Bloodlust | Jeonghan

05

05 : NOTHING BURNS LIKE THE COLD

TO SAY HE WAS ANGRY BARELY scratched the surface of his rage.

He wanted to beat the man — his brother by choice— to a pulp. His hands itched to twist the man's hands for touching her. He wanted to gouge both of his eyes for looking at her the wrong way. He wanted to hurt him — more than how he had hurt her.

All the things he wanted to do to Choi Seungcheol would have to wait.

He needed to find her first and bring her back home.

Gazing at the forest floor, he tracked the woman's steps with ease. Like a predator on the hunt, he followed her path, his movements both rapid and stealthy.

Tracking the woman was a piece of cake. He noted her steps—carefree, heavy, and messy.

"What did I do to deserve all this?! Why me, why?!"

He stopped in his tracks, startled by the woman's scream. But it wasn't a scream of fear or danger — it was a cry filled with pain and confusion.

His stomach churned with a feeling he couldn't identify as he watched the woman from a distance. He couldn't fathom why he was so infuriated with Seungcheol, why he had trailed after her, and why he oh so urgently wanted her back.

He struggled to understand his feelings for her — it was the first time he had ever felt this way.

She was the magnet, and he was the iron, inexorably drawn to her by a force he couldn't resist, aching to be close.

Everything about her just feels... all too familiar.

He took a step, and a twig immediately snapped in half as his boot touched the ground. He watched as Rosie frantically look around, trying to find the source of the sound.

He didn't know why he hadn't shown himself, and boy, did he regret it when Rosie started to run off.

He immediately took after her, muttering curses when he saw how incredibly fast she was — damn fast. It was like trying to catch a bolt of lightning.

"Dammit," he grunted.

Rosie darted left, then straight, then right, with him hot on her heels. Then, in a blink of an eye, she disappeared.

"Shit, Rosie!" He sprinted to the spot where he last saw her, only to hear a loud splash. His eyes widened when he spotted her underwater.

Without a second thought, he dove into the river. The water was freezing cold, but he didn't care. He opened his eyes and looked around in circles, searching for her. Then he saw her, motionless, sinking deeper with each passing second.

He swam toward her with a speed he didn't know he had, extending his hand until he finally reached her and wrapped his fingers around her tiny wrist.

He tried to ignore the surge of electricity that shot through him the moment his fingers grazed her skin.

Rosie sparked a flame deep within the man, sending shockwaves up his arm and into his chest. His hand tingled with the lingering warmth of her touch, so intense it almost felt like his flesh was searing against hers, leaving him both thrilled and unsettled.

Once he had a firm hold, he swiftly swam back to the surface.

With trembling hands, he carried her to the riverbank, the sound of the water lapping against the shore guiding his way. The ground beneath him was a mix of smooth pebbles and cool, damp earth. He knelt down, easing her onto the soft bed of the bank. Carefully, he positioned her head on his lap, his fingers shaking as he brushed wet strands of hair away from her face.