[CONTENTID1]Orange Lily[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Fourteen[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

TW: Violence

No words could have expressed the relief Yoonhee felt when she opened her eyes and found her soulmate next to her. The sight warmed her heart. A tired smile bloomed on her face. She had him back. Baekhyun appeared much healthier than before, his features peaceful as he slept. He breathed steadily, one of his arms embracing her waist.

Yoonhee had never seen him sleeping before. Vampires usually didn’t need to. Maybe the wolfsbane still had a slight influence on him, or perhaps the ordeal had exhausted him despite drinking her blood. She remained quiet and settled for watching him since she wanted him to rest. The hole his absence had left within her was gone. Her apprehension had disappeared as well.

When Yoonhee raised her arm to cup his hand, she noticed that her wrist had been neatly wrapped with a bandage. The area where she had been bitten stung. A dull ache served as a reminder of how close she had been to losing him. It was unsettling… She had already lost her parents, and she didn’t want to let go of him too. He was her anchor; the person she trusted the most in this world, the one who kept her grounded. She treasured him.

Her fingertips danced over his cool hand, caressing it. The feather-like touch awoke him from his slumber and when his senses returned to him, the first he noticed was her enticing smell all around him. The vivacious rhythm of her heartbeats was music to his ears.

“Yoonhee?” he uttered, prompting her to glance at his face.

“Baekhyun,” she whispered. The melancholia swimming in her green orbs was overwhelmingly potent. “Please don’t leave me.”

And though she did not verbalize it, her fear of losing him was audible in her trembling voice. A pang went through his heart. He couldn’t imagine how much the death of her loved ones had hurt her, and he wanted to be the very last to force her through such pain a second time.

“I’m not going anywhere, buttercup. I want to be with you,” he answered. His voice softened, becoming silky and warm. “You’re the reason I’m still here. I really thought I would die and never see you again. How did you find me?”

“I used my magic to track you down,” she explained, causing him to smile. “Are you feeling better than before?” she wondered, studying his pale face. Her hand cupped his cheek, gently brushing a few strands of hair away.

To her relief, he nodded. “Yes, my wounds have healed after I drank your blood. I was tired because of the poison, but I feel much better now. I hope you’re okay, too. I took too much blood this time.”

“It’s fine, Baekhyun. I will recover,” she assured and moved a tad closer to him, nestling up to his body and holding on to his shirt.

“We should have breakfast soon. You must be hungry after all that,” he said. His hand her back. He nuzzled his face in her hair, breathing in her enchanting scent. A hint of red appeared in his irises. “Let’s get up, petal.”

She pouted at him, stubbornly holding on to his shirt. “But it’s cozy here!”

“We’ll cuddle more later,” he remarked with a smug smirk. “You can’t get enough of me, huh?”

“I’m glad I got you back, that’s all,” she sulked. “And now you want to leave?”

“You need sustenance. It’s important,” he countered, and suddenly, his tone sounded sharper. The strict expression he wore matched it perfectly. “No excuses.”

He pried her hands away from his shirt and left the bed, opening the curtains. Sunlight flooded his bedroom, blinding her with its intensity. It seemed like it was already noon—had she been so exhausted she had slept for an entire day? It was no wonder after using so much of her magic and donating her blood to him, but it shocked her regardless.

Yoonhee sighed and gave up on staying in bed for another while. It was high time she got up. Maneuvering herself to the edge of the bed proved to be difficult since she was dizzy. The simplest motions cost a lot of energy. She curled her lips in distaste and pushed herself up, standing on her legs. Her head felt strange, like it was wrapped in cotton—and her vision blurred for seconds while she took the first step. Great, why did she feel so weak? Returning to her own bedroom seemed like an impossible feat.

She didn’t hear him approaching, so she was stunned when Baekhyun appeared next to her. He knitted his brows as he watched her. Guilt swam in his blue eyes, dulling them. “Let me help you, buttercup,” he murmured and offered her his arm. She hooked hers around it.

“Thank you.”

With his support, she made it into her own room where she chose a cozy outfit she would change into. When she walked in the direction of the bathroom, he was reluctant to leave her alone.

“I’ll just take a quick shower,” she reassured him.

“Call me if you need anything. And don’t slip on the tiles,” he replied, genuinely worried. She nodded and closed the bathroom door.

The food Kyungsoo had prepared for her tasted heavenly. He and Minseok were by far the most skilled chefs she knew. Baekhyun sat opposite her at the table and studied her in silence while she stoved rice and other side dishes in , filling her empty stomach. She was already regaining some of her strength.

Kyungsoo leaned at the kitchen counter with folded arms and watched as she ate. The worried crease in his eyebrows had disappeared, though his eyes betrayed that something was bothering him still. It was the same in Baekhyun’s case. He looked restless and upset. Something heavy and dangerous had manifested in his aura. Occasionally, his fingers drummed on the table surface. Yoonhee was unaware of the vengeful thoughts swirling through his mind.

When she had finished her food, she got up to collect the empty dishes, but Kyungsoo intercepted and told her to sit back down. He put the used plates in the sink and began cleaning them. Baekhyun joined him at the kitchen counter, whispering something in his ear. Yoonhee couldn’t hear his words, but she saw the sinister expression that crossed Kyungsoo’s face. It didn’t suit the kind vampire at all.

“How are you now, Yoonhee?” Baekhyun’s silky voice interrupted her train of thoughts. He returned to her and studied her attentively.

“Everything’s fine, no need to be worried. Why do you ask?”

He exchanged a glance with Kyungsoo. “I have to take care of something and I want you to stay with Kyungsoo for the time being. If you feel faint or nauseous, tell him.” Due to his stern voice, his words sounded like an order, coming out harsher than intended. Yoonhee frowned and reached out her hand, catching his wrist.

“Where are you going?” she asked. Wide eyes stared at him. The hint of fear he found within them made his heart ache, but he couldn’t give in now. What he needed to do couldn’t be postponed.

“Into town,” he answered evasively. “I will be back before you know it.”

Yoonhee did not like what she saw in his eyes. It gave life to a new wave of unease. “Baekhyun…”

A low sigh left his throat as he gently pried her hand away from his wrist. He held it and squeezed it a little. Then he guided it to his lips and left a kiss on it. “See you later, buttercup.”

And with that, he left the kitchen in a flash. She tensed and got up so fast the chair almost tipped over. Nausea overcame her, forced her to hold on to the table. Kyungsoo was next to her in a blink and held out his arm to support her.

“Careful,” he reminded her. “You can’t follow him where he is going.”

“So you know,” she concluded. Kyungsoo’s long silence spoke louder than words. His stony façade crumbled when he gave her a reluctant smile.

“I do, but I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to tell me. I know what he’s planning. It’s not hard to guess—his expression gave it away.”

Kyungsoo remained silent, biting his lip and watching her sit down. She stared at her hands lying flat on the table, furrowing her brows. “He is looking for Sooyoung because he wants revenge.”

“Does it bother you?”

Yoonhee sighed. Part of her wanted to stick to her morals while another part wanted Sooyoung to pay for what he had done to Baekhyun. She couldn’t erase the picture of her soulmate’s injured and bloody self locked in that tiny cold room. It was burned into her memories. As long as Sooyoung remained alive, he would continue to torment them, not only targeting her but also Baekhyun. And the latter was something she couldn’t live with.

“Baekhyun shouldn’t have left alone. It’s too dangerous,” she said, worry growing within her. Who knew what Sooyoung was planning now… If Baekhyun walked straight into another trap…

“Don’t worry, Yoonhee. Junmyeon and Chanyeol are with him. They’re strong enough to deal with any problems Sooyoung might cause,” Kyungsoo explained in a calm tone, offering her reassurance.

“I see. That’s good.”

But it wasn’t hard to see it still bothered her. She was fidgety and restless, playing with a lock of her black hair while she stared at the clock on the counter. Kyungsoo had promised Baekhyun to take care of her, and he took his promise very seriously. It hadn’t been Baekhyun’s intention to unsettle or worry her, but now that she had found out about his plan, all Kyungsoo could do was distract her for a while.

“Yoonhee, why don’t we go outside? I recently planted new flowers you haven’t seen yet,” he said softly, tilting his head. “Or would you prefer to rest?”

“I’d love to see them,” she replied with a smile that mirrored his. The nause