Chapter 04
1140 Words
MALIAH'S P.O.V.
Tears rolled down my cheek silently as I rocked myself on the floor. I hated crying, it always made me feel so vulnerable and here I was knowing my entire life was coming to an end in mere hours. Alden Darkmoor. His name sounded like a curse in my head.
The door creaked open, and I looked up to see him with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked nothing like the man who forced me into a marriage, he seemed… Worried, troubled and his eyes were dark
"What do you want?” I asked, fighting the urge to take my eyes off him, and he just stared while walking to me.
"I want the truth, Maliah.” His voice was so cold it sent a chill down my spine.
I swallowed and tore my eyes away from him but remained quiet
“Why were you in my pack? Why have you been here all these years? What game are you playing?” He ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated, “You expect me to believe you didn’t know you were his daughter? Alden Darkmoor?”
“I did know,” I snapped. “I’ve known since I was old enough to understand who my father was.”
“Then why are you here?” he demanded. “Why this pack? Why me?”
“I didn’t choose this life! I ran. I ran from him!” I yelled as my heart hammered at the memory.
“What?”
“Ten years ago, I escaped from my father’s estate. I was fourteen. My mother…" My throat tightened. “… My mother tried to get me out, but she didn’t make it. I did. I ran for days, hiding in the woods, starving, until a patrol from this pack found me. I didn’t tell them who I was. No one even knew Alden had a daughter. My father was careful to keep me a secret.”
I shot my eyes as a sob escaped me, but he didn't say anything
“They brought me here, treated me like a lost child, I kept my head down, did what I could to survive. I worked as a maid, Asael, because it was the safest thing I could do. No one cared about a nameless girl scrubbing floors. No one looked twice at me. And for the first time, I was…free.”
“And you never thought to tell anyone the truth?”
“Tell them what?” my voice broke. “That I was the devil’s daughter? That the blood of a monster runs through my veins? They would have killed me on the spot. Or worse, dragged me back to him.” I clenched my fist, “You want the truth? That’s the truth. I ran from him, and I don’t want anything to do with him. I didn’t ask for this bloodline, Asael. I didn’t ask for any of it.”
I held my knees to my chest as the image of my mother crossed my mind and I fought the tears again, it's been so long… Is she alive? Did father find out she tried to save me?
“You could have come to me,” he said softly, and a bitter laugh left me
“And what would you have done? Protect me? You didn’t even want me as your mate, Asael. You only married me because you had to.” his jaws tightened, knowing I was telling the truth.
He sat next to me and his fingers brushed my cheek making me freeze
“I didn’t know you were carrying this much” He muttered
“Don’t pretend you care,” I whispered
“What if I do?”
I looked into his calm green eyes and for once, there was no sigh of mockery or a gleam of cruelty in them
“You should hate me,” I whispered softly
“Maybe I should, but I don’t.” I opened my mouth to respond, but his rough lips crashed against mine and butterflies fly around in my stomach.
My heart hammered in my chest and while lost under the roughness of those lips I went against it all, against all logic, against everything I should have done and kissed him back
Everything felt so raw, so desperate. Anger, longing, confusion, everything was there. He gripped the back of my hair like I was going to disappear, but I clung onto his shirt wanting for more, and he suddenly pulled away softly.
"You’re not going anywhere. Not now.” He whispered against my forehead.
He pulled me out of the west wing and I ignored the eyes glaring at me while I looked to the ground
“That’s her. The devil’s daughter.”
“She’s dangerous. What is he thinking?”
My stomach twist knowing they already knew I was Alden's daughter and as soon as he pulled me into his room I pulled out of his grip
"You shouldn’t have brought me here, everyone hates me”
“I decide what I should or shouldn’t do,” a sudden knock on the door made me jump and Asael opened it revealing a guard
“Alpha,” he said urgently, “we found something.”
“What now?” Asael groaned, the warrior looked at me and went pale.
"It’s…you need to see it for yourself. We found a man at the southern border. He claims to know her claims to know Alden Darkmoor.” my blood ran cold and Asael turned to me.
"Stay here.”
“No, if it’s about me, I deserve to know.”
"Fine. Come with me.”
The southern border was crawling with warriors as we arrived and in the center of the clearing there was a man and my heart dropped as I recognized him. It was one of my father's warriors.
“Maliah Bren. You’ve been hiding well, little one.” I held on to Asael's hand tightly, and he looked at me, but my eyes were fixed on my father's warrior.
“Who are you, and what do you want?”
“Your Alpha thinks he’s taken a mate, but you don’t know what you’ve bound yourself to, boy.”
“Speak plainly,” Asael snapped and the man grinned
“Alden is coming for her.” My heart stopped, “Your precious Luna has been found, Alpha. And her father, the devil himself, wants her back.” My limbs went weak as I fell to the ground and my vision began to blur as a voice echoed in the distance.
He was coming. My father was coming, and he was going to burn this entire place if he had to just to get me.
I need to get out of here
- Writer
