ULTRAVIOLET [✔]

[51] The escape

LISA POV

We didn't sit up on our bikes but pushed them through the last line of trees on foot. They were heavy, so we were slow but it felt appropriate. It felt like we were honouring our fallen leader. Namjoon was carrying his body in his arms while I carried the unconscious Chaeyoung. Jennie did her best to push my bike for me.

We walked in complete silence as far as the rest of our physical strength allowed. Which wasn't very far. Maybe two hundred meters away from the forest and out into the lush, open fields. The moon was wonderfully bright tonight, completely unaware of the tragedy that we had just lived through.

"I can't. I'm done." Jisoo exhaled defeatedly and we all halted with her. I was glad that she made us stop because I probably would have kept walking like a dead person until I fell to my knees from pure exhaustion. I felt drained of my very life essence and there was a cold, twisted knot in my stomach. I knew it was grief that had yet to unravel but for now I couldn't let myself fall apart. We still had to survive.

"Tents up everyone." J-hope took over the command and we all got our move on. Slow and with heavy hearts but we managed to put up the tents in a protective circle just like we had done in the forest. There was one last meal in Chaeyoung's bag for all of us but nobody really felt like eating. So we just saved it for the morning.

I helped Jisoo to get Chaeyoung into her tent where she would watch over her friend during the night. We also placed Jackson's body into a tent by himself, covering him with a blanket and closing the entrance. Non of us spoke while doing it. And non of us really looked at each other either. We all knew there were glassy eyes and stinging tears and heartbreak all over this camp tonight.

I was about to make my way towards my tent that I was going to share with Jennie when I saw my little witch come towards me from the opposite direction. We both stopped and looked at each other. Except for the swooshing of gentle wind across the grass, everything was comfortably silent. Both our pained gazes met and I felt a deep sadness radiating off of her.

Her blue eyes were so dark. Her bottom lip quivered dangerously and then she lunged for me. I opened my arms and met her in the middle. Her tiny body crushed into mine softer than I expected from her rushed movement. I wrapped my arms around her safely and burried my nose in her raven black hair. I inhaled deeply and instantly got overwhelmed from the soulmate tingle. It was intense tonight. Even though this was such a dark moment. 

"Lili" She breathed in a mix of relief and despair, clawing at me and I cradled her head against my neck lovingly. My heart skipped a beat at my own relief that we had both survived. Holding Jennie in my arms was a bittersweet consolation for the price we had paid tonight. Both of us were granted to live but we had suffered a great loss in our midst.

'Please kiss me' My little witch pleaded softly and tilted her head up to search for my lips. I bent  to meet her. The moment I felt her soft lips on mine, I was lost. We kissed deeply and desperately but there was also a softness to it. Jennie had been close to loosing me tonight and the way she clawed at me with her strong fingers made me believe that she wanted to punish me for it. I kissed her back, showing her how sorry I was that we had cut it so close.

Then she pulled out of my kiss to burry her face back into my neck with what sounded a little like a suppressed sob.  

A big ball of feelings was pulsing and expanding in my chest, warming my heart. I hugged Jennie to me tightly, possessively. Cradling her head, my mouth went for her ear and my most secret inner desires spilled out of me in a pleading, breathy whisper.

"Marry me, Jennie."

For a moment everything stilled. I unconsciously held my breath, then inhaled shakily. My heartbeat was out of control in seconds. Overheating with the love I felt for my mate but also with the overwhelming anxiety of what I had just done. I felt like my brain had short-circuited.