Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 12 – Burned Field of Innocence

“Where has my heart gone? An uneven trade for the real world. I want to go back to believing in everything and knowing nothing at all.“– Field of Innocence by Evanescence

(Content Warning: Mentions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.)

Neron

“I don’t know how you did it, man. Lorelai’s hormones are sucking me dry.”

“In a good way or a bad way?”

“As much as I love making love to her, I need some energy to–I don’t know–function throughout the day.”

“Ah, I feel that. When Raina was pregnant with Adonis, instead of running to her, I ended up running away from her because the obsessive need for my dick was killing me.”

Kwame and Valerian’s chatter poked the green monster within me. I haven’t spent time with my best friends lately, so while the pup trainees had their gargantuan pizza party upstairs, we came to the gym for the treadmills. My body sweated, my heart pumped, but the green haze in my mind grows thick as I continued to hear their conversation regarding their mates and families.

Am I jealous? Yes. I’m so goddamn jealous of the blessings it graced my Beta and Gamma with. Don’t get me wrong; they deserve it. They’re good men. I love my nephew Adonis to death. And I’ll be the first one to induct Kwame’s child into the pack officially once they’re horn. But, sometimes, I wish to have a smidgen of their happiness.

Deep in the night, I’d dream about what my life would have been if Kiya accepted me as her mate. I’d dream about our mating, which doesn’t hesitate to get me and Onyx riled up. I’d dream about proposing to her and slipping the biggest diamond ring on her finger while we k*ss as an engaged couple. I’d dream about our wedding with her adorned in the purest of white, making our sacred vows as husband and wife. Lifting her short stature in my arms and k*ssing her as my life depended on it. I’d dream about her belly swelling with my child and holding the bundle of joy in my arms as they take their first breath in this world.

Dreams. That’s all they were. Fleeting wishes of another future where pain and torment didn’t exist. Another future where I hadn’t rejected my mate and took her into my arms where she belonged.

And it angered me because I f*cked up a good thing.

“Yeah, you kind of did…”

“Onyx, you aren’t helping.”

“Hey, you think you’re the only one who’s suffering? I’d cut off my tail for a moment with Artemis! I want our mate as much as you do. I see your dreams, remember? How do you think I feel?”

“Right…I forgot about that. I know you’re hurting too, and I’m the reason. I want our mate so bad, but I can’t take her hating me again.”

“It’s better for us to love her from afar than to keep her close and have her hate every moment spent with us. I wish there was another way to fix this; to keep her with us.”

Chapter 12 med Field of innocence

Kiya isn’t an

happiness matters. But, how long will we hurt,

body betrays me as tears sting my eyes. I’ve only cried. over three people: Mom, Nuria, and Kiya. Yet, Kiya can cut into my emotions

our Achilles‘ Heel.

met the stares of my men. “We’ve been

say without hesitation. Quickly blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, I gradually decreased my speed on the treadmill. “What did you

you and Kiya,” Kwame spoke up as he maintained a

still the same, I think.”

still hates you?” Valerian asked.

are slowly getting better between us. I call it

think it’s the same with Raina. She’s slowly getting used to her

before she thinks about letting anyone from this pack in her heart again. I don’t think it’ll be solved with the little time

left here.”

in August and I’ll

back home,” I say, grabbing my towel to wipe the sweat off my forehead. “That’s all that matters.”

his head to the side. “You keep saying that letting her go is the best option to make everyone happy, but what about you, Neron? Your feelings are valid

I beat her all

“We all made stupid decisions

the fact that I was a monster?” The memory of Kwame slamming me to the ground after I marked Kiya as a betrayer resurfaced in the most brutal of ways. Sensations and chaos, I felt that night rushed faster than a violent hurricane.

I wanted her dead, and I was more than ready

I would spill her blood in retribution for the spilled blood and tears of my

ridding.

I’ve become. The monster I was cultivated to be. All the teachings and connections made that forced my mate into culpability reaffirmed my desire to hurt her because of the pain. Waking up without my mother’s k*sses and Nuria pranking me with a feather to the nose and whipped cream

apart.

to take it out on someone. All

understand why I didn’t feel the mate bond between us until the night of the ceremony. It was the first time I haven’t touched her out of hate. I was drowning in hatred and grief. No matter the number of smiles I made, the laughter I shared–even in my relationship with Odessa; underneath it all, I was still hurting. Still writhing, screaming for Mom and Nuria while Dad sunk in darkened pools of alcohol that only grew with every bottle he smashed

truth. I was a monster. I, probably, still am a monster. How can I love Kiya with the same hands that were

your mother and sister away!

it’s because

when she killed your little

ask for that bitch’s mercy, you’re saying that you’re happy for the death of your family, you ungrateful

shattered as the hatred for the child bombarded my ears enough for it to twist my mind in agreement. That’s the day the veritable beast was born, and it solidified its existence the moment I broke

ashes. of her brokenness. The world got *** That day. No matter how many times I say I love her, no matter how

I put

bom out of

someone better than me! Goddamnit, Moon Goddess! What is your reason for pairing us together? Why