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.

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 it would be punishable to

had happened, simply just trying to get through the day without breaking

Kieran anymore. He didn’t exist as

only me vs…

intending to hunt me down. Because if

look of hatred on Allison’s face still haunted me

to myself in

the very thing that had started all of this. What

lived my life in ignorance until death came for me. That sounds better

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

minutes to crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough in security, but soon enough

documents my father had been after.

I could see why.

business transactions, photos and other pieces of evidence that would be enough to crumble my father’s business to dust. Yes… Miles was 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

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

papers back together, I did catch one thing. Something that wasn’t quite like everything else. It looked almost like a journal entry in my father’s handwriting,

passage pertained to an associate or partner

of that fact

could remember, my father had always been alone; both in business and in personal life. Never even so much as bringing a casual one-night stand over to the house, let alone ever speaking about a woman with such adoration; not like in the way he did in this

I knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business focused father

Not Eric Reid.

the folder of documents closed, no longer

trouble. But

if only for unexpected reasons. The new information merely added more questions to my already confused head.

And I sighed.

more dark truths I discovered. Truths that would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just

a

My father could have them back and secure his business, just as he wanted. It was a testament

them down that the juxtaposition of my life really

next to the

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

path of opportunity for me to take, one that could possibly

at the two choices as

with a title topic I was slowly starting

Silver Mist’ the front cover

Silver Lake’.

book of my birth family’s history. Or… as was told by Ashwood, at least. I could only imagine the bias I

to chase down another search into who I was?

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.

person I lo-.

No.

wasn’t going down this path.

Rae or Rheyna… I

for

exactly what

of my home greeted me as I entered the house, the place quiet now within the late hour of the night. This was my longest time being away and it felt almost… safe being back here. An odd

A needed one.

brightly through, emanating from

father was awake.

him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow