Sure enough, the two weeks flew by like a breeze and before I knew it, it was due to be tomorrow. Due to this upcoming exciting occasion, Haerim had stolen me from Luhan’s side on the eve of the ritual and had me sit down in Mihye’s room, where I came face to face with all the girls clustered with bright, wriggling eyebrows and suggestive smirks shot my way, ones that I knew all too well what they hid. 


‘So we heard from Haerim that you were still—‘ Krystal’s tone dropped an octave for dramatic effect when she murmured the last two words, ‘— a .’ 

I rolled my eyes, ‘It’s not a big deal.’ 

‘But it is,’ Mihye piped up from her seat, uncrossing her legs before leaning over what I could only assume to be a plastic filled with condoms. Sure enough, she tipped the bag over and out came all the colourful plastic squares of every flavour and every size. The other girls couldn’t help but snigger and squeal at the sight, and I wondered if the wolves could hear everything that was going on in this room. The thought was enough to make me flush red right down to my toes. 

Haerim jumped up, crawling right onto the floor as if she had just seen an excited puppy, ‘So we have strawberry, passionfruit, kiwi —ooh they also have chocolate AND dark chocolate. I guess it’s really up to you, considering you’re the one who’s gonna smell it, but you know—‘ 

‘Haerim, let the poor girl think.’ Mihye cut her off with a chuckle upon noticing my flabbergasted expression, ‘Look at her. She’s practically scared sick.’ 

‘You are?’ Krystal asked with furrowed eyebrows, ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of. Though I’m not gonna lie. It’s painful—‘ 

‘Painful?’ I repeated with growing anxiety. 

‘Don’t listen to her,’ Haerim flapped her hands in front of her face, ‘Krystal was in pain because her man didn’t do it right, but if you actually—‘ 

‘Excuse me, I’m pretty sure Suho knew what he was doing,’ Krystal huffed, ‘It’s just that it’s different for every woman.’ 


‘That’s true. It hurt for me as well, and Yixing was the perfect gentleman.’ Lin added chirpily, while I gazed at her in shock. I would never have imagined her — pure, sensible, innocent Lin — to be talking about such things. And here she was, adding to the conversation as if we were just discussing what to have for breakfast the next morning.


‘You should actually ask Sarang. She would know, considering she just did it like a few months ago.’ Krystal winked at the said girl in question, causing her to flush just as red as I probably was, ‘Oh shut it, Krys.’ 

‘I’m just telling the truth. Share some of your wisdom.’ Krystal grinned.

‘Well, if you really want to know, mine didn’t hurt as much either,’ Sarang turned to me as understanding filled her brown orbs, ‘And plus, Luhan is experienced in those things. He’s had years to perfect them. He’ll know what he’s doing. It’s not like Jongin, who was just a hot-blooded puppy.’ 


‘Wait— You were Jongin’s first?’ Mihye asked in shock, mouth dropping into an ‘O’ shape. 

‘I was.’ Sarang smirked, ‘He didn’t know what he was doing either. So let’s just say it was a very awkward first time for the both of us.’ 

‘So basically, I have someone telling me that it hurts like a , one that tells me that it doesn’t.’ I threw my hands up in the air in mock surrender, before turning and narrowing my eyes at Melody’s figure, who hadn’t said a word during this entire discussion. Then again, she barely spoke when we were all gathered together. She was the quiet type, but not in the docile way like Lin was. She was a fire that was dangerous to be dealt with, someone that — if ever you messed with her— she would give no mercy as she plummeted you to the ground. She was also reserved and was the one who listened whenever we were engaging in a group conversation. Never one to speak her mind. I had more conversations with her when we were alone, if anything. And that had brought us closer, despite our differences. 


‘Anything else to add to this productive conversation?’ my voice dripped with sarcasm. 


Her eyebrow arched up, ‘None that you’d be interested in.’ 

‘Are you a too, Mels?’ Haerim asked a little too excitedly for her own good, and I had the satisfaction of seeing the said girl flinch in response, though she did a better job at hiding her embarrassment than I did. 

‘Is there a problem with that?’ she shot back with narrowed eyes.

‘Not at all,’ Haerim grinned at her and it was clear that excitement was overshadowing everything. I wondered why she was so excited about this. It was as if someone had turned up the ‘girl’ switch inside her chest and she was now bouncing about, giving out tips and tricks to the inexperienced, the idiots, ‘Kyungsoo is going to have the time of his life.’ 

Melody scoffed, ‘Don’t be so sure of that.’ 


‘How are things going anyway?’ Krystal asked curiously though she tried to sound as light as possible.

‘Fine.’ Melody replied drily. As expected, she wasn’t one to be so easy-going about the whole thing. Melody was to be described like a rock. A rock as solid as diamond, too tough and rough around the edges for you to even think of piercing right through with your blade. She was almost insensitive and insensible to our questions, and albeit the fact that it had been frustrating the very first time we had her over for a girl’s sleepover, everyone got pretty used to knowing how she was, and that she wasn’t as bad as she claimed herself out to be. 


The blood bond was supposed to be held around six in the evening, which gave me too much time to kill, thinking about all the pros and cons and the consequences and circumstances of the matter. My chest was a permanent mess of tight knots, so much that Kyungsoo couldn’t help asking me thrice or four times whether I was feeling alright. I didn’t blame him. My face was probably drained of colour. It also didn’t help that I managed to burn the eggs cooking on the stove right in front of me, my one and only task for that particular day. Kyungsoo had decidedly just shook his head before ushering me out of the kitchen and asking that Melody replace my stead, to which I happily complied. 


Luhan sought me out a few hours before the blood bond was due to start. He found me crouched amidst the plants in the garden, just staring out at the forest while the breeze rustled through the leaves and echoed with their own songs. 

‘Hey,’ his voice jolted me out of my thoughts. Hurriedly, I swivelled my head upwards only to see those dark brown swirls, the eyes that make me want to run away and melt at the same time. Butterflies erupted in my chest and when I opened my mouth to speak, no sound came out. 


I swallowed, before trying again, ‘Hey,’ I croaked out, cursing myself for sounding like a complete idiot. 

‘A little bird told me you burnt the food this morning,’ He took a seat next to me and took extra care not to brush any limb against mine, which I was grateful for. God knows how my nerves would’ve reacted if I had any kind of emotional or physical stimulation right now. I was already a mess as it is. 


I chuckled, though it got stuck halfway through my throat, ‘Of course. There are no secrets in this house.’ 

‘There’s no reason why you should be scared,’ Luhan said, ‘I’m right here. We’re doing this together, alright?’

I nodded. But that still didn’t uncoil the nervous twist in my stomach. Everyone was going to see the ritual and I had to mentally prepare myself, brace myself for the numerous pairs of eyes that would be scanning my form as I’d perform the blood bond. That alone was terrifying enough, adding on to the fact that I’d be sealing the deal, as they all stated, with Luhan, and that every werewolf in the perimeter would smell me as his, as some kind of property he’d peed on. 

Not that I minded. This was how things went. But seriously, did they have to know everything? Was there no ing sense of privacy around here? 


‘Come on,’ he stood up, brushed off his pants before holding his hand out to me, ‘Let’s just get this over with.’ 


The process was simple enough; it involved our wrists to be slit slightly before holding it over a well of holy water as the crowd would watch, the girls giggling and whispering amongst themselves while the wolves would watch solemnly, as if transfixed by the trail of blood linking our fates together and dripping right into the transparent ripples of the well. Luhan’s gaze was on mine for the longest time, but I dared not look, for fear that I’d find something that would scare me away, something that would trigger the wimp inside of me that was trembling with horrified anxiety about what I was to become and what we were bound to be forever. 


But then I heard him. I heard his voice call out to me. 

My eyes slipped upwards. 

And then I felt him. I heard him, all of him. As if he was right beside me, whispering in my ear all the sweet nothings that he’d kept hidden all this time. I was being wrapped in a  multitude of emotional waves coming from the said wolf itself. 

My jaw dropped open. Wave after wave of emotion kept crashing right through my core, filling me up with Luhan’s being. It was insanely difficult to keep a straight face and I knew, deep down, that he was feeling the same thing. That the process was one that made me vulnerable, almost as though I’ve been stripped and was standing before him with no secrets to hide. 


And as soon as it started, it was over. The applause snapped me out of my daze, causing me to whip my head around and unexpectedly searching for Haerim’s gaze in the crowd. There she was, standing in between Sehun and Chen as she looked back at me with those knowing hazel orbs. Her head dipped down into a single nod, boosting up my confidence. 

You got this, is what she mouthed. 


The wolves and mates congratulated us on our bond, which — if anything— caused the knot inside my chest to tighten. This caused Luhan to grab onto my hand, squeezing my fingers slightly in a gesture of comfort. 

I looked up at him, knowing already what I’d be seeing before even looking at his face. 

Because I felt him and his emotions on a whole new other level. It was like the brick wall that had been very thinly spread between us had now collapsed, so that I could see and understand and experience Luhan in a whole new way. I didn’t even have to open my mouth. I already felt him there, beside me, as if our thoughts were connected by one single thread that ran back and forth between our bodies. 


It was weird. It was exhilarating. It was new. 


And it was what I wanted. 


‘You okay?’ he asked as he tugged me to his side. I stumbled slightly, feeling the warmth of his chest against my shoulder while he proceeded to pull me away from the crowd. 

All the wolves took this as their cue to leave, and soon enough we were standing alone in the garden as the remaining chatter dispersed through the house. 


‘How are you feeling?’

I chortled half-heartedly, ‘Why are you asking? It’s not like you can’t see what I’m thinking or feeling.’ 

I felt his gaze burning, the intensity causing the flame to spread across my loins. It was on the borderline on uncomfortable, but it made me yearn for more. 


‘I want you to say it,’ Luhan said softly, ‘I don’t want to hear it from your body, or your thoughts. I want to hear it from you.’ 

I looked away and tried not to squirm, ‘I’m alright.’ I tried to sound as confident as I could be, ‘Of course I’m kind of apprehending the whole situation but it can’t be helped.’ my gaze flew up to his then, an absentminded thought creeping in about how he did have the most beautiful orbs I’d ever seen, ‘I want to do this.’ 

A small smile flickered across Luhan’s lips. He tugged onto my hand, ‘Shall we?’ 

I raised a brow, ‘In the forest?’ 

‘I have something to show you first.’ 

So I proceeded to stumble after him, trying my chest to avoid the random branches and roots that got in the way as we delved deeper and further into the mass of trees so that there was nothing but greenery everywhere I looked. Multiple times, I'd opened my mouth to ask whether we had reached our destination, only to be flashed with Luhan's knowing smirks. A sign that he was telling me to be patient. 

And then, as if appearing out of nowhere, the dense forest gave way to the edge of the world. 
Literally. 

The cliff is barely wide enough to accomodate two people, but as Luhan tugs me forward I quickly see why he was so intent on bringing me here. 

Before us is the most splendid view I've ever seen in my life. 

It was breathtaking. Magical. 

The evening glow was settling in and every pinprick of light scattered across the area gave way to houses clustered together. I realized that it was the city, as viewed from above, while the continunous stream of cars made red-tinted streaks between and formed a glow of colours. 

The gasp died at the back of my throat. This was too beautiful. It felt surreal, as though I was immersed in another dimension altogether.

Luhan's warmth was at my side. His breath at my temple, 'what do you think? Pretty awesome, right?' 

'Luhan, that's --' I swallowed, 'that's really beautiful. How'd you find this place?' 
'Guess that's what you do when you've got too much time on your hands.' Luhan said with a chuckle, 'I figured you'd want to get away from all the attention earlier.' 
'Oh yeah. I was not having at the ritual. I know it's what we had to do, but I hated it.' 
'I know you did. I saw it in your eyes.' Luhan teased, proceeding to bump his hip against mine lightly. 

I grinned, 'Was it that obvious?' 
'Totally.' 
'You didn't look like you were having such a grand time yourself.' 
'You're right. I wasn't.' He grinned back.

I didn't realise how close we had gotten until I felt his hand at my waist, caressing my hip with a light feather touch. 
'Hey,' he murmured, voice dropping down an octave and causing a ripple of butterflies to erupt through my stomach. It didn't help when his other hand reached up to brush back a stray strand of hair off my face. 

I bit my lip while he took this chance to get even closer, if that was even possible. Warmth eroded my side when he curled his arm around my waist and pulled me in, chest colliding against his. 

'I love you.' 

My eyes flew wide open in surprise. 

Luhan's eyes were tender and yet fierce, strong with emotion but so fragile at the same time. It made me want to protect him and shield him and kiss him at the same time. Everything seemed to blur out, the world going on mute while the silver in his irises mixed with the soft and dark maroon swirls. His heat echoed sround me like drums echoing his thoughts, his feelings.

Before I could stop myself, I blurted out a 'I love you too.' 

The fire that alighted in Luhan's eyes the second the words flew out of my mouth almost knocked the air out of my chest. 

We stared at each other in silence. I was muted by not only my courage, but by the b affection in my wolf's eyes. 

And then, I was rewarded by the most angelic-looking smile I've ever seen to grace Luhan's face. 

His hand lingered up to my cheek. Softly, almost as though I was fragile porcelain, his thumb brushed over my skin while a soft breath fell from his lips.

And then, he dipped his head forward. He claimed my mouth and my heart at the same time.

As night drew in and stars came out to fill up the sky in a blanket of glittering fires, I felt Luhan move around me and against me, bodies tangling up as one and limbs interlacing like a complete, finished puzzle. 

And this is where I thought to myself: I had never felt so complete. 



 

It was the sound of chirping that woke the silver wolf the next morning. His eyelids fluttered open as a frown descended upon his features, not really enjoying the prospect of being woken up so early in the morning. But when his arm flung out to drag his curtain closed, he was surprised to find himself swatting through thin air instead. 

He felt her warmth before he even saw her. Seulmi's curves were pressed against his hard frame, her dark locks tickling his cheek when he shifted slightly to gaze down at her sleeping features, peaceful and serene and unlike the permanent scowl that she always wore around so proudly. He preferred her without, and looking at her now just confirmed it. 

His fingers reached out to brush against her cheek, his other hand finding comfort in circling shapes along her arm. This was Seulmi when she was at her most vulnerable, Seulmi where she was at her weakest. The fact thay she trusted him enough to give herself fully was something close to a miracle in Luhan's mind. She was special, and he intended to savour every breathing moment of it. 

Luhan knew how it felt when things didnt work out. He knew when things fell apart and relationships got broken down because of it. But this, this was unlike any other romance he'd ever experienced, and the sense of euphoria that accompanied it was borderline terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. 

'So beautiful,' he couldn't help the murmur slipping past his lips, a sweet melody that coaxed the girl out of her dreams. 

Seulmi's eyes fluttered open slowly, as if she was still half-immersed in her dreams. He watched her, amazed by how well he recognized each microscopic shift in expression that changed from confused, to concerned, to shock, to utter horror at the idea of having slept outdoors for a full night with nothing but a huge t-shirt and Luhan's warmth to keep her from being exposed. 

'Morning.' He murmured, words as soft as a breath of fresh morning air. Seulmi's eyes were wide and panicked as they flickered from his face to the entwined intimacy of their limbs. The wolf merely admired the flush that blossomed across her face as she did so. 

'Why didn't you wake me?' Was the first thing she said. 
'Because you were sleeping.' He answered as if it wasn't obvious enough. 

'You mean to say we slept this whole time, in the middle of nowhere, with no clothes on--'
'In my defense,' he cut her off, 'nobody comes here, so we're fine. More importantly,' he continued, one of his hands grazing her sides as he did so, 'how are you feeling?'

He didn't mean to sound teasing, but her face turned a darker shade of tomato red anyway, 'not bad.' She grumbled, 'why? Want me to congratulate you on your good job? Bet someone had fun stealing my v-card.'
'I was actually being serious.'
'Kind of hard to take you seriously when we don't have any clothes on.'
Luhan rolled his eyes, 'did I mention how much of a drama queen you are?' 
'No you haven't. But thanks, I'll take it as a compliment--' 

He cut her off with a chaste kiss on the lips, morning breath and all, and was rewarded by the soft sigh thay escaped as they parted, lips just milimeters apart. 

'What were you saying?' He murmured, before trailing a bunch of kisses up her jawline. 
'You--' she muttered, squirming beneath him, 'you're not playing fair.' 
'Sweetheart you gotta face the truth: I never play fair.' 
'Shut up.' She shot back, before catching him by surprise and bringing his jaw down for a chaste kiss. Luhan groaned into , body already moving in time with hers as he rolled her onto her back and once more lost himself in her sinuous dancely curves. His hands found purchase at her waist only to press her closer as she gasped into him, Luhan's lips quirking up into a smile at her reactions. One could not find a cuter mate, one could not find someone that would fit him so perfectly. He felt like the luckiest man alive to have her in his arms at this very moment, and he would not exchange her for anything else in this world even if it killed him.

Heck, it almost did kill him. 

When they pulled back for breath, he was astounded by the fiery blaze of adoration that seemed to burn right through Seulmi's gaze. Her eyes were filled with passion, adoration, and most of all, he saw love swimming through the tides of her bright brown swirls. 

It made the breath catch in his throat. 

'You are so beautiful.' Luhan was unable to help the words that spilled from his mouth then and there. Seulmi's face flushed an even brighter red if that was possible. 

'Shut up.' she pushed a strand of hair away from her face before looking away. 'Anyway,' she tried changing the subject, 'Shouldn't we be heading back to the house now?' 

Luhan frowned. He tightened his hold on her. 'Do we have to?' he let out a small pout. 

Seulmi burst out laughing, 'yes, we do.'

"Why?' He whined. 

'Because you are an adult and you have work.' 

Upon remembering that it was indeed a week day and that he had to be in school in less than an hour, he managed to haul himself up with a few grumbles under his breath. They walked back to the house and on the way, Luhan's hand found hers, entwining their fingers and whistling like it was the most ordinary thing. He tossed her a look as he did so, loving how he could see her brain going haywire with only this amount of minimal touch when clearly they had done so much more. There was a neverending kind of purity in Seulmi's actions, and he had to say he loved every second of it. Seulmi wouldn't be Seulmi without all this unecessary drama, and yet Luhan kept wanting more and more of it. 

'They're back!' They heard Sehun's cry from the kitchen, followed by a few other sounds of bustling movements before a row of six faces greeted them from the back porch doorway. 

'Hey,' Chen had a sly smile on his face, while Luhan didn't miss Chanyeol's wriggling eyebrows that said way more than his mouth could. 

'Smells like out here.' Baekhyun whistled, which caused Seulmi to cringe right into Luhan's side. 

'Did you two have a good time?' Chanyeol asked.

'Was he any good? Or was he rusty?' Chen added.

'Any special moves?'

'Did he give you or--'

'ENOUGH.' came Kyungsoo's thunderous voice from behind them. Shocked, they all scattered away only to reveal the said black-haired man holding on to a spatula as if he was wielding a sword. His eyes narrowed at the trio of excited pups, before his chin jerked towards the kitchen in a threatening manner. 

'Sorry, they're all just very excited.' Came Luhan's murmur into Seulmi's hair, who instinctively melted right into him despite her forcing her muscles to just be normal.

She responded by her hand into his shirt, deciding that not saying anything would be the best option, as Luhan led her into the house right into the wolves' den. (literally) 

'Seulmi! You're alive!' Haerim tackled Luhan's mate the moment she walked into the kitchen, and as the girls swarmed around her and bombarded her with a series of neverending questions, he decided to take this chance and slap both Chanyeol and Baekhyun across the back of their heads. 

'Ouch! Hey, what was that for?!' Baekhyun exclaimed, ears red and hot. 

Luhan just glared at him, which he replied with a guilty smile. On the other side was Yixing, who had slithered his way in and was now standing by Luhan with a raised brow that felt like he was asking for so much more. 

'What?' Luhan felt embarassed suddenly, to be out in the open like this, to be questioned and seen with the knowledge that they knew what had happened between him and his mate. He knew what Seulmi meant by no privacy.

'You know how very curious everyone is, but I'm not going to ask for anything,' A smile curved at the edge of his friend's mouth, 'But judging from your face and from your wolf, I'm guessing things went pretty smoothly.' 

Luhan's face flamed. 'You don't have to say it like that.' 

'How else would I say it?' 

'Just-- you guys are so embarassing.' 

'And that's why we're family.' 

'You tell him, Yixing.' Chanyeol chimed in, regretting his decision almost immediately when Luhan cast a glare that could freeze hell over. 

'We'll see how you'll cope when you find your mate.' Luhan hissed with narrowed eyes. 

'I bet all my money that she's going to be such a goody two shoes.' Baekhyun said.

'I bet she's gonna kick his .' Chen argued.

'Ooh, I second that.' 

'a badass like Seulmi?' 

Seulmi's voice blasted from the living room, 'I heard that!' causing everyone to laugh. Luhan's chest swelled with a mixture of pride and happiness. It was everything he had ever wished for, everything he'd wanted. All the times he'd spent crying over Vivian's influence, all the years he spent cursing as couples came together and found each other. He had been bitter from the very beginning, had thought that this was the end for him. And yet, gazing at Seulmi's profile from across the room, he couldn't find a happier man. He was indeed, lucly, oh so lucky, to have found such a diamond amongst a million other stones in a world where he initially thought he had no chance in. 

Look where that got him. 

As if she felt his stare, Seulmi's eyes fluttered up. Light maroon clashed with silver, and while his lips threatened to break into a full out grin, he noticed her mirroring expression and felt his heart thud against his chest like an excited child, a sign that everything was finally making sense, that everything was falling into place. 

And he loved it. 

Melody 

'Hey Mels, guess who's here again.' Alicia, one of her co-workers, bumped her hips with the latter's as she walked past to stack more meat in the cold cuts section. Melody's lips twitched, before she pressed them together in an attempt to restrain herself. 

Melody had known without a doubt from the moment he walked in. It wasn't like his scent was unrecognizable, nor did he do anything to mask it. He had been coming quite frequently the past few weeks, so frequently that her co-workers had not failed to notice the small yet poignantly charged interactions between her and the wolf. They obviously had reason to think there was something going on albeit the fact that she kept her lips sealed about it. There was no way she was going to let on what the deal was, for she barely knew what was going on herself. 

'So, spill the tea. You guys dating or something?' Alicia teased.

Melody shook her head, 'There's nothing happening.' 

'Really now? Could've fooled me. Why's he always hanging around you then?' 

'Beats me. Ask him.' 

Alicia threw her a look, 'You know I will if you don't.' 

Melody sighed in defeat. Alicia was right. She was strong-willed and would definitely not hesitate to get some answers out of Kyungsoo. Not that he'd make it so difficult either. The auburn coloured wolf was as open as a book and he himself was so straightforward it sometimes made Melody want to cringe. She opened to explain, until she got interrupted by the intercom calling Alicia's name to the front desk. 

The said girl hurried away but not before mouthing 'You better tell me' over her shoulder. Subconsciously, Melody's shoulders relaxed as she breathed out a sigh, the tension slowly easing from her muscles. That was close, she thought to herself, resuming to packing some ham into plastic wrappers. 

She smelt Kyungsoo before she saw him. Felt his eyes on her own as though they could see right through her body. 

Melody's gaze lifted. When her brown orbs met his, she saw them flash emerald for a milisecond. 

It almost made her want to gasp. The sound died midway up . 

Neither said a word. 

Kyungsoo finally adverted his gaze to the row of cold cut meats in the display window, before clearing his throat. 'Hey.' he said. 

'Hey.' she said, trying to act as casual as possible. 'What brings you here?' 

'I was just in the neighbourhood. Thought I'd drop by,'  he bit the corner of his lip as he always did whenever he tended to lie. 

Liar, is what she thought. He was such a liar and was a bad one at that. What was funnier was that Melody could actually pick up on his physical quirks without having to feel or probe his mind. The thought of already having his mannerisms engraved in her mind made her flush slightly. 

'What did you want?' she motioned towards the meat. 

'I'll get the usual and a few slices of the smoked meat as well.' 

Her eyebrow quirked up in curiosity, 'special occasion? How many?' 

'Ten should be fine. It's one of my employees' birthday so we're throwing her a little surprise party. The smoked meat is her favourite.' 

'I thought you didn't work with anyone.' 

'She's a part-timer. Usually works during weekends and on busy season.'

Melody's blood was about to boil. She quickly masked her emotions before he got a whiff of them. But it's a she? Her? A woman? A surge of jealousy overtook her brain. She hadn't given any thought about Kyungsoo having other female friends apart from the other wolves' mates. It was hard to imagine, after all, that they all had separate lives unknown to each other outside of the house. 

But a woman. Really? A woman special enough for Kyungsoo to be throwing a party for her? 

How dare he, her inner fox snarled, narrowing her eyes and not being thoroughly impressed by Kyungsoo's intentions. 

'Melody?' 

His voice snapped her back to reality.

'Oh, sorry.' She the pieces of meat over the counter, careful not to brush fingers with him for fear that she might just grab on and demand more questions about that particular girl in question. Kyungsoo offered her a small smile in return, but she didn't bother smiling back, instead turning away and busying her hands with anything to distract her from that goddarn dog. 

A flash of hurt zapped through her. Not hers, but Kyungsoo's. But he was gone the next minute, swivelling on his heels and walking away without looking back. Melody let out a silent sigh through her parted lips and wondered whether this was unfair of her part. Her childish jealousy had sparked out of nowhere, that she could advocate for. But could she really help herself when he was supposedly her mate? And they had promised to work on it together. So why was she being so stingy all of a sudden? 

And why was he busy having fun with other women when he was supposed to be devoting all his attention to her? 

She shook her head. This was crazy. This really took up too much of her free time and she. Did. Not. Like. It.

Managing to distract herself for the rest of the day was a challenge that proved harder than imagined. When she got herself back to her house, the little flare of hope that Kyungsoo might've been waiting quickly died out, before she remembered that he was probably at that stupid party having the time of his life. She stumbled inside, stomach growling from another one of her missed lunches, and with barely restrained hunger, she whipped open the fridge door.

Great. There were numerous containers in there. 

Not hers. Kyungsoo's. 

What he made, for her. 

Ugh, he's so annoying. 

She slammed the door back shut. Forget it. She wasn't going to eat. She was going to go on a run and take out every bit of pent up emotion that was taking over her entire body. The jealousy was a big ball of fire right now, swimming across her stomach as if it had made itself comfortable to find a home there. But I don't want you there, she hissed at nothing in particular inside her head, I just want to be left alone.

The rest of the week went by with Melody trying her best to avoid Kyungsoo at any moment. She'd always escape and take breaks when she smelt him around, or mention that she was in a hurry in times where he had wanted to stop and have a chat with her. She would ever look him in the eye, never looked back even when she felt the sting of his emotions puncture her chest like oxygen was slowly oozing out of her pores. She just wanted to live her life like she always did, knowing that scratching him off the picture would be for the good in the long run. 

But Kyungsoo had other plans.

He managed to snatch her in a moment of inattention of her part. As she exited the grocery store at the end of her shift that night, he appeared right before her and caused her to stumble back with a yelp of barely restrained surprise. 

'Kyungsoo?' she blinked at him. Then glanced down at her watch, 'What...What are you doing here? At this time?' 

'You've been avoiding me.'

His straightforwardness threw her off guard.

Fine then, if that was how he wanted to play it.

'Yes,' she crossed her arms over her chest. 'Yes I have.'

His eyes flashed with hurt and made another hurtful pang to resonate inside her chest. 

'Why?' he asked, 'Did I do something wrong? Was it something I said that upset you?'

It wasn't just something he said. It was something he did. But Melody had promised herself that she would keep her lips sealed about that matter. This was definitely not her place nor did she have the guts to confront him about thinking and spending time with other women. 

They barely knew each other. Heck yeah they were mates. But that didn't mean she had the right to tell him what she did and didn't like in his life.

'Melody, I'm not going to beat around the bush here. You have to tell me if something's wrong.' 

Melody's eyes found his in the dim light of the parking lot. 'That employee of yours,' she murmured, not trusting herself to keep looking at him for fear that she'd do something stupid, 'want to tell me more about her?' 

She thought she was masking her emotions quite well. But Kyungsoo's quirked eyebrow said the contrary. 

'Are you jealous?' he sounded dumbfounded.

'No.' 

His mouth fell open, 'you are jealous.'

'I am not!' Melody's eyes blazed with orange. 

'So that's why you've been avoiding me? Because of her?' Kyungsoo let out a chuckle as he took a step towards her. She stepped back, 'You could've just told me that it made you uncomfortable.' 

Embarassment flooded through Melody, causing her cheeks to darken a deep shade of red despite her attempts to keep up her stoic facade. It didn't help when Kyungsoo approached, walking closer and closer with every step as she backed up until her back touched the vehicle behind her. 

'Her name is Anna,' Kyungsoo suddenly stated. He was close, close enough that Melody could smell him. All of him. It hit her like wave after wave that was slowly pulling her under its spell. She struggled to fight it, hating the weakness spreading through the back of her knees. 

'She's a freshman at college. Very loud and outgoing. Not necessarily the type I'd be attracted to if I were to be honest,' Kyungsoo continued as if he hadn't noticed how uncomfortable she was, 'But she's nice so I can't really say anything about her. The only reason I attended the party was because it was one of my co-worker's idea. How bad would it have looked if I told them I didn't want to come because I disliked her?' He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug, 'I'm their boss after all.' 

'Right.' Melody swallowed the sudden lump lodged inside . She turned her head away, 'Good then. You know your place.' 

'No, I don't.' Kyungsoo said softly, 'I don't really know what's happening, Melody. So you tell me.'

Slowly, hesitantly, her eyes fluttered up to meet his. The hurt and cofusion were clear in the flecks of his brown irises. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips pessed together in a tense line. Part of her ached to reach out and smooth over that crease, flatten them out to soften his features. Her hand was throbbing to touch him, to feel his warmth. To feel him close. 

'I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not here to play around. Right now, the only person who's caught my interest is you.' he murmured, gaze softening, 'and I hope that you can see that, Mels. Because I don't want to be the only one working on this relationship. I need to know that you're going to meet me halfway.'

She wanted to gasp at the sound of her nickname falling off his lips. It felt and tasted like honey coating her ears. Looking at him now, she traced his every feature; the curve of his eyebrows, the strong jawline, the soft plump of his mouth. She wondered what it felt like to taste that mouth. 

Get a grip you thirsty ! She managed to scream at her own consciousness, who just sent her a hiss in return. Realizing that the wolf was waiting for a response, the Kitsune bit down on her bottom lip, hands coming together as she wrung them nervously. 

'Werewolves mate for life,' It wasn't until Kyungsoo spoke next that she realized the lack of space between their bodies. His eyes flickered with emerald specks, swirling with intense emotion as he whispered, 'You know that, right?' 

Since when had he become so charmingly attractive? This wasn't in Kyungsoo's nature at all. She had always imagined hima s the fluffy, cute and pure wolf that wouldn't raise a paw in its own defense. But what she was seeing right now was another side of Kyungsoo completely and Melody wasn't too sure whether she liked it or not. 

Her hands subconsciously curled into tight fists, not because of fear, but because she was scared of what she'd do once that self-restraint chain broke. The urge to snatch his shirt and slam his body to her own coursed through her with such intensity it made her shudder. 

"I-I thought,' her heart was cartwheeling through, slamming right into , 'I thought that we were taking it slow.' 

Kyungsoo's hand rose before pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The action left her breathless. It almost made her crumble at the touch. 

He was warm. Warmer than she imagined. 

And he smelt heavenly.

'I'd never put you into an uncomfortable position,' Kyungsoo said, 'But you'll have to stop running away all the time.' 

Slowly, her head dipped down in a nod of agreement. 

'And you have to tell me if something bothers you,' he continued while his fingers continued playing with her hair. It drove her crazy with madness, almost as if she couldn't breathe around him, 'Like the Anna situation. I won't know unless you tell me.' 

She nodded again.

'Good,' he said. 

And then, just as if nothing ever happeed, the russet-colored wolf stepped back and flashed her a small smile. Melody's heart dropped to her stomach. She gawked at him. That's it? Her inner kitsune spirit yapped and ran around in mad circles. That's all he got? Not even a hug or anything? She felt like punching something. Whoever said that this mating thing was easy was clearly someone who had never experienced mating before. She felt like she was constantly breathing underwater with Kyungsoo around, and the more time she spent resisting, the much harder and more prominent her feelings came through. 

And that was definitely not Melody's intention.

He persisted to drive her home and walk up her driveway like the gentleman he was. But at this point, she was still reeling from the earlier contact - or lack thereof - of their physical bodies and was grumpy. Melody didn't even bother hiding it, snapping at him at any chance he got while trying to calm down the storm of feelings constantly beating around in her head and resounding through her heartstrings. 

'I think the pack is having a small get-together tomorrow,' Kyungsoo said as they reached her flat door. He cocked his head, light from the dim street lamps illuminating his face with a soft, ethereal glow, 'You're welcome to join.' 

She nodded again, 'I can swing by after work.' 

'I'll pick you up. What time do you finish?' 

'That's not necessary.' 

He gave her a look that was unarguable, and she sighed. Rolled her eyes, 'six. I finish at six.' 

Kyungsoo smiled, 'I'll be there.' 

Melody turned around to fit her keys into the lock then, knowing that it was Kyungsoo's nature to see her off like the gentleman he was. As she was about to twist open her door, a hand suddenly laid on her arm, pulling her back and turning her around. 

Kyungsoo's arms wove around her and engulfed her in the warmth that she'd craved since the moment they butted eyes in front of the parking lot. His head came to nestle at her shoulder blade, a long breath escaping his lips. 

Melody's body froze for a split-second, before giving in to her kitsune's wants and melting right into him. Her curves aligned perfectly with his hard frame, molding together like free-flowing water. Closing her eyes and letting herself bask in the warmth for a few moments, Melody imagined that this could be something she could get used to. 

She pulled away forcefully after some time, knowing that he had to go back home and that she couldn't indulge for too long. 

'It's late.' she hated the way her voice came out breathless. And they had just been hugging. 

What would happen to her if kisses were involved? 

The thought made her squirm. 

'Right.' Kyungsoo rubbed the back of his neck in embarassment. He nodded at her and quickly bid her goodbye, but not before leaving a lingering touch on the side of her back as he went. 

Oh god. Melody was done for. 

And it hadn't even been a month yet. 

Well holy , it has been ages. 

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that's still reading this up till now. God knows I've been gone for almost over a year and if you guys are still sticking around, YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL MVPS. Of course, to all new readers, I LOVE YOU TOO AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. 

I haven't really been active these past two years and that's mainly because I'm in University, which takes up most of my time. And when I'm on Summer break I'd rather enjoy and spend time with my loved ones. That said, I've also distanced myself from the kpop world. I don't know three quarters of the groups nowadays. I still follow them sometimes (always gets hyped for EXO and BTS's comebacks) but life gets in the way and I'm also growing older and realizing that there are other things that I need to focus on. KPOP has been a big major part of my life ever since I was a teenager, but I feel like I've grown past it now. Nevertheless, it always makes me happy to come back here and read what I've written. It gives me a sense of nostalgia because this was my safe space, even until now. 

But I know that there are some dedicated readers who are really tagging along with this story, reading and re-reading it again. You guys are the reason why I'm continuing this despite not being active, because you guys bring back that passion for finishing Luhan's story somehow. So for all of you out there who are still waiting for this to be completed, here's to you. 

I love you. 

- nutmeggu 

xxx