ETY | MW [✔]

07.

The light in Mingyu's eyes never dimmed and each time Wonwoo came to talk to him, he seemed more like a man and less like a beast.

Taehyun came with him again, and although there was some tension between the two, he pronounced the other alpha 'a few shades less crazy'.

That was when Wonwoo decided to take Mingyu to visit the house. It wasn't that they couldn't keep Mingyu in the cottage, but that Wonwoo didn't want to. Whatever Mingyu's struggles, he didn't believe prolonged isolation would help them. That, and he wanted Mingyu to be a part of their pack, not separate, not alone.

"Why can't I stay here?"

Mingyu seemed unimpressed by the idea. Wonwoo suspected it had more to do with Taehyun and the other three shifters waiting outside. He wanted to show Mingyu the house, but he wasn't willing to be reckless about it.

"Aren't you the least bit curious? If it's Taehyun and the others you're worried about, they're just going to walk us there and back again. They're here as a precaution, that's all."

Mingyu agreed to come, though reluctantly.

Taehyun came inside and helped remove the chain, leaving the manacle around Mingyu's ankle. Another precaution.

The walk was nice, the sun shining through the trees. Mingyu was quiet and tense. Wonwoo felt the tension too, but he knew the people walking with them and trusted them to handle things if it went wrong.

They'd warned the house, so the garden and back entrance was clear. In fact, there was no one in the back of the house, and they had a clear run-up to Wonwoo's wing. He opened the door, ushered Mingyu inside, and shared a look with Taehyun. No one but him and Mingyu went past that door unless there was a problem.

"We'll be right outside," Taehyun promised.

Wonwoo gave him a smile and shut the door.

Mingyu was standing just inside, hunched over yet still an imposing figure.

"These are my rooms," he explained to the alpha.

"Why am I here?"

"I thought it would be easier to deal with the new surroundings if there weren't a lot of new faces to go along with it." Wonwoo paused. "Also, I thought you might like a bath."

The sponge baths Mingyu had been taking hadn't really gotten to grips with the layers of dirt on him. Wonwoo could still see some smudges of dried blood here and there.

He led the way to the bathroom, Mingyu padding along behind him. He took a slow pace, giving the alpha time to look around, to get accustomed to his new environment. He'd left most of the doors open so Mingyu could see into the rooms. Maybe if the alpha could see it was just a normal house, with bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, he'd feel more comfortable. Wonwoo knew the kind of places Mingyu would have heard of, the places where they sent fighters who'd burned out or passed their prime. He suspected that was always at the back of the alpha's mind. If they hadn't brought him here to fight then what other terrible fate had they planned for him?

"The bathroom is just in here," Wonwoo said, stepping through first. Mingyu appeared in the doorway but made no move to step inside.

"If you want, you can have a look around while I run your bath?" Wonwoo offered. Maybe a taste of freedom was just what Mingyu needed.

He turned and busied himself running the water. When he looked back over his shoulder, Mingyu was gone. The alpha didn't reappear and once the water was ready, Wonwoo went to look for him.

He found him in his study, the room with the best view and the most comfortable carpet. Mingyu was standing at the window, staring out.

"That's Briar Wood," Wonwoo said, crossing the room to join him. "There are walls surrounding the woods and the house is right in the center. There are two roads leading here but you can't see either of them from here, just the woods and the mountains in the distance."