Alpha’s Rancor: His Forsaken Luna

Chapter 11

KILLIAN

Raelynn is a nutcase.

And I might be an even bigger nutcase for underestimating how crazy she can be. Every time I interact with her, she shows me how f*****g insane she is. She’s so different from what I remember. The Raelynn that I know would never talk back to me or fight Valerie.

She doesn't seem to respect me, and I blame how gentle I was with her when we were younger. I should cast her aside just like the other runts.

I spent my day at the vineyard just to get away from her and avoid meeting with Grandpa Cassian. I don’t know how to face him after bringing Raelynn home. Ariella and I have talked mildly about the subject and where Raelynn being here puts us, but every time we get to what is important, she finds an excuse to leave. It’s dinner time when I arrive home, and I’m dragged straight to the table by Olivia, Vincent’s mate.

The table is filled with chatter and laughter, something that reminds me of my life before the goddess threw little storm back into my life. For a moment, I forget she exists, I forget she’s right around the corner waiting to defy every word that comes out of my mouth.

“Do you like dinner, Killian?” Valerie asks. “I made it myself.”

I pause mid bite, taken aback by her words, but I try not to sound so surprised. “You cooked?”

“That’ll be a cold day in hell,” Axel snickers.

Valerie pauses, her hand tightening around her knife, but Axel doesn’t flinch. “I’ll have you know that I do know how to cook,” she snaps. “But I just don’t like to, I don’t cook for just anyone, do I not, baby?”

“You do, baby,” Liam hums, putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. It makes Axel gag, but we’re all used to it.

“And I made this whole meal plan,” he informs us. “I made sure it was perfectly cooked.”

“She sure did.” Olivia grins, shaking her head. My sister has never had to lift a finger for anything, she couldn't even properly dress herself until she was ten.

“Well, thank you, princess.” I smile. “It’s amazing.”

“You’re welcome.” She says, her smile falling when she turns towards Axel. Even in their fights, she continues to seek his approval. The bond is a cruel thing. Valerie rejected the bond with Axel so she could be with Liam, and yet, I know for a fact Axel would break Liam’s bones if he hurt her. “At least someone appreciates my efforts.”

My eyes shift to my left, where my chosen sits, staring at the doorway. “Ariella?”

“Hmm?” She looks up.

“What are you doing?” I frown.

“I was just wondering when Raelynn would come in?”

“To do what?” Valerie snaps, the mere mention of Raelynn, aggravating her. She’s short-tempered, but there’s something feral about the way she gets around Raelynn. When I walked into the room this morning, she looked like she was out for blood. Had I arrived a minute late, she would have torn Raelynn to pieces.

Arielle frowns, “To eat?”

“Ew, what?” Valerie gasps. “Why would that witch eat with us? She should eat with the maids, or the dogs because our maids are good people, they shouldn’t be subjected to her presence.” She hisses, her jaw ticking. “Actually, not even the dogs deserve that kind of treatment.”

“Valerie,” Ariella warns.

“What?”

“She is Killian’s mate,” she quietly says. “She should sit with us, or else what will people think?”

“They’ll think she’s a murderous b***h who is getting more than she deserves,” Valerie counters, quick with it. She doesn’t even think twice, she says the first vile thing that comes to mind when it's about Raelynn. “Seriously, bestie, she should be rotting in the graves underground, but she’s lucky enough to still be here after all her crimes.”

“That's enough, Valerie.” I groan, trying not to yell at her. “Let's eat, you’ll ruin my appetite.”

“I think—”

“I said it was enough,” I warn. “We will not speak of her, she will eat with the others.”

“Killian, honey..” Ariella touches my arm, her fingers brushing over my bicep. “She’s your mate, you can’t make her eat with the maids, I mean she already lives with them, she needs to be here.”

“Ariella—”

“Just let her eat with us,” she pouts. “It’s just a meal after all. She might feel better after seeing some familiar faces.”

“I’ll carve her face out,” Valerie remarks, proceeding to sip wine like nothing was said. That statement alone proves that Raelynn shouldn’t be having dinner with us. The second she sits down, Valerie will have knives flying at her, and I’ll be widowed before I’m forced to the altar with her.

Axel snarls at her. “Always so civil.”

“Shut up,” she glares. “Why are you even here? Did you not purchase a house, after sobbing about not wanting to live in the same house as me?”

“Listen, brat, you might be special to your brother, but that’s about it,” Axel counters, his voice soft despite how she speaks to him. “You mean nothing to the rest of the world, so don’t ever assume that you matter to me.” He tells her, lying through his teeth. “I have cobwebs in my room that matter more than you.”

“I matter to Liam,” she says, her lips twitching with a smile. I can already hear her next sentence before she speaks. “I matter to my mate.” She grins, hitting the nail on the head. “Do you?” She pauses, bursting out laughing when he doesn’t respond. “Oh, that's right, you don't have one, jerk.”

“Killian, honey, please?” Arielle tugs at my shirt. “Can she please eat with us?”

“If I say yes, will that make you happy?”

She nods, “Happiest I’ll be all day.”

“Fine,” I sigh. I owe Ariella and her family so much that I can never bring myself to say no to her, not when she asks for so little. Even now, all she asked for was for Raelynn to eat with us. Her requests are so selfless, she always thinks of others. “Have your way, but no murder at the table,” I say, my eyes shifting towards Valerie, who answers with an eyeroll.

“Aren’t you two sweet,” Vincent says with a devious smile.

“Elara!” Arielle screams, calling for one of our maids.

Elara comes running, “Yes, ma’am?”

“Do me a favour and tell Raelynn to come out for dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She nods.

Suddenly, my appetite is gone.

I don’t think I can eat with Raelynn sitting at this table. She will be staring daggers at me while my sister attempts to shoot actual daggers at her. “What is she doing?” Vincent asks. It takes me a second to realise he is using the mind link. My lips part, and he shakes his head. “Why is she reacting this way?”

“I don’t know.”

“She’s almost pleased to have her opponent here.” He snickers,

“They’re not opponents,” I stare. “Ariella is my—”

“Ma’am, she refused to come.” Elara says, making me break the mindlink with Vincent.”

“Why?” Ariella frowns. “Is she having dinner with the others?”

“No, Ma’am, she said….” Elara swallows, scratching the back of her head. I can see it in her eyes, Raelynn said something again, something that Elara can not repeat. “She doesn’t want to eat, she was just sitting there.”

“I see.” Ariella nods. “She must be overwhelmed still. You should make a plate and take it to her.”

“No.” Valerie snaps before I can tell Elara to drag Raelynn to the table. “If Raelynn doesn’t want to eat, why are you forcing her?”

“Just take it to her,” Ariella tells Elara.

“Elara, you will do no such thing,” Valerie warns. “She can make herself a plate or make a new meal if she wants to eat.” She says, her eyes shifting to Ariella. “You already called her out to eat with us, but she chose not to come. You can’t start delivering dinner in bed to her like she is some sort of queen. Leave her be, she’s being a pest.”

“Bestie, she—”

“Valerie is right,” I chime in. Ariella has been far too nice, trying to include Raelynn when she doesn’t belong. “You made an effort, but it wasn’t taken into consideration, so let's move on from that. Since when do we talk about her? Huh?”

“You said we could now,” Vincent grumbles.

“In that moment,” I glare.

Raelynn is already taking up space in this house. I can’t keep hearing about her every time I sit down.