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.

said those words to me last night. They’d struck me

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 any other uproar I could possibly

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

to be from a powerful 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 remember anything about your birth family. I thought I could protect you.”

stung me unlike anything I’d felt before. He’d known this entire

one day. That it was

felt myself sink deeper inside, the last shred of

that had dire consequences. Perhaps

in. “She’s a descendant of the Siren. Manipulation

know what werewolves were. She was an orphan of war, somehow surviving long enough to still be tortured by our pack despite her situation. Sterling was selling silver suppressors, Allison. Illegally.”

starting to wonder if Sterling’s death was really

tell you. Raven isn’t a devil

Sterling,” I said quietly, my voice cutting through

me.

“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 the same meaning still applies. I don’t belong

and exhausted of now defending myself against something I couldn’t change. My

I was done.

confession, tears starting

literally admitting that

him, I would have. He overstepped a line and was trying to abandon Ashwood, breaking our rules in the process. He was a

interjected before

“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

“What…?”

Kieran looked

I said, swallowing back my emotions. “You always were, even from the very beginning when we first met. I was sent to retrieve documents once in possession of a smuggler I’d killed, believed to be handed over to Victor Lycroft. Documents that I then discovered Sterling knew

“Rae-.”

at me, making me want

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 do that. You’re still

him away was only making this harder. Too hard

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

ME, KIERAN,” I snapped.

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

person, believing the best still exists inside me,’ I added in my head. ‘

It

him uncomfortable, unsure probably if I were about to perform

I was letting my emotions seep in again, something that was a snowball that would probably end badly. Right now, me leaving as soon as possible was the

now was…

floors up for me to safely utilise a window escape.

to take her to

said. “Let him decide what to do with

that. He looked… pissed. Probably

I swear to the Goddess, Daniel…,”

want to defend her? A child of the monsters who killed your

Huh? Her father? Siblings?” he argued. “Because her entire family is dead because

…I hadn’t.

This