He walks slowly toward me, stopping just a few steps away. His voice drops, thick with something dangerous and tender all at once.
"You're the only woman I ever dreamed of keeping beside me. I'll lock the world out if I have to. Even if you scream every day for the rest of your life, I won't let you go."
My heart thunders in my chest. The words should make me angry. Should make me hate him. They are shackles disguised as promises, chains wrapped in velvet. And yet… my pulse betrays me, racing, fluttering. Because underneath the possessiveness, I hear something I don't dare name.
Before I can react—
A low growl echoes from the doorway.
A second later, two cubs trot into the bedroom like they own the place. First, the little lion cub, Leo, with his puff of golden fur. And now a striped orange tiger cub, bounding with curiosity and chaos.
I blink once. Twice.
Then I scream at the top of my lungs.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL IS THIS?!"
I shoot up from the bed, nearly tripping over the blanket, eyes wild with terror. Leo pounces after me, the tiger growls playfully, bouncing with excitement.
"NOPE—NOPE—NOPE!!" I shriek, scrambling backward, knocking a pillow at them. I bolt to the corner of the room, trying to climb onto the dresser, my feet slipping.
"TAEHYUNG!! CALL OFF YOUR ZOO!"
He watches, stunned for half a heartbeat, then doubles over laughing, barely able to breathe. His deep, rich laughter shakes the walls.
"Oh my God—you should've seen your face—"
"I'M GOING TO DIE!! THEY'RE GOING TO EAT ME!!" I shout, clutching a curtain rod like a sword, flailing it at the tiger cub as it paws my foot.
The cubs are startled by my yelling and start barking and growling back. The room erupts into chaos. The tiger tumbles into the chair, Leo bounces on the bed like it's his personal kingdom.
"TAEHYUNG!!" I scream again, still clinging to the top of the dresser. "I'M NOT KIDDING!! THEY'RE EVIL MINIATURE DEMONS—"
Before I can finish the sentence, the tiger cub leaps. Its claws slide against the dresser, and I lose my balance.
The world tilts.
I fall hard—face first—with a loud thud.
Everything goes blank.
Taehyung's laughter dies instantly. He rushes to me, his smile gone in an instant. My body lies limp on the floor, hair scattered across the wooden boards.
"Shit. NO, no—hey." His voice trembles as he cradles me, his hands surprisingly gentle for a man who commands empires. His eyes widen as he sees the blood seeping from a gash on my temple.
"You little bastards…" he mutters at the cubs, pushing them away with a firmness that makes them whimper. "Not now, kids."
He lays me carefully on the bed and dashes to the bathroom, his composure cracking at the edges. He returns with a towel, pressing it to my wound with steady but shaking hands. His jaw is clenched tight, but his eyes—God, his eyes—are full of something close to panic.
He pulls out his phone. His voice is iron, sharp and commanding. "Bring my private doctor. Now. Tell him it's urgent."
Minutes later, the doctor arrives. His posture is professional, his black bag snapping open as though he's done this a thousand times. He examines me in silence, while Taehyung paces behind him like a caged predator.
"She has a concussion. Minor trauma. She hit her head badly—she needs rest and no stress. Clean bandages, fluids, and complete calm."
Taehyung nods slowly, sinking into the chair beside me as the doctor wraps the wound carefully. His voice drops to something only the air could hear. "I'll give her calm. I'll protect her from everything. Even from myself."
He doesn't leave my side that night. Not once. His shadow stretches long across the room, a silent sentinel keeping watch.
And outside the bedroom door, the cubs sit in a row—watching quietly, tails flicking, as if they know they crossed a line.
---
A dull throbbing pain pounds at the side of my head hours later. I blink slowly, my vision hazy. The ceiling above me spins slightly, the room dim and quiet—too quiet.
I try to sit up, but a sharp sting shoots through my skull and I let out a weak whimper.
Immediately, there's movement beside me.
Taehyung.
He is sitting in a chair pulled close to the bed, elbows on his knees, hands folded in front of his mouth. His jacket is gone, his sleeves rolled up, veins in his forearms standing out under pale skin. His dark eyes lock on me unblinking.
"You're awake." His voice is low, careful. Almost… gentle.
I swallow, my throat dry. The way he stares at me makes my stomach flip, though I try to ignore it. "Why are you…?" My voice comes out hoarse.
He cuts me off quietly. "I didn't know you were that scared. They're harmless. Just cubs. I thought… I thought you would find them cute." His gaze falters, the hard edge in his tone cracking into something raw.
A soft sound draws my attention. I turn my head slowly toward the door.
Two little shadows sit just outside. Leo and the tiger cub. Silent this time. Waiting.
My body stiffens. I shrink back against the headboard instinctively.
"They're not coming in," Taehyung says softly, noticing my tension. "They won't come unless I call them. They're trained." He looks at me for a long moment, then turns his head toward the door. His voice sharpens with authority. "Stay."
The cubs lower their heads instantly, lying flat outside the door. Obedient. Silent.
Taehyung turns back to me. "I'll move them to another room if that's what you want. But don't ever scare me like that again."
I blink. My lips part before I can stop myself. "You were… scared?"
His jaw tightens. He leans closer, shadows framing his face. "You passed out. There was blood. You didn't move. I thought…" His voice trails off. He closes his eyes, exhaling harshly. "I thought I lost you."
The words slam into my chest harder than the fall did. My heart stutters, aching in ways I can't explain. I grip the blanket tighter around myself, searching for air.
"Why do you care so much?" I whisper, barely audible.
His hand lifts, hesitates, then brushes against my face, tender and feather-light. His thumb strokes just beneath the bandage at my temple, careful not to hurt me.
"Because I don't want a world where you don't exist."
The confession steals every word from my tongue. My cheeks burn, heat rushing to my face as I quickly look away, hiding behind the fall of my hair. Damn it—why am I blushing? Why is my chest tightening like this, when I should be furious?
I bite my lip, fighting to steady my breathing. But his hand lingers, warm against my skin, and my resolve trembles.
I hate him. I should hate him. He kidnapped me, trapped me, turned my world upside down. And yet… his voice, his eyes, his trembling when he thought he lost me… a part of me melts despite myself.
I turn back slowly, meeting his gaze for a fleeting moment. His eyes soften, as if he notices the crack in my armor. My blush deepens and I snap my gaze away again, my heart hammering.
He chuckles softly—barely, almost broken. "You're blushing."
"Shut up," I whisper, burying myself deeper under the blanket, wishing it could swallow me whole.
But his smile lingers this time. Not mocking. Not cruel. Just relieved.
And though I won't admit it aloud, part of me… part of me doesn't mind being the reason for that smile...