Chapter Eleven: Wuthering Heights

“If he loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years as I could in a day.”

                Gayun turned quickly, adrenaline rushing through her veins. While she had been half-asleep mere moments ago, she was completely awake now. She pressed herself back against the fridge, the cool air causing goose bumps to rise on her skin.

                Her eyes immediately fixated on her once favorite customer who was sitting at the table which was once bought for the purpose of eating meals on. It was usually covered in books like the rest of the apartment but it was currently cleared off. It was set for two with a vase filled with yellow flowers in the middle.

                Youngbae was dressed in a fuzzy sweater and jeans, sipping coffee out of one of her numerous cat themed mugs. His usually brown eyes were glittering yellow, in a similar manner to the sun outside. His ears were pointed and his face elongated, showing some aspects of his wolf self. He smiled at her and his canines were sharpened.

                “Y-Youngbae-ssi,” she stuttered before her eyes flitted towards the figure standing a few feet behind of him. She couldn’t feel his presence but Seunghyun was definitely standing there. His eyes were glowing and his mouth was curled up in a snarl but he wasn’t moving. “What are you doing?”

                “I told you that I could get rid of him for you,” he shrugged, “but I figured trapping him would work just as well for now.” Seunghyun’s eyes moved to Gayun for a moment, becoming softer and more human-like, before returning to glare at Youngbae who seemed extremely unperturbed about the whole thing.

                “Why are you doing this though?” she asked. It felt like every muscle in her body was tensed up but she tried to act natural as she closed the fridge door. Even in mortal danger, she remembered how high her power bill could go up.

                Youngbae’s face shifted into a smile which would usually be classified as gentle or even kind, but now it sent chills up and down Gayun’s spine. Her eyes flicked back to Seunghyun for a moment as she another step towards the shifter. “I just thought that I’d have a chat with you.”

                “There are easier ways to go about that.”

                “Yes but this leech over here,” he nodded towards Seunghyun, “wouldn’t let me get anywhere close to you. So, since I heard he wasn’t feeling well, I’d thought I’d pop in and subdue him.” Her hands clenched as anger flared through her; only she was allowed to insult Seunghyun. Slowly, she flexed her hands back in to a neutral position while Youngbae watched her with a hint of amusement in his golden eyes.

                “How did you know about that?”

                “Dabbling in the dark arts creates as many friends as enemies,” Youngbae replied, “One of those friends happens to be the demon you summoned to treat your self-imposed guest.” Gayun’s eyes widened at that last part, she had never thought about the repercussions of attempting to summon Seunghyun’s hyung. This had definitely not been anywhere near the train of thoughts she had at the time. “So why don’t you have a seat, Gayun-ssi?”

                “Sure,” she nodded and attempting to smile back at him but her fear showed through. She walked to the chair that usually held her Tolkien books and wondered where they had been placed. She sat down and looked back at Seunghyun. He was standing in the middle of a chalk circle with several strange designs around it.

                “It’s a devil’s trap,” Youngbae commented. Gayun had been unaware that she was staring but returned her attention to the man sitting across from her. “Well, I also added a few other things to it. He can’t talk and he can’t use magic, so it’s an extra special devil’s trap.”

                “You can do all that?” Gayun asked, half curious and half hoping to his ego so his guard would lessen, giving her a chance to free the demon.

                “Of course,” he puffed out his chest, “I haven’t lived two hundred years for nothing. I can do even more than that but it seems that you’ve become attached to him.”

                She would have to tread carefully here. She didn’t want to set him off, especially when Seunghyun wouldn’t be able to help her. “Well, he’s like a stray,” she smiled, “and I’ve always loved taking in strays.”

                “You do, don’t you?” he turned his attention to one of the many cats eyeing him suspiciously. Pudding hissed at him and his upper lip curled, revealing his sharpened canines. She turned her gaze back to examine the devil’s trap more thoroughly. If she could only distract him long enough, she could smudge one of the lines and maybe that would free him. Could she really risk it though?

                “Why’d you set the table?” she asked, “Did you make food too?”

                “No,” he paused, “but I can if you want.”

                “Please?” she asked hopefully, “I’m rather hungry.” The look he gave her was suspicious but he got up from the table anyways. She smiled up at him again, hoping it looked a little more real this time. She waited until he had walked the seven steps towards the kitchen before turning back to Seunghyun. His purple eyes widened once he realized what she was about to do.

                She lunged from her chair, knocking it back to fall against the floor and she ran and tripped towards the devil’s trap. A growl ripped through the room as Youngbae launched himself over the counter, his human façade slipping away. His nose elongated into a wolf’s snout as his hands morphed and shifted into large paws. The rest of his muscles rippled and shifted as bone broke and regrew, forming a new, animalistic Youngbae.

                Her hand reached out to claw at the chalk line as Youngbae’s teeth sunk into the flesh of her calf. Gayun cried out in pain as she was pulled away from her demon. Seunghyun screamed in anger and frustration; she had smudged the wrong line.

                Youngbae flung her into the table, causing both her and the table to go flying. Blood dribbled onto the floor where she landed in a heap. A whimper escaped before a giant wolf was staring down at her. His mouth opened wider but Gayun shut her eyes, unwilling to see his expression when he would inevitably chomp down on . She felt the tips of his teeth press against her skin when a voice began to whisper in the back of her mind.

              Do you wish to make a deal? Jiyong’s voice broke through her fear and pain. Make a deal with me and I’ll make it stop, all of this. All it will take is your soul. So, human, do you want to die?