After a week of homestay, I'm free to leave home. I tugged at the collar around my neck and grunted as I walked through the forest. The wet grass made squashy sounds under my feet as I stepped on it. In Gook gave me a collar that is installed with a tracking system and a special sensor detector that can tell the person who is monitoring it if it is teared off in case I want to make a run for it. Psycopathic, disgusting and total ridiculousness.

While my mind was still complaining about all the mating ceremony things, the familliar scent of peppermint and sycamore flow into my nose. I bumped my head into the tight chest of muscles and closed my eyes. 'How's your day, Gloomy?' N's sweet and light voice comfort my ears like a sweet melody. I wrapped my arms around his waist and lifted my gaze, his golden eyes met my blue ones and blinked. 'Fourteen days left starting from now.' I mumbled into his chest and leaned my forehead onto him again. 'That is what's left, huh..' his hands encircled my waist and brought me closer to him. 

'You became a house pet?' He slide his hand from the small of my back and tug at the back of the collar. 'It's a tracker to know my whereabouts.' He craned his neck over my shoulder and examined the collar 'Can you take it out?' I grunted in annoyment and replied 'No, they will know it immediately.' 'Hmmm... Is there another use to it?' I thought about what In Gook said when he was putting it on me "Other than tracking you, it will prevent other wolves from trying to put a mark on you. So it's probably the best protection for you in this small period of time before the ceremony." Grrr..I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. 'Well, not really..'

'Hmmm..' I felt his lips grazed on the leather and he bit the collar. His warm breaths hitting my skin as he yanked on the leather gently with his teeth 'It won't work, it only works if someone unlocks it.' He let go of the leather and lifted his lips to the skin under my ear, his lips just an inch away from me. 'It's such a bother, isn't it?' He whispered into my ear and lifted himself to stare at me directly. His eyes dead like an agonizing man, the vibrant gold turned into a dull yellow and his brows furrowed together painfully. 'Oh, N-nie..don't do this to me.' I touched his face with my hand and tried to sound as cheerful as I can.

'How can I? When you're leaving me.' He cupped my face in his warm hands and continued to stare at me with that dead look on his face. 'I'm not leaving you, I just can't meet you as often as now. I will never leave you Hak Yeon-nie.' 'You are.' 'No, it's just..' he pressed his lips onto mine and pulled me closer to him.

His warm lips moved against mine slowly and gently, caressing my lips with his tender ones. My fingers slide into his dark hair and started to tug at them carefully, I pulled myself closer to him, making our bodies friction against each other as our intimate kiss progressed. His hands on my cheeks lifted my face and his lips started to move more urgently.His fingers caressed the back of my head slowly as he leaned in closer to deepen our kiss. He broke the kiss and ventured towards my neck when I tilted my head to gasp for air.

My hands around his neck tightened when I felt his fingers slide down my sides, making me jerk at the tingling touch. My mind was like a turning wahsing machine when his body touched mine and his fingers caressed my body. He parted his lips and placed his teeth by my throat. I lifted my head to the sky and let out a whine. After a slight graze on my skin, he ended the kiss and lifted his head, pulling me into his warm embrace. 'I love you Yura. I don't think I'll ever get over you.' He whispered into my ear with his raspy voice. 'I don't think I could too, I love you N.' His arms around me tightened as he rest his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes and continued 'Why don't we run away?' I opened my eyes and frowned at him 'No, I can't do that.' 'Why not?' 'There's no way we can get away from them and I can't betray my brother, my alpha.' 

He crushed his lips onto mine again after he bit his lips and frowned, releasing me again when the both of us are out of breath. 'Good bye then, my love.' His warm arms left my body and the awful coldness of the evening breeze encircled me, I shivered at the cold sensation and by the time I opened my eyes. He was gone. Goodbye, Hak Yeon..

#########

I sat on my bed with my arms wrapped around my legs tightly, my chin resting on my knee as I stared at the wall. It has been three days since N left me on that awful evening, probably the worst evening of my life. Ten days.. ten days from now and I'm going to be mated with someone I don't even know, marked in front of the whole pack and forever being tied down by that one particular person. Freedom gone, friends lost, all I've never tried in life are going to get snatched away. As I thought about it, tears started to flow down my cheeks again. I've been crying tons these days and my eyes were never really back to normal ever since N left me. I was horrible to look at. Sojin would always wince in pain everytime she sees me in this terrible state and In Gook would always frown with worry and concern at me. I wasn't myself anymore.

I heard the window frame being pushed up and a small gust of wind fleeted to my side. 'Crying again, babe?' Ken cooed into my ear and put his right arm around my shoulders making me lean into him. He tilted his head to look at me when I didn't reply him and turned back to the front when he saw that I wasn't in the mood to do so. 'What can I do for you? Is there anything that you want me to do?' I sniffed and said between sobs 'Just don't leave me alone tonight. Promise me that you will still treat me the same even after the ceremony.' He let out a soft chuckle and kissed my head 'Sure thing, babe. Anything you wish..' I leaned my head onto his shoulder and he leaned his head onto mine. 'Since you hate it so much, why don't you ask me to kill your 'decided' mate?' 'Do you know who it is?' I lifted my head to look at him.

'Well, I heard your brother tell the Luna about it.' I saw a slight crease form on his forehead before he turned to smile at me. 'Do you want to know who it is?' 'No thanks.' What's the point in knowing it anyway? It's not like I can change anything. 'Or do you want me to change 'who' he is?' 'Don't do it Ken.' I pouted and he let out another chuckle. He lifted my chin with his knuckle and placed a quick peck on my lips. 'I'm depressed.' I punched his chest and earned a grunt from him. 'Now, the competition has finally come to an end.' He turned to me and said, his eyes was solemn just like when he confessed to me that he was a half-vampire and half-wolf hybreed. My heart shrank everytime I see the solemness that flowed in those hazel eyes, I'm sure I'm going to miss them. 'Hmph.' I turned away and tears started to prickle my eyes again.

'Aww..not again crybaby.' He chuckled and kissed my forehead, his hand the back of my head gently and teasingly 'I'm not a crybaby.' I pouted and he shrugged 'Yeah, yeah..' I leaned onto him again and snuggled closely into his broad chest. His abnormally slow heartbeat thumped into my eardrums as I listened to it carefully like a lullaby. Singing me into a deep beautiful sleep without any nightmares and horrors.