$ s e v e n t y o n e $

The seventeen year old fell back into the pool water below, her arms trying to grab onto someone to catch herself before touching the water. But Darleen, who had been closer, had been unable to grab her in time, reaching for her as well. Just as she fell into the water, they heard Miran's voice yelling to them in worry. "Yoona! Someone please help her! She can't swim!" She was sitting in a beach chair nearby next to her youngest sister, and both watched in terror as the seventeen year old immediately became submerged in water. 

"Sehunnie, help her!" Darleen reacted quickly and pushed him forward.

The maknae of the wolves somehow was in disbelief of it all and he found himself rolling his eyes at the situation. The girl had been standing so close to the edge that he found it impossible that she wouldn't know how to swim. And if that was true, what kind of person would willingly put themselves in danger to get some attention? But all of that happened in a fraction of a second because it was Darleen that was asking that of him and he would do anything for her. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and jumped in the pool without protesting, scooping the seventeen year old into his arms with ease. 

He set her down on the pool edge and climbed out close by, highly upset that he was now drenched when he didn't even want to go to the pool in the first place. All he wanted was to spend some time with Darleen. Yoona had her eyes closed as her sisters came to check on her. Sehun knelt by her side and put his hand underneath her nose to check for breathing. "She's breathing." He said in a rather cold tone. He could see right through her and knew they were the well played theatrics of a little girl. He didn't want to be a part of her game, but the others seemed to be eating it up completely.

"Do you know CPR?" Miran asked him with concern.

He gave a shake of his head, pointing out a very crucial fact to her. "I was trained to kill people. I don't save them. That's why we have our own personal gang doctor." Not a very good one at that, he thought to himself. But Miran already knew that. Their doctor was pessimistic and unreliable. But he was willing to accept high quantities of money to keep his mouth shut about their business. To the wolves that was worth a lot. 

Just then, a life guard who had been called by another hotel guest raced up to them. He dropped his first aid kit next to them and instructed them to give him some space. He then quickly began performing CPR on the seemingly unconscious seventeen year old, who miraculously quickly opened her eyes.

Miran through her arms around her younger sister tightly. "Oh my gosh, Yoona. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Yeah." Yoona looked towards Sehun. She then bowed her head gratefully. "Thank you for saving me."

He just shrugged indifferently. "If you want to thank anyone, you should thank Darling." He nudged the beautiful young woman next to him. On her face was etched a look of worry for the teenager and Yoonah envied her. Sehun wouldn't give her the time of day, but there he was, absolutely devoted to her. "She practically forced me to jump in and save you." He finished bluntly, and Yoona didn't doubt it to be true.

Still, Darleen scolded him in a whisper. "Don't be like that Sehunnie."

-

Nowadays since leaving the Coyotes home and reuniting with the Coven, Kyungsoo and Jagi tried to live a quiet life, at least while the gang was rebuilding. Soo had rented his own apartment near the casino, with the help of Jagi's brother Jin, who was willing to help them. But it was a temporary arrangement, according to Kyungsoo. Then he would have to go back out there and help them fight, so that the Wolves could take back everything that used to belong to them. Kyungsoo was ready for that, and he was prepared to die if it were needed. The pack and Jagi were his everything, if he couldn't protect them, he didn't even want to think about it.

Junmyeon had been very understanding and urged him to take his time in coming back to them. He still felt a bit guilty that he and the rest of the pack had taken so long to help him and Jagi. The two had to do it all on their own to return to the family, and Junmyeon almost thought Soo would be feeling like Baekhyun felt when he was dropped from being the successor to the alpha position in favor of Soo.

That was all forgotten now and Junmyeon would do anything to appease his younger brother. He was still a part of the pack anyway, and just needed some time alone to recover from his traumas.

On those quiet nights in which all he wanted was to find some peace was when he most found he was littered with nightmares. 

They were mostly triggered by a shooting pain in his neck, memories from when he had been a slave of the Coyotes. The scar around his neck was still there, but just a light brown line that was left as a reminder of it all. Sometimes he felt a sting, but he shrugged the pain away. But waking up from a nightmare with the pain was always worse because he would see visions of his Jagi in pain and it brought him even more pain. He'd see his siblings in trouble and he couldn't do anything to help him, powerless just as he felt when he was bought by the Coyotes and forced to leave the Wolves behind.

He would wake up in a cold sweat, shaking even Jagi awake with his heavy breathing and abrupt movements. She would always look at him with concern, and she'd pull him into her arms wordlessly. 

Once she saw he was a bit recovered from it all, she would speak. "Soo, I'm worried about you." She told him, eyes brimmed with tears. "You keep jolting awake at night by your nightmares and you won't tell me what you see in them. If you would just talk to me about it, I think you would feel better." But he didn't want to worry her. He didn't want to tell her that they were bad dreams about her, being taken away from him. Or of him not being able to save his brothers. He wanted to make himself think that they were just nightmares that had no basis and that would go away eventually.

He had talked to Jongdae, mostly asking if he'd had nightmares like that. His brother told him about the dreams he'd been having about Ruo Lan before she died, and the dreams he'd been having about Mariel. But the member of the Coven attributed it all to their lifestyle. He was Catholic and firmly believed it was a punishment or sorts. They had to pay in some way for all the crimes they had committed. 

The member of the wolves gave a shake of his head to reassure her. "They're just dumb nightmares." He forced a smile onto his face.

"But they worry you." She insisted. As he relaxed and laid back down by her side, she snuggled close to him and laid her head on his chest. "I can see it on your face."

He drew his arms around her small frame and held her close to give himself some comfort. "Its just that I thought that I needed some time away from everything. But I think this time alone just makes me think of all my sins more. Dae says he thinks its our punishment. Light has nightmares too, so does Dae. Alpha and the others too. But at least doing what we do keeps us distracted."

Jagi encouraged him. "Then lets get back in the family business starting tomorrow."

He gave a nod of his head. "Its time to help rebuild."

-

its been six months since i last wrote for this story.

but i want to start writing for it again, so i will try my best. thank you all to those of you who still read and comment. some of you still ask me to update it. and that means a lot to me.

i hope you are all having a wonderful day. i know i am because its pay day and i'm going to by the other version of exo's new album and i'm also gonna order "antares".

-clary