Minzy embraced Bobby tightly as she inhaled his scent. She had just left him the other day, but it had felt like forever in her mind. Snuggling up against Bobby, she loved how his arms wrapped so effortlessly around her. "I've missed you." Gazing up into his eyes, they shined with so much love and admiration for her. Moving up on her tip toes, she pressed her lips against his. Kissing him deeply, she froze as the images of on lookers came storming through her mind. One in particular caught her attention, looking past Bobby stood Mino by the forest. Their eyes connected for a brief moment. Surprised to see the look of betrayal and anger, she didn't know what to make of it. But that moment left as fast as it came when Mino was the first to break eye contact, retreating back into the forest.

"My, have the tables turned," Jiyong scoffed as he opened the front door. "Minzy why don't you show your guest in." 

"I..." Minzy became tongue tied. Shooting a couple of swear words at Jiyong through her mind, she smiled at Bobby and led him inside. Minzy felt too distracted by how Mino had looked at her moments ago to really enjoy having Bobby meet her family. 

Minzy what were you thinking of bringing this human home, Seunghyun shot her a look before smiling at Bobby to introduce himself. 

I didn't bring him home. He somehow found out about home, Minzy hissed as she tried to block out the insults from her brothers as well as the insulting look from Mino. 

Quiet now, this human seems really nice, father interjected before he started to break the ice of getting to know Bobby. 

As the family continued to have a mind conversation, Bobby took the lead in taking Minzy's hand in his, "Thank you all so much for welcoming me into your home. I am so happy to finally meet you all." Minzy sighed as she leaned onto Bobby's arm. Blocking out all the side line comments, she was happy too. Bobby got to meet the people that meant the world to her and now they could see who meant the world to her. 

Minzy was impressed to say the least at how amazing Bobby was at holding the attention of the three men in her life. Swearing at her brothers who through their mind conversation, she was amused as Jiyong tensed up. Watching as he looked to Seunghyun who politely excused himself with Jiyong to follow. Minzy didn't know what that was all about, nor did she care because it allowed her father and Bobby some time to actually talk. 

"So tell me, do you like dogs," her father asked. His question caught her off guard, as she looked at her father asking him why he would ask such a question.

"I love dogs. Minzy and I were thinking of getting one," Bobby smiled.

"Getting one like you two were living together," her father continued. 

Bobby coughed to clear his throat, "No sir, we live separately."

"And did she tell you why she couldn't live with you," her father continued to take jab after jab.

"Umm...she's a good girl sir. I know she has standards and I respect her for it." 

"You respect her huh? Like you respect her privacy of not wanting to be found after she told you that she couldn't accept your proposal," her father didn't hold back. "If you value your life, you will leave and never look back." 

"Father stop," Minzy cried. 

"You need to tell him the truth," her father began. 

The tears spilled out as she shook her head, "I will. I will tell him." Sniffling, she stood to her feet and looked over at the speechless and confused Bobby. Taking his hand, she led him to the backyard as her father called out to her that he would be calling him a cab. Closing the door to give them a little privacy, at least physically, Minzy fell to the ground and cried. "I am so sorry Bobby. I can't believe I let this get so far." 

Bobby was at her side in an instant, "What's wrong? Tell me what I need to do to fix this!" 

Shaking as she stayed looking down, her eyes fell upon her scar. She was promised to someone else, yet she so foolishly tried to give herself to someone else. Someone who was innocent. Someone who had showered her with nothing but love and happy memories. Pressing her hand over the scar as if to cover it, she couldn't fight how it burned as a warning. "You can't fix this. I can't fix this. We were never meant to be." Pulling away from him, she sniffled harder, "Bobby I am promised to another man."

"What, like an arranged marriage," he asked as he tried to understand what she was trying to say. "We could run away..." 

"I can't run from my fate," revealing her scar that ran along her inner forearm she sighed deeply. "My promise is more than just some writing on a paper or a piece of metal you can so easily remove from your finger. If not honored someone close to me dies. It was first my mother and next may very well be you." 

Bobby scoffed as he found it hard to believe, "You believe in those kind of supersitions? Minzy I believe in us and that's all that matters!" 

"I don't expect you to understand, but I want you to respect my choice. It's over. We're over." 

Furious, Bobby could see that she was set on her decision, "How can I respect your choice when it really isn't your choice to begin with?! And where is this so called guy that you are promised to? Where was he in all the time that we were together? Never once did you mention him. Never once did I have a doubt there was someone else."

"We both didn't choose this," she confessed. "But we both have to honor it or pay the consequences of choosing other wise." 

"I don't believe this," he scoffed.

"Then see it this way. I cheated. I'm married. I'm sorry that you had to find out this way," she frowned. "Hate me, curse me, do whatever you need to do to get over me. Just please live a happy long life. Please," she pleaded. 

"So you're asking me to forget you and just move on like nothing happened between us," he asked in disbelief. 

"Honestly, I couldn't bare the thought of you dying by my choices. I just lost my mother, I can't lose you too," she said as the tears fell from her eyes. 

Bobby went quiet as Minzy stood crying in place, sighing deeply he moved to embrace her tightly, "I may not understand what the hell is going on. But I know that I love you enough to let you go. I just hope the Gods are kinder to us in the next life." Kissing the top of her head, he released her and hopped the fence as the cab pulled up. Falling to her knees, she sobbed loudly. Seunghyun, she called out in her mind knowing very well he was affecting Bobby's choices in not putting up a fight. Please erase me from his memory.

I'll make it like a sweet dream, he reassured her as a glimpse of Seunghyun's surroundings appeared in her mind. She was caught off guard to see that her brothers were in the forest with Mino laying in the dirt. 

Don't worry, we have this under control, Jiyong chimed in before mentally pushing her out. 

Feeling the presence of Seunghyun following the cab, she narrowed her eyes before shifting to her wolf form and sprinting into the forest. Panting as her legs carried her swiftly through the thick forest, she blocked out Jiyong who stood in her way. But her determination had her knocking her brother onto his back as she lunged onto the young man who had basically looked down on her earlier. "You," she growled as rage started to blind her. "Is this what you wanted?!" She was clawing at him with no regard to how she had was shredding Mino's clothing and ripping into his flesh. "You never should have come back," she continue to beat on his chest as he lay taking it. 

Slowly coming to, she found herself laying on the cool grass. Stretching her long legs, she realized she had a blanket covering her. Snuggling further into it, realization that she was outside and not the comfort of her bed hit her. Confused by it, she quickly sat up to see none other than Mino sitting by a fire. "Good morning," he smiled. Wrapping the blanket tightly around her body like a dress, she ran her fingers through her hair feeling self conscious. "I brought you some breakfast." Disorganized and trying to make sense of it all, she gazed in Mino's direction to see the healing wounds across his chest. The thoughts of the night before had her feeling a bit guilty, but Mino didn't want her to feel that way as he buttoned up his shirt. 

Seeing his gentle man like act, she felt even more out of place. What is going on, she asked herself. She had out after lunging at Mino and now he was being nice to her and even making her breakfast. He was being understanding. It was like he was more aligned with the guy she used to write letters to long ago. "Umm...I have to go," she stumbled onto her feet a little light headed from the abrupt standing. 

"And where is it that you are rushing off to? You completed your mother's ascension and you no longer have your lover boy to go back to so..." 

"So..." there he was. There was the Mino she really knew him to be. Cold hearted. "It doesn't mean that I have to sit here and spend time with you since you obviously only care about one person. Yourself," she snapped right back as she began to march off. 

Mino chased after her, taking hold of her wrist to stop her, "Wait..." After years of making it a point not to have any physical contact with her, he sure couldn't stop his instincts of reaching out and taking hold of her. It was like deep down he yearned for it and hopefully she did too, he thought before pushing those impeding thoughts aside.

"Get your hands off of me," Minzy hissed as she pulled her hand away. Hating how his words and especially his touch kept affecting her, she knew it had to be the stupid bond. A bond that she was currently resenting as she pulled away, "You have no right to touch me!"

He put his hands up and cautiously stepped back, "Okay look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say those things to you. Will you please have breakfast with me?" 

She scoffed as she shook her head, "Yeah I think not. Have a good breakfast by yourself." Inwardly groaning at her inner instincts that told her to turn back and accept the invitation, she balled up her fists and forced her now heavy feet to move forward. Forcing herself to take one step in front of the other, she found the familiar trail back down. Inching closer to town, of course her brothers were wanting to try to communicate through their family link. 

Did you guys kiss and make up?

Are you guys a couple now?

Stopping to take a deep breath, she blocked them out. It was too damn early for such intrusive questions as she tried to clear her thoughts. Freezing in her tracks, she could sense that she was being followed. Her blood began to boil, turning to the young man who her brothers so earnestly kept asking about. She couldn't understand why he was being such a pain. "What do you want," she hissed. 

He shrugged as he walked up to her and handed her a bowl, "I thought you might want a breakfast to go." 

"Why would I want breakfast from you," she huffed. Pressing her lips tightly together, she shook her head as she asked for the truth, "Mino seriously, what do you want?" Pushing the food back at him, she glared intensely at him, "You usually throw a little tantrum, blaming me for all your pathetic problems that you got your own damn self in. Then storm away to disappear for a few years. And hey, if I'm ing lucky you'll throw in a couple of letters apologizing and sharing some of your adventures and whereabouts." Sighing heavily for her foolishness of enjoying the time of being pen pals, "So why, why are you still here? Not liking how you're not the only victim in this situation?"  

He chuckled at her fiesty attitude. He had never seen this side of her, at least in person that is, "You're funny." 

"And you're being annoying! What do you want Mino," she hissed. 

Mino went quiet as he debated on whether or not he should say, but looking at the young woman before him he knew she could take it. She had proven time and time again to be loyal and true. Two very admirable traits he hoped to show her that he had. "You," he honestly spoke his intentions. His words had completely caught her off guard as she let the bowl drop out of her hand and she stood speechless. "I've decided that it is time for me to finally accept my fate and let whatever is supposed to happen happen." 

So many thoughts raced in her mind, one being the reoccuring thought she had throughout her life of what it would feel like when this day would come. Would she feel happy? Would she jump for joy? Would it be the beginning of an exciting adventure? All of these questions had been something she had thought about for so long and now that it was finally here she was disappointed. ", well that was anticlimactic," she said out loud to herself before turning to take her leave. 

"Wait, where are you going? What do you mean by that," he called after her. 

"It means I'm going to be single for the rest of my life," she called over her should as she sighed heavily and continued to walk away. As she replayed his words in her mind, she couldn't help but feel her chest tighten. She was just a means to an end. An end of his misery that he so vocally claimed her to be the cause of it all. But what about her? Did her feelings of continual rejection not matter? Was she supposed to just forget and submit to him because he felt like possibly accepting her? What if he was just playing a cruel game of rejection? Like he would discard her just like he did time and time again. A stray tear fell from her eyes as she felt like a weight was placed upon her shoulders. 

Walking into her house, her father stood with a hard stare and her brothers made sure to stand behind with an amused look on their faces. "I'm getting cats! I'm going to be the crazy cat lady in this town," Minzy threw her hands up and plopped down on the couch. Both of her brothers bursted out in loud laughter, to have it quickly silenced by their father who gave them the look to leave. The two quickly filed out of the house, leaving the two alone. Her father came around and sat next to her, he was ready to give her an ear full before she lunged into his arms. "Just let me die alone, please father! Just let me sacrifice myself to this stupid curse and end this mess already," she cried. 

Her father understood that she was heartbroken, but he couldn't let her give up. He wouldn't. "You know, your father was my best friend. He was like my brother, always looking out for me. He warned me of the dangers of falling for a human, yet I didn't listen and fell for one. I loved her with everything in me and wanted to be one with her. But as fate would have it, she was taken from this life. I nearly lost my mind and lost my life when your father helped me see that I had much to live for. The woman I loved would not want me to waste away to nothing. She would want me happy and she was happy living her best life on the other side. So I say to you as your father said to me, live. Bobby wouldn't want you to waste away, he'd want you happy." 

"I'm nothing more than a mere dream to him now," she cried. "And how can I be happy when my choice was taken from me?"

Holding her tight to him, he sighed, "You're seeing the picture all wrong. Let's just say you got to cheat a little at the game of life. The right one for you was revealed to you earlier than others." 

Minzy scoffed as she thought about her interactions with Mino from earlier, "It didn't feel right, it felt like I was getting cheated!" 

Father chuckled as he squeezed her tightly, "Love doesn't always start out how we imagine it." 

"You can't force love," she said coldly, taking the words that Mino had told her throughout her life to heart. 

Father sighed, feeling Minzy starting to harden her heart, "And you can't force yourself not to feel it either." 

Author's Notes: 

Sorry I had to do a little adjustments before releasing this chapter. Hope ya'll are having a good week! Thanks for reading!