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

that’s not possible. Kiya isn’t an object

no other solution, but her happiness matters. But, how long will we hurt, Neron? Will

Yet, Kiya can cut into my emotions with a knife, letting them spill through the barrier I formed around myself. Mates give

our Achilles‘ Heel.

Neron.” I felt a poke on my bicep. Turning my head, I met the stares of my men. “We’ve been calling your name for a minute now. Are

to fall, I

things are with you and Kiya,” Kwame spoke up as he maintained a steady pace on his

the

she still hates you?” Valerian asked.

call it a win she doesn’t feel repulsed by my presence anymore.”

with Raina. She’s slowly getting used

throw confetti just yet,” Kwame added. “There’s still a lot for her to process before she thinks about letting anyone from this pack in her

left here.”

leaving in August and I’ll never

be happier when she gets back home,” I say, grabbing my towel to wipe the

go is the best option to make everyone happy, but what about you, Neron? Your feelings are

beat

hold on to the past like that,” Valerian added sympathetically. “We all made stupid decisions back then, and it cost us. The only thing we can do is redeem ourselves and move on.”

you think she had that choice? I helped hurt Kiya when she was a f*cking kid and you’re telling me to move on from 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.

and I was more than ready

away. I developed plans and fantasized about how I would spill her blood in retribution for the spilled blood and tears of my family. We considered Kiya a bane of existence that I had the responsibility of

ridding.

the teachings and connections made that forced my mate into culpability reaffirmed my desire to hurt her because of the pain. Waking up

apart.

on someone. All arrows pointed toward Kiya.

hatred and grief. No matter the number of smiles I made, the laughter I shared–even in my relationship with Odessa; underneath

truth. I was a monster. I, probably, still am a monster. How

mother and sister

mother’s guidance, it’s because of Satan’s spawn sobbing in her

she killed your little sister? That thing deserves

saying that you’re happy for the death

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 Kiya’s nose

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

put into her.

bom out of torment.

deserves someone better than me! Goddamnit, Moon Goddess! What is your reason for