Before we made our way to Taecyeon's place, he crouched down in front of the wolves and instructed them in a language I was unfamiliar with. I tried my hardest not to stare in awe as they all nodded together in unison before dispersing. He then started humming a jolly tune as led the way through the thick woodland while I trudged behind him. I thought that after resting for a few hours, the ache in my legs would have gone away or dulled down by now. However, several minutes into our walk later, it became increasingly difficult for me to put one leg in front of the other. Noticing how my pace has slowed down, Taecyeon offered to carry me instead.

I politely declined while hiding a grimace. "I can manage a little more."

"Ever since I caught a whiff of your scent, I had my wolves keep an eye on you. They informed me that you were wandering around my forest for hours. I know for a fact that you are not conditioned for this long walk to my place," Taecyeon deadpanned.

I was too taken aback to protest, so I reluctantly complied. "Fine."

In one fell swoop, Taecyeon had me secured in his arms. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

We walked- rather, he walked while I held onto him- for a few minutes in silence before I grew restless with the lack of conversation. "So," I tentatively began. "How big is your forest?"

"About 15 acres? More or less," Taecyeon answered.

"All to yourself?" I asked him.

"Yup," he nonchalantly responded.

"Do you ever get lonely?" I genuinely wondered aloud, realizing too late that maybe some questions should be left to myself.

Taecyeon didn't seem bothered at all, though, and seemed to be carefully figuring out how he would answer. "There have been times. But I'm better off this way."

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate on his statement, but he said nothing more.

Before we even reached our destination, I could already see the grand a grand cabin mansion that was sure a sight to behold. I could only silently marvel at the vision that we were heading straight toward. Through the large windows, I could see that the cabin was picturesquely lit with dim lights. It was decorated in an old fashioned theme with simple yet lovely furnitures and a handful of impressive wooden carvings. The front yard was very well managed and consisted of the the various plants I came across earlier. I had to consciously shut my dropped jaw at the impressive sight.

"Wow," I gasped in amazement as Taecyeon set me back on my feet. "How does anyone not find this place?"

"Magic," he mysteriously replied. I was way too caught up in the mansion's beauty to even come up with any more questions to ask.

It felt as if my eyes were permanently widened. When I finally had enough of staring, I excitedly walked around the massive front lawn and was greeted by the sweet scent of the colorful exotic flowers. Taecyeon chuckled at my exclamations and expressions as I took my time relishing the beauty of his garden.

"Are you coming in or are you fine with staying out here in the cold?" Taecyeon jokingly asked while holding his front door open. His coat was already up on the rack along with his fur pelt.

"Of course I'm coming in, so get the heater ready!" I replied as I jogged to the door.

"If you liked the front yard, I'm sure you'll love it in here," Taecyeon assured me.

Seeing the decorations and the wooden carvings up close proved that the cabin was indeed even more beautiful on the inside. "Did you carve them all?" I inquired.

"Mhm," Taecyeon confirmed with a proud smile. "I always have too much time to spare."

I looked at him and shook my head in amazement. "Wow. You're, like, insanely talented."

He sheepishly laughed. "I never thought I'd get a compliment from you after I scared you back there in the woods."

"It's a given that I'd be scared!" I scoffed. "I mean, who wouldn't be if they met a creature who was supposed to only exist in fairytales."

"Fair enough," he mused.

"But seriously, just take the compliment."

"I suppose I could," Taecyeon answered as he led me to the big kitchen. If the kitchen was that spacious, then who knows how big the other rooms are. "I figured you needed food since you haven't had any all day," he informed you.

"Look who's finally being a gentleman," you sarcastically remarked.

Taecyeon pulled out a chair from the dining table for me to be seated in. "Do you wanna eat anything in particular? Any cravings?" he asked.

"Whatever's good that you can make," I responded. "And edible for humans, of course," I jokingly added, internally scolding myself again for having such an unfiltered mouth.

Taecyeon simply smiled at my response as he rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to prepare the ingredients. After deeming the ingredients ready for cooking, he carefully poured them in a pot little by little. By the smell of his cooking alone, I was certain that the food would be delicious.

For being a lone wolf, I observed that his skills in the kitchen were exceptionally good. "Do you feed people often?"

Taecyeon curiously looked up from the pot he was stirring. "No. Why?"

"You just seem so...professional."

"Food network," he responded with a grin.

"Ah. I see."

He hummed in response and continued to diligently perfect the dish he was working on.

"Taecyeon, may I ask you something else?" I meekly inquired. A part of me told myself that I needed to slow down on the questions, but I know that I wouldn't be