The Cottage #2
I walked over to the door, locking it before picking up Damon’s torn shirt.
I dropped to my knees, letting out a shuddering breath.
Why were things so shit? When one wanted to make it work, the other wanted to destroy it.
Even then, I knew Liam was hurting. No, I couldn’t excuse his behaviour, but he was just the type of person who loved deeply.
I understood that. Where Damon was able to cope and even move on with Robyn, Liam hadn’t been able to, letting his emotions and pain eat him up inside. I couldn’t blame him for his stance.
Liam… I placed my head in my hands. What do I do? And what was with the colour of his eyes? That anger and darkness…
Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, still clinging to the torn shirt.
Damon’s scent was soothing, but even then, I couldn’t get rid of the unease and worry I felt for Liam.
I needed to talk to him, too. I needed to reach him and pull him from whatever dark place he had pushed himself into.
We needed to do this so fucking soon. No matter what, tomorrow, right after Kiara and Al leave, we’ll do this.
Damon would listen, but it was Liam I needed to get on board.
Remembering the way he had ripped my shirt off, a pang of pain shot through me.
No matter how much I just wanted to curl up and cry, that wasn’t who I was. Crying never solved anything.
Standing up, I decided to shower and get all this sweat off.
Once I had showered, I returned to my room.
Pulling on a pair of pants and an oversized hoodie, I walked over to my bed and picked up my remaining parcels from yesterday.
I began to open them. A gorgeous crystal lamp…
it was pretty, but the excitement I would usually have was absent.
I placed the lamp down carefully before opening the final package.
It was flat, I don’t actually remember ordering anything else.
A pile of photographs fell out. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes landed on the very top one.
It hurt… it felt like an entire hurricane of pain was unleashed within me.
I clutched my chest, feeling the crushing emotions cripple me.
My heart was ringing in my ears, and tears prickled my eyes.
Even knowing it would only hurt me more, I spread the pictures slightly with my shaking fingers, looking at the dozens of pictures of Robyn with Damon.
Him holding her hand as he kissed her cheek.
Him kissing her lips… hugging her… With each image, I couldn’t breathe.
Hearing, knowing, and seeing are three very different things.
Goddess, please... My eyes landed on the final four pictures, and I felt as if someone had just ripped my heart out completely. Despite the edge being blurred by what could be a curtain, they were images of them in bed, clearly in the throes of passion and both utterly enjoying it.
My worth was nothing. Was I so easily forgotten? It was my fault, though, right? I left... who would remember me? I won’t cry… I won’t…
I wiped my eyes with shaking hands, a sob escaping my lips as I backed away from my bed. I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle the sobs that were begging to escape. The pain I felt needed an outlet, but I couldn’t cry. I would always keep smiling, keep going, keep strong…
Tears trickled down my cheeks as I stared at my bed.
Although I was now across the room, I still backed away further, as if being near them would harm me.
.. but the damage had already been done.
I knew he needed that support... but looking at those pictures, was there even any need for me?
He said he wanted me. He said he missed me, and he broke it off but was I really what he wanted? Was I really worth either of them?
Why couldn’t I turn back time?
I just wished the Moon Goddess left me mate-less. That would have been better than this torture. I hate life.
I slid down the wall, resting my head against the smooth, painted wall, and closed my eyes, my lip quivering as I tried to control my emotions. Come on, Raven, you are stronger than this!
I stayed there, trying to contain my emotions.
After a good twenty minutes, I got up and went over to the bed, quickly gathering the pictures up and trying not to even look at them.
Who took these and sent them to me, why would they?
Did someone else know he was my mate? We hadn’t really told anyone.
Shoving the pictures into the bottom drawer, I left the room.
I needed to get something to eat, that would make me feel better.
An hour later, I was sitting in the large black and grey kitchen at the counter on one of the bar stools with a large plate of steaming chicken pasta in front of me when Zack entered the kitchen, frowning.
He went to the coffee machine and began making himself a cup.
He glanced up, seeming to have just noticed me there.
“Oh, hey Raven, didn’t see you there. Have you seen Liam?”
“No,” I replied icily, remembering how he was refusing and hurting Taylor. He seemed taken aback by the hostility in my voice.
“Everything okay?” He asked, coming over.
“Yes,” I said haughtily. He raised his eyebrows.
“We both know that ain’t true,” he replied.
“I just hate men,” I said, making him smile slightly, but he was wise to hide it quickly.
“What did they do? Or should I ask who?”
The door opened, and none other than Taylor entered. I hid a smirk, seeing the way Zack tensed.
“Actually, I take it back. Some men are perfect. Hey, Taylor!” I said, swivelling around in my seat.
“Hey, girl,” he said, coming over and giving me a hug. I hugged him back before we both turned towards Zack.
“Hey,” Taylor said, looking at Zack.
“Hey…” The sexual tension between them was so obvious that I was surprised I didn’t notice it before.
“You know… you two really need to just give in. The sexual tension is suffocating me,” I said, pretending to gasp for air. Taylor gave a small smile, but Zack seemed conflicted. His eyes met Taylor’s, and I didn’t miss the way they softened. I wondered what exactly was going through his mind.
“Zack... can I ask a favour of you?” I asked, making him drag his gaze away from Taylor.
“Sure,” he said, going over and finishing off making his coffee.
“As you probably noticed, things with Damon and Liam haven’t been great…” I began, glancing at the door in hopes no one heard.
“Yeah, I think we all have,” Taylor added, grabbing two cans of Coke from the fridge before opening one for me and sitting down on the seat next to me. I smiled appreciatively at him as Zack frowned, nodding.
“Yeah… I noticed that. Being stuck as Delta with a beta and alpha who don’t get on fucking sucks.” He came over, resting his elbows on the worktop as he leant over. “You got a plan?”
“Of course, I do… I just need you to get Liam there. The rest is on me…”
“I’m all ears,” Zack said, his gaze once again going to Taylor. I smiled internally. It was only a matter of time before those two got it on, I was confident of that.
“So, what’s the plan?” Taylor said, gulping down his coke.
“The plan…” I leaned forward as I began telling them exactly what I had in mind…
Liam
Everything else was gone from my mind. I didn’t know how many hours had passed since I had begun to read the book. Some of it was far too worn to read, yet it was preserved well even then.
Some of it was what we already knew; how the Deimos was one of the first four werewolf lines, alongside the Asheton and Solaris, and the new piece of knowledge was the name of the fourth line- the Volkov.
This was the line that the very first Lycan was born into, but unlike the other three who were like royalty, the Lycan was shunned and ousted from the inner circle of the other three lines, as it was feared by the werewolves.
It was interesting, considering it was the Lycans who were destined to be the kings who would rule over us whenever born.
The story was otherwise the same as what the witch Janaina had once told Kiara and Alejandro, with perhaps a few minor additional details.
The book was mostly about the Deimos line: how our line had moved away first and been one of the strongest, conquering many lands and spreading our territory far and fast. The Deimos line was gifted with the ability of speed, to see the future, a sixth sense, and the ability to foresee disaster, traits that Kiara held, being a blessed wolf.
Along with the Deimos traits and abilities, Kiara also had the Asheton ability, the gift of healing.
When it came to light about Kiara being a blessed wolf, I had a lot of judgement from the pack- how the Alpha should have been gifted something, not the secondborn daughter.
It annoyed me, considering Kiara was no less competent than I was.
She was my twin and equal. Obviously, the pack didn’t see it like that.
Although they tried to be subtle, not daring to say anything in front of Dad, I heard it enough.
“The future Alpha is ordinary, but the Blessed Princess has found a mate who is already so strong, making his pack even more powerful.”
Yeah, apart from being one of the fastest and having a stronger sense of auras... I was just a strong alpha. I just didn’t get why Grandma Amelia didn’t leave the book to Kiara. Why me? I was ordinary. She was the blessed wolf of two strong bloodlines, that all skipped me.
I was halfway through it, or what I could read anyway, when the next section piqued my interest, and I sat up straighter. The Prophecy of Light and Darkness.