Each time Cerise left after visiting his woods, Taecyeon counted down the days until her next visit. She kept her promise and made sure to come by whenever she could, but he still worried she'd stop wanting to see him. It wouldn't be that hard to cut off all contact with him anyway given that he was in such a hidden part in the woods. What if she grew sick of him? What if she started feeling like she was wasting her time on him?

Nevertheless, Taecyeon felt more at ease now that Cerise finally knew about his past. He didn't know how badly he needed to tell someone his entire side of the story. It took such a heavy weight off his shoulders, and he was grateful for Cerise's sympathy and understanding. Neither of them needed to say it out loud, but both knew that their friendship had been strengthened after their conversation at the meadow. 

Despite Cerise's hectic schedule, she made an effort to regularly visit him once a month. She even worked on her mediocre cooking skills and brought him home-cooked meals. She had long accepted that, not matter how much she tried, none of her dishes would ever taste as good as Taecyeon's cooking. But, it was the thought that counted after all.

Eventually, she began stopping by his forest once a week, not being able to withstand being apart for such a long time. The two of them formed a special bond and grew inseparable. And although neither of them dared to admit it, they had fallen deeply in love with each other. Cerise understood that her friend's heart belonged to another, but she loved him enough to keep her feelings a secret to maintain their good friendship.

It still surprised Taecyeon that Cerise kept her word about coming back to see him. He was surprised that someone- a human- genuinely cared about him. He was surprised that after all these years, he would meet someone did not break her promises to him. Too many times had he trusted people before to keep his existence a secret only for all of them let their greed take over. Nearly a century ago ago, he once rescued an injured hiker who swore to him that he would never reveal his location to the outside world. One week later, he caught him and his friends trying to rob his mansion. Taecyeon then made the mistake of helping a lost traveller several decades later because that traveller ended up trying to hunt down his wolves for their fur. The worst betrayal he experienced was helping a child become reunited with his mother. She repeatedly thanked him and told him how she was indebted to his kindness, but he should have figured out something was amiss when she fixated on the fact the he was a werewolf. She wound up spinning a story about him being a "dangerous predator" who was responsible to taking her child in the first place. That was what started the hordes of people invading his forest.

Taecyeon searched far and wide to find someone with magic powerful enough to shroud his forest from mortals, and he was fortunate to have come across his a good an honest warlock who could do just that. Which is why he was surprised that Cerise repeatedly returned safely and successfully into his woods despite the enchantment cast to protect it. He thought that she'd stop showing up at some point and get lost on her way back, but she always found her way. He trusted her and believed in her, but he still needed to have his answers. Had the protective enchantments worn out already? 

Extremely worried, Taecyeon made an unannounced visit to his warlock friend. "Wooyoung, I think we have a problem," Taecyeon blurted out as he burst through the doors of Wooyoung's home. 

"Good to see you too, Taec," the sophisticated warlock made his way down the spiral staircase of his mansion to greet the wolf. He was wearing a dark, suave, three piece suit with jewels adorning his collar all the way down the part of his coat where the buttons were. "But did I really have to greet my visitor before he greeted me?"

"Good to see you too," Taecyeon inattentively said, "but I really need your help."

"Have a seat first so when can properly talk about whatever worries you," Wooyoung replied as he led his guest to the living room. "So, what can I help you with?"

"Someone got past the barrier. It's been 30 years already since you cast it around my forest, and it seems the effects are wearing off," the werewolf explained. 

Even with the presence of his troubled friend, Wooyoung kept his usual poise. "Spells like those never wear off, Taecyeon."

"But why did she find a way in?" Taecyeon anxiously pressed. 

Wooyoung's interest piqued. "So it was a girl," he stated more than asked. 

"Do you know something I don't? Are you responsible for what's going on?" the werewolf accusingly questioned. 

"Me? No, definitely not." The warlock dismissed. He crossed his legs an sat back calmly in his seat. "She found your woods by herself." 

"How?" 

"I'm sure you know the answer to that," Wooyoung knowingly told his friend. For a moment, he was regarded with silence. 

"No. That's can't be true," Taecyeon denied, feelings the blood drain from his face. "That's impossible."

"Is it really? She was never yours, and you were never hers. You never even completed the mating bond. You're finally free after all these years," the warlock stated. "Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I don't know," the werewolf said in frustration. 

"Think about it. You may have lingering feelings for her because she was still your mate- briefly. But if you ever see her again, there'd be no spark or connection. You'd never be content with her because you already yearn for someone else," Wooyoung thoroughly explained. "You probably think you still love her because there was no one else to compare her to for a really long time. The thing is, you never even got to know her. She could be a really crappy person, and there's no way for you to have known. You only have that one encounter you had with her to hold on to, so there's no way you could have possibly loved her," Wooyoung scoffed, flipping his hand in the air. "This girl right here- she's the real deal. If she- a human, I might add- was able to find you even with the barrier, that means her bond with you is extraordinarily strong."

"So... does that mean that I'm responsible for her being able to come back as often as she does? That my feelings for Cerise are strong enough to allow her to breach my barrier?" Taecyeon inquired. 

"Possibly. That's only for you to confirm. I can tell you what's obvious, but only you will be able to tell what you feel," W