The big oak doors are opened and walks in a very bulky man. He strides along the long hallway, he wears a very stern look on his face, giving people around him an eerie feeling. He walks with such confidence that proves he’s got nothing to be scared of.

He reaches the end of the hallway which stands a long dinner table where a man as bulky as he is sits at the very end of the table. He’s eating what seems to be raw meat, his plate is splattered with blood as the gravy. The stern looking man bows slightly in respect to the eating man.

“Any news?” the man asks as he cuts the meat in a piece, forked it and brings it to his mouth. He chews it serenely, enjoying the taste of raw meat in his mouth.

The stern looking man frowns slightly. “She’s gone. Dongwoo’s injured.” The man stops chewing his food. He looks up to his man, the standing man however doesn’t look at him, avoiding his gaze.

“Who took her?” he asks and goes back to his meat. This is not the news he wants to hear when they claimed found the one he’s been seeking for centuries.

The man fidgets a bit before answers, “Lee Taemin’s got her, sir.”

He stops slicing the meat midway. His lips twitch and he grins. “Taemin, huh?” he brings a piece of meat to his mouth. “Interesting.”

*                                             *                                             *

They keep her inside for a full week, because it takes Taemin that long to recover himself. The only reason they finally let her come up from the basement is because she’s finally gone hysterical. She screams on top of her lungs while pounding on the door, hyperventilates, gasping for air as though someone’s choking her on her neck. She can’t stand it to be locked down anymore. Although for the last two days there’s always Taemin to calm her down, she lost it on her eighth day. She begs them to let her out with very red eyes and trembling bodies.

Gwiboon serves Seulgi with a cup of tea with honey, her hand rubs the small back of Seulgi’s. The woman feels so guilty about what she has done though she meant no harm to the shaking girl. “I’m sorry, so sorry, Seulgi,” she says.

“It’s okay. I know you guys mean well but… I just don’t like basements,” she assures them. Though somewhere deep in her heart, she’s kind of angry at the three of them.

She notices that Taemin is looking at her with such concern and worries. She doesn’t want his sympathy, to be honest. But she feels grateful all the same for his concern and for him to call the two to let her out. She thinks he might be freaked out at her behaviour that he finally allows them to let her out but he doesn’t show any sign of afraid of her. He even sits very close to her. And at any moment, he’s going to reach out for her and keep her in his arms. She shakes off the absurd thought. Still, she feels kind of embarrassed. Because all of this time, the door hasn’t even been locked. She always claimed herself to be locked down but she can go up if she wanted to. But, what can she do when she’s suffering from claustrophobe and when her mind is clouded with so much fear?

“You could’ve told us you’re claustrophobic,” says Minho. But Seulgi shakes her head. “I know but where else you’re going to keep me? I know the basement did best on hiding my scent. The damp earth smell is very strong, even I can smell it.” She notices the couple give each other a look.

“Still, we’re sorry. We can work out on something else,” says Gwiboon.

“But I’m sure Taemin would object?” Seulgi retorts. And she hears Taemin sighs. He then stands up and leaves the clinic at once. What’s with him?

Taemin doesn’t return until dinner. Apparently he’s been hanging around at the park near the clinic. To ease his mind, he says. But Seulgi doesn’t need him to tell her that he’s angry with her. What’s he angry about, however, she’s not sure. She just thinks he’s a werewolf with unstable emotion.

Apparently the Choi’s live at the clinic. It’s only then she realizes that the building has two floors upstairs. And the Choi has taken to add another floor for them to live. The first floor is for the kitchen, dining room and bathroom, while the added floor is for rooms and living room. There’re three rooms, one for the couple and one for Taemin and the other one is the study. Seulgi learns that Taemin has been living with the couple ever since he’s being kicked out by his pack. She doesn’t ask them how the three of them meet. But she will soon.

Because there’s no way Seulgi is going to share the same room with Taemin, she says she’ll sleep in the living room, she doesn’t mind the couch. But Taemin argues for her to take his room and he’ll settle in the living room. That’s how she ends up sitting on his bed in his room. She looks around. There isn’t very much decoration, any posters or magazines and such. It’s very simple and clean (and quiet dusty to be honest), as though the room hasn’t been used for years. Maybe he hasn’t sleep in here for years. The Choi look so very pleased to have him back in the house, honestly.

The next day, she wakes up in the very late afternoon. She doesn’t have a very good sleep when she’s down in the basement. And the bed is very soft, so do the pillows. They are very comfortable. She has a dreamless sleep, and is grateful for it. The moment she opens her eyes, Gwiboon walks in, with a big luggage in her hand. “Ah, afternoon, Seulgi,” she chirps happily upon seeing the younger has woken up.

Seulgi sits up, rubs her eyes and looks at the woman sheepishly. “What’s that?” she asks.

“This is your clothes. We got it from your place,” explains Gwiboon. Seulgi’s eyes widen. “What? I’m staying here?”

Gwiboon nods sheepishly. She takes a sit on the edge of the bed. “Taemin kindly asks us so. And we welcome you here very much, just as we welcome him.”

“But why didn’t you guys ask for my opinions? Maybe I don’t want to stay here? No offense, but it’s not that I don’t like you two, I do! But –”

“It’s for your own safety, Seulgi,” says a man from the door. Seulgi looks up and Taemin stands there, leaning against the doorway. “I can’t keep on following you or else someone might report me a stalker.” His lips twitch a little as he says so.

“NO ONE ASKS YOU TO FOLLOW ME!” she bellows and runs out of the room, down the stairs and she locks herself in the bathroom.

She stays inside the bathroom for a half an hour, after much persuading from Gwiboon and she being unable to breathe due to the compact space (she feels like the walls are closing on her). The moment she crosses the threshold, Gwiboon pulls her in a tight hug. When she finally let go, Seulgi apologizes to Taemin who stands not too far away from them. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. I know I’m being such a brat. I should be thanking you for keeping me alive.”

He grins, “Nah, don’t mention. So are we okay? You’re staying?”

The image of his ripped shoulder makes her agrees to stay. Who knows what the werewolves are going to do to her if it isn’t for him taking care of them.