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.

was reminded of the fact that my absence had been

felt numb as I went 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 his face

about Kieran anymore.

only me

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

look of hatred on Allison’s face still haunted

are…,” I said to myself in the confines of a

to give me the very thing that had started all of this. What my father

could have lived my life in ignorance until death came for me.

Just… a girl

investing enough in

my father had been

I could see why.

was a smuggler, but at some point he must have switched sides. Probably working for someone who had it

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

like everything else. It looked almost like a journal entry in my father’s handwriting, one dated a few years ago.

pertained to an associate or partner in

in her glory,’ it read. ‘What I have, I owe to her, and I am reminded of that fact every day by my fortune;

he was talking about. Because for as long as I 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

man I knew of. Not the cold-hearted, business focused father who I’d

Not Eric Reid.

the folder of documents closed, no longer wanting to

me in trouble. But I’d figured since I’d already broken every rule, that

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

And I sighed.

more dark truths I discovered. Truths that would only lead me into situations I was better avoiding. Just like how chasing after Kieran had

broken… evil… a

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

the juxtaposition of my

to the

curiosity at the time but

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

choices as they laid side by

title topic I was slowly starting to despise.

front cover read.

Silver Lake’.

Or… as was told by Ashwood, at least. I could only imagine the bias I would find inside

down another search into

the millionth time. It felt as though I’d had

My other half.

My… mate.

I lo-.

No.

I wasn’t going down this path.

wasn’t Rae or Rheyna… I

time for me to

exactly what

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

A needed one.

shone brightly through, emanating from

father was awake.

him. Would he be angry? Had he somehow discovered