Chapter 17: The One I’ve Longed forAn JieunIs someone playing a gayageum? I open my eyes and look around and I’m in a dark forest, how did I get here? I feel drawn to the sound of the slow plucking of the silk strings. My feet are moving on their own to somewhere yet unknown. The forest feels vaguely familiar. As my body moves forward with the melody of the strings my mother’s Hanko comes into view. The music is coming from the inner courtyard. I enter the house, it’s strange, it’s like it was when Mother was alive.I’m quickly standing in front of the door to the inner courtyard and the music stops and a voice I’ve never heard but longed for shakes me to my core. “Jieun, come and sit with me. I’ve called for you, my daughter.”I slid the door open and there she was. I’ve had similar dreams all my life, but this feels so real. I sat at her feet as I have so many times but, her eyes were looking me up and down like she had never seen me before.“I see my daughter has grown into a gre
Chapter 18: Keeping it Chill James “Umma, Umma.” Before I can even open my eyes, Rafe has us up on our feet in a defensive stance. I’m facing the door; I can hear my heartbeat in my head. What’s going on? Why is Jieun yelling? Who’s here? “What is it? Are you Ok? What happened?” I hear her take a deep breath with a huff, “What are you doing?” “Ummm… You were yelling Oh My. I thought someone was coming into the room.” My adrenaline is still pumping, and I’m frozen in place. “No. Why you in my room?” I drop my hands. That kinda hurts. She’s my mate and doesn’t want me in the same room. “Remember what Gideon said. We have to help her grow new roots. Don’t be hurt just be calm.” Rafe being the ever-wise wolf always keeps me level. I take a second and put my words together carefully. “I didn’t think it would be safe to leave you in a room alone with all that’s going on.” I turn to face her. When I do I take a step back. “Whoa, never seen that before?” “What?” Jieun tilts her head,
Chapter 1: Kiss of Death An Jieun “Ugh. Another one is coming.” I smelled the distinct scent of a dirty dog approaching my cabin. “Maybe we can convince them to leave this time?” Kwan, my wolf, was too optimistic. These pests kept coming. I roll my eyes and don’t answer her. Honestly, it was annoying to share a being with her most days. I sat down at the table to drink the tea I had just prepared and waited for the door to open. It wasn’t this bad before, but now that I’m 18, some of the unmated males of the pack come to find out if I’m their mate. Of course, I’m not. Why would the goddess give a half-breed like me a fated mate? I have a wolf, but unlike my father, I do not have a human side; my over half is Gumiho, a nine-tailed fox god. Well, depending on who you ask, they might say that a Gumiho is a demoness, not a goddess. “An Jieun, I think you are my mate. I’m coming in.” My door opens, and a giant male steps over the threshold. I click my tongue when I see he doesn’t tak
Chapter 2: Hot SpringsJames“Thud” I toss my suitcase next to the bed.“Plop” I fall face-first onto the bed. Rylie does the same thing.“That was the longest flight of my life, and I really can’t sleep on a plane,” Rylie whined, but I could agree with him more.“I know we are way too big to try and sleep in those tiny seats. Why did we get stuck in coach, but all the Alphas were up in first class?” As I Complained, I stretched out my knees and back.“Don’t get wrong, I love our nieces, but they would not sleep! Even Rose was bouncing around singing a weird song about a fox.” Rylie sat up on his elbows. We got roped into babysitting the Flowers, as we call them, so Am and Gid could take of the Trees or the other set of twins.“I feel too big for everything. Like I’m going to break something or hit my head on the door frame.” I get up to check out the bathroom. The showerhead is really low. As I turned around, I forgot to duck. “Son of a! Damn it.”Rylie let out a sigh, “Why do I feel
Chapter 3: Escape JieunDid my father honestly think this little bit of metal and plastic would keep me from leaving? This was finally my chance to run away. My house is outfitted with a security system. Every window and door has a sensor. This security system was never meant to keep me safe. It was in place to keep me a prisoner. Every time I had tried to run away previously, my father was right there to drag me back.He knew as soon as someone other than he or my brother showed up with my meal that, I would know he was out of pack territory. That’s why he put this stupid tracker on me, but I have a plan. It’s risky, but what escape plan isn’t.I look out the window and find the position of the sun. “It’s almost time.”“Don’t kill them this time. If you do, we will be caught; the Luna will feel it.” Kwan was being surprisingly supportive of my plan.“Why are you cooperating?” Usually, her loyalty sways toward the pack. I planned to leave this hell hole, and she wa
Chapter 4: A New FriendJames AshwoodUgh, my face hurts from this fake ass smile I have plastered on it. These types of gatherings are the worst. If I have one more Alpha squeeze my hand as hard as they can while shaking it, I’m going to punch them in the face. Then after they have tried to break my hand, they throw their kids at Rylie and me.The males all try and befriend you in the oddest or most offensive ways. Like yeah, I get it. You’re an Alpha heir so am I. No, I don’t want to watch you degrade your pack and yourself. Dad always says an Alpha’s duty is to serve the pack; the pack doesn’t serve the Alpha. I guess not everyone is taught that. They’re not all like that, but enough of them that it makes me tense up as soon as they open their mouths. The cringe waiting to vomit out is exhausting. Rylie and I are used to weeding out the freaks and finding a few guys that we don’t mind being around. Currently, the only one we like is this heir Han Yang-rae. He speaks pretty good En
Chapter 5: This is My House Jieun The air is cooling as the moon rises higher in the ever-darkening sky. I feel Kwan surge with power as the moon rises higher. This feeling of freedom is addictive; the adrenaline rush as I get farther and farther away from my prison brings me true happiness for the first time in my life. I go deeper into the forest. I feel its energy all around me. This is my home. The home I have always known was waiting for me. I need the forest. I don’t need a pack or a family; what good have they ever done me? None. I will live on as my mother did before my father dragged her away. Kwan is zigzagging up the mountain. I feel something tugging my attention. Kwan feels it, too. She stops. “I feel it too. Be on guard.” I warn. Kwan doesn’t say a word, but she gets down as low as she can and slowly goes in the direction of the pull. Her fur is on end, and we are both ready to strike. She takes in a deep breath of air. “The sent of rain is strong.” “I spell some ty
Chapter 6: The Loudest SoundJamesI don’t know where I’m going, but I feel like I have to be somewhere. Rafe is surging forward, and I am not attempting to stop him. He’s reserved for an Alpha wolf spirit, the strong silent type. Most Alpha wolf spirits are rough, quick-tempered, possessive, and, let’s be real, violent. Rafe is claim and took in his surroundings and made calculated calls. We work in perfect harmony. I knew if he was pushing, it was important, whatever it was.As we are running, I keep picking up faint traces of spices. I recognize the spices from my sister Amelie’s baking. One of them is clove; she makes an awesome cinnamon and clove apple pie. I think the other one is cardamon. It stands out because she makes this chi spice coffee cake and the cardamon always smells so good. The two scents together are making me hungry. I don’t know if it’s the smell of the forest; for some reason, the scent makes me happy. There’re other scents mixed in something sickly sweet-smell