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I blinked hard when the sun finally rose to announce the start of another day and I realized I had fallen asleep at my desk. I looked at the clock and saw that four hours had passed. Four hours lost that I would never see again.

My stomach growled and I wondered when I last ate. Oh, uh...I don't remember eating at all yesterday. I laid back in my chair and let my head fall back. I feel so numb from all the worry and fear. I can't go on like this.

Come on, Y/N, you cannot let that bitch get to you.

I shake out my hands, then my arms. Then I stand up and jump a little, trying to get some feeling into my body after ignoring everything and everyone yesterday. I even go so far as to slap my cheeks a little as I try to shake myself into some sense of normalcy again.

Ugh, I'm hungry. First order of business, food.

I open the door to find a tiger and dog sleeping at my feet. The tiger was draped over the golden retriever. They are both snoring. I smile at the cuteness before me. Oh, my guys. I love you. I bend down at my knees and run my fingers through Jimin's fur. A gentle smile on my face. I scratch behind Tae's ear and hear a deep rumble. Oh, my babies.

"Were you guys looking out for me last night?" I ask quietly. This show of support and love from them warmed my heart more than anything else in the last 24hours. Yes, I was hiding from the world, and from my problems, and yet, they were always with me.

A tear escapes my eye and runs down my cheek as I look at the sleeping babies in front of my door. I sit down on the floor and lay my head on their overlapping bodies.

"Thank you," I whisper. I rub my face into their fur, taking comfort from their quiet show of love. Suddenly I feel a tongue lick my face.

"Ewww," I pull back, only to see the tiger chuff in amusement at my reaction. My face is covered in tiger slobber. Good thing I'm immune. Geez. I try to wipe my face, but my shirt is too form-fitting to be of any help. "Okay, bathroom stop and then breakfast, okay?" I ask the tiger.

Tae huffs again and nudges Jimin awake. Jimin jumps awake like the excitable puppy he is and barks as he sees me sitting there next to him. I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. "Thanks, you guys, for watching out for me." I may be terrified for my life, but I'm not oblivious to the fact that I'm also very very loved. "Let's get some breakfast, huh? I'm starving." Jimin barks again and I get up and head to the dining room in the dorms.

On our walk from the center to the dorms, I try to not think about what I'm going through. Jimin and Tae keep my company on my walk. Soon we're joined by a coyote and the tiger lopes off toward the forest. I watch Tae leave and ask, "Where's he going?"

Jimin just shrugs but doesn't answer. Yoongi just yips and I look at him. "So, you're gonna babysit me with Jimin today?" I ask him and he yips again. I smile, "thanks, Yoongi." I continue walking to the dining room.

I enter the dining room where everyone ate breakfast in the dorms. It was the first time I had been there in several days. I had practically lived at the cabin for the last couple of weeks and walking in with my two animal companions caused a bit of a stir.

"Look who the dogs dragged in," Mindy sneered. She had her body leaning against Marcus, snuggled in while they were eating. Yoongi growled a little, causing Mindy to raise an eyebrow. Everyone else stopped eating and stared at me and my companions.

Ceren turned around and grinned big, "Girl, you finally show up!" She got up and gave me a hug. She pulls back and looks me over, "Well, you don't look worse for wear after the attack. Bangtan has been taking good care of you, I guess." She patted my shoulder and then went back to the table, sitting next to Brendan.

It took me a moment to realize that she didn't know about the last few days. She hasn't really seen me since the wolf attack. As I walk over to get food, I'm struck by how much my world has changed in just a week. I absently pile food on my plate while my mind is busy with how upside down I feel right now.

I hear a whine from my companions and I look down and realize their concern. I pull myself together enough to get to a table. I don't join everyone else since I have Jimin and Yoongi with me. Each animal jumps into a chair next to me. I smile at them and look down at my food.

I don't think I can eat this. I'm hungry, but I don't think I can eat. Both animals whine and nudge me to start eating. I take a spoonful and put it in my mouth but everything tastes like dust. I chew automatically to keep my loves happy, but I know I'm not going to be able to eat much. My worry and fear just keep me in too many knots.

While I'm trying to force food down, I see the owl fly into the room and fly around Brendan. Everyone is startled by the arrival of this purple-eyed animal and Brendan is quick to lift his arm, which now wears a gauntlet that allows for the owl and eagle to land on him at any time.

"I can't believe how much you spend with these animals now," Marcus says, jealousy deep in his tone.

"You've always known how involved they are in everything, I'm not sure why you are acting surprised." Brendan gets up. "Let me see what Bangtan wants." He leaves the room with the owl.

"These animals used to be as standoffish as our employers," Marcus grumbled.

"You are wrong about that," Scott Lee, the groundkeeper replies. "You get to sit in your office, but those of us who work the grounds and out in the field deal with these animals daily." The coyote yips an affirmative and jumps down from his chair and walks over to the groundskeeper who pets him without hesitation.

Marcus' mouth drops open at the obvious show of comfort and familiarity. "I work with the tiger and coyote regularly," Scott says.

"But, but, they're poisonous! Its not safe to be around them." Marcus huffs. Even Mindy gives him a look of scorn at that statement.

"Do you see him biting me or drooling over me?" Scott scoffs at his words. "These animals know exactly what they are and they are more careful with us than you are. Maybe you could learn a few things on how to take care of people from them."

Jimin barks and Scott smiles at him. "These are good animals. They are friends. Maybe you should rethink why you work here, Marcus." He gets up and leaves after dumping his breakfast.

Yoongi returns to my side after giving Marcus a bit of a stink eye for being so obtuse.

"Marcus, what is wrong with you? You've been here for a few years now and I just don't get you, sometimes." Ceren shakes her head. "Stop being a snob." She picks up her plate and comes sits at my table with me.

Mindy even gets up and dumps her plate and walks out. "Babe," Marcus calls after her and leaves to go after her.

"Those two still a thing?" I ask.

"Oh yeah, they are nauseating. Although, Mindy seems to be short-tempered with him, lately." She gets a shrewd look on her face, "So, you've been missing the last week or so. Rumors are that you've been living with Bangtan." She winks.

"Looking for gossip, are you?" I ask.

"You know I live vicariously through you," She quips. "You have a bunch of boyfriends and now Bangtan helping you. Girl, you have to give me details!" she lightly jerked on my arm to show her excitement and interest. She makes me laugh.

"I thought you were happy with Brendan?" I ask her. She blushes at his name, letting go of my arm.

"He's pretty amazing," She admits. I can't help but smile. It's good to see someone happy with their relationship, and you know, not burdened with the looming thoughts of dying.

"Ceren?" Brendan calls from the door.

"Yes?"

"Can you come with me, please? I need to talk to you about something." He beckons her to follow him. She looks at me and raises her eyebrows and I shoo her off, telling her I'll take care of her dishes. She gets up and follows Brendan out.

I look at Yoongi and Jimin and don't see any surprise in their animal faces. What are they up to now? I shake my head. You know what? I don't care. I have enough problems to deal with, I don't need to be in the middle of their relationship, too.

I go back to choking down my breakfast.

Later, as I'm walking through the Center after a meeting, I see Ceren sitting at her desk with an inscrutable look on her face. Her eyes have an odd look to them. Almost calculating, but also dazed. I know that look well. I walk over to her.

"Ceren?" I ask. She nearly jumps out of her skin when I call her name. "Sorry," I say, I didn't mean to scare her.

She has her hand on her chest and breathing quickly. She looks at me, looks back at the coyote and dog laying on the floor over by the couches, and her eyes narrow. "You've been holding out on me,"

"Oh? In what?" I ask. What does she know?

"Brendan and Hobi just clued me in." Her eyes take a serious look at mine. I can only nod.

"What did they tell you?"

She leads in and whispers, "Curse, witch, animals....ring a bell?" Her eyes are dazed but serious.

"I didn't know they were planning on telling you," I say softly. I look over to Jimin and Yoongi and see them watching us. I raise an eyebrow at them and I see Yoongi nod. I wonder if this was done for me, so many things will be easier having my friend in the know.

She flashes a ring in my face, "It apparently was a condition of Brenden asking me to marry him," she grins. On her ebony finger is a beautiful solitaire on a white gold band. I can see the happiness she is now radiating at her news.

"Congratulations!" I tell her. I give her a big hug.

"I should be mad at you for not telling me the truth about you and Bangtan, but as I've also been sworn to secrecy, I get it," she says.

"Do you? Can you keep this secret?" I ask.

"Girl, My man and my friend's happiness depend on it. I won't say a word." She declares. Her eyes flick over to the animals who are listening, then she leans in. "However, you do have to spill now that you can. Are they animals in bed, too?"

I burst out in laughter at the unexpected question. "HA! Oh my gosh, girl. Why is everyone so obsessed with my sex life?"

Ceren just shrugs, "You're sex life is very exciting, apparently." We both laugh. Gosh, it feels good to laugh about something so trivial. Something light. Something not earth-shaking and involves me dying. I need light and silly right now.

"They do keep me busy," I confirm. A ghost of a smile hovers on my lips, enjoying the banter.

"Do you do them all at once, or one at a time?" She asks, her eyes wide.

"GAH, Ceren!!" I laugh at her audacity. An evil glint fills my eyes, "I make them take a number," I tease. Ceren's mouth drops open and she shoves me in the arm.

I giggle at her reaction.

Yoongi POV

Watching my girl laugh with Ceren reassures me that we made the right decision. Jimin and I exchanged amused glances as our enhanced hearing makes it possible for us to listen in on what they are saying even though we are across the room.

I can't help but laugh at her "number" line. Sex with 8 people requires a lot of patience. Hobi said Ceren took the news pretty well. She kept looking at Brendan, making sure this was all real, but when he pulled out the ring, she jumped into his arms and said yes with no hesitation.

Learning your employers are mystical creatures could have made her hesitate, but Brendan had faith in her and so far, it was proving out. I just hoped it continued to do so.

"It's good to see Y/N laugh again," Jimin said.

"Yes, it is." I agreed. "So far, your ideas have been good ones. Hopefully, tomorrow goes well."

"I got her family on board, so no problems there," Namjoon piped in from wherever he's hanging out.

"Listening in, are you?" I tease.

"You guys are the ones able to hear what Y/N is saying, so I imagine everyone is listening in," He reminds us.

I hear echoes of affirmatives from the other members of Bangtan. This used to piss me off, but now, they are my family and I cherish their closeness.

Hobi pipes in, "I've got Ceren on board with helping her pick out a dress."

Just then we hear Ceren say, "Girl, we've got to go shopping. Now that I know the real deal, we HAVE to find you the right lingerie"

I hear several men sputter at that statement and I give a coyote laugh, which makes Y/N and Ceren both look over at me.

"Can they hear us?" she asks Y/N.

"Most definitely," My girl confirms. I see Ceren turn bright red and soon they agree to go shopping the following morning.

I could hug Ceren for her manipulation skills. I expected Y/N to balk at the idea of leaving the center but Ceren wasn't taking no for an answer and thankfully, our girl wasn't one to be rude to her friend. A little distraction would be perfect so we could set up and surprise her for tomorrow evening. I just hope Ceren helps her find the right dress. Official or not, we were going to wed our girl and we wanted it to be perfect. 


A/N:  What would you consider your perfect wedding dress? I was a wedding DJ for 20 years.  I've seen all sorts.  What would be yours?

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