**Wow there are some readers who were able to read this chapter as soon as I updated. I am so sorry you had to witness so many mispellings! I was in a hurry to update this, I have only rechecked now. 😅 You are so kind to not complain. Hahahah! Anyways, I have a feeling I will be a bit slower in updating the next hapter because I will be busier the next coming weeks. I am apologizing in advance. I said I wanted to make this story short but I don't think it's a short story so far! 😆

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8

 

Haein sat on the room. The work today was harder than usual but he did not feel tired. He ate more than he could the past days and he felt vigorous.

 

"You seem to be in a good mood, Haein." Said Eric.

 

Eric sat beside Haein. 

 

Haein smiled. The past days, he was still ordered to transfer the gold vases to the garden. He doesn't know how many vases there were but he is not complaining. Each time he did the task, he was able to see Jisoo. He wasn't able to talk to her though, there were so many people around her arranging the flowers and she was always occupied. But he was able to watch her from a distance. Sometimes, he would intentionally walk near her, their eyes would meet and linger... And if he's lucky, he could get close enough to smell her scent or even brush his hand on her hand... and he would immediately see her face turning red, her scent changing... And that would make Haein hunger for more... 

 

"You got me worried a couple of days ago, Haein. You don't eat well... you don't sleep well... You are always angry and you work yourself to exhaustion. I was starting to think you have a mate-disease." Said Eric, chuckling.

 

"Mate disease?" Haein shook his head as he laughed. "I am half blood, remember? I am not a full wolf. Only full wolves get mate disease. I will not have that. And besides. I do not have a mate."

 

"Yeah... that was odd of me to think. It's just that I saw my Uncle suffer

through that and I was... kinda worried about you the past days because I saw similarities..." said Eric. 

 

"Similarities?" Haein smirked.

 

"Yes, You know how wolf mated men are when they are apart from their mates, right? They lose interest in...

 Everything. They lose appetite. They can't sleep because they keep wanting to be with their mate. They are not themselves. They irritable and all they can think about is their mate." Said Eric. "It only improves once they reunite with their mates. That's why when a wolf mate dies, the remainig wolf mate usually dies soon after. A wolf's mate is like a vital vein in a wolf's life."

 

Haein knows this... He grew up knowing the culture of the wolves. He is half Lion though, so this will never happen to him. He has not heard of a half wolf getting the mate disease...

 

 But why does this suddenly make him uncomfortable?

 

"So what happened to change your mood the past days?" Asked Eric. "You suddenly ate two full bowls of that nasty porridge. And then you started smiling and laughing again."

 

Haein's brows closed in...

 

Why... is he feeling like he's missing something here...

 

He started eating more the other day... He started feeling energetic the same day... That day...

 

And then somehow like puzzle pieces moving in his mind... Haein's eyes widened.

 

"It may have to do with her..." he whispered. 

 

But... why did seeing Jisoo make him so much more... alive?

 

"I saw her again the other day." Said Haein, his throat moving.

 

"Her?"

 

 "Jisoo..."

 

Eric's eyes widened.

 

"I saw her in the garden..." said Haein.

 

"This Jisoo..."

 

Eric did not know Jisoo's name.

 

"Is the woman the Seer forced me to take." Said Haein.

 

Eric's eyes widened. And then he gulped. Haein has not been himself for days, since the day he returned to this room... 

 

Since the day he stopped seeing this Jisoo...

 

That means Haein had been in a really bad mood and almost like a sick person since the time he left the woman! 

 

"No... it can't be." Eric shook his head. "I am overthinking. She can't be..."

 

Haein's thoughts are the same... Jisoo... Can she really be his mate? But how can that be... He is a half breed, he is not supposed to have a Mate disease.

 

"You are a half blood so maybe we are taking this the wrong way. Yeah... that's right." Said Eric.

 

"Tell me how it is for a wolf." Said Haein.

 

Eric stared at Haein for a long time, his eyes filled with worry. 

 

Eric took a deep breath.

 

"If she's your mate, you would want her... like really want her... you would desire her, Haein." Said Eric. "Once you smell her scent, you would never be able to stop yourself from touching her, taking her..."

 

Haein felt his heart racing... his mind going back to the days since he met Jisoo... 

 

"Haein you...you... were only forced by the Seer, right Haein?" Asked Eric. "You do not want the girl, right?"

 

Haein felt sweat flowing on his face as realization filled his mind.

 

"You... do not want her... tell me you do not want her, Haein." Said Eric. He grabbed Haein's shoulder in panic.

 

Haein closed his eyes tight. Everything seems to make sense now... His unexplainable ual need after every night with Jisoo... as if he wanted more... as if he could not get enough... 

 

That scent ... every time he smells Jisoo's scent, his body heats up fast... And just a glimpse of Jisoo is enough to make him feel like his dull and lifeless day had become better. 

 

All his confused thoughts, his desire, his longing... the way he felt... and still feels...

 

Everything seems to be falling into place now...

 

"You are a half Lion, Haein... I think we are overthinking things." Said Eric

 

"What if... what if the wolf in me is stronger?" Asked Haein. "I have never shifted. What if I am a full wolf inspite of having lion blood in my veins?"

 

 Eric looked away, dropping his hands on his sides.

 

"You are our Chief, for us you will always be a full wolf." Said Eric

 

"I know that." Said Haein. "And I am always thankful that you have accepted me."

 

Eric stared at Haein for a while.

 

"What do you plan to do with her, Haein?" Asked Eric

 

"She is going to come with us." Said Haein. "If she is indeed my mate, I will never leave her here."

 

"But being mated to a human... a human who is being hunted by the entire Vishox because of her blood... Haein do you know the danger you will put yourself and our clan into if you keep her?"

 

Haein closed his eyes tight. Just imaging leaving this place without Jisoo is making his blood boil in anger!

 

"If she's my mate then she is mine to protect and keep. And I will protect her. She will come with me." Said Haein, his eyes starting to change color making Eric move away. 

 

"And... if she is not your mate?" Asked Eric

 

"She's already mine. And I have no plans of leaving her behind." Said Haein

 

 

-------

 

Eric was chopping wood with Haein that afternoon. They barely spoke