A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two – Ch.# 38

Two months had gone by since my escape from Ashwood. 1

The day still haunted me whenever I thought about it, remembering the faces of loathing, remembering the fear and confusion… remembering the pain of leaving Kieran.

It was that pain which was still the hardest. to deal with, like an aching that never left me. A constant thorn in my side to remind me how we couldn’t be together… and it wasn’t just thoughts either.

With the suppressors assumedly now completely worn off, for the first time I was experiencing living with what I imagined our entire species did; feelings that belonged to a creature inside you. Every single day it was like I could feel its pain crying for Kieran, whimpering internally as if I’d amputated its arm off. It was exhausting… and it only made it more difficult.

Sometimes, in my darkest hours, I contemplated taking the suppressors again. There had been one bottle left behind which now stood atop my bedroom dresser, staring at me with the promise of making the wolf go silent once more. To numb myself to the extra feelings that came with being a werewolf and fall back into my days of ignorance.

I would reach my hand out towards the pills … but stop myself every time.

And, instead, I would drink.

Alcohol. No fancy ingredients required, just good ol’ liquor. Just enough to take the edge off. Enough to distance myself from the chaos in my head as I continued my work, slipping back into routine with my father.

Things between us had been better, my absence clearly a needed one. He seemed more aware of me now, even more… gentle?

If that was even possible for him. But nevertheless, I was certain that Ashwood would have found me already had he not done such an extensive job at hiding my existence all these years.

And in return for that protection, I did what I always did.

…I did my job.

“Raven, can I get you another drink?” asked the man, Jack Hamilton.

I sat on a plush expensive couch inside a high -end bar, attentively chatting closely with the man seated next to me. He owned the establishment that we were now tucked away in the private corner of. Just the two of

“That’s okay,” I said, smiling. “Thank you though.”

“You know… I’ve never seen eyes quite as mesmerising as yours before,” he said, leaning forward. “The golden colour is fascinating.”

… And it was then that his hand reached over to touch my thigh, the intention obvious.

I knew that this would be the case. In fact, I’d been trying to establish this connection. I was here for information today and that was always made easier when a man stopped thinking with their head.

However, it unfortunately caused a stir of something else inside me… because I felt as a small growl rumbled through my chest in warning. A low threat in the tone. Not my doing, of course… but my wolf’s. Now choosing to make my life difficult with her inability to let me work. To her, only Kieran was allowed to touch us.

I quickly coughed to disguise it and smiled.

“Apologies… I think I might actually get that drink after all,” I said. “I’ll go get it though. Stay right here for me.”

And as I stood up, I gently touched his cheek to seal the promise. A gesture that caused another stir inside me, taking all my control to push the wolf back.

Goddammit. They were making this so unnecessarily difficult.

“Your strongest whiskey, thanks,” I said to the bartender. “Add it to Jack Hamilton’s tab.”

They gave me an odd look but did as I asked, and I downed it the second he stopped pouring.

“The person you’re pining for has a family trying to kill us,” I said quietly to my wolf. ” Stop making this harder than it needs to be.”

And slowly, I closed my eyes briefly as I let the alcohol wash over me, feeling as the wolf quietened inside once more. It wasn’t as good as the suppressors had once been, but it was enough.

“…You’re not the only one who misses him,” I whispered sadly.

No… not the only one. But some things were more important than desires.

Things like… surviving.

And it was with that very thought in mind that I then walked back over to my assignment.

“I just adore it so much. Please tell me you have others in the city. Perhaps closer to town on Central Avenue? I’m dying to visit more often but this one is a little far from my home.”

you mention it,” he said, leaning in closer. His gaze was switching from my eyes to my lips, but I bit back my discomfort. “Just between us, I happen to be placing a bid to purchase an upcoming lot shortly. It’s too soon to publicly announce

myself regress into my mind a little bit more, going through the motions of doing what I had to do. Giving him my attention in exchange for the information

whenever

but with a job successfully completed. Which is all that mattered in

living to see another day.

needed

had to.

of my front gate, the smell of familiarity in the air stemming from the place I grew up. It was here that I took a moment to finally relax, breathing

fine. I could do this.

heard as someone then called to

“Rae.”

pumping through me over who it was, needing so badly to see him

found that it wasn’t Kieran who had spoken… but Zac.

it could be real. That Kieran

this wasn’t a fairy tale. Not

I said, the disappointment thick in

to deal with the line of questions I knew he had. Truthfully, I just wanted to be

apparently wasn’t very subtle as he immediately

he said. “I’ve been

said. “The last one was

I’ve called your house phone a thousand times asking for you. I highly doubt the

busy lately.”

now, had me do errands for you that jeopardise my own life. I need some answers on what exactly you expect me to do from here. Or… I don’t know…

I’d had a long night entertaining a rich man for some business

inside. “Just drop it and we can talk another time. I’ve just finished

I let you go inside, you’re going to start dodging my calls again. Give me some

“Another time.”

went to push open the gate, he walked over and

“This isn’t

he suddenly paused mid-sentence, his

you just came from

my hand

a boil over hearing the nickname again. It

that

I said the words, it was

as his whole demeanour then changed.

so sorry, Raven. I shouldn’t

“What…?”

to me, please don’t be mad at me. I

doing? Is

leave you be. I hope you’ll come talk

him cautiously, to which he kept moving backwards to give me space. Just

not like this. Not in this way which

with me and rightfully so,” I said, immediately sobering up. “I have been a complete bitch

lot going on and it

“Zac, stop this.’

what? You’re absolutely right that

“I was being unreasonably horrible because of things going on

was like he’d been replaced by an overly polite doll who just said whatever I wanted

of authority like what

to Sterling, Allison and Daniel?

the case. That was a system built on hierarchies of werewolves, able to be broken by leaving the pack as Sterling had. Zac was human and hadn’t sworn loyalty to me. This didn’t feel like he was obeying an order, it

that Allison’s words all came back to me, her description of the Devil’s ‘ siren call’ and how it influenced

realised what

this was

really was what they said I was.