16: SIXTEEN
774 Words
K I A R A
I decided to avoid Scarlett for the rest of the day. I spent my morning doing some pack work, trying to distract myself from the thoughts that were swirling in my head.
I found Roland in the pack's training grounds, supervising a group of young wolves. He was wearing a tank top and shorts, his muscles glistening with sweat. He looked more relaxed than he did when I last saw him, more in his element.
"Roland," I called out, walking towards him.
He turned around, a smile spreading across his face. "Oooh, if it isn’t my Alpha’s beautiful wife," he said, winking at me.
I rolled my eyes playfully. "I need to talk to you. Privately."
His smile faded. "Everything okay?"
"Not really. Can we go somewhere more private?"
He nodded and led me to a secluded spot behind the training grounds.
"What's going on?" he asked, his expression serious.
"It's about Scarlett."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What did she do now?"
"She came to see me this morning."
"And?"
"And she basically told me that my marriage to Damon is a joke, that he will never truly love me, and that he belongs to her."
He clenched his jaw. "She's just jealous. Don't listen to her."
"I know she's jealous, Roland. But she also said something else. She said she was there for Damon when he lost something. When he lost... someone."
He looked away, avoiding my gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me, Roland. I know you know something. Please, I need to know the truth. I need to know what I'm getting myself into."
He was silent for a long moment, his expression conflicted. He was torn between his loyalty to Damon and to me. And without him even speaking, I already knew who he was going to choose.
"I can't, Kiara. It's not my story to tell."
"Please, Roland. I'm not asking you to betray him. I'm just asking you to help me understand him. I need to know what I'm up against. What secrets he's hiding."
"Look, all I can tell you is that Damon's past is... complicated. And painful. He's been through a lot. He doesn't like to talk about it. And he'll kill me if he finds out I said anything."
"I won't tell him. I promise." I couldn’t even hide my desperation at this point. I hated being kept in the dark, and it seemed that’s all everyone has been doing since I got married to Damon.
It’s been from one secret to another. I knew that if I didn’t figure out what was going on, I was going to lose my mind.
He shook his head. "It's not that. It's just... it's not my place. You need to talk to him. He's the only one who can tell you the truth."
"I tried. He doesn't talk to me. He barely ever speaks about his past. It’s like he’s hiding something from me."
"Then maybe you should try harder. Maybe you should show him that he can trust you. You’ve only been married for like a month, Kiara. You just don’t expect him to open up to you that easily."
"He already told me that this marriage is a payment for a life. A life for a life," I said. "What does that even mean, Roland? Whose life? And for what?"
He froze. "He told you that?"
"Yes. Right after we got married. He said it was a payment for my father's debt. And since then, I haven’t been able to figure s**t out."
He looked away again, his expression pained. "I really can't, Kiara. I'm sorry."
I sighed, defeated. "It's okay. I understand."
I turned to leave but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.
"Hey," he said, his voice soft. "Just be careful, okay? Damon... he can be ruthless when he wants to be. Especially when it comes to his past. And the people he cares about. So please, don’t press him too hard. Just give him some time."
"I will," I said, forcing a smile. "Thanks, Roland."
He nodded, letting go of my arm. I walked away.
His words only confirmed my suspicions. Damon was hiding something. Something big. And it had to do with my father.
My father has always been known for his cruelty. I’ve never liked him, but he was still my father. And no matter how much I tried to deny it, I knew that he was capable of doing terrible things.
But, what could he have possibly done to make Damon want revenge so badly?
- Writer
