It was just a little old fashioned envelope, but it was putting everyone on edge. All the werewolves leaned away from it, even Junmyeon, who was still holding it between his fingers like it was a diseased scrap or something even more foul.

“How do you know it’s a curse?” you asked. “Have you opened it?” You started to reach out for it, but Jongdae grabbed your hand and yanked it back.

Ming shook her head frantically. “No, we can’t open it. We don’t know exactly what this curse entails. That could be exactly what enacts it.” She pointed to a small picture on the envelope. “There’s a perfect clover in the corner, the sign of the coven here.”

“What the hell did we do to make them hate us so much?” Baekhyun yelled. His fist slamming down on the table made you flinch.

Jongdae released your hand and wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you in closer to him. “Don’t worry,” he whispered to you. “We’ll figure this out.”

You nodded, more to make yourself seem okay than to actually reassure him that you were fine. 

Eun Na had cursed you. How and why, you couldn’t fathom, but you knew it wasn’t anything you could fight easily. The fact that even the mates looked worried told you that.

Junmyeon sighed. “(y/n), I think it’s best if you call in sick to work for a while.”

You nodded. It was better to quit, anyway. Who knew when you would be going back? Work was the last place you saw Eun Na. You couldn’t go back there and risk a second runin.

“At least there’s some good news,” Chanyeol chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Jongdae finally go that stick out of his .”

Jongdae scowled at him, but you couldn’t help but giggle, earning a frown from your mate. Shrugging, you sent him your most innocent look. It worked, stretching his lips into a grin. Apparently, he couldn’t resist it. You pocketed that information for later.

Kyungsoo stood up and walked over to the fridge, pulling out a plate wrapped in tin foil. “I managed to save you some food from dinner.”

“Trust me,” Kimberly grumbled, elbowing Jongin in the stomach. “That was a struggle.”

Letting you go, Jongdae took the plate from Kyungsoo, removed the foil, and heated it up in the microwave for you before placing it down at the table with a fork and glass of water.

Your lips involuntarily puckered into a pout. “I could have done that.”

“You’ll just have to get used to it,” Ji Yeon said, throwing an arm over your shoulders. “They act like we’re helpless and try to do everything for us.”

“That’s not true,” Minseok argued. “It’s called being a gentleman. We simply like doing things for you. It makes us feel needed.”

Hae In rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, because if you didn’t do things for us poor mates, we would never want you around. How could we possibly not need you so we wouldn’t have to lift a finger?”

Ji Yeon flashed Minseok a smirk. “I mean, we can do everything by ourselves. Right, girls?”

The other mates gave a round of giggles in agreement.

Sensing a challenge, Minseok jumped up. “That’s it. You asked for it.” Without hesitation, he came over and scooped Ji Yeon up before throwing her over his shoulder. She didn’t even fight, merely laughing as he carried her out of the kitchen.

Kyungsoo frowned. “I don’t think that was entirely necessary.”

“They could have at least waited until (y/n) was done eating,” Jongdae agreed. Still a bit slow, your cheeks heated up when exactly Ji Yeon was emphasizing hit you. As much as you loved the pack, when were you allowed to go back to your own place? You could feel your mind slowly getting closer and closer to the gutter every day.

Hiding your face by bowing your head, you sat down at the breakfast booth and started on your dinner.

Junmyeon shook his head, standing up. “I can never get anyone to stay serious for five minutes.”

“It’s a coping mechanism,” Sehun laughed. “What’s the point in being serious all the time? We can’t do any about the curse right now, so why bother dwelling on it?” Jongdae growled at that statement, making Sehun flinch. “Sorry, hyung.”

“I’ll contact Soomi,” Junmyeon sighed. “Maybe she’ll be able to help.”

“Who’s Soomi?” you asked after swallowing a mouthful of rice.

Jongdae, who had slid into the booth next to you and draped an arm around your shoulders, smirked. “A friend of Junmyeon’s that also happens to be a witch. They met while he was doing his research, trying to find the origin for our species.”

“Jongdae,” Junmyeon warned.

Finished eating, you tilted your head, looking at the alpha and asked without thinking, “Is she your mate?”

Several of the boys busted into laughter while Junmyeon’s face turned red.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, shrinking back into your seat. Jongdae squeezed your arm as he held back his own laughs.

“No,” Junmyeon shook his head frantically. “She’s just a friend. I’m going to go call her now. See how fast she can get out here.”

He hightailed it out of the kitchen like he was on fire.

You scratched the back of your ear, feeling your own face heat up. “I guess I need to remember that he’s still my professor.”

“Don’t worry about,” Kimberly said, standing up out of her seat. “It was an honest question.” She tugged Jongin up as well and they left the kitchen. A few of the others followed them out until only Hae In and Baekhyun remained. Leaving the table for the booth, they slid in on the opposite side.

“He does like her a lot,” Hae In divulged, taking a sip of your water. “But he won’t ask her out.”

You knit your eyebrows together. “Why not?”

“The past year and a half has been wild,” Baekhyun exclaimed. “After Minseok found Ji Yeon in the woods taking photos, mates have just been rolling in. Me and Hae In, Yixing and Ming. Technically, you and Jongdae met first, but Jongin actually chased Kimberly down after he bumped into her at the restaurant, literally.”

“So, what does that have to do with if Junmyeon likes this Soomi girl?” you asked, turning to Jongdae.

He sighed. “We never know when our mates show up. It just happens. And anyone who came before doesn’t matter anymore.”

“That’s a mean way to put it,” Hae In scolded.

Jongdae shrugged. “But it’s the truth. Once you find your mate, any feelings you had for someone else just disappear. Even if you’ve been in a relationship with that person for years. Only the mate and the pack matter. Junmyeon doesn’t want to start something with Soomi and then have his mate come along and have to break Soomi’s heart.” You nodded, understanding that line of thinking. “It’s a pretty automatic process. Baekhyun, you remember you were still hung up on Daisy until you met Hae In. Now, you don’t care.”

Baekhyun cringed in an overly dramatic fashion while Hae In raised an eyebrow.

“Daisy?” Hae In said with fake enthusiasm. “As in the same Daisy from your Calculus class? The same Daisy that has been giving me the death glare every day for the past six months and you’ve told me that you have no idea why she would be doing that since you’ve only had a few conversations with her?”

“That might not be an entire lie,” Jongdae chimed in. “I don’t think they did much talking.”

“Oh, really?” Hae In scoffed. The look she threw Baekhyun before storming out of the kitchen told even you that he was in some serious trouble.

Baekhyun looked like he was going to kill Jongdae. “Thanks a lot, .”

Jongdae shrugged innocently. “I didn’t know you hadn’t told her.”

Shaking his head, Baekhyun ran after his mate, calling her name loudly.

You punched Jongdae in the arm, who let out a short yelp. “That was mean. You knew what you were doing.”

“It was payback,” he whined. “Baekhyun has been torturing me the past few months.”

You wanted to ask him whose fault that really was, but you bit your tongue. No need to start another argument. Instead, you blew out air from between your lips, thinking. It seems you might have gotten stuck with a childish mate.

**

You were one more incident away from killing Jongdae. Yes, Ji Yeon had taken you aside and really warned you about how clinging and overly protective a wolf could be once he’s accepted his mate. Apparently, it would only subside a bit when you were “claimed”. You tried to get more out of her about that last piece of information, but Minseok came and stole her away, simply saying he needed her. You wondered if he’d taken her away on purpose.

To be honest, you liked having Jongdae around more, getting his attention without trying. Sometimes the two of you would stay up in his bedroom, talking, really getting to know each other. He still shied away from talking about his family, but you figured in time he would tell you. He knew almost everything about you now and he still showed no since of leaving.

On the other hand, there were times where you’d be sitting in the living room or in the kitchen trying to do your homework and, instead of doing his own, Jongdae would be playing with your hair or kissing your neck. You loved affection – craved it from him – but you really needed to focus and it was nearly impossible with him around.

But it was at the absolute worse when you just wanted some space. It seemed the only time you were ever actually alone anymore was when you showered and went to the bathroom. Jongdae’s professors were now emailing his assignments, too, so he could keep an eye on you and make sure no one tried to attack the house. After years of being a loner, you got used to having time to yourself. You liked having it. Even when you were forced to come here, you still got alone time. That had all disappeared now.

At the moment, you were washing dishes in the sink. Lunch was now over and Junmyeon had asked Jongdae to check the perimeter with him. You’d shot the alpha a grateful look behind Jongdae’s back.

However, the checking never seemed to take too long. A pair of arms s around your waist and the matching lips soon found the side of your neck. You ignored Jongdae, only having a few utensils left to scrub clean.

Frustrated at your lack of response, Jongdae pulled you in closer to his chest as he let out a rumbling growl.

“Not right now,” you mumbled.

While kissing Jongdae was certainly a fun – if slightly addicting – activity, the last few times had gotten fairly heated with both of you losing pieces of clothing. Admittedly, that scared you a bit. You weren’t sure if you fully trusted him yet to take that step you knew he was desperate to get to. The worst part was you didn’t know how to tell him that.

“(y/n),” he groaned. His hands left their resting place on your stomach to your hips. His mouth was right up against your ear. “Minseok can finish them.”

“No,” you answered. “He always does them. That’s why I volunteered. He’s not the maid.”

Jongdae growled again. One hand stayed put on your hip, the other trickled down to your exposed thigh thanks to your shorts. His fingers were getting dangerously close to the space in between your legs.

“I said no!” You pushed Jongdae away, making a splash in the sink where you dropped the washcloth in the soapy water.

Hurt at your rejection, he put his hands up and took several steps away from you. “I’m sorry.”

You turned back to the dishes, shaking your head. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. I made you uncomfortable.” Jongdae stood beside you at the sink, not touching you and giving you a good amount of space. “Babe, is everything alright?”

You hated it when he called you that.

No, you didn’t. You loved it. It felt so intimate. Anyone could call you by your name, but only Jongdae could call you that. It made you soft. And wanted. It was only in this moment you hated it because it made you want to answer him.

“Babe, what’s wrong?”

Everything. “Nothing.”

“You’re lying.”

Rinsing off the last fork, you placed it on the drying rack before wiping your hands and turning around to lean against the counter. “I just…,” you sighed, deciding to give him a half-truth. “I just feel smothered.”

His jaw dropped. “Smothered?”

“Yeah, I–” god, how were you supposed to say this? He was going to hate you. “I’m so used to be alone that having you all of a sudden be constantly with me is kind of… suffocating me.”

Jongdae ran a hand through his hair, processing what you had said. “I-I’m sorry. I guess I was just trying to make up for the past. I’ll give you space.”

The sad wolf turned to leave and you suddenly felt guilty. Of course he was only trying to show you that you were his. That he cared.

Sighing, you ran up behind him and gave him a hug, letting your cheek rest against his back. “I know this will now seem hypocritical, but don’t go. I can’t enjoy the alone time if I know you’re upset.”

Jongdae shifted around in your arms, not giving you the chance to let go before he returned your hug. “It’s not just that. The longer you go without being marked, the more anxious the wolf gets. That makes me want to be around you constantly, especially when there are other unmated wolves around.”

You took in what he said, understanding that there were parts of him being a wolf and being mated that you still didn’t quite comprehend. A few things he had explained to you, but other subjects he steered clear of. And there was that word again. Marked.

“What does that mean, exactly?” you asked. “Being marked?” To be honest, it sounded a bit painful.

Jongdae stiffened in your arms before clearing his throat. “We’ll talk about it later. It sounds like Kyungsoo’s back from the airport with Soomi.”

Right on que, everyone piled into the kitchen. Last to enter was Junmyeon, escorting a pretty girl with long black hair that reached her hips and big brown eyes that sparkled as she smiled. She was wearing – well – what you pictured a hippy would wear these days. Her jeans had patches of dirt on them and her sheer floral blouse hung off both shoulders. Part of you was wondering where her flower crown was.

“You must be (y/n)!” she bounced up to you and gave you a hug, squeezing in between you and Jongdae without a care.

“H-hi,” you stuttered in surprise. “You must be Soomi.”

She pulled away, a blinding smile shining back at you. “Yes, I am. Junmyeon and Kyungsoo have told me all about you! It’s so exciting to meet you.”

You weren’t sure what to say. Over her shoulder you saw Junmyeon staring at her with soft eyes. You felt bad for him, but you were also very confused. This wasn’t exactly how you imagined Soomi once you learned about Junmyeon’s little crush.

“Soomi, I have the curse here.” Junmyeon pulled her attention away to a small wooden box sitting on the dining table. You frowned, not having noticed it before. It was nothing special, only a few centimeters bigger than your hand and lacking any decoration.

Everyone shuffled over to the table, taking seats. As there weren’t enough chairs, you ended up on Jongdae’s lap.

Soomi sat at the head, lifting the lid slowly. After taking the envelope out carefully, she laid it out on the table. Pulling a small sack out from her bag, she sprinkled a familiar looking powder over the top while muttering something under her breath.

“What is that?” you inquired.

Jongdae squeezed your thigh lightly, signaling you to stay quiet, but Soomi answered anyway. “Wolfsbane ash.”

The wolves closest to her leaned back in their chairs, now weary of the substance.

Smoke poured from the edges of the envelope. The parchment began to burn away on the top, exposing lettering or symbols hidden underneath. Soomi stopped chanting, her eyes widening in horror.

“Soomi, what is it?” Junmyeon asked, leaning over her and trying to read whatever had appeared.

She didn’t answer him, instead training her eyes on you. “(y/n). This is going to a personal question, but have you been marked yet?”

“I-” You turned to Jongdae, unsure of how to answer. You knew you weren’t, but….

He shook his head, his arms gripping you tighter. “No, she hasn’t.”

Some of the tension in Soomi’s shoulder’s subsided a bit. “Good. That’s good.”

Jongdae growled ferociously, making you jump.

“Jongdae!” Junmyeon snapped. It cut off the threatening noise, but you could still feel Jongdae’s protectiveness in the way he held onto you. Junmyeon looked to Soomi. “Why is that a good thing?”

Soomi looked at you with sad, empathetic eyes. “This curse is very powerful dark magic. This coven is dangerous. They’re willing to break laws to get to her.”

“What exactly is the curse?” Yixing asked. “What makes it so powerful?”

“This curse is linked to (y/n), so it’s able to get around whatever it is that protects wolves from our magic.” She shifted her gaze to Jongdae. “I’m sorry. But – according to this curse – if you mark (y/n), she will die.”