Well! The time has come. I wrapped this one up a little sooner than I had imagined ;-; I'm so grateful to all of my subscribers, all my faithful readers, all my silent readers, all those who commented, I love you all! Thank you so much! I apologize for all my craziness as well, of course, and for all the absurdities xD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING THIS FAR WITH ME! *throws confetti while sobbing unattractively* I'm sorry, I love you~! I hope you enjoy this last chappie!!!

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It was surprisingly easy to open my eyes despite the tranquilizer. Lifting my eyelids, I glanced around slowly, my body still feeling like it had been steamrolled. My head was definitely unhappy, my neck was screaming, and even my thigh was burning from where I was shot. But, hey—I was surrounded by luxury. I was laid out on a large, cloud-like bed, and expensive artwork was hung on the sky-blue walls caging me in. There were gold fixtures and accents everywhere, and it looked like it was real gold adorning the room, not just paint or a metal that resembled it. I could smell something light and pleasant in the air, sweet and feminine but not cloying, and classical music drifted from speakers set into the mirrored ceiling. Catching my reflection up top, I found out I had been changed out of my old clothes and I was now wearing a dress I would have liked if it hadn’t been picked out by Lissa, although it really was more on the gothic side; black skirt loose around my legs, the dark blue bodice hugged the right curves but remained flowing in other areas so I didn’t feel self-conscious, and the straps were sheer.

For some unholy reason, she put me in high heels.

I ditched those immediately, knowing full well that if I kept them on that it’d be harder for me to run or, worse, that I’d break an ankle or snap my neck because such was my luck.

Getting up cautiously from the bed, wincing over and over and gritting my teeth to keep from hissing and groaning, I finally got myself sitting upright on the edge. By this point, I felt ready to pass out from the pain in my head.

“About time.”

I jumped violently and jerked around despite the pain I was suffering. I definitely hadn’t seen her before, but now she was seated in the white wingback chair next to the black marble fireplace on the other side of the bedroom. Her legs were crossed elegantly at the knee, her hands folded in her lap, and she was wearing a daring black leather skirt with a midnight blue bustier. Actually, she was matching what I was wearing, down to the heels that I had forsaken. Her hair was braided—just like mine was—and she was wearing dramatic eyeliner and dark red lips—like me. She definitely wore it all better, however, especially with the color of her vampire eyes and the lack of bruises on her perfect skin.

Smiling beatifically, she admitted, “I was just about to shake you awake because I was starting to get bored just watching you.” She looked at the expensive gold watch she wore on the inside of her right wrist, the theme of the bedroom carrying onto her accessories. “You slept right on through our makeovers, and an additional hour after that… Five hours lost.”

Standing up slowly, needing to hold onto the edge of the bed still—which was about the height of my waist—I mumbled, “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”

Arching her eyebrow, she stared at me silently before admitting, “I’m lonely.” She sighed loudly. “He always was selfish. Never stopped to think what his death would do to me.” She looked at me quietly. “All because he loved you.”

I gaped for a second, then got a hold of myself. “You don’t really think he loved me, do you?” It was like talking with Ravi all over again, except I knew this lady was nuts for sure.

She narrowed her eyes in a glare. “Don’t belittle his feelings for you, beautiful. Sure, he was off his rocker, but he loved you.”

“If he really loved me, then he would have left me alone,” I retorted. “Really, the only good thing I got out of all the he pulled was—”

“Your doggy?” she supplied for me, grinning.

I took a deep breath to calm down, beyond upset about the way she was referring to Taekwoon. “Can you really not think of a more civil way to refer to them?”

Laughing, she stood up from her chair and stepped over to the fireplace, heels clicking pleasantly over the white marble flooring, and pressed a hidden button. Within seconds, a fire was crackling, and she was smiling at the dancing flames, her silver eyes catching the light. “I’m sorry, but… Nope!” She popped the P, turning around fully when she did to smirk at me. She folded her arms, hands grasping her elbows so her blue lacquered nails were in view, and she canted her head. “You’re so protective of the wolves. As if you’re actually one of them.”

“I may be human, but they’re still my family,” I told her, afraid that she’d see through to my insecurities.

Dropping her hands to her sides, she narrowed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. “You know, talk is…” She sighed. “I can see it now, Mia. I saw it happen with Jae. They’ll tell you whatever it takes to reassure you, but then a year will go by, and then another, and then another, and then it’ll become obvious that you’re older, and they’re not.” Her expression grew sad, and I could tell it was genuine. “He couldn’t stand the thought of being left behind. Can you?”

“He wanted to kill Taekwoon.” I shuddered. “He hated him.”

“Yeah, well, your doggy wasn’t very glad to see the change in Jae, either,” said Lissa, walking towards me. She stopped halfway, eyes sharp. “Really, my beautiful girl, do you want to grow old while this so-called love of your life stays young forever?”

I scoffed. “What? Are you offering me a deal now? Do you want to turn me into a vampire—are you really suggesting that?”

She grinned. “No. I know what that does to people. And I know it’d be a problem with your puppy love.” She moved forward again towards me, slower this time. “I’m just saying that Romeo and Juliet ended up together in eternity, right? That’s what Jekyll wanted, but in all honesty, I think that can only happen when the two people involved are actually in love. I mean, it’s only logical.”

I shook my head immediately. “No. I’m not letting you do anything to him. If you’re going to kill me, do it, but he’s not—no, don’t you dare touch a single hair on his head—no.” I had to take several breaths to keep myself from losing my calm completely, unable to even think about this world without Taekwoon; it didn’t even matter if I was out of the picture.

She was surprised, to say the least, and then she was laughing wholeheartedly. “I’m impressed.” She waved her hand vaguely at me. “You see, this is what Jekyll was lacking. He only thought of himself. Yet, here we have you, thinking only about your mate—well, to an extent.” Pausing, she let her eyes drift to the side as she started thinking. “Because you’re being selfish in a different way than Jekyll.” She held up her hands, index fingers pointing skyward. “How do you think your doggy will feel if he found out you gave up without even a tiny fight? Don’t you think he’d be devastated?”

“I just want him safe,” I whispered, her words cutting me deeper than any knife ever could.

Letting her arms fall limply, she smiled, looking as an angel should, but with a devil’s intentions. “It’s going to be so difficult to kill you, Mia. You’re so fun.” She sighed regretfully, but nothing stopped her from reaching forward and taking me by my wrists, pulling me away from the bed. I didn’t resist, although I did want to, and only obeyed as she urged me to sit down on a fainting couch next to the chair she’d been occupying moments before. Standing over me, still smiling divinely, she smoothed her fingertips over my cheek and winked. “Well, since there won’t be any deals made tonight, I guess I’ll just bleed you dry now, yes?”

I let my eyes fall closed so she wouldn’t see me cry. Both her hands cupped my face, and I felt her more than heard her as she sat down next to me, scooting close enough to me that our legs were touching. She pulled me slightly towards her, tilting my head to the side, and then ran one hand down my arm to my hand, lacing her fingers with mine.

“Just relax. I promise it won’t hurt for long,” she murmured. “I’ll be the most gentle I can be.” She switched her hold so she was now cradling me in her arms, my head tucked into the crook of her neck. I was in the perfect position for her to go ahead and strike, my neck exposed so all she would have to do was curl around and bite me.

Toying with me, she continued to and pet my hair, occasionally running her nails lightly down my bare arm, telling me it was going to be okay. It took me a minute to realize that she was trying to slow my heart down.

Breathing deeply, I pictured Taekwoon’s face. The last sight of him wasn’t a very good memory; I still had the bitter taste in my mouth and I felt horrible. I should have told him I loved him. I should have told the guys how important they’d grown to be to me in such a short amount of time, and I should have told them I loved them, too.

I should have stayed home.

The unmistakable, somber tones of “Moonlight Sonata” drifted from the ceiling of Lissa’s bedroom and I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the fire. “Just get it over with,” I told her quietly, my heart broken.

She giggled quietly, her fingertips running a trail up to my neck. “Okay, beautiful. Whatever you say.”

Her nails sank into the skin of my throat and I gasped, the sharp pain shocking, but made even more horrible when she suddenly tore my flesh away. My body tensed and I almost shoved her away from me, but then she was shushing me, her face in my line of sight. Smiling angelically, she murmured, “It’ll all be over soon. I just can’t bite you or I’ll risk turning you—and you said you don’t want to be a vampire.”

Gasping, struggling to relax, I reclined against the back of the fainting couch, letting my head fall. Staring at the mirrored ceiling, I watched as the crimson from my neck poured in rivulets down my chest and arms, staining my borrowed dress and the couch I was seated on. I felt the warmth of my lifeblood, but I wasn’t comforted by it in anyway. In fact, I was starting to grow cold, and it was getting harder to breathe.

“You’ll be okay, don’t worry,” she whispered, leaning in close now, her attention on my throat.

I couldn’t find the strength to move anymore, so I could only watch her reflection in the ceiling as she neared my open wound. I barely jumped when something—her tongue—touched my skin, and then she was lapping up the blood in earnest, the foreign feeling making my skin crawl even as I was losing more and more of my life.

She leaned back and inhaled deeply, her bloodstained lips excitedly. “You taste so good!” she gushed and then laughed, smiling broadly enough that her pink teeth were in full display. She giggled more and leaned forward, cupping my cheek tenderly. “Now I know why he wanted you so badly. You’re gifted with that kind of blood that makes us vampires go mad.” She didn’t waste any more time and latched onto my neck again, and ling shamelessly, taking as much of my blood as she could now. The weight of my regrets intensified and I prayed Taekwoon wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Just as I was finished with that thought, Lissa jerked back and stood up from the fainting couch, facing the door that was now open. Of course I couldn’t lift my head, so I was stuck with the skewed version, staring at the mirrors above. Despite how faint I felt, I was still surprised to see the woman who gave birth to me standing there with Hakyeon, Ken, and of course, Taekwoon.

“You helped them, Nara?” Lissa hissed at my mom, outraged. “How dare you bring them here!”

Taking several steps forward, the high heels of her boots clacking even louder than the heels of Lissa’s shoes in her fury, my mom raged back, “How dare you touch my daughter, you sick piece of—!”

“Don’t even pretend to insult me in my own home,” Lissa quipped, bristling.

I wanted to defend my mom, I wanted to defend them all from the crazy blonde vampire, but I was dying, so I was stuck on the fainting couch, feeling appropriately faint, but also relieved that Taekwoon was safe unlike the image I still had of him, alone by my mangled truck.

As if called by my thoughts, he was by my side in an instant, ignoring Lissa altogether as if she were no threat at all. I was taken into his arms immediately, his warmth a stark contrast to the cold that had been seeping into my bones, the safety he offered welcome and as familiar as the scent that washed over me. I was home at last, and I couldn’t be any happier, even though I did wish I could hold onto him just as tightly as he held onto me.

Staring down at me, his eyes shining suspiciously, he shook his head slowly. “Why are you always leaving my side?” he demanded quietly. He blinked, and something glimmered wetly on his long lashes.

I couldn’t do much other than hold on weakly to the thin shirt he was wearing, and I smiled feebly. “I’m glad you’re safe,” I told him, but I didn’t sound anything like me.

“And look what’s happened to you,” he whispered, still shaking his head sadly. He covered my neck tenderly, although it didn’t hurt anymore. He winced for me, clenching his teeth. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Be happy, stay safe,” I told him, aware that there was a scuffle going on now over with the others, but he didn’t let me look, not even at the ceiling.

He bent down and pressed his forehead against mine, squeezing his eyes shut. “How can I do that?”

“The guys. Of course,” I told him. “Family.”

“You,” he breathed, unable to say anything else.

My vision started getting a little blurry, but I could still hear and feel him with me. “It’s okay.”

Ken’s familiar, kind voice was now near us, but he wasn’t talking to me when he said, “If you don’t do it, I will.”

I’m not sure what he was talking about, but Taekwoon was. His forehead no longer touched mine, and I stared blindly at where I imagined him to be now from the sound of his voice. “None of us were given a fair choice.”

“You don’t think she’d take the opportunity to be with you? No offense, but…” Then it was really unfair because I couldn’t understand them at all when he lapsed into Korean.

Taekwoon answered him and I couldn’t understand his response, so I stayed drifting in place, wondering if they’d notice if I died in the next few seconds since it really felt like I was going to soon.

“Mia?” It was my mom’s voice now, quiet but shaken. “Don’t die, baby girl…”

I was unsure of how I felt towards my mom now, however grateful I was that she brought Taekwoon to me for my last moments. I couldn’t look at her regardless, so I could only sigh quietly.

“If you don’t save her, I will,” she told the boys angrily, and I felt Taekwoon’s growl start at the pit of his stomach.

“Stay away,” he warned her. “You’ve done enough.”

Hakyeon had to intercede. “Let’s keep calm.” He added, “But she has a point, Taekwoon… You have to make your decision. Because she’s claimed as your mate, we have to respect your decision—”

“If you don’t, I will,” Ken argued. “She may be your mate, but she’s our little sister—”

Hakyeon’s voice was suddenly layered with power, thickening the air. “Jaehwan.”

Ken grew silent.

My head felt like it was detached from my body now, but I could still tell when Taekwoon’s hand grabbed my arm and tightened around my elbow. “Mia?”

I really wanted to answer him, but I found that I couldn’t.

“Hurry!” my mom screamed anxiously, and I realized I really was dying, and I couldn’t do anything about it. All I could do was wait and see what happened next.

Then that bright light started shining, and I knew I was dead.

There was light everywhere, and everything was light. It smelled like vanilla and brown sugar, but it wasn’t suffocating.

There was so much light, creamy and white, and hardly any color. It made my head hurt, to be honest. Even though I felt like I should be weightless, my chest felt heavy. I tried to walk, but I couldn’t move forward, and yet I couldn’t move backward either. I looked around me, unable to move, and I could only see the white. I stood there for a long moment, wondering why I was stuck, why I was even at this place at all. Where was I? I thought there were supposed to be clouds and big golden gates at the entrance of Paradise, angels reading a list to allow the good in and reject the sinners or whatever. I was in disbelief, wondering if I was really dead after all. I wound my arms around myself, because even though the light looked buttery and warm, I felt cold, and I definitely didn’t feel right. I knew that this wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

“You’re right. You’re supposed to be far, far away from here—as much as I dislike the fact.”

I turned my head and found Jekyll standing right beside me, wearing his signature smirk, a pair of leather pants, a long black duster, and nothing else. He was the only splash of color, so my eyes stopped throbbing so much from all the white light. He stepped closer and took my hand, allowing me to move forward a little now, but not much. I looked at him in question, wondering where the hell I was, hoping I wasn’t actually there.

“You’re not supposed to go in there, my little bloody rose,” he chided, and I was able to see the bright, big door now—and it was huge. I looked up and up, and side to side, but I couldn’t see the end to it; it was infinite and sealed shut. I looked at Jekyll and he continued to smile wryly at me, my chest feeling heavier, but all he did was wink at me. “You’re quite the impressive woman. Is it weird that I’m even more attracted to you since you killed me?” He laughed at the expression on my face. “Don’t worry. I’m the one that’s stuck here, not you.”

“Where is this place?” I finally asked him, my voice quiet. My voice hardly carried in this place while his rang loud and clear.

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He turned around, listening intently to something only he heard. “It looks like it’s time for you to go, anyway.”

My eyes widened. “What’s going on? Jekyll, what’s happening?”

Leaning forward, wrapping his arms around me in a loving embrace, he pressed his lips to the corner of my lips. “Just be glad he’s sharing the fun with you, beautiful.”

The light surged around us, intensifying until I couldn’t even see Jekyll anymore, blinding me until all I saw was black…

And when I opened my eyes, Taekwoon was the first person I saw.

It took a while for my eyes to adjust, and I was positive I must have been out for a while because of the way my body felt. My hearing was a little funny, and I couldn’t get it to normal out; my ears kept ringing. Taekwoon stared into my eyes and I could see my reflection in them, and I verified that I looked like crap. I groaned and he let go of my head because he had been holding onto my face, but I quickly reached out for him again, not wanting him out of my sight.

“I’m okay,” I was pretty sure I told him, because if it had indeed been me, I sounded like crap, too. My voice sounded thin and feeble, and I really wasn’t in any shape to be saying much, but I was alive. I looked around me after I was sure I could and wouldn’t hurt myself. I squinted because the overhead light was too bright for my eyes, and my headache got worse. “What…?” What happened, I wanted to ask. Had I really died? If I had, had I been gone for a while? How did they bring me back?

Ken moved from the desk at Taekwoon’s bedroom, so I instinctively looked over at him. He smiled a little, and I was almost positive he looked relieved. “It was quite the gamble. You scared us all, but it looks like we made it in time.” He looked at Taekwoon when he said that. I noticed he wanted to say more, but he held back his comments.

I turned to look up at the wolf-man in question, my painful symptoms fading slowly. As the reality started to sink in slowly, I became aware of multiple things, but I didn’t let them register at once so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how I managed to do that, but it came in handy to be able to ignore a lot of things at once thanks to years of practice at school.

“You changed me?” I asked my wolf-man quietly, my voice finally sounding a little like my own. Taekwoon’s face was pale and there were dark circles below his eyes; frankly, he looked as if he’d been through hell and barely survived. “I thought you wouldn’t have, to be honest,” I confessed, unable to hide the heartbreak from him with that admission.

He laughed without much humor and leaned in to press his forehead to mine. Our noses brushed and I almost tilted my head so I could kiss him, but refrained because we had an audience that included Ken, Ravi, Hongbin, Hakyeon, Sanghyuk, and my vampire mother. “You’re stupid if you think I’d ever let you go just like that,” he whispered, and although he was speaking in quiet tones, I knew he wasn’t a happy camper.

Because I wasn’t the brightest, I decided to give him an innocent kiss instead on the tip of his nose, and he leaned away, perplexed, but already looking better. Then I faced my mother.

“Um…” I hesitated, but then I mumbled out a sincere, “Thanks.”

She started to smile lightly.

Without thinking, I blurted, “Could I get some water, though, please?” and the boys scrambled, grateful to have something to do other than worry now.

Ravi slipped into the picture, however, and knocked me gently on the head before Taekwoon had a chance to defend me from the harmless cuff. I ogled up at him and he shook his head at me, chastising me. “Seriously, you’re going to give us all heart attacks. You turned us all into mother hens. You’re never going to school again, young lady, understood? I don’t care if you want a higher education!”

Ken joined in immediately, shaking his head. “I have this urge to kick your really, really hard!” He glued his hands to his hips and stomped his foot multiple times, half-shouting, sounding much like a nagging old lady. “Just what are we going to do with you?”

I rolled my eyes at the dynamic duo, and then made to sit up. I succeeded by doing so very slowly, and Taekwoon only watched me like a hawk. “Well, I know you’re going to adore me until the end, of course.” When I wasn’t dizzy, I tried throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, but both Taekwoon and Ravi stopped me. Taekwoon shook his head and made me stay. With an indignant sigh, I stayed sitting on the bed.

I noticed my mom observing from her spot in the corner of the room, her expression neutral. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and a part of me wanted to scream at her that this was what a real family did, but then another part of me simply wanted to cry.

Taekwoon’s scent preceded him. Leaning into me, he murmured, “How are you feeling?”

His voice sounded a lot clearer than I remembered, and the details of his face were sharper. I blinked rapidly at him, leaning in to observe him. He started to smile, evidently understanding.

“If you focus,” Ken said in a wry tone, “You can hear Hyukkie and Kongie arguing downstairs with Hakyeon about what to bring you to eat and drink.”

Ravi chuckled, and both the sound of Ken’s voice and Ravi’s laughter made me my head to the side—and that’s when I realized why they did that so often.

“How do I do that?” I asked, but just as I started to grow confused, I heard it.

Hakyeon’s nagging.

I laughed quietly. “How do I tell them apple juice is fine?”

Shrugging, Ravi told me, “Just say it a little louder.”

Trusting him, I did.

Then I heard Hongbin and Sanghyuk chorus, “Told you!”

Realizing how easily it was to hear throughout the house, I blushed, looking at Taekwoon. “No privacy.”

“None,” Ken sang.

Snickering a little, Ravi muttered, “Wait until you get used to your nose.”

My eyebrows shot up because even my mom laughed, and Taekwoon blushed this time.

I finished eating the sandwich the boys had so graciously made for me, which I wolfed down—pun sort of intended—and after I finished my apple juice, Taekwoon and I were left alone with my vampire mother. I felt a lot better now that I had food in my system, but he was still unwilling to leave me alone with her. He sat by his window while she sat in his desk chair and I remained on the bed; he was closest to her, so if she tried any funny business, he’d reach her first.

Still unused to being a werewolf, I was a little twitchy, but for the most part, it was better than being a vampire fledgling, and better than being a human only because I was tied to Taekwoon for sure.

Staring at me fixedly, the familiar stranger in front of me tilted her head to the side slightly and took a deep breath. “I’m not going to live for much longer, Mia.”

My heart thumped unevenly. I looked at Taekwoon, but he was looking at my mom, so I knew she wasn’t lying. Staring at her again, I demanded, “What do you mean?”

She folded her hands calmly in her lap. “I betrayed the vampires, for one. And I’ve been inside the wolves’ den.” She arched her eyebrow. “Once a vampire enters the wolves’ den, she never makes it out alive.”

“So then, you mean…” I exhaled quietly as that sank in.

“It’s only fair,” she acknowledged. “My ideas are warped now, baby girl. I’m glad that you’re alive, but I’m not super thrilled that you’re one of them. I would have preferred to keep you by my side instead.”

“Never,” Taekwoon said simply, not even angry, and I agreed with him, because living as a vampire wouldn’t have been living at all.

My mom noticed that I was absolutely on Taekwoon’s side and smiled. “See? I’m not going to make it out of here alive.”

“I’m not going to kill you,” I assured her, shuddering at the idea. “I can’t.”

Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. “You’re not going to let them do it. Mia, I’m your mother. You do it.”

Horrified, I shook my head. “Listen to yourself! Why would you even ask me to do that!?”

Frowning, disappointed, she exhaled through her nose and looked up in exasperation. “Well, because I didn’t want strangers to kill me.”

“You sound insane,” I let her know, incredulous.

Watching the exchange silently, Taekwoon stared back and forth between us, his eyes finally settling on me. He was unhappy with my mom, that much was obvious, but he was still trying to be respectful for some reason. Now that us two females were quiet, he stood from his seat and came over to sit next to me, taking my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. His scent and warmth blanketed me and I leaned into him, needing him now more than ever because I was suddenly facing the possibility of matricide; my reality was becoming more and more absurd.

“Okay. Then how about my son-in-law,” my mom suddenly suggested.

I gawked at her. “Seriously?”

Taekwoon cleared his throat. “I don’t think…”

My mother raised her eyebrows at him. “What? No guts?”

Glaring, I warned her, “Quit it.” I was surprised by the little growl in my voice.

She held up her hands, frustrated. “Mia, I’m trying to go peacefully here.”

The words tasted foul, but she was also culpable for trying to get a rise out of us; “Then walk into the sunlight.”

Freezing, she looked at me. Then she smirked, proving to me that this wasn’t really the woman that had sung me to sleep when I’d woken up from nightmares. Exhaling, she shook her head. “They were wrong. You’re no fun.”

Even Taekwoon was surprised beside me, since he’d been slowly falling into her act as well—vampires were good liars. Sure, she’d helped them find me, but she was only finding ways to amuse herself now that her vampire buddies were both gone.

My real mom was truly dead, and although I hated the doppelganger in front of me, I still couldn’t bring myself to kill it.

I checked the clock on the bedside table. “The sun’s about to rise, actually. So it’s perfect timing, if you think about it.”

Narrowing her eyes, she knew she lost. “Yeah. Perfect timing.”

She went quietly. She didn’t make a sound. I watched her from my bedroom window, and I didn’t let Taekwoon turn me away when the white smoke started to rise from her body. The fire started slowly, but it didn’t rise far from her flesh, focusing entirely on her, razing her body to ash. It didn’t take long, just like it hadn’t taken long for Jekyll, but she never screamed.

The sun shone defiantly in the sky.

Later that day, however, the gray clouds rolled lazily over the green field that went on and on with the white petals whipping in the strong wind, and the blades of grass swayed back and forth violently; the birds were silent, but the storm raged on.

Some time later

I frowned lightly down at the fresh flowers on the graves of my parents, and also at the flowers on my grave. I also shuddered a little reading my name on the headstone, but it was kind of necessary with my new life. The flowers made me feel guilty, though, because my uncle was still the sweetest, even if I hadn’t seen him much while I was “still alive”. He’d wanted me to move in with him, but he lived too far away, and that he dropped by to leave flowers, well…

I got a little misty-eyed, but after a few deep breaths, I got a handle on myself and crouched down to set the two flower arrangements for both my mom and dad down by their shared gravestone. The grave site was clean thanks to my uncle, so now all I had left to do was say my goodbyes. My eyes pricked again, but this time I didn’t hold back, wrapping my arms around myself.

Taekwoon couldn’t stand it for much longer and pulled me up from my crouch, tucking me against him. This was routine for us now, but today the rest of the pack was with us, watching solemnly. Today would be the last time we’d visit these graves for a while, and that was making it harder for me.

Stepping forward, touching my shoulder gently, Ravi murmured, “You’re not alone in this, little sister. You should know this by now.”

I turned away from Taekwoon’s chest and nodded at him, sniffling a little. He was a little more used to my crying—I was dubbed the crybaby of the pack—and so he smiled reassuringly, knowing that this always helped. Watching him smile, I smiled, and then Ken joined in—as was their strategy.

“You know they’re in a better place now,” Ken comforted, reaching over to tousle my hair lightly, an affectionate older brother’s gesture.

Hakyeon came around Ken and linked his arm with his, nodding. “Yeah! And they’re together now, and that’s what matters. You said it yourself—your parents, before all the darkness happened, loved each other very much.”

“And there isn’t any darkness where they are now,” Sanghyuk promised, smiling angelically.

“Just love,” Hongbin finished, and everybody nodded their agreement.

I looked from face to face, smiling lightly at the members of my wolf pack. Sniffling, I swiped the back of my hand over my cheeks to get rid of the tears. “You guys are amazing. I love you all.”

“That’s it—group hug!” Ken crowed, and they swarmed. Taekwoon only had about a second to wrap his arms around me first, and then they were all wrapped around us both, squeezing us tightly enough that I really couldn’t breathe deeply enough, but I was still laughing.

After our loveable hug, Hakyeon got everybody rounded up over towards the pack’s SUV, and now that Taek and I were alone, I sighed deeply, staring down at the gravestones again.

I looked at the SUV briefly; I wanted the kids back, because I needed their sunshine.

“Do you want time?” Taek asked me quietly, my cheek tenderly.

I stared into his eyes—it was safe to do so when it was just the two of us, safer when we were both human, and I wasn’t challenging him, so neither of us was uncomfortable. Shaking my head, I admitted, “All I’ll do is cry if you leave.”

He pulled me tighter against him, but held me so I could still look at the names of my parents. “Then I’ll stay with you forever. As promised.”

“As promised,” I whispered, clinging onto him shamelessly.

We stood in silence for a handful of heartbeats, but at last, he said, “I know they’re going to be with you wherever you go.”

I tightened my arms around his waist, not even aware of the cold. “You think so?”

He nodded quietly, but then he said, “Yeah.”

With all the certainty in the world, I told him, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmured, my reality beautiful at last.

~

Fin