[CONTENTID1]Yellow Rose[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Sixteen[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Sobong’s comment about Yoonhee’s and Baekhyun’s soulmate bond stayed on Yoonhee’s mind, along with Baekhyun’s dismissive reaction to it. She wondered what his mother could have meant. Why did they need to seal their bond and what would change afterward? Moreover, why was Baekhyun so reluctant to tell her? Yoonhee had to get to the bottom of this.

The next morning, while Baekhyun was busy working on one of his songs, Yoonhee used the opportunity and sought out her friend Yerin. She found the vampire in Junmyeon’s atelier where she watched him working on a new painting.

“Good morning,” Yoonhee said after entering. “Do you have a moment?”

“What’s up?” Yerin asked.

“I have a question about soulmate bonds.”

Junmyeon and Yerin exchanged a curious glance. He put down his paintbrush, focusing his attention on her. “I wonder why you don’t ask Baekhyun about it,” he commented somewhat amusedly. “Is there a reason?”

“He doesn’t want to answer my question,” Yoonhee sighed. “It bothers me.”

“Well, maybe we can help. What do you need to know?” Yerin asked and crossed her arms, casually leaning against a shelf with art supplies.

“Um… I want to know how we can seal our soulmate bond. What do we have to do?”

Junmyeon and Yerin stared at her for three seconds without moving or blinking before he snorted and hid his smile behind his hand. Yerin giggled and almost fell over with laughter, clutching her stomach. And Yoonhee felt even more confused seeing their reactions.

“What’s so funny?”

“Haha… I think… haha… I know why he didn’t… tell you,” Yerin forced out. “You’re so cute, I can’t handle it!”

“Tell me!” Yoonhee pouted. Her cheeks warmed.

Junmyeon calmed down and offered her a smile. “Baekhyun’s decision not to tell you yet is understandable. You should trust him.”

“Why…? Is it something bad? Why won’t you say it?”

Yerin wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and approached Yoonhee, beaming in amusement. “My innocent little baby,” she cooed and hugged the younger woman. “You’re so adorable.” She patted Yoonhee’s back before she let go and exchanged another glance with Junmyeon who rolled his eyes at her doting behavior.

“When it’s time to seal your bond, I’m sure you won’t regret anything,” Yerin smirked. “Look forward to it! You’ll love it.” She broke out in another fit of giggles while Junmyeon tried to calm her down. He was exasperated, running his hand through his hair while he attempted to regain his soulmate’s attention.

“That wasn’t very helpful,” Yoonhee frowned. She only felt embarrassed now that she had asked.

“Sorry, Yoonhee,” Yerin teased. “Maybe you could try asking Baekhyun again.”

“Fine! I will!”

She left the couple alone and stormed back to where she came from. This time, however, she didn’t enter her own room, but Baekhyun’s. She found him at his desk in front of the computer screen, concentratedly staring at it.

“Baekhyun!” Yoonhee burst out as soon as she arrived.

“What is it, buttercup?” he mumbled without taking his eyes off the screen. “I’m working.”

She stood in front of his desk and wrang her hands, flustered from her encounter with Junmyeon and Yerin. Her irregular heartbeats didn’t stay unnoticed by her soulmate, making him wonder what she wanted. He saved his document and closed it, directing his attention to her.

“Pleasetellmehowtosealourbond,” she sputtered so fast, not even a vampire could understand what she was saying. Baekhyun scrunched his forehead and leaned back in his seat. He gnawed on his silver lip piercing.

“Say it again,” he demanded.

“I want to know what we have to do in order to seal our bond,” she repeated slowly.

His eyes widened a fraction, but his expression remained stoic. “I won’t tell you, buttercup.”

“But why not? It’s bothering me! Don’t you want to seal it?” she asked, and accidentally let some of her disappointment slip into her voice. She lowered her head and gazed at the mahogany wood of his desk.

“Is it because of me? Did I do something wrong?” she breathed, her old insecurities surfacing.

She didn’t look up but heard his chair move as he got up and pushed it out of the way. He stood in front of her, so close she could smell his aftershave. “No, not at all,” he sighed and embraced her, resting his chin on top of her head. “You see, I prefer not to rush things with you. I want you to be comfortable with everything we do.”

“But I am comfortable,” she insisted. “I even let you drink my blood!”

“Little flower, why are you so impatient?”

“Everyone seems to know except for me,” she pouted. Her hands pushed against his chest, ending their embrace. “It .”

As serious as he tried to be, Baekhyun couldn’t hold in an amused snort when he saw her sulky expression and how adorable it looked. He ruffled her hair. “Patience is a virtue,” he drawled and winked. “I need to tell you something, petal.”

“What?” she asked, momentarily forgetting about her issue.

“I prepared a surprise for you. You came at the right time, I finished planning everything about half an hour ago. I thought we need a break after what happened with Sooyoung, so I booked us a cozy holiday home in the mountains.”

“A vacation in the mountains?” she echoed as a smile found its way to her face. “That sounds great! When will we leave?”

Her enthusiasm made him chuckle. “Friday morning, I would suggest. I booked it for the entire weekend.”

“Oh, I need to start packing!” she gushed, her mind going in all kinds of directions, and in her excitement, she began to babble like a waterfall. “Will it be cold? Should I bring a dress too or are pants better? I guess they are more convenient for hiking. We will go hiking, right?”

“Uh… yeah,” he answered, blinking confusedly. “What else would you do in the mountains?”

“Maybe swimming if there is a lake or a river. Or spending time with flowers,” she counted on her fingers.

“I don’t think spending time with flowers is something regular people would do,” he grinned.

“It isn’t?” she wondered and put her hands on her hips. “That’s new. Flowers are good listeners.”

“If you say so, buttercup,” he smirked, showing the sharp tips of his fangs. “You forgot the most important detail, though.”

“And what is that?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Spending time with me. It’ll only be us for three whole days.” Something in his tone of voice made her blush madly. She wondered what exactly he had in mind for it to sound suggestive.

“You’ve planned something?”

“I planned lots of things, buttercup. You’ll see. And that reminds me… since the cottage is isolated, we need to cook for ourselves. You should make a list with groceries, so I can buy them the next time I’m in town.”

“Good idea. I’ll write some things down!” she chirped.

Baekhyun was more than pleased with her reaction to his surprise. He hadn’t expected her to be this ecstatic about it, and the longer he gazed at her beaming face, the more excited he got himself. She was so pretty when she smiled; when her shimmering green eyes became half-moons and her cheeks blushed with a rosy hue. She wore her hair down today and it framed her face, silky and soft since she combed it thoroughly in the mornings.

Baekhyun couldn’t have had a more fitting and perfect soulmate than her. He thanked the heavens he had met her before anyone had taken her from him—if she had lost her life that night with her parents, he would have never met her. Having to live without her by his side would have crushed him.

For a long while, he had been terrified when he couldn’t locate her. Scared that a shadow of his past may have sought her out to kill her. Baekhyun had made enemies over the years, and one particularly spiteful vampire was still after him—he couldn’t give her what she wanted.

Baekhyun zoned out for a bit, staring at Yoonhee while she scribbled a few ingredients on a piece of paper, checking the recipes she had saved on her phone. A quirky smile curved her lips—she was in her element.

“Maybe we need cucumbers too,” she mumbled, cocking her head. “And then… Wait! I forgot the rice!”

“Buttercup?” he asked when he looked over her shoulder, furrowing his brow. “Do you really think we will need all those things? Our stay will only last three days.”

“Um, well… I actually wanted to make a cake before we leave. And the other ingredients are necessary too!”

“A cake? What kind of cake?”

“I haven’t decided yet. What would you like, Baekhyun?”

“I like strawberries.”

“Then it’ll be a strawberry cake… with cream. Okay?”

“Sounds great. Especially when it’s made by you, my flower,” he teased.

“Flirt,” she mumbled under her breath.

“I can’t wait to be all alone with you for three days,” he purred.

Suddenly, she felt hot. Clearing , she avoided his amused gaze. “M-Me too.”

The engine of Baekhyun’s car hummed as it followed the winding street into the mountains. Yoonhee sat in the passenger seat with a beam on her face, gazing outside and occasionally taking pictures of the scenery. It was very peaceful here—there was hardly any traffic and the last time she had seen another person must have been half an hour ago. She had no doubts that their little vacation would be calm and undisturbed, just what they needed. After the fiasco with Sooyoung, she longed to spend time with her soulmate. They had been separated for only a day, but to her, it had felt like an eternity.

Baekhyun’s blue eyes were focused on the road, but he sometimes glanced at her. She looked beautiful, once again sporting a light summer dress that suited her well. It pooled on the car seat and crinkled when she moved. He on the other hand wore leather pants and a regular white shirt that he had tucked into his pants. His piercing was the only jewelry he wore today, apart from the rings on his fingers.

“We’ll arrive soon,” he announced when he turned left at an intersection, leaving the main street and following a smaller one into a secluded area of the forest.

“I can’t wait!” she grinned and craned her neck, hoping to get a glimpse of the cottage through the trees. He chuckled and accelerated. Trees passed by quickly and they reached their destination within another minute. He pulled into the driveway of a small house with a wooden façade. It looked dreamy like it had been made for a green witch like her. Moss covered the roof and wildflowers grew in its vicinity. It had a patio with a seating area and a fireplace. Yoonhee already imagined how cozy it would be to spend the evenings there.

She hopped out of the car and took a closer look at the cottage. Baekhyun followed her at a distance, studying the play of emotions on her face. He could have afforded an expensive hotel room instead, but he had been convinced she would appreciate this much more. And he had been right.

“Can we go inside?” she asked, already standing at the door and peering through a window. “Baekhyun, please?”

“I’m coming,” he said, opening the trunk of the car and unloading two small suitcases. She couldn’t even blink, so fast did he appear next to her. The door was locked with a code and he opened it, letting her enter first.

Yoonhee twirled in a circle, her eyes darting around. The scent of wood reached her nose, reminding her of nature. A fluffy white carpet lay on the wooden floorboards, a sofa standing next to it. The fireplace was decorated with rough stones and black metal, giving the r