Book 2: Chpt 11: Truth in the Darkness
Chapter 11: Truth in the Darkness
An Jieun
“Yet you’re alive, and she’s not. If you don’t want me to report this to the International Council and
have your whole family and pack destroyed for meddling with the gods, you will tell me every last detail.” Alpha John Ashwood commands my father. It’s so thrilling watching them all squirm under the pressure of these more powerful Alphas. My heart is pounding from the excitement of it all.
Finally, he will atone for all his crimes. “Tell them everything. You cannot hide any longer. Your kind will kill you and your bloodline for your crimes.” I calmly say to my father in Korean. The Americans
look at me like a scared rabbit that needs protection, and I will keep it that way.
My father glared at me. He looked like a cornered rat trying to find a way to escape. I follow his eyes over to Han Yong–rae. I wonder if I would feel differently about my father if he had ever looked at me like that. He turned his head to Alpha Ashwood and spoke, “Alpha John Ashwood, I will tell you everything. I know I cannot hide my crimes, but my son is innocent. Everything happened before he was born, and I carry the weight of my actions alone. Please spare my heir and pack, and I take full responsibility for what I am about to tell you.”
What! He will fall on his sword to save Yong–rae and the pack. I scoff, “Since when did you become an honorable man.” I know he heard me, but he ignored me.
“It will untimely be up to the Councils. I promise we will give our recommendation that only you take responsibility.” Alpha Ashwood looked around at the other Alphas. They all nodded in
agreement.
“Her mother’s name was Hyun Ara, and she was a 5,000–year–old nine–tailed fox goddess or a Gumiho.” The lack of emotion in my father’s voice and face as he spoke about my mother burned me intensely. He honestly felt nothing for the goddess he killed.
“How was a goddess left on earth after the gods‘ ascension?” Alpha Ashwood seemed scholarly in his
attention.
“That I do not know. I do know that Gumihos are forest gods. They protect the forest from the harm of humans by eating their hearts and sucking out their life force. They lure you in with a sweet scent and beautiful face, then kill you for trespassing. They are more demons than gods. That one has killed five of my men since turning 18.” The American Alphas look at me with wide eyes. Father
smirks.
I see your plan; you know you will die, so I might as well go with you. Well, I still have a hand to play. I scream out, “Tell why! Why I kill them. Tell. Now!”
1/3
Book 2: Chpt 11: Truth in the Darkness
“She brings up a good point. She’s small and weak compared to your men, so why and how famer would not let me be killed, and he was attached to the bond. My sword and shield, I would put him to good use.
“I do not know.” Father, you liar.
“Men think I their mate. I pro..proootect me.” Ugh, my tongue can’t make some of these sounds easily.
Rylie, the scary man with red hair, walks over to Yong–rae and picks him up by his hair. “Hey, if you want to keep all your limbs, tell me what she means.”
Yong–rae struggles in pain and, like the scared, pathetic child he is, sells out his father. “They thought An Jieun was their mate and tried to take her by force. She would let them get close to her; then she would suck out their life force with a kiss of death.”
Alpha John Ashwood pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an irritated breath. “So she killed to protect herself. I think we all understand the situation better now.” He motioned with his head to Rylie. Rylie dragged Yong–rae over to the large man he had been standing with. “Alpha Han, I have been generous to this point. If you try and deflect or lie again, your heir will pay the price, as you already know you will be held responsible for your crimes. Alpha Logan is well–known for being virtuous and bloodthirsty; don’t test him or me.”
Yong–rea whimpered and cried, Gim Minji, who was cowering in the corner, tried to comfort her son, but the large blond Alpha stopped her. She backed away into her corner. My prideful captors, all suffering finally.
“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.” Father graveled at Alpha Ashwood’s feet like a starving beggar asking for bread.1
“What happened to Hyun Ara?” Alpha Ashwood shook fathers hands off.
“Yes. I was mesmerized by Hyun Ara and fell in love with her. I wanted to make her my Luna.” Father acted like a love–sick puppy. How dare he.
“Lies! Yeowoo guseul! You want Yeowoo guseul!” I yelled at him.
“What is a yeewoo gusool?” Alpha/Ashwood furrowed his brow.
My father looked at me with his jaw slack. “You know, don’t you? You know it all, are her yeowoo guseul? I should have known.”
I stared him down, my jaw and fist clenched. Yes, that’s right, I have kept it a secret from you all these years.
“You better explain, or your heir will feel the consequences.” Alpha Ashwood was getting annoyed.
2/3
Book 2: Chpt 11: Truth in the Darkness
“I guess it’s all pointless now. I have truly damned myself and angered the gods. A yeowoo guseul is a fox marble. I was trying to get it from Hyun Ara, but she passed it down to our daughter, or our daughter is the marble.” A sad, defeated laugh leaves father’s lips, and he now realizes what he wanted all this time was right in front of him, but he was never going to get it. “The fox marble holds great knowledge. If you consume one and look at the earth, you will know all the secrets of plants and animals; if you look at man, you will know all the secrets of humanity. The greatest knowledge is that if you consume the marble and look at the sky, you will know all the secrets of the gods and rule over all. I was a foolish, stupid young Alpha who did not know what power I was messing with.”
“How do you consume a fox marble?” James tightened his arm around me.
“I tried to get Hyun Ara to let her guard down and act like I was in love with her. I even brought her humans to consume. You can never really gain the trust of a fox. They are the first to see through trickery. I was stupid, and she played with me like a cat does a mouse. The only time you can take the marble is when the Gumiho gives the kiss of death, and you must be ready, or you will die. Hyun Ara never gave me a chance. She knew I would try and take it. One day I visited her, and she told me to leave and never return. She wouldn’t come close, but I caught the scent. She was pregnant, and I knew it was mine. Gumiho is physically much weaker than us wolves, so bringing her back to the pack was easy. If I couldn’t get her yeowoo guseul, I would take it from the child.”
“What happens when you take the marble from a Gumiho?” James‘ jaw clenched after asking.
My father looked directly into my eyes, “Death.”
Chapter Comments
Renea Adams
Only if something happens to her he suffers too
Linda G
POST COMMENT
5
groveled
