Jackson laced their fingers together as he tugged Areum behind him, dragging her out of the building and into a secluded courtyard near the side of the school.

Areum's breath caught when she felt the piercing, judgmental gazes from the students  behind her but she lost her train of thought when she felt his hand tighten around her fingers.

She stumbled when he yanked her forwards and pinned her to a wall. "Why do you let people talk to you like that?"

Her eyes narrowed and she shoved him away. "I thought I told you to not talk to me at school."

Jackson grit his teeth, "That was before people were treating you like a punching bag."

Areum smirked, "And you saved me. My pet dog."

Jackson's jaw dropped before he rolled his eyes, "Don't let it go to your head."

Areum reached out and the top of his head like a puppy. To her, she was just making fun of him, but to Jackson, he couldn't put into words how amazing it felt.

He wanted to keen in delight as her fingers patted his head, "Good boy. You're my little good boy, aren't you." She cooed.

His inner sides weren't fighting when she was like this and it just made him sigh in content. He could think for himself and all he could think about was her stupid face and drooling with his jaw slackened open, totally sated.

Jackson was on the brink of melting in her hands and was fighting the purr that her praises were eliciting. God, he wanted to shift on the spot and let her fingers run through his fur, repeating those same phrases.

Oh God, he was becoming a mess.

Areum's smile slowly faded when she saw the dark look in his eyes. She awkwardly removed her hand and cleared .

"I was being serious back there. The only reason I said I was your dog was because you were letting people call you names and harass you." Jackson gripped.

Areum leaned her back on the brick wall, "How does your girlfriend feel about you standing up for me?"

Jackson knit his brows in confusion, "What girlfriend?"

"Yoomi. You were awfully cuddly with the girl that's set out to make my life a living hell." She quipped.

He raised his brows at her, "Are you jealous?"

"Why would I be?" She remarked.

Jackson smiled and flicked her forehead, "I wasn't flirting with anyone. In fact I was telling her to stay the hell away from me. I didn't know your jealous streak was so strong."

"I wasn't jealous. I just don't like her." She snapped.

His smile turned into a tense line when he thought about her locker, "Why do people hate you so much?"

Areum tensed, "There are no real reasons. People are just stupid."

Jackson frowned, "You should do something about it instead of just sitting there and taking it."

"Nope. We're not talking about this right now." She  said snottily.  

Jackson leaned against the bench and crossed his arms over his chest, "So what do you want to talk about? The fact that I kissed you?"

"Wh-No-I." She sighed, "No. I don't want to talk about that either." 

Jackson raised his brows, "You're not surprised that I was the guy who kissed you at that party?"

Areum's eyes widened, "You knew that it was me all along?"

Jackson cocked his brow, "Of course I did, but I'm guessing you didn't."

She stomped her foot on the ground and scowled at him, "Do you know how much you put me through because of that?! Everyone is calling me a and worse just because they saw me kissing you! My life enough as it is but because of you I became public enemy number 1 AGAIN! These people won't leave me alone, thanks to you." 

Jackson narrowed his eyes at her, "You're acting like I forced you to kiss me. You kissed me back! How is any of this my fault!?" 

"Because you pulled my hood down and everyone found out it was me!"

"Then wear a bigger hood!"

Areum made a grumbling sound in , "Now I can't even walk the halls without people whispering about me!" 

Jackson shrugged, "So? I'll make sure no one says a word about you." 

Areum laughed dryly, "I don't need any of your empty promises."

Jackson huffed in annoyance, "They're not empty, but fine. So, what do you want me to do about it?" 

She frowned knowing that it was too late for damage control, "Why did you even kiss me in the first place?"

Jackson faltered and his gaze drifted away, "Because I wanted to and you didn't resist."

She looked at her feet, her face morphing passed a multitude of emotions before it settle on upset, "So is that why you came up to me in the bookstore? You wanted to harass the that kissed you? You wanted to hang around and see when I'd sleep with you? Because everyone knows how easy Jo Areum is."

She gasped when she felt two palms lift her face up. His face was taunt as he glared into her  eyes. "Don't you dare call yourself that." He hissed. "I don't want to sleep with you."

Areum smiled bitterly and pulled his hands off of her, "Why not? Everyone else does."  

Jackson clucked his tongue and stepped away from her, "Just because you kissed one guy, they're acting like you’re a leper. Why?"

Areum shrugged, "People are weird, I guess."

"I have no intentions of tricking or harassing you into sleeping with me." Jackson sighed and looked to the side where kids were watching them through the windows.

Humans were insufferable.

Areum was terrified of this. She didn't want Jackson and his group of friends to have only approached her and befriended her because they wanted  something from her.

She wanted people to like her because they genuinely liked her and not because they had to. She was worried that by bringing this up, Jackson would admit that he only ever tried talking to her because he had an ulterior motive.

"I came up to you at the bookstore because Mark saw you working there."

Areum looked up at him and stared at his sharp profile. "Why did he tell you where I worked?"

Jackson ran his fingers through his hair and huffed, "Because I kept thinking about you after that night."

Areum's eyes widened and even though she didn't want to, a small blush spotted the apples of her cheeks. "You were?"

Jackson didn't reply and continued staring at every object in the courtyard except for her. It was a weird moment for him. It was true because yeah, after he kissed her he kept thinking about her, but he was angry at her too.

He hated that his pack was mad at him because of her and he hated even more that she was his human mate.

But that kiss.

It was on his lips and tongue for days after the party and it made him feel things he had never felt before. It was the most inexplicable pleasure he had ever experienced.  Every time he his lips, he'd get this blissful shiver thrown at his body. 

It was so strong that he couldn't believe a measly human was the cause of it all.

But a part of him pricked in guilt. He only approached her because she was his mate. That was the reason he'd always tag along and be around her.

"D-Did you like it?" She breathed out, her face flushed red and looked down at the ground.

Jackson felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes widened at her question. "Did I like kissing you? Really, Areum? Are you 13?"

Areum glared at him, her vulnerability  replaced with irritation, "Shut up. Jus--Just shut up."

A smile quirked up his lips when he saw the tough, cold blooded girl that always gave him attitude act shy and embarrassed.  

It made the wolf inside of him was to nuzzle her face.

"Did you like kissing me?" He