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𝙲͢𝚑͢𝚊͢𝚙͢𝚝͢𝚎͢𝚛͢ 𝟷͢𝟷͢
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It's on wobbly knees that I make it out of Jungkook's car and up to my front door. When I look back, he flashes the headlights at me before driving away. Still out of breath, I watch until he's completely out of sight.

I'm currently re-learning how to breathe properly. That's difficult when a spot where he bit my neck tingles or when I think back on it. It was something so small, just kissing my neck, and it was borderline overwhelming. Makes me wonder what it's going to feel like when I go into heat. When he promised to HELP ME. Still not over that.

The home my family shares is an A-framed cabin with a red, steel roof and a stone chimney. I walk in and have to lean against the closed door to breathe. It feels like I'm living in a dream I never want to wake up from.

But I know it's not a dream. Because if it were, I never would be separated from him for a minute. Which, admittedly, makes me sound clingy but I don't care. He has my heart.

"Kreesha, that you?"

The sound of mama's voice reaching me from the living room brings a smile to my face. I love my mama. Following the sound with a pronounced hop in my step, I move through the hall into the living room.

Mom's sat in the rocking chair adorned in her bathrobe, her hair tucked under a head wrap and Selwyn, my baby brother, fast asleep in her arms. I think my mama is so beautiful. I wish I looked more like her than I do. As it were, I only inherited her darker skin tone and her rounded, apple shaped cheeks. She's got these natural long lashes and thin, curved brows that I've never seen her pluck or mess with.

Her complexion is flawless, even now at 37. You can't tell that she's a day older than 25. And she has those perfectly curved type of lips that most women have to emulate with lip liner. Unfair. Even now when she's still carrying a little bit of the baby weight she had gained with Selwyn, my mama still slays.

"Yes, ma'am." I whisper when I take note of the sleeping toddler. "I'm home."

"I see that." her eyes drift my neck following a twitch of her nose. "And you stink of werewolf."

I can't help the stupidly huge smile from breaking over my face. Interestingly enough, lycans can't tell the difference between any 'werewolf' scent unless it's our mate's. Otherwise, all werewolves carry a rich, smoky scent that identifies them. Sort of like a burning camp fire. It's not a bad smell. Mom just says 'stink' because she's probably offended that's it on her daughter and overpowering our pack's scent.

"Are you mad?" I know she's not, but I want to hear the sound her voice makes when she's proud of me.

"Of course not. Trap 'em, mark and mate 'em. You know how it's supposed to go. When you find your chosen you lose all sense."

There's been countless times that she's told us about when her and dad met for the first time. My parents were definitely crazy for each other, and still are. It's a story I've always romanticized. One that I always wanted to emulate in my own life. They seem made for each other and like two halves of a whole. If I can manage to have half of the relationship and respect that they have with one another, with Jungkook, I'll die a happy woman.

"Did he treat you right?" Her eyes narrow as she asks the question, her face in a half-glare. It's not normal, but I tell my mom everything. She knows how much I've pined away for him. Knows that he rejected me. Not sure that she'll ever forgive him for that.

"Don't worry, mama. He treated me perfect and I drove him crazy."

"Good. Tell me about it tomorrow. Tsubaki's in your room."

"Oh." I look toward the stairs, worried about what happened now for her to be here again.

"Just tell the kid to move in with us." Mama sighs. "She knows she's welcome to, right?"

"Yeah. Let me go talk to her."

I bend to kiss Selwyn's cute chubby cheeks, stopping shortly to smile at the way they move as he sucks on his thumb. Then move to kiss mama's and receive one back, along with the phrase she's said to me every single night of my life.

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams. I love you." Before I can stand up again, she makes a soft sound that brings my attention back to her face. "Hey, what are you?"

Knowing the same answer that she's drilled into us for so long that I now fully believe it, I answer.

"Beautiful."

Quietly I slip away and up the stairs, skipping the fourth and seventh step as I know they both squeak. When I enter my room it's dark except for the strings of fairy lights cascading down the canopy that hangs on a hook from the ceiling, courtesy of papa. Knowing how much I hate the dark, he regularly changes the batteries when it's needed and occasionally switches out the whole thing for a newer strings.

Tsubaki is lying on one half of the queen sized mattress in a pair of my pajamas. As I enter she looks up from her phone and gives me a tiny smile and a sad wave.

Unfortunately, this isn't an unusual occurrence at all. We exchange a short greeting before I grabs some clothes and leave again to shower. When I return, I'm clean, my hair tucked into a bonnet and my whole body smelling fresher than a baby's butt. Literally, because I couldn't find my normal body wash and used the baby soap.

Tsubaki is still awake and staring at the ceiling but her eyes cut to me as I jump into bed. "That took forever." She complains over my ten minute shower. "Can we cuddle?" This is question she has every time she stays over. Never say no. Cuddling is one of my favorite past times.

At my hum, she's curled around my side and resting her head on my shoulder. I tug the covers up over us and reach out to play with her hair. Unlike me, she loves it. It's become something I do when I sense that she's tense or upset over something and it never fails to relax her.

"How was your date with Bigfoot?"

I suppress the urge to laugh when she groans. "Don't even ask. I'm gonna quit dating altogether. Men are so annoying."

I stare up at the soft glow of the fairy lights before replying gently. "You could always date girls."

The huff she lets out tickles my neck and I'm reminded of Jungkook. What I want is to tell her everything but now I feel like I shouldn't since she's so down.

"You know I can't. My parents would kill me."

Ah, yes. Tsubaki's homophobic and controlling parents. They've already got her future mapped out for her: get perfect grades, go to university, become a surgeon, join dad's hospital and be as successful as she and her older brother are. But that's not my friend. Tsubaki's grades are good but not perfect. The sight of blood makes her queasy. She loves art, music, writing, any manner of self expression. Above all, she values freedom.

"Mama said to tell you again that you can live here."

"I know." She replies in a small voice. "But it feels wrong to disrespect them like that. They raised me, I should at least live by their rules."

"Just because they raised you doesn't mean they deserve your respect. They raised you because they made you and that's their duty. But they can't control you."

It's frustrating to watch because Tsubaki is very passionate about the things she loves, but finds it difficult to break out of the mold they've built around her for her whole life. Disappointing them is her greatest fear, even though they let her down on a daily basis and don't respect the person that she is.

Shamed for not being able to stomach hearing about a human's anatomy, humiliated for being afraid of blood, getting hit for bringing home a grade that a was point off from being perfect. Tsubaki quietly takes it all and never lashes out. When we tell her to leave, that we have a place for her, she chooses to stay with them instead of moving to a place with safety and understanding.

There was a time (that I now regret) when I got angry with her for refusing help. Why wouldn't she just leave? It seemed an easy choice. It wasn't until my papa explained to me that I wouldn't understand her because I couldn't understand her. We live very different lives. Her parents and my parents, her version of parental love and mine were not the same.

Her life is like a k drama (or I'm this case, I should say J drama) and a really depressing one at times. I wish I could do more but all I can truly do is be there for her and remind her that it's ok to be different.

I do understand Tsubaki's devotion to her parents, to an extent. There's no way I would want to hurt or disrespect mama or papa. However, I say this while having exceptional parents, and that makes a big difference.

"Cheer me up." Tsubaki whines. "How did your date with Jungkook go?"

"Awful. He beat me up and left me for dead. I had to ride back here on horseback."

"Where'd you find the horse?"

"Obviously at the horse store, Tsubaki."

"Okaaay," she snorts. "Now tell me the real story."

Since she asked, I go into full detail. Even the parts about how we can both turn into wolves. Since I figured that one day it's possible this friend will live with me, I told her everything about myself. But what's funny is that she doesn't believe a word of it. She just thinks I'm being quirky or something.

"Jungkook is a wolf too?" She giggles.

"Yeah but he's different from me."

Just now remembering to set my alarm, I grab my phone from where it's sitting on the table by the bed. As the screen lights up mouth drops open at all of the notifications.

"Whoa." Tsubaki stares at the screen along with me.

Tons of tons of notifications from Instagram are coming in.

Jungkook.97 started following you

Jungkook.97 liked your photo

Jungkook.97 liked your photo

Jungkook.97 liked your photo

On and on it goes until he's liked every single one of my photos, all except the one of me and Wooyoung when we went to a Twice concert together.

After he's liked them all, he starts commenting.

Jungkook.97 commented on your photo: 💙🖤

Jungkook.97 commented on your photo: 💚💚

Jungkook.97 commented on your photo: 😍♥️♥️

It's a whole metric ass ton of hearts, hearts, and then more hearts all over everything.

"Girl!" My friend exclaims. "What the hell did you do to him?"

That's a very good question. Is it because I let him scent me, or because he's now my boyfriend? My stomach flips at the reminder and I can't help the ridiculous grin from forming.

Seriously though. He didn't seem to dislike being with me. In fact, it's the complete opposite. I guess I'm just so used to being incredibly obsessed with him that it feels strange when I'm on the receiving end of his affection.

"Uh, Lu-chan?"

Hearing Tsubaki calling my nickname brings my focus back to the phone.

This photo has been reported as violating community guidelines. Please be patient while it is under review.

It's the picture of me and Wooyoung.

Gosh. Who could have possibly done this? I'll never crack the case.

Tsubaki giggles for a solid ten minutes.