Twenty-Nine

She slumped against him, her head lolling on his chest, her breathing even. His arms held her firmly, his head resting on the bark.

“They wanted to say goodbye, but felt they would not have been able to turn their backs on you if they did.”

Drained, she mustered a weak smile. “Those idiots mean a lot. Tell them for me, will you?”

He nodded in agreement, his hand gliding through her hair and they remained so till the sun's rays could not reach the sky. Darkness would soon fill the day, therefore, he nudged her lightly, hastened her to awaken. Together, they stood, red and brown irises clashing, hands curled around each-other. 
Chaerin visibly tensed, her dissatisfaction evident in her countenance. 

“Convincing you to leave has never worked out, so I’m telling you to stay.”

Frightful of his next words, she brashly kissed him with all the vigor she could manage in this last interaction. He welcomed her intrusion and responded with a hidden, restrained ardor, his body coming to be flush against hers. A protruding fang found its way to his mark, and she shuddered.

“What use does your scent have now?”

“Do not belittle our mark, it carries a substantial amount of weight.”

“I know, I know.” But, he would not be there to remind her of its importance.

“As long as it remains, I will find my way back to you.”

Gently, he melded his lips upon hers, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her while he still could.

“Do you trust me, Kris?”

“Not once has my faith in you faltered.”

She fell into his embrace for what would surely be the last time of this term.

Chaerin had not seen any of her werewolves following the final day of school and she had carried herself gracefully through the weeks. She tied her frizzy blonde strands into a bun and ran her hands along the smooth front desk, taking in her new post as the manager of the library. Mr. Lee had since retired, most likely to oversee his rowdy boys and she had fought for the position.

The library held interesting memories, filled her with nostalgia, and she wanted to preserve it. Examining documents and scattered books, she eventually relaxed, her head resting on the slick counter. A map of the campus had her breath falter, the image of it slapping against Kris’s face surfacing in her exhausted noggin.

The door was heaved open, a young, bemused girl peering through, disrupting Chaerin’s thoughts. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to know if students could sign up for a job here, yet? I didn’t mean to intrude.” She was radiant, her smile nervous, her hair a short, black bob.

Chaerin waved her over to the desk. “No problem at all. Also, the answer is yes. Do you need your shift to be flexible with your courses?”

Shyly, the girl stared on. “I don’t need to have an interview? Answer questions?”

“Oh, we’re under new management, myself actually. And judging by your book bag I can tell you know your stuff. You got the job, my friend. Don’t be so stiff,” Chaerin chuckled, extending her hand to the girl.

“Ah, that’s great! It’s nice to meet you, I'm Gong Minji, first year.”

Yes, she had suffered a tremendous blow when they abandoned their lives in this area, but she had lived her whole life independent, and she refused to allow them to ruin her future. She could handle pretty much anything at this point.

And until he returned to her, until they all came back, she would wait. His mark imprinted on her shoulder served as a reminder that he would reappear and he would find her waiting for him, as well as living her life.

“Welcome, Minji. My name is Chaerin.”

Life had become too interesting to just leave it at that pitfall – hell, after all she did, she would receive her happy ending.

End