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The Alpha's Possession

Summary:

When an unfinished project requires Jia's presence in the depth of Busan, she must return to her hometown and finish the project. But something mysterious lurks in the depth of Busan that has been waiting for her.

[UPDATES ON EVERY SATURDAY]

Notes:

I know I should finish my other stories before dropping another one but I couldn't help myself so here it is. This story has been in my mind for a long time now so I wanted to write it ASAP.

And this will be a trilogy so I'm really excited about it and I really want to know what you guys think about this story.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Prologue + Chapter 1

Chapter Text

 

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Cold. 

A blanket of white enveloping the world. 

Tingling cold fingertips, Eerie silence of stillness. The harsh caress of the winter wind and the breathless sounds of a lover. 

Petrified frozen eyes, thunderstorm inside the heart and warm tears of a lover. 

Trembling hands caressing through soft cold hair, crescent liquid swallowing the frost. 

A muffled cry through the solitary, the pain of a lover. 

The cry of a

Lover. 

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ 

 

CHAPTER ONE : SHADOW 

 

Winter in Busan seems to have arrived earlier than I expected.

I should have listened to my mother and packed some warmer clothes with me. The wind makes me shiver as we pass through the forest. Rubbing my hands together I try to make myself warmer but it is no use. I watch the misty fog through the glass as the car speeds up. The road is empty and the darkness that has fallen around it feels serene. Something I rarely get to feel in Seoul. 

In Seoul, it is so rare to see the moonlight among all the lights. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the artificial and the original. Even though the wind makes me shiver, I rolled down the glass completely to feel the wind on my skin. I instantly feel the goosebumps and the wind on my hair. I smile as I bring my face near the window. 

“You should close it ma'am or you'll catch a cold” I hear the voice of my driver. Right, as sensitive I am I would surely fall sick because of it. 

“Just a little bit more, it feels refreshing” I say, watching the passing trees. 

“In the night it gets colder, it's only the end of September but it seems like winter has already arrived”.

“You are right” I agreed with him, now rolling up the glass. 

I stare down at my watch. It's 9PM. The night is still young and longer. But all I want to do now is reach the farmhouse as soon as possible and sleep till all my tiredness wash away from my body. 

Coming to Busan was unexpected. Because of this I had to leave all of my ongoing projects. Since my father only trusted me with this project I couldn't say no and I had to take the first flight to Busan in the evening. I might have to spend the whole winter here, away from the chaos of city life, surrounded by green forest and maybe the upcoming snow. 

I feel the vibration of my phone from my handbag, taking it out I saw that it is my father. 

“Have you reached there”? I heard the voice of my father as soon as I put the phone against my ear. I smiled hearing his usual grumpy tone.

“Yes, I landed one hour ago and now on my way to the farmhouse. Hopefully I'll reach there soon”.

“Good, I have informed Maria and the staff already. They'll be there to assist you with anything you need.”

“You didn't have to, I would have managed on my own”.

“It's for your own benefit. You need to get back to work from tomorrow onwards, besides I want this to be done as soon as possible. Mr. Yun doesn't want to delay the project anymore” There it is again, the stiff commanding voice that I have grown up hearing. 

I sighed without intending to, suddenly the pressure of work is too heavy on my shoulder. 

“I understand dad, I'll do as you wish” I say, not wanting to disappoint him. 

“All right, give me a call when you reach there and Michael will drive you everywhere. Be ready for tomorrow's meeting with Mr. Yun” He orders and I just hum along with him. “Here, your mother wants to talk”. A smile spread on my lips as I heard the commotion from the other side of the phone. I can bet they are probably at it again like everyday. 

“Hello, Jia? Have you reached there yet honey?” My mother's excited voice made my exhaustion go away. 

“Not yet, mom. Maybe it'll take another half an hour” I say, glancing outside through the glass. The forest seems endless. 

“I told you it's not a good place for living. You should have bought an apartment for her near the city” My mother whispered, probably only for my father to hear but sometimes she forgets that I can listen to her as well. 

“Buying an apartment for a few months is not worth it. Besides she's not going to be alone, Maria will be there for her” My father replies to her. 

“But still, that farmhouse is literally in the middle of the forest. There could be dangerous animals around” I can imagine my mother's horrified expression right now. 

“There's nothing mom, you are saying as if we didn't often come here for holidays” I decided to interrupt their ‘husband-wife quarrel’. 

“That was years ago” Comes the reply and both me and my father know better than to argue with her. 

“It's just for a few months mom, I'll be alr–” My body suddenly jerks forward as the car abruptly halts. “Alright” I finish my sentence, confusedly staring outside. Have we reached? 

“Are you okay ma'am? I think there's something wrong with the car. Let me check” The driver says getting out of the car. 

“Hello, Jia? Can you hear me?” My mother's panicked voice came from the phone. 

“Yes, I can hear you”.

“What happened? Why is she not replying?”

“Mom, can you hear me?” I almost shout but it seems like they cannot hear me. Bringing my phone away from my ear I hold it up, hoping I will get the network. But to my disappointment there is no signal inside the car. I wonder if I will even get a network on this solitary road in the middle of a forest. 

As frustration bubbles up inside my body I decide to get out of the car. Maybe if I am lucky enough I will be able to finish my conversation with my mother and not make her more worried than she already is. 

So I get out of the car, the cold wind sends shivers down my spine. I lift up my phone hoping to get a network but it seems like luck is not on my side. 

“The hell is wrong with you” I curse, tapping on my phone as if it will work that way. 

“What's wrong with me? What do you mean by that? Look what your daughter is saying?” I hear my mother's loud voice. 

“Mom? Can you hear me?” I ask again, hoping she will be able to hear my voice. But I am proven wrong when the line turns silent. I blink my eyes, stretching my hand upward. I cannot let my mother think that I intentionally hung up on her while she was talking. If I ever do that I just know it will be the last day of my life. Even my father won't dare to do that. 

“Mom?” I shout, hoping to hear her voice but it seems like the call has disconnected. I furrow my brows in concern as I bring the phone closer to me. There is not a damn signal in this place. Turning my head around I watch the driver busy checking on the car. It might take a while now. 

“Michael” I called the driver. “Is it done yet?”

“Might take a few minutes ma'am” He answers and I groan in frustration.

This is absurd.

Staring down at my phone I looked around, only darkness and solitary greeted me under the moonlight. Not a single people apart from us and the large trees beside the road. The eerie white fog swirling in the air makes it more dramatic. Maybe I should have listened to my mother and could have got an apartment near the city instead of living in the farmhouse which was hours away from there.

But then again I too hated the idea of getting an apartment since I need peace to do my work away from the human chaos. And what was better than having a farmhouse in the woods. Maybe I'm exaggerating, that area has other houses too. Some people actually live there but at least there is distance between them unlike the apartment in the cities where you could literally hear your neighbors moaning in the middle of the night.

My phone rings again. I quickly swipe up and put the device against my ear.

“Hello? Jia?”

My mother's voice says through the other side and I sigh in relief.

“Mom, can you hear me?” I say while putting my phone on speaker, the illuminating screen showed me a single network which was almost disappearing, so I held up my phone in the air hoping to get the damn signal.

Maybe I have watched too many horror movies to know that I should never go inside the woods like the dumb female protagonists and get myself in danger so I just walk in circle hoping that the lone network will not betray me.

“Mom I'm having network issues, I'll call you as soon as I reach the farmhouse” I shout out, hoping she will be able to hear my voice.

“okay give me a call as soon as you reach” thankfully I hear her voice and finally put an end to my misery.

I huffed and put my phone back in my jeans pocket. Michael is still busy working on the car. What a day. Being stuck in the middle of a road where you can't even get a signal and there is not a car passing by either.

I wonder how I'm going to survive the upcoming months here.

While Michael is fixing the car I decided to just walk around the area. The gentle cold breeze is freezing me. Wrapping my arms around myself I wait.

Not after a minute do I feel my nose tickling because of the cold and I sneeze. Damn these weak immunity of mine. I better get inside the car before I catch a cold. I can't fall ill when I have a meeting tomorrow. I exhale white fog through my mouth as I start to walk towards the car.

But my ears perk up upon hearing a noise behind me. I blink my eyes in confusion. Suddenly I can feel the cold in my bones, raising goosebumps on my skin. I turn my body to look behind but there is nothing. The spot is dark and empty. Maybe I have imagined things since I'm tired from the journey.

Just as I turn again to walk I feel like someone is staring at me.

The fuck.

No wonder all the horror stories take place in these types of woods where there's no network and not a single soul in sight. The creepy surrounding alone can make you terrified for your life.

Gulping down the saliva that is forming inside my mouth because of fear I walk quickly towards the car without daring to look behind the second time. I ain't that dumb to actually be curious to look there. Oh hell no.

Just as I sit inside the car I feel myself sweating. What is wrong with me?

Maybe I should have really listened to my mother.

I literally flinch as Michael opens the gate and gets inside the car. He starts the car and I'm still wondering if what I heard back in there was real or just a mere imagination of my brain. I guess only a long shower and a good sleep can fix me now.

Or maybe I don't need to be that terrified. What if it was just some animal. Like a little rabbit or something. Yes, that could be the case. I have always heard about the animals in the woods but never saw anything before.

You will find animals in the forest. That's the most logical answer.

Shaking the thoughts away from my mind I rest my head on the seat trying to forget about the earlier event. But there's something inside me that told me to just look behind, just one more time. Maybe to confirm my suspicion that there was nothing at all. With shaky breaths I decide to turn my head.

To my utter relief there's nothing.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ 

 

Chapter 2: Stare

Summary:

Jia is ready to face the challenge but she meets someone unexpected on her first day of work.

Notes:

I'll update it on Saturday's ^⁠_⁠^

Chapter Text

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My chain of thoughts are broken by the sudden halt of the car. So deep in my thoughts that I cannot even realize that we have already reached the farmhouse. The night has darkened along with the misty fog around it.

The sudden drop in temperature hits me like a wave as I step outside the car. The cold night air stings my face and sends shivers down my spine. The wind whistles through the trees. As I look around, the darkness of the night envelops everything, the only source of light being the dim streetlamps casting eerie shadows on the street.

My body feels heavy with exhaustion, the effects of the long journey taking a toll on me. My limbs ache and my eyelids feel tired and weighted down, wanting nothing more than to close and allow me to slip into the sweet embrace of sleep. The weariness seeps into every inch of my being, making even the simplest of movements seem like a heavy task.

Michael walks behind me with my luggage as I walk forward towards our farmhouse. Before we were here for a few days just to enjoy holidays but this time I might have to stay longer because of the project assigned to me.

The door opens before I can even ring the doorbell. There stands Maria, one of our old staff with other helpers. She smiles at me “Oh my, look at you” She says and I wrap my hands around her body, engulfing her in a warm hug. She has always been close to me. Knowing she will be here with me makes me really happy deep inside.

“Welcome, welcome” She pats my back.

Once we pull away she practically drags me inside the house. “You have no idea how happy I was when sir informed me that you are going to live here for a few months. I have already cleaned all the rooms upstairs if you want to change the room for once”.

“I think I'll stay in my old room” I say as we sit in the living room. Every time I was here I always stayed in the room with the big balcony that overlooks the forest. As a child it always intrigues me so I never actually wanted to change it. I am not going to do it now either.

“Fine, fine. You must be tired and hungry. While you freshen up I will make all of your favorite dishes” She excitedly says and I cannot help but feel loved by her efforts.

I walk upstairs to the room, the staff has  already put my luggage in there. Slowly I turn the knob and enter the room.

I stand in the middle of the room for a moment, taking in the familiar sight. The carpet is soft beneath my feet, and the smell of the past surrounds me like an old friend. I open my suitcase and pull a fresh change of clothes out of it, before walking to the bathroom. The door is a bit stiff and squeaks softly at my touch, and I turn on the light before setting my clothes on the counter. I wash my hands and then look at myself in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed with exhaustion after the long journey, and my hair is a tangled mess. I take a moment to brush it out before continuing to undress.

Once I'm undressed, I step into the shower and let the hot water wash over me. The heat feels heavenly on my sore muscles. I close my eyes and let myself relax, feeling the tension and soreness melt away. As the water beats down on me, I consider the past few months.

After my moment of reflection, I reach for the bottle of soap and lather up. The scent of lavender fills the air and I take a moment to appreciate the familiar smell. I work the suds into my shoulders and arms, getting them squeaky clean before taking shampoo and massaging it into my hair.

As I rinse the shampoo out of my hair, I can't help but think about the meeting tomorrow. It's not a pleasant thought, but I try to push it out of my mind. There's no point worrying about it now, as much as I'd love to.

I comfort myself with the knowledge that I've been good at my job. I've worked hard to get here and I'm not going to be shaken by some silly project.

Once I'm done, I wrap a towel around myself and walk out of the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I take a quick glance at myself in the mirror, satisfied with my clean appearance. After putting on my pajamas I head downstairs.

As I walk down the stairs, I'm greeted by the smell of food coming from the kitchen. Sure enough, when I enter the dining room I find Maria has already laid out a meal of my favorites.

I sit down at the table, my stomach rumbling with hunger. The food looks delicious. I thank Maria before I begin to eat, complimenting her on the food in between bites. I make a mental note to ask more about how she is and what she's been up to, but first of all I need to satisfy my hunger.

•••


The moment I step out onto the balcony is like a punch to the face. The warm feeling of being wrapped in familiar surroundings is immediately replaced by the harsh onslaught of cold air. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to ward off the chill.

Despite the unpleasantness of the initial shock, the cold wind is actually refreshing. It clears my head and sharpens my senses. I take a deep breath, savoring the crisp, invigorating air.

I look out over the forest that stretches out in front of me. The trees are a dark silhouette against the night sky, rustling in the wind. I can't see much in the darkness, but I know what's there: the familiar path that leads through the forest to the lake.

As much as I'm enjoying the feeling, it is late and I can feel the fatigue of tiredness weighing on my mind. It's time for bed.

I feel a pang of nerves as I think about the meeting tomorrow. I shake them away and steel myself against the anxiety. I can do it. I don't need to worry. I'm good at my job.

I'm about to step back through the balcony door when I notice something odd in the corner of my eye. Out in the darkness of the forest, some movement catches my attention.

I squint into the night, trying to get a closer look at what's happening in the forest. But the darkness is too thick, and I can't make out any clear shapes among the trees.

I shake my head slightly to myself. Probably just a wild animal of some sort. The trees are rustling in the wind, I think, they're not being shaken by some mythical monster.

•••


The building I'm about to enter is imposing to say the least, its grey, the exterior towering over the street. I take a deep breath, trying to psych myself up for the meeting, before getting out of the car.

You can do it Jia.

I try to encourage myself before walking into the building with the usual professional face I have mastered through all these years.

“Hello, I have an appointment scheduled with Mr.Yun at 11pm” I say to the receptionist while slightly bowing. She greeted me back with a polite bow and dialed a number, probably to inform her boss about my arrival. My job requires me to mingle with lots of people and I am used to it but this particular client being my father's friend does not help at all. This is supposed to be professional but there must be a reason why my father wanted me to take this task out of nowhere and made me leave Paris out of nowhere.

“Song Jia?” I hear the receptionist calling my name as if to confirm I am the same person. I smiled at her and nodded my head.

“Please head to the 19th floor, someone will guide you to the meeting room from there. Have a good day ma'am” she bowed and I walked towards the elevator. Since this is the morning hour, the ground floor is crowded with employees, heading towards their designated floor. Looks like I gotta squeeze myself into that little space. I waited for the elevator to open as the chatter of people behind me increased. Topics about their unfinished work, weekend plans, being grumpy about not being able to complete their sleep or bad mouthing the boss.

I started to wonder about my own employees back in Paris. I hope they are managing well without me there or perhaps they are too complaining behind my back. I shake my head and start to walk inside the elevator. Sharing an elevator with too many people seems like a nightmare to me but I just need to suffer for a few seconds.

“Excuse me” someone says and I am forced to step backward until I am pressing against someone's chest. I stand there awkwardly. So embarrassing.

The chatter of the people fills in again as I wait for this ride to end soon. Once we reached the 4th floor some people walked out but again few people filled in. I try to stand comfortably but somehow I end up stepping on the foot of the person behind me.

God, kill me now.

“I am extremely sorry” I say loud enough for that person to hear as I turn my head and look up.

The intimidating stare made me anxious. The black eyes that refused to look away from my face as if I was some peasant he does not want to interact with. Shit, his shoes must be expensive, that's why he is staring at me that way. Even apologising seems a sin. But hey, I can definitely pay if he wanted me to but instead he is giving me the look of utter disgust.

He does not say anything and I turn my head back to look at the heads in front of me. And suddenly I feel nervous. Is it because of this person? I try to look beside me if I can just step aside a little bit but no, this damn elevator is full of people and I have nowhere to move. I am forced to stay in my position. I can feel this person's hard chest against my back and damn I hate it. There should be a rule to maintain at least two or three meters from another person in the elevator.

Just as we reach the 12th floor the crowd has started to decrease and soon I step away, maintaining a safe distance. Next time, I will just take the damn stairs if I see too many people. I ran my hand through my hair to make sure they are not out of place and I am still presentable for the meeting. This time I am not only introducing myself as an architect but also the daughter of my father. This client is connected to my father so any mistake might cost me more than I could imagine.

I did not realize when the 14th floor had already come and to my utter horror only I and that person remained in the elevator. And suddenly this space feels too small for two people.

Stop being dramatic I mentally scolds myself.

But I can feel the piercing stare on my back as if it is trying to burn me. I stiffen in my place, a sense of Deja Vu came through me making me shiver.

This almost feel like what I have felt yesterday night at the road but that does not make any sense at all.

I must have been thinking way too hard about this.

When the elevator stops at the 18th floor I sighed in relief and quickly walk out but the intense stare still follows me. I blink and turn around just as the elevator is about to close.

Those black eyes remain on me.

What is this weird feeling?

Chapter 3: Mr. Jeon

Summary:

Jia is confident about her work but this time she's a little hesitant about it.

Chapter Text

 

•••


“Miss Song?”

Someone calls my name as soon as the elevator closes behind me. I look up to find a guy walking towards me with a gentle smile. He is tall and charming, dressed in a two piece suit and for some reason he seems familiar but I cannot remember where I have seen him.

He forwards his hand and I take it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Choi San, incharge of the project” he introduces himself and I shake his hands “Song Jia”.

“I know, I have heard a lot about you. Your works are amazing and I am so grateful to be working with you on this project. "His kind words really make me feel good and the nervousness from earlier seems to disappear. “This way please” he led me towards a particular room where a woman was already standing and she opened the door for us. This room seems to be designed specially for holding meetings. Mr. San pulls out a chair for me like a gentleman and I mutter a small ‘Thank You’.

“My uncle , I mean Mr.Yun will be here soon. Till then I will entertain you with the boring concept of our project, hope you don't mind” he says as he stands opposite the large table between us.

“Yes, sure,” I urged him, even I wanted to know why my father wanted me to come here so much. He himself is a businessman so I can tell that whatever this project is, it is going to be worth billions.

Mr. Choi signs something to the woman as she comes forward and dims the light off “In recent years our country has gained popularity in western countries because of K-pop, movies and shows, food and thus the attraction of tourism. Our country's GDP has gone higher in the last five years because of the k-pop sensation. Seoul has become the main tourist spot but you see since k-pop groups have started to hold concerts in Busan the government wants to improve the city. Now if you look at this area” he points towards the large projector where the city's map is “We already have everything in here but nothing hurts if we want to build some new resorts and malls around this area” he points at a layout which seems very familiar to me.

I frown “isn't it the –”

“The forest in Yeonje-gu?” Mr. San completed my sentence “that's right, it is. Apart from all the places in Busan, Yeonje-gu is the right place for this project of ours. We just need to cut down a few acres of this forest and we are good to go” he says cheerfully but something does not sit right with me.

“Cut down the forest? Isn't it a little too much? What about the locals? Will they agree?” I asked him, it was okay if it was some barren land but cutting down half of the forest seems unethical to me.

“Yes, we have already talked with them and they don't have a problem. Rather, they are happy that some of them will get jobs when this project starts. Now, this is where we need your help to design an awestrucking resort which will attract all the tourists.”

This seems easier than done. I do not have a problem with designing anything for them but the thought of cutting down the forest does not sit well with me.

Can I still say no so I don't have to deal with this uneasy feeling?

The lights turn on again and I compose myself. Mr. San sat on the chair in front of me. “I am looking forward to working with you”.

“It would be an honor for me as well” I smile even though it is forced.

“Please excuse my behaviour but do you really not recognise me?” He suddenly asks, and I confusedly blinks at him. He does seem familiar.

“Honestly, you do seem familiar but I cannot recall how” I say with a hint of apology so it does not seem rude.

“I get it, it's been a while since your eighteenth birthday”.

My eighteenth birthday?

Something clicks in my mind and I widen my eyes at him.

“Looks like you remember it” he says embarrassingly.

“That was you?” I surprisingly asked him, waiting for him to confirm.

“Yeah” he says while looking down “I am sorry for that night, I kind of ruined your birthday day” he scratches his nape shyly.

“That's like eight years ago and you are still apologising” I cannot help but laugh at the thought.

After high school graduation my parents wanted me to go abroad for higher studies so they kind of wanted to throw a grand party on my eighteenth birthday and they did. But that's not what made that night memorable, it was the time when I was getting ready to cut the cake. It was a huge four floor cake but before that could reach me someone accidentally knocked it over and I cannot believe that someone is sitting in front of me right now. The whole thing was recorded and every now and then I am reminded of that day to laugh it off. After that night I probably stopped celebrating my birthday’s too.

“I cannot help ok, I remember I was with my uncle and then he was not there beside me, I panicked and started to look for him and accidentally knocked your cake over. My uncle scolded me so much after that. I always wanted to meet you after that and apologise but I never got the chance until now” His words were sincere, I can feel it. It's a good feeling to share some old memories with someone after a long time.

I wonder why we all stop doing that after reaching a certain age. We always desperately look forward to our future so much that we forget to live our present and when we reach that certain future we regret not doing much in our past.

So much time has passed since then, but that memory always makes me feel good.

“Fine, I forgive you Mr. Choi” I said to him kindly.

“I know it's very unprofessional of me but since we already had a good laugh I would like it if you just call me San. Mr. Choi sounds like I am some old guy” he scrunches his nose and I laugh at his words. He is not wrong. Mr. Choi does sound like it belongs to some old uncle.

“As you say San” I shake my head but agree. It is no harm in making some friends while I stay here. Apart from work I have nothing else to do.

“Great, would you like some coffee?” He asks, standing up from the chair “I think uncle is running late. We might take a few sips while we can” He suggests and I think for a moment before answering.

“Sure, but let me come with you too” I stand up from my own situation and follow him through the door as we walk outside.

“Where are you staying by the way” he turns to me as we stand in front of the elevator “if you don't mind me asking of course”.

“It's fine” I wave my hand “We have a farmhouse in Yeonje-gu. I am staying there”.

“The one in the middle of the forest? Aren't you scared of living there alone?”

I laugh at his question “I don't live alone, we have staff and besides it's only for two or three months so I didn't want to rent out an apartment. It's better this way, I like to work in peace”.

We hear the elevator ding as it opens before us. We were so engrossed in talking that we failed to notice the pair of eyes staring at us.

“Well, if it is not Song Jia” I look up upon hearing my name. The man in front of me is someone whom I have seen quite a lot in my childhood so it is kinda hard to forget his face. “How are you?” He asks me with the same gentle tone he used to use before.

“I am doing well, how about you?” I politely asked while bowing and it was then that I saw the other person standing beside him.

“Just getting old. Are you comfortable here? If you have any problem you can talk to me okay. You are my daughter too” Those are just words I know.

“Yes” I say while trying to avoid looking at the stranger whose eyes are fixed on me for some reason.

“You were getting late so I offered to take her for coffee” San speaks beside me and his voice has become a little serious and firm as if a wall has hidden his personality from before.

“Ah! Pardon me. My meeting took longer than I had expected but I hope we will continue our conversation during dinner”.

Dinner? Do I even have the choice to decline this generous offer?

The answer is no.

I already feel like I have made a mistake by agreeing to come here.

“Yes, that would be lovely” I say, trying to hide my displeasure.

“Excellent” he claps his hands together and turns to the person beside him “Mr. Jeon, please join us too, we can discuss further about the issue”.

The person, who apparently goes by Mr. Jeon raises his eyebrows in question as if wondering how could this person even dared to invite him so casually. “You have already heard my final decision. I do not think there needs to be any further discussion on that subject Mr.Yun”.

Oh! That was cold. His words are sharp and collected, leaving no further room for argument but then he casts a look towards my way and says “Perhaps another time”.

Never in my entire life have I had to go through such awkward elevator rides as this one. San continues to engage me in some random conversation until we reach the ground floor.

San and I walk towards the cafeteria while Mr. Yun and Mr. Jeon went towards the exit. The air between them doesn't seem good.

“San, who is he?” I ask him as he orders our coffees. And I could tell San is not fond of him either.

Interesting.

“He's not someone who's worth your time” he replies. But it makes me more curious. I stared at him until he gave in.

“Fine. He is Jeon Jungkook and he's family is one of the major shareholders of our company. They own a very large portion of Busan and are very wealthy” he says as we take our coffees.

“Then why does it feel like something is off between him and Mr.Yun” I ask.

“Well, that's an inside matter but you will know it sooner so I guess I can tell you. They have this weird tradition among them where they only listen to one specific person. Before Jungkook it was his uncle who used to be in charge of everything but after his death Jungkook took over and well, he is not following the rules set up by his uncle. Previously, his uncle has agreed to sell his land to the government for the project we are currently working on but Jungkook is refusing to do that now.” He sighs and takes a sip from his coffee “We are trying to pursue him but he won't budge and it's putting us in a difficult situation. He does not care about the shares or the relationship between the two families and uncle is upset about it. This is why I said he's not worth your time” he explains and to be honest this is not something I need to worry about.

I just need to mind my own business.

“Anyway, are you sure you will be okay traveling back and forth everyday like that?”.

“Yes,I am fine. I can manage” I replied.

The day has just begun and two things are clear. One – I am going to see Mr. Jeon Jungkook more often. Two – I dislike him already.

Chapter 4: Ian

Summary:

He's a creature of nature, born with his own mind and heart.

Notes:

A little glimpse of Jungkook's character.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

JUNGKOOK 

 

The night has fallen by the time I have finished my run. It usually takes longer but today I have only decided to run through the forest territory. My wolf is quite satisfied even though he did not get to enjoy the run more. I look up at the moon above in the black sky between the stars. She looks brighter today and it's not even a full moon. She's always unpredictable with her actions. The gentle breeze caressed through my bare skin as I walked aimlessly around the forest. My home, which I need to protect. 

 

After Uncle's death a few months ago everything has been crashing down on my shoulder. Even though the pack –which I like to refer more as a town now– has been established itself well still I need to make sure everything is in place. In my opinion, in this modern era there is no need to follow the old customs unless it's necessary. Bounding people to something which they do not want to do does not sit right with me. There is more to this world than Busan and if someone wants to explore then I have no right to deny their rights.

 

But since I have grown up here and only known this forest all my life I don't have the heart to abandon it, nor do I want to leave this place. Because I know I won't be able to live in peace. This forest is my everything but some people want to snatch it away from us, from me and I won't let it happen. I had to include more people for night patrolling since I cannot trust those people. I should probably go back for now. Scanning around the forest carefully I decided to shift into wolf form so I can run back to home.

 

The process has become so habitual that I no longer feel the pain anymore. When I am in my wolf form it's easier to let go of every thought that has been troubling my mind, my wolf only has two modes – Either he's always ready to take down anyone or anything, or he just likes to chill around the forest whenever he gets the chance. This part of Yeonje-gu has always belonged to my ancestors, and now that I am the only heir in the present everything is under my care. 

 

The government has tried to pursue my ancestors before into selling this forest but they never agreed to it. Our kind has always been sensitive to the human environment, unlike them we need nature for our survival. Our freedom has always been the first priority of the previous Alpha's, so do mine. In no circumstances I will give up on this forest.

 

My wolf starts to run through the forest again, he's happy that I have let him come out lately. I have tried to make him understand that we cannot be seen in our wolf form in daylight, if anyone sees us it will not only put me in danger but our whole kind.

 

Sometimes I do feel bad that he cannot do as he wishes but as two individuals sharing one body and mind we do have to compromise a lot of things. Just as he cannot understand most of human languages or business related stuff I too sometimes struggle with his sudden animal instincts. Just like now, I do not understand why he is so excited and running so fast as if he has found something precious for himself. 

 

In ancient times, Werewolves used to go through a ritual which would make the human mind the controller of their wolf's body and mind too but in today's world nobody does that. Partially because we no longer fight for dominance with other wolves so there's no need to train so hard. We just want to live normally like humans. So it's not necessary to go hard on ourselves so much. 

 

And my wolf likes his freedom. 

 

“You can rest, I can go home by myself without you guiding me” Ian says and I think for a moment before deciding it would be better this way. He knows his way back home and I can just rest while he runs a little bit more.

 

“Fine, but don't be late. I have an important meeting tomorrow so I need to wake up early and not trouble Taehyung too much when you get back home” I reminded him of all the necessary rules he needs to follow if he wants me to leave him alone tonight.

 

“I know, I won't create trouble for you or Taehyung” He assures me and I trust his words, giving him full control “You better keep your words”.

 

I know he will, he and I are not two individuals but one soul. We complete each other and there is no one in this world whom I trust more than my own wolf. We were born together and we are in this bond till our last breath.

 

I close my eyes, focusing on my heart beat as I go into deep slumber for today. Ian knows how to turn his wolf form into human again. Tomorrow when I open my eyes I will be in my bed as always.

 

IAN 

 

Jungkook has gone to sleep. And now I can do whatever I want before the deadline. I do not want to break the rules or he will be disappeared? or disagree or was it disappointed?

 

I think disappointed is the correct word. My vocabulary is still weak, I can hardly pronounce or understand new or difficult words but I am learning. My brain does not function like his human brain so sometimes I find it difficult to understand his words but he makes sure to teach me.

 

I ran through the forest, under the vast sky. The cold breeze caressed my fur. I can feel that winter is coming soon and I cannot wait to play in the snow like last time. I wish Taehyung was here too, so we could play together but he's busy and Jungkook says I should not bother him or anyone when they are busy. I guess I have to play alone. I am forbidden to kill any animal in the forest so I cannot hunt either but I can always chase and scare them. 

 

I roam my eyes around to find any small animal but it looks like everyone is asleep right now. I sighed through my snout and started to walk

 

I wish someone was here to play with me.

 

The forest is silent like always. Our town is surrounded by this forest so local humans do not come here either. We do meet our kind once in a while but Jungkook says it's not necessary if they don't want to come. We no longer live with our pack members. Everyone has their own homes and jobs. Jungkook too does something but I do not understand any of it. Even though we are both one we still are worlds apart from each other. This is what you get for having your own mind.

 

“Mom, can you hear me?” I stopped on my way as I heard a faint voice. I look around myself but I cannot see anyone apart from the trees. So I sniff the air and I can smell humans somewhere near me. Should I be alert? Should I call Jungkook? What if some intruder has come inside the forest with bad intentions. 

 

I walk slowly towards the source of the voice.

 

“Mom?”

 

I hear that voice again and this time it is louder. It seems like it belongs to a female. Has she parted away from her mother? or else why would someone be here alone?

 

I need to check.

 

I stop behind a bush, from here I can see everything. On the empty road there's a car, someone is doing something on it and there's a woman who is frowning at something on her hand.

 

Oh! I remember, it's called a smartphone. Jungkook has one too. Humans use it to communicate with each other just like we wolves do through mindlink. But it does not cost us any money, just some energy.

 

Suddenly the device on her hand started to make a weird sound and I took a step back. It's probably not harmful as I watch the human talking through it. I have never seen her here before and her clothes are weird too, nothing like the pack members or the local wears. I have heard people from another city or another country eat different foods and wear different clothes too. But why do they even need clothes at all? They could just roam around freely like us. They too have fur on their body but Jungkook says it doesn't work like that anymore. It is inappropriate to roam around without clothes. I stared down at my furs and my paws, I find it normal.

 

Humans are weird.

 

I look ahead to find the woman walking on the road. She wrapped her hands around her body. She is probably cold. I guess human furs are not as warm as ours. Or it's just that our bodies are naturally warm to withstand the cold. 

 

Suddenly she sneezed and I got startled, accidentally stepping on a dry branch. I lift my paw and hide my head between my paws as she turns this way. I hope she does not see me or else I will have to run away. What if she tells anyone about me?  

 

To my relief she did not suspect anything and went towards the car. I hope I did not scare her away. Just as I am about to turn away I see her looking this way.

 

Does she suspect something?

 

I have to be sure.

 

I run along the car through the forest so they won't be able to see me. I hope they are not bad people. The car stopped in front of a large house in the middle of the forest and as far as I know this is not our territory and neither these people seem to be Werewolves like us. So they are just normal humans afterall.

 

I watch the woman getting out of the car and then getting inside the big house. She does not look like she lives here. She must be here to visit someone. But now that I have confirmed there is no danger I must go back.

 

But is it safe for them to stay here?

 

There's no problem in patrolling the area for a sec right?

 

Since she means no harm to us I can at least ensure her safety.

 

I circle around the mansion through the forest without showing myself. Since this is not our territory I need to be extra careful. I hope Jungkook won't mind.

 

After carefully checking the forest I could not find anything dangerous. I sit on my paws, staring at the mansion full of lights. Suddenly I sensed someone, there she was, standing on the balcony, enjoying the cold wind. 

 

She looks serene and kind. I can see that she is tired and probably thinking about something that has been troubling her mind but she does not show it on her face. She is about to turn away but suddenly she looks in my direction, she squints her eyes to see properly but then shakes her head and walks inside the room. 

 

She could not have seen me even if she tried to because of the darkness. But I wanted her to see me, I wanted to know how she would react after seeing a wolf in a forest under the night sky. 

 

She should be afraid. Yes, she should.

 

I glance towards the mansion one last time before walking deep into the forest. 

 

Notes:

A/N : In my head this story was very simple which was good but I still felt like this story needs something realistic to strengthen the plot. So here it is, I have no idea how it turned out but through this chapter we get to see Jungkook and his wolf who are actually one but both have different minds and opinions. I have tried to make the political and the business related stuff a little simple so you guys can understand without getting bored or something. Since this story is based on modern timeline everything you guys have read during 'Yours to Claim ' might not happen here because that story took place in ancient time and some changes have been made as the world has progressed.

I always try to add something new in my story so it won't feel like you are reading the same story.

Notes:

Read the next chapter on carrd