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.

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 it would

through the motions. I wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to get through the day without breaking down. To keep moving without remembering

I couldn’t think about Kieran anymore. He

it was only me

my presence, an entire species probably soon intending to hunt me down. Because if a war could span over fifty years because of one pack, then I was sure that they

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

to myself in the confines of a

safe stared 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 on all this

lived my life in ignorance until death came for me.

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

investing enough in security, but soon enough I caught my first glimpse of the coveted contents.

documents my father had been

I could see why.

some point he must have switched sides. Probably working for someone who

everything. Enough to risk it all to get back… even if it meant losing his daughter. All to save the business.

quite like everything

wondering if the passage pertained to an associate or partner in

have, I owe to her, and I am reminded of that fact every day by

father had always been alone; both in business and in personal life. Never even so much as bringing a casual one-night stand

way 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 years.

Not Eric Reid.

documents closed,

looking through it to begin with, such a thing would get me in trouble. But I’d figured since I’d already broken every rule, that adding

I’d been wrong about that, if only for unexpected reasons. The new information merely added more questions to my

And I sighed.

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

evil… a

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 he wanted. It was a testament to my loyalty, if nothing

as I threw them down that the juxtaposition of

it fell next to the book I’d

curiosity at the time but then somehow hung onto during the

opportunity for me to take, one

stared at the two choices as

documents… or a book with a title topic I

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

Silver Lake’.

I

was I really going to chase down another search into who I was?

as though I’d had a

My other half.

My… mate.

I

No.

going down this path. Not again.

or Rheyna… I was

for me to go home.

is exactly what

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

A needed one.

the staircase, a light shone brightly through, emanating from down the hallway. I knew what it

was awake.

angry? Had he somehow discovered