Chapter 20 - A startling solution

"Guys, she's awake, she's awake!" Ara winced at the loud sound, throwing Baekhyun an annoyed glare to which the boy replied with a sheepish smile. And then he threw himself at her, squealing into her neck, and Ara felt warm all over, the pain in her head long forgotten, because they were safe. Baekhyun was suddenly pulled back by the ear, Kris appearing next to him with a reprimanding scowl, but it disappeared when Ara sat up on the couch and threw her arms around his neck. 

"How's Tao?" She asked into his neck, and Kris pulled back to allow the rest of the pack their shares of hugs, grinning fondly at Ara all the while.

"Sleeping, and completely fine," Kris said, and then everyone was talking in each other's mouth and Ara barely made out "so cool" and "wonder woman who?". 

"Hey, hey, one at a time," Suho scolded before quickly diving in for a hug. Ara felt her heart warm up at the contact and smiled at Suho when he pulled back and sat down on the coffee table in front of her. Baekhyun, Sehun, Luhan and Chanyeol were wrapped around Ara, the rest were sitting on the floor next to them or on the coffee table, eagerly awaiting answers. 

"How did you do it?" Kyungsoo finally asked, and Ara blinked, remembering the incidents from last night. She felt her head throbbing suddenly, and then her arm was aching and she gasped, looking down to find it wrapped in bandage. 

"Yunho put salve on it," Xiumin said, staring at Ara's arm. 

"Where is he?" As if on cue, Yunho skipped into the living, a happy smile on his face, and everyone arched an eyebrow at him. 

"What have you been up to?" Chanyeol asked. "I've only managed to hear your heartbeat all this time, and it didn't sound like you were sleeping."

"I've put charms on Kai's room so none of you intrusive puppies can hear what goes on in there," Yunho explained, and every boy in the room suddenly frowned, curiosity practically radiating from their bodies. 

"What did you talk about?" Sehun asked, eyes narrowed. Yunho grinned and shook his head, waving his hand as if to say "nothing special".

"So you're some kinda witch/mage hybrid," he all but exclaimed as he sat down next to Suho on the coffee table, grinning at Ara. "Your magic could be sensed all the way here in the house, and like, there was a literal wave of it spreading throughout the entire forest last night when you killed the beast." The news had Ara speechless, slighty open, and Sehun snickered from next to her, pressing a finger to her chin in order to close it. "I helped burn the beast, and girl, he was literally blasted to shreds, so unless you have some Marvel kinda mutant superpowers, I'd say you're a witch-mage."

"Wage," Luhan su