Jinyoung’s POV

He’s… he’s a… no this can’t be. They aren’t real, right? I’m just being delusional. But he turned into that… beast and he… oh my god, what the is going on?!

“Jinyoung? Jinyoung, you’re bleeding!” My uncle rushed towards me but I swat his hand when he attempts to hold me.

“Stay away from me! You’re…you’re one of them!” I shout and immediately all eyes in the clinic turn to me. Compare to normal days the clinic was so full of wounded men and I was afraid to admit it that perhaps this has something to do with what I witnessed a while ago.

My uncle’s eyes grew wide after hearing me. I bet I look horrible as of the moment – limping, bleeding leg, messy hair, dirty clothes, I’m scared and confused too. Why the heck is this happening? Now that I’m beginning to adjust things starting going downhill again.

I ignore my still shocked uncle and run as fast as I could with my wounded leg to my room. I could hear shouts from my family and Youngjae but I didn’t care, I want them to leave me alone. I sit in the farthest corner of my room while covering my ears with my dirt and blood-soaked hands. I wanted them to go away and let me be. Maybe in a few minutes, I will realize that this all isn’t true that my imagination was just playing tricks on me.

Still with the pounding in my door and voices calling out my name I tried to recall the events that took place. Luke and I were having a good rest on that big tree where we usually sit there in the lake when suddenly three wolves with red eyes popped out of nowhere. I was really scared so I tried to get away. Unfortunately, I stumbled and fell on the ground, my right leg hitting a sharp rock in the process of keeping my distance from the feral animals. In my will to escape the area, I ended up trapped at the bank of the lake with Luke crying in my arms. More wolves came and we got surrounded. When I thought it was the end of us things suddenly happened so fast my eyes got transfixed to the scene unfolding in front of me. Right there, before my very own eyes, I saw Mark running then turning into a big white wolf and started to snap the necks of the wolves that surrounded us. More wolves came and there was like a bloodbath of wolf blood by the lake.

The scene was too much. Too bloody, too brutal to watch so I left. I was so scared by what I have witnessed. I even put Luke down coz he might be one of them and the fear of him turning into one got the best in me so though it made me guilty, I abandon the kid. He was screaming daddy when I started to run off and even if it hurts me to see and hear him cry, I fled. I fled before anyone could notice me and stop me. Reaching the end of the dirt road I saw Mark’s car wide open and I feel relieved coz I wouldn’t be able to run fast with my leg. So I climbed in and drove back here to ing hide and ponder about everything.

“Jinyoung! Baby I know you’re there, open the door please. Let’s talk.” I heard Mark plead as he knocked on my door and attempted to open the knob. I don’t know how long I was cooped up, hiding in here. It must have been long already since I could see that it’s already dark outside.

“Go away! Leave me alone!” I shouted, hugging my knees to my chest and ignoring the pang of pain from my leg.

“We need to talk Jinyoung, please. Just let me explain,” he begged, his voice sounded desperate.

“I don’t want to talk to you!” I shouted back. He kept pleading but I ignored his every plea and sobbed silently in my corner. All the events were overwhelming me and I don’t know what to believe and what to do anymore. In my train of thoughts and heavy sobs, I failed to realize that Mark’s voice was gone and before I knew it I heard my door click open.

“Don’t come in! Leave me alone!” I cry as I saw Mark enter. He’s wearing a new set of clothes though his hair was still disheveled. I scoot closer to the wall but there’s really no more room to move especially with Mark advancing towards me. Flashes of images of him being a wolf with long canines sinking and snapping his enemies’ necks with ease flood in my mind. “Please don’t hurt me,” I blurt out shielding myself with my arms and peeking between them. I could see him standing still, looking at my bleeding leg. He looks pained.

“I will never hurt you Jinyoung. I just need to talk, explain myself and what happened a while ago. Please baby, hear me out first then I’ll let you be,” he said, taking another step closer. I begin to lower my arm and he smiled slightly at me. “Can I sit?” he asked pointing at the floor. I watched him warily for a few seconds before nodding. He whispered a soft thank you before sitting so he was on the floor, back leaning on my bed and I am about a few feet away still pressed firmly on the wall and chest heaving from crying.

“How much do you know about werewolves?” he asked, I didn’t respond. “I honestly don’t know where to start explaining Jinyoung-ah, all I can say is that our race is not just a fictional character or a myth. We have been walking and living in this world just as long as you humans have, maybe even way more ancient. I am sorry if I didn’t tell you. I was just really scared that you will leave me if you found out,” he stated, his elbows resting on top of his knees and he’s running his hands frustratedly in his hair.

“I’m so sorry you have to discover it this way Jinyoung. If I knew those rogues would try something I shouldn’t have left the pack. I acted on pure instinct when I saw you and Luke and my wolf took over. I can’t let anything happen to you Jinyoung-ah. I’ll die first before they could get you. I’m sorry that you got hurt and I’m sorry if we scared you. I, we here in the pack will never hurt you, please believe me when I say that,” he continues. He is looking at me and I could see that he’s hurting too. He looked like he’s trying to hold himself together.

To be honest I want to scream and shout at him. I want to fear him and flee from this town to forget everything, forget that they exist. But even the thought of leaving Mark hurts me like I am meant to stay here and be with him. It also didn’t help that Mark looked devastated as well and just as scared as me. What he’s scared about though was something I’m clueless about.

“Baby please say something,” Mark said nervously after observing me in silence. I looked up and meet his eyes, they were worriedly looking back at me.

“My uncle is he…”

“Yes, he’s one of us. So are your aunt and nephew. Not everyone in this town is a werewolf but all of them belongs to my pack,” he explained then my eyes started to water again when I remember Luke and the fact that I left him in the midst of chaos.

“Luke…” I muttered and I let a tear slip down my face. Mark smiled.

“He’s human like you. Like I said before, I only found him. I actually rescued him from rogues. And don’t worry about him, he’s still wailing and calling for you but he’s fine,” he supplied like he knew what was running in my head. Knowing that he’s human too made me guiltier that I left him.

“I left him. I ran away and abandoned him. What if something bad happened to him, what if…” I began to cry again, sobbing into my hands and feeling stupid and ashamed for what I did. Not even seconds after, I feel two strong arms and the familiar sparks traveling my nerves. I began to panic again but the feeling of calmness and safety these arms and warm body gave me overtakes the fear in me.

Mark effortlessly lifted me and the next thing I knew I was on the bed straddling him, my legs on either side of him and not even caring that the blood from my injured leg was staining the sheets. Mark of course made sure I wouldn’t hurt my leg even more. I began to squirm from him but he only held me tighter, his hand around my waist and the other is tucking my head in his neck and letting me cry in there.

“Don’t feel bad about Luke. I completely understand why you did it and I’m sure Luke understands too. I’m really, really sorry Jinyoung-ah, I didn’t intend for you to find out about it this this way. I’m so sorry,” he whispered his apologies on top of my head over and over again.

I wanted to fear him, to flee and forget that this has happened, or refuse to believe that all this is true but I can’t. To see him hurting tears me apart too and knowing that he’s worried and hurting because of me only makes me want to stay and make it better for him.

He allowed me to cry on his shoulder while he soothed and attempted to calm me. Soon enough I started to relax in his embrace, his scent that I love so much helped clear my mind. We stayed this way until a knock echoed from my door. When it opened, my uncle stepped in and he’s holding his first aid kit.

“Jinyoung,” he called, “can I come in? Alpha?” He asked cautiously.

Alpha? What’s an Alpha?

“Baby I called him so he can clean your leg. You’ve been bleeding and it needs to be checked,” Mark informed as he pulled away slightly to peek into my face. I stared at my uncle then nod slightly. Mark gently rearranged us both till he was sitting and leaning on the headboard of the bed and I was sitting between his legs, my back leaning on his warm chest. My uncle climbed on the other side of the bed before putting a thick cloth under my wounded leg to minimize the stain on the bed.

“Were you bitten or clawed by rogues or this is from something else?” my uncle asked while starting to clean the dried blood around the wound.

I pondered for a moment and realize that the rogue they are referring to is those red-eyed wolves that surrounded us in the lake. I shook my head. “I fell and hurt myself,” I told him. None of them breathed a word after that.

Mark’s hands soon find mine. He entwined them and he’d let me grip it when I feel a sting of pain. I would flinch and wince now and then and Mark would whisper comforting words to help me. I momentarily forget that this man behind me and my uncle are werewolves. At the moment, I see nothing but two men who care so much for me, two men who will put their lives first to save mine.

They’re werewolves but do that really made a big difference? I asked myself. They are still the same people who cherish me despite countless times I pushed them away. They never gave up on me after putting them through so much with my behavioral and attachment issues. And now it was me who’s dealing with the truth about them, can I really give up on them?

“The wound isn’t that big to require stiches but it’s deep. You shouldn’t strain your leg for a couple of days Jinyoung-ah, you don’t want that to bleed again,” my uncle said while putting his medical supplies back to his kit. I remained silent and watch him stand up. “I’ll have someone to bring the food in here. It has been a tiring day and it’s past dinner time, you both must eat,” he added, smiling gently at us.

“Thank you so much hyung. Can you also please send Bam or Yugyeom to see if Luke is fine?” Mark responded. He shifted behind me and pulled himself away. He stood up and gently helped me sit comfortably on the bed.

“I will Alpha. I’ll leave you two now,” uncle Haejin bid and before he closed the door he glanced at me, eyes filled with affection. “And Jinyoung-ah, always remember I am still the uncle you knew. I will die protecting you as what I have promised to your parents.” Then he disappeared from the room.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Mark announced after my Uncle left. He started to rummage through my closet and pulled a  shirt and sweats. He placed them on the bed before approaching me. “Come, I’ll help you to the bathroom.”

Mark carried me with ease to my bathroom. He also gathered the fresh set of clothes and placed them by the sink. He told me to freshen up and call him if I need anything before leaving me.

I couldn’t really take a bath, too tired and too weak to bathe myself so I settle for wiping myself and washing my face. I’ll take a bath tomorrow when I feel a whole lot better. After putting on the clothes, I limply walk out of the bathroom and I found Mark tidying my new bedsheets. When he realized I was staring he instantly approached me and help me back on the bed where a tray of food was waiting for both of us.

“I know you have plenty of questions Jinyoung-ah but for now let’s eat, we can talk after,” he said.

I indeed have a whole lot of questions to ask but I need my strength before he revealed everything to me. So for now, food it is.