One year later

“Eomeoni, I’ll be leaving now.” I said, kneeling besides her as I pulled my red hood over my head and placed the dishes of food into my basket.

She looked up from her tea-brewing. “Alright, but come home early, alright? It’s winter so the days are getting darker earlier. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She my face affectionately.

Her delicate, beautiful face was lined with age. I nodded and smiled, “Araso.” I kissed her cheek and grabbed my basket before walking out of the hanok, into the crispy cold air.

Dropping the basket, I walked towards him and hugged him, digging my face into his chest. “Hongki-yah, you’re here. You’re finally here.”

He chuckled and my hair, affectionately. “I am. I’m really here.”

I sniffed, “I’ve missed you…”

“Nado… I’ve missed you so much.”

I smiled, “It’s not fair… You were probably watching me from the forests anyway, so I missed you more.” I pulled away to look at his face.

“Of course. I couldn’t resist myself. One month is just too long for separation… but it doesn’t mean that I miss you less than you missed me.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling, contrary to his sad eyes when I first saw him.

I held his hand and pulled him towards the house. He reached down and picked up my basket. I smiled and said, “I’ve brought some food over… I made it myself. You must be hungry.”

Hongki chuckled and hugged me in his arms, sitting me on his lap. “Well, after I transformed, I ran up north and then into China. The day you were celebrating Chuseok, they were celebrating their Mid-Autumn Festival.”

My eyes widened in excitement. “Omo! How was it? I’ve only ever heard about it! Abeoji went once… Is it as beautiful as he made it out as? I’ve always wanted to go to China!”

Nodding, he replied, “Yes it is. Every street was lit up with lanterns and the lanterns were just magnificent. The moon was full that night and I had just transformed, so I had to keep my distance, but the festival was just amazing.”

I sighed, “I want to go to China someday and experience it for myself. Abeoji said he might take me next time he goes, but who knows when that time comes?”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to… I’ll take you there, someday, alright?”

“Jinjja?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

Smiling, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his warm chest. “But, if I had to choose between going to China and remaining in your arms like this forever, I’d choose for this moment to completely freeze.”

Hongki didn’t say anything. All he did was run a hand through my hair.

I sighed. How unfair life was. Why was it that in one month, I could only ever see him, only once, on the day of the full moon?

On the night of the full moon, Hongki would turn into his wolf form; a beautiful brown wolf. Then he’d stay like that for the rest of the month until the next month, on the day of the full moon, when he could resume his human form for a short twelve hours, until night came again, bringing the full moon and taking my wolf-boy away.

Hongki was beautiful as a wolf, but he never allowed me to see him in that form.

It was too dangerous. Sometimes, he told me, he couldn’t control himself especially on the night of the full moon when he transformed. Also, the scent of a wolf, a were-wolf, would lure other wolves, or were-wolves, in and that was not a good thing.

Were-wolves were known to feed on human prey, even though they were really human themselves. It was a side that not all of them could fully control and master. Hongki never told me how he managed to control that side of him though... 

“Do you think that one day we’ll be able to be together without having so many complications?” He murmured, “Do you think that I’ll ever be able to live a normal human life?”