Lina had just left the dining room and slipped into the kitchen. Sehun’s eyes stayed with her till the very last moment before turning to his parents. A part of him felt nervous of their feedback but there was an even bigger part that didn’t care what they thought. Whatever happened, he would stay by his mate just as he promised himself, and he would defend, protect and love.

Sehun’s mother smiled excitedly, almost squealing with happiness. She was overjoyed. It felt like an eternity waiting for this exact moment.

“Sehun, she’d beautiful! And has such a lovely mind,” She beamed, “Fate has served you well. You look after her.”

Sehun nodded, his head held high with pride, “Of course I will.”

His dad was still quiet, just listening intently to his family. Sehun’s smile almost faltered when he looked his father.

“Dad?”

Sehun watched his shoulders rise in a sigh and straighten the place mate under his plate.

“Sehun, what do you plan on next?”

Sehun frowned in confusion, his grin completely slipping from his face, “What do you mean?”

“Lina is a human. An exceptional one at that, but still, a human. Pack across the country have never heard of human mates. They do not exist—”

Sehun abruptly interrupted his dad, his face flushed slightly with anger, “Clearly they do! What are you really trying to say?”

“Sehun, please be reasonable,” His father replied calmly, “We will have to turn her.”

Sehun was lost for words for a moment. He could see some sense of it. Lina wouldn’t be accepted. Sehun was lucky that his parents were understanding, but the rest of the werewolf community would be outraged. There would be questioning of Sehun’s leadership. They’d question what a human was doing leading werewolves.

Lina would be an easy target. She didn’t possess the strength of a supernatural being, nor the heightened senses and agility. How long would she last in his world?

“Sehun, do you see what I’m saying?” His father insisted once more. His son nodded.

“I do, but this is something I need to talk to Lina with,” Sehun said firmly, “It will be her decision.”

Sehun suddenly flinched. It was like something had pricked the side of his neck. The sensation had felt so life-like, as if he had been pierced by a needle. His heart rate picked up. Blood was rushing through his veins, coursing to his limbs with such speed that it made his body feel abnormally light.

He craned and twisted his neck to try and relieve himself but it wouldn’t subside.

“Sehun are you feeling okay?” His mother fussed, ready to get out of her seat if he needed her.

“I’m fine, just…”

Sehun’s brows creased and his blinked in a sort of daze. Something was happening; he could feel it.

Then it hit him. Hard.

Like a force against his chest. It struck him deep, causing a deep ache.

“Lina!” He gasped. Before he could move out of his seat though, the kitchen door opened. A large burly figure, walked backwards in, hunched over as if he was dragging something. It soon came to knowledge that it was Lina.

Sehun growled instantly. He shot up from his seat and charged at the man who placed Lina’s body on couch that they had sat on at the beginning of the evening. Without question, Sehun’s fist slammed into the jaw of the other male. The latter’s head flinched back but by a small margin. That only seemed to anger him more.

“What the hell have you done?” Sehun roared, grabbing hold of the man’s collar and lifting him onto his toes. He had never experienced such crazy strength until that point.

Sehun’s mother sat by the table in shock. Everything had happened so quickly. However, his father stayed composed and rose up from his seat.

“Sehun!” He bellowed, “Release Tae, right now.”

Sehun had no choice but to obey. His father was of a higher rank; he was the alpha. Everyone must obey the alpha. His clenched fists released the shirt, but Sehun made sure to shove Tae a bit.

“Do you know about this?” Sehun accused his father. He had to know, otherwise he wouldn’t be so calm.

“Sometimes, when you are alpha, you have to make difficult decisions, son,” his father tried to begin explaining.

“What did you do?” Sehun hissed with menace. He looked down at Lina. She looked like she was asleep, however he noticed the point of entry at the side of her neck. He knelt down beside her, taking her face in her hand, checking for life. He sighed in relief when he could hear the steady beating of her heart; there was no sign of it fading either.

“Lu has created something that could be life changing. There is a drug called trans-platin; on its own, it has no effect on the human body. However, combining it with artificial werewolf DNA has proved otherwise. It has the effects of manipulating human DNA clinically. The changes are not instant but eventually it will essentially turn her DNA to werewolf” he explained as best as he could, “We…we decided to use it on Lina.”

Sehun’s mouth curled into a scowl, “That wasn’t your call to make! Now she will hate me for it! This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

“Sehun, it would have had to be done eventually,” His mother tried to comfort.

“Yes, eventually! When Lina was conscious to make the decision!” Sehun retorted.

Under his fingers, he could feel her stirring from her so-called sleep. She murmured drowsily, mumbling the name ‘Mina’. Her eyes opened and connected with Sehun’s eyes. They looked sad and furious.

“What happened?” Lina asked groggily, “I feel like I’ve been sleeping for years.”

When she was greeted with silence, she knew something was wrong. Sehun’s expression was a picture of guilt so heavy, she almost feared what the response would be. She searched amongst the faces, even the new face of Tae. Then she remembered.

She was talking to Mina.

Mina!

Lina sprung from her seat and scrambled for the kitchen, alarming the other four in the room with her. Sehun followed after with his parents in pursuit. Lina spotted her phone on the floor and the distant voice of her sister. She picked up the phone and placed it at her ear.

“—I swear to god, I will come over there and shoot your !”

“Mina, I’m sorry! I…I actually don’t know what happened,” Lina apologised, “I will talk to you later, I promise.”

Without listening to her sister’s protest, she hung up. Mina could wait for now. The growing ache in her neck couldn’t. She had only just realised it was there when she was moving about. She faced her mate and his parents with a serious look on her face.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on then?” She asked.

Sehun stepped forward, his eyebrows slanted and his lips frowning.

“I’m so sorry Lina; I had no idea what they were planning, I really didn’t,” Sehun rambled, still leaving Lina in confusion.

“What happened?”

“You’ve been injected with a serum,” Sehun’s father stepped in, “The transformation is beginning as we speak.”

Lina placed her hand across her agape mouth and stared in horror. What had they done to her?

“Transformation? In to a werewolf?” She cried. Panic was setting in now. How could she possibly be a werewolf? What would her father say? Could she even tell him?

Lina looked at Sehun once more and she could see the dead in his eyes. He was preparing for her to leave him, she knew it.

“Sehun…I want to go home, please.” Lina stated, hinting that he had better take her home that instant.

Sehun’s mother looked crestfallen at her departure but knew she couldn’t do anything about it.

Sehun nodded solemnly.

The car journey home was quiet. Lina focused on her breathing and somehow it became level with Sehun’s. The familiar porch of her house came into view. Sehun cut the engine but no one made a move to exit the vehicle.

Lina cleared , causing Sehun to look her way, “Please tell your mother thanks from me, for having me for dinner.”

Sehun just looked at her like she was absurd.

“Thanks?” Sehun muttered in disbelief, unknowingly saying it out loud.

“Yes, I realised we left quite rudely,” Lina stated, as if the last events of the evening never even occurred.

“You know what was rude? Not even rude, but disgusting…taking away your will. Why are you being so indifferent?” Sehun demanded, forcing Lina to look at him.

“What do you want me to say? It’s done! I can’t do anything about it. It was bound to happen sooner or later…”

Lina went mute and sat facing away from Sehun again.

“You’re lying.”

Lina looked to glare at Sehun, “And how would you know?”

“I can hear your heart beating and the sudden irregular beat when you lie,” Sehun threw back, “So are you going to really tell me what you’re thinking?”

“You want me to be honest, fine! I’m angry at you! So angry that I want to hit you!” Lina shouted, throwing her hands in the air in erratic movements, “I’m, just angry.”

Sehun reached her with his hand, cupping her face. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Lina was breathing heavily and could feel the heat of Sehun’s breaths radiate across .

“I won’t let anything happen to you ever again,” Sehun vowed, “I give you my word.”

Lina sniffed, letting her hands find his shoulders. She pushed her lips against Sehun’s and let him kiss her desperately, as if to show he meant every word of what he had promised.