I see him on the chair, a look of concern writes over his face. Kihyun clutches onto the different pieces of map, he tightens his fist and ended up crashing those papers as well. I shut the door as gentle as I can but sees him standing up and walking my way.

I speak whatever that comes to my mind, “Is there anything you need sir?”

Kihyun drops the crashed pieces of map to the floor and stood towering me. “You.” He says.

“Hmm?” I’m rather confused and unsure where this will lead to. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

He places his hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. I look him in the eyes and see sadness. It hurts my heart a little to see him like this, I realize. “It’s getting dangerous here. Wonho and I are getting both Maia and you out.”

I can sense the urgency in his words and although I’m curious to know why, I don’t ask. Instead, I nodded. I wanted him to know that the trust is going on strong and that he has no need to put suspicion on me.

“We’re leaving tonight…” I see him hesitating and then no words were continued. “Tonight, to a place that you’re unfamiliar with.”

I gave a little smile. He must have been worried about my discomfort of having to leave everything behind and head straight to somewhere that… I don’t know of. “You know…” My voice starts off small and weak but as the confidence of trusting Kihyun is so high, I felt the need to really express how okay I’m feeling with whatever he has in plan for Maia and I. “You don’t really have to worry about me. I’ll just go wherever you go.”

There, I said it and felt a wave of heat buries inside my skin.

“Thank you.” He says with so much sincerity and I have never, ever felt so appreciated in life.

That night, all of us were in Kihyun’s room and all I did was listen and Maia disrupted Kihyun and Wonho’s discussion with a lot of questions. But it actually did help feed my curiosity. Maia and I differs in this, she asks whatever she felt is important and I memorize whatever I find necessary.

“It’s a place called Delphinium and it does not exist in the geographical map.”

“Why? That’s impossible though.”

“Because the place is created by magic, by the fairies and... we used to live peacefully as one. Unlike now, where the wolves…”

The discussion was a mine field where every questions by Maia seemed like it would blast into sensitivity and uncomforting atmosphere. But she continued on, “What could we help you with once we reach Delphinium?”

I perk up my ears and at the same time notice Wonho and Kihyun’s eye contact. I don’t like the feel of this but I remain quiet and let Maia do the questioning. Kihyun turn towards me and I smile to reassure him that whatever plans they have with us, I’m fine to go along with it hundred percent.

“Huh? Huh?”

Wonho chuckles at Maia’s impatience and Kihyun draw out a big bag from his drawer.

“We leave the first thing tomorrow morning and we need you two to disguise.”

There was a big fat pause and the reason of the pause did not come from the word ‘disguise’, but from the dresses that Maia pulled out from the bag. And we are supposed to wear that? Maia seems excited but I’m not sure how I felt.

Wonho then explained that Delphinium is a place where creatures like them live together. The fairies/fey, the werewolves, the vampires and the demons. I managed to absorb all of these pretty calmly, nothing scares me even after knowing that demons and vampires actually exist somewhere that humans have no idea of.

Perhaps the only fear I have is the safety of Kihyun and his brothers.

Wonho also said that Delphinium used to be a land of peace where werewolves and the fairies/fey maintained peace and control but everything fell into havoc when the wolves were captured in the human world.

“The demons wanted to rule everything…”

My breathing gets a little uneven as I listen to his words. Maia stops fantasizing over the dress and the air turns cold all of a sudden.

Wonho takes a shaky breath, “So they decided to wipe the wolves out in order to rule over Delphinium.”

Wait. “You mean…” I think I can piece a quarter of the puzzle in this mystery and the realization hits my head harder than ever as I speak. “You mean, the new government is the work of the demons?”

I drew a gasp when Kihyun’s eyes told me the answer. Oh my god. This is bad for everyone. Bad for the humans, bad for Maia and I. Worst still, bad for the wolves. And kihyun… it’s bad for him. I don’t know why I care so much but maybe I put too much affection and responsibility as a slave upon knowing that my master is in so much danger. He is basically putting his life on this.

I know about it. I know since long but I can’t help but feel something painful inside my chest.

Maia stood up and drop the dress. “You know what!? I got to admit this scares me more than everything but… I’m totally in.”

Somehow I understand why Maia decided to say that out. I mean, we side with the wolves now and the wolves are on a run away from the demons. It could only meant that our lives are at stake too. But the courage and trust that we have for Kihyun and Wonho is so much so that I feel the need to tell them and let them know that they are not alone in this.

“Me too.” I say and grab onto the dress without hesitation.

I met eyes with Kihyun then and I thought I saw something shine in his eyes but it was gone in a flash I couldn’t really pinpoint if I had seen it wrongly.

*

I couldn’t sleep that night. The thought of abandoning what I am used to just gives me an undefinable fear. But then again, the life that I’ve been living before I met Kihyun wasn’t exactly decent.

I heard a knock on my door and know that it could only be the man that appears in my mind just a second ago. I open the door, prepared to receive orders like how I used to when I was allocated to other masters that I have served.

“Yes sir?”

It was dark but I could see his bare skin thanks to the light that penetrates through the window. I tried not to stare but the wolf tattoo on his chest drew my breath away. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still amuses me so much.

“Am I uncomfortable to be with?”

I have forgotten the fact that he’s not a human and that he could perhaps sense my emotions and hear my heartbeat. I don’t want to lie, it is indeed difficult to stand so close to him when he’s only wearing a pants.

So I nod and kept my gaze on the dark ceiling. He opens his mouth as if to say something but then turns his head slightly away from me. I hear him sigh and he places his hand on his torso. He seems angry and… disappointed.

“I… I don’t mean it that way.” I stretch my hand towards him, having the intention to hold his arm and explain what I really meant but then his bare skin warns me not to and I retracted. “I wanted to say that it’s uncomfortable because… because…”

“Because…?” He takes a step closer and I’m crashed in between the door and his figure. All I could see was the zoomed in version of his wolf tattoo and smell the scent of cinnamon and aftershave from him.

I freeze.

He laughs.

I push him away gently.

He squeezes in more.

I look into his eyes.

He’s staring at my lips

“Damn, what do I do with you Ara?”

This intimacy is getting too heated and I could feel the lit fire under the layer of my skin. He edges in so close the tip of our nose touches and for that very brief second, I had unknowingly shut my eyes. I have no idea why I did that. Kihyun has powers that make my brain swirl and I swear I forget what’s right or wrong at the moment.

I feel him shift slightly and my ear tickles with the air he breathes. “Rest well. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

I see him smiling down at me and he has finally allowed air to separate us. I am so embarrassed I have no words and nothing in my thoughts. I steal a glance at him again and bowed before retreating to my room.

What have I done!?

What has he done to me!?

*

*