His Wolf Mate

Chapter 5

Before leaving Yuri's house that day, Mark asked if he could walk you home since it was getting dark outside. You accepted his offer and the two of you started the walk towards your house. "We'll see you at home, hyung!" Yugyeom enthusiastically waved the two of you off with both arms raised high in the air. The two of you walked silently side by side until Mark broke the silence. "So, you used to live in the city before moving here?" You kept your head straight as you answered him casually. "I did. My aunt was the one who took me in after my parents passed away. I don't really remember much of my life from the city." Mark continued to as you more questions about yourself. "Do you like living here?" You thought about how to respond. "I like it well enough. People seem to live at their own pace here. But what I really like most about living here is how much clearer you can see the stars. I don't think I'll ever get bored of having that kind of view every night." Seeing how happy you seemed, a smiled formed on his face.

You then turned to Mark and asked him a question of your own. "What about you? How did you and the rest of the guys come to live here?" Mark put his hands in the pocket of his hoodie as he answered you. "Our parents knew each other and we all basically grew up together. It wasn't too long ago that we decided to leave our home to move here." You nodded your head and asked again. "So in a way, they're like your brothers. Who's in charge of everyone then?" You curiously tilt your head towards Mark. "That would be Jay B. He's like the big brother of the group who looks after all of us. But we're all pretty close so we look out for one another." Hearing Mark's response, you can feel the close bond the group shared with one another. Before the two of you knew it, you had already arrived at your house. "This is me. I guess I'll see you in school on Monday." You started to walk towards your front door before Mark stopped you. "Wait! Do you happen to be free tomorrow?" You fully turned to face Mark before you told him your plans for the next day. "I'm actually gonna do a bit of exploring. Sometimes Yuri and I do a photoshoot outside and I'm usually the one who scouts for our location. Why?" Mark looked at you directly before answering. "Do you think I can join you?" You thought about it before answering him. "I don't mind. Meet me in front of my house tomorrow at 10am." Mark smiled at you upon hearing your response. "Great! I'll be there! See you tomorrow." My mate.

It was a nice sunny day that Sunday. You were getting dressed and made sure you had everything packed for your little adventure. Oops! Can't forget about my camera. You thought as you grabbed your camera bag and equipment. Satisfied that you have everything, you put on your shoes and headed out the front door. As you stepped outside, you were greeted with a smile and a "hi" from Mark. "Hey Mark, did you wait long?" you asked as you locked your door. "Nope. I just got here a few minutes ago." Actually, I got here ten minutes early because I couldn't wait to see you. "So, where are we going today?" Mark asked. "There's this nice spot near the river. Let's head there for today." You made your way down your porch and stopped in front of Mark. "Well then, lead the way." You started walking with Mark following beside you. He noticed that you had a bag with you and proceeded to ask about it. "Oh, this is just my camera bag. I sometimes like to take pictures of nature and places for our future photoshoots. That way, I can show Yuri without actually having to take her to see it in person."

It wasn't long before the two of you made it to the river. You did some stretches as you looked around, scoping the place out. A particular spot caught your attention. You got out your equipment and proceeded to take multiple pictures from different angles. Mark watched you intently as you focused on your work. He sat off to the side and silently watched as he didn't want to make you lose your concentration. You were so focused and zoned out that you didn't notice almost and hour had passed. By the time you finished and were satisfied with your pictures, you remembered that you weren't there alone. Oh, crap! I totally forgot Mark was here. You started to walk towards where he was sitting, hoping that you didn't bore him too much. "Hey. Sorry, I totally forgot you were here. See, when I really get focused on something all of my attention is concentrated on that particular thing. Sorry, I left you here by yourself" you said as you sheepishly rubbed the back of your head. 

Mark got up from where he was sitting. "Oh, it's no problem. It was actually pretty nice to see you so hard at work." He complimented. "Hey! I have an idea. How about we have a rock skipping contest?" he asked as he handed you a rock. "Okay. What does the winner get?" you asked. "How about a favor from the loser?" He smiled mischievously. "Okay! You're on!" You smiled back. "We both throw our rock on three. Ready? 1, 2, 3!" You both threw your rocks. Yours did three skips while Mark's did five. "I guess I lose" you said. "And that means I win! So, can I ask you for that favor now?" You looked at Mark quizzically. "Yea, okay. What will it be?" you asked. "Will you come to my house with me for lunch? I figured you might be hungry since it's almost time for lunch." At the mention of lunch, your stomach let out a small growl. At that, the both of you started to laugh. "Lunch would sound nice right about now. Let's go, then!"

The two of you made it to Mark's home. The house had a modern design to it which made it look cozy and inviting. "Welcome to my home. Let me give you the grand tour." Mark said excitedly as he opened the door for the two of you to enter. The inside of the house was very spacious with a wooden design. The furniture in the the home was mostly white. All except for a nice wooden table in the dining area. You also noticed a flight of stairs that lead towards the second floor of the house. "Here we have the living room to your left. The dining area and open kitchen is to your right. And down the hall, we have a small library and our laundry room. Upstairs is where we have all the bedrooms. Everyone of us have our own separate rooms." After Mark was done giving you a tour, the two of you headed back downstairs towards the kitchen. At the same time, the door to the outside patio opened as the rest of the boys entered. "Aria? We weren't expecting to see you here" Jay B said in surprise. "Mark invited me over for lunch" you stated. "Speaking of lunch, I was just about to make some. Would our honored guest like anything in particular?" Jinyoung asked as he smiled at you. "Anything is fine. Would you like some help?" you asked. "Sure. That would be great." Everyone else dispersed themselves around the house.

The two of you got to work preparing lunch for everyone. Jinyoung was making hamburg steak, while you prepped the ingredients to make gimbap. As you were prepping, you felt eyes watching you as you work. You turned your head and noticed Yugyeom, Bambam, and Mark looking at you. "What?" you asked. "It's just so strange to see someone else cook around here besides Jinyoung, hyung" Yugyeom stated. "Does no one else in the house know how to cook?" you asked. "Nope. Well, except for Mark, but he only knows how to make simple dishes" Bambam answered. "Well, you guys just hang tight. Lunch well be ready soon." To that, the boys left the two of you alone. Before long, you and Jinyoung finished preparing the dishes and Jinyoung called everyone over to eat. Everyone sat around the dining table and stared hungrily at the food. Before Yugyeom could start digging in, Jinyoung grabbed him. "Wait! What do you all have to say?" Everyone turned to look at you. "Thanks for the food, Aria!" To which Jinyoung gave an offended look. "Hey! How about saying thanks to the other person who prepared this meal?" But the boys already started eating. You let out a small giggle and turn to Jinyoung as you thanked him for everyone instead. "No worries, just dig in." You picked up your utensils and started eating as well. "This gimbap is really good, Aria!" Yugyeom said in between bites. "This steak is really good too, hyung" Bambam complimented. "You're welcome" the two of you said in unison. "I wouldn't mind if you come over and cooked for us again." Youngjae said as he happily enjoyed his meal. "Hey! She's not your maid!" Mark spoke up. "I don't really mind. You guys seem to enjoy it well enough." You shrugged. "You really don't have to, Aria. They'll become spoiled if you do." Mark insisted. "It fine Mark, really." You reassured him. He didn't press you on the matter any further. 

After lunch, everyone separated to do their own thing. Mark led you upstairs to show you his room. It was pretty tidy and everything was neatly organized. You noticed some picture frames of some people you didn't recognize. "Hey Mark, who are they?" You pointed to the picture frames. "That's my family" Mark said as he tenderly grabbed the frame. He pointed to each person in the picture and told you about them. For the rest of the day, the two of you talked about random topics and interest until the sun started to set. And that was how you spent your Sunday with Mark.