"Jackson."

He felt his world stand still when he felt her pretty little fingers dig into his arm.

Me?

"Jackson." Her voice started to shake as she stepped towards him, ducking into his chest.

, she sounded so mind blowing.

She liked him.

His mate liked him.

Say it again. Say my name again.  

He never thought something as simple as hearing his name out of a human's lips would feel as rewarding as it did right then.

His fingers slipped down her jaw and he tilted his head down, ready to capture her lips as a reward, when she stopped him.

"Jackson." This time his name sounded scared and desperate out of .

His eyes flicked down to her eyes and noticed that her eyes were focused over his shoulder. He took a deep whiff and flinched when he smelled anger and confusion radiating off of her.

And panther.

He was so distracted by her that he didn't notice anyone else. Suddenly the stars disappeared and clouds filled the sky.

"Well, well, well, isn't this cute?" Jackson didn't hesitate to yank Areum behind him as he spun to face the mysterious voice.

All 5 of them.

All 5 of them were surrounding him and Areum as they casually closed in on them.

Jackson made a decision at that very second that he would do whatever it took to protect her.

"You two make a cute couple." Seunghoon said with a sneer. Every word they used to taunt him with, just made his eyes grow brighter and his grip grow tighter around his mate.

Jinwoo chuckled, "Dirty mutt and his princess can't keep their hands off each other. Disgusting."

Mino tensed and stayed in his spot, refusing to move in like the rest of them. His eyes stayed pinned on Areum and the way she clung onto the prince like her life depended on it.

He wanted to rip her away from the dog and bring her with him.

He felt ing great that he was the one that ruined their little moment. He almost shifted on the spot when he watched the filthy canine touch her and hold her like he owned her. The second she had laid eyes on him, she pulled away from her prince and it felt fantastic.

But she looked scared now and he didn't like  that.

"What are you doing here?" Jackson growled as when he heard a tiny whimper from Areum.

Taehyun grinned, enjoying the way they backed the prince of wolves into corner. "We thought we'd stop by and visit the lovely couple."

"Leave. Now." Areum's eyes widened when she heard how deadly Jackson's voice suddenly got. She was pressed to his back and she could feel a growl rumble through his spine making her frown at the feral sound.

"Awww, why? The party's just starting." Seunghoon jeered.

"Don't push it, because you know what I can do. I'll ing destroy you if you don't leave right now. You won't last a second." Jackson threatened, his words slurring with the appearance of his fangs.  

Seungyoon started laughing, "We just wanted to congratulate the princess."

Areum didn't understand why they kept calling her princess. "Jackson, wh--"

"Leave her out of this. This is between you guys and me. Don't you dare drag her into this." He hissed, cutting off any questions she wanted to ask. They way they were talking felt strange to her, like there was more to it than she thought.

It almost sounded like the boys and Jackson knew each other.

Jinwoo smirked, "Why? She's the best part. She's your weakness. It's so much better like this."

They were getting closer and even as Jackson stepped back with Areum,  he didn't like the way they had the upper hand. Even though he was strong as a human, it was hard for him to take on all 5 of them while keeping track of Areum, making sure that she didn't get hurt in the crossfire.

Unless…

Jackson felt his body tense. He knew what they were going to do. They weren't going to hurt him or Areum…they were planning for something else.

Something worse.

And if he didn't go along with it, then they were going to hurt her until he did.

"Areum. I need you to run." He mumbled under his breath. Areum's eyes widened and she pulled out of his grasp to hold onto his shirt.

He was acting like these boys were murderers, like they were someone for her to be afraid of. "What are you talking about?"

"When I say go, I want you to run as fast as you can back to the cabin. Don't look back and don't open the door for anyone." He warned.

Areum shook her head, "Jackson, I'm not going to run from these punks. And I'm not ing leaving you here alone."

If Jackson wasn't filled with rage, he might've smiled or for caring, but now, he was trying to stop himself from ripping everyone around him to shreds.

"She's right." Seungyoon said with a smile. "She shouldn't run. Then she'll miss the show and the grand reveal."

Areum furrowed her brows. "What show?"

"I'm guessing you didn't tell her. What a ing coward. Who knew the prince was such a ." Taehyun snorted.

Areum looked at Jackson in confusion. "Jackson, what is he talking about?"

Jackson didn't respond and just flickered his eyes over the five of them, trying to formulate a plan that didn't involve him shifting.

They were trying to provoke him. They were trying to make him shift because they knew that once he did, Areum was going to run and never come back.

And then he'd be doomed.

"Prince Charming over here, isn't all he's cracked up to be, doll." Seunghoon said. Areum gasped when she saw gold flash in his eyes.

What the hell?

 "He's worse." Mino growled before racing at the couple.

-----

Areum watched, petrified as Mino leaped 5 feet into the air and shifted.

Shifted.

She watched, horrified as the tan skinned, 21 year old boy rip his clothes as fur replaced skin, paws replaced hands and claws replaced nails.

She let go of Jackson and stumbled back, tripping over her feet, landing on her as she stared at the panther.

The same ing panther that she had run into twice before.

What the ?

Her eyes widened in incredulity as she stared at the animal before her. Jackson stiffened when he saw Mino but he didn't look as shocked as Areum was. His mind was analysing the situation, but he kept drifting back to the fact that Areum was behind him, having a breakdown.

She felt sick. Her breathing got louder and her body started to shake as she crawled backwards, away from it as it paced towards her, it's tail swaying lazily.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"N-No. Ho-how? What's happening?" She breathed out, wondering if what she saw was real as she staggered back. Her heart shot up to and she had to resist the urge of vomiting.

He was a boy.

And now he was mountain cat.

She couldn't believe it.

It didn't make sense.

"This can't be real."  

Seungyoon smiled and stepped up, "Oh but it is, princess. Welcome to our world. And if your little prince here, doesn't do the same, my pack mate here, will tear into you like a slab of raw meat."

Pack mate.

Areum shivered at the word. They didn't even call themselves friends. They were a pack.

They were animals.

Mino's eyes flickered at the gruesome words, but he still stood strong, staring Areum down with daunting gold eyes.

And then she froze.

"Do the same?" She breathed out, looking up at Jackson whose body was tensed and his jaw, locked.

"This is what you came for, isn't it. You wanted to force me into a corner. You didn't come all this way just to hurt her." Jackson voiced out slowly. He felt his rage boom through his body when he saw familiar claw marks pressed against Mino's side.

Jinwoo cracked his neck, "No, we came to ruin you."

Areum watched, horrified, as the oldest boy whipped his shirt off before launching into the air and landing as a panther behind Mino.

A strangled scream escaped as her fingers dug into the gravel. She felt dizzy and all she wanted was to go home and to be as far away from everything that was happening as possible.

"You can't take all five of us as a human, Jackson. You won't be able to do that and protect your princess. So how about we get to it?"

Areum covered as her eyes glazed over when two more of the boys turned into cats, leaving one to face off with Jackson.

"Are you really willing to fight the odds as a human? You're going to let her die just because you don't want her to be mad at you? What a selfish prince." He taunted.

Jackson closed his eyes, collecting himself for a split second before turning to Areum. She caught the emotion for only a second and it looked so sad and so heartbroken that it only made the next sob come out louder.

Were they going to die?

"I'm so sorry." Jackson mumbled out. "But no matter what. Run for your life."

And then it happened.

-----

It all happened so fast.

Jackson launched at the boys and like a magic trick, his clothing turned into glistening black fur just as Seungyoon launched, shifting as well into a golden beast.

All five of them looked the same.

Five large golden panthers facing an ever larger black wolf.

Jackson moved like lightning and his fur was like midnight. If he was a picture, Areum would've thought he was beautiful. He looked breath taking, if she wasn't terrified.

She had been spending so much time with a boy that could snap her neck in half.

 If it wasn't for his glowing purple eyes, she wouldn't even be able to see him in the darkness.

Purple eyes.

Areum's heart started racing so fast that her chest started to hurt.

His normally teasing eyes were replaced with purple gems that sharpened into a glare at his surroundings and his usual smirk turned into snarling canines. He moved with the same grace though, with every step light and diligent.

His ears flickered, sensitive to the sound as his massive body glowed strength and danger.

It was him.

He was the wolf that saved her.

He was the wolf that scared her out of her mind.

He was Jackson.

Jackson was a wolf.

She couldn't ing believe it. It had to be he imagination or some wild dream she was having because there was no way that a human boy could just become a wolf or a panther or any number for that matter.

But no matter how hard she pinched herself, she was still on the gravel staring at a wolf and a pack of panthers that were really boys her age.

Areum felt everything start to blur and everything started to spin as her brain throbbed painfully in her head, but she was awoken by a thundering growl.

She looked up and saw the wolf…Jackson

"J-Jac-Jackson?" She stuttered out, still not b