Jongdae was already waiting for you in the front lawn, leaning against a very nice compact car. The door to the detached garage was open and you tried not to think about how he could already have had the car outside. Still not saying a word to you, he got into the driver’s seat and put the car in drive. 

It was a quiet drive during the nearly one hour trip just to get to the outskirts of the city. You squished yourself up against the window, trying to put as much space between the two of you as possible in the confined area.

It wasn’t easy. Every minute or so your eyes flickered to Jongdae’s hand that was clutching the gear shift with a strong grip, even though the car was an automatic. Your fingers were begging you to let them reach out and force themselves between his skin and the leather shift, intertwining with his own strong phalanges. Squeezing your eyes shut, you concentrated on the cold glass pressed against your forehead.

The car came to a stop and you opened your eyes. Jongdae had parked outside your apartment. At first you were confused to how he knew where you lived, but then it became obvious. They weren’t outside that convenience store by accident that night. With a sigh, you unbuckle your seatbelt and got out of the car. Jongdae did the same, following you up the stairs to the building and then up the elevator to your door.

Though you rarely had visitors, you were secretly grateful that you had a tendency to stress clean. No embarrassing laundry left out or dishes in the sink with three day old grease caked on.

Jongdae shut the door behind him. You flicked on the lights which in turn started up the ceiling fan. As the air circulated around the room, Jongdae took a deep breath and an angry roar ripped out of his chest making you jump, your back slamming into the wall of the hallway. A continuous growl vibrated from his chest as he stalked past you, entering your bedroom and bathroom without your permission.

“Do you mind explaining to me what the hell that was all about?” you asked once he rejoined you in the hallway.

“Your place smells like her,” he hissed.

“Her?” you blinked. Oh, right. “Eun Na? Of course my apartment smells like her. She practically lived here most days.” Thinking about it hurt now. Back then, you thought she enjoyed your company, your wine and movies nights, and girl time. Now you understood she was just keeping an eye on you. How did she really feel about you? Did she find you annoying? Obnoxious? Probably. She probably couldn’t wait to be rid of you.

He growled again. “Let’s get your stuff and leave.”

Rolling your eyes, you shuffled to your bedroom, pulling a suitcase out of the closet and throwing it on the bed. The werewolf stood in the in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the frame. It was hard to ignore him as you started taking sweaters off their hangers and folding them to take with you. The weather was getting colder so you tried to focus on that aspect and packed accordingly instead of wondering what it would be like to run up to him and throw your arms around his waist.

This was driving you insane. Wanting to hate him, but being unable to due to your feelings that you couldn’t shove away. The only thing that kept you from going completely crazy was finally having an answer, finally understanding that this pull towards him was simply because you were his mate - his unwanted mate.

Your hands froze as you put a book on top of the pile of jeans in the suitcase. Thinking back to the novels you read in high school when the supernatural ruled the market, you’d never come across the situation where the two fated characters didn’t want to be together. Or even where one of them wanted out. Granted, that was fiction, but it was all you had to go on.

Why couldn’t he have just accepted the fact that the two of you were mates? Were you really that bad? Would he have been more accepting if you hadn’t thrown up on him in your first meeting? Were you that unattractive? Okay, you weren’t a supermodel, but you didn’t think  you were grotesque in anyway.

Despite how he’s treated you, you were willing to go along with this. You knew you wouldn’t just get over him. He never acted malicious towards you, never bullied you. He simply ignored you, sent a not-so-nice look every now and again. Nothing too terrible to make you run away. Although part of you wished he had so you could have an excuse.  

You hadn’t realized that you hadn’t moved for a substantial amount of time until Jongdae pushed off the doorframe and stood beside you.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. His voice was soft for the first time since you woke up, like he was genuinely concerned. It sped up your heartbeat, along with his close proximity. You didn’t want to think about whether or not he could hear it. That only messed your head up even more.

Nodding but not looking at him, you went back to packing, going through a list in your head to take your thoughts elsewhere. You ignored him as you walked to your bathroom, throwing necessary toiletries into a travel bag. Once you’d stuffed your suitcase with everything you thought you’d need, you zipped it up. Before you could grab the handle and drag it off your bed, however, Jongdae reached out and took it from you, his hand making the briefest of contact with your skin.

The heat generated from that millisecond touch sent a shock wave through your body. Jongdae must have felt it too as he clenched his jaw and stalked out of the room, dragging your suitcase behind him. You ran after him, worried that he might actually leave you behind without thinking about it.

It was silence once again on the drive home. The tension was thick in the car, suffocating you. Jongdae never released his muscles and refused to look at you, going as far as to not check the right lane before crossing over the dotted line.

Parking in the gravel driveway off to the side of the house, he jumped out and went straight to the trunk to get your suitcase. You wanted nothing more than to run inside and find solace with one of the other wolf boys, whether it be Junmyeon or Kyungsoo, but you didn’t want to be rude or cowardly. He wasn’t your servant.

So, instead, you trudged behind him, not asking anything as he headed towards the now empty kitchen and went up the narrow staircase that you hadn’t detected before. He stopped near the end of the hallway of the second floor and pointed towards a door.

“You’ll stay here,” he informed you, still not looking at you. “My room is right over there,” he pointed to the door directly across from you, “if you need anything.”

You nodded your understanding, scratching behind your ear. Watching him turn on his heels and leave was painful. With a sigh, you opened the door and dragged your suitcase inside, closing yourself off from the rest of the house for a little bit.

The room was pretty bare, a full sized bed off to the right, along with a dresser and desk on the opposite end being the only decorations. There was no bathroom, meaning you would have to share with the boys. Jongdae never told you where said bathroom was and you didn’t want to start randomly opening doors. You made a mental note to ask someone since you really wanted to take a shower. Your hair still smelled like smoke which was starting to make your stomach sick.

Unpacking made your temporary displacement feel more permanent, but you hoped it would also make the room feel more like home. No longer able to take the smell of last night’s event clinging to you, you grabbed your travel bag and left the room.

Jongdae hadn’t gone to his room when he left so you bypassed it in favor of finding someone downstairs. Loud chattering and yells bounced off the walls and you followed it to the living room.

The TV was on, but hardly anyone was paying attention to it. Wolf boys were spread out everywhere, some lounging on the couch while others were sprawled out on the floor. Junmyeon was sitting in a chair a little off to the side, watching the shenanigans with a smile. Jongdae was not among the crowd, but there was another girl there sitting in the lap of one of the boys who was on the floor.

All at once the chattering stopped when you entered, making you clutch the bag to your chest as some sort of protection.

“Did you get everything you needed from your house?” Junmyeon asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, I did. But, um,” you chewed on the inside of your cheek. “I don’t know where the bathroom is and I still kind of smell like a sweaty bonfire, so I was wondering….”

“You can use my bathroom.” Junmyeon volunteered, standing up from his seat. “It’s more private.”

You could feel the warmth radiating from your cheeks. “Thank you.”

He nodded, motioning for you to follow him back up the stairs. The master bedroom was at the end of the hallway near your assigned space. He opened his door and led you inside.

His room was twice the size of your own along with a walk-in closet. The bathroom was grand but still homey in a country kind of feel. The shower was separate from the large tub, adding to its luxury. Brown fluffy towels hung from the railing next to sliding glass door.

“Hides the dirt,” Junmyeon teased as tugged on one of the towels.

You laughed along with him and a proud smile stretched across his face.

“Take your time. Whenever you’re ready, come back downstairs. Hae In wants to meet you.”

Hae In? That must have been the girl.

You nodded and he left you alone. Locking the door, you stripped out of your old clothes, letting the water warm up as it sprayed from the nozzle. Immediately, you felt refreshed, letting the water soak your hair and wash the bad night away. It was still permanently etched into your brain, but at least the physical evidence was going down the drain.

Not wanting to make everyone downstairs wait too long for you, you kept your shower short, simply washing your hair and scrubbing your skin. The bathroom was full of steam and the mirror was completely fogged up when you stepped out of the shower. Using the towel Junmyeon had pointed out, you dried yourself off and brushed your hair, getting any tangles out. Then the horror hit you.

While you’d remembered everything you needed to wash up, you forgot about a fresh set of clothes to change into. Groaning, you geared yourself up, making sure the towel was securely wrapped around you before you gathered up your things and crept out of the bathroom. Peaking your head out of Junmyeon’s bedroom, you scanned the hallway. After deciding the coast was clear, you tiptoed to your own room. Unfortunately, you made it about two steps and had turned to shut the door when Jongdae emerged out of his room.

You froze, unable to believe that you’d been spotted by the person you would have posted last on your list to see you this way. It felt like a western movie standoff with neither of you moving.

Or maybe more like a deer spotting a hunter was a more accurate description. You certainly felt like a defenseless fawn, unable to make any sudden movements. The look on Jongdae’s face was frightening. His nostrils flared, taking a deep breath while his eyebrows were pulled together so tight a deep harsh line was etched in between them. Just barely you were able to see his arms shaking with his hands balled up into fists. Then, he turned around and went back into his room, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

The noise broke you out of your trance. You sprinted to your room, heart racing in your chest. What could you have possibly done to make him so angry? Was showering so wrong?

Going back to the square breathing, you were able to calm yourself again to be able to get dressed. You’d noticed the house was a bit chilly, so you went ahead and slipped on an oversized sweater and a pair of jeans. Ruffling your hair one more time, you talked yourself into going back downstairs. Then a knock came from your door.

Jongdae stood in the hall, a small pile of folded gray towels in his hands.

“Here.” He held them out for you to take. You did, careful to avoid any skin-to-skin contact. “Use these instead. Please.”

That last word took you by surprise. All you could do was nod.

“Are you going downstairs?” he asked. Again, you nodded. He motioned with his head to the stairs. “Let’s go. Or else a search party will come for you.”

Placing the towels on the bed to put away later, you followed Jongdae down the stairs, your eyes trained on his right hand. You just wanted to reach out and grab it, let it be your anchor before entering the crowded living room. His fingers were only a few inches from yours, easily within grabbing distance.

You hated this feeling. This constant nagging to touch him, to hold him close. How did the others handle this aching pain? Did Jongdae feel this too? If he did, you admired his self-control, no matter how angry you were with his rejection. That certainly still hurt. Deep down, you were a bit of a romantic and had always believed in the idea of soulmates. You were never prepared for the notion that your other half could actually dislike the idea of being with you.

Once again you were hit with the high volume of multiple voices speaking to and over each other. Three more girls had joined the group since you left earlier. Too many people crammed into the social area was making you uneasy. Instinctually, you hid behind Jongdae.

With a shake of his head, he side-stepped, leaving you exposed. Everyone was friendly, letting the talking die down naturally this time, instead of cutting it off like ripping out a headphone jack.

“Feel better, (y/n)?” Junmyeon asked.

You nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Jongdae scowled, but made no comment. You still weren’t sure as to why he was so upset about you using Junmyeon’s bathroom. It’s not like you used his body wash and now smelled like him.

You nearly smacked yourself in face. No, you didn’t use his soap, but you did use his towel which, to a being with heightened senses, probably reeked of the alpha. Why would he care if you smelled a bit like Junmyeon? Why should he care at all?

The thought made your eyebrows pulled together and your mouth form a frown.

Chanyeol patted the empty space next to him after gaining your attention. “(y/n). You can sit over here.”

You took one step towards him before Jongdae stopped you with a hand around your wrist. Too surprised to say anything, you let him pull you across the room. Jongdae took the seat beside Chanyeol instead leaving only the end open for you. Though he didn’t force you down next to him, he did keep a grip on you until you sat down, your knee resting against his. Even through the two layers of jeans, you could feel a heat where your bodies met. He released your wrist and leaned back, resting on his palms, one placed strategically behind your own back.

The dots were connecting in your brain at a slow pace, but you worked out that Jongdae’s behavior was possessive. All it did was confuse you more.

“So, (y/n).”Junmyeon pulled you out of your thoughts. “I think it’s best to introduce you to everyone. Although, you already know a few: Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, Sehun.” He pointed to one of the wolves that sat on the couch who was giving you a gummy-filled smile. “That’s Minseok. He’s actually our oldest pack member.”

You were finding that piece of information hard to believe, but shook it off, giving him a small wave instead.

“Next to him is his mate, Ji Yeon.”

Envy hit you like a freight train. A beautiful, black haired girl with lithe limbs gave you a warm smile. But her looks weren’t what was making you jealous. It was how comfortable she looked leaning her head against Minseok’s shoulder while he held her hand. The content and love between them was obvious. They were a couple that took the whole mate thing and didn’t just run with it, but embraced it with open arms. They were happy. It was a happiness that everyone strived for, fated or not.

Junmyeon went on with the introductions and you tried to keep up. Baekhyun, a puppy-like individual, was sitting on the floor. Hae In turned out to be his mate, who was sitting comfortably in his lap. Nosy boy was actually named Jongin and was much less cold towards you now. Although you weren’t sure if it was because he was no longer trying to convince you to get new friends or because of the curly-haired Kimberly who sat beside him. The last person for you to be introduced to was Yixing. He shyly gave you a dimpled smile as he was introduced. Ming, an equally shy girl, was his mate and they complimented each other perfectly.

“So, now that we have that out of the way,” Sehun butted in, “can we finally discuss this witch business?”

“I’m not sure there’s too much to discuss,” Junmyeon shrugged.

“What do you mean?” Chanyeol whined, straightening up. “They tried to kill (y/n) so they could then kill us. We don’t even know why they suddenly hate us again.”

“My money’s on Eun Na,” Baekhyun quipped. “She’s definitely their leader. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had some twisted reason for getting all of them on board with this.”

At the mention of your former best friend, you shrank back. Your mind was still fighting with itself, trying to figure out how the girl you used to laugh in face masks with was the same person who tied you to a stake to be burned. Unsure if it was involuntary or not, you still felt a little better when you saw Jongdae lean in a little closer to you in response to your discomfort of the change of conversation.

“(y/n).”

Your head snapped up at the mention of your name. Yixing was the one who’d spoken.

“Can you think of anything that Eun Na might have said in regards to not liking us?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t think of any time where she mentioned something along the lines of the supernatural or not liking certain people.”

Well, besides an ex-boyfriend.

“Too bad,” Baekhyun pouted, earning an elbow to the stomach from Hae In. “Ow.”

“It is unfortunate,” Junmyeon agreed. “For now, we lay low. (y/n) is staying with us for protection. She’ll only leave the house if at least one of us is with her. We’ll take shifts guarding the house while the rest of try to go about as normal, see if we can catch anything regarding the witches.” He turned his head to glance out the window. “Sun’s going down. Time for our run. Sehun and Kyungsoo will keep to the perimeter this time. Let’s go.”

Sehun didn’t look very enthused at not being able to run with the rest of the pack, but Kyungsoo gave you a reassuring smile. The atmosphere became a little uncomfortable when the mates were saying their goodbyes. Some kept it chaste with a kiss on the cheek or a quick one on the lips. Baekhyun tried to take things a little further, but Chanyeol slapped him upside the head. Jongdae, on the other hand, gave you no sort of goodbye as he jumped up and headed towards the kitchen. Minseok gave you a sympathetic look before he followed suit.

Then, it was only the girls. The awkward of that came with meeting new people always made you uncomfortable and the current circumstances made this time no easier. Kimberly was the first one to make a move, standing up and walking over before sitting back down next to you in Jongdae’s spot.

“You okay?” she inquired.

You nodded unconvincingly. Wrapping your arms around your knees, you stared down at the carpet.

Someone huffed. A pair of legs entered your vision before a sideways face appeared.

“Why don’t we get you some food?” Hae In suggested.

You weren’t really given a choice as she grabbed you hand and pulled you to your feet and the girls herded you into the kitchen.

Ming frowned. “I don’t really feel like cleaning up a big mess.”

Ji Yeon laughed as she opened the freezer. “Good thing we’re currently in a bachelor pad then, huh?” She pulled out a frozen pizza, earning a high-five from Kimberly before she turned the oven on to preheat.

Everyone settled in the breakfast booth, still eyeing you cautiously.

“So,” Hae In sighed. “He hasn’t been too much of a jerk to you, has he?”

You shrugged. Your first reaction was to not say anything since you didn’t really know these girls and – while he hasn’t exactly been a gentleman – you didn’t want to bad mouth Jongdae. At the same time, they’ve gone through a somewhat similar situation, if receiving a better outcome in a shorter amount of time.

“He’s just…,” you took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

“He’s an , that’s what he is,” Hae In huffed. You were thankful that she was brave enough to voice your own thoughts.

“Hae In,” Ming chastised before looking at Ji Yeon for help.

However, she had a similar view. “She’s kind of right. Minseok’s been keeping me updated and even he’s never seen Jongdae treat somebody this way.” Ji Yeon turned to you. “They’re the closest with each other. But lately he’s hardly opened up to Minseok. That’s not like him at all.”

“I don’t get why he’s fighting this,” Kimberly added. She reached across the table, placing one of her hands over yours. “You are gorgeous. He should count himself lucky.”

You gave her a half-hearted smile. “Thanks.”

“Sooner or later, the pull will be too much and he’ll give in.”

That wiped the smile clean off your face. “I don’t want him to just give in because he’s being force to by some natural instinct.” Sighing, you crossed your arms on the table in front of you, laying your head down for comfort. You sniffed, horrified that tears were actually starting to form.

A hand gently rubbed circles on your back. Ji Yeon leaned over to look at you while Kimberly jumped up to put the pizza in the oven after it’d let off a high pitched beep.

“You like him already, don’t you?” Ji Yeon guessed.

You nodded, not bothering to lie. “He was nice to me at the party. When I saw him again in class this semester, I was embarrassed and he seemed to hate me. But I couldn’t help watching him. He was just so… nice to everyone. Helpful. And he was always smiling. I wanted him to smile like that at me. I wanted to make him laugh. Happy. But I guess the only way to make him happy would be if I disappeared.”

“Don’t you dare say that, (y/n),” Ji Yeon snapped, making you jump back up.

“I am so going to kick his ,” Kimberly grumbled. “He has absolutely no idea what he has in front of him.”

“Trust me, (y/n),” Ming spoke up. “You going away would only drive him insane. Being apart from their mate can cause them pain. He’ll realize what he needs in time. Especially with you in constant danger. It could be very romantic.”

A small laugh escaped. Oh, yes, you could picture Jongdae being your knight-in-shining-armor. Or your wolf in glossy fur.

Out of nowhere, an earsplitting howl pierced through the air making all of you jump.

“Jongin,” Kimberly whimpered.

You looked at her, feeling her concern, but still confused. “How do you know?”

“Mate thing,” Hae In explained. “Soon, you’ll be able to recognize Jongdae’s.”

“Was it a bad howl?” you asked cautiously.

“It definitely wasn’t good,” Ji Yeon answered. “That wasn’t the usual, happy-to-be-running howl. Not to mention, Jongin is typically the more laid back kind. He doesn’t like to raise an alarm unless the threat is real.”

With a sound like thunder rumbling through the house, the back door flew open, revealing four panicking and very boys trying to fit through the doorway at the same time.

“What is going on?” Ji Yeon demanded. Her authoritative voice made you flinch and you wondered how she wasn’t Junmyeon’s mate instead as she gave off an alpha-type aura.

“Jongin smelled the witches,” Minseok explained. “We had to make sure you were okay.”

Ji Yeon glanced down at you as you had hidden your face in your hands, the only safe haven from the bodies now standing in the kitchen. Your face was running hot and you didn’t need a mirror to know you were blushing violently.

“As you can see we’re perfectly fine,” Ji Yeon informed them, obviously holding back a laugh at your innocent state. “Now, either go put clothes on or go back out running, you’re giving the poor thing a heart attack.”

“Oh, sorry, (y/n),” you heard Yixing say.

“Let’s go back,” Jongin suggested. “We’ll keep close to the house, let Sehun run wild instead.”

At the sound of their retreating steps, you peaked out from behind your fingers. Standing there outside the door was Jongdae, who you hadn’t noticed earlier. He made brief eye contact with you before shaking his head and running after the others.

Hae In snorted. “This is going to be very interesting.”