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.

I was reminded of the fact that my absence had been long. Perhaps too long for an impatient man such

quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to get through the day without breaking down. To keep moving

couldn’t think about Kieran anymore. He didn’t exist as

was only me vs…

soon intending to hunt me down. Because if a war could span over fifty years because of

look of hatred on Allison’s face still haunted me every time I

you are…,” I said to myself in the

within the floorboard, promising to give me the very thing that had

my life in ignorance until death came for me. That sounds better than this…

Just… a girl doing her job. And I pushed back the feelings threatening to break

clearly not investing enough in security, but soon enough I caught my first

father had

I could see why.

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

Enough to risk it all to get back… even if

one thing. Something that wasn’t quite like everything else. It looked almost like a journal entry in

pertained to

of that fact every day by my fortune; with my business and my Raven.

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

knew of. Not the cold-hearted,

Not Eric Reid.

the folder of documents closed, no longer wanting to read anymore.

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

about that, if only for unexpected reasons. The new information merely added more

And I sighed.

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 had led

a mistake.

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

was as I threw them down that the juxtaposition of my life really came into focus.

fell next to the book I’d stolen

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

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

stared at the two choices as they laid side by side.

or a book with a title topic I

cover read. ‘A history of The Winter

Silver Lake’.

could only imagine the bias I would find inside upon reading. Though some information was better than nothing. Better than… being

really going to chase down another search

Kieran for the millionth time. It felt as though

My other half.

My… mate.

I

No.

going down

Rae or Rheyna… I was Raven.

it was time for me to

what I did.

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 longest time being away and it felt almost… safe being back here. An odd feeling considering

A needed one.

shone brightly through, emanating from down the hallway. I knew what it meant.

was

he somehow discovered what I’d been up to in my absence?