--

03

--

Your first night sleeping in the house was a bit scary. The room was dark and empty, but the sheets were warm and comforting. Everything smelled like fresh wood and frost instead of mold and rotting meat. There were no chains keeping you to the wall. No other prisoners heckling you, screeching and crying. The only thing that remained was the metal bit on your arm. You shuffled in your bed, hearing the chains clink together.

And you found a way you could be useful to earn your keep. Before you were captured, you liked cooking and cleaning. Baking was one of your favorite pastimes, and knitting was a good way to pass the time. Since there wasn’t any field work around here, it seemed like those were the only things left for you to do.

But when you closed your eyes to try to sleep, all you saw were glowing yellow eyes that belonged to an angry werewolf, probably the one that liked to scowl at you whenever he saw you.

Opening your eyes again, you sighed. Howon’s reaction was more of the reaction you were expecting when you stumbled into the town. You didn’t expect the kindness that Sungjong and some of the others showed you.

You flipped over on your bed and squeezed your eyes shut. Was it so bad to cling to the kindness?

--

Sungjong woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon frying on the pan. His stomach growled with happiness as he hurried to freshen up and get dressed.

By the time he got down the stairs, Woohyun and Dongwoo were already waiting at the dining table while you cooked in the kitchen.

“Dongwoo decided to tag along. I guess he didn’t believe me when I said the food was amazing.”

“If I didn’t believe you, then I wouldn’t be here,” Dongwoo said, taking in a deep breath. “That smells amazing. Are those biscuits I smell, too?”

You came out of the kitchen carrying some plates for everyone and noted that you were missing another plate oncce again.

“This is Dongwoo. He’s the pack Beta. And I guess I should tell you that Woohyun is a pack Enforcer, with Howon being the other one.”

You said good morning to them before laying the plates out and hurrying back into the kitchen to grab another one and the food. Dongwoo drooled onto his plate when you brought out the plates of eggs and bacon, going back for a plate of biscuits and some butter.

“I’ve died and gone to food heaven. You made all of this? From scratch?” You sat down and nodded. “It doesn’t hurt your arm with the…” He gestured towards the chain on your arm, and you shook your head. You had to use your arm to keep it from becoming too weak. You’d long lost the feeling of pain in it.

The males stared at you for a moment before you tilted your head in question. “You can eat,” you said, looking around nervously.

“You better get yours first,” Sungjong said. “You’re the cook and a lady after all.”

“And I can’t guarantee that there will be any left after we’re done,” Woohyun added, eyeing the food with so much intensity, you thought it would burn.

You grabbed a few biscuits and buttered them before piling some eggs and bacon onto your plate. “That’s all I’m-“

And before you could finish your sentence, the boys dived for the food.

--

Sungjong and Dongwoo dragged Woohyun to the kitchen to do the dishes, leaving you to sit at the dining table and think about what you wanted to make for dinner. Sungjong said there would be seven of them, and that Howon would be at dinner too, making you shudder.

Sungjong, Dongwoo and Woohyun glanced at each other, exchanging private thoughts while doing the dishes.

‘She’s terrified of him,’ Sungjong thought sadly.

‘Rightfully. Anyone would be scared of Howon if he didn’t like them. He hasn’t even given me a good reason why besides the fact that she’s a stranger.’ Woohyun handed off another dish for Sungjong to dry.

‘He’s just paranoid. He thinks that of all strangers ever since his family died,’ Dongwoo said, putting away dishes into places where he hoped they belonged.

‘She’s so sweet. I think the kids are going to love her. She said she might show them her animal forms today after school lets out.’

‘Oh? What does she turn into?’ Woohyun asked. Sungjong stopped drying for a moment and turned his eyes up in thought. He knew you were a shapeshifter, but he’d never thought to ask you what you shifted into.

‘Huh… I’ve never asked.’

--

Sungjong took you up to the mountain lodge where the rest of the pack made their residence. As soon as you stepped inside, you recoiled and stuck your head outside of the door to keep from fainting.

“Oh yeah, should’ve warned you about that. The smell in here can get pretty strong. A bunch of guys live here so…”