, your heart beating fast for him, your thoughts that couldn’t forget him? That was out of question

“Aren’t you afraid?” he stood in front of you again

“Oh, I am” you replied honestly “But you said you only bite on the second date, so I’m believing you”

His smile was way more charming up close, and damn, were you weak for him right now

“Let me check it” he took your handbag and pressed a bit harder on the clasp and it clicked. “Done”

You thanked and took your card out, opening your door

“Can you stay for a while?” you motioned towards the room and entered it, leaving the door open behind you

You were shaking when removing your shoes by the bed, and you knew it was excitement

Not only because courage came out of nowhere and made you invite a guy into your room, something that never happened before, but because you knew he was no ordinary man

You heard the door close and smiled in satisfaction

Something was bound to happen and you couldn’t wait for it

“I’d offer you a drink, but I think I had too much down there” you opened the minibar “I have water and iced tea”

“I’m fine, thank you” Kihyun replied and you suddenly felt really stupid

Wasn’t he a… vampire?

Wouldn’t he want to drink blood instead?

“Oh, I’m sorry” you felt a bit nervous “Do you drink anything else other than, you know…?” your fingers pointed at your own neck and Kihyun laughed

“I do, actually, but I’m fine”

“Alright” you said smiling and removing your earrings. “Do you mind if I start packing? I need to catch an early flight tomorrow”

“Sure, go ahead” Kihyun waved his hands

“We can still talk if you want to” you placed your luggage on your bed and opened it

“Do you want to know anything?” Kihyun asked

“Well, yeah” you laughed “I mean, it’s not every day I get to meet a vampire… You’re a vampire, right?”

“I am” he laughed as well and you felt that fire burning again in your stomach

Now you knew it wasn’t the alcohol

“Were you born or transformed?”

“Born, but I chose to become one”

“Oh?”

“May I sit?” he motioned to the bed

“Yes, of course” you allowed him to sit next to your luggage and he began talking about his life

Apparently, he was born with the genes, but when he turned 18 he decided to embrace his vampire side by drinking blood for the first time

He still ages, though, but not as fast as humans

And yes, he does have some “special abilities” that humans don’t, but he never liked to use them to take advantage of others

“So you’ve seen a lot, right?” you handed him one of your shirts and he folded and placed on your luggage

He knew how to pack better than you, so he decided to help

“Yeah, but I’m still amazed by humankind” Kihyun looked at you and those dark brown eyes showed you so much kindness you wanted to cry

“You’re amazing” you barely let out, feeling your throat tightening by the incoming tears

You didn’t know why, but you felt like crying after this heartwarming moment in which he shared his life story with you

Such a shame you were leaving, you wish you could stay longer with him

You shook your head trying to fight back the tears and decided to drink something to ease your throat

“Are you sure you don’t want have anything?” you said grabbing the iced tea from the minibar

“Well, since you’re offering…” Kihyun replied slowly

“Water or iced tea?”

“You” Kihyun suddenly stood next to your body, whispering his answer in your left ear, making you yelp

“Don’t move, doll, I don’t wanna hurt you” he said looking deeply into your eyes and it was like your body froze immediately after his words

You were now under his commands and it terrified you, but also made you excited for what would come next

His lips were barely touching the skin on your neck while his nose took in your scent, making him sigh happily

You felt butterfly kisses right below your ear moving towards your now prominent neck vein

“I missed this” Kihyun confessed with his lips pressed on your skin and a sharp sudden pain blurred your vision momentarily

You knew he bit you, you understood what it meant physically, but you had no idea of what it would be like emotionally

You felt him

You saw him

His aura

His mind

His thoughts

His emotions

And you were overwhelmed by feelings

Kihyun was an intense carmine with splashes of dark blue

He was beautiful

He was mesmerizing

And you felt yourself being dangerously more attracted to him

“I thought you only bit on the second date” you whispered when his warm tongue licked your skin clean

“You’re a sweet exception” he ran the tip of his thumb on your lower lip and you blinked, trying to maintain yourself composed. “And now that I’ve tasted your blood I can find you anywhere”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we just exchanged our phone numbers?”

“Oh, but where is the fun in it?” Kihyun chuckled closer to your mouth - but still too far away -, making your heart react crazily

“Won’t you kiss me?” you had no idea why this sudden courage took control of you, but hell, you were nearly losing your mind being suffocated by his presence, but not having enough of it to satisfy yourself

“I already made an exception for you tonight, doll, don’t be too eager” Kihyun seemed to enjoy seeing you so desperate for him

“I hate you right now”

“I bet I could change your mind” Kihyun’s lips brushed lightly over yours, but didn’t touch them properly

You groaned in disappointment and closed your eyes, only hearing his amused laugh and feeling his strong and enthralling presence leaving you

“Now, you should go to sleep, tomorrow will be a busy day for you” he placed your closed luggage near the bedside table and straightened the white sheets.

You nodded, plopping on the bed and sighing deeply

“Don’t leave yet, lay with me” you whispered

“Didn’t even need to ask” Kihyun replied the same way and his body was soon embracing your limp figure on the bed

“I don’t wanna go” you confessed pressing your face onto his chest

“Go to sleep, doll” a lingering slumber was possessing your body, but you didn’t quite know if it was because of the alcohol, the blood loss, Kihyun’s influence or the three combined.

Your eyelids got heavier, your arms didn’t obey you anymore and the only sound in the room was Kihyun’s quiet hums, lulling you into a deep relaxed state

Your breathing was evening and your heart calming down

You felt his lips pressed tenderly to your forehead and fell asleep right after hearing his last words

“I’ll find you again, I promise”

#monsta x scenarios #monsta x imagines #kihyun #kihyun scenarios #monsta x #kpop supernatural au #vampire #kpop vampire au #posted on 14.01.19

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mx-bebe31-blog · 6 years

Text

Vampire!Kihyun

I’m really proud of this vampire!kihyun au I did. Please enjoy!

No one knows Kihyun when he comes into town

You only hear from your older sister as you two sit together, sewing dresses and suits in your mother’s shop

You’re obviously a little interested, a sly smile on your face as you lean closer to your sister

“Oh? What’s he like?” You don’t care if men say women gossip too much, there isn’t much else to do in this town, and you revel in what details you can manage

Your sister seems to blush as she swats at you with a needle in hand

“I don’t know! I just know he’s an apparent apprentice for Doctor Crevan.”

“Has he gone to medical school then?” You question quietly as you focus on your task

“I heard it was at Washington University - down in Louisville.”

You nearly prick yourself at that statement. Washington University was one of the top medical schools in the entire nation. You’ve never known anybody who has gotten in yourself.

It’s almost like you’re waiting to get a case of the sniffles just to get a glimpse of this Sir Yoo Kihyun

But you back off as you see all of the other girls and women in your town flock to that doctor’s office.

You actually really like Doctor Crevan - he’s been your doctor since you were a little kid, and you tend to deliver gifts to him when you can manage it. So it’s when you hear that the craze over the new handsome graduate is dying down, you head over to Dr. Crevan

You bring a goodie basket just for him - it has a new silk tie you made for him, a pin, cotton socks, and food you think would be good to gift a person. There was a loaf of fresh bread from the bakery this morning, two small bottles of spices, potatoes, and a bag of fresh greens.

You’re smiling as you knock on the back door to the clinic, and go in yourself.

“Adrian! It’s me, (Y/n), I have a gift for you since it’s been so long -”

For some reason your smile completely drops from your face when you round the corner to see what must be the new apprentice - Kihyun.

You freeze as you hold the basket to your chest. Kihyun looks like a cold man when you catch him off guard, so when he suddenly breaks out into a smile you know he must be a bit of a fake.

“Oh, is Dr. Crevan here?” You simply ask as Kihyun stares at your form with that false smile on his face, his hands clasped together.

“He actually just stepped out to go to the town square. He is getting a new shipment of tools. And...who are you?” He steps forward, his voice edging interest as you shrug, turning to open Adrian’s office door.

“I’m (Y/n). Who are you?” You ask just to let him know he isn’t all he’s chalked up to be in this town.

You hide your smart scoff as his footsteps hitch following you into the small office meant for simple check ups and consultations.

“Forgive me, I’m Yoo Kihyun. I’m the new apprentice from Washington University.” You can hear in his voice that he’s waiting for you to praise him from being such a top notch school, but you only hum.

“Oh, that’s rather far from here, wouldn’t you rather work somewhere in London or Winchester? A lot more people would know your name.” You quip as you look at him before arranging the basket on Adrian’s desk.

Kihyun blinks as his lips fall lax. You look up after you leave your name on the basket, watching as he brings himself to a chuckle.

“I guess you’re right about that, but I’ve always wanted to work in the north. It’s much more...comfortable and quaint. Don’t you agree?”

He’s looking at you like an enigma. You’re not falling for his charming face or his impressive academics.

“I guess. Well, anyway, would you tell Adrian that I left this for him? I best be going.”

Kihyun gives a little smile, “Yes, I’ll be sure to pass along the message. (Y/n), was it?”

You nod, leaving the office as he is quick to follow you out - too quick. You feel his hand grasp your elbow and your back brushes his chest as he sighs next to your ear

“It was nice meeting you. You must have a strong immune system..I feel like I’ve met every other lady in town this passing winter.”

You’re easily able to step out of his grip as you turn, looking up in his dark eyes.

“Don’t be surprised if they all catch hay fever, too, with you in town. Goodbye, Mr. Yoo.”

You turn back and scurry back to your mother’s shop, passing your older sister at the counter.

“Was Dr. Crevan in?” She asks, seeing the lack of gift basket in your hand.

“Yes, of course, we had a lovely chat.” You smile before huffing behind her back and heading into the back.

Kihyun thinks you’re interesting. You’re not like the rest of the ladies who seem to just swoon over him at the very first glance. He knows it’s impossible for someone not to fall ill at least once in the year, yet he’s never seen you.

When he asks his mentor about you, gesturing to the gift basket on his desk, Adrian seems to go off on a tangent

Dr. Crevan was older than Kihyun, but not by that much. He was only thirty, and still looked youthful and healthy. Even handsome. Kihyun wonders if you two are somehow a forbidden item in this small place. He doesn’t see a ring on the doctor’s finger, and you certainly didn’t give Kihyun any of your attention.

You even called his mentor by his first name - Adrian.

“Oh, no, no, she’s just…”

But even Adrian didn’t have an answer.

So Kihyun decides to ask you

Sooner or later you would have to come to him - even if it’s just for a check-up

And that’s precisely what you’re here for, and you stand by the front desk where Kihyun is waiting.

“You’re our only appointment today, did you know that?” Kihyun asks you

“No. But it’s a small town, and the doctor’s office shouldn’t be full of sick people - we’d all catch our death.”

Kihyun watches you fill out your forms before you ask when Adrian will be ready.

“Oh, I’ll actually be doing your check up, Miss (Y/n).”

You’re taken aback but you can’t say anything. You don’t see or hear Adrian, and assume that he must have been called out to a different local office or maybe there was an emergency somewhere..

So you follow Kihyun back to the check-up room. Adrian’s office door is closed as you pass by.

The tests are normal, and fairly quick. Kihyun asks you a few questions regarding health, eyesight, and illness history.

“You’re as healthy as a horse.” He smirks as he kicks back in his chair, looking you over as he wraps the stethoscope around his neck.

“I try my best.” You say quietly as you look around the office. Your gaze comes back to Kihyun as he sits painfully silent.

“I don’t mean to be such a bother, but I’d like to ask you a few questions that don’t necessarily pertain to your health.”

The air is stale, but you agree.

“It says here you’re (age). Correct?”

You nod and watch as Kihyun sits up in his chair, rolling closer to you as he leans forward. “Adrian is just about thirty - he’s a pretty young doctor. He danced around this question when I asked him, but I’ll ask you the same one -- Are you two a sort of item, hm? Maybe in secret?”

You’re taken aback, and shake your head, “N-No, why would you suggest something like that? He’s a married man. And why would you care about such a trivial thing as that?” You tighten your voice, not sure why this med student has to know every detail of everyone’s life.

“Just curious, is all. You know you’re different from the other people in town.”

“You keep saying that, but all I really do different is treat you like the normal person you are.”

“How thoughtful.” He deadpans before taking in a deep breath. “What’s your family like? I recognize your last name...Is your sister (S/n)?”

You nod, “Yes. Her, myself, and my mother...we run the shop on Elaine Street.”

He tips his head, “Wonderful.” He muses. “They make dresses, and suits, correct?”

You nod, unsure of why he is asking.

“You look lovely in that dress you’re wearing right now. Who made it?”

“I-I...did.” You did indeed, it was a material you have been saving up for awhile. A plated silk in a cream color, making it flow beautifully to just above your knees.

“Before I let you go I also needed to get a blood sample. Is that alright?” Kihyun stands as if he never went off topic, and you watch him grab a vial and needle from the cupboards.

“Is that all you need then?”

He smiles, “Yes.”

You wonder what causes him to switch back and forth from the way he looks and talks to you, but you figure after this there is no more reason for you to stay.

He’s very concentrated on getting the needle sterile and tying a rubber band around your arm

“Are you afraid of needles?” He asks quietly

“No..not really.”

He smiles as he sticks you with the needle and slowly draws blood out of your arm.

You watch, trying not to shudder as he takes a sample. When he’s done he puts a bandage over it and looks up with a small smile.

“(Y/n), before you leave, do you remember when I told you I wanted to work in the north instead of the city?”

You nod.

He chuckles, and you watch in stagnant horror as he takes the vial and tips it back past his lips. All of it - your blood - goes down his throat, all the while he looks at you with half lidded eyes

It’s like he enjoys it. He hums in satisfaction and it sends chills down your back. You nearly scream.

“The air up here is nicer, cleaner. There isn’t a lot of people to create a mass hysteria...and no one would even know if this town were to disappear. Don’t you agree?”

You want to choke, you feel like you might pass out as you stare at the vial with remnants of your blood inside it. Kihyun licks his lips as he takes your hand, kissing your fingers.

“You’re different, (Y/n). You’re healthy. Your body has adapted to the air up here, leaving your blood with a different texture and consistency that’s enthralling. Now, as long as you keep up your appointments, we won’t have a problem, understand?”

He smirks as he takes your index finger and presses his lips to it. He bites down into the shallow skin and you cry out at the sting. He sucks at the wound for only a moment before licking over it, closing it like a suture.

“Understand, Miss (Y/n)?”

_________________

Hello! Lmao, look, an ending where (Y/n) doesn’t die! I think this is my fave vampire!au I’ve written - I’m thinking of re-writing Wonho’s and Changkyun’s bc they didn’t turn out like I wanted. Hope you enjoyed!

-S

#monsta x #monsta x au #kpop au #kpop fanfic #kihyun #yoo kihyun #monsta x kihyun #kihyun monsta x #kihyun au #vampire #vampire au #vampire!kihyun #vampire monsta x

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bebe-i-m-not-a-monster · 6 years

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Cherry Lipstick

Genre: angst/ romance

Summary: A vampire has lipstick kink

What was that delicious scent? Kihyun licked his lips and came closer, searching for the source.

His dark eyes fell upon a beautiful girl with lipstick the color of cherries. She was laughing and having a conversation with a group of friends, totally oblivious to his presence. He watched her, taking in every inch of her. His unfaltering gaze fell upon her lips, enthralled. This otherworldly scent was definitely coming from this lovely creature.

He followed her at a safe distance until she separated from the group to go home. He saw her unlock the front door of her apartment and step inside, turning the light on as she took off her shoes and got ready for bed. He waited until the lights were turned out before he crept in through her open window.

His shadow fell across her silhouette under the sheets. Steady eyes watched her as she tossed and turned in her sleep. She was dreaming. He calmed her nightmares and walked right into her thoughts, chivalrous and charismatic.

Her scent was torturous and overpowering. Taking a step closer, he reached out, tracing her cheek with a cold finger. His fangs ached, craving a taste of her. In the blink of an eye, he had her in his arms. His lips attached to her neck, sinking his teeth into her delicate skin. Euphoria. They both felt it. He knew she would be sweet, but he had no idea it would be like this. She let out a moan, feeling dazed from the sensual ministrations.

That was the first night he visited her in her dreams. The first night of many. She became his addiction, his muse. He couldn't get enough. Her blood was too sweet, her body too pleasurable.

One night, he came to her, stepping through the drawn back window curtains. Her sleeping form was bathed in ethereal moonlight. He paused midstep. A hand slowly rose to his chest. Something tugged at the empty space where his heart should be. What good was living forever without love? He wanted her to love him back.

Sliding into the sheets next to her, he held her waist, drawing her closer to nuzzle his face into her neck. He breathed in the wonderful scent. She sighed in her sleep, bringing a small smile to his lips. Trailing kisses down her neck and jawline, Kihyun whispered her name, drawing her out of her dreamworld.

"Oh it's you!" Was all she said, her drowsy eyes meeting his dark ones.

"Hello." He smiled.

She blushed. "Hello."

He watched her for a moment, chuckling at her shyness. Then, ever so slowly, he leaned in, capturing her cherry red lips in a slow torturous kiss full of want and need. Her hands clutched at the front of his shirt, trying to hold onto sanity. Before the night was over, he would steal away that sanity and everything she had to offer him.

"I just can't get enough of your lips." He said between kisses, as he ravaged her mouth. "You taste so sweet."

She gasped for air, turning her face away for a moment. "It's probably the cherry lipstick I wear."

"I love it."

She giggled as he pulled her in for another kiss, picking her up off the bed and wrapped her legs around his waist. Kihyun sucked on the sensitive skin behind her ear, leaving little dusty roses everywhere. She threw her head back. His name left her lips.

"Do you want me?" He asked, nibbling down her collarbone.

"Yes."

"You don't care that I'm a vampire?" He asked, unsure of himself for the first time in his long existence.

"No. I know you would never hurt me." She spoke plainly, pulling him in for another kiss as he made her his.

They were lying in a tangle of sheets. His arm was tucked around her shoulders, with her head and arm laying across his chest. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking, replaying every breathtaking moment of her beauty in his head. Then he had an idea.

"Go out with me. Right now." He spoke, breaking the silence.

She lifted her head and stared at him curiously. "Like on a date?"

"Yes. It's what lovers do."

She blushed, letting out a giggle. "Ok. Where do you want to go at this ungodly hour?"

"I don't know? The 24 hour Stop and Shop?"

"Oh, so very romantic." She feigned annoyance.

"I will buy you ice cream." He promised. A victorious smirk playing on his lips.

Her eyes widened in excitement. He loved how cute she could be.

The two were caught up in a sudden rain shower as they neared their destination. He grabbed her hand as they raced through the raindrops searching for refuge. They dodged into the shop dripping wet. Her shrieks of laughter brought a smile to his face. He looked at her lovingly, his thumb grazing her cheeks as he wiped the water droplets away. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. A pink blush crept across her cheeks.

When the rain finally let up, they walked hand in hand out of the convenience store, laughing about the silly fact that she couldn't decide on which ice cream to buy.

Kihyun cleared his throat nervously and looked out at the hazy streetlights reflected in dark puddles left by the recent downpour.

"Yes?" She turned to look up at him.

"I love you." His uncertain eyes found hers, hoping and praying she felt the same.

Her gaze softened and a small smile appeared on her red lips. "I love you too, Kihyun."

Suddenly there was loud shout and a man stood behind them, threatening with a gun. "Give me your money!"

"Be on your way. You'll get no money from us." Kihyun held her hand, pulling her in the opposite direction.

A gunshot rang out. Kihyun's dark eyes flashed. His stare burned holes into the man. He heard a gasp and felt a small hand grip his arm tightly. Glancing back, his eyes widened in horror.

Thick blood dripped down from where her left hand pressed into her side. Her fearful eyes blinked up at him, pleading, trying to convey unknown promises that would never be kept. Then they glazed over. She breathed her last, falling to the street with a thud.

"Nooooo!" Kihyun screamed. His face contorted into a snarl as he spun to face his enemy, his sharp fangs elongating into view. They gleamed in the flashing neon yellow signs outside the convenience store.

The man's eyes widened in terror as he suddenly realized what he was up against. Dropping the gun in the alleyway, the assailant ran for his life but he wasn't fast enough. Kihyun was faster. The vampire's fangs sank deep into the man's throat, ripping into him with terrible vengeance. No one hurt his woman and lived to remember it.

EPILOGUE

Staring down at the body with a cold gaze, he took in every inch of the beautiful curves, the wisps of hair that fell over her eyes in disarray, and the way her eyelashes lay delicately across her pale cheeks like feathers of a bird. Those cherry red lips he remembered so well. He smiled.

The eyes fluttered open, a deep shade of crimson.

He smirked and held out a hand to her. "Hello, my dear. Welcome to eternity."

#kihyun #yookihyun #monsta x fanfics #monsta x scenarios #monsta x fanfiction #monsta x imagines #monsta x #vampire au #fanfiction #cherry lipstick #vampire #yoo kihyun

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sotteoks · 2 years

Text

black swan inspired shownu fic or scream inspired kihyun fic? roommate au changkyun or roommate au minhyuk fic? vampire wonho fic or sequel to the kihyun fic i already posted? my wips are literally screaming at me to pick one and finish it lolol february was the month i started a bunch of pieces. march shall be the month i finish SOMETHING (ideally everything i already started but adhd is a bitch so we'll see)

#i HAD a raver!hyungwon fic in my drafts but i lost it and have been too devastated to try recreating it :(#personal.txt

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mx-requests-forum · 6 years

Text

[Fulfilled] (Don’t) Bite Me

Prompt: Changki + vamp!kihyun au + they're neighbors and all kh wants is to bite ck but ck keeps being cute and awkward cause of his crush on the older + HE

Fulfilled by Moderator ReeLee~

Words: 953

AO3 Link

Kihyun strolls through the streets of his suburban neighborhood, all the cookie-cutter houses setting his extra-sharp canines on edge. Of course, that could also be because he's nearing a certain mortal's home...

He turns up a concrete path towards the house just across the street from his own. The smell of sweet, delicious, savory, intoxicating mortal blood fills his nose as he grows nearer to the house, and he has to control his strength to keep from knocking the door off its hinges as he taps his knuckles against it.

The door immediately swings open, revealing Kihyun’s adorable, delectable, tempting, precious neighbor on the other side.

“Hyung!” Changkyun greets, reaching forward to pull him inside. Kihyun’s icy skin burns at the contact, and it’s all he has in himself to not pull the mortal to himself right then and rip his throat out. His nose tingles with the smells of human life, piping hot takeout food in the kitchen, shampoos and soaps floating in from the bathroom. Warm lighting surrounds them as Changkyun leads them through the house, thankfully not enough to hurt Kihyun’s eyes.

“How’ve you been?” Changkyun asks as they come to the living room. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Has work kept you busy? Have your friends been doing okay? Have you been sick?” The human pauses then, dropping the immortal’s wrist and chuckling softly as he plops down on the couch. “S-Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I don’t mean to fire off fifty questions at once… I’m just… happy to see you again.”

Kihyun smiles gently, his dark eyes sparkling with an unreadable light as he sits next to the boy, though much more graceful.

“It’s alright, Changkyunnie,” he assures the younger. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately. There’s just been a lot going on.”

A lot of days spent alone in my basement, just thinking about that blood pounding through your veins, Kihyun thinks. A lot of nights drowning myself in other men’s blood just to forget about how much I want you.

“I-It’s okay, hyung,” Changkyun tells him, a light pink dusting his cheeks. “I understand. I’m just glad we could see each other now~” Kihyun inwardly coos, and for the first moment since turning up the walk he doesn’t think about sucking the human dry.

Ever since moving into the neighborhood, this detestably mundane neighborhood that Kihyun only really puts up with because it’s the last place someone would expect to find a vampire, the immortal has been filled with the insatiable thirst he’s certain only the blood of a certain neighbor can satisfy. At first, he’d stayed clear of the mortal, for feeding off the son of the beloved mayor may draw some unwanted attention. But, then, Changkyun had coyly invited him over for a block party, and Kihyun knew then he just couldn’t stay away.

The human had been so adorably awkward with everything he did. He’d fiddled with his too-long sleeves, halfly smiled at every joke, and avoided physical contact as if his life depended on it. Well, that is, except where Kihyun was concerned. He’d clung to the vampire all night, as if he were some sort of security blanket or something, and Kihyun found himself feeling incredibly protective over him.

The feeling struck him as odd at first, as he doesn’t even feel protective over his fledglings Hyungwon and Jooheon. But, the mortal’s blind trust—and obvious crush—seemed to melt his icy heart, and Kihyun couldn’t find it in him to bite him.

Even now, months later after going over to the younger’s house at least once a week for dinner and movies, Kihyun can’t bite Changkyun. He’s tried, oh dear god has he tried, but whenever he’d gotten close, Changkyun would look up at him with those big doe eyes and those plump, round cheeks of his would get all adorably pink and, well, Kihyun just couldn’t.

So, recently, he’d had to distance himself from the mortal for a while. He satisfied himself with the blood of other mortals, but, after all, that was only satisfaction. Now, sitting so close to Changkyun their knees brush together, he feels such satisfaction ebb away. He grips his own knees tightly in an effort to keep himself under control.

“Hyung, have you ever seen Fright Night?” Changkyun suddenly asks, shaking him from his thoughts. “The original, not the remake.” Kihyun smiles wryly, biting back a sarcastic remark about how every vampire movie always has it wrong.

“I’ve never really been into vampire flicks,” he admits, shrugging a single shoulder. Changkyun pouts over at him, his cheeks stuffed full of noodles, and he reaches for the remote.

“That’s just because you’ve never seen a classic like Fright Night,” Changkyun insists. He then turns it on, quickly finishing off his food so he can snuggle into Kihyun’s side as the movie plays.

Kihyun distractedly plays with Changkyun’s hair, ignoring his own killer instinct for the night. He distracts himself from the atrocious movie with the sound of Changkyun’s breathing, his heartbeat. It’s beating a bit quicker than it should, his heart, but that seems to be the norm whenever Kihyun is around.

He knows he could never truly have a life with Changkyun like this, living on thin ice until Changkyun grows old and withers away and dies, and there’s no way he’s killing him. He doesn’t even want to entertain the notion, as he knows this neighborhood would be entirely less tolerable without the mortal around.

I could always turn him… Kihyun finds himself thinking, his gaze flicking to the dark-haired boy as he watches the movie with sleepy eyes. Kihyun smirks, lifting a brow in intrigue.

Now, there’s a thought…

#changki #im changkyun #yoo kihyun #i.m #established changki #one shot #monsta x #monsta x fanfiction #kpop fanfiction #fulfilled prompt #fulfilled request #vampire au #vampire!kihyun #human!changkyun #date night

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gaiyofanfiction · 7 years

Text

Rare Blood (10 Final)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10

Vampire Prince!Yoo Kihyun x Siren!Reader

Much angst, maybe fluff

Vampire world!AU

A/N: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR LOVING THIS FIC. I think this is one of the best ones we’ve done based on the notes! We are SO SO CLOSE to 1000 and hopefully it’ll happen soon! Once we do, we will be doing a giveaway that you guys will love! This is our final chapter. We made it MUCH longer than normal as a treat. Twice as long actually. So, please enjoy! (We always have this fear that you guys won’t like the ending but we really hope you do)

Disclaimer: This store is pure fiction. Yoo Kihyun and the rest of Monsta X are the sweetest creatures on this earth, we know they would never do anything to harm or manipulate anyone.

Trigger warning: Mentions of manipulation, abuse and blood for right now. Very slight mention of sexual assault. Character death.

Yoongi never ran so fast in his life. He feels his legs burn with each step, his muscles hating him for not keeping up with training. He looks down at your unconscious body. Your face could deceive anyone, you looked so peaceful. Yet he knew you were anything but.

'IM’s magic is coursing through her veins. If I don't get her to his Highness soon to overpower it, it'll be permanent.’

Yoongi quickened his pace. Within half an hour he makes it to the front door of the castle. He pounds on the door with his foot, praying to God someone can hear him.

His thoughts were answered as the door swings open to reveal a tired looking Wonho. The moment Wonho sees the face of the man at the door, his expression turns dark and furious.

“Min Yoongi. What in the HELL are you doing out of your cell!?” His nostrils flares as he tries to keep his composure.

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “The Prince let me out. I don't have time to explain myself. Please, move aside.”

Wonho grinds his teeth and lets out a low growl, “hell no. Kihyun would be the LAST person to let you out. You killed my cousin, you sick son of a-”

“Wonho!” Yoongi yells, interrupting the Royal. “I understand how you feel right now and your anger towards me is extremely warranted. But right now is NOT the time. I need to get Y/N to the Prince immediately!”

For the first time, Wonho looks at your limp body in the arms of Yoongi. His eyes widen and he becomes pale, forgetting his ill will towards the hunter for the moment. He nods his head and runs to go find the Prince.

No more than five minutes later, Yoongi sees both Wonho and Prince Kihyun running towards him. The look on the Prince's face is nothing but pure horror.

“Oh my God, Y/N.” He breathes out, seeing your unconscious state.

Yoongi hands you over to Prince Kihyun. “Your Highness, IM has injected her with enough of his magic that if it stays in her system any longer, she'll permanently be bound to him. You need to inject your magic immediately or it'll be too late.”

Prince Kihyun nods, not looking at his old friend. He turns and heads to his room. “What happened to Minhyuk and IM?”

“I was able to kill Minhyuk but IM got away.”

The Prince growls, “IM got away?”

Yoongi swallows the lump in his throat. “Y-Yeah. I would have gone after him but I needed to get Y/N to you immediately or else there could have been severe consequences.”

Prince Kihyun sighs and walks into his room. Just before he shuts the door he made one final request of Yoongi. “Min Yoongi. If you could, I would like you to stand outside my room. Guard the door and don't let anyone in. This process can be lengthy and if I'm interrupted… I might not be able to get her back.”

“Of course your Highness.” With that Yoongi kept a parameter around the room.

Prince Kihyun laid you down gently on the bed. Your skin was cold and pale, he knew he didn't have much longer till the magic would overpower his.

Quickly he exposes your neck by tucking your hair behind your ear. He notices something odd. There was something purple around the bite marks.

“Damnit. He somehow changed his chemical makeup to poison whoever were to try and reverse his magic.”

Kihyun loudly yells and drops to the floor hitting the ground with both his fists.

'No. I can't lose her. Not like this. She doesn't deserve this!’

He gets up and starts to pace the room thinking how he can execute this without killing himself in the process.

Suddenly Kihyun hears a low wimper coming from you. He rushes to your side.

“Oh, Y/N, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault.” He pets your head.

“Hmph, you can't get rid of me that easily,” you somehow gather up enough energy to smile to him, but you slip into a state of unconsciousness once again. He brushes the hair out of your face.

“Y/N, I-I lov-”

Kihyun suddenly hears a slight scuffle just outside the door followed by loud banging on the door.

He approaches the door slowly. Suddenly the door was kicked down. In the doorway stood Minhyuk grinning and IM holding Yoongi’s arms behind his back. IM kicks Yoongi down.

“Really? Did you think a hunter could stand in our way a second time? Fool us once, shame on us. Fool us twice, shame on you.” IM laughs.

Prince Kihyun's eyes widen, “Minhyuk? How the hell are you still alive?! I thought Yoongi killed you!”

Minhyuk chuckles, his look dangerous. “Well, thank God this Hunter isn't a doctor. He didn't actually check to see if I was dead or not. IM came back and was able to help me heal with a certain little potion he had gotten his hands on.”

Yoongi still on his knees then looks up to the Prince with concern while his hands were tied behind his back. “Be careful your Highness. I suspect her blood was tampered with.”

“I have figured that out already by looking at her neck,” Kihyun says while glaring at his evil cousins.

“N-no, it's more than just her neck. They've done something to her blood. And instead of drinking it to sustain themselves they harnessed more powers by-”

“Transfusion.” Minhyuk interrupts to finish Yoongi's sentence.

Slowly walking towards the Prince the whites of his eyes start to turn black and so does the veins on his arms. “You see, rumor has it that a vampire once whipped up a concoction with the blood of a siren. It gave him unimaginable power and stamina to last him for several days. The recipe was so sought out that eventually the authorities of the Kingdom intervened. However, they didn't destroy the evidence of the recipe. It was stored away inside the depths of the library of the castle. Which, of course is only accessible by Royals. Such as myself.”

“HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELF A ROYAL! You have tainted the family name!” Prince Kihyun exclaims.

IM grins, a very creepy look on his face. “Just a few more minutes till the little siren will be mine, permanently. Then, we'll be able to harness her blood to make this potion for ourselves and sell it for unimaginable profit.”

“M-My Prince?”

He hears a quiet high pitched voice coming from his right. He turns to see Princess Soyou looking absolutely terrified.

“W-What’s going on?”

“Princess, you need to run! These guys are dangerous!”

But before Soyou could make her exit, Minhyuk suddenly flashes behind her as fast as lightning and grabs her by the throat. “Don't you dare move, dear Princess. I am in need of you right now.” Minhyuk locks his black eyes onto the Prince. “Now, you will give me your little human halfling and in exchange, I will let go of the Princess.”

“NO! Don't do it!” Yoongi yells. “Kihyun, it's her! SHE’S the one behind Y/N’s kidnapping! The three of them are working together! She wanted to sell her blood!”

Prince Kihyun's eyes widen into a mixture of shock and anger. He looks to Soyou, who's still being held by Minhyuk. “Is this true?!”

Soyou shakes her head, “of course not! I would never do that to you! Why would you believe a traitor over your fiance?!”

Yoongi growls, struggling against IM’s grip. “Don't listen to her, your Highness! Yes I may have gone against the clan and did something unforgivable, but I'm trying to redeem myself! I'm trying to show that I'm not like that anymore! Besides, even if I was still against vampire kind, why would I bring a human back to the lair of a vampire Prince? Don't you think I would have taken her somewhere else?!” IM slaps a hand over Yoongi’s mouth, shutting him up.

“I-it’s true, my Prince.”

Prince Kihyun stiffens at the sound of your weak voice and whirl around to see you leaning against the door frame. His eyes soften when he sees you, noticing how skinny you've become and how much paler you are.

“Y/N, you shouldn't be out of bed. You need to lay down.” The Prince speaks softly, concern laced his voice.

“Prince Kihyun, Yoongi is right. The Princess is behind all this. S-She's the one who-”

“My little siren, come here to your Master’s side.” IM’s eyes flash yellow, his voice turning into dark velvet.

Your body stiffens and unconsciously your feet move towards the sound of IM’s voice. Prince Kihyun immediately grabs you and hides you behind his back.

“Stop! Don't you dare do that to her!” The Prince growls low, eyes shifting to a blood red color.

IM rolls his eyes, “soon you won't be able to stop her. Once my magic is permanent, she will do anything to come to me when she is called. Even hurt the person in her path.”

“K-Kihyunie, please help me. Just give her to them, please save me.” Soyou’s eyes glisten with tears, her lip quivering.

Yoongi bites IM’s hand to get him to let go of his mouth. “Don't listen to her! Kihyun, you heard Y/N! She told you it was Soyou who kidnapped her!” He cries out as IM jerks him backwards to shut him up again.

Prince Kihyun turns his attention to Soyou, who is still in Minhyuk's grip. “Is this true, Soyou? Did you steal what's mine?” He speaks in a low voice.

“N-No! Of course not! I would never!”

You snap out of IM’s trance and step in front of the Prince. You feel your legs shake from weakness but you stand your ground.

“Yes! You did! You wanted to sell my blood for money. You were going to allow any pathetic vampire who gave you money to drink from me. You were going to give me to IM permanently!”

Soyou’s eyes burn blood red as she lunges for you. “YOU BITCH! I WILL KILL YOU!”

Prince Kihyun grabs you and holds you close to his body, his fangs elongated and his eyes still red. “If you touch her, I will KILL YOU MYSELF!”

Soyou takes a step back, horrified and shocked of the Prince's wrath. “You're going to pick this filthy half breed over ME? A PUREBRED PRINCESS?!”

“What good is a purebred who is willing to make a profit any way that she can for the price of a life?” Prince Kihyun staring her down.

Soyou scoffs. “What good? It’s called status, honey. More money means more control and more control means being unstoppable.”

“You utterly disgust me.” Prince Kihyun hisses.

“Hmph, no matter. I don’t need you to control the Kingdom anymore. We signed the marriage certificate. I already own the kingdom, as your queen!” She laughs maniacally. “Still, a shame that such a handsome Prince is making the wrong choice.”

Soyou quickly pulls out a dagger and lunges for him. Prince Kihyun pushes you aside and is stabbed in the side and doubles over.

“Prince Kihyun! You’re injured!” You tuck yourself under his arm trying to stabilize him.

“You come to my side still, though I have done so much wrong to you. I should have treated you better.”

You blush, but realize it’s not the best time to be having a moment. “You alright? You’re starting to sound nice. It’s unlike you.”

Kihyun smiles, but winces in pain. “Of course her dagger has poison on it. That’s why I’m unable to heal quickly.”

Frantic and worried all you could ask was, “how do we get out of this mess alive!?”

Suddenly the door flung open. It was Jooheon.

“I-I came to check on you my Prince. I didn’t expect so many unwanted guests to be in the same room.”

The look on Jooheon’s face changed from shock and concern to pure horror. His nose flares and veins start to pop out by his temples.

“Jooheon, listen to me. Get everyone in the castle out of here and protect the family.” He winces again and more blood starts to pour.

“K-Kihyun… You’re hurt.” His hands form into fists. “You’re bleeding…” his head lowers and his eyes fill with rage.

IM laughs. “And just what are you gonna do ‘bout it?”

A dark, ominous aura surrounds Jooheon. His face black, and eyes dark red like that of a monster.

“Watch and see.” His voice was demonic. It sent chills down your spine.

Your eyes widen. You've heard stories about certain types of vampires with unimaginable strength and a blood-lust like no other. A soulless vampire.

Your voice trembles, “i-is that-”

“A Strigoi. Yes, Jooheon is part strigoi. When he was little, his parents were killed by a group of them. He would have been too if the guards had not finally realize what happened. They were able to save him and kill the Strigoi. Unfortunately, that didn't come without consequence. One of the Strigoi had bit him so now he has it's venom running through his veins. Thankfully, that part of him only comes out when he gets angry.”

Jooheon was moving swiftly about the room. He was so quick your eyes couldn’t catch up with him. In just a few seconds IM and Minhyuk were thrown across the room, their bodies crashing into the hallway wall with a deafening crack. Yoongi collapses to the ground, freed from IM’s grasp.

Jooheon wasn’t Jooheon anymore. He was Strigoi.

Soyou steps in. “Hey, freak of nature. Why don’t we end this right here, right now.”

She throws the dagger laced with poison towards Jooheon, but he was able to swat it away and pin Soyou against the wall.

“NO ONE DARES HURT MY FAMILY AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!” Jooheon exclaims angrily. Soyou pretends to squirm while she reaches for another dagger strapped to her side.

Prince Kihyun notices this and immediately picks up the dagger from the floor. A quick shove into Soyou’s side and her body crumples to the floor, lifeless.

“Fallen by your own sword,” Prince Kihyun says to Soyou, glowering at her fallen form.

“Well, technically it’s just a dagger,” you remark as you shrug your shoulders, but wince from the pain of IM’s bite. Your head suddenly feels dizzy. You lean up against the wall to keep yourself from keeling over.

Prince Kihyun immediately rushes to your side. “Y/N! Are you alright?!”

You nod your head and try to breathe. “Y-Yeah. I think I’m alright. It’s just this bite-” You brush your fingers over where IM’s bite used to be and feel...nothing? “Wait, where did IM’s bite go?”

Yoongi groans and struggles off the floor. “I imagine it’s gone because Jooheon accidently killed him, along with Minhyuk.” He gestures over his shoulder to two crumpled, broken bodies on the floor.

“Damn, that’s some power,” you breathe out, a mixture of shocked and impressed.

Suddenly you remember something. “Wait, what about the dagger that Soyou impaled you with? Wasn’t it dipped in poison?” You look over the Prince to see no wound, just blood.

Prince Kihyun looks down at his side, “looks like my impeccable healing ability finally kicked in.”

“B-but, it was poisoned! Why did she die and not you?!”

“The Monsta Clan is one of the highest ranking vampire clans around. One of the reasons being is that our blood can heal poisons.” You look over to see Jooheon back to normal, leaning against the wall, his breathing heavy,

Prince Kihyun walks up to Jooheon and claps a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Cousin. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what we would have done.”

Jooheon smiles and nods, showing his dimples. “You know I would do anything to protect you, Your Highness.”

“Your Highness, there’s something that needs to be discussed.” Yoongi clears his throat, getting the Prince’s attention.

Prince Kihyun sighs, “and what would that be, Min Yoongi?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Well, let’s start with the feelings you have for your human feeder, Sir. Your love for her.”

In that moment, the world stops. You freeze, a look of shock coming over your features. Prince Kihyun’s lips tighten into a thin line, his eye twitches. “Mr. Min, I don’t think that’s anything that should be discussed at this moment!”

“Actually, I think it is.”

The four of you look up to see both of Kihyun’s parents, the King and Queen. They were both accompanied by Wonho, Shownu, and Hyungwon. Prince Kihyun immediately bows his head. He notices your frozen state and glares, a sign to do the same.

“Mother, Father. What are you doing here?”

The King raises a brow, “well, for one, we live here. And two, how could we not hear the ruckus booming throughout the entire castle?”

The Queen gently comes up to you, “my dear, are you alright?”

Your lip quivers and nod your head quickly. “Yes, your Majesty. I’m okay. Please don’t worry about me.”

The Queen nods her head. She turns her attention to her son. “Kihyun, it’s quite obvious how you feel about this girl and Mr. Min is right. According to the current laws, this is something that needs to be addressed.” She clears her throat and shoots an uncertain glance towards the hunter.

Prince Kihyun sighs, forgetting all about formalities. “Yes, you’re right. Obviously my feelings have gotten in the way of our Master/servant relationship. It’s time I let you go.”

Your mouth drops open in shock. “Wait, let me go?! Why! I don’t want to go anywhere. Please, I love you too!”

Prince Kihyun turns to you, a pained look on his face. “Y/N, I did nothing but put you in harms way. I also didn’t help by hurting you myself. You don’t need to lie to me, girl. I know how you truly feel about me. You need to leave.”

The King and Queen exchange glances. The Queen turns back to you, her eyes glowing yellow. “Now, Y/N. You are to tell my son, Kihyun, exactly how you feel about him.”

Prince Kihyun notices what his mother is doing and tries to stop her, “no, Mother. Please don’t, it’s okay-”

“How I feel about your son, Kihyun.” Your body springs to attention, “Prince Kihyun was a monster who I thought would do anything to anyone on his way to the throne. He would even threaten an innocent thief who just wanted nothing more than to live in peace.” Prince Kihyun doesn’t want to hear anymore, his heart in pain. But you didn’t stop there. “That was what I thought before I got to know him. The more I got to know him, I saw who he truly was. A man in pain, betrayed by his best friend. His walls built up just as high as mine. The more time I spent in his presence and the more time I thought about him, my heart grew and my walls came crashing down. I feel for the Prince, hard. I’ve never loved anyone in my life as much as I love him.”

The Queen ends her magic on you with a content nod. You shake your head coming out of the trance. Your face turns bright red and you start to freak out as soon you realize what you just said.

“Oh my god, Prince Kihyun I am SO sorry. That was so out of line and I don’t know what got into me-”

Suddenly, you feel the lips of the Prince pressed against yours. Your eyes widen in shock. You dreamed of this moment, the moment that Kihyun’s lips would meet yours. They were just as amazing as you imagined it, soft and warm and everything you wanted in a first kiss. You melt into the kiss and press your lips back with just as much force. You immediately feel the prick of his fang on your bottom lip, making you pull away.

“O-oh, Y/N. I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?”

You shake your head and giggle quietly. “No, I’m alright. I’ve been bitten worse.”

You stare into those hypnotic eyes of his. ‘God, he really is the most magnificent creature to exist.’

You hear the Queen clap her hands, pulling the two of you out from your thoughts. “Well, now. Time to prepare for a wedding! My son, I imagine you should mark her permanently soon, as there are others still hunting for Siren blood.”

“W-Wait, a wedding?! For us?! What about the laws?” Your mouth drops open in shock once again.

“Well, we were the ones who made the laws, right? We can always change them. Any laws, actually. Including tearing up a certain marriage certificate.” The King winks at you.

Prince Kihyun suddenly grabs you and lifts you up, spinning you around. You giggle, still in shock. Suddenly you remember something. “Wait, does that mean Wonho can finally find Sumi and be with her again?”

Wonho looks up immediately at your question, hope lacing his features. The Queen nods, “of course. We actually have just sent out a search party to find the girl.”

You never thought a smile could be as big as the one that appeared on Wonho’s face at this moment. He drops to the floor in a low bow to the King and Queen. “Thank you. Thank you so much, your Majesties. I am forever in your debt.”

The Queen leans down and raises Wonho up from his bow. “Honey, we never should have taken her away from you in the first place. We were mislead by what happened to my daughter, we never should have blamed all human beings for just one’s actions. Y/N has shown us that. I never thought I would see my son this happy ever again.”

That’s when Min Yoongi rushes forward onto one knee in front of the King and Queen. “I could never make up for my transgressions. I deserve nothing but pain for the rest of my life for what I have done. If you would have me, I would love to serve under you two, to pay off my debts to you. Even if it takes the rest of my life.”

The King nods, “Min Yoongi, as much as you’ve caused this family pain, you’ve proven to have remorse for your actions. I will grant you your wish. To pay off your debts, you will now be Prince Kihyun’s and Princess Y/N’s personal bodyguard. You will protect the two of them till the day you die. Am I understood?”

Yoongi nods his head vigorously. “Absolutely. Thank you, thank you so much your Majesty.”

The King and Queen turn their attention onto you and Prince Kihyun. “Now, we have a lot of wedding planning to do. But first, you all need to get your rest. Y/N, you and Kihyun will rest in his room. The servants will be at your call when you need them. Min Yoongi, your wounds will be treated but as soon as that’s done, you will be standing watch outside their bedroom door. Jooheon honey, come with us. We need to make sure the Strigoi venom won’t activate again anytime soon.” And with that, Jooheon, Shownu, Hyungwon and the King and Queen take their leave.

Wonho rushes up to you, pulling you into a tight hug. “Thank you, Y/N. So much. I owe you everything.”

You pat his back and try to breath, but his vampire strength is crushing you.Prince Kihyun peels Wonho off you. “I’m sure she appreciates it, Wonho but you're crushing my fiancé.”

Wonho backs away, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Ahh, I apologize. Well, I’m off to go find the love of my life. Thank you again. “He bows his head and rushes off to join the search.

Prince Kihyun turns his attention onto you, giving you a gentle smile. “Go inside the room, my Love. You need rest and I need a minute with Yoongi.” You nod your head and make your way into the bedroom.

The Prince turns to his old friend. “Min Yoongi, I wanted to thank you for saving Y/N. I just wish I could have gone with you, to make sure neither one of you was harmed.”

Yoongi shakes his head and puts his hands up. “You needed to stay here, your Highness. Just in case I didn’t find her and she came back on her own. It was no problem.”

Prince Kihyun sighs, “I don’t think I can fully forgive you for what you did, Yoongi. It hurts so much still.” He looks Yoongi in the eyes, his face serious. “But, I’m willing to try to make this work. As long as you protect me and my future wife, I will learn to forgive.”

Yoongi nods his head. “Of course, your Highness. I would give my life for you.”

Prince Kihyun nods, content with the response. He turns to walk into the bedroom but stops. “To tell you the truth, I missed you, Yoongi. And I still consider you my best friend.”

He didn’t turn around to see the look of pure shock and happiness on the man’s face. He walks into the room and closes the door behind him. Immediately he comes to your side, making sure you’re okay.

“Y/N, I know a lot just happened. I hope you’re okay with the arrangements that were made.”

You nod your head and smile, “honestly, I am. It will get some time getting used to, but I think I’ll be happy like this. But, wouldn’t you need to find a new feeder?”

Kihyun gives you a look, “you’re still set to be my feeder, my love. That was the original arrangement. Except now, you’re not just a servant. You’re a Princess and soon to be Queen. And once I permanently mark you as mine, no one will be able to hurt you or take you away from me.”

You smile wide at your Prince. Marrying a vampire prince was the last thing you ever thought would happen to you. But you can’t complain. The best decision you ever did was to break into the castle of the infamous Vampire Prince, Yoo Kihyun.

“So what now, Prince Kihyun?”

Prince Kihyun thinks for a moment. “Well, for starters, you can drop the formalities. You are soon to be my wife, my dear. You can call me just Kihyun.”

Kihyun. Wife. Love.

That all sounded like a very happy ending to you.

A/N: Thank you all for being dedicated followers and loving this story! We really appreciate it!

Just remember everyone:

Steer clear of Pride, Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Envy, Sloth and Wrath. It could just get you into trouble. Or worse, killed. They are called the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ for a reason. ;)

[Masterlist]

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biffhofosho · 2 years

Text

Succumbing to Sybaris | Epilogue

Chapter Word Count: 6.8k

Cvr | Tr | Pr | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Ep

“I don’t understand why you’re making me do this,” Minhyuk complained. “You know I’m doing a bad job. You’re just going to have to hire somebody to do it right.”

“Obviously,” Kihyun replied, “but this way you suffer a little. And you know in this house we clean up our own messes now since I’ve spent the better part of a century cleaning up after all of you.”

Minhyuk grumbled. “You know I’m older than you in both the ways that count.”

“Age does not equate to wisdom or responsibility,” the lawyer quipped, “especially in your case.”

“Shh! Shh!” Wonho said.

Amber heard more whispers in the parlor before she'd even rounded the corner.

“She's finally coming down!” Minhyuk cheered.

She caught a bunch of rustling and Jooheon’s testy hiss, “Not there, you dumbbell. Over there!”

Amber rounded the corner just in time to catch a few of the boys collapsing into chairs pretending they hadn't been listening outside her door for the last week.

As soon as they had come back to the house that fateful day in the woods, Hyungwon had forfeited his tower room, and other than a few grateful kisses and grateful words, they had let Amber sleep. She had slept the first day away and most of the next one, too. For those first few days, being unconscious was generally better than being awake even though sometimes her dreams sent her catapulting out of her bed, clutching her heart and saying a name she’d never intended to say again. But as the week dragged on, the brothers appeared in her dreams more and more often, holding her hand or walking beside her or kissing her face, and waking up became less and less painful.

Mostly, the boys had left her to process her own grief, although that hardly meant she had been left alone. Every night, each brother would say goodnight through her door. Occasionally, someone would deliver her meager wardrobe along with something new or fresh, as well as shirts she suspected belonged to a couple of the brothers. Three times a day, Kihyun would announce which meal he had brought for her. Amber hadn't had the stomach for anything the first couple days, but when she could eat, she found a few moments of joy to appreciate how good of a cook the lawyer actually was. Other times, one of the boys would knock just to check in or to give her updates her heart had sorely needed.

“Detective Nam is back home.”

“The captain is okay.”

“The Runaways are safe.”

Midway through the week, Eric had visited the manor, and even though Amber didn’t have the energy for a guest, she’d let him into the room since he’d come despite what he already knew about who the brothers were. His color had come back, and he could speak though it was plain his neck still hurt him. He’d looked more comfortable on a gurney than he had sitting on her bed in a vampire den, but Eric was nothing if not dedicated to his best friend. He did his best to accept her decision to stay even though he made sure she knew his apartment was permanently available to her.

Cavill and Welling had needed her statement to close out their case, and since Eric was the only one who knew how to reach her, they sent him. Amber hadn’t even known how the police had found the scene after the brothers had cleaned up, but Eric filled her in along with the sparse details Lucas had been willing to share. Besides a battle-worn turf and a few shell casings, all the police had found was Kai as she’d left him, face-down in the field—alone.

It had taken her a long minute to stop crying while Eric had hugged her through it. He didn’t understand, and she wouldn’t explain it. She never could, maybe not even to herself. She didn’t tell him that the same fangs that had been in his neck had been in hers, too, because she didn’t want to explain that her wound didn’t hurt the same way Eric’s did.

After a generic coverup story was in place, in the broadest strokes possible, Amber had caught her partner up on what had really happened in the woods, though she’d spared him the details about what had happened to Lucas. If the captain wanted him to know, he would tell him. For now, it was enough to know Lucas had returned to work on a restricted basis, though Eric said he kept mostly to his office and hardly looked like himself. As much as she wanted to know more, she didn’t press because Eric was far too keen to miss the implications.

Instead, her partner had begged her to come back to the job, but no matter how things had been tied up neatly for her return, Amber wasn’t going back. She couldn’t. Things had changed—she had changed.

It was enough to know that CL had been reunited with Bom and Minzy, and all three were all staying at a hotel together, with Eric checking in on them—probably as much for himself as for any of the women. Daisy was also back with her mother and her best friend no worse for wear, and Officer Devita had returned to the precinct before Lucas had. It was the best outcome Amber could have ever asked for.

Yet somehow, even the good news ached in ways she wasn't prepared to understand. All of the Runaways had been returned safely as Kai had promised, though the time they been held captive was full of gray details—a big room, their own beds, regular meals, no conversation to recall. But they all remembered one thing exactly the same:

Detective Ambrosia Spiros had rescued them.

Detective Ambrosia Spiros had saved their lives.

There was only one reason that memory was there, and it meant that Kai had ensured Aisha had planted it before she let the women go. There was no reason for it. If Kai had had his way, Amber would have been halfway around the world by his side. She wouldn’t have ever known he’d preserved her career, so why do it?

So why do it?

Eric had left with instructions to sync up Amber’s story with the captain’s and to give him a message that she wanted to see him when he was ready. He didn’t ask why she didn’t just call the captain herself, but she was grateful all the same.

That had been two days ago, and Amber hadn’t heard anything, but maybe she wouldn’t. For better or worse, she had changed Lucas’s life in a way neither one of them could have fathomed, but he was alive in the world, and that was all that mattered. Maybe someday he would forgive her. Maybe someday she would forgive herself.

For now, her heart buoyed as she rounded on the same parlor where she and Hyungwon had first faced off the night she’d learned what his family really was. The same dour paintings hung from the walls, but beneath them were seven brilliant smiles enhanced by seven pairs of eyes brightened by a fire in the hearth.

“Hello, Sleeping Beauty,” said Changkyun as he and Jooheon rocketed to her side before sandwiching her between them on the sofa. Jooheon in particular was beaming ear-to-ear at the sight of her, his fingers running over her arms and the collar of her t-shirt.

“Are you cold?” asked Shownu as he offered up his chair by the fireplace.

“How about something to eat?” Kihyun pressed.

“Want me to draw you a bath?” Wonho offered.

Amber gave them all a tight smile. “I’m fine, guys, really. I just wanted to see you.”

Suddenly, two long arms encircled her shoulders from behind, and she glanced back to see Minhyuk’s paint-streaked face buried in her hair. “We’ve been waiting for you. We missed you.”

She rubbed his dusty forearms reassuringly before she frowned and wiped her hands on her shirt. “Why are you disgusting?”

“Because Mom is making me fix the hole in the wall!”

“That you made,” Kihyun corrected with an eye roll.

“For our angel,” Minhyuk underscored with a kiss to the top of Amber’s head.

She juked to the side and said, “Don’t drag me into this. I’m not fixing it for you.”

Minhyuk pouted as he unspooled his arms and went back to sulkily plastering over the boards he’d tacked up, and Amber had a chance to look around the room. All seven brothers were there: Kihyun standing with his arms crossed to supervise every move Minhyuk made, Shownu anchored at the end to keep watch over them all, Wonho in the seat across the trio on the couch, and Hyungwon in the same chair Amber remembered from her first time here, still sitting like a lord with his long legs crossed. She caught his gaze, and the quiet happiness she saw in its depths sent a shiver down her spine.

“How are you feeling?” Hyungwon asked, and she felt everyone bristle.

Amber let out a long, slow breath. “Hard to say.”

“You’re not moving out, are you?” asked Wonho in a voice just a touch too high, and nearby, Kihyun slapped his brother’s bicep.

She smiled and shook her head. “There’s nowhere else I want to be, no.”

The room collectively sighed and reverberated with Jooheon’s “woo,” but after a moment, the silence crept in and with it, unspoken questions Amber knew they were too sensitive to ask, even if they all wanted her to answer. Instead, she filled it with her own.

“Have you heard from Kun?”

Hyungwon nodded. “Captain Wong has successfully made the shift twice now. Kun’s confident with a little more time and guidance, he’ll make a great member of their pack. Obviously, it’s a lot for anyone to handle.”

Amber translated him immediately: Lucas was devastated. She spared a moment for some self-loathing over the choice she’d made for him. She wondered if he’d ever want to see her again.

As if he could read her mind, Changkyun bumped her shoulder with his and said, “He wants to see you.”

Amber lowered her head. “You don’t know that…”

“We do,” Shownu answered. “Kun told us. When you want to see the captain, you can.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready. How do I even begin to say I’m sorry?”

Minhyuk reappeared again, this time with his paintbrush still dripping in his hand, to hug her tighter from behind. “Why don’t you start with the words and go from there?”

“You’re getting paint on me, you scoundrel. And you know, it’s really annoying how you can take anything hard and make it seem so easy,” she teased as she begrudgingly nuzzled into his grip.

“Everything about Minhyuk is annoying,” Kihyun volleyed back, and the whole room chuckled.

Eventually though, reality kicked back in, and she sighed. “Soon I’ll face up to what I did to Lucas, but for now, it’s enough to know he’s safe and that there are people there who understand what he’s going through. And thank you, guys, for looking out for him while I’m a fucking wreck. That’s a lot to ask when, you know…”

Suddenly, Jooheon gripped her chin and turned her head to him. He smiled, his brilliant dimples shining with the glint of his lip ring, and he kissed her quickly. “Hey, we love you.”

Why was she blushing? They had all seen her bared down to her most intimate parts, and yet Amber felt very exposed. Haltingly, she said, “You know, out there… In the woods… When I thought I’d never see any of you again… I don’t know. It felt like my heart was going to break, but then you showed up, and instead of just thinking I was going to have to leave you, I thought I might actually lose you. You know how much I’ve already lost, but that— I couldn’t have survived that, I couldn’t.”

Changkyun rubbed her knee and smiled his crooked smile. “We’re not going anywhere.”

After a hard swallow, Amber said, “Are you guys okay?”

Wonho laughed. “Of course we are, babe. We have you. There’s nothing more important than that.”

“You’re a relentless flirt, Hoseok,” she laughed.

This time, he winked and blew her a kiss, and as happy as she was at the shift in the mood, the levity didn’t last long. Minhyuk was back, paintbrush-free, with his chin resting on top of her head as his hands soothed her shoulders and neck, but the moment his fingers grazed the scabs there, something like pain, but much duller and more pervasive, spread throughout Amber’s chest.

“Why does everything still feel so raw?” she said.

“Because it just happened,” Shownu replied.

“It’s been a week, but I feel like I haven’t moved. I’m still lost in the woods.”

Simultaneously, Changkyun and Jooheon’s hands slipped into hers to pull her home, and with a startled breath, she followed, sinking back into Minhyuk’s embrace again with a grateful smile.

“After I left that night,” she continued, squeezing both hands in hers, “what happened to his army?”

Why was it so hard to say Kai’s name when it had been repeating in her dreams for a week?

If they noticed, no one said anything. It was Kihyun’s turn to answer now. “The pack took care of most of them. If there were survivors, we won't see them again.”

Amber cast a doubtful glance around the room, but Shownu asserted, “You know his followers were only followers. Kai wouldn't have had a threat to his power in his ranks.”

“Maybe not,” she said, “but Aisha is different, and she’s still out there.”

“Aisha’s not a leader,” replied Hyungwon.

Jooheon nodded. “Yeah, she’s not charismatic enough or crazy enough to run an empire.”

“Neither was Jongin until he lost someone he loved,” Amber said softly. “All it takes is enough time and loneliness.”

At first, she didn’t realize just how many eyes were on her and how deep the silence in the room was until Changkyun said softly, “Who?”

For a heartbeat, she thought she heard an eerily familiar voice.

I'm happy you called for me…

Amber cleared her throat. “Kai. I mean Kai. I’m pretty sure Aisha loved him—in whatever way someone like her could. I don’t know what she’ll have left but her hate for me. She’s the kind of person to come at you sideways.”

Minhyuk squeezed his face in between Jooheon’s and hers and pressed his cheek to hers. “It would be hard to come at you from the side when we’ll always be at yours.”

At last, Amber was able to laugh again. “You’re as much of a tease as Hoseok.”

“Nah, I’m bigger,” Minhyuk said with a suggestive look that earned another laugh from her and an eye roll from his much stronger brother.

“I’m glad to see you back to normal, Min,” she said, disengaging from Changkyun’s hand—since Jooheon wouldn’t let hers go—to pat her affectionate puppy on his head, but surprisingly, he sagged around her neck.

“I hate that you had to see me like that.”

Amber kissed his temple, and Minhyuk looked at her with such surprise at her affection, that her heart felt like it could beat for the first time in days. “I don’t care. You risked everything for me. You all did.”

“Always will,” Shownu agreed.

She took a long, deep breath and closed her eyes, willing away the meadow and the tall, beckoning man in it.

“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t. He—” There it was again, the name on the tip of her tongue too shameful to come out. “Kai thought I was his destiny. I’ve never seen somebody so sure of anything.”

“You were his destiny,” shrugged Jooheon.

Her head whipped toward him, but Changkyun continued, “You were destined to end his reign of terror. Only you could have done that.”

“Maybe…” Amber said, hating how unsure her voice sounded but hating how unsure her heart was even more. She looked around the room to the concerned faces and confessed, “I still see him in my dreams. Not like I used to, of course, but his face... At the end. I keep feeling like there was something in it, something I missed or something I got wrong. And sometimes I can't help but wonder if I had made a different choice…”

Abruptly, Hyungwon crossed the room and kneeled before her, his hand grabbing both of hers from his brother’s. Electricity fired along her skin, and she squeezed his fingers as though they were the only thing keeping her from falling over that cliff ledge.

“You couldn't undo 700 years of insanity, Amber,” he promised.

It was stupid. She was stupid. And yet her mind was humming with a gentle white noise.

But what if I could have...

Instead, she nodded. “I know. I've just never had to kill anybody, let alone the man who murdered Delphine. Guess I don’t know how to process it.”

“I can find someone in the Bureau for you to talk to,” Shownu suggested.

“Does she specialize in vampires?” Amber joked hollowly, but Hyungwon’s thumb rubbed across her knuckles in smooth strokes and took the wind out of her sails. More seriously, she continued, “I just have so many unanswered questions: like, why me, you know? How could I, out of all the billions of damn people ever to exist, be the one person he was looking for? Just because of my blood or my stupid eyes?”

“You’re so much more than that, Amber,” Changkyun said. “It’s not your blood that made you the One. It’s you.”

“I don’t even know what that means anymore. What the hell am I?”

Hyungwon looked up at her, his dark eyes firm and his full lips quirked into a confident smirk. “You’ll figure it out.”

And just like that, Amber felt like she was back under the canopy, caged in Hyungwon’s arms, falling deeper and deeper under his spell. This time there was no need to fight it because it was exactly where she wanted to be.

“Because I’m here with all of you,” she murmured dreamily. She cleared her throat a little, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand to scrub away the heat gathering there. “Look, you guys know I’m shit at the sappy stuff, so let’s just leave it.”

As if on cue, the phone rang, and Hyungwon headed into the foyer, and when he didn’t return, Shownu followed. Amber caught their silhouettes through the doorway, both stiff and anxious, and as much as the detective still inside her burned to charge out there, there were too many men at her side to slip away without bringing them all with her. Still, she watched as the phone passed between the two men, this time with wide eyes and slackened lips—as though they were talking to a ghost.

A shiver ran down her spine, and Changkyun rubbed her back. “You okay, baby?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing,” she said, but his eyes followed hers through the door, and he patted her knee before he got up and joined the pair in the foyer, sending a different kind of chill through her.

“Cold?” Kihyun asked.

She sniffed a laugh. “I guess.”

“Maybe this will warm you up.” The lawyer disappeared for a second, and when he came back with a familiar rain-stained hunk of leather draped over his arm, Amber couldn’t sit still a second longer.

“My jacket!” she exclaimed as she snatched the well-loved leather from his hands and brought it to her nose. It smelled of smoke and old perfume, and she clutched it to her before finally slipping her arms into its perfectly contoured sleeves. She beamed up at Kihyun, her bottom lip nestled between her teeth. “How?”

He shrugged, his signature indifference still chiseled on his cheeks even if his eyes betrayed him. “I might have enjoyed the way you looked in it. Seemed a shame to let it burn, so I took it with me when we rescued you.”

“And you kept it all this time?”

His eyes flicked to hers, the coolness melting into something much warmer, as he muttered under his breath, “It smelled like you.”

Amber threw her arms around Kihyun and squeezed as tightly as she could, her lips connecting with his chiseled jaw. “I fucking love it. I love you.”

His answer was immediate. His hand ensnared in her hair while his lips devoured hers. The leather crinkled in their embrace as Amber kissed him just as ferociously in return. Gone was his pretentious lawyer façade, replaced with the possessive fire of Kihyun’s love for her.

“Save some for the rest of us,” Minhyuk whined as he and Jooheon teamed up to pry Amber from their brother’s death grip.

“I like kisses, too,” Jooheon pouted. “And I’ve got the lip ring, you know.”

Amber thumbed the steel coil as she purred, “Oh, I know, Honey.”

Before Jooheon could drag her to him, the phone clattered into the handset, and all eyes turned to Hyungwon, who was standing stock-still next to Shownu. Their eyes were far away as though they were looking through the earth itself.

With his ever-shrewd gaze fixed on them, Kihyun headed toward the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

In a voice as hard as granite, Hyungwon said, “Seunghyun is coming home.”

“He’s alive?” Amber and the rest of the brothers shouted in unison.

Hyungwon nodded numbly. “He is.”

“Can’t be,” Changkyun said.

“Where the fuck’s he been then?” Jooheon snapped.

“Imprisoned somewhere in the Himalayas,” answered Shownu. “The connection was bad, and we didn’t have long to talk. News of Kai’s death spread pretty quickly through his organization. Without his power and protection, everyone’s scattered to the four corners of the world before the Council could levy any punishments.”

“But why would Kai leave him alive?” Wonho asked.

“To torture him?” suggested Jooheon.

“Maybe he meant for you to kill him later, like he wanted you to do with us,” Kihyun mused to the woman clutching her jacket like a child’s blanket now.

“No, Kai was too pragmatic for that. It was no doubt because he didn't have a servant he was willing to sacrifice at the time,” Shownu insisted. “I’m sure he was intending to come back later to finish the job. Torturing Seunghyun would have been an added bonus in the meantime.”

“Or maybe he just couldn't do it,” Amber blurted, and everyone turned to her.

A thousand impossible thoughts flooded her brain like an inescapable high tide set to drown her. Kai hadn’t killed Seunghyun, his greatest betrayer—well, greatest behind the woman who had killed him. He hadn’t killed him. He’d lied. Why?

“That's definitely not it,” Hyungwon assured, but Amber knew he was wrong.

She sank back into the couch, feeling like she was collapsing in on herself. “You weren't there at the dinner. You didn't see Jongin’s face when he talked about him. The betrayal, the hurt. I'm pretty sure Seunghyun was the only one he ever considered a real friend in his whole fucked up life.”

Wonho sat along her side and rubbed her back. “Maybe—”

“It doesn’t do us any good to make random guesses into the motives of a madman,” Kihyun interrupted. “When does Seunghyun return?”

Hyungwon was too busy staring at the wide-eyed woman huddled on his couch to answer his brother until Shownu rested a hand on his shoulder. Startled, the tall man nodded and addressed the others, “The day after tomorrow.”

“Even with what happened with Kai, he’s about thirty years too early,” Kihyun said with a disapproving shake of his head. “He’s putting everyone at risk if someone here recognizes him. We can't hypnotize an entire city.”

Hyungwon shook his head. “He wasn’t planning to, but when we gave him the highlights here, he said he was coming home.”

“Yeah, well, extraordinary times and all that shit,” Wonho said with a meaningful glance at Amber.

The shock was wearing off in favor of worry, and Amber scowled. “What does that mean?”

“You, babe,” Changkyun said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“No doubt Seunghyun will want to meet you,” Wonho explained, “to see the little lady who stole our hearts.”

Kihyun rolled his eyes. “And took down Kai.”

“I still don’t even know how I did that,” she grumbled.

“In the end, it doesn't matter,” Minhyuk continued with his ever-dazzling smile. “Papa is coming home!”

Jooheon groaned. “I hate when you call him that.”

“He hates when you call him that,” Kihyun quipped.

As comforting as the brothers’ banter was, it didn’t make a dent in the strange cocktail of emotions swirling in Amber’s gut. Very soon, she would meet the man who had changed seven men into unthinkably beautiful slaves to the night. His sons might have had a pact not to change anyone, but she was under no sort of illusion that Seunghyun felt the same.

“Dear old Dad is really going to like you, mon bébé,” Minhyuk sang as if he could read her mind, curling a lock of Amber’s hair around his finger.

“Seunghyun?”

“He wants to meet you,” finished Shownu bluntly.

Amber stiffened in the photographer’s arms, and Minhyuk used it as the perfect opportunity to tickle her at her waist until she punched his shoulder.

“Scared to meet the parents?” he continued to tease. “Don’t be. Dad’s a pussycat—a quirky, judgmental, scolding pussycat.”

“Except for the whole throat-ripping thing,” she said with a glance at Hyungwon. “What if he’s not okay with me staying here?”

Wonho raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

“How the fuck should I know? He’s an ancient vampire who created you guys to entertain himself or keep himself sane or whatever it is vampires do to pass the centuries. Now we know I can undo all that, so—”

Amber cut herself off, but the whole room waited for her to finish her thought. When she didn’t, Jooheon pressed, “So, what?”

“Forget it,” she said, trying to turn away from their excited stares, but Minhyuk held her firmly in his arms. With nowhere to run, Amber sighed. “This is crazy. You’re all crazy and I’m the craziest fucking one, living in a house of vampires I’ve all slept with…”

“I don’t recall doing much sleeping,” Changkyun mused, his hand now at the waist of her pants.

“Neither do I,” Minhyuk said with a kiss at her neck.

“How is it Hyunwoo’s the only one who got to share your bed?” Jooheon said with a glare at his big brother. “I want to wake up with you, too!”

“Our little goddess slept in my bed, too…” Wonho taunted before his lip-ringed brother launched at him only to be shackled immediately in a headlock.

“I’d rather wake you up,” purred Kihyun, the tip of his fang nibbling at her ear as his hands roved over the supple leather of her jacket.

Amber let out an incredulous laugh. “See? I’m totally batshit crazy.”

“And yet,” said Minhyuk as he tugged her back to him, “you’re here, and we’re not letting you go anywhere else.”

Her mouth quivered with a dozen different emotions. Being with all of them, like this—crazy as it fucking was—made her feel like maybe everything would be okay. As topsy-turvy as her life had become, the only time she felt right-side up was when she leaned into her boys, and maybe that wasn’t so crazy after all.

Amber let the confidence in their voices override the last of her doubts. With a deep breath, she faced them. “If I figure out how to control it, how to turn a vampire human, is that—would you—”

“Would we want to be human again?” Shownu finished.

She nodded, and the room hushed. She supposed it was a question they’d never bothered to consider since it had never been a future possible for them, but somehow their silence terrified her. If she aged and they didn’t, there would come a time—and it would be a blink of an eye for them—when they wouldn’t want her anymore, and she would have to come to terms with the fact that she was only wanted for one thing.

The silence stretched on, and Amber’s heart thundered in her chest.

Kihyun whispered something into Wonho’s ear, and now the youngest was grinning at her, too.

“What?” she demanded, forcing annoyance in where dread had once been.

“Oh, nothing,” Wonho replied, but now Jooheon was smiling, too, and Amber didn’t have to feign annoyance anymore.

“What the hell are you all smiling at?”

“We can hear that, you know,” Jooheon nodded with a chin nudge toward her chest.

Changkyun waggled his eyebrows. “You’re not very subtle when you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Amber protested. “I’m pissed.”

“She’s never liked waiting, has she?” Minhyuk observed as he rested his chin on her shoulder and burrowed his nose into her neck.

Wonho laughed and mirrored Minhyuk’s stance on her other side now that it was free. “I can attest to that.”

Amber tried to shake the boys off, but neither would budge. “Would you give me an answer, you assholes?”

Each of the men looked toward Hyungwon, and with a round of nods exchanged, the tallest brother stepped forward to fill the space before her. Amber couldn’t help it; her hands reached for his hips and held on tighter than she thought possible. He cradled her cheeks in the palm of his hand as he guided her eyes up to his. He was so beautiful. No emotion betrayed his cool visage because there was no debate in his heart.

His thumb now stroked the underside of her jaw before he said, “If it’s a choice between a life with you and a life without you, then there’s no choice. We’ll be wherever you are, darling.”

Amber choked back the excited sob threatening to spill out as she stammered, “It’s not like I know how I did it though. Maybe I need the light of the third waxing moon on the twelfth day of the solstice when the—”

“Amber. Amber… Amber!” said Hyungwon as he rubbed her arms and finally snapped her out of it. “It doesn’t matter.”

“But what if—”

Shownu smiled over his brother’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, but if we don’t—”

“And I thought she was just this stubborn with me,” Kihyun muttered.

“Try being her partner,” Shownu replied.

“Hey!” Amber protested before Minhyuk kissed her fingertips, and her indignation melted into softness as it always did with the sunshiny boy. “You know it’s hard for me to let things go.”

But Changkyun shook his head, his calm intensity radiating under her skin. “You don’t have to let us go, so let’s not worry about it today, okay?”

With every gentle smile and adoring look, she was feeling more and more drunk on their affection, and her nerves settled. “So, where do we go from here?”

“Wherever you want to go,” Jooheon said.

“Do you want to go back to being a detective again?” Shownu asked, but Amber shook her head.

“I think that part of my life is done. I knew it when I turned in my badge. I went into the work to find out what happened to my sister, and now that I have, it feels like I’m being pulled in a new direction.”

“Where?” said Wonho.

“Fuck if I know,” she laughed. “There’s so much more to the world than I ever realized, and part of me wonders what role I have to play in that. I don’t even know what I am or who I am anymore—I wonder if I ever did. Maybe it’s time to find out.”

Hyungwon smiled. “Maybe.”

“But there’s something else…” Amber hedged, looking as much at her own hands as the faces staring at her now. “God, how the fuck do I say this without it sounding totally insane?”

Each of the boys looked at her so earnestly, she thought her heart would explode.

“Jong—Kai said I could—” Her voice stutter-stepped as her cheeks reddened against her wishes. “He said I could get pregnant.”

“By a vampire?” Jooheon, Wonho, and Minhyuk said incredulously.

Amber shrugged. “That can’t be true, right?”

The silence was heavy and painful as they looked amongst each other, all eyes landing at last on Hyungwon, who said, “Kai might have made a career out of lying, but when it came to you, he was deadly serious. Unless he got it wrong, I don’t think he would lie about that.”

But in her heart, Amber already knew that. For as evil as he could be, she could still feel the way Kai had held her, like she was sacred, like she was his everything. No, he hadn’t lied about that, but if that was true, that left them with a much more pressing issue.

She sucked in a shaky breath. “What if I already am?”

Seven heads snapped to her in an instant.

“You think you could be?” Minhyuk chirped as he raced around to her stomach and pressed his ear against it.

Jooheon shoved his brother aside and crouched down, too. “Get out of the way, Minnie. I wanna listen.”

“I call first baby snuggle!” declared Wonho.

Amber shook her head as she swatted them away. “I didn’t say I was pregnant, just that I could be.”

Wonho’s pout was only outdone by Jooheon’s until Changkyun clapped them on the back. “Come on, brothers, relax.”

But it only made Jooheon’s fat bottom lip stick out further. “I never got to be a dad and thought I never could be. Excuse me for being excited, even if I didn’t get to cum inside.”

“Still pouting about that?” Minhyuk ribbed.

“Easy for you to say! You started it.”

“You can still get a girl pregnant with the pullout method,” Amber informed with a roll of her eyes.

Jooheon beamed. “You can? So I could still be the dad?”

“Oh my god,” she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“What? I’m willing to try as many times as it takes.”

“Jooheon, it’s not about what you want,” Shownu admonished as he pulled his brother back to give the woman some breathing room. “It’s about what Amber wants. Maybe she doesn’t want vampires to be the fathers of her children. Who would?”

She rested her hand on Shownu’s forearm, and his eyes jerked to hers. She squeezed lightly and reminded, “I didn’t say that, and that’s not what I meant. It’s just a possibility I never considered. I can’t picture a better father than you, Hyunwoo.”

His eyes flared with his signature blend of lust and possession, but Amber couldn’t tell if it was from his name on her lips, her hand on his arm, or the thought of his baby in her belly. She felt her core constrict, and suddenly, every man was glaring at her with full knowledge of how unexpectedly easy this family talk was exciting her.

“You know, I don’t appreciate that you chose to wear Jooheon’s shirt instead of mine,” Kihyun said darkly into her ear as he tugged on the hem of the Ramones tee she’d thrown on, “especially if that’s my baby you’re carrying.”

“You’re relentless,” she grumbled despite the fact that her hand knotted in the fabric over her belly.

“I’m always ready to remind you of that, Detective.”

Amber felt her skin flush at what had once been a title and now felt like a pet name. Her head was becoming foggy again, this time with new and unexpected emotions. Some she could name—lust and desire and need—and others she couldn’t, things that were warm and reassuring and safe and terrifying all at once.

“I—” she stumbled, trying to remember what reason and rationale were in the face of hope and passion, “I just don’t know if birth control works on the supernatural, and I thought that wouldn’t be something you wanted anyway. I don’t know what it means…”

“Are you kidding?” shouted Wonho. “Family is the most important thing to us, and if there’s a chance we can add to it—”

Hyungwon silenced his brother with a stern look before he placed his hands on Amber’s shoulders and smoothed them. His intense sincerity helped diffuse the tension gathering in the room and between her legs. “Don’t let us make any decisions for you. You’ve been through enough, and in the meantime, we all need to learn some boundaries when it comes to you. Your room is your own, Ambrosia. We won’t darken it unless you want us to.”

“It’s not like…” she hedged, staring at her fingers over her stomach. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it over this last week. I have no family left except you guys. Being with you feels… right somehow. Children—they’re not something I thought about before. My life was too chaotic, and it’s not like living with a bunch of vampires will lessen any of that chaos, but I don’t know. It’s different. You’re different. Maybe it doesn’t even matter anyway. Like I said, maybe it’s already out of my hands. Totally batshit crazy, see?”

Hyungwon plucked her hand from her belly and put it over his heart, and Amber recalled instantly its impossible stampede after 400 years of atrophy. Her nails dug into the thin cotton of his button-up as his arms closed around her and flattened her against him. Those flushed lips ruffled her hair as he said, “Not crazy at all. It’s everything just as it should be.”

“Destiny,” Amber whispered against his skin.

She thought of Kai again, of everything he had wanted just like this but could never have. He’d been right about so much but wrong about one crucial thing: This was where she belonged. This was to whom she belonged.

“I missed you all so much,” she whispered, but she knew they all heard her. “I don’t want to ever let you go again.”

“You won’t have to,” assured Hyungwon.

She smiled against him before she pushed back and offered a much more wicked grin to her lovers. “And what happens when I want you to darken my room?”

The air pulsed. Even the fire seemed to shiver in the fireplace.

“Then I guess the only question left is which of us do you want first, mistress?” Wonho asked.

Amber blinked as she glanced from sincere face to sincere face. Each man watched her hopefully. “So, you want this to continue? Even if I can’t make you human again?”

“Of course,” said Jooheon. “We don’t really have a choice.”

“We never did,” added Changkyun.

“We belong to you,” finished Shownu.

A wave a confidence capped with desire and maybe a bit of relief washed through her. She had been waiting for everything to end, for life to revert to the familiar world of the before, but she didn’t want that anymore—she couldn’t even stand the thought of it. Amber had sampled so much of the world that she couldn’t go back, though she fully expected she had to. But now she knew better. She owned them as much as they owned her.

“I—” she stuttered, glancing from wicked smile to devious tongue to coaxing finger. “I can’t decide.”

Hyungwon unfolded his hands to loosen his collar. “All of us it is then.”

It seemed impossible, to be loved by these creatures of such beauty and power, but one look in each pair of dark, hungry eyes, and there was no denying it. Amber's heart roared, and for once, she wanted them all to hear it beating furiously for them. There was the honey now, thick and syrupy and swirling all around them, calling them to her and trapping them as in amber.

Hyungwon extended his hand, those impossible fingers both inviting and insidious. “Come, darling, let’s make the most of the night ahead of us.”

She looked at his face and back to his hand before she slid her own into it and joined him up the red tongue of the stairs, the other six brothers following behind like a wedding gown train, and as they crested the landing, she realized that, now and forever, she was well and truly married to the night.

The End

A/N: At 190k, thus concludes the longest (and most graphics-heavy) thing I’ve ever created. I’m really grateful for those of you who have stuck with me from beginning to end. I hope it was a worthy waste of your time.

I’m sure many of you noticed I left some open ends. This was by design. I like the thought of all the adventures that might lay ahead for them, and whether or not the boys get their humanity back or Amber gets pregnant is up for the altverse debate. Though I have no plans for a sequel per se, one never knows. I became very attached to this universe, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that something could crop. That said, writing a novel like this takes SO MUCH TIME (and I’m a full-time working mom and wife)—this one took a year—and I don’t publish any multichap that isn’t within a few months’ worth of completion, so it certainly wouldn’t be anything in the foreseeable future.

As requested (lol why), I will post a rambling manifesto for the couple of crazies who inquired about my writing process soon. There’s still lots more to look forward to this year, so I hope you stick around and enjoy the many other irons I have in the fire.

Thank you again for spending your time with me!

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