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.

If the biggest issue we ever have to face publicly is just crimes your father forced you to do, then I think we’ll be fine.”*’ 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

you know? Let alone keep this from me? Why bring me here at all?”

pack, one stronger than even Ashwood by a considerable margin. Of which, there was only one other in modern history. But… I thought you didn’t

kept it from me, knowing

inside,

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

you, Kieran!” Allison chimed in. “She’s a descendant of the Siren. Manipulation is

even shift before I brought her here. She didn’t even know what werewolves were. She was an orphan of war, somehow surviving long

tracks, believing her fabrications,” she said. “Now I’m starting to wonder if Sterling’s death was really as justified as you claimed. She probably had you kill him as well. Swaying your

what I’m trying to tell you. Raven isn’t a devil like we were

quietly, my voice

me. I killed

“Rae!”

right,” 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 the same meaning still applies. I don’t belong here. I never did. There

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

I was done.

confession, tears starting to fall down

literally admitting that she’s

assaulted her,” he 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 to abandon Ashwood,

I interjected before she

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 I was allowed to come here of my own volition? With a man

“What…?”

finally, Kieran looked surprised.

possession of a smuggler I’d killed, believed to be handed over to Victor Lycroft. Documents that I then discovered Sterling knew the whereabouts of. After he attacked me, I turned the tables on him and tortured him into admission. This shouldn’t be a shock. I already told you that I’m not who I seem. I’m…

“Rae-.”

a

making me want to take it all back. But even if it hurt, these were the facts.

here with me, I know it. I saw it in your face every day we were together. I promised to protect you, and I still intend to

making

surfaced all at once, a cumulation of both the revelations today and the confliction from

FIX ME,

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

always be such a kind and genuinely good person, believing the best still exists inside me,’ I

there. It never will be.’

made him uncomfortable, unsure probably if I were about to perform some other devil magic. Whatever the hell that even

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

now was…

to safely utilise a window escape. I was trapped unless I

her to

decide

looked… pissed. Probably

I swear to

A child of the monsters who killed your mother? Our other

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.

was right. This went

quickly for me to think about it before but… but if it weren’t for Ashwood, perhaps I