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.

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

through the motions. I wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to

anymore. He didn’t exist

it was only

probably soon intending to hunt me down. Because if

still haunted me every

myself in the confines of

promising to give me the very thing that had started all of this. What my father had been desperate to get his hands

was ruined because of you. Perhaps if you’d never existed, I could have lived my life in ignorance until death came for me. That sounds better than this… than now living with this pain.”

Just… a

only took a couple of minutes to crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough in security, but

documents my father

could see

a smuggler, but at some point he must have switched sides. Probably working for someone who had it in their best interest to see my father finally go to jail. Some of the information in here

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

quite like everything else. It looked almost

to an associate or partner in

I am reminded of that fact every day by my

in business and in personal life. Never even so much as bringing a casual one-night stand over to

he wrote here… it was nothing like the man I knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business focused father who I’d lived with for

Not Eric Reid.

documents closed, no

a thing would get me in trouble. But I’d figured since I’d

if only for unexpected reasons. The new information

And I sighed.

truths I discovered. Truths that would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after Kieran had led me to the state I

broken… evil… a mistake. Undeserving.

on the passenger seat. My father could have them back and secure his business, just as he wanted.

was as I threw them down that the juxtaposition of

next to the book I’d stolen

of curiosity at the time but

of opportunity for me to take,

at the two choices as they laid side

title topic I was slowly starting to

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

Silver Lake’.

family’s history. Or… as was told by Ashwood, at least. I could only imagine the bias I would find inside upon reading. Though some

to chase down another search into who I

about it some more, my heart ached for Kieran for the millionth time. It felt as though I’d had a part of myself torn away when

My other half.

My… mate.

I lo-.

No.

going down this

wasn’t Rae or Rheyna… I was

time for me to go

what I did.

of driving before I finally got back to Lockdale City. The familiar scent of my home greeted me as I entered the house, the place quiet now within the late hour of the night. This was my

A needed one.

of the staircase, a light shone brightly through, emanating from down the

father was

felt nervous confronting him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow discovered what I’d been up to in