home at last

viii

"I go by a different name at the hospital so when hybrids that I've treated see me in public, like the Hwangs, say a false name of mine. If anti-hybrid humans hear my name associated with hybrid aid and tell my parents, everything me and my brothers have created and worked hard towards would be destroyed in seconds. My real first name is Jiwon" Naeun explained, setting the fork down on her plate, her throat suddenly dry. "I showed the officers my necklace because it's the Maeng's crest and gemstone." Naeun pulled it out of her shirt, showing Namjoon.

Namjoon stared at the oval shaped pendant, a beautiful peacock etched into it. A triangle traced around the sapphire that sat in the middle of the peacock's chest. Triangle, sapphire, peacock, all symbols that had a deep history with power.

"I hate using my parent's name to my advantage, but I only use it for good." Naeun put the necklace back under her shirt. "Like saving hybrids."

"H-How..." Namjoon swallowed, shaking his head, his foot anxiously tapping against the bar of the stool he sat on. "How... How do you not hate hybrids?"

Naeun's eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. "I hate telling this story."

"You don't-"

"No." Naeun opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll tell you. You deserve to know." Naeun paused, picking at her finger as she stared, mentally preparing herself to retell the story that changed her life for forever.

"I was six years old..."

Naeun laughed as she ran from Ujin and the twins, Gi and Cheol. Her mother and father were on the same street as them, standing in front of the icecream shop with Junho and Minsu, those two too young to run around alone.

Naeun screamed with laughter as her brothers called after her, teasing her, saying they were going to catch her and tickle her to death. The sidewalk that they played one was too small and narrow to properly play and run from her brothers.

So Naeun decided to run across the street.

Naeun stopped running as she heard the blaring of a car horn. She turned her head and her smile dropped as she saw two headlights barreling right towards her, tires screeching as the automobile desperately tried to stop in time to avoid hitting the little girl.

It was never going to make it.

Before Naeun could even blink, a blur tackled her to the side, the body rolling them to absorb impact, Naeun safely in the arms of her savior.

She breathed quickly as she looked up.

Looked up at the jaguar hybrid that had saved her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, doing his best to put on a kind smile for the little girl. The both of them could've been under the car that was now stopped in the middle of the road.

"NO!" A woman screamed. "Get your filthy hands off my daughter!"

Men, humans, rushed around them. Naeun couldn't even form words as she was separated from the hybrid that just saved her life.

"He tried kidnapping my daughter! He touched her!" Naeun's mother accused, picking up Naeun, holding her tight.

"No Mom!" Naeun protested, turning towards the hybrid that was pressed onto the ground, every limb completely restrained by men. "He saved m-"

"Shhh, My Jiwon." She soothed her daughter. "You're traumatized. You don't understand what happened."

"But-"

"I saved her!" The jaguar hybrid begged, tears in his eyes, not daring to fight against the men. "There was a car-"

"Silence, you filthy beast." Naeun's father walked up to the hybrid, the jaguar widening his eyes as he saw what was in Naeun's father's hand. "You touched my daughter."