Blood Plus

True Identity

"How many times do I have to tell you that you are not allowed to leave this house without my permission?"

Georgia froze the moment she heard Cross' voice speaking behind her. She believed she would have an opportunity to leave the mansion, but as is customary, she was unsuccessful once more.

She struggled to comprehend why Cross would always appear just as she was about to flee. He often knows what she is planning to do before she ever says it, which sometimes gives her the impression that he can read her thoughts.

"Go back to your room immediately. It's better to do your lessons than waste time trying to escape since, despite your best efforts, you will remain inside the mansion until I say so." At the bottom of the steps, Cross was standing and staring at Georgia. He was unable to conceal the disdain on his face.

"Aren't you tired of the kind of life we have?" Georgia asked. Her hands tightened, repressing her rage.

"How long are you going to imprison me in this place? Sometimes I wonder why all of the people that may adopt me, why must it be you?!" Georgia closed her eyes tightly at the whole burst of emotions she had been holding in for such a long time.

Georgia believed now that she has a new family, everything would be okay. However, she made a serious error because what she thought would be a happy home turned out to be an iron bar that will forever surround her.

Was her desire to have a family on her wrong? She wanted nothing more than to be happy, so why is fate still keeping a grudge against her? Is fate's rage truly so intense for him to treat her in this manner?

"I hate you! I wish you weren't my dad!"

As soon as Cross heard what Georgia had told him, he abruptly halted. Every word she uttered seemed to shatter like a piece of glass. He didn't anticipate what he just heard. He remained silent and appeared to be a statue from where he was standing.

Georgia tightened her hold on her hands even harder. She turned around and stepped on her feet, her head down. She wanted to cry but was compelled to hide it from Cross at the time.

"Don't tell me you and your daughter had a fight again," Alice and Cross were currently in the study room, which was at the opposite end of the mansion.

"Haven't I told you several times that it won't be good for Georgia if you keep on stopping her from doing the things she wanted to do? Your daughter is now a grown-up. She's not the same Georgia who would cry and run toward you," Alice explained.

Cross let out a deep breath and set the file he had been working on the table. He got up and walked over to the shelf. It was an antique piece of furniture in the mansion that he had received as a token from a close friend of his grandfather, and on it were many different types of wine that he had imported from all over the world.

"You know why I'm doing all this, don't you?" Cross asked and grabbed the Sauvignon Blanc bottle.

"I know, but by doing that, she might drift away from you. Aren't you afraid that one day when you wake up, she won't be by your side anymore? Don't let fear and dread swallow you up. I just want to remind you of the reason why up until now you're staying with her," Alice stated.

"I know how much you love Georgia and she feels the same way too, but I hope you don't forget that as a human being she also has the right to choose the things that make her happy. Don't do anything that you will regret when the time comes," Alice added.

Cross's face changed to one of sadness. It was only then that he realized what he had previously promised Georgia. Without Alice, she could have completely forgotten about it due to her intense fear for Georgia's safety.

"You're right, Alice. It's a good thing you're always here by my side. If it wasn't for you, I could have entirely forgotten everything." Cross looked in Alice's direction and smiled.

"I'm so grateful to have you, Alice."

Georgia locked herself in her room the entire day. She has no plans to leave her room because she is still upset about what had happened between her and Cross.

Georgia instinctively grabbed her knees and buried her face between them when Georgia felt tears beginning to form in every corner of her eyes.

After some time, tears started to fall. Georgia would have chosen to stay with Aiden if she had known that this would all happen. She wishes all of this weren't happening to her. She wished they were still together, but she developed a greedy attitude since she was only concerned with her happiness, which she later came to regret.

"Don't you have any intentions to talk to your dad?" Alice asked. Georgia and Cross haven't spoken to one another in more than a week.

"Whether you believe it or not, thus nothing is more important to your father than your protection," Alice explained.

Georgia made a small bow. She is not used to this system. She could see his father's perspective, but she was unable to comprehend why he was so concerned about her security. She thought someone was trying to kill her. She has a lot of questions, but she is unsure of how and where to look for the solutions.

"I'm sorry for how I handled things with dad. Don't worry; I'll talk to him and make amends," Georgia said. Although she is aware that it won't be simple, she will apologize because she adores her father so much.

"Dad, are you still awake? Can we talk?" Georgia repeatedly called in front of the door but Cross didn't respond.

Georgia was about to take a step when she noticed that the door was slightly open. Something compelled her to open it. She then discovered herself in Cross's bedroom. It was orderly and neat. Additionally, she could smell the perfume he used circulating the entire space.

Georgia hadn't been in Cross's room in a while, and up until that point, nothing had changed.

She smiled inwardly when she noticed the photo of Cross carrying her. She was just ten years old in the photo if memory served. She approached the shelf where it was stored and when she arrived, she stretched out to gently touch the photo.

Georgia's fingertips reached Cross' face, then abruptly halted. It has been eight years, but why did she only now realize that nothing about his physical appearance had changed up until this point? His hip-length pitch-black hair was still shiny, his eyes were still as bright as the sea, and his skin was still radiant. She didn't notice any signs of aging; rather, he appears to be getting younger with each passing day.

How does he maintain his youthful appearance? Could it be the lotion he applied? Or perhaps he's taking medication? Another possibility is that he had surgery because he was wealthy enough to pay for it.

Georgia carefully put the photo back on the shelf, but she couldn't take her eyes off Cross when she abruptly heard a slammed at the opposite end of the room.

She hadn't noticed that door before. She couldn't figure out why, and when her eyes landed on it, she started to feel uneasy. It appeared as though a powerful force was drawing his legs in that direction.

Georgia suddenly found herself in front of the door a little while later. She swallowed and turned the doorknob slowly. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before entering the space. Her eyes widened as she saw the two women's naked bodies touching Cross'. A short while later, Cross abruptly changed into a black-pitch wolf.

Georgia stepped back. Her eyes grew even wider as her legs trembled.

"D-dad—" Georgia was going to step on her feet once more and bolt from the room when Cross unexpectedly materialized in front of her. Her vision abruptly became black and she lost consciousness.

"Since now that Georgia knows your secret, it could be appropriate for her to learn about her true identity as well so that you can get her ready."

It's been more than two hours since Georgia lost consciousness, but during that time, she hasn't awakened.

Cross swallowed the wine down quickly, "I have no plans to tell her the entire truth, everything will stay a secret as long as I live." To be quite honest, he was terrified when he observed Georgia's response after being aware of his genuine identity in front of her.

Cross has no plans to keep his true identity from Georgia for the rest of his life but he didn't anticipate it would happen this soon. This is not the right time for Georgia to learn the whole truth. Additionally, he didn't want to come to the point where she would be afraid of him, especially when she discovered the secret buried in her true identity.

Cross, however, realized that he had to decide between the truth and his relationship with Georgia in light of what had happened earlier. Though he was aware that it wouldn't be simple, he had no other ideas on how to get out of the current predicament.

After taking a breath, Alice turned her back on Cross.

"You won't be able to keep the whole truth from her forever. Georgia will eventually look for true identity and when that time comes, I hope that Georgia's love and respect for you as her father will still exist," Alice said.

"I hope you won't regret your choice, Cross. Georgia loves you very much, but that love can turn into hatred," Alice added in despair and left.

Cross poured the wine once more and took a quick gulp.

"Damn it!" Cross yanked at his hair. The overwhelming fear that had been dwelling in his chest for a long time was preventing him from telling Georgia the whole truth.

If only he could simply bury everything in obscurity, Georgia wouldn't have to go through all of these, but what can he do in this kind of circumstance? Even the seal that was impeding the activation of his power is beyond his ability to break. It will be tough for him to defend Georgia if this situation persists.

Cross went back to Georgia's room to see how she is doing. He had a little bit of a headache from drinking too much alcohol. He hadn't tasted it in a very long time.

Georgia was still unresponsive. Cross approached, sat down next to her, and fixed his gaze on her sweet face.

Georgia first arrived at the mansion eight years ago. The girl he was watching over has grown into a young and lovely woman in no time. He only realized everything Alice had told him at that point. It might be time for him to let Georgia make her own decisions regarding what makes her happy.

Cross didn't want Georgia to come to the point where she would always despise him. He is willing to give her freedom if it is the only thing that will bring her happiness, even though he is aware that it poses a serious risk to her life.

"Why didn't you tell me about dad? What kind of creature is he?" Georgia asked Alice one after another. She just woke up.

Georgia is unconscious for more than three hours so Cross calls their family doctor to check on her. Dr. Philips Grey claims that Georgia is in good health, so Cross doesn't need to worry.

"It would be best if you asked your father himself about that topic. For now, eat first since you must be extremely hungry. Here, I prepared you your favorite soup," Alice said, placing the tray with a bowl of chicken soup on the side table.

"Don't worry because he will never hurt you," Alice reassured Georgia when she noticed the fear in her eyes. She couldn't blame her because she had experienced the same emotions twenty years prior when she had learned the truth about Cross.