Chapter two: Promissory resolve
1936 Words
As it dawned on her that her worst nightmare had finally come to pass, panic and distress overwhelmed Kyley’s whole being. Her iris shrunk and quivered while she stood trembling from head to toe.
It was finally happening!
The one frightening thought that had stayed lingering at the very bottom of her heart for the past three years ever since she’d found a happy life with her family…
Ever since she’d finally gotten what she’d yearned to have her whole life…
The one thing she’d always convinced herself of to be mere doubts; spending every night telling herself that they were only a figment of her imagination and nothing but lies borne out of her insecurity.
--The fear of everything she’d come to cherish being snatched away in the blink of an eye.
She’d sworn to herself that nothing would ever happen to tear her happy love life and family apart.
But now... It’s happening!
Her happy life is slowly being torn apart just as she’d always feared!
There’s no pushing it aside anymore… it’s finally happened!
Kyley was hit by a wave of dizziness, causing her to lose control for a moment. Everything in her view blurred, and she slumped.
“ Hey!”, Noticing Kyley’s meltdown, Darren rushed to catch her before she hit the floor. He felt a tinge of guilt, hurt, and rage seeing Kyley like this.
It was just too much for her feeble and fragile heart. And he blamed no one but himself for all of this.
Finding herself in Darren’s hands, Kyley raised her dizzy gaze to look at him. She stared speechless at him but her silence spoke plenty for the loss of her words; asking questions that would leave even the brightest of minds at crossroads.
Darren did the same, but the hurt in her tear-filled eyes only served to haunt his conscience, killing him on the inside. Pain, hurt, devastation, her face spoke it all. And Darren could feel it in the very core of his soul through their bond.
All the things he’d sworn to keep away from ever appearing on her beautiful face, they were all right in front of him, staring a guilty fault at him.
If being worthless was ever a person, Darren felt like an entire population of that at the moment.
A mind-aching feeling if you’d ask me…
“ Kyley, you should return to the cabin for now and rest…” Darren urged in a painfully patient tone after a short while, realizing he needed to console Kyley.
However, seeing that she had no reaction to this and was even sort of a bit more downhearted as if all hope was lost, he quickly added, “ Darling, I need you to go back now and wait for my return with Skye…”
Kyley’s eyes widened in shock after hearing this. She stared at Darren as if to ask if she’d misheard him just now.
It couldn’t be true right?
But to Kyley’s disbelief, Darren nodded affirmatively in response, “I know just who is behind all of this, and I know where to find them. I’ll bring Skye back before you even know it… trust me!” His tone was firm with staunch conviction as he looked Kyley in the eye and told her.
Darren was going to set things straight, this was his plan to begin with ever since he found out who was behind Skye’s abduction.
Hearing this, Kyley frowned in confusion for a second before expressing concern and doubt, but the hope in her gaze couldn’t be missed.
“ W- where? How?”, Kyley failed to make out her thought into words, as she could only whisper. The news that Skye had been abducted took all the energy in her body, so much that she could neither think nor voice out her thought at the moment. That didn’t stop her brows from furrowing in disbelief, however.
“ …” She was confused.
Darren noticing this nodded his head once again. He stared reassuringly straight into Kyley’s eyes. ” Trust me.” He implored.
Kyley was left speechless for a long while, lost in Darren’s gaze as though it held all the hope in the world. His words served to push back the fear that lingered in her heart; making her feel that perhaps, she was wrong about her family falling apart…
That perhaps, this was really her redemption at a happy life, and that things were still salvable.
“ Y-you know who did this?” Kyley after conjuring the strength to regain hold of herself rubbed her temple and asked with still furrowed brows. She was still confused about that part and was curious to know just who was after them and their daughter… And more importantly, why?
Her heart leapt at the thought of someone but she quickly discredited the thought.
‘ He’s dead after all, there’s no way he’s still alive.’ Although she feared it could turn out to be true, Kyley doubted that Jason somehow came back to life and was now trying to exact his revenge on them.
‘ I mean, how does he know? Is there something I’m missing?’ She questioned internally, wondering what Darren meant.
However, seeing Darren’s solemn expression and how he moved his gaze to the dead figure on the floor by the side, Kyley figured that Darren must have gotten something from them. Nonetheless, Kyley was now scared than she ever was at the thought of this being a possibility.
It made her become even more restless.
“ I found a clue from him…” Darren said in a grave tone a while after, clenching his fists tightly as he recollected just ‘who’ this clue that he’d had to beat out of the intruder who now laid dead on the floor had led to.
Although, he couldn’t tell Kyley about it just yet as he wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t come to hate him afterwards. It was his entire fault after all.
‘ Tch! I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance!’ He cursed in his mind.
At Darren’s words, Kyley’s prior palpitating heart seemed to find solace in the fact that she at least knew where to find her daughter. Jason or not, she seemed to come to a resolve right then in fact.
“ So please, Kyley. Go back and wait for~”
“ I’m coming with you!” Kyley suddenly declared, cutting off Darren before he could finish with his sentence.
“ What?! Just… Just… what?!” Darren was shocked and instantly tried to protest against the idea of Kyley coming with him to find Skye, but seeing the look on Kyley’s face, he fell short of words for a moment.
Still, Kyley stared dead in his eyes with so much conviction and resolve, despite Darren’s obvious discontent with the idea. She wouldn’t budge at all!
Of course, Kyley knew why Darren didn’t want her to come with him in the first place. She knew that it would be safer if Darren went after Skye alone so as to not risk putting him in a tight spot while having to protect her from danger. She knew she’d only be a burden to him if she came along.
However, she couldn’t bear to stand around and do nothing while Darren faced all the danger alone. She wanted to protect her family as well.
Darren was left speechless at the moment. He was in a state where he had to make a decision. He looked about in search for an alternative answer as to what to do but in the end, he had to make a choice.
“Look…” He sighed, “I understand how you feel right now Kyley, I really do. But you have to understand that this is a very dangerous situation”, Darren reached to grab her hands as he urged in a soothing tone. He understood Kyley’s reason for wanting to come with him, but he would only be able to face all the threat and danger if he knew for sure that Kyley was safe.
“I know it is dangerous. But I’m still coming with you…” Kyley wouldn’t budge after all. She just couldn’t sit around, waiting for Darren to return with Skye. What if something happened?
Besides, she needed to play her part in rescuing her daughter as a mother. Kyley wouldn’t let Darren do everything alone. She wanted to risk her life for her family too.
She cannot let her fears hold her back anymore; she wanted to fight back and know for certain that she too could find happiness in life... That she deserved a happy ending!
Kyley was determined to keep her family together, no matter what!
Darren stared into Kyley’s eyes for the longest, contemplating what to do. He felt a bit unwilling to bring Kyley along with him on such a dangerous quest that he was about to embark on. However, the conviction in Kyley’s eyes said otherwise.
“ Tsk!” Darren clicked his tongue in annoyance, finding himself helpless against Kyley once again. Reason being that he found it hot.
But more importantly, he had to weigh the consequence of turning her request down. He knew Kyley wouldn’t listen and would find a way to follow him anyway. And that he wouldn’t want.
Darren would rather have her by his side.
“ Hah! Okay, fine!” He heaved a deep sigh in defeat.
Darren knew she wouldn’t back down once she’d made up her mind no matter what. The resolve in her eyes was just something he couldn’t say no to.
“But promise me you won’t do anything reckless. I can’t risk putting you in danger” Darren moved closer to cup her face, caressing her cheeks as he made her promise.
“ Let’s go get our daughter back,” Kyley nodded seriously, suggesting that they set out as soon as they could.
“…” However, Darren paused for a second and stared Kyley up and down. He flashed a teasing smile and leaned close to Kyley who seemed confused,” You might want to put something on first” Darren whispered into her ears before gently scooping her up into his arms.
Stunned, Kyley’s eyes widened at this, feeling Darren’s hands wrap around her bare skin as he carried her. Her face instantly reddened when she realized that she had ran out of bed naked earlier.
Darren was also the same as he’d had to shift into his lycan form before, however, unlike him; Kyley wasn’t used to standing around naked in the open. Hell, she wasn’t used to being seen by Darren in her birthday suit.
“ T-this isn’t the time for that!” Kyley cried, tucking her face in his chest. She was upset that Darren was still able to flirt when they’re in such a messy situation, and even more so at herself for the way she felt.
How could she be happy when her daughter is missing?
But oh the muscles, the gentleness and the firmness of his chest, and that sweet scent of his that always drove her crazy!
Darren’s lips spread into a smile at Kyley’s reaction. He was glad that she’d finally gotten back on track, however slight. He couldn’t bear seeing her being so worried and devastated the whole time as it reminded him of the past.
‘ I’ll never make you worry again. Never!’ Darren swore as he carried Kyley back to the cabin. His face stern and his heart never so determined!
- Writer
