RIPPLE | P.JM

25

SEVEN

"Dammit, don't touch him!"

But they don't listen, only smirking at my furious expression as they run their hands over Taehyung's unconscious figure.

"He's a good one." One of them comments, making me snarl and shake my chains as they ask the seller. "How much?"

"This one's going to be a bit expensive." The seller laughs, and I grimace in disgust when he hits Taehyung's cheek lightly, trying to get him to wake up. "He's a looker and a worker. A thousand, at least."

"That's too bad. Then what about her? She's a pretty one."

"That girl's a runaway." The seller says, and I look down at the ground in angry gasps of breath. "Her Master's on his way here to pick her up."

Panic.

The glass bottle is still hidden deep in my clothes, its surface cold against my skin. This, I'd protect this with my life.

"Yeah, piss off." I curse, staring daggers at the man. "You're not taking Taehyung. So take your pathetic face somewhere else."

He scowls at me, before skulking off.

This was because of me. This was happening because of me— it was all my fault that Taehyung was here, getting touched by buyers while knocked unconscious. If only I hadn't been recognized— if I'd just hidden my damn self a bit better—

He wakes up with a gasp.

"Taehyung." I whisper as he lifts his head, looking around wildly. One side of his cheeks are stained with dry blood, blue hair tinted red.

"Finally, you're awake." The seller drawls, and Taehyung stumbles back with a sharp breath when a woman comes up to him.

I flare.

"Don't lay a hand on him."

"Beautiful boy." The woman says, a sickly smile on her red lips as she scans him head to toe. "Beautiful body, as well. How much?"

The painful expression that appears on Taehyung's face breaks me to pieces.

"No, no." He whispers, his chains clinking coldly against each other as he tries to draw back. His frantic eyes then find me, and the panic turns a bit less. "Seven. You're here."

"Two thousand." The seller says, and I dig my feet into the dirt in frustration. I want to take him away from here, this disgusting place. "How does that sound, Miss?"

"Not too bad at all."

"I'm going to murder you when I get out of these damn chains." I growl low under my breath, when I'm genuinely terrified. It would be nearly almost impossible to find him again if that woman took him.

Taehyung's head is lowered down, and I fall silent when I realize he's crying.

He knows that too.

Then my eyes widen when all of a sudden, both the woman and the seller bows down a perfect ninety.

"Where is she?"

"Right here, my lord." The seller bows again, his lips forced into a fake smile. And the blood drains from my face when I finally meet eyes with my Master.

He looks furious.

"And you said she was with a man? Where is he? Take them both and shove them in the back cage."