The End of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 4) (32 page)

She peered up at the handcuffs and did her best to ignore the reminiscent feeling that came with it.

“Do not let him distract you,” she whispered to herself, determined to preserve her control.

She could not allow Kwon Tae Hyun to redirect her focus on this trip; she could not allow him to compromise everything she had worked her entire life for.

“Stay strong,” she desperately went on before she closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. “Please stay strong.”

“. . . and make them human again.”

15: Of Gods and Humans

The slumber that Soo Jin awoke from felt like a dream in itself.

She could feel the sun’s warm rays bask over her, rousing her into waking up. Everywhere she moved on the bed, she felt nothing but comfort. The soft quacking of ducks swimming over the water filtered into her senses, acting like music to her ears. Even the gentle warm breeze that streamed around the room felt like an extra comforter for her slumber. She did not want to open her eyes, but what was a well-rested Queen to do when she had all the sleep she needed? 

Soo Jin opened her eyes. A smile crossed her lips when the beauty of the room reflected the exquisiteness of her dreamlike state. She nuzzled into her pillow like a lazy cat, relaxing in that big bed while staring out the enormous windows. The beginnings of the sunset had just penetrated the heavens. The vibrant hues of orange, purple, and pink swirled over the canvas of the sky. The stunning scene above was captured in the reflection of the lake beneath.

It continued to astound her that such a beautiful place existed in the world. It amazed her that she had somehow found her way back. The only thing missing from this perfect picture was the host who brought her.

Soo Jin examined her wrist and found that she was no longer handcuffed to the bed. She also observed that the windows had been cracked open, permitting the warm breeze and the melodic sounds of nature to accompany her. She was certain the windows were closed before, which meant Tae Hyun had returned sometime during her sleep to “tuck her in”.

She peered into the quiet hall.

Where was he?

Ignoring the plea of her body to stay in the cozy bed, Soo Jin arose, put on her leather jacket, and walked barefoot down the hall. She inspected every inch of the lake house in an effort to find him. When it was clear that her host was not inside the house, she took her search outside.

The happiness that entered her when she set eyes on him frightened her.

Tae Hyun sat on the grass in front of the sunset-glittering lake. His head was tilted back as he gazed up at the heavenly skies. His bare upper body glowed underneath the favoritism of the setting sun. There were droplets of water covering his body, indicating that he had just went for a swim. The droplets of water clung lovingly to his flawless physique, enjoying every inch of him before they melded with his black shorts and dripped onto the grass. In this breathtaking scene, he was most certainly the showstopper.

Soo Jin briefly averted her eyes and mentally chastised herself. She wished he did not possess this type of power over her. She wished he did not mesmerize her to this degree.

“Get a hold of yourself,” she whispered before returning her attention to him.

After drawing in a deep breath to regain control, Soo Jin cleared the distance and sat beside him.

Her heart stuttered to a stop when he shifted his gaze from the sky. The smile he rewarded her with was something that dreams were made of. She may have been revered by an entire Underworld society, but their reverence was nothing compared to Kwon Tae Hyun’s adoration. As a Queen, she had the Underworld in the palm of her hand, but as Tae Hyun’s object of affection, she felt like she had the whole world on its knees. In that heart-stopping second, it was not difficult for her to understand why Choi Yoori fell for him so deeply. He was dangerous as a King, but a thousand times more dangerous as a man. 

“Did you sleep well?” he asked gently, his voice a lullaby against the tranquil backdrop. His dark hair, wet from his swim, was slicked back, bringing attention to his impeccably crafted features and his intense brown eyes. He looked good enough to devour. If Soo Jin were a weaker woman, she was positive she would’ve thrown herself at him in that very moment. 

“Did you come back to tuck me in?”

He grinned at her pointed question. Amusement brightened his voice. “Did you really think I would’ve let you sleep with your wrist handcuffed to the bed? I promised you an enjoyable week. This means that I have to make sure you get lots of nice rest as well.”

“And the windows?”

“My favorite part of the house is my bedroom. There is no better way to sleep than to feel the warm air against your skin and to hear nature in all its glory.” He leaned in closer to her. Despite his swim in the lake, there was still the residual scent of cologne on him. He smelled damn good. “Did it work? Did you sleep well?”

Soo Jin shrugged and manufactured nonchalance—both to his enticing scent and how well she slept. “I guess so.”

His smile remained before a curious thought entered his mind. “Have you always been a heavy sleeper?”

Soo Jin responded with another shrug. Her eyes traveled downward to admire the sky’s reflection on the lake. “Ju Won’s rigid training had an unexpected blessing—it taught me to sleep, even in the most dire environment. When he buried me with those corpses, all I had to do was sleep and I would forget about the world around me. Sleeping has always been a great escape.”

Tae Hyun nodded, showing open interest in her lips rather than her answer. He was undoubtedly ready to cease the pleasantries and proceed with the flirtation. “As it should be.”

She smirked and eyed him from the corner of her eyes. “Did you enjoy your swim?”

“Very much so,” he answered in a relaxed manner. He rested his hands behind his back and leaned backward. Tendons of muscles rippled throughout his body at the modified seating position. “I’m enjoying my evening more now that you’re awake though.”

Soo Jin turned away from the temptation of his body. “What now?”

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Your head on a silver platter.”

His chuckle mingled with the rustling of the grass.

“You’ve used that line already,” he retorted lightly.

She finally permitted herself a grin. She did use that line already.

“Everything,” Soo Jin said instead. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty hungry.

“Everything?”

“Pasta, spaghetti, noodles, spring rolls, steak, beef . . . everything.”

Tae Hyun chuckled again. “You’re going to have your hands full in the kitchen then.”

Her grin faded. She pinned him with an expression of disbelief. “You’re not preparing dinner?”

He tilted his head with a charming smile. “I won the challenge. Apart from servicing you in bed, I do not plan on doing any other form of servicing.”

Soo Jin could barely contain her outrage. “You want
me
to cook for you?”

His shoulders lifted in a blithe shrug. “I’ve missed having a personal assistant. I think it’ll be fun to have a Queen as my personal assistant this week.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind.”

“A Queen keeps her word. A girl breaks it,” Tae Hyun responded coyly. His eyes challenged her to go back on the agreement she made with him. “Which one are you?”

“Where do you store the rat poison?”

Tae Hyun laughed, utterly unfazed by her growing hostility. “You like me too much to poison me,” he stated confidently. He reached out and tucked a loose bang behind her ear. There was no humor behind the action, only adoration. “There are plenty of other things we can do,” he provided gently. “Other things that I’d prefer to spoil you with.”

“Like what?”

He extended his hand out.

She scrutinized his outstretched hand and then looked at him. “What?”

“I want to hold your hand.”

Soo Jin scoffed with contempt. “Are we children?”

“I would like us to be on this trip,” he countered without missing a beat. “Let me hold your hand, let me show you a good time, and I’ll do all the servicing.” His expression was enigmatic, inviting. “What happens here will be between the two of us. No one else will know.”

“And if I don’t want to hold hands?”

“I wouldn’t mind going skinny-dipping with you instead.” He grinned at the stupefied look on her face. “What would you prefer, Soo Jin? Holding hands or skinny-dipping with me? I’ll tell you that there’s one thing I prefer more than the other, but it’s up to you what we—”

Soo Jin interrupted his words by placing her hand over his. For the sake of her sanity, she could not go skinny-dipping with Tae Hyun. God help her, at the going rate, she was certain skinny-dipping would be the prelude to something more intimate. She could not have that. Not on this trip—not ever.

Albeit the decision to hold his hand was more innocent, she was slowly realizing that it might have been the more dangerous option. It did not elude her how safe and loved she felt when her hand grazed over his. For a fleeting second, she did not feel like a Queen. She felt entirely human. 

Tae Hyun chuckled at her actions and formed a protective grip over her hand. He rose up and pulled her up with him.

As he began to guide them away from the lake house, Soo Jin gazed at his back and said, “Aren’t you going to put on a shirt?”

A smile tugged at his lips when he turned back to her. There was a tantalizing sheen in his eyes that sent an electrical current through her body. “No. I like being half-naked with you. I think I’ll stay shirtless for the rest of the night.”

Holy shit.

This was definitely not good for her “refute-Tae-Hyun’s-charms-at-all-costs” plan.

Soo Jin swallowed with need. She said no more as Tae Hyun began to lead her out of the residential community. With the darkening sunset accompanying their walk, they strode alongside the picturesque lake houses. All the homes stood proud and dominating, shining under the complimentary sky. Not one house looked similar, and Soo Jin liked that. It felt as if every lake house was created to exist in its own world. Soo Jin avoided looking in the direction where she knew the gazebo rested and admired the massively beautiful residences instead.

After navigating through the park and procuring two corn dogs for dinner, Soo Jin found herself staring at a familiar dock. Despite her best efforts to prevent it from coming, a warm, reminiscent sensation rolled over her at the sight of the wooden infrastructure. She did not want to venture onto it because this was one of the few places that truly belonged to her human counterpart. She was not eager to venture anywhere that would awaken the feelings Choi Yoori once had. Regardless of her preference, Soo Jin was aware that what she wanted did not matter. Tonight, she had to simply abide by Tae Hyun’s wishes. It was too obvious that this dock had been his destination of choice.

“I believe this is our second date now, Soo Jin,” Tae Hyun announced as they walked along the wooden dock.

“So you blackmail girls into going on dates with you?” Soo Jin asked, injecting humor into her voice. She bit into her corn dog with a smirk. Since she couldn’t control the events of tonight, she might as well let loose and enjoy it.

“Only Queens,” came his amused response. He bit into his own corn dog with a laugh that caused Soo Jin to crack a small smile.

They sat down when they reached the end of the dock and hung their legs over the edge.

Tae Hyun surveyed the darkening sky while he finished the last of his corn dog. The sunset had gradually faded from the world, leaving the beginnings of dusk to take on its reign. 

“How are you adjusting to being back?” he inquired, placing his corn dog stick beside him.

Soo Jin looked at him after she swallowed the last of her corn dog. She set aside the corn dog stick and drew in a deep, calming breath. The cool night’s air flooded into her lungs, bringing with it the fresh scent of water and tranquility. Soo Jin could feel the intoxication overtake her mind, her very control. She was not drunk on alcohol, but she was drunk on the magic of this place. The reason she feared this lake house community was because it disarmed her. It was too peaceful, too perfect, and too heavenly. She could not help but be open in this environment. It felt too disrespectful to be guarded in such an enchanting place.

“It feels like yesterday that I begged my brother to kill me in the alley,” she began openly, surprising herself that she was articulating emotions that she had never shared with anyone. “It feels like yesterday since I left the brothers, Ji Hoon, Ju Won, and everything in the Underworld. It feels like yesterday, but it isn’t. I am still the same person, but everyone else has changed. Even Kang Min and Jae Won feel like strangers to me.” She swallowed quietly, allowing a moment’s pause before she delved into an unfiltered truth. She reluctantly held Tae Hyun’s gaze. “The only one who doesn’t feel like a stranger is you. You are the only one I feel like I know, even if I only know you through someone else.”

Tae Hyun regarded her in an understanding manner that made her feel relief. Even though they were fated to be enemies—to be warring Gods—she still trusted Tae Hyun more than she trusted anyone else.

“You know,” he started in a whimsical tone, “when we were younger, I wanted to meet you.”

Soo Jin could only smile at that comment. “Did you really?”

He nodded as the cool breeze filtered around them. “I think I was sixteen when I first became curious about you. I was visiting Ju Won at the mansion, and there was a room that I was prohibited from going into.”