Alpha | jjk

24 - Lying To Ourselves

Areum's POV

"Go to your room, I have to talk to the boys in private." Jimin patted my head like the older brother he was before gently pushing me up the stairs.

I watched him join his family, his pack, with a broken look plastered on his usually smiling face. I wanted to hug him, and tell him that everything was going to be okay, but who was I kidding?

We both knew that we would be lying to ourselves.

Deciding to not eavesdrop and respect their conversation, I dragged my exhausted body towards my room and flicked the switch on. I was about to scream when the intruder muffled my mouth, and hushed me by placing a finger on her lips. Nodding my head, I removed her hands from my mouth and stared at her in shock.

"What are you doing here? They can smell you, Yejin!" I whisper-yelled at my friend who went to sit on the edge of my bed.

"Your scent is strong enough to cover mine." Yejin simply answered.

I glanced at her in disbelief. "So you knew."

"I know everything, Areum." She grinned before frowning. "And you must the only one who doesn't know what's happening."

"What do you mean?" I asked her warily.

"Jimin is telling the truth about my identity to the boys downstairs. Don't you want to hear their conversation? About who I truly am?"

"Who are you then?"

Yejin chuckled lightly. "I'm not a werewolf, and I'm not a rogue who's betraying their own kind. I'm a normal human who simply hopes for the best for her lover."

"Jimin." I muttered and she nodded.

"I mean no harm, Areum. All I want is for Jimin to be safe. I know the rogues are coming for you, planning to kill you just for a stupid wish. Jimin's life will be exposed to danger if he hangs around you."

I gulped, understanding her perspective.

"Stupid me even told him to run away with me, but guess what? He rejected my proposal and insisted to stay with you all." Her words sounded so sad, and for a moment, I empathized with her.

"Why can't you join our pack then? Won't everything be solved?"

The girl with shoulders length hair shook her head. "Like Jimin, I have to stay with my family. My brother's a werewolf who went rogue, Areum. He's recruiting more lone wolves to be on his side, and I can't leave him alone."

"But if your brother is a werewolf, how are you not one?" I questioned, sincerely confused.

"He picked me up on the streets when I was barely a toddler. He then took me in, and raised me like a sister, pampering me with whatever I needed and wanted. I sneaked up on him a few months ago, wanting to give him a birthday surprise, only to hear his plans to overthrow the elite group of werewolves, starting from your clan."

Yejin started to sob while cracking a sad smile at me, tugging my heart. Moving to sit down next to her, I rubbed her back and let her cry on my shoulders.

"You poor thing." I sighed as she continued to damp my hoodie with her warm tears, her hands clutching onto my shirt.

Then, without any notice, I felt something sharp pierce through my abdomen from my back, awakening the pain sensors in my body. I glanced down to see a pool of fresh red blood starting to stain my gray hoodie, and looked up to stare at my friend, or should I say, ex-friend, observing what she had committed.

"I'm so sorry, Areum. But remember, what I told you are all real." I watched tears trickle down her cheeks as she took one last glance at me, before jumping off the window and landing with a thud.