SeVen Uncaged :The Second Chapter

What To Do Next

Squirming, you instinctively bit into the hand that covered your mouth, the bitter taste of salt and cigarettes quickly coating your tongue as you struggled against the attacker’s hold. They cursed into the back of your head but their grip didn’t budge, attempting to drag your twisting body out of cover. That is, until a familiar rumbling ominously emanated from behind you, chilling you right down to the bone.

Instantaneously, gravity shifted as you were wrenched to the side, the floor knocking the wind from your lungs as the man began fighting someone, his startled voice smothered while their two forms fell to the ground in a scuffle. In the corner of your eye, you watched a vague impression of Namjoon straddling the assailant, one clawed hand over the man’s face while the other pressed into his exposed throat; the man’s feeble attempts at defending himself doing no good against the lion’s strength as he thrashed.

You swallowed several gulps of air, lungs coming back online while you coughed and rolled onto unsteady limbs to check through tear blurred eyes if the scuffle had attracted unwanted attention. By sheer luck, the other two men were gone without any sign of having heard anything.

You collapsed, heaving shoulders against the wall, equally grateful for the short reprieve but distressed. You were so close to getting information on your hybrids’ whereabouts, if not for that near miss.. With that thought in mind, you hesitantly shifted to face Namjoon who sat by an unconscious body, the lion crumpled in on himself and panting while he leaned against the opposite wall.

“Joon?” You swallowed, moving to comfort him, only to be stopped by his cold tone.

“Stay. You should’ve been more careful.”

Dropping your head in a mix of regret and shame, you fiddled with the green velvet edge of your dress. “Sorry,” was all you heard yourself say after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. You wanted to argue that you didn’t even know you were about to walk into that scenario, but you knew from one glance at the lion, he was barely keeping himself composed.

His claws were still extended with popped veins, fanned out like white webs tracing over his tanned arms, his entire body faintly shaking with the strain of reigning in his aggression. Similarly, pulse points on his neck and temple throbbed as he pushed back loose strands of his blonde fringe before the hand came to rest over his forehead and right eye. The action coupled with his manic expression only made the lion look more severe than usual, void of the kindness you once knew to be there.

Not wanting to risk pushing him further, you waited until the lion tilted his head back and sank further down the wall, taking in the first real calming breath you heard from him as his muscles relaxed at last. Before long, he allowed the hand to drop from his face and relax into his lap, staring at a fixed point on the ceiling while seemingly refusing to look at you.

“I heard them talking when I came out of the bathroom. It sounds like they're putting Tae in a fighting ring and keeping Jimin locked up for other purposes, but I don’t think they said where..” You rehashed, uneasily getting to your feet when you could no longer take the wordless judgment.

“I know where,” Namjoon spoke at last, voice strained as he once again ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, the finally claws retracted. The male appeared more haggard than you’ve ever seen him. He cast up a jaw clenched glance in your direction before he pushed off the floor with his fist and knee, nudging the shoulder of the man with the tip of his boot. “This guy was also talking about it while you were at that party. I was following him, lucky for you.”