LEAH SIN

"Uh— sleeping?"

I force my eyes to glaze with innocence as he stares hard, his eyes narrowing with intensity. The only thing I can do is to pray that he didn't notice the slight twitch in my fingertips.

"I had problems sleeping last night." I say, wondering why I was even lying in the first place. "I'm just a bit tired."

"Okay, then."

A slow, relieved breath rushes out of my lips as he turns away, his gaze leaving my face. Gosh, he was so damn intimidating.

Couldn't he just loosen up a bit?

"Come with me." He suddenly says, pulling on a dark jacket over his shoulders and tossing me a black sweatshirt hanging loosely on the back of a chair.

Were all his clothes that shade?

"Where are we going?" I ask as I pull it over my head, shaking out my hair. The sweatshirt is warm, and so large that it comes all the way down to my knees. It smells faintly of fresh soap, with traces of mint.

"Meeting."

I shoot him a look at the one-word response, shoving my hands into the deep pockets of the shirt and turning my face away from him.

Then he laughs all of a sudden— a soft, breathy laugh that makes my heart go all fluttering for a split second.

"You're so damn petty."

"At least tell me what it's about." I huff, trailing his steps through the Palace. "I don't know what I'm supposed to even do."

"I don't really know what this is about either." He admits, and I gape at him in disbelief as we enter a large, empty chamber. "I don't care."

"Why do you attend them, then?"

"I don't know." He sighs, glancing at the clock. "They're late."

Then the door bursts open, and both of us flinch in surprise as I see two women come through the room. The younger one's gaze flashes towards me, distaste clear in her veiled face as she scans me down from my messy hair and to the oversized sweatshirt I have on.

What's her problem?

"White Healer." The older-looking woman addresses, and both sweep into a graceful bow that I knew I'd probably trip and fall if I tried.

"Such an honor to meet you."

Taehyung doesn't reply for a second, and my eyes flicker to him to see his own move almost panicked over the two women.

Oh Lord.

"I hope you remember us from the Moon Dance last Season." The older one continues, her features aged but elegant. "You danced with my daughter."

From the look he has on his face, he doesn't even look like he remembers dancing last season, let alone her name.

"Why did you want this?" He asks, hiding the confusion in his features. "I don't have—"

"I'm here to offer you my daughter." The woman says, waving at her with a black smile on her lips. My mouth almost drops open as she glances at me.

"I have a wife."

"Are you actually serious?" She scoffs, and I can't help but shrink in her gaze as I tighten my fists around the black sweatshirt. "You can't be serious— marry my daughter instead."

"Get out." Taehyung hisses, his brows drawn in anger as he walks briskly out of the direction of the door. "I can't believe this— what a waste of time."

"Then where is she? Arell?"

At the mention of Arell, mine and his feet both freeze to the ground. What could she possibly want with her? How did she even know her?

"This is very disappointing of you, Crown Healer." The lady snaps, and Taehyung's stone cold facade gives way into fury. "If you won't take my daughter and give her a place at your home, we'll leave with Arell."

"You can't."

At my voice, the woman gives me a terrifying look.

"We own the birthrights to that girl." She hisses, and I look to Taehyung because I have nowhere else to look to. His eyes are wide, panic and desperation shining in his dark eyes.

"It's true....?" I whisper.

"I'm Head of this Palace." He hisses, turning on his feet. "You can't make me do anything, woman. The moment you abandoned her at my disposal your birthright to her was gone."

He pulls on my hand.

"Let's go."

But when I turn back one last time to get a glance at the two forceful women, an eerie smile is stretching their faces, as if they'd gotten what they'd really wanted.

__________________________

"Are you okay?"

I ask, peeking down at his frozen face. He pulls at my hand roughly, making my eyes widen in surprise as I topple and sit forcefully on the bed.

"Stop walking." He growls, wrapping his fingers over his hands. "You're giving me anxiety."

"Sorry." I say sincerely, trying to keep myself as still as possible. "So are you oka—"

"No, I'm not." He says suddenly, frustration and fear clear in his usually guarded eyes. "Those two women somehow knew— suspected about my problem. And now I've went up and confirmed it for them."

"What you have isn't a problem." I say, my brows crossing. "It's just something that you have."

He narrows his eyes at me.

"Well," He says sharply, voice cut on edge. "I think your ignorance is a huge problem— but you might also think it's just something that you have."

My lips tighten.

When I turn on my heel and head for the door, trying to keep the curse words bubbling in my mouth actually in my mouth, he grips my wrist.

"Wait— I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Say it like you mean it, then." I say coldly, trying to hide the surprise that he'd held me back. "Since you think I'm so ignorant, apparently."

"I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." I say sweetly, and he gives me a shocked look as I smoothly return to my original spot. "See how easy it is?"

"That was the hardest thing I've done in my life." He mumbles under his breath, and a smile breaks on my lips.

But then it disappears as quick as it'd come.

"Can you leave?" He says, his eyes fixing back at his desk. "I have—"

That's when I clap his mouth shut, and an excited laughter bursts from my lips when he gasps in surprise. But just a second later, he looks down at my hand over his mouth.

"Let go of me right now."

Another round of giggles escape me when his words are slurred and mashed together with my hand still closed around his jaw.

"No." I say with another sweet smile and glance at him curiously. "Why don't you never smile, Taehyung?"

"Let the hell go of me."

"Smile."

"I'm going to throw you back out in the for—" Then I suddenly take off my hand, quickly putting up my other hand to pinch his cheeks and pull his lips up into a half-smile.

It looks extremely forced.

"You've finally gone crazy." He growls, forcing my hands off of his face and the look on his features turning murderous when I roll around laughing on his massive bed. "Leave."

"Can I stay here?" I plead, spreading my arms and legs out like a snow angel. "I'll be quiet."

"Leave."

I push out my lips and shake my head.

"Fine."

Then he crashes his lips onto mine, and I instantly stutter in my shocked gasp as his large hand wraps tightly around the back of my head.

"What the heck are you doing!" I yell, kicking my feet as he draws back for half a second.

"I remember telling you to leave."

And like that's supposed to explain everything, he moves his hand to my jaw. My features are frozen with both shock and fear as he tilts my face, eyes burning fire.

"Why, is my face that fascinating?" I say sarcastically, but then he pushes my hair from my forehead, and I suddenly feel exposed as he mutters under his breath.

"Just stay still."

"You really do everything that you want, don't you?" I hiss quietly, reluctantly listening and falling still as he examines me. "And you're stubborn as heck."

"If you want to live, then I suggest you get your mouth shut." He growls deep in his throat, eyes slitted. "And just stop moving— how did Jungkook and Lyr even put up with you?"

Because they're not jerks like you?

When I burst into a devilish smile and start flopping on the bed like a fish on land, he suddenly wraps his hands around my shoulders and pulls me against his chest.

"Help!"

He quiets me.

By freaking kissing me again.

"Shut the hell up." He says in exasperation, fingers tightening around my jaw and pursing his lips when I struggle and snap my teeth like a baby crocodile at his hand. "These walls aren't damn soundproof."

"That's your problem."

"Really." Then my eyes go wide when he roughly pushes my head up, exposing my neck.

"I can make it yours too, Leah."