╰─➤ baby tell me one more beautiful lie,
                   one touch and i ignite

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

chenle wasn't sure how much time had passed, but certainly he and narae were on their fourth of fifth song. standing near her was like standing in a time slip, where the seconds could've been minutes or the minutes could've been seconds. a new tune started, his wits remained about him, and narae's eyes lit up when lady gaga filtered through the crowd.

"ah, it's my decade," she beamed, doing a spin in her naughties attire. "doesn't it remind you of when you were younger?"

"i was trapped in a drug induced haze for most of the naughties," chenle attempted a wry smile, but even he couldn't find much humour in it. narae chuckled regardless, matching his height and taking control of the dance this time.

"pity. you missed out."

"so i've heard. the world wouldn't have been able to handle me if i'd heard britney spears when i was eight. perhaps it was for the best." he let narae hold onto his waist, for all it felt strange and foreign. he'd only ever been held by men at this point in his life, and her daintier hands were nothing like those of jeno or the others. but she was an alpha all the same, and her aura was every bit as powerful.

her stunning features were enough to distract an ordinary person from her true nature, and usually people like narae got their way. but when faced with those like chenle or jeno or anyone able to resist her suggestion, the lady found herself more interested and pushy than discouraged. her lips were smiling, but her eyes were alight with savage intensity, "i am too curious, boy, about what it is you contribute to the infamous dolls. you see, the harem sounds like it's made up of very specific and special individuals hand-picked by lee jeno himself, but in reality some of you could be hiding in plain sight. how does he know what you're all capable of without evidence? i never see the vision." she wrapped her arms around chenle's neck and pulled him closer. "your newest addition is a showstopper, to be sure, but he's an omega. omegas are liabilities, and i can't understand why jeno insists on bringing renjun and donghyuck out when they're walking targets."

"i think your prejudice blinds you from the truth that most alphas and, occasionally, betas like to overlook," chenle sighed and tried to put a bit of distance between their faces. "omegas can crack a skull just as well as an alpha. that nonsense about heats debilitating them is just alpha here-say used to establish the current hierarchy. but the reality of it is," he smiled coyly and watched as narae's brow twitched, "alphas are weak, aren't they? to pheromones. to a good lay."

"you're very talkative and cheeky for a beta who was blessedly given a second chance at life. your pretty face makes your bad attitude even more irritating. has anyone ever told you they want to hit you?"

"oh, all the time. in fact, if they choose to sock me then i am obliged to hand them their asses...in the name of self-defence, of course," chenle winked.

"aren't you cute? you sound like someone who's not afraid to die."

"lady, death and i have a love-hate relationship of which i constantly walk the line between. one thing's for sure though," he hummed, "if i'm to die, it'll be an amazing show. and it won't be by the likes of you."

narae spun gracefully and landed her hand against the beta's chest, slowly dance-stepping around him and tilting her chin up. "your confidence is your weakness, boy. if you view the whole world as a challenge you must overcome, then one day you will fail. i would be careful about underestimating people simply because you don't like them."

chenle narrowed his eyes and wanted to snap back about what a pain she was, and how evil she was. but the young lady left no time before touching his cheek gently with a small smile and disappearing into the crowds. he was left alone, staring after her and pondering on their conversations.

she was every bit as annoying as he'd imagined she'd be.

"i propose a solution to your stress, huang renjun," yoon spoke frankly and without flowers and airs. "no more, no less. this is not a ploy to..." she paused, blinking twice too quickly when she realised she wasn't sure what he was worried about. "to assault you, or whatever else you're imagining."

"ever the creative type," renjun grimaced and shoved a piece of chocolate in his mouth to gather his bearings. his mind was focused solely on donghyuck, but he had his own issues. he wasn't sure how to divide his attention.

"i realise approaching you breaches lee jeno's rules about spending time with a doll, but you can be rest assured i simply need what you need; to be on that floor."

"oh?" renjun's brow raised questioningly. "pray tell, why would a woman of you caliber be seeking a dance with little old me? let's be real, i've been known to bite hands that get too close."

"as have i. regardless, jang jiho and...your friend—"

"his name is donghyuck."

"yes, donghyuck," yoon corrected herself stoically and continued, "are dancing. i have a promise with jiho that requires me to be near him, and you want to eavesdrop on their conversation, yes? you can see my angle."

renjun didn't like nor want to see anything she laid down. her amber eyes made him lose focus and her pheromones smelt so good he didn't trust himself to make decent decisions. she smelled of a night out, of mature perfume that was rooted in her being and expensive shampoo. when she got close, those smells threatened to push renjun to his knees, but he resisted. jeno had trained him well.

"you didn't quite answer my question, though," he said through clenched teeth, willing himself remember hyuck's scent, or jeno's scent. "why me?"

"well, there is no one else i would rather dance with," yoon replied with complete honesty and no hesitation. she was the sort of person who never experienced embarrassment and could not read a room to save her life. if she hadn't been so powerful, beautiful and indomitably tall, one might've found her cute.

"i'm your top choice?"

"you are huang renjun," she stated, as if that fact had missed him and her eyes trailed towards the dance floor again to find the other pair they'd lost. "as far as i know, you're a no-strings-attached type of character who will do whatever to entertain himself or reap personal benefits."

the omega's jaw ticked from hearing his reputation out loud. "that was before. i'm literally in a harem now, yoon, have you been living under a rock?"

"no. i thought my residence was relatively common knowledge amongst—"

"i don't 'do whatever' anymore."

"but you're easy company," she finally said, surprising renjun who was close to breaking free of her pheromones and leaving. "you remind me of myself."

his lips drew into a straight line. "you think you're easy company?"

"no. you've misread me," she blinked and touched her mask to fix it. "your personality is somewhat similar to mine, and i find you easy to be around."

"we've said two words to each other in the past five years. we're not even acquaintances."

"but i'm a good judge of character. you're straying off track here, huang renjun — do you wish to dance or not? donghyuck — was it? — and jiho have gotten awfully close in the past two minutes."

"what?" the omega hissed, spinning around to find them. he grew stressed when he couldn't and didn't think too much beyond the next fifteen minutes when he faced yoon once more and accepted. "fine. fine. let's dance."

"if you are sure." she extended her hand.

"you're annoying."

"it's not the exciting story you're expecting, but i'm surprised they didn't tell you," jiho smiled as they danced with an easiness to his movements. "do you know jaemin and jeno's story?"

"most of it," hyuck mumbled skeptically and followed his lead. "they grew up together."

"in the garnet nursery, yes?"

the omega creased his brow and gave a tight nod. "yeah, i guess."

jiho simply smiled, looking up and over the heads around them as the question was flipped around and turned inside out in donghyuck's head. the blonde was puzzled at first, wondering where he was going with it. but then it clicked.

"you were there?"

the leader chuckled gave the younger boy's hands a gentle squeeze. "bingo."

"you were in garnet?" that wasn't possible. the only way out of a gang was death or an exceptional circumstance like chenle or even jisung. hyuck's mouth was dry and he was itching for some water now.

"hardly. my mother is in garnet, doing god knows what. she had me around the time jeno was born and, well..." he winked. "we all played around together for a bit as infants — me, jeno and jaemin. they were always a bit closer, and it helped, i suppose, that jaemin was always a disobedient little shit."

"how does that help?" donghyuck wondered aloud.

"jeno likes the fiery types, doesn't he? you lot are proof."

he didn't deign to answer that.

"anyways, by the time we were old enough to start our piss excuse of an education, it was becoming increasingly obvious i was a weak and useless child. i hadn't grown into my looks until i was a teen, unfortunately, and i was always sick. everyone avoided me."

"you fell out of the leader's little brother's favour," donghyuck hummed and copied the other dancers as he moved to dance against jiho. "okay, tale as old as time. you were forsaken and now you've proven them all wrong."

"you're looking at the first layer, kitten. try to dig deeper when people talk to you. has nobody told you reading between lines is the greatest talent of all?" he held hyuck's waist and followed the dance seamlessly with everyone else.

"what am i missing?" he waited a beat for an answer and realised he was supposed to either come up with it on his own or ask better questions. he huffed, tilting his head back so their faces were inches apart. "fine. how did you get out? of garnet, i mean."

"better," jiho smirked and didn't back away from that face. "the turmoil with lee junghee was a brilliant chance for an exodus. admittedly, i wonder if i'd have managed it without that factor."

"why hasn't jeno dragged you back?"

"he tried. it's not good form for members to escape gangs, after all." he spun the omega around and caught him close, tilting them both back as the end of the song closed. "but i have an even better secret that keeps me between the cracks in the underworld. do you want to know what it is?"

"i'm not sure i do..." donghyuck breathed, starting to pick up a smell from jiho that made his eyes widen.

sugar? baking?

"really?" he whispered. "oh, but i think you'll like it, kitten. very few people know about it."

"i need to go back to jeno now," donghyuck insisted and stood up straight again to fix his jacket. but jiho pulled him suddenly, yanking him hard against his chest in a tight embrace that could nearly suffocate.

there it was again. this time stronger.

baking.
sugar.
cinnamon.
cookies and cake.

pheromones, hyuck realised, pushing away from him in a hurry and backing accidentally into a lady before hissing, "omega."

jiho reeled him back in and winked at the girl as an apology. she let it go quickly when she saw who he was and let them shuffle off towards the sidelines once again. the man was laughing, arm around donghyuck's shoulders. he took a glass of champagne from a waiter who'd been standing where they now remained. he handed it to hyuck.

"you're funny, kitten. such an adverse reaction," he played with a diamond in hyuck's hair. "especially for someone who knows how it feels."

"does...does jeno know?"

"oh, of course. and your dolls," he hummed and waved a hand out to narae and yoon amidst the crowd, "and those two. best kept mafia secret, i think."

"omegas can't be gang leaders," donghyuck insisted. he felt breathless, stunned, like he was just told he had to cut off a finger. this information felt dangerous and thrilling, but he was the only one who hadn't known. why wasn't it in jiho's records in garnet's book of mafias? hyuck held his temple and willed the swimming feeling to subside.

"omegas can be anything, really. but i will leave that with you," the man smiled slyly and nodded at the champagne in hyuck's hand. "drink up. you look like you need it."

the blonde held his index finger up to him as a sign to shut up before downing the bubbles and cringing. "we're not done here."

"oh, we are for now. until next time, kitten." and with that he was gone.

"jaemin. hey, you okay?" mark asked as the platinum blonde beta stumbled towards the hallways away from the party. "jaem, hold up!" he pulled his shoulder to spin him and hold him against an empty corridor's wall.

"i'm fine," jaemin blinked in a long, tired way. "just a bit sleepy."

"you've been drinking a lot. maybe lay off the liquor for the rest of the evening," mark suggested and pulled him back up to escort him to an empty room. "i'm sleepy too, but i haven't had nearly as much as you."

"i have a job for jisung."

"you need to sober up before you tell anyone to do anything."

jaemin scoffed and grabbed mark's ass playfully, "so mature." he tried to focus on the floor in front of him, but he felt like clouds were fogging his vision and thoughts. "but donghyuck is out there, and so are renjun and chenle. i want jisung up high where he can react if anything goes wrong."

"you need to calm down and trust them. jeno's got it all covered."

but jaemin wasn't having it, and he didn't want to sleep even if his body was forcefully shutting down his systems, module by module. everything was getting so heavy.

"don't leave me alone..." he whispered, leaning against mark as the older boy brought him into a dormant tea room to lay him down on a sofa.

"of course i won't, nana. i'm right here." he pushed the near-white hair off the boy's face and checked his temperature. what was concerning him went beyond the dance floor, beyond the separation or his ex wandering around out there.

jaemin was good with his alcohol, just like his caffein. was he drinking himself into oblivion on purpose? or what was happening?

"they've left the floor," yoon pointed out as she and renjun kept up a convincing knowledge of twenty-tens dancing. "did you hear their conversation?"

"not over the noise, but based on hyuck's reaction..." renjun sighed, sticking with the role of the girl in these dances since yoon was incredibly tall and more masculine somehow. her height gave her the vantage point of watching jiho and donghyuck and relaying her information back to her shorter partner. renjun was irritated.

"jiho often keeps plans to himself," yoon continued. "if he has exposed himself to your friend, then he probably has a reason. there is no need to be stressed, huang renjun."

"and why is that?!" the omega hissed.

"because he will have found out eventually. he's a doll."

"that's not the point! i—" renjun gritted his teeth. "i want to filter the information that reaches him as best as possible. he'll come up with ideas all on his own if i don't."

"so you wish to drip-feed him the truth at a pace that is convenient for you and your master. i see," she clarified and said nothing more about it. whether or not she was judging him was a mystery, and one that pissed renjun off even more. yoon's straightforwardness was hard to swallow after playing the long game with liars and cheats for so long.

"why are we still dancing, then?" the omega furrowed his brows, but didn't stop. "jiho is out of your radius, isn't he?"

"no. i'm watching him now."

"what's this promise, anyway? care to share?"

"i only trade knowledge for knowledge. but you would know all about that, wouldn't you, huang renjun?"

"just renjun is fine," he rolled his eyes and spun for her before he was pulled to her chest. the feeling was a bit foreign, he'd admit, and her waistcoat was drenched in the smell of her alluring pheromones. someone brushed past his back and he realised she'd pulled him out of the way. "s-so, a secret for a secret."

"do you wish to know our deal so badly?" she wondered aloud, but a small smile reached her intense eyes. "have i intrigued you, huang renjun?"

"just renjun," he reiterated. "and no, i'm just bored."

"well then, it is not an exchange worth having. and our song is nearly over." she pulled him up above her all of a sudden and circled with him looking down at her like everyone else. renjun's cheeks went beet red and he tapped her arms.

"put me—" she lowered him in time with the other dancers and the song came to an end. the omega felt winded when yoon took his hand and subtly lifted her mask in such a way so she could kiss the back of it, nodding in solidarity once she'd lowered it again and bidding him goodbye before heading for jiho, supposedly.

i need to find donghyuck, he thought, pushing through everyone in his way before snatching a drink and beginning his search.

jisung and jeno stood on the balcony along the second floor looking over the ballroom. they leaned against the brass railing, making their champagne last as they chatted and kept a keen eye on what was happening below.

"renjun's free," jisung murmured, watching the boy wander around the sidelines alone again. "that's all of them off the floor."

"good. but we don't know what those three were doing with them. i'm also concerned i haven't seen mark or jaemin in the last twenty minutes. are they together?"

"i haven't seen them either."

the pair shared a look and returned their sights to the dance floor. this was not how things usually went if they had a pre-existing plan. usually, they had their roles to play and most mafias backed off. usually yoon, narae and jiho weren't so close and causing mischief. jeno didn't want to feel worried, but he did. they were touching a very sensitive, very well-guarded nerve inside him that was the dolls. without many knowing it, the six boys were his greatest weakness as well as the source of all his strength. as soon as that cat was out of the bag, he was fucked.

"jen..." jisung whispered and elicited a yawn, "what time is it?"

"probably somewhere around twelve? tired?"

"yeah."

the alpha pulled him in to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek, giving his hip an encouraging squeeze. "try to stay awake, baby. you're my most accurate shot," he chuckled.

"i feel like i'm seeing triple of some things," jisung sighed and pointed to chenle who was now with renjun and donghyuck. they had finally met up. "there are like...nine of those guys..."

"how much have you had to drink?" jeno enquired quickly and took the half-empty glass of champagne off him. he smelled the contents and narrowed his eyes. it seemed fine.

"like four or five of those? i have no idea where jaemin got his hard liquor."

"you're only eighteen. lay off the booze, kid," he teased.

"hah. bit late to tell me that now when i'm in an organised crime unit."

jeno played off his concern and tipped both his and jisung's glasses into the nearest potted plant. his attention returned to the trio below and relief settled in over the anxiety he'd been fighting. as long as they were walking and talking with ten fingers and ten toes, then they could discuss what happened later. "let's go rally the crew, shall we?" he sighed and rolled out his shoulders. once he let jisung go, he was about to lead the way to the stairs but noticed the beta tip forward towards the railing. "jisung?"

jisung wasn't stopping, and, quite frankly, wasn't conscious. he would've gone over the side if jeno hadn't realised in time and yanked him back towards him.

"really?" he scoffed, tapping the youth's cheek and finding it strange that he'd just dropped. being drunk was a progressive thing, and certainly young boys didn't just knock themselves out cold with champagne. "ji? ji!" he was gone.

jeno quickly made up some new plans, which included hiking the beta up onto his back and heading down the stairs with a lot of eyes on him. the music went on, the dancing too. but everyone was watching them as the leader stalked towards the nearly derelict hallways, save for a few guests sneaking in some kisses against the walls.

"jen!" chenle called, racing to catch up with him and skidding to a halt when he saw the state jisung was in. "what's happening? nothing is going the way we planned."

donghyuck and renjun were close behind him and had grim faces.

"well," jeno explained and nodded towards the hallway to get them out of the spotlight, "jisung is either very drunk or has been spiked. and jaemin and mark are missing in action."

"i saw them come down here," chenle said, quickly walking ahead and leading them about a quarter of the way down the hall and guessing which door they might've taken. "somewhere here, i think."

"was this while you were with narae?" renjun questioned and nudged the boy's shoulder.

"sure. i thought jaemin looked...off."

"off how?" jeno pressed and tried the first door, finding it locked, and then walking with jisung towards the second. "drunk?"

"yeah, i think so."

"figures," renjun hummed.

the second door did open this time, and the five boys peeped their heads in to find the remaining two members of the harem passed out on a sofa together.

"well, how embarrassing. three of us down for the count," chenle pursed his lips.

"this is weird, guys," donghyuck spoke up. "i mean, really? three out of six lethal killers taking a nap in a mafia-infested party? and i won't lie, i don't feel one-hundred percent either."

jeno gave him a long look and started to nod to himself as he turned the idea around in his mind. he adjusted jisung on his back and motioned with his head towards jaemin and mark. "someone grab those two. we're leaving."

"what? we can't just go," renjun gasped. "what will they say?"

"someone's playing dirty and i'm not putting you boys on the prize list. look at them."

"but still," chenle clenched his fists, "we'll just be running away. we won't drink another drop, so let us at least go another hour. it's only midnight."

"i don't think i can go another hour," donghyuck said gravely. "my head's a mess."

"you seem fine. don't be a wimp," the beta scoffed.

"what have you all had to drink?" jeno cut through the oncoming argument. "or eat. have you eaten?"

"just chocolate and stuff," renjun responded.

"pastries," chenle admitted. "jisung might've chewed some fruit, but...i don't know. why would anyone here spike us? it's practically asking for unwanted attention."

"i have no idea why this is going on," jeno hissed, "and yet three of my dolls are out and one is on the way. i've barely had a chance to touch the food or drinks, but you lot have been picking away at them all evening. anyone else feeling tired?"

"kinda," renjun nodded. "a little bit. i think i'm a little rattled after my dance with yoon though."

"don't put anything in your mouths for the rest of the night. i don't trust this. but..." he eyed mark and jaemin softly and hesitantly mumbled, "we'll see the night through, as you wish. i'll send these three home. hyuck, you going home?"

the omega felt torn between making sure everything here kept going smoothly and taking a long-needed sleep back at the manor. he was beyond exhausted, and he couldn't help but think about the drink he'd had before jiho left. he had no evidence, of course, to convict anyone for spiking him. "i think i'll go home. i'm no use to anyone this way."

"very well. i'll trust you to make sure the other three get home safe then." he walked towards him and leaned down under the weight of jisung. "you did well tonight, lee donghyuck. i am proud of you." he gave his nose a gentle kiss and stood upright again to direct renjun and chenle to grab mark and jaemin.

donghyuck was flushed pink and feeling an awful lot of everything. he'd had one of the most overwhelming nights of his life, and it wasn't even over yet. there were still answers they needed and questions they had to find to receive answers for.

but jeno was proud of him. he'd done well.

"alright. let's bring them to the car. follow me," the alpha instructed, and soon they were moving through the halls, through the onlookers, through the unknowable eyes watching. someone here was playing a game nobody chose to participate in, and they didn't know who.

"leaving so soon?" jiho's voice rang through the talking. talking about them.

the seven were together, near the exit, and four met the challenging gazes of narae, yoon and jiho.

"of course not," jeno smiled, bone-chillingly calm even with his lover unconscious on his back. his grin was one of those that promised you hell — that recommended you slept with one eye open that night. "we haven't danced yet, jiho. you and i. i'd be warming up for that, if i were you."

renjun and chenle carried jaemin and mark respectively, eyes cold and all-knowing. something was amiss.

"well, then i await excitedly for that dance. you won't let me down, will you, jeno?"

they left through the front door and decanted the unconscious boys into the backseat of the car before donghyuck went and sat in the front. he was shaking a little, somewhat from the midsummer breeze and a little from shock.

"jeno, be careful in there," he reminded him when he pulled the alpha down to his level in the car by the tie. "don't play their game."

"but games are all i know, darling. get home safe." he caught the blonde's lips in a deep kiss, promising him something more if he behaved. "i'll see you in the morning. get some sleep and drink water before you do. make those three drink some as well."

"yes, jeno."

the elder of the two shut the door and tapped the roof to encourage the driver to go. the sound of stones crunching under the tires was all donghyuck listened to as he stared at the rear view mirror tiredly, trying to stay awake by watching the trio in the back sleep and the figure of jeno in the driveway draw further and further away.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

...to be continued