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“So you were the one that kidnapped her?” Malik snaps when I say nothing.
“It's not like that! Vince and I had a deal... Then when it fell through, I lost it. I wasn't going to rape my mate!”
“No, just mark her while she was underage!”
“No… I don't know. I was angry. Then Vince arrived, and we got into an argument, and I shoved him.”
“Has to be more to it than that because Rose hated you, Casen. So spill,” Malik retorts, and I sigh before nodding. This entire thing was a mess, but Vince isn't totally to blame. I can't blame him for the things I did after I thought I had killed him.
“Let me get some pants on first, and you're gonna want that drink,” I tell him, following him inside and making my way back to my old room. Upon opening the door, I was shocked to find it still the same way I had left it. Why didn't they convert it for one of the girls?
Shaking my head, I dump my bag on the bed. I am wondering if there are any vacant places. I love Malik, but I moved out when I was twenty, and I'm not sure living under the same roof as him is a good idea.
I sigh and take out my phone, scrolling through my contacts list. Finding Eziah's number, I send him a quick text letting him know I am staying with Malik. Once I have done that, I pull some fresh clothes from my bag and pull them on, only to turn around to find Malik at the door.
“Are you ready to tell me what really happened?” he asks, holding out a rum bottle to me. I sigh and accept it before snatching my cigarettes out of my bag.
“Come on,” I tell him, and he leads me out the back to where he has a firepit. I sit in one of the plastic chairs, wondering where his mate and daughters are, as I light up my cigarette.
Peering around, I can just see Rose's house from here. I lived in it by myself before Rose came to live with me. That didn't last long, however.
“The one next door to her is vacant,” Malik tells me, and I look at him. He lights his smoke, passing me the lighter. “Yeah, that might cause some arguments if we are neighbors,” I tell him, and he shrugs.
“Ask Andrei. I'm sure he'll happily give you the keys,” Malik says, and I raise an eyebrow at him.
“A lot has happened in four years. As pissed as everyone is about you lying to us. Most wish you followed through with killing him,” Malik says, and I attempt to ask what he means, but he shakes his head.
“You first. As I said, I can't tell you much. Only Andrei and Rose can, but I need to know why you did it. I need to know if you are safe to have here with my girls and mate.”
“I am no threat to your family, Malik.”
“Can never be too careful, especially when you raise someone thinking they are one person only to find out they are another,” Malik says, drawing back on his smoke.
“I had my reasons!” I snap before drinking from my bottle of rum. I watch Malik drink his before tossing it and reaching into the cooler beside him, and pulling out another.
As he cracks open his newest bottle, Malik asks, “So, these reasons will you tell me about them?” Shaking my head, I take a deep drag and exhale before nodding my head.
“Fine,” I sigh, sitting back and looking at him, trying to build up the courage to tell him what really happened.
ChapterTwenty
Eziah
I stare up at the manor through the windshield, exhale, and then quickly sit back in my chair. The old black manor is shrouded in darkness and shadows. The windows are dark, but the grounds are perfectly manicured, giving off an eerie sense of life and death at the same time.
I find this quite funny, given that my sister's mate might as well be death incarnate when pissed off. As I drive down the long driveway, I can see the gardens surrounding the manor, framed with dark, dense forest. It’s as if the forest was protecting the manor from outsiders. The forest here has always given me the creeps.
Yet the closer I get, the more nervous I am. I haven't seen my sister in years. Not since before the fight with my fathers. I've spoken to her over the phone, but only briefly, as I prefer text messages.
Pulling up out the front, I can see Kyan and Jonah are home, which also makes me nervous. I haven't exactly got the best track record with either of them. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, turning my gaze to Temperance. She is fast asleep, and I exhale heavily, hoping she won’t freak out when I try to wake her. She jolts awake as soon as I brush her hair back from her face. One hand gripping the dash, the other, the seat, as she twists herself up in the seatbelt.
“It's just me,” I tell her, holding my hands up as her chest rises and falls heavily. She looks up at me with a wild expression in her eyes, slowly relaxing as she realizes who I am to her. Temperance leans forward, peering out the windshield at the imposing structure. Her eyes flicker with a mix of curiosity and unease. I can't help but smile at her reaction.
“Don't worry, it's just my sister's place,” I assure her, trying to lighten the mood. “You're safe here.” However, the feeling through the bond makes me queasy.
Temperance shakes her head, her eyes flickering dangerously as her wolf comes forward. “We shouldn't be here,” she says, her voice filled with fear. “I can't be here. I want to go.”
I furrow my brow, confused by her sudden change in demeanor.
