“The tattoo of a wolf!”

I shriek my frustration to Maia when we were alone the next day. I ended up telling her everything that has happened yesterday night where Kihyun was deeply wounded but then he would seem fine the next moment as if those wounds of his just… disappeared.

Well, I didn’t cover the part where Kihyun and I got intimate.

Maia nods as though she already knows what I was going to say. I left the conversation regarding Wonho’s wounds to herself. She knows and definitely seen it even if I don’t mention it. There was nothing that comes from her and on the other hand I was feeling so rushed and so very disturbed with the way I’m feeling.

“You know,” She says. “They could really be wolves.”

This time however, I don’t disagree. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay to pounce and agree immediately with a hundred percent. “I don’t know.” I shrug, and Maia gives me a look of surprise.

I, the one who had shushed Maia regarding topics on the wolves have now admitted openly that a part of my conscience do acknowledge their existence, a little. And Maia seems rather pleased to see that I respond so. “Maia.” I mentally prepare myself for whatever I want to say. “What should we do now?”

My question places a great amount of deal in it. What I had actually meant was that what Maia and I should do, now that we know they are the wolves. No assuming, no guesses and that is as simple as that. I just don’t want to ask too straight forwardly.

Maia looks away and her face stoic for a few seconds. I can never comprehend or read her thoughts for a girl like her so brave enough to name the wolves without hesitation would probably have many things going on in her head.

“Simple.” Her eyes glisten under the lamp light. “We wait.” She says.

“For what?”

“Ara…” Maia shook her head in annoyance. “They must be testing us, waiting to see if we are worth the chance to know their real identity.”

I think through her words and realize that could be one possibility as to why they aren’t saying much to us yet. Our previous owners would often flaunt their wealth and position they had in the government but not Kihyun and Wonho. They seem so preserve and quiet all the time. If they have anything to associate with the legends then they would have nothing to link themselves with the government. But guesses are still guesses, Maia’s words were right.

As slaves, we wait for orders and do what is ordered.

Maia and I were about to separate ways from the corridor but then Kihyun and Wonho came out of their room. They had messy bed hair and their sleepy faces told me not to act so suspiciously in case they notice something. Maia was quick to bow a good morning and I hastily followed along, earning a grin from Kihyun at the end.

I hope they have not heard the conversation between Maia and I, we would be in a disastrous situation if they did. We waited for orders and that is when Wonho asked Maia to help him bandage the wounds. I eye Maia and attempted to convey a telepathy for her to check if the wounds healed. She nodded and I don’t know if she understood what I had in mind.

All that is left is Kihyun and I. “Your wounds…” I attempted and he scans his arms then nods. But I don’t see anything that is wrong with him, not even the scars are there. Still, I brought the first aid box over and he sat down on his messy bed, awaiting. I don’t know what I have to do because it seems obvious that there is nothing for me to do treatment on when Kihyun is not injured. The cuts from yesterday are no longer there.

Impossible.

“You seem fine.” I say.

I tightened the bottle of medicine and hesitated in keeping them back to the first aid box.

“I look fine?”

“Yes, you do. But it’s…” I can’t say the word. I can’t say that it is impossible. He’ll be able to know what I have in my mind. I’m making myself too obvious so I press my lips together before the sentence are out.

“You don’t believe in the wolves?”

I am stunned, the medicinal bottle almost drop out of my hand. He, has brought the topic back once again without any hesitation or fear. And the air around him changes, so strong and magnificent it actually make me think that it glows. This is no magic, this is legend.

But I don’t say it. I don’t even reply to his question. I hold no answers, he does and it is a matter of whether he would like to show me what he believes in when I don’t.

I simply shrug and he grins. I am reminded of the conversation we had yesterday. It went dead without me getting any answers when I had said I don’t know what to think of the wolves existing. This time, now, I wouldn’t want the chance to slip. I have to say something, ask anything related so that Kihyun would speak up but at the same time not make myself fall into any fault.

“Have you seen them?”

Kihyun tightens the rest of the medicinal bottle while I do nothing but look up at him keenly. He sees me watching and avoid my stare.

“What do you think of the wolves, Ara?”

It was a sincere question. Something asked from within the heart and he stops whatever he is doing, return me the gaze and waits for me to answer. Kihyun is cautious in this. We’re playing a game of push and pull. He doesn’t answer my question and instead, he goes round the question and ask me another.

What I don’t understand and in fact, increases my suspicion is that if he were to show complete disagreement when the wolves are brought up, that would have been easier to determine that he’s a member of the government and that there is nothing in him to suspect he’s anywhere related to the legends. But he doesn’t which makes me so much more frustrated and confused to his identity.

He’s still waiting for my answer. And I decided to take this gamble.

“What do you think of the wolves?” He repeats after seeing how I’ve paused this game of push and pull.

“I think you’re nice.” I answer.

He is nice but my answer to his question only makes sense if he is the legend – the wolf. And I swallowed this lump that’s stuck in my throat. My lips are so dry I can feel each crack on my lips. He chuckles and I see the row of tidy and white teeth.

He doesn’t deny.

I clutch my hands together as if in prayers but my eyes are fixed on his face. I see a mischievous glint in his brown orbs and suddenly, I am scared of the fact that he knows that I am suspecting which resulted to this conversation we’re having.

“Why don’t you deny?” I try, whatever I can to hide away from this fact. Now that the legends are probably here, why do I feel so scared?

“Ara?”

“Yes…?”

“Would you deny something that’s true?”

It’s like a heavy rain pour drops on me and I shiver not from the cold but of the fear that rises from within me and starts to engulf me as a whole. I have never thought these would be my emotions when I really met one. Because all these time, I never thought I would.

I think he sees the fear in me. Kihyun sits closer, our shoulders touching. Silence, and I assume he’s waiting for me to answer him. I feel so much warmth and strength just by the touch of his shoulders. Is this my imagination after knowing his true identity?

“No.” I whispered.

“And would you deny this trust that I’ve given you?”

I understood what Maia had meant when she said this was probably a test of trust by Kihyun and Wonho.

His face is so near mine and I duck my chin lower to avoid him but it was no use. He uses his fingers to rise my chin so I would look at him and I did. “No.” I answered. I had to.

I see him nodding, his gaze fixed on me all the while and then he pats the crown of my head before leaving the room…

*

Thank you for staying :)