Finch glanced around quickly. Fortunately, no other beastmen were nearby—no one else seemed to have heard.
He looked away, unsure how to answer.
Now that the Spirit Pearl's energy had been exposed, any excuse would be useless.
Seeing his reaction, Taru immediately understood.
So the brat had been lying all along.
The Spirit Pearl hadn't been destroyed at all.
Taru moved instinctively toward the source of the light—but Finch stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Father, don't go."
Taru's anger flared. "Why are you stopping me?"
"I…" Finch hesitated, unable to speak the truth.
Taru's gaze sharpened, realization dawning. "The Spirit Pearl… is it with Nina?"
There was no one else his son would protect so fiercely.
Finch's eyes flickered—but he said nothing.
Taru let out a slow breath. "The Spirit Pearl is a sacred artifact of our fox clan. I must retrieve it. Nina is a reasonable female—I believe she would return it willingly."
