Iseul stood and listened to the boys explain the divide in territories and the history between North and South. It seemed plausible. Then they started talking about how werewolves came to be and something about the moon. This is where the story started leaning more towards fantasy than reality and Iseul didn’t buy it. The girl maintained eye contact with whoever was speaking, but began to drift out of their words and into her own thoughts.

This all seemed tedious and complicated, so it might have some truth to it. How did any of it involve her though? She befriended some strange boys from the woods, next day they’re all kidnapped and her parents are killed? The latter part of that sentence still didn’t seem real. Maybe this was all a prank. Her parents wanted to teach her a lesson about stranger danger or something and were dramatic about it? any second they could appear in front of her and things would be okay. Thats what Iseul hoped.

                The girl wandered out of her inner monologue and focused on whatever Jackson was on about now. Something about mating. Iseul let out a sigh and rubbed her eyes before letting both hands fall to her sides.

                “So what does this have to do with me?” she asked the one question she most required the answer to.

                Jackson looked at Jinyoung and saw his friend’s tired sad smile. Jackson groaned at looked back at Iseul.

                “Because your Jinyoung’s mate,” Mark spoke up. All of the boys looked at him but with shock. They were a little relieved that he stated it so simple and with such honesty. Now Jinyoung was the only one still worried what the girl would do next. His friends were preparing ways to console him since Iseul’s rejection was inevitable.

                The girl looked at the group and tried to sort her thoughts. These random boys she knew almost nothing about were trying to sell her on some made up mythology. She could deny it all, call the cops and shove them out of her life. Or she could play into it and try to figure out what happened for real. Iseul folded her arms and straighten herself up against the wall. She wondered how long they had been out here telling her this story. The girl looked at each of them in the eye. Jaebum was on the far right and seemed relaxed yet sad, with hands in his pockets and posture a little uncomposed. Jackson next to him looked out of breath, he was probably the one talking while she zoned out. Mark was looking at her as if he thought he knew what she would say next. Jinyoung was on the left of them all. He looked as if he was ready to cry but trying his hardest to hold it together, looking at the ground and avoiding her gaze. If she was his mate as they were trying to claim, he seemed nervous about it.