[CONTENTID1]Camellia[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Four[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Yoonhee had questioned her decision to agree to the date with Baekhyun many, many times. It wasn’t a smart idea, and it went against all logic and reason.

She was already taken and even though Sooyoung wasn’t the kindest of boyfriends she could imagine, she felt guilty for betraying him like this. Deep down she just knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. She owed him for taking her in when she had been on the run and she felt like she needed to pay his generosity back somehow.

Moreover, Baekhyun was a vampire, a natural enemy of her kind and the very same creature that had killed her family… But he was so determined and stubborn that it had been impossible to reject him. Especially not after he had proven he wasn’t phased by the smell of her blood. So far, he hadn’t bitten her, so the chances it would happen tonight were rather low. This thought made her feel safer and slightly more comfortable with her decision.

As fate would have it, Sooyoung wasn’t at home this evening which meant she wouldn’t have to come up with excuses and there was no chance he might encounter Baekhyun. Sooyoung was out drinking with his friends from work, and she wasn’t welcome there anyway. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. She would go on her date and return later without him noticing anything. Her plan was foolproof.

Yoonhee had barely finished putting on makeup and styling her long black hair when the doorbell rang. Checking her appearance one last time in the mirror, she smoothened the fabric of her dark green dress. She had chosen it because it complimented her eye color, and even though it looked elegant, it was comfortable to wear.

Yoonhee walked to the door and opened it to greet Baekhyun. As she glanced at him, she immediately noticed that his eyes were scarlet. She had never seen them taking on such a vibrant shade of red. They glowed like brilliant rubies in the fading sunlight, so very beautiful and yet so dangerous. The ominous hue of red was a reminder. It revealed his true nature, his thirst for blood, and it served as a warning to stay at a distance.

She wondered why he hadn’t drunk any blood before coming here even though he was thirsty. Wasn’t that strange?

Soulmate or not, she needed to be careful around him and not make any rash decisions. It was clear he was interested in her, but she was not ready for a relationship with a vampire. And she couldn’t disappoint her parents either. Getting involved with a creature that feasted on innocent people’s blood would make them turn in their graves. 

Yoonhee would grant Baekhyun this one date, and then, she would have to make a crucial decision—only time would tell what her verdict would be.

Unaware of her dark thoughts, Baekhyun stood in front of her, wearing a fitting black dress shirt that was tucked into his dark pants and emphasized his lean built. He looked attractive. And she had a hard time ignoring the pull she felt towards him. An unexplainable urge to touch him overcame her.

“Hello Yoonhee,” he said and presented a bouquet he had hidden behind his back. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Camellias? So you remembered,” she whispered and accepted the bouquet. When she touched it, the few buds that were still closed opened and bloomed. The blossoms were vibrant pink, layered with countless soft petals.

“Thank you,” she said, in awe at the thoughtful present. Her heart fluttered, but it wasn’t due to fear. “I will put them in a vase, and then we can leave.”

Baekhyun followed her into her flat and glanced around curiously, but with a sort of cold scrutiny she wasn’t used from him. He scrunched his nose as if he smelled something unpleasant.

“Is your boyfriend not here?” he asked.

“Hm?” she looked at him over her shoulder, putting her beloved camellias in a glass vase. “No, he is not. Otherwise, I would have been in trouble.”

Baekhyun’s ruby eyes captured hers as he approached her. “What we’re doing is none of his business. Break up with him,” he demanded.

“Don’t act like you have some kind of claim over me,” she commented. He made it sound so easy, but it was not easy at all.

“But I do,” he whispered in a husky voice. His hand touched her cheek, cold and gentle. “You are mine, Yoonhee.” His irises looked like gemstones, breathtakingly beautiful and distracting, but they also continuously reminded her that he was very thirsty… and this didn’t sit right with her.

She sat on the passenger seat while he took the driver’s seat and steered the car back on the road. Yoonhee had no clue where they would go, but judging by his elegant clothing, it was good she had dressed up as well. Maybe he had set his sights on a fancy restaurant.

“Will you tell me where we are going?” she asked.

“No, but I’m sure you will like it. I picked it out exclusively for you,” he replied, smirking at her. “Where’s the fun in spoiling the surprise?”

“You’re not taking me to some shady place for vampires, are you?”

“Why would I? I know you would not enjoy that,” he countered. “I’m not blind, Yoonhee. You’re still tense around me, even after all the time we’ve spent together. Your heart rate is increased whenever I’m near. I wish you would feel safe in my presence, not scared.”

His sadness was audible, and she came to regret her thoughtless question. Lowering her head, she gazed down at her purse that rested on her thighs. As always, she kept her protective charms in there, hiding her magic from other vampires.

“I’m sorry,” she answered, raising her head and watching the city lights passing by. Night had fallen and this part of town had gotten a little quieter. She still had no clue where he intended to go. “It’s hard for me to get used to… um… having a vampire around me so often.”

“Don’t apologize. We will figure it out together,” he said, wanting to reassure her since he sensed her growing nervousness. “Actually, I think I’m very lucky,” he added after a short pause and threw her a glance. Even though it was brief, she didn’t miss the adoration gleaming in his ruby eyes.

“Why?” she mumbled and shyly moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Because my date for tonight is so pretty, nobody can compete with her.”

A rosy blush colored her cheeks. She fidgeted with the seam of her knee-length dress, feeling oddly happy at the compliment. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had said something flattering to her.

“You’re exaggerating. I’m not pretty,” she breathed, but his sharp ears picked up her words without a problem.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Yoonhee. One would have to be blind not to see it. I need to be careful nobody takes you away from me tonight.”

She gaped at him, “Are you always such a flirt?”

“I want to steal your heart, so I’m doing my best,” he drawled with a seductive tone of voice.

Yoonhee found his honesty refreshing, but it put her in a difficult spot. His expectations for their date were vastly different from hers. While he saw it as the beginning of something more, she was reluctant to open up. She had a bad feeling about her pending decision. Yoonhee wished she could speak to her parents about it, as she would have done in the past. Her mother and her father had been supportive of her and would gladly have offered advice to her. She couldn’t stop thinking about whether they would accept a vampire as part of the family or not.

Her mother had sometimes told her stories about soulmates since she had viewed their bonds as a marvelous gift. Now, Yoonhee wondered whether her mother would have been happy about her daughter sharing such a bond. It was hard to tell when a vampire was involved…  

Baekhyun ended up taking her to a large mall that housed various boutiques, stores, restaurants and bars. Since most of the shops were already closed at this time, the people they encountered were couples or friends who were out drinking together. Yoonhee curiously gazed around but she didn’t figure out where Baekhyun wanted to go. They took an escalator to one of the upper floors and she felt Baekhyun’s eyes on her.

It wasn’t long before his hand moved to the small of her back. His touch was light and barely noticeable, only testing the waters. She didn’t look at him and didn’t mention it because she didn’t mind the warm tingling that spread over her back. Yoonhee missed Baekhyun’s victorious smirk, but she took note of his touch becoming a little more possessive.

They must have looked like a regular couple, walking together like this. This notion prompted her to blush. Maybe being with him wasn’t so bad. It didn’t feel bad. Instantly, a voice in the back of her head reminded her that he was dangerous. It was her fear that reared its ugly head. He was too strong, too fast—how should she trust someone who was significantly more powerful than her? Someone who could crush her without effort?

This time, however, she managed to shut the voice up. Baekhyun fought tooth and nail to win her trust, he did all those sweet little things for her… If he truly wanted to hurt her or use her magic for his own gain, then he wouldn’t bother going out of his way to assure she was comfortable.

“This is it,” he said, tearing her from her thoughts. She followed his gaze and found a restaurant nestled in between a bookstore and a clothing store. It didn’t look very interesting from the outside, but when they entered it, her jaw dropped, and she understood why he had chosen it.

The restaurant was filled to the brim with flowers. The mouthwatering smell of food mixed with the sweet scent of the plants. Every nook and cranny contained flower pots—there were so many colors, she didn’t know where to look first. Hibiscuses, lilies, daisies, violets and many more filled shelves, decorated tables, and even the ceiling was covered in greenery.

She was speechless, her reaction prom