Raising The SSS-Risk Beast That Only Pretends To Be Tame Chapter 07

Raising The SSS-Risk Beast That Only Pretends To Be Tame Chapter 07

“That Silas guy, he’s a little off.”

Morgan said out of nowhere beside me.

My hand froze mid-air. The pen stopped. “Off how?”

Morgan frowned, thinking. “Hmm… I can’t really explain it. It’s just… something about his smell. It’s not right. How do I put it-he carries this heavy scent of blood. It reminds me of that… Subject-17 you mentioned before.”

I looked up at him.

He scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Hahaha, I’ve probably been reading too many thrillers,” he said. “This man reeks of killing intent’ – that kind of thing. Don’t mind me.

[Morgan, you hit the nail on the head.]

[A guy who studies little animals for a living has better instincts than the lab’s entire alarm

system.]

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I just picked up a stack of files and headed for the supply closet at

the end of the hallway.

Halfway there, I saw him. Silas.

No-Subject-17.

He was standing at the other end of the corridor, looking down at his phone.

His hair was tied up today, loosely gathered at the back of his head. A few strands had slipped loose

from behind his ears, falling against the side of his face.

He looked strangely… docile. Too docile. It made my skin crawl.

I lowered my gaze to the floor and walked faster.

Because of course this place was accident-prone. My foot slipped.

“Careful.”

A hand caught my wrist.

Cold.

Pale.

I steadied myself.

Seventeen let go, bent down, picked up the scattered pages, and handed them to me.

“Here.”

His expression didn’t change. He looked at me like I was a stranger. Just some woman who needed

help. Not Chloe. Not anyone.

“Thanks,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected.

He gave a small nod and walked away.

I exhaled. Safe. For now.

I walked into the supply closet and set the files on the shelf.

I stretched my sore wrist.

A faint sting.

I turned my wrist over, confused.

There it was a thin scratch on the side of my wrist.

Small, like a paper cut.

The top layer of skin was broken. A thin line of blood beaded up.

Right where Seventeen had grabbed me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

[Oh no. Girl, is she done for?]

[He smelled it, didn’t he? He recognized her.]

[Oh God, I can’t watch. This is too obvious. He’s testing her. He’s confirming.]

[Death death death death death-]

[What a calculating monster.]

Was he playing with me?

How was he going to kill me?

I curled into myself, crouching low, my mind completely blank.

The door opened.

Footsteps.

Dress shoes on tile. Slow. Unhurried.

They stopped right in front of me.

I looked up.

Seventeen stood there.

The hem of his trench coat hung before my eyes, gleaming with a cold sheen.

He was backlit, his face hidden in the shadow of his bangs. All I could see were those black eyes.

“Oh dear,” he said, smiling casually, his tone strange and almost playful. “I was hoping to play cat

and mouse with Chloe a little longer.”

(Oh shit… that scared the hell out of me.]

[Creepy creepy creepy!!!]

[Wahhhhh, girl, I’ll light a candle for you.]

I gritted my teeth and stared at him.

He crouched down.

“Wh-what… what do you want?” My voice was shaking.

He tilted his head. “To punish you, of course. For abandoning me.”

I panicked. “I didn’t abandon you! You were just my job.”

“Just your job?” His voice dropped-soft, almost wet, like a whisper against skin. “How cruel.”

He leaned in a little closer.

“But me?” He leaned closer. “I’ve been coveting you. For a long time.”

I blinked.

He was so good with words now.

“What do you mean?”

“What do you think?” he said. “I love you.”

He pulled me into his arms, wrapping me inside his trench coat. His voice was muffled, like that slow-talking boy from before.

“You smell so good. Chloe. I missed you so much. I want you to touch my ears.”

[?????????]

[Wait. This isn’t right??? Isn’t he supposed to kill her??? Why is he begging to be touched???]

[It almost looks like… he’s been tamed?]

[But he’s still dangerous. Don’t forget how those lab people died.]

[With her, he’s clingy. With everyone else, he’s a killer. Those two things can coexist.]

[Why is this scene so messed up and yet so cute???]

[Did his face just brainwash you or something???]

My heart was racing.

But I couldn’t push him away. I didn’t want to.

“Chloe!”

Suddenly, Morgan’s voice came from down the hallway, getting closer, breathless and urgent.

“I found it-Blackthorn Research Facility, Subject-17! I pulled his file. Silas is-”

He burst into the supply closet, holding a printed document, his face lit up with the excitement of someone who’d just solved a mystery.

Then he saw us.

Me,

crouched in the corner, held in the arms of a tall man in a black trench coat with long dark hair.

“Chloe?” Morgan’s voice changed. It turned into fear.

“You-”

Seventeen slowly lifted his head and turned to look at Morgan.

“Chloe,” he said, possessively. “That’s what I call her. You don’t get to use it.”

“Run!” I screamed at Morgan.

Morgan didn’t run. He pulled an emergency tranquilizer gun from his belt and aimed it at

Seventeen.

“Get away from her!”

Seventeen tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.

I couldn’t see what happened next.

I just heard a dull thud.

The gun fell.

So did Morgan’s arms.

Blood poured out.

“AHHHH!” Morgan collapsed to his knees.

[I don’t want to see this.]

[Run. He’s SSS-class. Bullets can’t even pierce his skin.]

[Girl… you need to try to calm him down. You’re the only one who can make him stop.]

[Girl, you’re the only one who can save Morgan now.)

“Chloe… Chloe…” Morgan was still calling my name.

Seventeen crouched down in front of him, his expression curious-like a child watching an ant whose legs he’d just pulled off.

“Oh,” he said, with a kind of innocent cruelty. “You’re still saying her name?”

He reached out his long hand, fingers spread wide, and placed it on top of Morgan’s head.

“I told you,” he said. “Only I get to call her Chloe.”

His fingers began to tighten slowly.

“SEVENTEEN!”

I screamed.

Louder than I meant to.

His fingers stopped. He turned his head, his face suddenly pitiful and wronged. “Chloe, you shouted so loud. Are you mad?”

My eyes darted. I forced myself to stay calm. “We should go,” I said. “Home.”

He took his hand off Morgan’s head and walked over to me. “Oh,” he said, his voice light, almost casual. “Is Chloe taking me to meet her mom?”

[Her mom is in danger!!!]

[Every move he makes is terrifying.]

[Monster son-in-law meets the mother-in-law.]

[What kind of crazy plot is this???]

[Girl, are you sure you want to take him home?]

I froze.

To save Morgan, I had no choice. “Yes,” I said.

Seventeen’s eyes lit up.

“Good,” he said. “Chloe and I are family now.”

We walked down the hallway together. Past the elevators. Through the lobby.

No one at the lab dared to speak. No one dared to breathe. No one dared to try to stop him.

My mind was completely blank. What do I do? What the hell do I do?

I couldn’t think of a single way to stop him from meeting my mom.