Conditional Love

Chapter 29

Why, yes, yes this is an update. Surprise!!

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**| Sang's POV |**

I had made a couple of the boys go back to my apartment yesterday after we ate so I could have some of my things. I now have my laptop and am working diligently to get the blog post up today. I hit publish and smile at the post, feeling good about getting something written.

Something happened to me this weekend and this got me thinking. Survival instincts. As humans, our instincts are probably the poorest. Society taught us to ignore them so that we could follow the norm, and that has dulled our senses. We began to shrug off warning signs even as they smacked us in the head and now, the only time we know we are in danger is when it's too late. With these thoughts, I started to do some research and I found something fascinating.

Did you know hippos sweat red?

I didn't.

Ancients Greeks thought they were sweating blood, but that isn't the case. It's just a survival tool they use. They have to eat a ton so that they support the one or two tons that they do weigh. They don't have the natural protection like fur, that isn't feasible since they are water creatures. So evolution got to work and created anti-UV secretion to protect the hippo from the sun, to regulate their body temperature, and keep bacteria from growing on their skin...

Whispering catches my attention and I pause on my post, glancing toward the door. I'm in the bedroom they are letting me borrow while I stayed here, sitting on the bed with my feet crossed.

The whispering continues and I can see shadows moving through the crack of the partially opened door.

"I can hear you," I call out.

Luke and Gabriel's heads pop into the room. "Are you moody?" Luke asks.

I frown. "What?"

"Well, we want to see you but we don't want you biting our heads off again," Gabriel says.

"I never did that."

"You did this morning," Luke says. "At North."

I scowl.

"Shit, she's still moody," Gabriel says.

"I'm not moody."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not moody! I'm annoyed," I snap.

Luke steps further into the room. "That's the definition of moody."

I wish I have North's growling ability because I want to do it right now to warn them. Why are they being so difficult? I just want to be left alone. They've been checking up on me constantly, poking at my buttons. Of course, I'm going to get snippy. They won't leave me alone.

I'm an independent woman. I had to teach myself everything. I don't know how to act around others, even if they only show concern. I'm not comfortable with it either. They're doing something I'm not used to and I don't know how to handle that.

Why are they being so accommodating?

I sigh and look at the two. I can see the concern, but also the wariness. I put that in their expression and I feel shitty for it. I put the laptop off to the side and move to the end of the bed, my feet barely touching the ground. Why was the bed so high up?

"I'm sorry," I say and run a hand through my hair. "Yes, I'm moody. I just...this isn't something I'm used to."

"What is?" Luke asks.