A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two-Ch.# 37

“NO!” Kieran roared.

And right as the dagger pierced the surface of my shoulder, Daniel was promptly pushed off me.

“I said *don’t touch her*,” he growled.

The weight of his words fell over everyone in the room, and once again I experienced the tangible sway of his order.

“Kieran,” Daniel huffed out, unable to get back up to his feet. “She-.”

“No, enough! You’re hereby forbidden from moving until further notice,” Kieran said. ” That goes for you too Allison. Sit down. Now. And I don’t want to hear another word from either of you.”

Allison gritted her teeth but did as she was told.

“What… What is that?” I asked. “What did you do to them?”

Kieran looked defeated as he straightened back up, unable to meet my eyes. He simply stared at two people he held dear as they were trapped on the floor.

“An Alpha heir order,” he said. “It’ll only hold them long enough until a full ranked member arrives though.”

“Kieran-.”

“Leave… Rae,” he said quietly. “I can’t do anything else for you now.”

The pain in his voice was clear, an echo in it that stung me. I didn’t want to upset him further, and so, with one hand covering the shallow new wound to my shoulder, I hobbled back to my feet to grab the book and dagger.

“There’s a cupboard to your left which has an emergency hidden staircase inside it. Use that and follow it all the way down. It’ll take you to the car park outside safely without being seen.”

Just as he’d said, upon inspecting the cupboard, there was indeed a staircase inside. But as I stared into the dark passage ahead, I hesitated once more.

…This was the last time I might see him. Did I really want to leave things like this? With lies intended to push him away and a head full of questions?

“Kieran… I…,” I said, my voice trailing off.

So many things I wanted to say, to explain, to ask about. All of which would take too long to get through. And so, in the end, I settled for one thing.

Just one line.

“…I’m sorry,” I whispered.

And I slipped through the doorway without another word, beginning the descent down.

“This isn’t over, Rae,” he called out behind me. “I’ll find you. I promise.”

But I just wiped at the stray tear that had escaped my eye and kept walking.

There were a lot of promises that were made lately. Too many.

“Do yourself a favour for both our sakes, Kieran,” I said quietly. “…Forget about me. My survival might just rely on that very thing.”

I knew what awaited me now. The only remaining path left.

A path that would lead me to the one place I ever truly belonged.

Back into the shadow of my father.

But first… first I had a job to do.

got into the car and drove like hell out of Ashwood, I was reminded of the fact that my absence had been long. Perhaps too long for an impatient man such as my father. I knew

wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to get through

about Kieran anymore. He didn’t exist as

it was only

to hide my presence, an entire species probably soon intending to hunt me down. Because if a war could span over fifty years because

face still haunted me every time I blinked.

said to myself in the confines of a dark

up at me from within the floorboard, promising to give me the very thing that had started all of this. What my father had been desperate to get his hands

ruined because of you. Perhaps if you’d never existed, I could have lived my life in ignorance until death came for

There was no pain because I was fine. Completely fine. Just… a girl doing her

crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough

documents my father

could

he must have switched sides. Probably working for someone who

risk it all to get back… even if it meant losing his

did catch one thing. Something that wasn’t quite like everything else.

pencil notes around it, wondering if the passage pertained to an associate or partner in crime but… but I wasn’t

I am reminded of that fact every day by my fortune; with my business and my Raven. It is through her continuous instruction that I have loyally served and been rewarded for my efforts.’

my father had always been alone; both in business and in personal life. Never even

like the man I knew of. Not

Not Eric Reid.

snapped the folder of documents closed, no longer wanting

in trouble. But I’d

it seemed I’d been wrong about that, if only for unexpected reasons. The new information merely added

And I sighed.

the more I looked into the reality of my world, the more dark truths I discovered. Truths that would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after Kieran

a mistake. Undeserving.

my teeth and got back into the car, throwing the documents on the passenger seat. My father could have them back and secure his business, just as

them down that the juxtaposition of my life really came

next to the book I’d stolen

Ashwood Archives. One I’d picked up out of curiosity at the time but then somehow hung onto during the chaos.

opened a new path of opportunity for me to take, one that

choices as they laid side by

book with a title topic

Mist’ the front cover read. ‘A history of The

Silver Lake’.

I could only imagine the bias I would find inside upon reading. Though some information was better

down

it some more, my heart ached for Kieran for the millionth time. It felt as though

My other half.

My… mate.

person I

No.

down

or Rheyna…

time for me to go home.

exactly what I did.

greeted me as I entered the house, the place quiet now within the late hour

A needed one.

a light shone brightly through, emanating from down the

father was

felt nervous confronting him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow discovered