Bound by Blood

Chapter 141- a part of me given to you

(Y/N) POV:

The rest of the weeks fly by, a blur of meetings, of rearranging layouts, of advertisements, of long nights either with a paintbrush in my hand or making the labels or doing one task or the other. A blur of worlds merging and shifting, lessons at uni, time with my coven and the gallery; which like always had become home again as the exhibition approached. Had become the place that I was being dragged away from whether it was the Im coven, always accompanied by a fuming Gyeomie in tow, Ryan oppa and Deok-Mi unnie, one of my mates or even at times MJ hyung and Eunwoo- luring me away and trying to get me to get out, to breathe. Sometimes coming during the day to entice me away with company and snacks, their voices lulling me to sleep as they drew me close against their side.

The first time it had happened had been curved against Eunwoo's shoulder, mid-talk and when I'd woken he'd simply turned to me, brows slightly raised and eyes soft.

"If MJ hyung catches you then I'm sure the matter is going to get out of hand." He says quietly, tone laced with amusement.

Because he knew all too well how much of a force MJ oppa was to reckon with, unstoppable when he was in one of those moods, fully steeped in protective instincts. It always ended badly for Eunwoo, Gyeomie and me. Always ended up on the receiving end of a scolding or beratement of one form or the other.

I smile, nodding as I stretch, getting up.

"Will do! You keep my secrets I keep yours Woo." I say with a sleepy smile, rubbing at my eyes to get rid of the grogginess. To get rid of any proof of lingering fatigue.

"I'm sworn to secrecy you know that. But...just take a nap (Y/N), you don't want to turn up to the exhibition looking half dead. Not the way to go to woo the mates." He says with a small nudge.

I dig my elbow into his ribs.

"Aren't you the one who tells me that MJ oppa fussing over you is one of the ways he won you over?" I ask with my brows raised.

He shrugs easily.

"What can I say? The man is just a whole other level of charming when he's in the zone." He unrepentantly says with a grin.

"You're insufferable, I don't need those details in my head whenever MJ oppa is giving me a check-up." I say, watching as he just beams and when MJ oppa enters a little while later, arms full of snacks, they've barely finished them when Eunwoo is shooting me a sly look before tugging his sleeve.

"Hyung I'm a bit thirsty, I haven't fed since yesterday morning." Eunwoo says, milking the act of the drained, weakened vampire as he sways towards MJ oppa's throat, nosing against it lightly.

It's an instantaneous effect. MJ oppa fussing as he moves to straighten the snacks, to lightly fret and warn me to finish them before I head back and he's tugging his mate upright, eyes soft and tender as he brushes a thumb over Eunwoo's lips.

"Hold on for me my love." He murmurs.

And the look Eunwoo shoots as he leaves is smug and thoroughly satisfied.

Mouthing over his shoulder.

Told you so.

I shake my head at his disappearing figure. Smug and preening to be with his mate.

It made me miss my own. So much.

But this exhibition was for them, this all; all these long hours of keeping myself away was to make it as best as it could be. It was to give them back a gift because they'd given so, so much. They'd helped me through my hurts, they'd given me happiness and they'd helped me overcome one of the hardest transitions.