Chapter 13 - 14

Irene woke up with the smell of butter, bacon and eggs filling the whole room. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Wendy's back on the kitchen cooking.

She got up and rubbed her eyes before getting off of the bed. Wendy was wearing her Mickey Mouse shirt. She smirked and walked to her giving her mate a backhug. She snuggled her face to Wendy's neck inhaling her scent. "You look good with my clothes on."

Wendy smiled and turned off the stove. She faced her mate ready to give her a morning kiss. Irene stopped her by putting her hands on Wendy's chest as a defense. She put up her right hand to cover , "No. Don't kiss me! I haven't brushed my teeth yet." She said.

Wendy laughed and circled her arms on Irene's waist. She closed the gap between them that earned a slap on the shoulder from the latter. "Owww!" She said rubbing her shoulder. Irene walked away from her and made her way to the bathroom. "I told you I didn't brush my teeth yet! No kissing with morning breath. That's so unromantic~" she said before closing the bathroom door.

Wendy just sighed dreamily at how cute her mate can be.

***

After eating breakfast, the two sat on the carpeted floor at the foot of the bed. Wendy sat with a bean bag behind her and Irene sat between her legs as she gave her a back hug on that position. They we're watching some random movie they came across on TV.

"Seungwan~" Irene called softly.

"Hmm?" Wendy hummed as she kissed the crown of Irene's head.

"I'm meeting a family member tomorrow. Would that be fine with you?" She asked.

"Can I come?" Wendy asked without thinking much. Irene turned to her frowning. Wendy bit her lips, "I was just kidding. Of course you can, babydoll." She smiled.

"I'm sorry you can't come. How 'bout this?" She said standing up. Wendy's eyes followed her. Irene stretched her hand to Wendy inviting her to stand up too. "Why don’t you help me shop today? You can help me pick what to wear." She said. Wendy stayed silent for a moment. She hated shopping. Irene pouted and said, "Ahhngg~ come on~~ you know you want to come with me too~~" Wendy's eyes were about to leave their sockets with the rare display of Irene's aegyo. She chuckled and stood up grabbing her hand. "Arasseo~”

***

Irene was wandering on a dress shop while she asked Wendy to buy some groceries so they won't have to take too long in the mall.

And as she was wandering a dress displayed by the windows of the store caught her eyes. She went close to it and looked around for a clerk.

"Excuse me." She asked as soon as she saw one.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Can I try this on?"

The clerk looked at the dress and offered Irene a slight bow. "I’m sorry ma'am. That's a made to order dress. It's going to be picked up by the owner today. They must've displayed it by mistake." She smiled apologetically.

"Oh... I see. Thank you then." She answered and watched as the clerk tried to carry the mannequin away from the windows. Irene can't take her eyes away from the dress.

Just then a lady entered the shop.

"Miss Hwang!" The clerk called affectionately at the lady.

The lady flashed her blinding eye smile on the employee. "Hi~ is that the dress I've ordered?"

Irene laid her eyes on her. 'She's that girl. The dragon earrings.' just as she thought of that, her eyes searched if she was indeed wearing a dragon earring.

"Yes, Miss Hwang. We almost made a mistake selling it today. We're very sorry."

"Selling it?"

"O-oh, the new trainee must've mistakenly put your dress on display by the windows and a customer just now tried to look at it for fitting." The clerk explained looking sideways at Irene's way.

As if the lady knew what happened before she came in she walked towards Irene extending her hand for a handshake. "Stephanie Miyoung Hwang." She said smiling with those eyes again. Hesitantly Irene took it and shook it. "Bae Joohyun." She said.

The lady stopped shaking her hand for awhile. "Bae Joohyun?" Irene took her hand back. "Nae. Bae Joohyun." The lady smiled widely. "Bae Joohyun, Kwon Jiyong's daughter?" Irene's brows creased. "How'd you know my dad?"

The lady hugged her. "It's me! Stephie-unnie!"

Stephie? Stephie unnie? Irene's mind went back to what her aunt said. Then it made sense. Her mom wanted her to trust this woman for a reason. So this was the reason?

'Joohyun-ah, I have to go. There has been an attack at the center near the borders. Babydoll...' Wendy reached out to their link.

'Do you have to go?' Irene asked worriedly.

'I have to. Yuri and Jessica unnie needs me.' Wendy sighed on their link.

'Be careful~'

'Dont worry. I'll always come home to you.'

"Hyun-ah, are you okay?" Her so called childhood unnie asked her.

"U-uhm.. j-just a bit surprised." Tiffany or Stephanie as she introduced herself to her took one step back. "I'm sorry. I got excited seeing you all grown up already! I didn't expect to see you here. I was thinking I'd see you tomorrow~"

"I was here to actually shop for a dress to wear on your recital." She explained warming up to her bit by bit.

"Is that so?" She said raising her brow on her looking back at the dress she ordered. "You can take the dress!" She said cheerfully.

"Oh no! I can't. It's yours!" She answered waving her hands above her chest to refuse her offer. "Please take it. Think of it as a gift." Tiffany said smiling.

Irene looked at the dress. No matter how hard she refused Tiffany's offer, in the end she didn't win against her and took the dress.

The two then decided to eat on a nearby restaurant to catch up with each other.

"Are you with someone right now?" Tiffany asked her.

"I was with someone awhile ago but she had to go off somewhere."

"Do you need a lift to your place then?"

Irene pondered for a minute. Her mind went back to what her mom said. She trusted her mom and her instincts, "Are you sure it's not a bother, Miyoungie?"

Tiffany's eyes turned into crescent moons and smiled brightly after Irene called her by the nickname she asked of her to call her. She held her hand on her. "Of course not!”

****

When Wendy arrived at the scene, the center was burnt in shambles. Her eyes caught Krystal and Seulgi helping some victims. She ran to them. "What happened here?"

"They were attacked by that same dragon. It's a good thing Dara saw it on the Haridan right away." Krystal answered as she went to guide the victims to the truck that was going to send the refugees to a safe place.

Seulgi grabbed Wendy's collar and snarled at her. "I joined Taeyeon unnie's pack because you said so. Taeyeon unnie is a wreck right now with Sunny unconscious! Our Beta is with the philosopher at Nereides! No one! No one from my pack was fit enough to come and help! You promised me Wendy! You told me you'll keep my new family safe if I stayed here!"

Krystal ran to Seulgi's side breaking them apart. "Seul! Stop it." She warned. She turned to Wendy after, "You should go to Lykos. They caught Tyler already. Your sister and Dara are interrogating him. Unnie, Seulgi and I will handle things here."

Wendy and Seulgi stared at each other for a whole minute, eye to eye. Wendy sighed and turned away from them to do what Krystal said.

***

Dara's white hair lighted up the room. The dragon was now in his human form, the chains on her arms preventing him to shift. "Who sent you?" Yuri asked.

The dragon just smirked and spit some blood out.

Dara clenched her hand lightly and the chains on her wrist holding him up tightened.

"Answer me if you wanna live longer." Yuri said through gritted teeth.

The dragon laughed out loud his voice echoing inside the dungeon. "You won't kill me. If you kill me you won't find out who sent me."

"Was there really someone who sent you?" Dara smirked, "For all we know you're just alone and wanted to take Sooyeon again from us."

The dragon laughed again, "Do you think I'll pick a fight with you around these mutts without someone powerful above me? After you wiped out my flock single handedly? I’m not as stupid as the pups you’re raising." He smirked.

"YOU!" Yuri yelled in rage with his insult, her right arm shifted. He clawed the dragon's abdomen deep enough to hurt but not deep enough to kill.

"STOP IT YURI!" Dara shouted. "If you can't keep your cool then go upstairs. I sense Wendy nearby. Brief her."

Yuri glared at the man once more before storming out of the dungeon. As soon as Yuri was earshot, Dara asked him again. "Who sent you?"

From the shadows Yeri revealed herself. "I did.”

***

"Long time no see, unnie." Yeri said flashing a smirk on Dara.

"Ye-Yeri?" Dara couldn't recognize her own voice as she said her name. Her concentration to keep her white witch form on disappeared. Her hair turned back to normal again.

Another girl from the shadows showed up. The girl went behind the dragon and effortlessly cut the chains using her fingernails.

"I'm taking back my pet now, unnie." Yeri said flashing a cheery smile on her sister who was still awestruck.

"How are you still alive?"

"Long story~"

"You sent him?"

"Yeah. I did. It just so happened that both of my niece met again." She said teasingly.

"Do you know how many lives were lost today?! I’m going to kill you Yeri!" Dara said summoning her power back up again.

"Oh no unnie~ you won’t~ you'll let us go. After all, I know where your daughter is."

Dara looked back at her dazed. "Liar."

"I lived and stopped aging at the age of 17. It's not impossible to make your daughter immortal too." She smirked. She looked back to the girl with her and the dragon. "We gotta go now unnie." She giggled. "If you're wondering how we got in~ ... Let’s just say you're not the only one who's talented with black magic." With that they vanished through the shadows of the room.

Dara's legs gave up on her. She was left there; kneeling.