Areum swung the door at lightning speed, trying to close it in his face, but his hand shot out, blocking her feeble attempt.

He tsked, mockingly, "Now that's no way to treat your guests, princess."

Areum's eyes darted over his shoulder where she saw the other panthers lingering on her porch wearing smug grins.

Even Mino.

She gulped and tried not to look scared. "They'll be back, you know. They'll smell you and they'll come back."

Jinwoo laughed joyfully, "Sweetheart, what makes you think that we don't want them to come running to you?"

Areum froze.

Was this supposed to be some kind of trap?

Did the rest of his pack know about Mino's powers already?

Taehyun touched her hair, making her jerk back, "If I wasn't so sure, I'd say that you look scared, princess."

She opened wide to scream, but he was quick to cover and yanked her out the house and down the steps.

She shot her hands out when he shoved her to the ground, to brace herself and felt the stinging in her wrists.

A pair of shoes appeared in her sight before a hand stuck out to her. She looked up and saw Mino crouching down with a smile.

She glared at him and looked away before picking herself off and dusting her hands. "You think shoving me around like some elementary school yard bully is going to scare me?"

Mino laughed before standing up. The sound sent shivers down her spine. In the past, Mino always gave off a more submissive and soft image, but the way he held himself now, seemed confident.

Too confident.

He hooked a finger around her scarf and ripped it off, making her stumble with the gasp when a burning sensation circled her neck.

The rest of the panthers, under his command, watched quietly as Mino cupped her chin and forcefully tilted her neck, exposing her bruise.

"It's coming along nicely. You bruise so easily, princess."

Areum felt her heart stop and the blood drain from her face as she shoved him away. "W-What are you talking about?"

As if on cue the wolves bursted out of the forest panting as they circled the panthers. Mark was the first one to shift back.

"Let go of her."

Mino chuckled put Areum in a headlock, holding her hostage. When her hand started to move towards her belt, Mino quickly unbuckled it and tossed aside.

His fingers gently traced the mark on her neck. "You'd think it would be harder to break into a house guarded by seven werewolves."

Areum's whole body was shaking as bile filled the back of , "You…You broke into my room last night? It was you?"

The wolves looked confused and looked at Areum for an explanation.

She felt disgusting. It wasn't Jackson who came into her room last night. It was Mino.

He kissed her. He touched her. He was the one that left the bruise on her neck.

She wanted to vomit.

"Y-You snuck into my room when I was sleeping a-and…and kissed me. You touched me without me knowing." She breathed out as her whole body felt numb and violated.

Mino pulled her closer to him. If he didn't have her in a headlock, it might have looked like a romantic backhug.

And if Areum didn't feel like every part of her that he touched was crawling with leeches.

He nuzzled her hair, "You're acting disgusted, but you should've seen the way you clung onto me all night."

"Y-You slept with me?" She choked out while trying to lean her body as far as she could in his hold.

He smiled and closed his eyes, like he was relishing in their closeness, "All night."

Youngjae roared in anger, unable to take it anymore and leaped towards the two of them, the other wolves took this chance to pin the panthers down but Mino's eyes flipped red, making Youngjae freeze mid sprint and collapse to the ground.

"No!" Areum screamed while trying to fight against his hold. Mino had her facing away from him, she couldn't block his powers if she couldn't face him.

The other wolves managed to slam into the panthers, forcing them to shift forms. Mino watched in amusement, not trying to control the wolves as the boys faced off.

Jaebum and Jinyoung were the first to attack, viciously attacking Seungyoon and Jinwoo with angry claws and deadly teeth.

Mark didn't hesitate and bit into Seunghoon's neck, whipping him aside.

Taehyun circled against the BamBam and Yugyeom but the two wolves attention turned to Mark who whined in pain.

Taehyun leaped into the air body slammed into Yugyeom, letting his weight suffocate the youngest wolf.

BamBam tried biting into Taehyun's body but the panther just kicked him away.

"W-Why isn't he fighting back?" Areum asked with watery eyes as she stared at Mark.

The eldest male stood still as Seunghoon jumped back up and started swiping and biting into him, causing flesh to break and blood to shed.

Areum froze when she heard Mino chuckled behind her head. "You're doing this to him." She breathed.

"Isn't it amazing? Can't you see how strong I am? How I can protect you?" He whispered.

Areum didn't listen to anything he said and just screamed, "FIGHT! ING FIGHT, MARK!"

The boy's eyes flickered to her and there was a visible sense of panic and fear in his eyes as he continued to get attacked.

The other boys noticed, but every time they tried to help, a panther would attack them, diverting their attention.

Yugyeom was suffocating, BamBam was trying to the pup, Mark was immobile, Youngjae was still passed out in a lump, and Jinyoung and Jaebum couldn't get close enough to help any of them.

"Mark was the closest one to you next to Jackson, isn't he?"

She felt like she was suffocating with his arm pressed against . "So what? You're trying to kill everyone close to me? Everyone that I actually like?"

"Then you'll only have me."

Areum dug her nails into the arm around her neck but Mino didn't flinch. "Even if you kill everyone I know, I'll never be with you."

"Even your sister?" He asked with a chuckle.

Areum's confidence wavered, "I would never forgive you."

"How does it feel knowing that you hugged the reason Jackson died, to sleep?" Mino teased.

"I thought you were Jackson." She whispered loudly.

Mino snarled and tightened his grip around Areum's neck, making her choke, "Well it wasn't him. You were the one who held me first. I just did what you wanted."

Judging by the way he was chocking her, it was clear that the normal protectiveness that he would have towards his link was gone.

Because she wasn't his link.

He was treating her like an enemy.

Like a regular human.

His rationality was gone, exposing who or what he really was.

"I didn't want this!" She scream while trashing violently against him. "I didn't want you to assault me in my sleep, you sick !"

Something inside Mino flipped and he threw her to the ground, while the fight abruptly ended. Everyone including Youngjae stood up and shifted into their human forms, despite their injuries.

Areum looked away when she saw the bruises all over Mark who was barely standing up.

She quickly turned to face Mino, trying to focus on his eyes, but Seunghoon robotically heaved her up before slamming her painfully against the porch railings.

She screamed in pain as the back of her head smacked against the wood. Her vision was blurry as she looked at the wolves for help, but they remained frozen in their spots.

How?

How was Mino control all 6 wolves and all 4 panthers at once? How was he even that strong?  

 "If you don't have feelings for me, then why did your body react so quickly to mine when I got into bed with you?"

Every word that left his mouth made her feel sicker, "I was asleep. I couldn't control my actions. But want to know what's funny?" She rasped out, "Even in my sleep I thought you were Jackson. Because he's the one I love."

Instead of getting agitated by her words, Mino just grinned before turning in the direction of the immobile wolf pack.

"Speaking of the prince, where is he? We should call him out, shouldn't we?"

-----

"What do you think is going to happen? What exactly is your bull plan?" Areum croaked.

Mino walked around her, never standing long enough in front of her for her to lock her eyes onto his.

Jaebum and Jinyoung held onto her arms, restricting her. The other wolves were in their wolf forms, standing behind Mino. His own pack looked dazed while they stared off into space next to Mino.

"Well, I'm hoping that Jackson will hear your screams and come running to protect you."

Areum's face twisted when Mino stood behind her, "What scre--"

As if on cue, Jaebum dug his nails into her arm and scratched her so hard that he tore through skin and left 5 long cuts down her forearm. Areum let out a muffled scream, forcing the sound to stay in .

Her arm felt like it was on fire as she stared at the scratches. The cuts were red and spots of blood appeared along the cuts. She looked up at Jaebum with sad eyes, but he just stared blankly at her.

"It's no use." She mumbled out, "He's dead."

Mino's footsteps stuttered, "I'm sorry?"

"Jackson killed himself to protect me." She lied.

Mino's eyebrows creased, "Why would he do that?"

"You wanted him, so if he died, your pack would have no reason to want to hurt me."

Silence filled the air and Areum felt her nerves fry as she waited for his next move.

"That was pretty rash of him, but, good."

Areum felt her blood boil, but kept her calm, "So let me go."

Mino stood in front of her but faced away. She wanted to scream in frustration, he wouldn't make eye contact with her long enough for her to try to break his hold on the wolves.

"No. Now that he's gone, we can finally be together."

Areum's muscles locked up, "What are you talking about?"

"You can finally agree to be with me now that he isn't here, trapping you." Mino said with a smile as he kept his back to her.

Areum scoffed, "Even if he's gone, I wouldn't want to be with you."

"You're my link." He growled before turning around, finally making eye contact.

Areum's eyes widened but she quickly narrowed her eyes, focusing her attention on his eyes, trying to create a mental shield.

"I'll never be your link. Jackson's is my mate."

Mino winced at the stab of pain, his eyes flinching before he snarled. "What makes you so ing sure?"

"I'd spend forever with him but I'd rather die than be with you." She spat back.

Mino chuckled suddenly, though his eye twitched from a sudden