Guys, you comments from last chapter made me laugh and smile. There is some serious hate going on with Taejoon hahaha
Honestly though, he's one of my favrotie original chafracters. Is there no one who actually feels bad for him? No? Oh, okay then . . . *crickets chirp*

Anywho, this chapter isn't that exciting, but once again, it's building up to something else . . . 
Anticipate it!
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up with a jolt and angry as hell. Sehun jumped to his feet when he saw I was awake. Sumi was also in the room. She watched me worriedly, both of her kids in her hands. I got up and attempted to walk out the door but Sehun held me back.

“S-stop!”

“Let go of me!”

I accidentally let slip some of my Authority and Sehun was almost knocked out from the force of it.

“Hyorim—”

“Shut up!” I spat out which woke her babies. But I didn’t care. I needed to check on Kris, make sure he was okay.

I picked up on his scent and followed it. I knew I found the right room when I saw Tao and Xiumin standing outside his door. When that caught sight of me, they tensed and moved in front of the door. I snarled at them, but stopped right in front of them.

“Move.” I hissed.

“No.” Tao said firmly. “Ai Li and Lay are working on him right now. They’re not done.”

“Move!” a desperate edge was in my voice now and I was having a hard time stopping the tears.

Xiumin took a step forward. “Calm down. Kris won’t be killed so easily. Just give them time, Hyorim.”

“I’m worried and scared too, jiějiě.”

Startled, I looked at Tao. He had never called me that before, the Chinese version of 'noona'm' and to hear him call me that and that he was scared too broke my dam. I started crying hard and fell to my knees. Strong arms wrapped around me and I realized Tao was hugging me and shaking—he was crying with me.

Tao had passed out crying and was currently sleeping on my shoulder. Xiumin was nodding off as well, but I was wide awake. I refused to sleep until I was told that Kris was in the all-clear.

The door opened and I perked up. Xiumin straightened and we both looked up to see Lay. He was sweating and looked tired, but he gave us a faint smile. And at seeing that smile, I felt the world leave my shoulders.

“He’s okay. For now. But we need to let him rest. I probably won’t be better until two days from now.” He looked at me. I think he could sense my desperate question I wasn’t asking. “You can go in, but let him sleep. Here,” He squatted and lifted Tao’s head from my shoulder, “Go on in.”

I quickly stood and went into the room, closing the door softly behind me. I turned to see Ai Li finishing something up. She turned to look at me.

“Sorry, about forcing you to sleep. But we really needed you to calm down.”

“I’ll forgive you later.” I said tersely as I pulled up a chair next to his bed.

“I really am sorry . . .” Ai Li left, the door softly clicking behind her.

All my attention was on Kris. He had bandages all over him and a few IVs attached in his arms. He was also attached to a heart monitor and a breathing mask was over his mouth and nose. His breathing was even now, no longer gurgling over his own blood. Relief washed over me and I actually slumped because of it. I held his hand and with my thumb, rubbed circles on his palm. As soon as our skin touched, I was soothed and felt my entire body relax. In moments, I was passed out.

I spent the entire time by his side. I just couldn’t bring myself to move or eat, even if someone brought me food. Sehun would come and beg me to eat or get out and get some fresh air. But I couldn’t—even his pleas were useless. I just sat there, next to Kris’s bed, holding his hand and waiting for him to wake up. Today was the second day and it was nearing dusk.

“Wake up already,” I said, exhausted. “You have to wake up.”

But he didn’t, not that I was surprised. Some to most of his wounds had yet to be fully healed. And not for the first time I felt fury and confusion wash over me. Why? Why had Taejoon done this? Why and how had he allied himself with a Feral? How could he betray me like that?

And what the hell had he done to that Feral? And then I suddenly remembered—the shard! I had to find it and get it to Ai Li. Maybe she would know. I got up but I didn’t get far as I was pulled back by our connected hands. I looked at our hands, then at Kris. I forcibly reminded myself that Kris was safe, in good hands.

I needed that shard and figure out what we were up against—so I could figure out how to tear it apart. I gently placed our hands on the bed and let go.

I left the room and turned around to find Sehun sitting on the ground. He immediately stood, looking worried and relieved. “Noona?”

“I need your help. Follow me.”

“Noona, what are we looking for again?”

“It’s a shard . . . of something.”

“That helps. What does it look like?”

I tried to remember. Everything had been so fast and it had been buried deep . . . “It was pale . . . with a yellow tint. It was buried in some flesh—whatever you do, don’t touch it directly. I think it has the same magic as those wolf’s bane bullets.”

I was desperately trying to remember where everything had happened. For some reason, the body was gone—no, I gritted my teeth, Taejoon probably took it. It was taking longer than I thought it would.

“Noona! I think I found it!”

I immediately went to his side and he turned to show me the shard scooped up in his shirt. I had been right. The shard was eerily reminiscent of the Demon Damper, and was a pale, cream color with a yellow tinge. The only difference was that it was much bigger than the afore mentioned shard. I took out a handkerchief I had found and gently grabbed it from Sehun. Even through the cloth, I felt a strange tingling run through my body—it felt both extremely unpleasant and exhilarating at the same time. I wrapped it up and stuffed it in my pocket. Ai Li needed to see this and find a way to fight against it.

“Let’s go.”

We took off at a break neck run and it didn’t take us long to reach the house with no rest stops. Sehun wasn’t as out of breath as I was—he was a born runner—but I was heaving. People were running to and from and when Lay caught scent of me, he whirled and looked at me with wide eyes. Then anger replaced his surprise as he stormed to meet me halfway.

“Where the hell did you go!?” He demanded.

“I needed to find some—”

Lay continued, interrupting me. The others were starting to gather around us. “We had thought you’d gone off and done something stupid! Like go and get revenge and gotten yourself killed! What were you thinking!?”

“I need to find Ai Li—”

“Do you know how worried we were? How could you just go alone!? Why didn’t you—”

“Enough!” I shouted. Lay immediately shut up. “I didn’t go alone. Sehun was with me. Now, where is Ai Li?”

“I’m right here.” Ai Li stepped forward, Chen right after her. “What do you need?”

I took the wrapped up shard in my hand and carefully peeled back the cloth to reveal the edges. “I have another mystery I need you to solve. This was lodged into the Feral that attacked us. I need you to figure out what it does and how to fight against it.”

“Oka—”

“No!” Chen said firmly, drawing Ai Li back. “She injured herself for you. She’s done enough.”

“Chen, I’m fine. I want to—”

Chen whirled on Ai Li. “No! No more. You don’t know what all this magic will do to our—”

“Chen!” Chen immediately clammed up. “Enough.” She turned resolutely to me, stretching out her hand, palm up. “Give that to me and I’ll go right now to figure it out.”

I placed it in her palm. She grabbed Chen’s hand and walked to the house. I turned to Tao and Luhan. “I need you two to keep training everyone else. As soon as Kris wakes up and gets back on his feet, we’re going to take down these ers.”

I sat down in my chair and grabbed Kris’s hand and laid my head down on the bed.

Why, Taejoon? After everything that happened to us, after having our lives ripped apart by Ferals, why would you use them? It made no sense. And what was that shard? How had Taejoon come across it? Tears seeped out of my eyes. Even if I had only reunited with him twice, the betrayal hurt. I had found a lost piece, an attachment to my past.

Suddenly, someone was patting my head. I just assumed it was Sumi or Sehun—they would often come in and give me company. “Are you crying for me?”

I jerked up and stared wide-eyed at Kris who was giving me his stupid grin.

“You’re awake . . .” I said dazedly.

His grin softened. “I’m awake.” I lunged forward and hugged him, crying into his shoulder. “I’m fine. I’m okay, Hyorim.” He said quietly.

“I’m sorry,” I cried. “I’m sorry I took so long to get to you. If I had been quicker, you wouldn’t have been hurt so bad and I could have stopped Taejoon. I could have—”

“Stop. It’s in the past. I’m alright now. Don’t punish yourself.”

I drew back and cupped his face, giving him light pecks all over before I kissed him on the mouth. I drew back and Kris gave me a rather satisfied grin. “If that’s what I get after getting hurt, remind me to do it more often.”

I blushed. “That’s not funny!”

“I was only kidding.” He sat up and threw his feet so he was sitting on the bed, facing me. He realized he was attached to things and carelessly tore the IVs and heart monitor off. “How long was I out?”

“Two days.”

“Damn.” There was silence before he spoke again. “Who was that Were?”

I didn’t have to ask which one he meant. I looked down at my hands, which were clasped in my laps. “He is—was—my friend. His name is Taejoon and . . . and he’s like me. I mean, he was there, when I was attacked by Ferals. He was attacked too . . .” My hands tightened around each other.  “I don’t know . . . I don’t understand why . . . He’s not the Taejoon I knew, not even close.”

“He’s ing insane.” I jerked my face up to look at him, a little hurt by the comment. Kris saw my face. “I mean . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t think before I spoke.” Kris sighed and rubbed his face. “But he is. He talked to me and spoke of you like he owned you. He was going to kill me for . . .” He shook his head.

“There’s more.” I said quietly. “There was a shard embedded in the Feral’s skull.”

“A shard?”

“Like the ones we found in the wolf’s bane bullets, except much bigger. I think . . . it’s what made it so strong.”

Kris groaned and flung himself back on the bed. “How many more obstacles are going to turn up?” Then he sat up, looking like he was in deep thought. “How did this Taejoon get ahold of a shard that’s so similar to the wolf’s bane one? And how was he able to control a Feral . . . ?”

This time, it was my turn to ask, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m not sure. I need to sort through my thoughts first.” He eyed me. “I don’t want you going anywhere alone, though. I’m worried he might pull something without anyone watching.”

I huffed. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you.”

He sat up and gave me a chuckle. “I know. But I can worry, can’t I?” He shifted so he was laying on the bed again. “I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep some more. You’ll stay, right?”

“If you want me to.

“I want you to.”

---------------------------------------------

First of all, GAH! Too much fluff. It's almost embarrasing *blushes* I never knew I--ahem--Hyorim, could be such a sap. Ah, well. I write what the characters tell me to~
That being said, HYORIM DOESN'T QUITE SUSPECT WHO TAEJOON IS!!!!!! *gasp* But Kris is slowly piecing things together. Do you think Hyorim will figure it out on her own first or will she have to hear it from Kris?
Will Taejoon try again to take Hyorim? Or has he given up on wanting her? Will Ai Li be able to figure out what this new piece of magic is? Why was Chen so upset about Ai Li helping again? Will Kris and Hyorim become even closer? Am I asking too many questions? Probably. 

Stay tuned for the next chapter! Which may or may not be posted tomorrow . . . (>.>)