Thank you so much for the reassurance, my lovelies >///< I appreciate all the feedback, you're all way too wonderful, I love you all so very much. Thank you for sticking so far with me, and I hope you like this update as well!!!! Sorry it's a little shorter in comparison to the previous few ^^;

Wuah~ I'm shy about the last chapter hehe but I'm relieved! LOVE YOU!! *more obnoxious kisses*

~

The next morning, going directly against our wish to stay in the room forever, Hakyeon started beating his fists against the door noisily, waking me up first. As soon as I realized it wasn’t a dire emergency, I closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath of Taekwoon’s tantalizing peppermint scent mixed with amber spice, prepared to go right back to sleep. Opposite to how we’d been sleeping the past couple of nights, he was curled around me with his chest firm against my back, his body heat warming me better than the bed covers ever would. Both his arms were enveloping me, securing me into his tight embrace, and nowhere near possible to escape. Not that I wanted to.

Taekwoon’s muscles twitched when Hakyeon started pounding on the door again, even louder than before. The door was barely muffling his voice, that’s how powerful his shouting was. “Taekwoonie! I know you’re in there, young man! I know you must be super exhausted, but you have to come out here now and talk about super secret manly stuff.”

Awake now, Taekwoon sighed and his breath blew my hair onto my face, which he brushed away himself once he realized what he’d done. I wriggled about in his arms, rolling around to face him. He loosened his arms just enough to let me move, but he didn’t let me go, keeping me against him the whole time. Facing each other now, skin to skin, he brought his face closer to mine and angled his head, kissing me chastely on the lips for his good morning.

We both stilled when Hakyeon once again started to pummel the door. “Jung Taekwoon!” he exclaimed, and then launched into a string of words I couldn’t understand whatsoever, but not because of lack of clarity or volume.

All throughout Hakyeon’s caterwauling, Taekwoon kept his lips on mine, choosing to ignore him altogether. I was more than happy to keep kissing him, of course, my whole body feeling lighter than a feather, but then the doorknob started jiggling.

I jolted back from Taekwoon’s sensual mouth and peeled my eyes wide at him while his amber gaze peered at me lazily. “If he comes in here and sees me ,” I warned him, “I’m going to throttle you both.”

He didn’t like the sound of any of that (except maybe the throttling Hakyeon part), but ended up smirking anyway. “I almost forgot.” Then, feeling extra playful despite my threats, he pulled one arm from around me to lift the covers off, peeking down with a wry grin.

I covered up again hastily, bumping his shoulder with my head on purpose. “Hey, buddy, watch yourself.”

Laughing quietly, he started kissing me again sweetly.

From the other side of the door, multiple voices started exclaiming delightedly. Taekwoon barely reacted, so I guess he already knew there had been more than one person listening in, but that didn’t make me any less shy.

“Is it weird for me to think they’re so cute?” Ravi’s unmistakable voice inquired, and then Jaehwan exclaimed very happily, “Of course not!” Ken yelled a little louder again, reaching an impossibly high pitch, and then he said in his regular loud voice, “We’re just very proud because someone’s finally doing it right.”

Red-faced, I met Taekwoon’s eyes. “They can hear us that clearly?” When he shrugged and nodded, my heart just about shattered from humiliation. “So then, last night, they could…?” Taekwoon’s lack of an answer was answer enough. Groaning quietly, I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in his bare chest. “Oh, how embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry!” Sanghyuk piped up, raising his voice to be heard too. “We put on headphones as soon as we realized you weren’t dying.” The others burst out into rowdy laughter.

Someone started clapping, but it was pretty easy to figure out that it was Hakyeon, especially when he started gushing, “Our Taekwoonie is all grown up!”

Taekwoon was the uncomfortable one this time, although I was still mortified. He said in quite the intimidating voice that didn’t even need volume to sound menacing, “I’ll be right down.” The silent command was impossible to miss, and even my weaker ears were able to hear the scrambling of the boys out in the hallway.

Now that we were more or less alone again, Taekwoon’s eyes gazed into mine, his irises no longer a rich gold. They were a serene onyx now, the color of the man, and just as tantalizing as the incandescent gaze of the wolf. In his sweet and gentle voice, he told me, “I’ll go down first and make sure breakfast is ready.” He shifted his body so his leg went between my shins, spreading my legs gently. His hand wandered down my side, tickling as his fingertips skimmed over my skin, and grasped my knee, lifting it enough so he could hitch it on his hip. He kept his hand on the back of my thigh and splayed his fingers carefully over my skin. Concern laced his beautiful voice as he asked me, “How do you feel?”

Swept up in his perfection, I pressed my lips briefly to the skin over his heart. “Like I’m in a dream.”

My kiss tickled him a little and he wiggled without meaning to, although that only made him cuter. He smiled at me and brought his hand up from my thigh to spear his fingers into my hair, holding a handful just behind my ear. “I know what you mean, but I’m talking about…” He raised his eyebrows pointedly and I giggled breathlessly, shy. His cheeks donned a lovely shade of red and he skimmed his heel over one of my calves, urging me to answer him honestly. “You’re okay?”

I leaned into him with a happy sigh and nodded, seeking his lips again. “I’m more than okay,” I reassured him, dying to get another taste of him.

Just when things were starting to get really good again, more pounding on my door resounded, but this time it was just Ken.

“Taekwoonie-hyung!” he exclaimed, lapsing back and forth from Korean to English. “Please don’t get mad at me, but Hakyeonnie-hyung threatened to beat me up if I didn’t come and get you. Please don’t beat me up, either.”

Amused with Ken's cutie-boy behavior, I laughed breathlessly, taking my hands back and keeping them to myself. Taekwoon exhaled roughly and rolled off of me, flopping unhappily onto his back, sprawling out beside me, but then pulled me onto his chest, craning his neck to kiss me one last time. Leaving my head even more bubbly, he broke away and said, “I’ll wait for you downstairs,” and left me in a daze on the bed.

I plopped onto my stomach and watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, my eyebrows raised in appreciation as he started to get dressed. A Taekwoon was a gift from above, and although I was being a ert and I didn’t want him getting dressed, it was still a very nice experience to see him getting dressed from behind. His whole body was a gift from above.

The boxers came on, and the sweatpants came on, and then he was starting to shrug into his t-shirt.

“Wait, wait!” I jumped up from the bed wrapped in the comforter and stopped him, hobbling over to my bag hanging from a hook next to the closet. He watched me curiously as I started pawing through it, finally plucking a long black box from the depths of the dark canvas sack. Walking back to him, I held out the slim velvet case for him to take. I smiled timidly as he did, wrapping my arms around myself. “I got that yesterday while you were looking for the guys’ stuff.” Blushing, I cleared my throat, running a hand through my disheveled hair unconsciously. “It’s to say thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

He regarded me carefully, eyes wide. Looking down at the box, holding it gingerly in his artistic hands, he blinked multiple times without saying anything, taken aback. He started to shake his head. “I can’t accept this. You’ve given me enough, I don’t—”

I stepped into him, pressing the box against his chest. I smiled up at him. “On the contrary. You’ve given me my life back,” I confessed, taking a deep breath as I observed his features. He was so very pleasing to the eyes, his face so uniquely handsome and attractive, his body a temptation. What was truly beautiful about him, however, was his soul. Raising my hand to cup his face affectionately, I whispered, “I’m alive because of you.” I looked down at the box between us. “Please, open it.”

After another moment’s worth of hesitation, he poised his fingertips on the lid of the case and started to lift it slowly. Instead of looking inside with him, I watched his face, curious to see his reaction.

His eyes widened little by little as he scrutinized the white-gold necklace wound inside, the chain thick and heavy-duty and long enough so he could wrap it twice around his neck, or thrice if he wanted to. I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I waited, my heartbeat erratic.

Very slowly, he lifted the chain from the box. I held my breath, hoping he would like what was attached.

His eyes widened, irises flashing to match the amber stone that now dangled between us. When his eyes moved to meet mine, I had to take a moment to center myself due to how intensely he was looking at me. I dropped my eyes shyly, but he took my chin in his other hand and lifted my face again, making sure I met his stare. “Why?”

“Because I love you,” I whispered, shrugging my shoulders lightly.

Winding his arm around my waist, he pulled me tightly against him, bowing me back as he kissed me with fiery intensity, his lips moving against mine with near-desperation. I kissed him back, of course I did, and held onto his shoulders, unwittingly releasing the blanket that was wrapped around me. When the material dropped, he pulled away enough to look down at what happened, then started to smile slowly.

Warmth coursing through me, I shook my head slowly at him while I smiled wryly. “You are a ert.”

A very scary “JUNG TAEKWOON!” carried over from the bottom of the stairs, and I cleared my throat guiltily, backing away to bend down and retrieve my makeshift dress.

Wrapping myself up again, I grinned cheekily at Taekwoon. “I guess you better get going before he comes and drags you out.”

Exhaling while raking his fingers back through his hair unhappily, he nodded. Before he took his leave, however, he set the black box on the bed and gave me the necklace. “You put it on,” he murmured, his voice making me shiver.

Delighted, I held the chain in both hands and tiptoed to be able to reach better as I put on the necklace, the amber stone hanging just above his belly button. I reached down and brushed my knuckles over his navel, fascinated by the way the stone looked against his smooth skin. He quivered and snatched my hand, pulling me against him again, shaking his head. “Don’t touch me like that,” he warned, and caged me in his arms again.

I tilted my head, trying not to feel hurt by the way he’d said it. “Why not?”

Realizing he’d been misunderstood, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against my ear as he whispered, “Because it makes me want to touch you, too.”

It was my turn to tremble. Just as he brought his mouth to mine, another inhuman shriek came from the hallway, successfully ruining the moment. I laughed breathlessly and ran my hands over the soft skin of his back, fingernails barely scratching. “I’ll see you downstairs,” I promised, and had the unfortunate experience of seeing him go.

Shrugging into his t-shirt as he walked out, hiding the chain away like a precious secret, he looked over his shoulder with golden eyes and smirked. “You’re the ert.” Then his eyes dropped down to my body, and I realized I was again; he chuckled darkly as he closed the door tightly behind him upon exiting.

Gaping, I looked around for the comforter, but I couldn’t find the blanket at all.

I brushed my teeth, I showered, I combed my hair, and then dressed into my favorite pair of comfy jeans and a loose knit sweater. I was examining the fading blue in my hair, the original sapphire color now closer to a deep gray, when the doorbell chimed and echoed throughout the house. Looking up silently, I wondered if they’d ordered takeout again, but then reasoned that it was still too early for them to have opted for that, also recalling that Hongbin had mentioned waffles during video games last night. I stood motionlessly, wondering if I was supposed to join them still or wait.

I’d taken a step forward towards the door when the window slid open behind me, and I whirled around with wide eyes, wishing I had a bat to swing. When I saw that it was just Ravi, however, I relaxed, but then narrowed my eyes at him dubiously. “Why are you climbing through the win—?”

He jerked his hand up and pressed his index finger to his lips, shushing me. Surprised, I waited silently while he finished entering noiselessly, realizing that he’d let me hear him opening the window out of courtesy. His hair was slightly windblown, swept back stylishly from his sharp, handsome face, and he was wearing nothing but a pair of torn-up black pants with his muscular torso in full display, his feet also bare. Recognizing the look, I raised my eyebrows.

Whispering, I asked, “Did you just change back from—?”

He shushed me again, stepping soundlessly over the floor of the bedroom, approaching me swiftly. He went over to the door and motioned for me to follow him, pressing his ear to the wooden surface. I followed his lead, moving as silently as I could manage, and listened like he did.

A stranger’s voice conversed casually with Hakyeon and Ken. I couldn’t make out what they were saying no matter how hard I strained my hearing, and I frowned, disliking my lack of knowledge in regards to their conversation due to my crappy hearing when the wolves could listen in on everything.

“Who is it?” I asked quietly, and Ravi’s eyes flashed brightly, turning the color my hair had been before the sapphire washed out, his gaze a couple shades bluer than Hakyeon's.

“Trespassers,” he rumbled back, using the plural, voice gravelly.

He disliked these strangers, that was certain, and an ominous feeling was born in my lower belly. I kept silent again and tried to hear anything, anything at all, but all I heard was mumbling.

Worried about my new family, I started to ask him, “Is it an enemy? Is it dangerous—?”

My inquiries halted when we both heard the unmistakable sound of a crash. I lunged towards the door immediately, reaching for the doorknob, but Ravi caught me in his muscular arms before I could even make contact, snatching me away. My feet dangled as I was lifted up and away, and he whipped around, making sure I was away from the entry, and reached out with one hand to lock the door before hurrying towards the window with me still in his arms. Glass shattered next from downstairs, and then there was a thud like someone hitting the wall, and I struggled, terrified that it was Sanghyuk, Hongbin, Hakyeon, Jaehwan, or Taekwoon getting hurt.

“Wait!” I protested, but that only made Ravi clap his hand over my mouth.

Suddenly, my hearing improved, and I heard all too clearly, “They’re keeping it upstairs!”

I had a strong hunch that I was the it they were referring to, and it wanted to go and kick their asses. Yelling against Ravi’s hand, I squirmed even more, trying to get free to go and do just that. Another, louder crash sounded, and I figured out that it was on the stairs; a melodious, familiar snarl roared and vibrated throughout the house, loosening some of the fear from around my heart, his furious growling reassuring me.

“You’ve got to help me get you out the window, home girl,” Ravi mumbled, and I finally started to cooperate, lifting my legs for him to push me out through the opening. He let me go as soon as I touched the shingles of the roof, but then grabbed a hold again to help me feather-foot it to the side and out of the way for him to climb out, too.

The sounds of the fight inside intensified and I started to inch back, but Ravi grabbed me again, careful not to send us both rolling off the rooftop. His eyes, still a shock of blue in his gorgeous face, narrowed as he ordered, “You’ll only be a distraction. Let me get you to safety so I can help them.”

There was a kind of push to his voice, and I was unable to resist his command. Obeying, although I didn’t want to, I started to crabwalk my way towards the awning just up ahead, planning on climbing down using the cobblestones on this side of the house. Before I could even start the descent, however, Ravi jumped down before me and landed lithely on the balls of his feet. Recovering instantly, he turned towards me and held up his arms, urging me to hurry up and jump.

I hesitated briefly, not so sure about the trust fall he suddenly wanted us to partake in together, but I remembered that the boys were inside fighting, and that made up my mind for me. I trusted Ravi after all, and launched myself off the roof.

The sense of weightlessness made my stomach shrivel up and my heart skipped excitedly, suddenly getting a rush of adrenaline. I kept myself from making any embarrassing noises, and closed my eyes just as Ravi rose to meet me, his arms extended for me. We collided a little less roughly than I had anticipated because he took a few steps back upon impact, his arms wrapped around me tightly enough to crush weaker bones. My feet touched the ground and he took his arms back, but snatched my wrist to half-drag me after him.

It was terribly obvious then that they were all holding back around me; he was extremely fast, and although I tried my best to keep up with him, my feet barely touched the ground with how fast he was moving.

Just as I was wondering at the velocity at which he traveled, he stopped suddenly and I crashed into his back, the collision hurting my chest and knocking the wind out of me. Gasping, I fell back gracelessly onto my derriere and stared up at him, my arms wrapped around my throbbing s, eyes watering from the shock of pain.

Ravi didn’t turn to look at me, remaining rigid in front of me, staring straight ahead with his hands curled into claws at his sides. A low rumbling growl vibrated his upper body, menacing and slightly traumatizing, and icy fear stabbed through my heart. Gulping apprehensively, I leaned to the side to look around him, and the two wolves that were standing there with their teeth bared caught sight of me at the same time that I found them. One of them, a smaller female that was still taller than I was while I was sitting, snapped her teeth at me with a vicious snarl, and her companion lunged.