She Belongs To Him

Chapter 5 : Growl

**Eira's POV**

"I'll go get it."

Hyungwon disappears towards the kitchen while I head to the front door.

I drag my palms down the fabric of my pants, smoothing out the invisible creases. As I make a sharp turn toward the door, a thought nags at me—Hyungwon’s probably coming up with some excuse so the next time I ask, he’ll have something to say. But I can’t help wondering what it is he's hiding.

I just want to know where he disappeared to after the birthday party and why he hasn't come home since. It’s a simple question, right?

Unless, of course, he’s involved in something shady that could get him or our parents in trouble. But I know Hyungwon. He’s not the type to get tangled up in anything like that.

If he was, then it would apply to the whole group of friends, and I’m pretty sure none of them are up to anything illegal.

I run my fingers through my hair and smooth the fabric of my shirt, getting rid of the imaginary creases. When I open the front door, I’m met with three familiar faces.

Josh flashes me a soft smile, and Matt does the same, but it's Callyx who gets my full attention.

I charge at him with a hug before he can even say anything.

"I haven’t seen you in ages! I thought I’d never see you again."

I feel his tense muscles finally relax as I nuzzle against his warmth. The exaggeration in my words pulls a smile from him as he slowly wraps his arms around me. Then, without warning, he lifts me up and spins me around, making me laugh uncontrollably.

It’s making me dizzy, though.

"Okay, okay, I get it," I say, laughing. "You missed me too. Now, put me down!"

A chuckle escapes his lips, and finally, he places me back on the floor. He tucks my hair behind my ear and lifts my chin with his fingers, making me meet his eyes.

That smile. I’ve missed it so much.

"Hi," he whispers, his voice soft. I smirk in response.

"I heard you were avoiding me," I tease.

Callyx raises an eyebrow, confused. "And where’d you hear that from?"

I shrug and pull my chin away from his grasp. "I have my ways."

We both hear Josh snicker, and I turn to find him pouting, his arms crossed over his chest. The fabric of his white shirt scrunches around his shoulders.

"How come he gets a hug and we don’t?" Josh complains, his expression the picture of mock offense.

I roll my eyes playfully and step away from Callyx. I don’t even notice the glare that briefly crosses his face as I focus on Josh.

"Didn’t we just see each other yesterday?" I say, giving Josh a light shove. "Matt, on the other hand..." I glance at Matt, who I haven’t seen since Callyx disappeared.

I wrap my arms around Matt, and he immediately returns the hug, pulling me into his taller frame. With Matt being about six inches taller, I’m practically level with his torso. His wide box smile causes my heart to flutter.

*If this guy's planning to kill me with that smile, it’s definitely working.*

I’m a sucker for pretty smiles and faces.

"Don’t tell me you caught a cold too," I say, pinching my lips into a pout. "You didn’t even answer my calls."

Matt pokes my cheek, teasing. "I was busy. And no, I wasn’t sick."

The reunion is cut short when Callyx suddenly steps between me and Matt, pushing me behind him. His glare at Matt is so intense, I almost don’t believe it.

What’s going on with him?

I scrunch my nose in confusion but follow Callyx as he takes my hand and drags me into the living room. When I glance over my shoulder, I’m relieved to see that Matt doesn’t seem bothered, though I can’t help but wonder if I were in Matt’s shoes, I’d be feeling awkward by now.

Callyx acts strange sometimes, but this is different. Normally, he wouldn’t give anyone that kind of glare, especially someone close to him.

"Are you okay?" I ask, pulling my hand away from his.

Callyx hums, his gaze distant. "Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?"

Once we’re settled in the living room, he turns on the TV and pushes me to sit down. "You're still into this?" he asks, nodding toward *Miraculous Ladybug* playing on the screen.

He's always thought the show was for kids, but for me, it’s the one thing I actually enjoy watching.

"Are you complaining?" I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "If you have a problem with it, you can leave."

Callyx chuckles, glancing at me. "Not at all."

To my surprise, he taps on the next episode.

I notice Josh heading toward the kitchen. Hyungwon should be there to keep him company.

The movie starts, but I’m interrupted when Callyx suddenly lays his head in my lap.

"Hey."

"I'm sleepy," he mutters, his voice muffled by my legs.

"And my legs are sore. Get off," I tell him, though I’m not really serious.

He doesn’t move. Instead, he dramatically coughs into his fist, clearly trying to get sympathy.

"Is this how you talk to someone who's sick?" he complains.

I roll my eyes at the ceiling but decide to play along.

Five minutes into the episode, Matt walks in from the hallway. "Hey Eira, can I borrow your charger? My battery’s dead."

"Yeah, I’ll go get it for you." I try to get up, but Callyx immediately grabs my legs, holding me in place.

What in the world?

"Hey," I poke his arm. "Can you let go for a second?"

But he only tightens his grip around my hips as I try to get up again.

"Callyx—" I stop myself, a strange vibration coming from him as his back faces me.

And then, it happens. I hear it.

A low, animal-like growl.

I freeze, my heart racing. Did he just growl at Matt?