SEOLYN MIN

The next day, I wake up to find him struggling with the dirt outside the house. The dead animals are all gone, and I wonder if he'd taken them somewhere.

He has one claw unsheathed, dragging it in the dirt. I get curious, and run over to his side to see what he's doing. My eyes go wide when I realize that the crooked lines he was making into the ground were my name.

He finishes drawing out the N, and steps back, watching me with glittering silver eyes.

"You're so sweet." I whisper, rubbing the curve behind his ear. He purrs pleasantly, and then suddenly tackles me to the ground.

A small excited shriek leaves my lips as my back meets the dirt, and I burst out in laughter as he swipes at my cheek, his claws completely sheathed.

"Taehyung!" I exclaim, pushing him off with a smile so wide my lips are hurting. "Did you just tackle me? No food for you tonight!"

He rolls on his back, swiping at the ground instead. His expression reminds me so much of a pout that I laugh.

"I'm just kidding. Let me see if I have any more left, okay?"

But when I look inside the storage I'd carefully stacked in all the weekly supplies a few days earlier, I'm shocked. There's almost no food left— and then I'm reminded of last night, when I'd basically fed him nearly all of it to see which ones he liked.

Shoot.

"Taehyung, I'm going to have to go get some supplies from the town." When he notices me throwing a jacket over my shoulders, he gets to his feet as well.

"No, you have to stay here." I say apologetically, and a low whine rumbles from his jaw. "I can't take you into town— you might not be safe."

I knew that white tigers were rare— very rare. Which made me extremely paranoid that if someone saw him, they'd try and take him.

He mewls in disappointment.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Pressing my lips against his soft coat, I smile when he looks away, clearly unhappy that he couldn't come along.

"Sit tight."

_________________________

I've covered about four miles of walking, my lips still wide with a smile. I couldn't believe I'd met him again. I knew he wouldn't leave me that easily, I knew it.

I'm still smiling when I hear a click behind me.

"What a lucky chance." A voice echoes, and I whip around to see the man I'd never wanted to see again. "That damn tiger isn't here, either."

"M-Minseok." My eyes go wide at the gun he has in his hand, loose now in his grip. He'd been planning to shoot Tae. He'd known about him.

I stumble back a step, blindly calling Yoongi through my phone in my pocket. "How do you know about Taehyung?! You—"

Then my head goes blank with realization. Yesterday, of course— when he'd roared and suddenly acted strange. Had Tae seen him in the forest?

A chill runs up my spine, and sweat begins to pour down my back.

Click.

"Seolyn? It's—"

"You named that beast after your dead little boyfriend?" He says mockingly, and I bite my lip, staring daggers into his face. "Come on, Seolyn. You can do better than that."

The line goes silent. I hear rapid running on the other end, and soon the sound of a car engine starting.

"Why can't you just leave me alone!" I yell, tears stinging at my eyes as I try to cover up Yoongi's noise. "Wasn't it enough scaring the hell out of me back in the city? You stalked me here, too?"

"I thought I told you already." He shrugs, expression nonchalant. Terror forces me backwards when he comes closer. "I'm not giving up on you until you come back with me, sweet."

"You're crazy!"

When he's only a meter away from me, I finally snap out of my frozen shock and break into a run. The sound of his amused laughter sends chills clawing down my spine, and I can't even think to scream, because I'm so focused on getting away.

But he catches up to me easily, and I finally scream when he grips my wrist and throws me to the ground.

"Why are you running? Why are you treating me like this, Seo—"

Then a thunderous roar pierces through the air. My heart slams into my chest when something white flashes in front of me, slender body twisting around mine protectively.

Taehyung growls again, his silver eyes glowing now with hatred as he covers me entirely. He slams his front paw to the dirt, claws unsheathed and getting ready to pounce.

Then I remember, the same time he takes it out.

"No!" I shriek, frantically getting to my feet in terror. "Tae! Tae— he has a gun!"

He gets to his feet in an instant. But that's not the problem for me right now. It's the fact that he already had his gun out, aimed at the both of us.

And I couldn't watch Taehyung die again.

But he's a tiger, and he's too fast for me to hold back. When he roars furiously and lunges towards Minseok, my heart seizes with unexplainable horror.

The sound of a shot rings out.

And a sharp pressure flashes through my right shoulder. My eyes go wide the same moment Taehyung slams down onto him, his claws tearing into his body as he presses down.

But then my legs crumple underneath me, and I hit the ground. And that's when I finally understand what'd happened.

I'd been shot, because he'd missed.

Through my still-wide eyes, I see Taehyung completely come to a stop, jaws wide open above Minseok's trembling figure. He turns to look at me, the silver of his eyes shattered.

And it's like I can hear him again.

No.

But then a soft cry tears from my lips when another shot rings out. Taehyung stumbles back, his eyes no longer filled with rage and fury. His gaze is still fixed on me.

"You damn tiger!" Minseok yells hoarsely, getting to his feet. He aims the gun at Taehyung again, and shoots. An agonized growl leaves his body, but he's coming to me.

No, no, no.

Why are you doing this to me? Why are you doing this to yourself?

But with blood streaking his snow white fur, he comes to me. And then he lowers his head, furiously licking at my shoulder. Tears pour down my cheeks when he shudders from another shot.

He's going to die again. He's going to die.

The pain from the wound doesn't even compare from the one squeezing down on my chest, watching his white coat turn to red. He nuzzles his head into mine, continuing to lick at the red at my shoulder.

"Just die already!" He yells, and Taehyung finally collapses next to me with the next bullet. I can't move, only cry as I watch my entire life break apart for the second time.

It'd been only a few days.

A few days.

His claws are sheathed again as he shifts his bloodstained paw to my body, mewling softly. His chest's heaving, rough breaths barely making their way out of his mouth.

Darkness crowds at the corners of my eyes, and he nuzzles into me again. My red eyelids snap back open— I hadn't even realized I'd closed them.

His gaze is desperate.

But it's not long before the darkness takes over, and my eyes slide shut with unconsciousness.

And I'm just thankful.

Because at least I can die with him in my arms this time.