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

quite ready to acknowledge everything that had happened, simply just trying to get through

Kieran anymore. He didn’t exist as

it was only me

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

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

in the confines of a dark office.

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

if you’d never existed, I could have lived my life in ignorance until

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

to crack into the lock, Miles clearly not investing enough in security, but soon enough I caught my first glimpse of the

documents my father had

I could see

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 of

Enough to risk it all to get back… even if

Something that wasn’t quite like everything else. It looked almost like a

to an associate or partner in crime but… but I

that fact every day

in personal life.

nothing like the man I knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business focused father who I’d lived

Not Eric Reid.

folder of documents

such a thing would get me in trouble. But I’d figured since I’d already broken every rule, that adding ‘snooping’ to the list wasn’t

been wrong about that, if only for unexpected reasons. The new

And I sighed.

only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after Kieran had led me to the

broken… evil… a

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

it was as I threw them down that the juxtaposition

next to

I’d picked up out of curiosity at the time

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

two choices as

or a book with a title topic I was slowly starting

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

Silver Lake’.

my birth 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 information was better than nothing. Better than… being spat. at

I really going to chase down another search

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.

wasn’t going down this path. Not again.

Rheyna… I

time for me to go home.

exactly what I

several hours 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 longest time being away and it felt almost… safe being back here. An odd feeling considering the nature of my life, but

A needed one.

shone brightly through, emanating from

father was awake.

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