Wolf Pack (Jenlisa FF)

19. The Apology

The sound of heels clicking against marble echoed through the empty halls of the East Wing of the mansion on Crawford Street.

Everyone was asleep and in their own bed chambers. Except for Joyce and Kai who were probably in the kitchen indulging themselves in a cup of hot cocoa and talking about Jennie in particular. And possibly Diana as well who almost certainly snuck out to meet up with Meat Boys, as Kai liked to call them.

Jennie sighed and rubbed her aching shoulder. She had stayed practically the rest of the afternoon and the evening locked up in the room of the North Hall, just talking to Jisoo. Not only about Lalisa, but of life in general and everything else that makes it so painful to live.

Jisoo had gone down and told everyone that Jennie was fine. She then returned with food, drinks, and the expression of total fear.

"What happened?" Jennie had asked, worried and concerned that something might have occurred while she was away.

"Everything 's fine," Jisoo assured, "Lalisa was just kind of . . . pissed. But I yelled back at her for being such a jerk," she said cheerfully.

And after Jisoo assured Jennie that she was fine and was kind of proud of herself, they stayed within the room, junking out on pizza, ice-cream, soda, and stories of the past.

A soft whimper suddenly reached her ears, causing her to stop dead on her tracks to listen more closely. Another whimper escaped, and Jennie noticed it was coming through the closed door to her room.

She frowned, walking towards it with silent steps, and held up her head against the polished wood before she heard it again.

She slowly pulled her head away as she clasped the gold doorknob, turning it carefully to the right before prying the door open with deliberate caution, not wanting to frighten the obviously small and terrified animal that was within.

She peered inside her dark room, and from Jennie's heightened senses, she could tell that there was something else occupying the area.

She flipped the light switch, squinting at the bright light that radiated from the lamp on her bedside table. She gazed around until her eyes fell on a small dog sitting patiently on her bed, a red ribbon tied around its neck.

"Oh, my, God!" Jennie squealed as the small puppy bounced up onto its feet and began wagging its tail excitedly.

"Aren't you the cutest thing?" Jennie cooed and took the puppy in her arms. "Where did you come from?"

"Carol and Henry."

Jennie turned to find Lalisa leaning against the doorway, a small smile on her lips as she watched her distractedly with her chocolate brown eyes. It was one of those sincere expression Jennie rarely saw, yet thrived on witnessing as much as possible, especially when the reason was something about her.

"They had a litter of them born five months ago. Jack Russell," Lalisa informed her.

Jennie stared down at the dog as she petted him softly around his neck. He was still small, still a pup with a soft and limber body and big dark eyes. His coat was pure white with a dark brownish red spot that was shaped like puddle on his back. There was also color on both his ears that stretched down around his eyes.

"I want to apologize for the other day, Jennie," Lalisa said softly, trying to hide the desperation in her voice with a composed stature. She didn't want to sound like a pathetic werewolf. She was the dominant leader of the Slayer Clan; she shouldn't show weakness . . . especially when it came to the girl of her dreams.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Jennie chuckled bitterly. "It was a stupid thing to ask when I already knew the answer."

Lalisa stepped towards her and shook her head defiantly as she touched her arm. "You got it all wrong, babe," she said through clenched teeth.

Jennie shrugged out of her touch and placed the dog on her bed. "It doesn't matter, and don't call me babe," she said, looking up at her with clear azure orbs, "I'm not your 'babe' . . . I'm not your anything."

Lalisa grabbed her arms. "Don't say that!" she said and stared at her brilliant blue eyes.

Lalisa couldn't even begin to fathom why she didn't believe that she loved her. And all because of that one day that started out so glorious and had sadly become so dark when she asked if she loved her. And her stupid silent reply caused them both a heartache, and all because Lalisa didn't have the guts to accept her complete rejection of love for her is she didn't love her back.

"Do you love me?" Lalisa asked suddenly, and she pulled away and stared at her angrily.

"Don't get cocky and don't rub it in my face," Jennie said, tears threatening to spill from her striking eyes.

"Tell me."

"Yes!" Jennie cried, the tears that she had fought to keep at bay finally escaping, "Are you happy?!" she yelled, trembling at the ferocity of the pain that surged through her chest at the final revelation.

"Are you now happy to know that I fell in love with you during the first time I laid my eyes on you?! Are you happy that I fell in love with a woman who I was destined with . . . but who won't be able to love me back! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Jennie grabbed the closest thing in reach and threw it at her.

Lalisa dodged the hairbrush and stared at her in awe.

'She loved me . . . she loved me.'

It was the only thing that kept running through her mind.

"Get out!" Jennie screamed.

"I can't," she answered softly.

Jennie gave her a look of desperation as tears continued to flow from her eyes. "What else do you want from me, Lalisa?" she asked in an overwhelming hopelessness. "You have my heart and my soul! Why don't you let me keep what's left of my pride and my sanity?"

"Jennie . . . please . . . "

"Just get out," she said, her voice shaky and uneven.

"I love you . . . "

She shook her head and gave a hysterical laugh. "Fuck you, Lalisa," she said angrily, not believing any of it. Lalisa might be a great leader, but just as she was intelligent and wonderful, she was malicious as well.

"Don't screw with me . . . don't turns my love for you into something mocking. Just . . . please . . . don't," she begged. "If you don't love me," she said softly, "It will be all I have left . . . "

But Lalisa urged on, her soul rejoicing at her devotion and at the same time, ripping apart at her sadness. She grabbed her hips to pull her closer to her. Lalisa tilted her chin up for her to meet her eyes. "I'm in love with you. From the moment I saw you run before my eyes in a flood of white fur and innocence . . . I fell in love with you."

"Don't mess with me, please," Jennie begged, wanting her words to be true.

Lalisa let out a frustrated growl. "What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm in love with you?" she asked, "Get down on my knees? Exclude myself in the woods for days without eating?" She stared into her eyes. "I would die for you . . . " she stated firmly and without a second thought, "I'd kill myself for you."

More tears streamed down Jennie's face. She threw her arms around her neck and kissed her with fervor, with all her passion and her love.

And Lalisa kissed her back with the same amount of ardor if not more.

And at that moment, the two souls' bond, sturdy and fierce from the moment they met, became even more stronger.