Beastly Beauty ✓

37. The Promise

37 | THE PROMISE

Hoseok had decided to make good on his promise of helping me remember our past, and the first part of doing so was taking me to the beach—the same one Jungkook brought me near on the night when he drove me to the cliffside and first jogged my memory of him.

Rather than going up the hills, Hoseok took me out to the sand and led me close to the shore. The sky was crystal blue, a sharp breeze carrying the ocean scent and drifting strands of red hair across my face. His hand held mine securely enough to make me wonder if he thought I might disappear soon.

"Why are we here? Did we used to go to the beach together?" I spoke between the sound of the rolling waves and the wind.

But Hoseok didn't respond—didn't even turn his head to face me. He kept looking out at the horizon where the dark, grey-blue sea bled into the lighter shades of the sky.

The waves crashed and the tide came up to our feet. I let out a short gasp at the freezing water as it met my skin, then glanced down to find that my feet were bare.

When did I take my shoes off?

Glancing up again, I jolted at the now slate-colored sky and raging black clouds. My hand instinctively went to find Hoseok's, and I squeezed his gloved palm as a bolt of lightning struck the water before us. Ear-splitting thunder cracked above, and I turned to find those golden eyes but was met instead by a hooded void.

I tried to rip my hand away, but his iron grip didn't allow it. I locked my jaw as he cocked his head to the side, that ominous and distorted chuckle pricking goosebumps over my skin.

"Very cute dream you were having. Only one problem with it though," he said as he pulled me closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Your choice in companion was severely lacking. I just had to come and fix that for you." I could hear the wicked grin in his altered voice, and I itched to punch his teeth out.

"Why are you here?" I asked carefully, keeping as stiff as possible.

Another flash of lightning and a following boom of thunder was loud enough to make the ground tremble.

"Can't a man miss his love and pay her a visit?" Those covered fingers brushed along my jaw tenderly, and though the action sickened me, I wondered if it was somehow genuine for him.

I bit back the urge to snap that I was not his anything. He already knew—I'd already told him more than once—he just wanted to get a rise out of me.

"You haven't come to see me in a long time. Why now? What changed?" Perhaps he would clue me in on his plans.

The Hood hummed, trailing a single fingertip down the center of my throat. "Is that your way of saying you missed me too?"

You're delusional, I wanted to say, but my mouth stayed shut.

After a few seconds of thrashing waves and roaring thunder, he sighed. "Quiet tonight, I see. How boring." I gave no response but tried to step back when glowing orange irises pulsed within the shadows of his hood. A growl rumbled in his chest, then he shoved me back and I nearly lost my footing. "You'd be wise to speak, Jangmi, before I do something less than pleasant to get you to interact with me."

My stomach twisted at the implications of what he said, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reply. He wanted to see me react, wanted to feel like he could get under my skin.

So I continued to stare at him without a word.

He chuckled until the sound spilled into full-blown laughter. Maniacal. The awful sound died as abruptly as it had started, and his frame swelled on a big inhale. My eyes shot to his hands as he began taking his gloves off slowly enough to spike my fear.