A.N: This chapter wasn't beta read.

= Chapter XVIII =

Feline Down

“A stop at every light, no, oh, oh
Nothing ever goes your way, all right
But I’ll make it up to you”

Jinki climbed on the bed only wearing his underwear and laid down beside Hyejin. She barely moved to give him enough space and he had to push her and make her roll to her side which made her giggle. He observed her for a while admiring how cute she looked with her pink pajamas and then pulled the covers over them and laid his head on his elbow watching her.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Where were you until late?” After dinner, he announced he had to go somewhere and only came back a few minutes ago.

“That and something else.”

She the bed and copied his pose which made him smile “Tell me.”

“I went to meet the hospital’s director where I worked before.”

“Oh.” She already expected to be something like that.

“I start working again next week. He accepted me back.”

“That's great!”

He giggled happily and laid back on the bed facing the ceiling. She admired his profile and his joyful expression warmed her heart.

Things were going so well for them. His clan accepted her, they were together and now he got the job he wanted back.

“Doctor Jinki…” She mumbled and he looked at her.

“Pediatrician, Dr. Lee Jinki.”

“Sounds good.” Hyejin laid over his chest and touched his nose.

“What about you? How was your day? We barely talked during dinner.”

“You were the one in a rush.”

“I'm not anymore. Tell me everything.”

She hummed thinking about her day. It was a very ordinary one if she didn't count Jonghyun’s visit. Hyejin blushed slightly remembering the moment she shared with the idol. Her eyes met Jinki and he seemed intrigued. Was he reading her feelings?!

“It was very normal!” She quickly said. Maybe it was better not to tell him. Would he be jealous? It wasn't as if the idol was romantically interested in her. He just seemed like a genuinely nice person. Besides, she was embarrassed to tell Jinki about their encounter. The way she felt connected with that stranger was weird and embarrassing and she preferred Jinki not to know about it. It wasn't that important after all. “I called my mother.”

She bit her lower lip and Jinki caressed her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

“Did you tell her about us?”

“Yes. I told her I was dating a doctor.”

He smiled “And?”

“She said she is busy right now but might come to visit us soon.”

“I see.”

She cleared and kissed his chest acting as if that didn't affect her. He knew better and he didn't even have to taste her feelings to know that she was disappointed with the lack of interest and enthusiasm from her mother when it came to her life.

“Maybe we can visit her instead.” Jinki suggested.

“Maybe.” She didn't seem that convinced about it. “Actually there is something I want to discuss with you.”

“Tell me.”

“Minho. I'm worried about him. He seems...depressed.”

“Hum.”

“I wonder if it's because of his family problems or…”

“No. It's definitely something else.”

Hyejin widened her eyes “Which is?”

“You really don't know?” Jinki chuckled and caressed her back. Since Hyejin seemed clueless Jinki sighed and then flickered her forehead making her yelp.”For such a smart girl you aren't that smart at all.”

Hyejin curled her hands into fists and hit his chest playfully, making him laugh. Jinki grabbed her by her waist and rolled with her in bed pinning her down under him.

“Hey…”She complained softly before he joined his lips with her. They kissed languidly for a while until both needed to breathe.

“Aren't you going to tell me what I’m missing?”She asked enamored kissing his lips even after he moved.

“I just did with gestures.”

“What?”

“He is in love.” Jinki caressed her cheek and pinched it softly.

“With me? I thought he was over me!”

“No, you silly. With Haneul!”

“Ah!” It made sense now. She did find their actions suspicious and the thought crossed her mind but Minho didn't speak about Haneul that afternoon when they met. Probably he was more comfortable talking about it with Jinki.

“You didn't notice how he looks at her? How smitten he is?” He spoke slowly running his fingers on her cheek and neck, caressing her.

“I’m not able to taste feelings like you, and besides I was busy.”

“Thinking of me.” He declared without an ounce of doubt, raising his body over her with the help of his elbow.

“Yes.” Hyejin touched his lips and moved her finger down, over his chin and to his neck and Adam's apple. “I barely can think of anything else when I'm near you.”

His lips parted into a huge smile and he leaned down to kiss her again. She cupped his face and pulled him away to speak.

“How can we help him?”

Jinki sighed and laid down by her side again “It's probably best if they aren't together.”

“Why?”

“Well, she isn't totally human and…”

“And? That doesn't matter when there is love. Look at us!” Hyejin poked his forehead “If you want to make tigers accept humans as equals then you need to change that idea in there.”

“I didn't say that they can't be together, just that dating someone else would save them from pain.”

“Maybe they will hurt more if they aren't together!” Hyejin fired up and Jinki gave up on discussing that matter with her.

“Maybe.”

“So…” she touched his chest softly and moved her fingers to his neck.

“So?” he smiled knowing what she wanted.

“Are we…?” she wrinkled her eyebrows cutely and Jinki laughed out loud.

“Are we what Hyejin?”

“You know!” she said impatiently. He knew exactly what she wanted and always made it hard to get.

“Sleeping?”

“Aish!”

“Just tell me what you want!” He said softly rubbing his cheek on the pillow.

“I hate you!”

“No, you don't!” He caressed her shoulder and she almost purred. “If you did you wouldn't be asking me to have with you.”

“I'm not asking, I was….” He chuckled and she nodded “Alright I was asking, but it's not like you don't want it also!”

It was true. That new sparkle that existed between them every time they were together raised his libido for her and it was true they were having almost daily.

“That's true, I do want it very much.” He raised the sheets and with a swift movement disappeared under them. Heyjin gasped and turned with her belly up. She closed her eyes accepting his caresses under the sheets and between small moans and giggles he came out from under them holding his underwear and hers.

She covered laughing and after caressing his head, brushing his disheveled hair.

“Ready?” He asked moving one of his hands under her tank top, grasping her making her shiver in pleasure, her s getting erect immediately.

“Ready.” She mumbled, raising her head to kiss him eagerly. He answered back to the kiss, his tongue entering her parting lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist and let herself fall into the pleasure of being one with him.

“This is a lovely place.” Jonghyun remarked, moving his eyes from the huge tree to the path of grass that ended in the lake.

“Actually it's my favorite place from the whole palace.” Hyejin confessed.

When the idol showed up, holding two cups of coffee, asking if he could talk with her during her break, she end up bringing him there.

It was weird to be alone with that handsome man in such a place like that. It almost felt like a date and Hyejin blushed thinking about how Jinki would react to that situation. Would he be jealous or wouldn't he care at all?! After all, he could taste her feelings, he knew she loved him. Probably he wouldn't even mind and yet the previous night she wasn't able to tell him about Jonghyun.

“Can I tell you the truth?” Jonghyun asked, pulling her away from her daydreams.

“Sure.”

“Actually I’m not here to ask you about the story of the palace nor because I want inspiration for music.”

Hyejin pressed her lips together. In a way, she already knew that and a part of her, her ego as a woman, was happy to know that someone like him had some interest in her.

“I wanted to chat with you. I have a story to tell you.”

Hyejin blinked her eyes surprised with that approach. Idols are certainly living in another world, even flirting for them was different. Of course, she would tell him that she was dating someone else - actually married - and therefore they had zero chance to get together.

“Is it weird?” Jonghyun frowned cutely and covered his face embarrassed. He was truly adorable and Hyejin saw herself smiling “Am I scaring you?”

“No, not at all.”

He smiled at her relieved and rubbed his hands on the bench on each side of him as if he was trying to find a way to start.

“I’ve thought about this moment so many times before and I know exactly what I want to tell you but I don't know how to start.”

Hyejin tilted her head and rubbed her neck. The idol probably used those tricks in every woman he tried to woo before.

“This story starts with a boy.” Jonghyun’s voice became serious and yet it didn't lose its gentleness. “His mother died and since his father decided to remarry the boy run away from home.”

Hyejin watched his profile wondering if that was only a story.

“He stayed out for two days, stubbornly wanting to punish his father.” Jonghyun smiled sadly “And then when he was walking around hungry a group of boys approached him and bullied him.” Jonghyun paused and stared at Hyejin as if he wanted her to say something. She parted her lips but he added. “One girl approached them and defended the boy even though the boy needed no defense. She was so brave and beautiful in his eyes that he fell for her at first sight.”

“T-that's….” Hyejin didn't know what to say and the way Jonghyun was looking at her was awkward.

“You don't know who this boy is right?”

“Ah...you?!”

Jonghyun rubbed his temple and sighed. For a second she thought he was upset but he chuckled instead.

“And the girl?” Hyejin didn't answer and he laughed again “It’s you.”

Hyejin widened her eyes. She didn't remember meeting him at all. It was true that it was probably a long time ago and he didn't look like he did at the present.

“I honestly don't remember.”

“Really?” He sighed again. “I knew it! But isn't it funny?! That you have no recollection of it and I remember it perfectly?”

He beamed at her, looking at Hyejin intensely and she felt her cheeks get hotter. His eyes were so expressive and always filled with affection when he looked at her. That was probably what attracted her to him ever since the first time she met him.

His phone started to ring startlingly both and Jonghyun pulled it away from the pocket of his coat and stared at it for a brief second without picking the call.

“I want to tell you more about myself and how long I’ve searched for you but I don't have the time right now.”

“Oh….It’s fine.” He stood up and she did too as if hypnotized by him. Jonghyun smiled and hesitated.

“You have no idea how upset I am that I need to go now, but I’ll be back pretty soon.” he blinked one eye at her and Hyejin’s heart beat faster. He was truly attractive and he seemed to know the effect he had on her or maybe was used to make all women fall at his feet.

Hyejin watched him leave still holding the cup of coffee he brought her and that she barely drank. Slowly his words started to sink in. He said he searched for her for a long time and she couldn't understand why he did something like that. She didn't even recall who he was at all.

Worst of all, he seemed to have a wrong idea about their encounter and maybe it was her fault for acting like a fool every time he was near. Yes, he was handsome, and he was an idol so of course, she would get starstruck but that was it. Maybe it was time to tell Jinki about him and next time the idol visited she would tell him that she had someone she loved already.

Like always Jinki was outside the palace waiting to pick up Hyejin. However, this time he wasn't alone and two tourists were in front of him. Hyejin walked slowly in their direction and frowned, stopping a few steps away listening to their conversation.

They were speaking to him in English but it didn't seem to be their first language also. Jinki was answering in English cutely making them laugh.

Hyejin crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at Jinki flirting with the two women.

“Is there a good place to eat near here?” One of them asked and Jinki nodded his head pointing behind them.

“Down that street, there is a good chicken restaurant.” He hummed and rubbed his stomach “Delicious!”

The woman laughed, mumbling a few cute interjections and Hyejin approached them having enough of it.

She stopped beside Jinki and sent him a deadly gaze that he seemed to not notice.

“Ah…I was waiting for you!” Jinki said in English making the two women acknowledge Hyejin but they didn't seem to care about her.

“Can you take us there?” One of them asked.

“Me?! Where?” Jinki asked, confused.

“To eat chicken!” The other woman explained.

“He can't!” Hyejin remarked in english “Aren't you introducing me to them?”

“Introduce?!” Jinki had no idea why he had to introduce her to two people he didn't even know.

However, Hyehin grabbed his arm firmly and repeated clenching her teeth “Yes, tell them who I am to you!”

“Oh, right!” Jinki cleared his throat and then cutely placed a hand under Hyejin's chin making her frown at him. “This is Hyejin, my girlfriend!” he said proudly but when he looked at Hyejin she didn't seem happy at all and brushed his hand away.

She left them and walked down the street and Jinki had to bid goodbye to the two women to follow after her.

She entered the bus and without a word sat in one of the solo empty seats. Jinki stood beside her and when he tried to make conversation she barely answered him. Whatever he did made her mad and Jinki had no idea what it was. He knew Hyejin though and it was better to let her alone for a while until her anger dissipated and they could talk about it. He was trying hard not to taste her feelings but it was hard when she tasted as anger, jealousy, and disappointment. Maybe it was because he was chatting with other women. Or maybe because once again he didn't bring his car to pick her up. He wasn't sure.

They were passing their kissing spot when he had enough of waiting for her to calm down.

“Alright what is wrong?” She turned around to look at him and Jinki immediately took one step back worried that she might throw her bag at his head. However, Hyejin looked at him more exasperated than mad.

“What is wrong?! You flirt with other women in front of me and you dare to ask me what is wrong?”

“I was only helping them and being my silly self. I wasn't flirting with them I swear.”

Hyejin crossed her arms in front of her chest and he saw that as a sign that it was safe to approach her.

“Is that why you are this upset?”

Hyejin frowned, sending him a deadly gaze.

“I even told them who you were.”

“Yes!” She flared up “Your girlfriend!”

Jinki tried to grab her by her shoulders but she pulled away.

“Your girlfriend? Just that?”

Jinki rubbed his nose confused “Ah...yes what should I have told them?”

Hyejin raised her arm and pulled the sleeve down to show him the scar he made in her wrist, the unbreakable bond between them.

“What?”

“WHAT?!” She raised her voice and immediately regretted it because a couple walking down the street sent them a curious look. “We made a pact. No, we made THE pact!”

“Yes, we did.” He his lips “So you wanted me to tell them that I’m not human and a freak of nature that bit you so that we could make a pact of blood?”

“No.” She pulled the sleeve down covering her scar “I want you to tell them what it means.”

Jinki furrowed his brow, not understanding what she wanted “What does it mean?”

“That we are…” Hyejin swallowed hard “Promised to each other, married!”

“We are what?” Jinki chuckled nervously.

“Married….” Hyejin read his expression and repeated the word this time not 100% sure “Married?”

“Hyejin…” He his lips again “We are not married.” She stepped back and he bit his lower lip now understanding completely why her emotions were a mess. She got it all wrong and it was probably his fault for not explaining what the ritual meant. “The pact is truly a promise to each other but it's not a wedding. It is usually followed by one but we didn't do it….we only made the blood pact which is essentially a bond of energy and used for….procreation in the past.” He softened his voice “My clan would never let you marry me that easily. Yes, they accepted you but…”

She raised her eyes to him and he swallowed hard. He didn't need to taste her emotions to know how hurt she was.

“It means nothing to me!” He said quickly “Marriage is just…”

“It means to me.” She remarked hugging herself and Jinki let his arms fall at his side.

“I didn't think...I'm sorry I didn't explain it to you…”

“We slept together!” She raised her voice dangerously again and both looked around them embarrassed “We slept together and we….Oh my god! And you were supposed to get me pregnant!”

Jinki looked at her feeling sorry. This time he screwed up badly and he had no idea at all. “Well for Earth Gods it was normal to take several women…”

“So you are going to get married to another woman after all?”

“NO!”

She turned around and walked away and he rushed to follow her.

“Hyejin wait! That's not what I meant!”

However, she didn't wait and instead started to run as if wanting to flee for him.

“Hyejin!” he grabbed her arm and turned her around. She hiccuped crying and he released her slowly.

“I’m sorry but let me explain!” she covered her face and he grabbed her shoulders caressing them “That was in the past. We practice monogamy now, well most of us.”

She hiccupped again and he squeezed her shoulder “I practice it. I intend to marry only one woman and if it happens then it's you.”

She raised her teary eyes to him “If it happens?”

He his lips again wondering why he was so bad at that, why couldn't he express himself in a way that would comfort her and not make her angrier with him?!

“I love you Hyejin, very much but you know what is expected of me…”

“So I'm not it? I’m only an ordinary powerless human that is only good to procreate with, is that it? Not good enough to marry you?”

“No. It's not that and you know it. I...being with me is dangerous.”

She cried out loud exasperated and he pulled her to his arms. “I love you and you are everything to me. I don't want you to get hurt, to risk your life to be with me and…”

“I risked it already.” She mumbled against his chest “I thought I married you!”

She was right and his chest hurt. Hyejin pushed away from him and climbed up the stairs that lead to her house. He followed after her.

“I’m terribly sorry….”

She turned around in the middle of the stairs and raised a finger to point at him. “So if we aren't married and you don't intend to marry me then what are we doing now? You clearly said you also don't want to have a baby with me then...is it only ? What is the meaning of this?” She pulled the sleeve down again to show him the scar.

“It's not only and you know it and that’s….that’s our pact to love each other and…”

“IT'S NOTHING!” She screamed at him. “This is nothing at all. It's only a damn scar after all.”

She ran up the stairs and he followed after her only to hit his head against the door that she closed on his face. He inserted the code to open the door but she pushed it close from inside. If he wanted he could push it open but he didn't want to use his force to do it. Besides he was pretty sure he heard her push something to the door on the other side. She was truly mad at him.

“Hyejin…” He mumbled outside the door. “Open up please let us talk calmly.”

She didn't answer and he groaned frustrated.

“Please….”

The sound of someone clearing his throat made Jinki look at the top of the stairs where the landlord was smoking.

“If you are living together you must pay more rent.” The man explained ignoring Jinki’s pained expression.

“We aren't living together.” Jinki lied “I'm only her boyfriend.”

“HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM!” Hyejin screamed from inside and Jinki placed his hands on the door and groaned again.

The landlord chuckled and offered his pack of cigarettes to Jinki. “Want one?”

“No, thanks. I don't smoke.” Jinki pulled away from the door and stared at it with his hands on his hips. He had no idea what to do.

“Well good luck with that.” The landlord said, “She is fiery, that one.”

“Yeah, I know…” The landlord waved at Jinki and entered his house leaving him alone. He laid back against the railing of the stairs and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

He knew that she wouldn't open the door to him, not while she was mad at him. He closed his eyes and smelled the air using his god earing to check on her. He could hear her sobbing and smelled her sadness and that completely broke his heart.

The last thing he wanted was to hurt her and yet it seemed like whatever he did he always end up making her cry.

Jinki opened his eyes and stared at the sky. The moon was bright that night as if mocking his pain and he climbed down the stairs seeing no point on staying there.

He needed another approach.

Hyejin rolled on her bed and stood silent listening. The lack of any sound coming from outside made her sigh deeply. After her breakdown, because she argued with Jinki, and once she calmed down she waited for him to knock on her door and try to come back home, however, he didn't. She even pushed the table away from the door that was blocking it and peeked outside but he wasn't there either and he didn't call her at all. Hyejin grabbed her phone from the bedside table. It was near midnight and no sign of him. He didn't even come for dinner and she knew how food was important to him. Maybe he was somewhere feeling hungry and sad thinking they broke up. They didn't break up right?!

She was really mad and hurt with what happened but that didn't mean that she wanted to break up with him.

Hyejin pulled the covers of her bed down and stared at her phone. She could call him but that was a big hit to her pride. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop worrying about him.

She could still call him, find an excuse to do so, maybe complain that he didn't come to wash the dishes. It was silly but enough to have a reason to call him.

Hyejin bit her lower lip and hit his name on the screen. She was in the middle of getting herself ready to scold him when she heard his phone rang from somewhere inside the house, which meant that either he forgot it there or he was inside the apartment and she didn't even notice.

Hyejin stood up from the bed immediately and followed the sound that ended in the bathroom. She turned off the call and opened it.

Jinki was there, sitting over the toilet cover only wearing his underwear. He raised his guilty eyes to her and swallowed hard.

“What….how?!” She didn't hear him enter at all.

He looked at the window and smiled weakly “I entered through the window….as Onew. Lost all my clothes but I had a pair of boxers folded in the pile of clean clothes over there.

Hyejin leaned against the sink and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Where did you leave your clothes?” The last thing she wanted was for her landlord or one of the neighbors to found them and think that a ert was walking around.

“Upstairs…”

“Just go get them!”

“Like this?”

“No, you idiot! Get dressed and go get them.”

She turned and left the bathroom and he followed after her like a pet.

“Will you let me in after?” She turned to him and he back stepped afraid “I don't want to sleep outside.”

“You have your apartment.”

“I don't want to stay away from you.” She avoided his eyes even though she was sure he could read on her emotions how his words affected her.

“You can sleep here.” Jinki beamed brightly at her and kissed her cheek before she could push him away.

“Thank you.”

“As my roommate, that's all!” Hyejin clarified quickly.

“Are you breaking up with me?” He asked, turning her previous fears into words.

“No, no, I'm just upset. Very very upset.”

He nodded and she left the bedroom. She watched him get dressed quickly and waited for him to come back from retrieving his clothes. While he got ready to sleep she moved to her side of the bed and turned her back to him pulling the covers over her head, a gesture that was only meant for him to see that she didn't want to talk or have any contact with him that night.

Jinki, with low spirits, laid down by her side and stared at her back. He couldn't let the subject of their argument go. He spent the last hours replaying their argument and thinking about what they went through the past weeks and he was sure she did the same. She didn't want to break up and yet they were like that, close but still very far apart.

“We don't know each other for that long.” He said knowing that she was listening even though she didn't show any sign that she was. “And we are together romantically for even less. We didn't start like normal couples dating. If I want to be serious with you I want to make it right, as humans do. We can start by dating and then when we feel like it's time…” He moved closer to her “I don't know what will happen in the future by I'm sure that whatever happens my feelings for you won't change. I want to be with you, that is the only certainty I have in this life. What I'm trying to say….”

“I know what you are trying to say.” She whispered, pulling the covers over her head and he smiled.

“I want to marry you Hyejin and we will in the future. Can't you wait just a bit longer until my life is less of a mess and I can make you happy and give you all you want? You know I love you. I showed it to you the other night, and every one after that.”

She knew what he meant and only remembering how he pulled her hand to his chest on their first night together made her heart beat faster.

“Hyejin?”

“I heard you.”

He waited for her to say more but it seemed like that was all he would get that night.

“Are you still mad?” He whispered, inhaling the scent of her hair.

She didn't answer and instead turned to grab his hand and pull it around her. He widened his eyes wondering what she was doing, but it became clear to him when she pulled his hand to her chest and held it there, making him have to back hug her to stay in that position.

He dared to taste her feelings and he still could taste the disappointment in her but besides that there was love and he relaxed pulling her closer against him. She didn't fight it and he felt her body relax in his arms.

“Goodnight.” he said burying his nose on her nape.

“Goodnight.”

It was a sunny day and the old man decided to go out for a walk like he usually did but this time he took a long detour. Since he woke up that morning he felt uneasy. He was a shaman after all and his position came with a special intuition that normal folk called a sixth sense but his kind used to relate more to magic, to clairvoyance and everything that was hard to explain with science.

Something was happening that day and he had no idea what. It wasn't a bad thing not at all, more like the universe correcting it's course and putting things in place, creating paths that linked people together. His chest hurt because even though the changes were meant to be, he also knew that they would bring great pain to some.

A crow cawed nearby followed by others and the leaves of the trees moved with the wind. The first sign of change was happening already and the old man stood in the middle of the garden waiting for the first impact.

One of his servers came down the path running in his directions and only stopped once she reached him, a small brown envelope in her hand. She took a few quick breaths to calm down and then offered it to him.

“This arrived for you, sir.”

He knew it came from the server he sent out in a special mission a few days ago and immediately opened the envelope breaking its seal. A small note was inside and the old man read it quickly and then once again a couple more times.

The chief of the wolf clan was sick, too sick to travel and now his son was the one doing most of the things for him. In that short missive, he also asked the shaman to search for his son to know more about the little girl they saved.

Too short, almost no information and yet better than nothing.

The old man placed the note with the name of the wolf clan chief's son inside the envelope and closed it.

He would need to travel and fast. He wasn't sure what Hyejin's role was in the changes that he could sense but the faster he knew more about her the better.

He raised his eyes from the envelope to the servant wondering why she was still in front of him not moving an inch and why she seemed extremely nervous.

“What’s wrong?”

The woman bit her lower lip “Actually we have a problem…”

“A problem?”

“We didn't tell you anything yet and some of the servants think I'm being a fool for worrying, I mean it's not the first time she disappears but this time I noticed that some of her clothes also disappeared and…”

The crows cawed again and the old man moved a hand to his chest. The changes in the universe, maybe they weren't related only to Hyejin, maybe someone close to him, someone of his blood was also the victim of them.

Since she was little he feared that one day she would part either follow the steps of her brother or to fulfill her unknown destiny in that story.

“Haneul?”

“She left this morning sir, we have no idea where she went.”

Slowly paths aligned, some unithing fates, others splitting apart.

Jinki looked proudly at his car that he washed that morning. He couldn't wait to see Hyejin’s reaction when she came out of the palace and saw him waiting to give her a ride. He leaned against the car and crossed his arms in front of his chest happily.

That morning she barely talked to him and it bothered him how the misunderstandings around the ritual they did made such a wreck on their relationship.

An expensive-looking white car parked right beside him, catching Jinki’s attention. He observed it waiting for someone to come out but nothing happened. The windows of the car were tinted giving the impression that whoever was inside wasn't only rich but also famous. Maybe, someone, he could get an autograph from and impress Hyejin.

A rush of wind ruffled the leaves of the trees and Jinki frowned, a scent coming with it, a scent he knew very well and wasn't a good sign. He didn't think much about it because some of the staff of the palace started coming out.

It didn't take long for Hyejin to arrive too, her hair still caught on a bun, wearing one cute soft pink cotton sweater and jeans. He pulled away from the car and waved at her. She blinked her eyes and stopped when she saw him. Like he predicted she was surprised to see him with a car. Jinki pointed at his old black car and beamed at her. She didn't smile back much to his disappointment and before he could walk to her to his car for a special date, the door of the car beside him opened.

A man wearing a blue suit came out. His hair was blonde and one of his eyes was blue and the other brown. He didn't even look at Jinki but he didn't have to because Jinki was sure he could smell him as perfectly as he smelled him.

He wasn't human, he was someone just like him, someone who fed on emotions and yet even more dangerous than Jinki. He immediately stepped in the direction of Hyejin but hesitated because sometimes the best protection wasn't to show his biggest weakness. However, the man didn't seem to care about Jinki and passed by him until he reached Hyejin.

She smiled at the man as if she knew him and Jinki swallowed hard, anxiously waiting to see what would happen. He didn't seem to want to hurt her but all of him hated the mere presence of that creature beside her. All of his protectiveness came out and Jinki couldn't hold it in anymore and joined them.

The blonde man observed him, measuring him as an adversary and yet he didn't seem to want to attack Jinki nor Hyejin.

“Who is this?” Jinki asked rudely, making Hyejin pale.

“Jinki...where are your manners?!” She chuckled awkwardly and then introduced both men. “This is the famous singer Kim Jonghyun. We met the other day here at the palace.”

“Hyejin kindly spent some time with me.”

“Spent some time?!” Jinki frowned, staring at her.

“I…” She cleared ignoring his accusatory tone “This is Jinki…”

He didn't miss the fact that she didn't introduce him as her boyfriend or anyone special and that irritated him even more. Jealousy was burning inside him but worse than that was the fact that she did seem to ignore who that man truly was.

He would have time to talk with her about it later but for now, he needed to be sure of his intentions.

“Who are you?” Jinki asked once again and the blonde man looked at him, seeming as interested in Jinki as he was in him.

“Jinki stop being rude!” Hyejin scolded him oblivious to what was truly happening there.

Both men ignored her and focused on each other and she started to get confused. Minho did warn her about Jonghyun and maybe he was right, maybe she was naive and too quick to trust a man she barely knew. Jinki didn't seem only jealous, he seemed worried, tense as if he was getting ready to jump in front of her and defend her. Just like the night he got hurt and almost died for her.

Hyejin stepped back to hide behind Jinki but Jonghyun grabbed her wrist. The sudden movement was followed by Jinki that grabbed Jonghyun's hand on her arm. They stared at each other with such animosity that Hyejin feared for herself and Jinki.

However, once Jonghyun noticed her scared expression, he softened and gently spoke. “Come with me Hyejin.”

“No.” Jinki said firmly “Who are you and what do you want?”

Jonghyun slowly released her which made Jinki let go of his arm also.

“You know who I am.” Jonghyun smiled “And I know who you are. We probably never met and yet we know many things about each other because we are very similar…We don't belong to this world, cursed with a blessing that we both despise.”

“What do you want?” Jinki asked again. It was weird how even though Jonghyun seemed dangerous he had a soft side to him and the way he looked at Hyejin was almost as if he cherished her. Jinki had to know why he wanted to be near her, what was his purpose.

“I won't hurt her.” As if reading his thoughts Jonghyun explained “After all, I could never hurt the woman that the gods fated to be with me.”

Hello ~~

Only Kibum's character left to introduce. Don't worry it will be soon. 

Yes, this chapter is smaller. It's mostly because I took the decision to write smaller chapters now so I will take less to update. (Also this cliffhanger is cool...although the other one I had planned was too....but well next chapter!)