Chapter 4

"I did not plan this if that's what you're thinking." Said Jisoo, defensively. "I only wanted to give you two time to talk. Believe it or not, I don't want to have anything to do with you either."

A lie. But a lie that must be told.

Taehyung took a deep forceful breath.

"We have to hurry." He finally said.

And then they moved as if nothing happened. They run until they reached the vicinity of the attack. Jisoo found Jennie's silencer and went to work on her own. She was light as a bird. She has never seen so many Umbras. There were hundreds and hundreds of them! She implanted the silencer on the ground. She hid herself as she waited for Taehyung's signal. Taehyung needs to go inside the camp and plant three explosives, while Jisoo waits. Jennie's silencer is already on, just waiting for the other two.

It took Taehyung more than fifteen minutes. And it was such an agonizing wait, Jisoo was so worried he was going to get caught. Although she knows Taehyung is a warrior, she does not know yet what to expect in this mission. When Taehyung finally sent a message to her, Jisoo sighed in relief. She went to her silencer. And then when Taehyung sent another message, Jisoo turned the silencer on.

And then she run.

It happened fast. As she was running, a bright light appeared behind her, there was no noise of explosion but the strong impact can be felt, the place quaked hard. Jisoo felt something heavy cover her as her body dived on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw Taehyung covering her with his body behind her. And then she was being pulled up to stand.

"An explosion means you duck." He said, his voice gruff. “Silencer, Run, Duck, Run again!”

Jisoo gulped.

"Forgot the DUCK." Jisoo is catching her breath.

"You can't forget such an important detail, you almost lost your head!" Taehyung is whispering but the intensity in his voice made Jisoo tremble.

Jisoo is angry at herself too. Taehyung is right. She was careless. She almost died if Taehyung did not jumped over her.

And then they ran. There is no time to lose. They need to escape.

It took two hours of nonstop running before they reached what looked like a highway. Jennie took their car and the base is another two hour drive. If they run all night long, they may make it to base before midnight.

"Should we just grab a cab somewhere?" Asked Jisoo.

Taehyung sighed.

"A cab going to base is not an option. Security risk." Said Taehyung.

Right.

"We need to eat." Said Taehyung.

"Huh? Eat?"

"We need to run the rest of our way. We need to feed if we want to last." Said Taehyung.

Jisoo is actually tired. The adrenaline is waning down and she indeed needs food.

"There's a few places there." pointed Taehyung.

"I did not bring money or cards." Said Jisoo

Taehyung shook his head.

"You should always bring some with you." Said Taehyung. "In cases of emergency."

"Such as when your girlfriend takes your ride and you're left with the obnoxious mistress?" Asked Jisoo

Ooops... that totally slipped out.

Taehyung took two steps away from Jisoo as if he was going to ignore her remark, but he soon walked back to Jisoo making Jisoo take three steps back.

"You really can't let that go huh?" Asked Taehyung. “One of the best thing to do under the circumstance is to forget it happened.”

What?

"You can't ignore it forever, Big guy." Said Jisoo. "I apologized. I did not mean whatever happened in that forest. I don't even know what actually happened. I can’t remember how we ended up tangled together on the ground. I was just trying to help you two get your lover’s quarrel over!"

Taehyung dragged his fingers in his hair.

"I am not saying I'm blaming you!" Said Taehyung. “Damn it! Why do you always pick up a fight with me?”

"I don’t! I try to stay away, remember? You tell me. Why are you acting like an as if I brought another problem between you and Jennie? Hello? I have tried so hard to avoid even seeing you two the past months!"

Taehyung closed his eyes tight.

"I know that..." he answered, his voice becoming calmer now. "I know you're trying to help. I know you did not intend to cause trouble. Jisoo I have watched you before you became part of the pack...While I was protecting you back then, I knew you are not a manipulative person."

Jisoo's eyes stung. Her chest felt squeezing in pain and relief. He doesn’t think she’s manipulative… That means he knew she did not mean what happened. She did not plan it. She will never cause him this kind of trouble.

"Then why? Why are you acting like I did?" Asked Jisoo

"Because you confuse me." Said Taehyung. "And I don't like being confused. I am always certain of things I want and need to do. It has to always be the same. What I need to do… I need to want it too. I can't want and need two different things. I need focus in my life."

"What are you talking about? Now I'm confused." Said Jisoo.

"We will eat dinner quickly. In silence. And then we run for base." Said Taehyung.

"You're not even going to explain this?" asked Jisoo.

Taehyung looked at Jisoo, he was staring at her. And Jisoo felt like she was suddenly and vulnerable. She hugged her stomach and looked away.

"We both have histories, Jisoo. You have shared yours with me but I am not ready to share mine." Said Taehyung. "Let's just hurry and go home."

------

Taehyung and Jisoo arrived at the base late that night. Jennie was waiting for Jisoo when Jisoo got out of showering. Jennie threw a can of beer at Jisoo, which Jisoo clumsily caught.

"Rooftop." Said Jennie.

Jisoo wore a shirt and a pajama before she headed to the rooftop where Jennie appeared to be enjoying her time looking at the stars. With Jennie, Jisoo does not know what to expect. If she needs to apologize again, Jisoo will.

Jennie gestured for Jisoo to sit down beside her. Jisoo sat down without looking at Jennie, guilt eating her up inside.

"Did he tell you?" Asked Jennie.

"Huh?"

"Tae... Did he tell you why we're so close?" Asked Jennie

Jisoo blinked.

"Taehyung and I don't really talk much." Said Jisoo

"You spent a lot of time together earlier." Said Jennie

"We both decided it was best to spend it silently." Said Jisoo.

"He's too stubborn." Said Jennie. “He should learn to loosen up sometimes.”

"He will never do that with me. Taehyung cares for you." Said Jisoo.

"He does." Said Jennie. "Too much sometimes."

Jisoo smiled. That's true.

“Earlier… what you saw… He didn’t…” Jisoo tried to explain again.

"My grandfather was responsible for it all." Said Jennie

Huh?

"Your grandfather?" Asked Jisoo, turning to face Jennie.

Jennie nodded.

"He took care of Tae when he was younger, cared for him. Tae had fierce loyalty. You know that by now." Said Jennie

Jisoo nodded, taking a gulp of her beer.

"My grandfather was a great warrior. But he too had a limit. Our bodies live very long lives, Jisoo. Once we start to shift we can live for hundreds of years or even more. But my grandfather sacrificed his life to save Tae. He died protecting the man he knew will one day become greater than he."

Jisoo felt her chest ache.

Jennie faced Jisoo.

"My grandfather knew Tae will save our kind. Do you think Umbras act on their own? Some one is controlling them, some one who wants power to himself... some one who thinks Were creatures like us are threats. My grandfather knew his body was no longer as strong as he was. He knew Tae will finish the mission he had started. And so he sacrificed his life for Tae." Said Jennie. "The sorrow... the agony... my grandfather was a father to Tae. It killed Tae when my grandfather died."

Jisoo felt a tear fall from her eye, her own chest is breaking.

"When my grandfather died, grandpa made sure I was protected. I was his only grandchild. I was still a tiny baby then. He made Tae promise him. He made Tae promise that Tae will protect me with his life, blood and bone. And the only way that Tae will do that is if he makes me his mate."

Jisoo bit her lip.

Jennie sighed.

"My grandfather was selfish. By his desire to protect me, he robbed Tae of his right to find his true mate." Said Jennie.

Jisoo felt pain but also understanding finally dawning on her. A grandfather will do anything to protect his precious grandchild, even if it means being selfish... even if it means depriving another...

"One day Tae and I has to talk about that promise he made. I know it's long overdue. We should have talked about it way back. But I didn't think there was a need back then. But now..."

"But now?"

Jennie held Jisoo's hand.

"I think I finally realized why I always ignore how dedicated Tae is to me. Why I keep hiding behind being friends..."

"And that is?"

"Because I know we are not real mates, Jisoo. We will never be able to make each other as happy as when our real mates come. Tae and I are so close, but there was never passion... never that burning desire... that need." Said Jennie. “I think that deep inside me… I always knew my real mate will come… and I want to have that… that passion… that need… When my real mate comes… I don’t want anything to stand in the way… not even Tae.”

Jisoo's throat moved. She wanted to shake Jennie! How can this woman still long for another when Taehyung is ready to sacrifice everything he is for her?

And yet looking at Jennie right now, Jisoo could not make herself hate the female. Because she knew… Jisoo understood what Jennie is talking about… she had a taste of that passion earlier in the forest… Jisoo knew that if she has allowed herself… she would be drowning in it…

"Just one look at you two this afternoon tells me something different is going on between you and Tae, Jisoo." Said Jennie.

Jisoo shook her head.

"You probably got it wrong." Said Jisoo. "Jennie look... I appreciate you being kind and forgiving. I do. But the guy does not like me the way he likes you. If he did care for my feelings he would have told me all these things you've told me. He would've at least tried to comfort me from his constant rejection. But he never did. He does not care at all."

Jennie sighed.

"He was really bothered when you were running behind earlier. I thought we could finally talk, him and me. I know I couldn't avoid the subject anymore. But then...