Rain lay over Phayu, his breath finally getting back to normal, and his heart finally getting to beat slower. His mate had very nearly destroyed his sanity as they had come together with a passion and a fear that underlay all their actions. Tomorrow was going to be one of the hardest days in their existence and Rain knew that the path they had chosen was definitely not the easiest. But there were things he had not told Phayu, things that he and his friends had found out, things that would potentially put Phayu and Pai in the very eye of the storm. When they had found that, Rain and Sky had nearly broken down, but Team and Pharm kept them going. They were absolute rocks and the four of them had put their head together and come up with a plan that could help everyone, not just their Draugs.

"What are you thinking little one?" Phayu asked, surprised at how quiet his mate was being. Rain was always the one with the most to say, and for him to be this silent was something that was unheard of. "I am just thinking how hard tomorrow is going to be. There are so many people who came all the way here because they trust us Phi Mate, especially the Lycans. All of them came here with their mates. Can you imagine what would happen even if one of them got hurt? Especially knowing that you are keeping your own Draugs hidden behind closed doors?" Rain asked. Phayu wanted to laugh, but the serious look on Rain's face gave him pause. He knew that Rain was genuinely worried and it was his job to ensure that his mate would not feel anything calm and collected at this point.

"Rain," he said and Rain looked at him carefully, the seriousness of his mate's tone and the use of his given name making it clear that Phayu was going to say something important. "Rain, my love, hiding you behind closed doors is not at all what we are doing. We are protecting you, not hiding you. Everyone who came here to fight knows that you are fledgelings, that you are more than precious, you are our jewels, the ones who are our aces in the hole. So no, you are not being hidden, I promise. And we will protect every mated couple possible, that is also a promise. As far as the Lycans are concerned, while they did join us out of their own free wills, we will help them too," Phayu said, looking down at Rain. "Okay Phi Mate. I am going to hold you to it. And there is something that you all need to do for us," Rain said. Phayu nodded immediately. He trusted his mate too much to be able to refuse him.

"We have found a way to ensure that the Lycans stay hidden until their presence is required in the battle," Sky said, as everyone met together in the morning. "What?" Khatha said, sounding shocked. Team nodded. "We will need your help, as well Khun Khatha and Khun Liam," he said. "And a drop of blood from the leader of the Lycans. Well, whoever they choose as a leader," Pharm said. "Kwan!" almost all the Lycans said together before Kwan could even utter a word. "Well, then Khun Kwan in that case," Pharm said. "Let me know what to do. I will help in any way I can, as long as that keeps my people safe," Kwan spoke up.

The four friends stood in a circle, watching and waiting for the one signal that they would need from their Draugs. Rain had ensured that the channels of communication between them and their mates and the one with each other were locked against the other. There was no way they wanted their mates to know what they were up to. "What do you think is happening outside?" Pharm asked, casting worried looks at the window. They had been asked to stay away, not to become visible until things were under control, and while they hated every minute of it, they were glad in a way, because that meant they would have enough time to set their plan in action. "Rain, is there any way we can create a window, where they can't look up and see what exactly where you are or what you are doing?" Pharm asked. Rain thought for a while. "I have read it somewhere too that it can be done. You want it?" he asked. The others nodded, before Pharm spoke up. "It will not sap away your energy in any way right?" he asked. Sky and Team looked at him in worry. They had not considered that at all. Rain shook his head and smiled as he looked at his friends, his brothers. "No, it will all be fine, I promise you," he said, subconsciously echoing Phayu's promise from the night before.

Rain picked a book from the bundle they had kept aside, deciding they would need. "This one," he pointed out something on a page to his friends. "Hmm. This seems doable," Sky murmured, as he read through the spell. "And interesting. It will also allow us to listen to all the conversations taking place, at least those that are loud," Pharm said. "Wait a second," Team said suddenly, as he jumped towards another book. "We can also hear their mind," he said, looking at the others in excitement. "How?" Rain asked. "Look!" Team said, pointing to another type of spell. "Okay. We can do this. Together," Pharm said. "Together!" Team, Rain and Sky said, at the same time, like a vow. In short order, the four of them could not only see what was happening outside, but also hear the minds of those who were present. Since Rain already had that power, he had basically created a way for the others to listen in with him. Nobody outside would be none the wiser that there were four fledgelings who were aware of what was happening. Suddenly all of them stiffened, the very air changing, as something dark floated into the air. It was time!

Aroon, followed by Decha and the other members of the Council, entered and walked towards the front of the room, almost as if they owned the place. They stopped short when they saw that the first two rows had already been occupied by someone else. Many someone elses. Their arrogant faces fell. "What is the meaning of this disrespect?" Decha shouted. "Disrespect Decha?" the silky smooth voice of Vegas Theerpanayakul cut through the air, making said man cower in fear behind Aroon, who was not faring any better. In fact, all the Council members looked like they would be anywhere but there when Phayu stepped up next to his father. The resemblance between the two men was uncanny, to say the least, and the Council members were terrified. Phayu had already done away with two of their team, and now he stood, shoulder to shoulder, with the man who looked and was known to be ever crueller than his son.

"Are you not going to respond to the question my father asked Decha?" Phayu asked, smiling, reminding him of the smile Pete would have on his face before he mercilessly decimated an enemy. Thankfully, Pete was not around, otherwise.. The thought trailed off when Pete stepped up on the other side of his husband. "I.. I.. meant.. no.. no.. d.. d.. dis.. respect," Decha stuttered out, almost as if he had conjured Pete up from his thoughts. "Are you deliberately forgetting the honorifics when you talk to my husband Decha? Just because you are in the Council, doesn't absolve you from respecting your seniors," Pete said, a soft smile gracing his face. Decha and the others waiied immediately, knowing that the more softly Pete Theerpanayakul smiled, the deadlier his strike would be. If Vegas was the openly spoken about monster, the visible bogeyman, Pete was the hunter in the shadows, the man whose name was spoken with fear and reverence. And Phayu? Phayu was the perfect combination of the two, plus he was trained by the Council, making him a dangerous adversary. If he hadn't been needed alive, he would have been dead long ago. "Sit where your names are placed," Tharn said, walking up, then turning and saying something to Vegas. He nodded and straightened. "Enjoy," he said, smirking, leaving with his husband and son as the Council members heaved a sigh of relief. They quickly took their places. Decha pulled out his phone to send a message and then looked at the others, who nodded. It was time for the show to begin.

The guests were milling about when Rain's voice clearly came through to everyone. "We have some rather uninvited guests," he said, the smirk in his voice clear. Phayu turned, as if wanting ask Pai something. "From our left," he managed to say, before they were right in the middle of a battle zone. Phayu was the first to meet them, his speed unmatched. His blade sliced through the air as he cut down a rogue Lycan, his fangs sinking into the throat of another rogue vampire before they even realized he was there. Pai, the swift and deadly warrior, was right behind him, his movements a blur as he took down a rogue vampire with a single strike. Vegas, calm and precise, used his agility to avoid a Lycan's claws and drive his sword, one that had lightning run through it, through its heart. Kinn protected his brother's flank as he rolled under Vegas and sliced off the leg of an incoming vampire and Porche took off its head. Pete was not far from his husband either, their movements as precise as they could be, bold and like a beautiful, yet deadly, dance.

Rain was in Phayu's head constantly, giving him, and through him, all their team members running commentary on where the enemy would come in from. He and his friends had taken the decision to keep an eye on their respective directions so that they would know exactly what to do. That way, they would not be distracted by looking somewhere they were not meant to. "You think you will win this?" Rain heard Aroon ask and Phayu laughed. "Even if I don't, I won't let you win for sure!" he said. Aroon screamed and jumped towards Phayu, but Phayu was much faster. He swung low, moving away from Aroon's swinging sword. The man clearly had no practice with holding weapons, because he stumbled, and Phayu used that movement to jump up and use his entire strength as he brought down his elbow on Aroon's spine. The crack was loud and deafening as Aroon collapsed, and Phayu lost no time in beheading him with the special sword that had been created for them.

Vegas and Pete fought off another group of rogues, who seemed to come faster and faster, almost as fast as the older couple killed them. "KINN!" Porche's distressed shout made Vegas falter a bit, but Pete stepped in, taking the arm off the Lycan that was moving towards Vegas. Both of them cut a bloody swathe as they moved towards where Kinn was surrounded, just as Porche and Pai were also trying to get to him. Win and Dean protected their backs and Tae and Min fought in their half Lycan forms, their backs to each other. Kinn turned his back to stop an attack on him as a rogue ran in, sword held high. That's when Porche had screamed, and everyone had tried to get to Kinn. But they were all too far and could only watch in horror as the rogue leapt up. However, all of a sudden, the vampire stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock, falling back on the ground, a dagger lodged between his eyes. "Looks like you all are still useless without us," Kim said, as he dusted his hands and walked calmly onto the battlefield, followed by Chay, Macau and Arm, all of them holding dripping swords and sporting identical maniacal grins! "Speak for yourself Ai'Kim!" Porche said, as they quickly moved into the foray again.

Nefertiti faced off Amara as Makoa faced off Decha. Khatha and Kaeo had surrounded Sairon, who was fighting to keep her head intact, but the two witches were having none of it. She was the reason their Coven had been almost completely decimated, and they would not give an inch of room to her to escape their clutches. Drago, the Irish Clan and Sean, Tinn, Charn, Tan, Bun, Tharn, and Leo gave their assistance where it was needed the most. Type White and Fiat fought from near the entrance of the property where their sons were being protected, the mother in them a fierce protector. They knew that Min could not be there, so the responsibility of caring for Team was also theirs. As the battle continued, the rogue, both vampire and Lycan, began to falter with the loss of the Council that was keeping them together. Pakin and Chai tried to rally them together, but after Kim and Macau ended them, the fight went out of the ones who were left. Soon, the battlefield was littered with bodies and the winning side had just begun to congratulate themselves for a job well done, when the very air around them changed!

A kind of darkness fell over the grounds. The air was thick and filled with the scent of black blood and dark magic. The darkness parted to reveal Korn and Kan, the true brothers who had been relentless in the pursuit of ending humanity for their own pleasure. They were ancient rogues whose powers had been twisted by centuries of madness that had seeped into their very essence. The air around them pulsed with malevolent energy, and the earth darkened where their feet fell. They smirked, seeing everyone together. "What a pleasant surprise to see all our children right here!" Korn smirked. "Won't you greet your father?" Kan asked, a similar look on his face. The Theerpanayakuls only looked on at the older vampires in disgust. "How sad! We had expected a warmer welcome," Korn said. "Warmth would have been there had you stayed dead!" Kim spat out. "Now, now dear nephew. Is that how you talk to your elders? Didn't you learn anything from last time?" Kan asked, his grin deadly. "It's okay brother! Let's teach these brats a lesson they won't forget. We don't need them anyway. Our prize is different," Korn said, as both brothers raised their hands up in the air! Their eyes widened in shock as the energy they threw out thudded back dully and boomeranged. They leapt aside to avoid the surge. "IT'S A SHIELD!" Kan shrieked, his high pitched voice sending everyone to their knees. From nowhere though, power spun through the air as those hidden behind the shield watched with grim horror!