When Jackson saw the Tracker leap away with Areum, he was able to focus.

He saw the way the panther's started to panic when they saw how grossly outnumbered they were.

14 against 5 was never good odds.

But that didn't stop Seunghoon from launching at BamBam.

Before he could even get a swipe in, Jinyoung was already slamming his body onto the ground, clamping his teeth around his throat and wiped him away.

"You'll only lose." Jackson said while standing between them.

"We still have her." Seungyoon growled.

Jackson smirked and tilted his head condescendingly, "Yeah but do you, really?"

Mino's cat eyes widened and he turned to glance at the house where they left Areum. Did they really manage to take her away already.

He didn't get enough time with her.

Jackson noticed the expression on Mino's face and suddenly the sky grew darker. Sensing his mood shift Youngjae took a few hits on Taehyun who squealed in pain before striking back, but before Youngjae could hit back, the smallest panther scampered away.

"You guys can't take us."

Seunghoon looked furious, "Of course not, not when your pack are so cowardly that they can't face us without back up."

He started walking towards the wolf pack and the rest of the panthers moved towards them too. Jaebum's stance became predatory and the rest of the wolves followed suit.

"Seunghoon." Their leader called with a tense face. The pack of panthers turned to their leader and watched as he shook his head.

"You don't win this."

They all retreated but Mino shot Jackson a glare, bearing his teeth with blood caked on his fur. Jackson didn't flinch and just stayed blank faced, but still felt the anger sizzle inside him.

That panther wasn't going to give up.

He knew it.

Jackson had to resist the urge to attack Mino on the spot but he knew that once he attacked, there was no holding back and the panthers would fight back, even if the odds weren't in their favour.

And that fight would be brutal.

And he still had Areum to go back home to.

He wasn't going to risk it, so he let them walk back cautiously into their house with sharp eyes. Once they were all out of sight, Jackson didn't even give his pack or the Trackers a chance to shift back and just shot off in the direction of Areum's house.

"He really cares about the princess. I never thought I'd see prince Wang be so in love with his mate." One of the Tracker said as soon as he was able to stand on two feet.

The Tracker that accompanied Mark stood up as well, "You're right. The prince hated having to mate, didn't he? He used to come to me and complain about having to mate and why he couldn't just be a prince with no mate."

"One time he asked me how I loved my mate so much." Another one chuckled. "I couldn't imagine him every loving a mate himself."

Jaebum smiled, "He didn't expect it either, trust me."

"So what changed?" The Tracker leader asked.

Yugyeom looked in the direction where Jackson ran off to.

"He finally met her."

-----

 "I don't think supernatural panthers can be warded off by metal sports equipment." Jackson said with a tired smirk as he closed the door behind him.

Areum let out a breath and lowered her hand limply to her side, the racquet falling to the floor with a clatter.

Jackson's smirk fell as he slowly drank in the image of Areum, standing just a few feet away from him. It felt surreal that she was finally within arm's reach.

"Come here, gongzhu." He said softly with a nod in his direction.

Areum's lips were pressed together to stop tears from falling out as she obediently moved over to him. Jackson was almost surprised that she didn't roll her eyes and ask him why he couldn't just come to her.

She stood just an inch away from him and felt overwhelmed. He was so close that she wasn't even sure if it was really happening.

Her eyes stayed on his bare chest which was scored with a long stripe of 5 claw marks. Her eyes started watering even more as she reached out and gently touched the bruises.

Jackson let a loud moan escape his lips at her touch. It should've been painful, but the way she touched him, slammed him in the face with pleasure.

Areum's eyes widened at his reaction and quickly moved her hand away, afraid that she had hurt him but he grabbed her fingers and squeezed them gently.

"I'm okay, gongzhu."

Areum tucked her lips into and nodded slowly, still having not spoken a word.

He gently slipped his hand down her jaw and cupped her chin. His touch was so soft and careful, like he was afraid that she would break. He tilted her cheek left and right and inspected her face. "Are you hurt?"

Areum shook her head and felt the tears begin to well in her eyes.

Jackson swallowed the numbness in his throat and absentmindedly her cheek. Up until the moment he knocked on the door, he was still burning off the rage from the fight, but being so close to her, just calmed him down and filled him with softness.

"It's okay, gongzhu. I'm here." He whispered to her.

That's when the dam broke.

She launched into his arms and bawled. When she was with the panthers, she forced herself not to cry. She didn't want them to see her as weak. It got to a point where she wanted to explode. She let everything out.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly against him. Jackson blinked back his own tears and cradled her head against his neck, holding her protectively so that she knew that he would rather die than leave her.

He hushed her softly and kissed the side of her head repeatedly.

He slowly pulled her back and cupped her cheeks. "Let me guess, you didn't cry in front of them, right?

Areum nodded with a teary pout and somehow managed to pull a laugh out of him. He didn't expect anything less from her. He had found out, from the Tracker that took her, that he didn't have to break her out. She had done it on her own.

Of course.

"My strong princess." He mumbled before kissing her forehead.

Areum closed her eyes and held onto his wrist, just basking in his nearness. Her tears were building up again.

She would never feel this safe and this vulnerable around anyone else. It annoyed her how someone who could endlessly was the same person who made her soft.

He moved away but looked at her in the eye, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her tears. Who would've known she was such a cry baby?

"I've missed you gongzhu."

Her face turned down as she started to sob  loudly again. Jackson laughed and pulled her into his arms as she hugged him back.

"You're an ugly crier, aren't you?" He asked with a breathy laugh.

Areum whined in the midst of her tears and slapped him on the back, as she rubbed her face against his neck.

He chuckled, "God, I missed this."

He ignored the thick scent of panther on her and focused on her natural scent. It was so much stronger than anything else, no matter how vile.  

Areum sniffled and brushed her lips against his neck and shivered when she could taste his skin. "Me too."

He pulled her back, once again and grinned when she wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. She looked like a mess.

A beautiful mess.

He leaned down and slowly nudged her nose aside so that he could linger his lips above hers. he knew that he still had to have a talk with her and apologize and if anything, maybe this wasn't what she wanted to hear right then, but he just wanted her to know.

"I love you so much that sometimes I think I'm going insane."

Before she could say anything back, he moulded his lips against hers. She immediately sighed into his mouth and let her eyes flitter close and let him consume her with his undeniable heat.

His hands slipped around her waist as he worked his lips ardently against hers. Areum's whole body flinched as her fingers danced up his head and threaded through his hair and gave it a soft tug.

He was sure that he wasn't going to get enough of her ever.

He let out a surprised moan when her tongue slipped impatiently into his mouth and she couldn't help but mirror the sound. He lit her up with the smallest of touches, it was incredible. His palms slid down her waist and cupped the back of her thighs, urging her to jump up and wrap her legs around her waist.

All the soreness in his muscles evaporated as he pressed her closer to his body. He leaned his neck back and Areum tilted her head down to get a better angle as they tried to make up for lost time.

Jackson moved fluidly through her living room and slammed her down on the couch before climbing over her, hovering on top of his mate.

She was the most perfect being in the whole world.

He slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt and clamped his warm hands on her bare waist as she pulled him down by the shoulders to kiss him better.

He struggled to pull away before leaving long, heated kisses down the curve of her jaw and the column of .

Areum let out bated breaths and stared at the ceiling with glazed eyes at the feeling of Jackson's lips trailing like petals on her skin.

"I love you."

Jackson's eyes snapped open as he pulled away, using his arms, on either side of her head to hold himself over her. He stared at her, dumbfounded at the words that just left .

"W-What?" He rasped out with shaky eyes.

Areum gulped and cupped his face before pulling him down, "I love you. God, I love you so much. It took a bit longer to say it, but I love you so much. I know that I always did."

Jackson brushed their lips together, his eyes still gleaming astonishment. "Say it again."

Areum gasped into his mouth with heavy lidded eyes, "I love you, Jackson Wang. I love you more than I hate you."

He ignored her little jab and moved his lips down the bridge of her nose, "Again."

"I love you."

"Go