Chapter 97 Intimacy
Clio
Out of anything he could have asked, I wasn't expecting him to say something like that. Why would he even ask something like that???
"W-what?" I shot my head up to meet his gaze, "No!" I shook my head, "Not at all!" I panicked but I'm glad I was able to immediately deny it.
Find his scars disgusting? As if!!! I never even thought guys would think like that! Women are more conscious of things like these.
Like I am...
"No?" He passed me a smile but that smile looked rather sad.
I shook my head, "I have one too." I placed my hand on my lower abdomen, "So, no, not at all," I gulped, trying to keep my composure. I'll keep my mouth shut about the part where I think the scars make him look sexy. He might think I'm weird, "I don't even know what would make you say that..."
"Scars have stories to tell," He said and turned to walk towards the lounge, "Mine aren't pretty."
...
I guess it's not the scars he finds disturbing, but the events attached to it.
That's understandable.
I followed behind without thinking of it much, "Well," Since we were already on the topic, I decided to just say it as well, "Mine isn't as well." But obviously what I had was nowhere compared to what he had, "Of course I only have one deep scar, so I might sound like I'm being some sort of a brat-"
"No," He cut me off as he stopped and turned to look at me, "You're not," My heart warmed at his words, "Not at all." It was clear as day that my scar doesn't mean much next to what he had on his skin but he still chose to give importance to me. He chose not to undermine me.
My gaze dropped as my feelings evolved.
He makes me feel special. Being with him always calms me.
I don't know if I should thank him for that or not? And the uncertainty kept my mouth shut.
"Tell me though," He spoke again, catching my attention. I looked up at him again as his hand approached me, catching me off guard.
!!!
His wet fingers trailer along my jawline before his hand cupped my cheek, "How did you get it?" His gaze dropped down to my stomach, "How did you get hurt?"
How did I get it? The story isn't complicated or anything. It happened on an unlucky day. A day I met Murim again while on duty and Murim has always hated me.
"I-" I paused, I was going to answer when something crossed my mind. Come to think of it. I've already told him so much about myself but I barely know anything about him, "I'll tell you how I got these, if you tell me how you got your scars."
He smirked,he wasn't offended by my outright insensitive statement at all, "So you're finally curious about me."
!!!
"What?" I felt a sudden rush of shyness,
"It felt like I was the only one who wanted to know more about you," He paused as his thumb rested on my hot cheek, "Only me," And then he moved his thumb, sliding it across my cheek as a tender gesture, making my heart act wilder.
"W-well," I was flustered and the shyness was messing with my thoughts, "It's not that I wasn't curious about you..."
"Hmm?" There was a subtle smile on his face, like he was relaxed now, "Then what was it?"
"Just that," I averted my gaze, "I felt like I shouldn't ask because well, you were my boss and all..."
"Was?"
!!!
"I-I mean, you still are, but," I got more confused. Why did I say 'was', "But the situation is a bit different now! You know-?"
He let out a chuckle and my cheeks flushed. He removed his hand from my cheek to place it on his mouth as he let out a soft snicker.
Is he making fun of me?
"What's so funny?" I asked, feeling a little angry, "Why are you snickering?" I glared at him, mostly because I felt embarrassed.
"Oh no," He shook his hand, "I'm not laughing at you." He stopped, "It's just that I find you really adorable."
My heart skipped a beat.
OH NO!
How did we get to this point?!! I'm going to expose myself with how my cheeks and ears are heating up!!!
"I see," I cleared my throat, "How about you hold those thoughts and wear some pants?" I folded my arms, trying to look tough.
He nodded as he looked down at himself, "I should, shouldn't I?'
I turned my face a little without saying anything and he walked towards his room. He opened the door and went inside. His pants were on the table right next to the door and he grabbed those along with his boxers.
Wait a minute.
I got a weird feeling. He's not going to close the door? I side-eyed his room as he left the door half open but didn't stand in front of it. He walked to the side and I heard the towel get dropped.
As the towel hit the floor, the sound made my heart skip a beat.
OH MY GOD!!! He really isn't closing the door!!! Why!?!? Why wouldn't he close it?!??
I looked away as I felt awfully conscious of him. It wasn't like I could see him but the fact that there was no other sound in the house made me hear the rustling of his clothes all too clearly as he put them on.
GOD!
I should speak and make some sounds or else my heart will explode!!!
"Um, so," I looked around the empty house, "I didn't see the director."
"Azef is-" He paused, "I asked him to do something so he won't be around for a few days."
"Oh," I nodded. I can't ask him what errand he was sent on since he didn't mention anything about it and it would rude of me to pry in their personal matter, "And I don't see Bezof either,"
"He went back to the packhouse," He answered casually but his statement made me frown.
What did he just say? Packhouse? Am I supposed to know what that is? But considering he said it casually, it must be something his kind uses a lot.
"Packhouse?" I tilted my head, "What's a packhouse?" I turned to look at his bedroom door and that's when he stepped out.
Without a shirt
OH!
"It's a werewolf term," He walked toward me, "A pack refers to a close-knit group or family. Much like how wolf packs work."
"Oh," I nodded, "And people don't know anything about it? I mean normal humans, because I've never heard of places like packs."
"Packs are like small villages, but most packs are in the middle of dense forests, protected by nature."
"And does the government know?"
"Yes," He replied, "But by only a very handful of people, these people are selected by the royal family."
OH MY GOD!! There's a royal family too!!!!
I'm definitely going to ask about that later,
"And a packhouse is the central hub of their activities and serves as a place of communal living but it's owned by the Alpha wolf."
"The Alpha wolf?"
"Yes, the Alpha is the ruler of the pack. He and his family, well, if he has a family, live in the pack house."
"OH!!!" This was all new to me but at the same time so interesting, "Wait," And then it suddenly clicked, "So, Bezof is a werewolf too?" He must be, right? Why else would he go to a werewolf owned place?
Matthew smiled, "Yes," He folded his arms, "Werewolves like having other wolves close."
"Oh?" I frowned, "So... Does that mean the director is one too?"
He nodded, "Yes,"
"Oh wow..." My brain told me that was enough about wolves because I needed time to process it. I let out a deep breath and that's when my gaze traveled to Matthew's skin again, particularly his torso
The scars caught my attention again. I looked at them, and raised my gaze to look into his black eyes.
"Will you tell me?" I asked
He stepped closer to me, unfolding his hands, he bared his chest. Then he took my hand in his, intertwining his fingers into mine with the back of my hand in his, and then he placed my palm on his chest.
I gulped.
His skin was warm, warmer than any human's.
"I will," He answered, "If you really want to know." His voice was calm, "But it's not going to be a pretty story,"
I looked down at his body again and I couldn't help but move my hand around. I traced his scars with my fingers.
Softly,
And I felt the tips of my fingers heat up. The intimacy got my stomach to get a burst of butterflies and my heart to act weird. Wild
I gulped, "How bad is it?" I raised my head and looked into his beautiful black eyes.
"Well," His voice got lower, "It starts with my father throwing me out, abandoning me when I was a kid to fend for myself on the streets."