A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two – Ch.# 36

“Rae… What’s happened?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but the words wouldn’t come out. My body was running on pure adrenaline for survival now and I was doing my best to push through the overwhelming urge to cave into my emotions.

“I… I’m…,” I fumbled.

My eyes were trying to water but I gritted my teeth against it.

I didn’t want to fight Kieran… I didn’t know if I could live myself if I were to see the look of hatred in his eyes. Anything but that.

“Rae?”

“I… Kieran, someth-.”

But before I could finish speaking, I was suddenly cut off.

“RAVEN!” Allison’s voice shrilly screamed.

And I cursed. She was here. Probably at the staircase looking for me.

This was game over.

Kieran frowned but turned around to investigate, walking towards my only available exit. One now manned by his insane little sister.

“Kieran! W-wait… don’t….”

However, as I futilely trailed behind him, I was further stressed by seeing that Allison had recruited help. Help in the form of Daniel, the Beta heir.

“Hand yourself over, Raven,” Daniel said, stepping cautiously forward. “Let’s not drag this out any longer than we have to.”

“What the hell is going on?” Kieran demanded.

“I’m sorry, man, but she’s been lying to you,” he said. “Allison said that she admitted to being one of them. Called herself by a name that belonged to The Council of the Silver Mist. She’s a Knight. Rheyna Knight.”

But as Daniel enlightened him to the situation, it was Kieran’s reaction that was the most unsettling.

Or, lack of, to be precise.

Because there was no shock or surprise that crossed his features at all. Just… remaining completely silent as he held Daniel’s gaze.

Almost as if…

Almost as if he knew.

“…Kieran?” I whispered. “Why aren’t you….”

And his face then confirmed it, closing his eyes in guilt for a moment.

Everything made sense now. Why he kept our training sessions private, why I was never allowed to talk about my health problems publicly, why he’d said those words to me last night. They’d struck me as odd, but I’d had more important things to worry about at the time. But his phrasing had been weird.

That was what he had said. ‘Biggest issue’ being my past. Because he knew that my birth family would cause a reaction like this, far greater than any other

know? Let alone keep this from me? Why bring

silver suppressors,” he said. “You kept up with me during a fight whilst taking them, Rae. It meant you had to be from a powerful pack, one stronger than even Ashwood by a

and kept it from me, knowing full well that this might happen one day. That it

inside,

both been keeping things from each other. Secrets that had dire consequences. Perhaps our relationship really

in. “She’s a descendant of the Siren. Manipulation is in her blood.”

She didn’t even know what werewolves were. She was an orphan of war, somehow surviving long enough

Sterling’s death was really

trying to tell you. Raven isn’t a devil like we were always told. She’s just

Sterling,” I said quietly, my voice cutting through

it was me. I

“Rae!”

I said. “Whether it’s because I’m a so-called ‘Devil’ or due to my past crimes, I’m no innocent, Kieran. Pick a title; Rogue or Devil. Because

and was feeling… exhausted. Exhausted of pretending to be someone I wasn’t… and exhausted of now defending

I was done.

confession, tears starting to fall

her, Kieran! She is literally admitting that she’s evil. She-.”

interrupted. Stalked her to her room and tried to force his mark on her. If she hadn’t of killed him, I would have. He overstepped a line and was trying

before she could

but if you check the coroner report, you’ll find that his finger joints were repeatedly broken prior to his death,” I added. “I tortured him before I finished the job. Because that’s what he was. What you were too. A job, Kieran. You really think

“What…?”

Kieran looked

I’d killed, believed to be handed over to Victor Lycroft. Documents that I then

“Rae-.”

a

jaw tensed as he looked at me, making me want to take it all back. But even if it

not true,” he said. “You wanted to stay here with me, I know it. I saw it in your face every day we were together.

complete denial at letting me push him away was only making this harder. Too hard to deal with… and I suddenly

at once, a cumulation of both the revelations

CAN’T FIX ME,

birth family nor change my past. This isn’t something you can mend like my

a kind and genuinely good person, believing the best still exists

It

my voice in anger. It must have made him uncomfortable, unsure probably

a fight, and I sighed. I was letting my emotions seep in again, something that

now

a window escape. I was trapped unless I intended to fight my way out. Something

her to

decide what to do

pissed. Probably rightfully so

her and I swear to the Goddess, Daniel…,” Kieran

defend her? A child of the monsters who killed your mother? Our

about Rae’s mother? Huh? Her father? Siblings?” he argued. “Because her entire family is dead because of us. Did you think about

…I hadn’t.

right. This

but if it weren’t for Ashwood, perhaps I would