"You smell funny" 

Surprised at Kai's sudden remark, I lifted my face from the toaster in which I'd just popped two toasts for a quick breakfast before I had to go work. My first thought was that I found it funny because I'd just showered, and random because well, this was Kai. He never really said anything without purpose but his words this time did not even make sense. 

Was he implying that I smelt bad? 

"Jongin!" Kris reprimanded before I could throw him a nasty comeback. His eyebrows were furrowed, making him seem even scarier. If I'd didn't know him, then I'd be scared out of my wits right now. Yes, even tough Seulmi has emotions thank you very much. I wasn't Thor, for god's sake. 

But confusion swept through me, why was he taking my side so suddenly? 

Jongin shrugged, "what? It's true" 

"We can all smell it without you having to point it out" Krystal commented as she bustled into the kitchen with a basket of fruits in her arms. Kris went to take it from her and the girl flashed him a grateful smile, before moving over to the coffee machine to start brewing the beans. 

"I don't get it," a frown settled over my face, "what's he-- no, what the hell are you guys talking about?" 

They all shared a look. They thought I hadn't seen anything, but I did. Those little s. What more were they hiding from me? I was starting to get really fed up of trying to dig in their secrets and having them not tell me everything until it was a little too late. 

"What is it now?!" I sighed with exasperation, "I smell bad? Is that it?!" 

"Not at all" Krystal looked pained. She threw a pointed glance at Kris before turning back to me, "uhm, well..." 

"What Kai means by you smelling funny," Kris interrupted, while I noticed that his ears had turned red. What the ? "He means that you're on your period" 

I swore the silence that followed was so dense I could hear a pin drop. I gulped. Once, twice. I opened my mouth without knowing what to reply to such a thing. So not only did they know when was high in the house, but they knew exactly when each girl was ovulating? There was something totally wrong and totally embarrassing with this revelation, and heat blossomed over my cheeks in haste. 

"S-So what?" I stuttered, "I'm pretty sure all girls get their periods. Sarang included" 

I felt like patting myself on the back when Kai turned into a blubbering mess, "I mean-- I didn't mean it was a b--bad thing" 

I rolled my eyes and placed both toasts on a plate. I slid into one of the chairs and grabbed onto the nearby jar of peanut butter, spreading it on my bread meticulously, "I don't get what's the big deal about it" 

"Well, not to us" Krystal placed a cup of coffee next to me and I flashed her a grin of thanks, mouth filled with food. She swatted me with her napkin and replied "ew gross!" 

"Anyway" she sat opposite me with her own cup in hand, " like I was saying, it's nothing to us, just a funny smell. But for Luhan, things get a little more complicated" 
"What?" Not again with those weird wolf-mate facts, "does he go ballistic or something?" 
But her face at my supposed joke gave away the fact that she thought otherwise.
"No" I said with growing panic, "he goes ballistic?" 

"You see, wolves that are in the process of mating-- that's the imprint, that's what you guys are going through now-- they get quite sensitive to the female's body and warmth" she shoots me down with another of her pointed looks, "in other words, he--" 

A growl interrupted the rest of her sentence, loud enough to be one that might have emerged from miles and miles away, dug deep into the forest. But it wasn't. It was right in front of us, next to the staircase. A dreadful feeling was slowly settling itself in my lower abdomen. I wasn't getting good vibes from this, and it seemed like Kris was on the same train of thought for he shot up as fast as lightning, readying himself. 

Luhan appeared at the kitchen doorway, breathing like he had just run for miles when in truth he'd just descended the stairs from his room. But that wasn't what got fear to drill through me. It wasn't his body stance that resembled someone walking with pain, it wasn't even the way his teeth clenched as he gnawed them together, but his eyes. 

They were glowing red. A vivid, lust tone of red that was shimmering through his pupils. The sight was frightening and mystifying at the same time. I was amazed by how beautiful these red orbs could provoke such emotion, but his facial expression was what made my stomach drop with terror. 

In an instant, Kris was at his side and grabbed onto his arm. The alpha bent down to murmur something in his ear, god knows if that could calm him down. 

"Seulmi, why don't we go out?" Krystal's voice gave away her worry, her fear that Luhan might suddenly pounce on me and eat me dry. 

But Seulmi was not one to back down when faced with danger. This was Luhan, and he was still Luhan even at his worst. He had to man up and deal with whatever he was feeling because I was not going to avoid him on purpose again because of these stupid werewolf ticks. Just like what happened on the full moon, those were consequences that I wouldn't be able to avoid no matter what and he should be the same, not run away. We'd suffer together if we had to, I was sick of running and hiding like it was the only thing we could do. 

I could still see a part of him, hidden beneath that ferocious exterior. He was still Luhan, the same Luhan I'd known. 

"Luhan" I called him out and watched his eyes flicker for a second. From the way he had listened to me during our previous incident, I knew that our bond was different, that we had something stronger, something unexplainable. I could tame him, that was one of the advantages. 

"Luhan" I tried again, "can you hear me?" 

Kris pulled at the said wolf's arm, "come on, this is getting ridiculous. Let's go, Luhan" 

But contrary to the calmness that had taken over him, Luhan seemed to snap. He snarled and whirled upon Kris with such rapidity that I barely had time to register what was happening before five other wolves tackled him down in an instant, securing him in place. Krystal meanwhile ushered me out of the room and would not let go of my arm until we reached the sanctuary of her room. 

"You're crazy!" She yelled the moment the door was closed. I sat on her bed and stared ay my lap, adamant that Luhan would've listened to me if Kris hadn't interrupted the encounter. But to Krystal, it was just bull, "untamed wolves like this cannot be controlled so easily. You had some luck on that full moon, but it doesn't mean it can happen again" 

"I know" I mumbled, "but maybe if Kris--" 

She shook her head, brown locks flying, "Please don't be stupid" her expression turned grave, "you saw what happened to Mihye" 

"Yeah" her words impulsively caused me to blink down at the long scar running up the length of my arm. Mihye was lucky that she had survived the danger, but how lucky could you get the next time? There was no guarantee for safety. 

They kept me away from him for most part of the day, sending me out with Kyungsoo to distract myself and calling in sick for me at work. Although I battled out my case, Kris did not want me going to work because he claimed that if Luhan snapped, it was most likely that his instincts would drag him straight there if he didn't find me around the house. 

So I was stuck on a road trip with Kyungsoo, who brought me along for grocery shopping, clothes shopping, and everything else you could think of. I was quite pissed at the sudden turn of events, but of all people they'd chosen for me, I didn't mind Kyungsoo at all. 

He was genuinely kind, and soft, and it was in his nature to be an adorable dork. His reactions were just too cute that sometimes I wished I could stuff him in a box and keep him in my pocket. Whoever turned out to be his mate was one lucky girl. As he dragged me from aisle to aisle, he kept his stream of blabber and I noticed how much he enjoyed what he did. There was a light behind his eyes dancing with passion whenever he explained what to mix in a carbonara, or gave me great detail about a particular teriyaki sauce texture. 

All in all, it wasn't such a bad day. 

"Seulmi" he said as we were getting back. Dusk had fallen and he had been driving all the way, not complaining once about his tiredness even when I noticed his puffy eyes, "I'm glad for hyung" 

"What do you mean?" I shifted in my seat and faced him. 
"He needed someone like you" he explained, "someone that could rile him up and pester his brains out. Someone that could bite his off but at the end of the day still care about him" 

"Am I that annoying?" I must have sounded hurt, for Kyungsoo's eyes widened at a result and he stuttered, "No-No! Not at all! It's -- he complains a lot about you. But he has so much life in him, he talks with affection whenever your name comes up" 

"Well, he's just as annoying" 
"I guess that's how you two compliment each other." 
"And what about you?" I peered over at him, "did you find your mate yet?" 
"No. Unfortunately, I don't even sense her around" 
"Are you hoping it's a werewolf, like you?" 
He flashed a small smile, "I don't mind whatever she is. As long as she's ready to commit to something so serious. As long as we're both trying hard to be together no matter what happens" 

Junhoe came to my mind. How was he going to make his own situation work with his Werewolf mate? 

I made a mental note to talk to him later. Maybe he's changed his mind about not wanting to have anything with his mate. I remembered how hard it was for me to resist Luhan's presence. 

There was no trace of Luhan when I returned, and we had dinner as usual, with everyone avoiding the big broad question of where he was until Kris spoke up about the fact that he was taking some fresh air. I kept my eyes averted from the empty space beside me and ignored the slight bitter feeling that kept on causing my stomach to turn upside down with anxiety. 

It was only when I was busy washing the dishes-- it was my turn to do the chores tonight while the rest of them had retreated to the living room, werewolves passed out or enjoying their mate's presence. Not a surprise since they'd been so knocked out with night shifts lately-- that I felt Luhan's warmth enter by the back door. 

My body stilled as did my breath. I wasn't sure whether to acknowledge his presence or to ignore it. Instead, I kept my hands busy by lathering the plate with too much soap. As a result it slipped from my grip and I cried out in shock.

Only to find a hand had rescued it from it's fall.

Luhan's breath hit the back of my neck; warm and making the hairs stand up. 

"Thanks" I muttered, reaching for the plate so that I could wash it off myself. A beat of silence passed with the sound of water rushing out of the tap being the only distraction, before Luhan's arms suddenly wound around my waist. 

"I'm sorry" he murmured into my neck. Goosebumps exploded along my arms as I bit my lip to keep control of the overflowing sensations that sent fireworks across my eyelids. 

"I'm sorry for losing control" he continued while tightening his grip, "I should've been more cautious" 

It wasn't his fault. Not totally. He shouldn't be ashamed of letting his senses take over once in a while and sometimes, you couldn't just blame someone for their actions because I knew that he didn't mean it. 

"It's fine" I said while putting the disk onto the rack just beside the sink. I shivered suddenly when his lips breathed into the skin at my neck, liquid warmth pooling into my stomach at the touch. He proceeded to press his mouth over my ear while a small growl of satisfaction buzzed through him. 

"I missed you" he murmured, so soft and so deep that my body froze on it's own accord to listen to his wonderful baritone. 

Slowly, but surely, my body relaxed on it's own accord to fit into his hard frame, letting my muscles unwind and actually bask in his scent. The heat traveling from his skin to mine scorched my body as if I was wrapped in a blanket of heat that I could snuggle into forever, and for once a sigh of content escaped my lips. 

"Are you tired?" He asked.

Opening my mouth to reply, he didn't even give me time before swooping me off my feet and carrying me up the staircase. I rolled my eyes at this "prince-ly" act but nevertheless curled my arms round his neck while placing my head in the crook between his neck and shoulders, for once giving in to my mate's wants and acting like the damsel that needed saving. 

Sometimes, it felt good to let someone see how dependent you are on their existence. It felt good to relax and give in to what I really wanted. 

Gently setting me down on his bed, he proceeded to throw his blanket over us while he pulled me into his embrace. His warmth flowed over my skin and caused goosebumps to flower across the surface of my flesh, making me shiver. But he pressed his head against mine, nose bumping against my neck as he breathed in my scent. 

"Are you okay?" My mouth blurted the words out before I could stop them. 

Luhan chuckled, "I'm calm. I'm fine." 

"Does it happen to everybody?" 
"Yeah. Most of the time" he shifted, pulling me even closer if possible, "but it hit me out of nowhere. I wasn't prepared for it"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, since I'm one of the oldest wolves, I have the best self control. I didn't know I was going to lose it so easily with you smelling--" he gulped and threw me a narrowed look, "smelling like that" 

He felt uncomfortable, the feeling was obvious in the way he shifted and his gaze kept wavering. But my curiosity being stronger than my reason, I asked, "what do I smell like?" 

He paused, pinning me down with that unreadable stare of his, "I am not going to reply to that." 
"Why?"
"It's not that easy." 
I rolled my eyes and did not hesitate to mutter loud enough for him to hear, "sissy." 

A growl erupted from his chest, "don't call me that." 

I couldn't resist snorting at his overreactive behavior, before reaching up to pat his head while cooing, "down boy" 
To my utter surprise, instead of riling him up like I thought it would, he crooned and instantly, like the big tamed wolf he was, his head tilted towards my head and snuggled up in my palm, practically melting in a pool of warmth in my hand. 

A long, prolonged silence ensued. It wasn't awkward, it was not in the least an atmosphere in which I felt uncomfortable. It was calm, serene, like my heart was at peace. Soon enough, my eyelids got heavy with the calling of sleep, but then the memory of Vivian on his bedside table caused my head to whip instinctively to the side, where the photograph was now gone from the desk. 

"Stop thinking about that." 

My eyes fluttered over, finding Luhan's silver orbs in the dim limelight of the room, casting very soft shadows over his features and making him look more angelic than he seemed. 

"I have a question" I stated as I averted my gaze. 
He groaned but said nothing to stop my advances. So I took it as a green light to go on. 
"Why did you keep her picture?" 

He didn't even blink, didn't even miss a beat when replying, "I don't love her anymore. But it's wrong for me to say that what I felt was nothing." 

His last few words had me halt my breath. Did he love her that much? Had he moved on from her since then? Of course he did, he even told me himself, the words spilling out of his mouth like flowers that grew in the garden. The genuine tone he undertook when speaking was something that I didn't miss, and yet, it was unsettling that another woman had captured his attention just like I had. 

It's hard to forget our first love, and I understand him and his reasons. I just guess that this little thing will always be between us, no matter how much I try to kid myself that there wasn't anyone but me in this moment. 

"I've kept this picture for so long, I didn't even realize it was there anymore." His silver-eyes orbs blinked down at my form, and within those irises I found some sort of fragility, a tenderness, "I've moved on since then, but the memory stays, just like the photograph. She made me learn how to love, and I understood what I could and couldn't do, what I can do for the one that steals my attention. Without her, I wouldn't have loved you" his hold tightened then, warmth from his palms seeping through my pores, shivers running up and down my spine, "and I guess I've become grateful to her for that" 

I never looked at it in this perspective. Maybe I had been too wrapped up in my own jealousy, my own thirst of possessing him entirely, that I lost reason. He had his, and he'd laid it all out to me right then, right there without hesitation. I've never heard him speak for so long about such important matters, but it was a refreshing change that I could deal with from time to time.

"Are you going to stop doubting me now?" Luhan's voice was soft and velvet, sending sparks of electricity rushing through my blood and causing me to get lightheaded, dizzy with Luhan's presence, Luhan's scent. 

My eyebrows dipped down into a frown when I suddenly thought about his own feelings; a mixture of self-doubt and insecurity that tore through his lungs every time he smelt my frustration. 

"Seulmi?" 
I snapped back to reality, "I don't doubt you" I replied grudgingly, "I just--" I brome off, not knowing how to admit to such feelings. 

He pressed on, "just what?" 
I swallowed my spit and pressed my lips together. 
He nudged me, "just what, Seulmi?" 
"I just--" biting my lip, I forced the words through my teeth as if they burned me to say them, "--I just felt insecure." 

Luhan's lips were suddenly at my temple, gently tracing the skin there to my forehead. My chest tightened and my heart practically jumped to my throat. I felt like my body was on overdrive, and being so responsive to all those feelings left me really vulnerable and fragile in his hold. 

"You know you don't have to be" he murmured against the curtain of my hair, "right?" 
I nodded wordlessly, a gasp dying in my throat when his mouth fell to my cheek and pressed a soft kiss there. The skin he'd imprinted on tingled with a fire that boiled through my lungs, so hot that I wanted to squirm in his hold, only to be held down in place as he burrowed his face back in the crook of my neck and heaved a huge breath, like a lion getting appeased. 

"Sleep now, sweetheart" he murmured before he pressed another chaste kiss onto my neck. I tried not to shudder when another wave of desire slipped through my blood, instead basking in his warmth and letting my walls down for once. 

Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to like him a little bit more. 

Updated!:) I hope you guys liked this chapter,   It clears up how Luhan feels about the whole mater, so I hope you guys understand him. How do you guys like it?:) comment your thoughts down below! 

Thanks to everyone for reading and being such supportive people of my story!:) i love you all!