Chaeyoung found herself surrounded by dark even after opening her eyes from her sleep. It took her few moments, still faster than a human, to adjust her sight to her surroundings. Perks of being a werewolf.

She looked around her to know where she was. Everything was dark except for the moon shining above. Atleast, the moonlight helped a bit to see. Chaeyoung easily made out the trees surrounding her- dense and spread to where you could see. Clearly this is a forest. She looked down at her clothes on an impulse. She still had on what she wore last night;- black hoodie and dark grey sweatpants. There were no shoes but she didn't feel any rocks or soil on her feet.

"Now what?", she sighed. Surprisingly enough, Chaeyoung wasn't scared of her predicament but just wanted to get herself out of it. A result of being in similar situations before. Though it has been a long time since she experienced this the last time.

She turned around in all direction, hoping to find a way out; at least, out of this forest. Figuring where exactly she was would be a worry for later. 

"Hi there!", someone spoke. Turning to the voice Chaeyoung was met with the sight of a huge wolf, almost reaching to her torso and she was considered tall. The wolf had pitch black fur resembling the dark night sky without the moon. His appearance represented perfectly who he was.

He was the physical representation of what his name meant, the death he represents.

The only non-dark thing on him were the marks. The several rune marks woven on his skin within the black fur were a deep purple in colour that shone slightly when light hits them, in this case the moonlight. Chaeyoung knows what they are; afterall those were identical to the ones on her own body. Hers never shine though.

She also knows who this wolf was. How can she not? He was a part of her. Inseparable. A part she had long wished to abandon, to loose but wasn't able to.

"Than!", she gritted his name, glaring at him hatefully. However, her expression changed to confusion as something clicked in her brain.

Wait, how was she able to see him? They were two souls in one body. Only one can appear in the physical form at a time. How is it possible that both of them were standing face to face. 

She concluded it only means one thing. They were in astral realm, a place between dreams and reality. Nowhere else can they be separated like this. This also means he had unlocked her subconscious, something which only rare and powerful souls are capable of doing. Damnit! She should have guessed this immediately.

That realization only made her loathe him more. It was another reminder of who they were.

"This is in my head, isn't it? It's not real, you are not really in front of me."

"Just because it is in your head, doesn't mean it is not real Chaeyung." He mocked her with a little mischief.

She knew as well her previous statement wasn't completely correct. This is as real as it gets. Even so, she was not appreciative of his sass and sarcasm. To her, Than was a bastard; a cheeky one at that.

Though, in hindsight, she knew he was trying to dissipitate the grave tension between them. But she will not allow the requite, even if momentarily. He was not deserving of that.
 

"Stop ing and come to the point." She hissed, only wanting to go back so she will no longer have to see his face. 

"Okay. Okay." The wolf looked at her and appeared as if smiling, making light of the situation again. "How are you doing?"

"Won't you know?" she spat. If she were to entertain the idea of a wolf having facial expressions (which most certainly he did) than his was sad looking.  

"You have been blocking me from communicating to you, even more so lately." he chastised her a bit.

"And so? Why will I do otherwise?" If he was sad before, now he appeared more forlorn, dejected even. 

"Chaeyoung I-, he started.

"Stop calling me that!", she jeered, cutting whatever he was about to say.

"Ok. Rosé," sighing he began again solemnly, knowing she preferred this name more. "I know you hate me and want nothing to do with my very existence. But why don't you understand? You cannot change who you are, can't change your fate. That is not in your power. You need to stop running away from yourself, running away from me. Haven't you been doing that enough already?" He ended with a raised and frustrated voice.

"I most certainly have not. I will never stop running away from everything I am and will refuse to get reminded of that as well."

"Stop it Rosé! Stop this madness. You need to accept yourself and me, sooner or later. You cannot change anything. Aren't you tired of fighting this? You have been trying to reject me for almost thirteen years now. You don't even allow yourself to shift. It is going to hurt us both, aren't you aware? If this goes on, I might be too weak then." he confronted.

"I know. Why else do you think I always stop you from coming out even if that hurts and out all my energy?"

Than's expression fell and heart sank to the bottom of its pits. It wasn't like he was unaware how much she despised his existence. He understood. But it doesn't change the reality of it hurting like hell everytime. 

It was a given after the trauma she went through though. He remembered her wishing to be a normal human instead of who she actually was countless times after that. But he was also hoping she will eventually forgive and accept him. 

Guess her wounds hasn't healed yet. Maybe they are not the ones to heal with time. 

"You really want me hurting right? You want me gone, don't you?" He asked, devastated.

"I am just paying you back for my sufferings. Don't you think you deserve this?"

"Rosé, how long are you going to hold the grudge, huh? It's been thirteen years already."

"I was just a small kid!" she yelled, cutting him once again. "A ing ten year old girl. A ten year old who had to see her parents burned alive because of you, of what she was. You want me to forget that!" Tears started welling up in her eyes at the reminder.

Than was left speechless at her outburst, no longer able to look at the grief in her eyes. What was he even suppose to answer her? He was hurting, yes; but not just for himself. He wanted her to find peace too. He cares for her even when she wants him gone.

After a long stretched silence between them, he opened his mouth again, "You need to forgive both of us for what happened that day, years ago. What happened was just accident, or should I say fate. You need to let go of the pain." He said silently.

A low growl left in frustration. Just when she thought he will let this go, he is trying to convince her otherwise. 

"I am done arguing with you over this. It's enough!" She turned to go away, signalling the end of this conversation from her side. However, he was not ready for that. He has one more thing to discuss.

"What about her then?" He questioned, successfully stopping her. "Are you not going to acknowledge what you are doing to her?" There was a slight hint of accusation in his tone, she noticed.

"What do you mean by that?" She matched his accusation with a warning tone with directing a thundered look at him. Obviously she knew where he was going with this, she was just trying avoid that.

"Oh for 's sake stop acting oblivious! You know damn well what I mean." came his outrage.

"And you know damn well why am I doing that." She countered, equally furious.

"I still don't get why you are so adamant on keeping distance with our mate. Don't you get that she is made for us! The way you are behaving towards her only implies your rejection. Why won't you just accept her Chaeyoug?"

Him purposefully using her birth name made it clear how much angry he was. She knew he was at his limits with her; it was an extremely sensitive topic afterall, for both of them. 

"Why are you even asking this? You know I can't accept her as our mate for her own good. I am trying to keep her away from harm which won't be possible if I did what you are asking me."

Than sighed tiredly at her stubbornness. "She is our mate, literally the one chosen for us by the moon Goddess herself. Do you really think she will not be capable of being with us with the baggage we carry? Don't you think you are already hurting her by staying away? Especially when she has started to sense us already even if she don't know who we are to her and with the distance you keep creating. She won't stay away from us for long. You need to have faith Rosè, if not in us then in the moon Goddess and Jisoo." He finished trying to make her understand.

Her heart rate started speeding up with just the name of her mate. What he was saying made sense but she was not ready. She cannot open her heart for her and put her through the grave risk. Of loosing her as well. Protecting her mate was the only purpose of her life at the moment.

Jisoo's life is just too precious to bet upon.

"If she is as strong as you believe, then she'll be fine without us. She don't need. I advice you forget about her." she uttered trying to avoid his accusing gaze. She was trying to convince this to herself as much as to him.

"You want to me stay away from my mate just because you are a coward. You are seriously going to deprive me of her?" he bellowed.

"Well won't you deserving of that suffering?" she retorted.

"And what about you?" He snapped without missing a beat. "You want to punish me but know that our mate will suffer too, no matter how much you try to deny that. And above all, what about you? Why are you punsihing yourself too?" 

"What about me huh? It doesn't matter how much I wished otherwise, you are still an inseperable part of me. And so, I will have to suffer with you too." 

Than shook his head and was about to speak again but she didn't let him. She was too exhausted for any more of his arguments and them being at each other's throat. She doesn't want to continue anymore and wants to go back.

"Enough of it Than. Send me back now." she commanded.

He complied, for now. He was going to let go just for the time being. If she is stubborn then so he is, maybe more than her. He can turn a blind eye to her every whims but not this. He will get his way and be with his mate, even if it meant going against Chaeyoung. 

Than is not the one to let go of what is his, at any cost.