Three Years Later

Kai yelped as I threw him and he hit the floor. He rolled around on the ground, clutching his arm. “Yah! What the hell!” He sat up and tried moving his arm. “I think you dislocated my arm!”

I smiled at him, baring my teeth. “You’re fault for trying to sneak up on me.”

“It’s not fair! What, do you have eyes on the back of your head?” He demanded.

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to answer the stupid question.

“Noona!”

I gave a yelp as Sehun barreled into me as he hugged me. I didn’t like people touching me—I had quickly learned that in the beginning. I especially didn’t like any kind of male touching me. At first I had simply flinched and shrunk away, but slowly my reactions turned more aggressive and violent. I would attack, lash out. I had hurt one of the pack members pretty bad one time. But somehow, Sehun was different. He would touch me and I didn’t mind. Maybe because he was still just a kid and was so gentle. Kai grumbled and got to his feet, mumbling about something being unfair.

I ruffled Sehun’s hair. Sehun drew back and crinkled his nose. “You stink.” He whined.

“Of course I do. I just finished sparring.” I pushed him off and stood. Even though he was in his human form, I could just imagine his tail wagging a mile a minute. I shook my head as I grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off of it.

“You remember what today is, right?” He asked excitedly.

“Today? No, why?”

Sehun gave an exaggerated sigh. “It’s your birthday!” He said, practically bouncing.

“Oh . . . that’s right.”

“You remember what you promised, right?”

In fact I did, but I had only promised to get him to shut up. So I feigned innocence. “I promised something?”

“Don’t do that, noona!” He cried. “You said you’d come and hunt with me.” He sidled up next to me and gave me those damn doe eyes that made it impossible to say no.

“Ugh! Okay, okay. Let me go take a shower. It’s my birthday—why am I going someplace I don’t want to be?”

I stood in the shower and let the warm liquid run over me. When I closed my eyes and let the spray hit me in the face, flashes of that night, like a movie, played in my head. That night was etched in my mind forever and nothing could erase it or the anger I felt. I began scrubbing my body and I remembered how they chased me, how they knocked me over and held me down.

I could still hear their laughter and their touch on my body. I couldn’t escape it. I scrubbed harder and harder, not even really aware of what I was doing. I just wanted to erase their touch, their memory, from my body. Harder, I have to scrub harder.

The scent of blood startled me out of my trance and I quickly looked down. Oh, not again. I had scrubbed my skin raw and it was bleeding. Three years and I still wasn’t free. I finished showering and got dressed, my raw skin already starting to heal due to the Were blood in me.

Another reason I couldn’t forget them.

As I approached the kitchen, rubbing my hair dry, I could hear Sumi’s raised voice.

“For God’s sake! I’m pregnant, not infirm! Now shoo!”

I entered the kitchen and watched as Sumi swatted Suho away with a wooden spoon. Sumi had gotten big, her stomach now making her look like she had swallowed a melon. It was their first child and Suho was being overly protective about her and the child and it was driving Sumi insane. Sumi huffed and viciously started cooking again.

Suho went to pass me when he paused and said, “Careful. She’s not in a good mood today.”

Sumi whirled. “I heard that! Get out!” My eyes widened as she grabbed a cast iron frying pan and threw it at him. I ducked and Suho quickly ran out the door. The frying pan clanged against the wall and left an impressive hole.

Sumi let loose a frustrated sound and threw up her hands. “That man! Why do I love him again?” She huffed as I went to fetch myself a snack.

“He’s driving me nuts, Hyorim! He’s acting like I’m made of glass and hovering all over the place.” I couldn’t help the smile that found its way on my face. “If he asks if I’m okay one more time I’m not going to miss next time I swing a pan at his face!” Sumi took a calming breath and then finally looked at me. She raised an eyebrow at me. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

I pushed off the counter and shook my head. “Sehun and I are going out.”

“About time!” She teased. Like always. She knew my and Sehun’s relationship was nothing like that. It would never be like that.

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know when we’ll be back.”      

Sumi nodded her head. “Okay. Make sure you let Suho know. And Hyorim,” I turned right before I exited to look at Sumi. She smiled at me. “Be careful, okay?”

I nodded and went looking for Suho.

I found him relaxing with most of the other members in the lounge. Chanyeol and his ridiculous height was sprawled out on the couch, watching something on TV. A comedy show or something. He looked up when I came in and he immediately straightened himself. Baekhyun was passed out on the floor and Kai was nursing his shoulder on the loveseat, glaring daggers at me.

Suho glanced at me and continued reading whatever book it was in his hands. “I see she didn’t kill you. Do you need something, Hyorim?”

“Me and Sehun are going out tonight. He wants to hunt.”

Suho gave me a curious look. “Are you asking me or telling me?”

I shrugged. “Does it matter?”

Suho sighed and closed his book. “Yes. But I know you, so I won’t take offense.” He glanced at Chanyeol who hadn’t stopped staring at me since I had come in. It was kind of starting to piss me off, actually. “Alright. Be safe.”

I nodded and went to leave. Chanyeol quickly got to his feet and followed me. I quickly turned around and he immediately froze. “I don’t need a babysitter.” I snapped, glaring at Suho.

“Watch your tone, Hyorim. I can only tolerate so much.” He warned quietly. Then he turned to Chanyeol. “Chanyeol, sit down.”

Chanyeol hesitated, glanced at me, and then sat down. I stared down Chanyeol for a moment then went out the door.

She walked coolly out the door after staring Chanyeol down, even though, technically, she was of lower rank. The power and wrath of females was an amazing thing. Suho turned to look at Chanyeol, looking cowed and put out.

Suho sighed and stood. “Chanyeol. I want to speak with you.”

Chanyeol looked up and nodded, following behind his Alpha to his study. Suho closed the door behind him and gestured for Chanyeol to sit, taking the chair on the other side of the desk. “I’m tired so I’ll be blunt. You’re in love with Hyorim, aren’t you?”

The gentle giant’s face blushed profusely in answer.

Suho leaned back and ran his hand through his hair. Suho could see the road this would lead down. “Remove yourself from these feelings, Chanyeol. You’ll only get hurt.” Chanyeol finally looked at Suho’s face. “She is still . . . healing from three years ago. She won’t handle your advances well. That road lies disaster.”

“I know,” He said sullenly.

Suho’s heart broke a little for his pack member. “I know how hard it is to turn away from your feelings, I do. My advice? Try and turn that romantic love into a sibling love. If you really loved her, you’d do that.”