[CONTENTID1]CHAPTER 13[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]PULL[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

It was in the early hours of the morning that Soo Jin woke up to the sound of growling. Outside, it was still dark but the room was bright. She thought she was dreaming until she rolled to her left and found the space empty. Images flashed before her in a rush of color and words. Sleepover. The twins. Kai. Her head jerked and saw three figures by the door.

She bolted straight out of bed, swayed a bit as the floor tilted, but she managed to keep upright. She gave herself a few minutes until her vision cleared. Right in front of her was Kai growling at the door. Behind him on both sides were the twins, shoulders hunched, poised to attack.

Goosebumps broke out along her skin and shivers ran up and down her spine. It was like the night of his birthday all over again and it frightened her.

She returned her gaze to the bed and found their two year old on her hands and knees. Choon Hee is too young to transform but if she could, Soo Jin would have been looking at her wolf form now.

A loud knock cut through the din and whoever was behind the door was agitating her siblings. They were obviously pissed. She had to do something, anything.

"Who's there?" she asked. But her brothers blocked her path. Kai's eyes were blazing - it was so intense, dried. And before she could tell them that she wasn't going to open the door, Choon Hee had already wrapped her chubby arms around her left leg. She didn't even sense her move from the bed.

Soo Jin plucked her baby sister from the floor and pools of swirling amber looked back at her, mirroring that of her older brothers. It was too early for her wolf to manifest. Something seriously bad was going on for her to call on her wolf.

Her heart rate picked up at that realization, no matter how hard she tried to calm herself down. She won't have her siblings scenting her fear.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Unnie will keep you safe." But even as she said it, panic settled at the pit of her stomach. She desperately forced herself to fight the paralyzing feeling because this time, she had her younger siblings to care for and protect.

Her father or even one of the patrol guards should have heard them by now and she wondered what was taking them so long.

Choon Hee or her wolf, raised her arm and pointed a finger at the closed door. She held her breath. A few moments after, footsteps thundered outside the hall and the door swung open.

Kai charged and pounced with a loud growl. Youngmin and Kwangmin followed. If she weren't holding Choon Hee, her baby sister would have joined them.

"Get. Off. Me," a familiar voice grunted. And her eyes widened. Underneath the pile was their oldest brother in a tangle with her other siblings. Surrounding them were his betas who were uncertain on how to proceed. Fortunately, the trio did as they were told and their faces wore a mask of confusion; hers as well.

"What's going on here?"

Relief was instant. Although her father's commanding voice had the betas lining up the walls, back straight like soldiers in the presence of their commander, Soo Jin was so glad to hear it. Everything would be fine now. But since none of her brothers were capable of speech yet, she did the talking.

"They were growling at someone behind the door. Even Choon Hee's wolf emerged," she explained and shifted her hold on her sister so that their father could see her eyes.

Several gasps echoed along the hall while Choon Hee smiled at them.

"We sensed Jong In's agitation," Hyun Joong added. "But there was no one in the hallway when we arrived." His betas nodded in agreement.

"It couldn't be. We all heard the knock," she said with so much certainty. “Right before you slammed into the door, someone was knocking.”

Her father tilted his head. The change was instant. His face contorted in rage. "Someone was here."

Hyun Joong did the same and breathed in deeply. "But I can't scent anything, father."

"I know. It's magic. Do a sweep of the whole perimeter," he instructed. "We cannot catch him now but he must have taken or moved something."

Most of the betas cleared the hallway with Hyun Joong in the lead. They left as soon as they came. Some stayed and stood guard.

Her mother came rushing towards them, with a few omegas following close behind. Their faces were white as sheet. They had come across the departing betas. But they froze at the sight of them. Their eyes settled at Choon Hee.

Soo Jin stepped forward. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't think... I... agreed to them sleeping here. I didn't mean to cause you worry."

"Sowwy," Choon Hee echoed, as she pressed her cheek against Soo Jin's neck and waved her little hand. "Hi, mama."

“I gave Jong In my birthday present. We were talking... when the kids came. I thought... I just... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." She lowered her head, dread consuming her whole for being so irresponsible. She was in the middle of berating herself when she felt her mother's hand on hers.

"Soo Jin-"

"No." Youngmin moved to her side. "The sleepover was totally my idea."

"Yeah, it's his," Kwangmin agreed, taking his place next to his twin. It was rare for the twins to agree on something and she was thankful that now was one of those times.  "But I wanted it too! It was so much fun playing and then we got to sleep together!" The twins, still in matching pajamas and wearing the same ruffled look, high-fived each other.

"Fun! Fun! Me!" Choon Hee chimed in with her hands clapping, easing the tension that settled in the hallway. The omegas were openly smiling at her. She was truly a beautiful sight.

"It has been a long time since we did that," Youngmin said wistfully and she wondered if he knew how much his words affected their father. She may not have the werebond they share but she could plainly read the emotions displayed on his face. How his delight at Choon Hee was replaced with guilt and remorse.

"Is that why you came to his room?" her mother asked as she reached for his little hand.

"Huh? No." Youngmin shook his head.  "I woke up. Couldn't sleep. Got bored." He shrugged.

Kwangmin nodded. "We sneaked into the hallway but found Choon Hee-"

"What?" Her father interrupted, her mother paled and Soo Jin could barely hear beyond the pounding of her heart. From the corner of her eye, Kai stiffened. Needless to say, the atmosphere grew even more tense.

"We sneaked-"

"No, about your baby sister. You found her here in the hallway? Alone?" There was urgency in his tone that matched the beating of her heart.

"Ye-yeah." Kwangmin looked warily at Youngmin who nodded encouragingly. "She was... there. So we decided to take her with us."

"It can't be," her voice quivered and she couldn't swallow the lump that formed in . "I tucked her in her crib. Jong In and I made sure to close the door." 

With just one look from her father, the remaining betas raced to the nursery. Choon Hee's room has two doors - one that leads to the hallway and the one connecting it to the master's – and it is located a floor below. 

"Sowwy da-ddy," Choon Hee mumbled, as she buried her face on Soo Jin's neck. She didn't know what to do or say. There are cameras and sensors inside the nursery, and her nurse regularly checks in on her. And in her shock and confusion, she never questioned how Choon Hee came into the room.

"Oh honey," her mother cried out and reached out for Choon Hee.  Her baby sister went to her mother’s arms willingly.

The distress in her mother’s voice was palpable. And that same emotion was reflected in her father and almost everyone in that hallway – the unspoken question weighing heavy in their minds.

How did a two year old end up in the hallway, a floor above where she should have been sleeping, unnoticed?

There was an intruder. Her siblings sensed him. She heard the knock. But Hyun Joong and his betas saw no one, scented no one. Her father believed it’s a work of magic.  

His voice was menacing inside her head and she shuddered. Tears started to well in her eyes. It's him. He came for me.

His fist slammed into the wall before he realized what he was doing. He wasn't getting anywhere near his mate or his family ever again. No one would take her away from him. 

"Must you do that, son?" his father asked. "You are going to repair that hole. The omegas have more than enough in their hands."

He heard him but he wasn't listening as he paced back and forth. The urge to break and destroy was strong and consuming - pounding in his head, vibrating inside his chest. He breathed in deeply but the violence was still there - eating him up inside.

Pissed at himself for letting the intruder go, Kai could not decide whether to stay and look after his mate or chase after him.

But his father made the decision for him.

'In my office. Now.'

He shook his head.

'Now. No buts.'

Before he could protest any further, his father had turned away from him and spoke in a gentler tone. "Dana, take the kids with you."

His body was taut and tense; he was going to explode at his father's dismissal. And then he felt her. Soft and warm and gentle. All thoughts of rage and violence fled with just one touch. But it was over too soon. Before he could hold her gaze, she had already stepped far from him.

His mother saw the exchange between them while he saw the emotion reflected in her eyes before she said, 'Listen to your father. I love you.'

She reached out a hand and his father pulled her in his arms. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and lips. A pang shot through his chest at the affectionate display. He looked away. He didn’t need a reminder of what he wanted but could not have.

'Just wait a little longer,' his mother's voice whispered. He lifted his gaze and she gave him a small nod. With Choon Hee still giggling in her arms, she motioned for his siblings to follow her.

"Where are we going, mom?" Youngmin piped, siding next to her.

"The caves?" Kwangmin asked hopefully.

"-aves?" Choon Hee echoed.

Only kids would find something to be happy about in their situation. But he would rather have them smiling than scared or depressed.

"Maybe some other time," his mother replied, putting an end to the plans hatching in their young minds. "You will take a bath first and then we'll have breakfast."

The twins' responses were automatic and the same. "But mom!"

His mother merely laughed and ushered the twins into their rooms. Soo Jin followed closely behind.

Kai badly wanted to go after her, stand guard outside her door but her father called his name in a tone that offered no rebuke.

His father's office was another constant in his life - the same old leather chairs, the oak wood desk littered with stacks upon stacks of papers and books and the wall behind his desk lined with more books older than him.

He had cooled off during the walk towards his father's office, after Soo Jin used her calming touch on him. It would do him no good if he let his anger control him. He sank down on one of the chairs and it sighed. The sound triggered a memory.

"Mind to share what you find amusing?"

He shook his head, wiping off the grin on his face.

'Ah, that... you were such a little rascal,' his father commented and he realized that he was projecting his thoughts.

When he was the same age as the twins, he discovered that the leather chairs made a farting sound. And so whenever he chanced upon someone who would sit on them, he would cover his nose and then point at the person, laugh and run away.

'You never listened no matter how many times your mother and I scolded you,' he added and then his brows crossed. 'What made you stop anyway?'

'Soo Jin'.

His father nodded, as if it explained everything. Well, it made sense now - why he could never resist her.

That day a new family came and he followed them towards his father's office. He knew he was someone special for he was always given such a wide berth and he took advantage of that. Everyone in the pack, even adults, followed his every whim for some reason. Only his parents could tell him "no" and even then, they rarely use that word when it came to him.

And so he set his plan into action. By the end of it, the new girl was red-faced with shame and tears formed in her eyes. It was the sign that he had done what he came for. His father gave him another warning and consoled the crying girl, but he didn't care. So when he turned around to exit the room, he didn't expect to see seven-year old Soo Jin frowning at him.

"Jong In, how could you." Those few words put fear in his heart, like no one could. His chest tightened. His heart pounded. And he was at a loss on what to do. He just knew that he didn't like her looking at him like that.

She had no idea of who he was back then. They may be still young to transform but he and Jong In found a way to switch. It wasn't Jong In’s idea. It was his. But the drawback is that he could not vocalize his thoughts. He had no way of telling her how sorry he felt and it frustrated him to no end.

He followed her around that day, like the cub that he was, until she spoke to him again. "That wasn't nice of you, Jong In. Don't ever do that again."

He never did. And she rarely made that face again.

'Well, I hoped you learned something from that. There are.... things that you do not have the liberty of doing when it comes to her.'

'I know,' he grumbled and avoided his father’s penetrating gaze. He had matured since, he thought with so much indignation.

'Good. So what happened last night?' His father sat down and folded his hands on top of his desk. 

'The kids happened,' he answered ruefully, which made his father bellow in laughter.

'Good. Good. I will reward those three one of these days.'

'You'll just spoil them. Soo Jin has spoiled them enough,' he complained. They had been hogging her ever since they returned and she, completely oblivious of him and his feelings, gave them everything they asked.

'They just missed her. And you know how she is towards children. She loves them. Stop getting jealous over every little thing,' his f