Zen holed himself in his apartment in the days following the situation at MC's apartment. He didn't know how to begin explaining things to her. It also didn't help that ever since he'd let the demon take control, things within him changed. His senses were heightened even more than they were before. The sharp canines came back and wouldn't go away either. He still remembered when he cut his tongue one morning running it along his teeth. Luckily, the claws were nowhere to be found.

Then there was the sudden urge for raw meat.

Zen tried to resist that change the most. It made him feel more like an animal than a person, and it scared him. He tried to eat regular food, but the hunger pangs he felt didn't go away.

He lasted three days before finally giving in.

Zen took a trip to the supermarket and bought the biggest, bloodiest steak he could find. After getting home, he looked at the package with disdain. The instincts within him, however, told him to tear into it and take a huge bite. The silver haired man did his best to fight against his instincts, but in the end, he gave in after his body shook constantly and the pains in his stomach increased in intensity. He growled contently as his fangs tore through the meat, a small amount of the blood on the side of his mouth. His tongue poked out to greedily lick it.

Throwing the meat down on the counter, Zen sank to the floor in defeat.

MC was at Jaehee's house working on her laptop; the cut on her neck had healed. The chief assistant had vaguely explained MC's situation to Jumin, and managed to get him to allow MC to work from home for a period of time. She was extremely grateful to her friend.

The brunette had checked her phone constantly, waiting for Zen to call or text her. Not hearing from him worried her. She knew something was up with him and wanted to hear his explanation for everything that happened with Saeran.

She knew she should've been more afraid of Zen than she felt, but he saved her from a lifetime of torment courtesy of the redhead. Also, MC had such strong feelings for the man that she felt whatever he told her wouldn't make her want to be by his side any less. Deciding that it was time to confront Zen about the situation, MC took out her phone and composed a text.

Zen was in his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist while looking for fresh clothes. The ringing of his cell phone made his heart jump for a second; it sounded a lot louder than it used to. Pulling on a pair of boxer briefs, he walked to his bed and grabbed the phone. Red eyes widened when he saw he'd received a message from MC.

Hyun, it's been a while since we've talked… but I miss you. I know you're going through something right now and you don't want to speak to me, but I want you to know that I'm here whenever you're ready to talk. I also wanted to say thank you. You saved me from a lifetime of torture and I will forever be grateful to you. I really hope to hear from you soon… I love you.

The phone fell from his grasp. Luckily, his hand was still hovering over the bed, so his phone didn't sustain any damage. His heart felt like it was trying to burst out of his chest as his lips widened into a happy smile. His hands shook as he grabbed the phone again, taking longer than he should have to reply since his shaky fingers wouldn't allow him to type as he wanted.

I'll pick you up from Jaehee's place next week. I'll explain everything at my place.

MC nearly dropped her phone in surprise. She hadn't expected him to reply, but was so glad he did. She also didn't intend to tell Zen she loved him either; it just felt like the natural way to end the message. Feeling happier than she had in the past week, the brunette went back to work. The fact that it was another cat business proposal didn't bother her in the least.

The week passed by in a blur to MC; Jumin approved which proofs he wanted to use for the new denim line, and he actually complimented her on how well the project went. It felt weird to get praise from her boss, but MC still felt grateful that all her hard work was recognized. She and Jaehee had went out to celebrate the completion of the project, the executive assistant getting slightly drunk and very affectionate. Though she had a great time, MC waited anxiously for Zen to contact her.

It took a little more than a week, but she finally got a text from Zen.

I'm here to pick you up.

The brunette felt excitement course through her body at that one sentence. Hastily getting her things together, she called out to Jaehee that she was going to be out for a while. Hearing her friend say farewell, MC all but ran out of the apartment. Making her way outside of the apartment building, brown eyes took in the man a few feet in front of her. Zen was wearing black jeans with a plain white t-shirt and a black leather jacket, his helmet tucked under his arm as he leaned against his motorcycle. She felt her mouth go dry as he looked at her and grinned.

"Hey," Zen called out to her.

"H-Hi," she stuttered out.

His expression softened as he saw MC's face heat up with a blush. Handing her the helmet, he beckoned her to get on the bike. MC was glad she decided to wear pants instead of a skirt.

"Make sure you hold on tight, okay?" Zen said as he started the motorcycle. She nodded, her voice failing her.

Wrapping her arms around his slim waist, MC felt as if she'd fog the visor with how hot her face felt. Zen did his best to keep his composure as he felt her hands clasp together around his stomach. He revved the engine and sped off, doing his best to focus on the road and not the woman pressed against him. Arriving at their destination, Zen helped MC off of the motorcycle and led her down a few steps.

"Welcome to my humble abode," he said as he opened the door. "I hope you don't mind the fact that it's halfway underground."

"It's nice," MC replied as she stepped inside. "Seems very private."

Zen hummed in agreement as he went to his kitchen. Grabbing two cans of beer, he led MC to his sofa and handed one to her. The brunette looked at him in question as she accepted the proffered beverage.

"Sorry, beer is pretty much all I have," Zen said sheepishly. "Besides, I thought you might want to be at least a little buzzed for what I'm about to tell you."

"I don't mind beer," MC answered. "This brand is actually one of my favorites. But, I would much rather be sober and in the right state of mind to understand what you want to say."

She set the can down on the coffee table in front of them, unopened. Turning to face the silver haired man, the brunette focused all of her attention on him. Zen felt nervousness creep up his spine, the apprehension he thought he took care of making an appearance. Taking a deep breath, red eyes slipped shut. Opening them, he looked at the woman in front of him and started cautiously.

"This is kind of hard to explain," he began. "I guess the simplest way to put it is that I'm not normal."

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed," MC sarcastically replied. "I know so many people with silver hair and red eyes."

And just like that, Zen felt a little more relaxed.

"Ha ha," he said flatly. He grabbed her hands and wore a grim expression. "Seriously though MC, what you saw and heard that night wasn't a bad dream or anything like that. I'm not human."

"You mean like some kind of mutant?" she asked with a raised brow. "Like X-Men?"

"More like some kind of demon," Zen replied. "Like the kinds they talk about in religions and legends."

"…You're not joking," MC said slowly as she observed his face.

"No," he said solemnly.

He showed her his fangs as his eyes turned demonic. Blood red eyes glowed in the low light as they stared into wide brown ones. Zen expected to smell fear roll off of MC in waves, but she only looked at him curiously. A small hand began to tentatively reach out to him, and Zen did his best to not move. Her hand caressed his cheek and traveled down to his fangs. She yelped as one nicked her finger, blood pooling at the tip. Before she could yank her hand back, Zen grabbed it.

Red eyes glazed over as the scent of her blood hit his nose. Looking at the injured appendage, he licked his lips hungrily. MC felt a sliver of excitement course through her at the action. Without warning, his tongue darted out and licked the blood. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he put the injured digit in his mouth and an unexpected moan slipped past MC's lips. Reigning in his self-control, Zen let her hand go, his eyes returning to their original bright red color. Becoming aware of her surroundings, MC brought her focus back to what Zen told her.

"So… can you control it?" she asked tentatively. She could still remember how much he struggled with himself the night he killed Saeran.

"That was why I hadn't contacted you," Zen explained. "Since that day, I forced myself to learn to control it. It was really hard at first, especially since things changed with me. The fangs are permanent now, and my senses are sharper than ever. I'm still adjusting to being able to hear, see, and smell everything so strongly. Thinking of you was the only thing that got me through it."

MC's heart sped up. Zen smiled as he heard it.

"I would never intentionally hurt you MC. When I called you my love, I meant it. I love you so much. It hurt to not hear your voice or be near you for the short time we didn't talk. But I knew this was something I needed to do alone so that I can be with you."

"Zen…" MC said shakily.

He moved closer to the brunette and caressed her cheek gently. MC leaned into the touch with a slight smile.

"You're not afraid?" he asked quietly, scared of her answer.

"No," she answered without hesitation.

Zen smiled genuinely at her as she met his eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling.

"I want to kiss you so badly," he whispered.

"What's stopping you?" she challenged as she closed the gap between their lips a little.

"Will you stay with me forever?" he asked, his lips brushing against hers. "Will you let me claim you as mine?"

A shudder ran through MC's body.

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

Zen's lips met hers as soon as the word left her mouth.