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s i x t y

$ s i x t y $

"Light, I really need to talk to you." Lu Han said with worry when he spotted his younger brother out in the hallway with slumped shoulders and head down, eyes trained on the ground. He was dismayed, and Lu Han didn't doubt that his friend's mood had everything to do with his ex Minha. The Wolves' beta was leaning up against the wall, close to the door to his hotel suite, head in his hands, and Lu Han almost thought that maybe he had gotten locked out of his room. But that wasn't the case. Baekhyun had been given the chance to get dressed before Miran asked him to leave the room. She was willing to hear his side of the story, but at the moment, she just didn't want to see him. 

She understood that he was still married to Minha and that he could still go back to her if he wished. They had a son together afterall. But they had gone through so much together--Miran and Baekhyun. He and the pack took her in when her parents tossed her aside. He loved her. They were going to have a child of their own. It pained Miran to think that she might have to let it go, to see it end so suddenly before her very eyes.

Meilin long since left the casino that early afternoon, assuring her husband that she wouldn't confront Minha about coming onto him. But Lu Han wasn't so sure that she would keep her word. He could see the near murderous glint in her eyes. Meilin could go from being the sweetest girl in the world to being the devil herself. 

Baekhyun looked up from where he was standing and the faintest smile touched his lips when he saw Lu Han. He was glad to see his hyung more often now, as well as the other members of the Coven. All of the members had been affected by the separation five years back, and now that they were no longer enemies, all twelve of them seemed happier than ever. As he tilted his head up, his hair shifted and covered his eyes. It was longer now and he pushed it to the side with long fingers.

"Hey Saseum hyung." He greeted, side glancing at the older boy.

When joining the pack, each of them had been assigned a different name to go by. That was to protect them and their real families from any rival gangs who might want to use that information against them. It also made it more difficult for the authorities to pin anything on them if they didn't know their actual names. Lu Han's nickname was Deer because it was the meaning of his surname in English, but Baekhyun preferred to use Saseum which was the Korean equivalent.

Lu Han didn't waste any time and said to the younger boy, placing a hand on his shoulder in a desperate plea. "I doubt you can do anything about this. But your wife tried to kiss me and I need you to talk to her--"

Baekhyun's reaction was almost instant, like the last thing he wanted as to be associated with Choi Minha. He replied with a shake of his head, correcting his counterpart. They both held the same rank in their respective gangs. "Ex wife. She and I aren't together anymore, so I honestly don't want to concern myself with whatever the fuck she's doing. She's insane and she's trying to sabotage my relationship with Miran. Miran won't talk to me, and I'm fucking desperate, hyung." He whined, hoping that Miran would hear him from the other side of the door and take pity on him.

The Coven's second in command heaved a sigh. He had given it a try, but there was nothing he or Baekhyun could really do to stop Minha if she wanted to cause some damage. "I thought so. But she needs to get her shit together because Meilin will literally end her if she tries something again."

"Meilin would be my hero." Baekhyun admitted, a tiny smile gracing his lips. 

"Just watch out." Lu Han gave him a word of advice, crinkling up his nose. "Your ex wife is crazy."

Baekhyun nodded in agreement, "I know."

-

Days after their engagement had been decided and they informed the family, Hani and Ciel volunteered to be the ones to help plan the wedding. Yifan was a bit skeptical about letting Ciel out of the casino, since she wasn't yet used to her new condition. But he trusted that she would be safe in Hani's hands while they were out and about. Mariel also accompanied them on their outings and she clung to Ciel like she was the one who needed assistance.

Mariel was just so afraid of Ciel falling and hurting herself that she--like Yifan--wanted to shield her from everything. 

Jongdae, on the other hand, was travelling back and forth from Korea and China a lot. He had informed Mariel that he and Tao, as the two youngest members, were given the more difficult tasks. They were to travel to China to meet with more supplier and allies who thought the Coven was done for when they had been kidnapped and imprisoned by the Nightmares. It was Tao and Jongdae's job to set them straight and to let them know that their land was still theirs, even if they had chosen to settle in Korea permanently. Sehun and Jongin were to accompany them on some of the trips, to meet the suppliers as well.

Yifan wanted them to know that he had allies, and that his inner circle had expanded to twelve members instead of six. It was more of an intimidation method. To show everyone that there were more of them now and it would be more difficult for anyone to double cross them.

On a few instances, Iva accompanied the boys to China, in order to be with Tao and spend more time with him. She also wanted to get a general idea of her duties in her new pack. She wanted to make herself useful and help the family. As Tao's mate, Yifan had granted her the same rank as him and had informed her that she would have to go through formal training. Yixing was their pack's fighter, and he was supposed to teach her basic skills training, just like Kyungsoo once did for the other boys in the wolf pack. Before they could get started, she had asked to be able to observe first. She wanted to learn by watching.

Their first two trips, it had gone unnoticed by anyone because they were all busy with their assigned tasks. But Iva had noticed it almost right away. The way Jongdae seemed to disappear for hours at a time. The way he left the room and replied in whispers whenever he got certain phone calls. Iva thought it was Mariel at first. 

"I don't want to worry you." Iva started nervously. Mariel and Ciel were the ones to take care of her when she first joined the Coven, and she was grateful to them. She also felt a sense of loyalty to Mariel because of her help when she was the new girl. Both Mariel and Ciel new what it was like to be an outsider coming into a new place. "But I just want to look out for you as my sister and someone who took me in when I had no home."

Her words quickly put Mariel on edge and the smile that had been present on her lips soon disappeared from sight. "What is it?"

Iva had pondered on it for days--whether to mention anything to Mariel about it or not--and had finally decided to do it when Jongdae suspiciously asked the other members to inform Yifan that he would be staying in China a few extra days. Iva was so distrusting of men and their intentions, ever since her negative experience with Fu Jian, who she most loved. She didn't want something similar to happen to Mariel or Ciel, or any of her other sisters in their pack.

"Jongdae has been acting kind of strange lately. I just don't want to see him hurt you." The blue eyed girl bit down on her lip. She thought Jongdae was a nice guy. But sometimes even the nicest looking people hid the darkest intentions. "It could be nothing. Maybe you should talk to him." She suggested quickly, trying to put out the fire of doubt that had surged in Mariel's mind. 

Mariel's dark eyes filled with tears. "Do you think..." She struggled to get the words out. "That he might want to leave me? I can't give him any children. He said it wasn't a big deal, but to anyone  else it would be."

Iva shook her head. "Mariel just talk to him about it. Or forget I even mentioned anything. Its none of my business. I'm sorry."

She quickly retracted. But the damage had been done already.

-

sometimes good intentions end up hurting people. i honestly wrote this trying to portray the notion that iva is genuinely trying to protect mariel. but we also all know that she fucked up by doing this. all its going to do is cause more drama. but you all know how i love drama ;)

first of all, its none of her business. second, she shouldn't have said anything to mariel unless she was absolutely sure and had concrete evidence. third, its none of her fucking business. 

thank you all loads for reading. it means a lot to me.

-clary