CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY
I was relieved when I finally got Jenny settled in and away from the house.

It was one week of mental torment, knowing fully well that Alaric would never cheat on me but watching my supposedly repented sister grinding herself on him.

It was difficult to be logical and kind in the situation because we'd found out she was pregnant as well.

It took over a week to get her to her new house because her late husband was a part of a large gang and Octavio was charged to make sure they all went to hell without a sliver of mercy.

When I finally dropped her off, me and Kiara taking the trip because I'd banned Alaric from being anywhere near her; it took all of the patience in me not to smack that fake smile off her face.

As if she hadn't walked into my room in her underwear two days ago knowing fully well Alaric and I were in there. Yes, we forgot to lock the door again, but we've never had to so this was all a confusing dilemma to sort out.

“You still won't change your mind about Mom staying with you? Who's gonna look after you while you're pregnant?”

“I don't know Ari, I'm thinking of taking it out. The idea of giving birth to his child just… he raped me till I bleeding from both holes,” she confessed, making my heart break.

“It's alright dear, I understand how you feel to an extent. Whatever you decide, one of the guys with you here will take you. But please don't hate Mom any longer, she's just literally lost everything. The house has four rooms, I'm sure you guys can hate each other properly in that big space, okay?”

“Ugh! You just don't understand how mom can be sometimes!” She whined.

“I don't?? I don't understand our own mother? Can you listen to yourself?” I snarled but Kiara tapped my hand.

“The baby,” she reminded me.

“If you weren't being such a terrible person, Alaric should have been the one dropping you off not me, a pregnant woman,” I grunted in annoyance.

“I'll send her a ticket later in the week,” Jenny grumbled reluctantly.

“She's that broke?”

“Our father was a different shade of corrupt Ari,” she replied with a chuckle. “So everything is gone and Mom is just holding onto the house now because it's in her name. I've told her to sell it but she's being sentimental and shit,” she told me, making me narrow my eyes at her.

Hopefully, she hadn't faked all of this just to get money out of me.

Married to Alaric meant I had access to centuries worth of it, I wouldn't have said no if they'd asked genuinely.

But I was happy to be rid of them for now.

They lived on the opposite side of town, far away from me, and if I needed to, I could get to them quickly enough but not so close that they'd be a part of my life.

“Alright sis, thank you for everything,” she said with a cheer as the guys finished offloading her things in the house.

“You're welcome. Please don't get into any trouble, I don't think I can spare any more time or kindness for you. You've exhausted it,” I warned.

“I'm sorry,” she muttered, eyes downcast, but I didn't buy it.

She was upset because her plans didn't work and that's not an apology I wanted to accept.

“Goodbye.”

She opened the door and walked down slowly, a weird feeling tugging at my chest.

“I'm such an idiot. Look at me wishing she'd changed, and we could actually repair our bond,” I snapped as Kiara put the car in reverse.

“You have a big heart, Ari, don't be angry with yourself. Just know that those who deserve your forgiveness will eventually get it but people like her will always give you a reason to never let your guard down and actually take them back into your heart,” she said calmly.

And she was right.

Over the past few days, I've seen Kiara show me so much kindness that I had to catch myself several times from giving too much of my trust to her.

I wasn't holding grudges or anything, but two weeks was too short a time frame to know if she was truly repentant or preparing me for another betrayal.

But if she kept this up, I might actually end up having a genuine friendship, tried, tested but true.

Heavens know I deserve someone who has my back, not just Alaric.

“I'll have to go back next week, is that okay?” She informed me as we headed back home.

“It's fine Kiara, you don't need to keep babysitting me. Do whatever you need to do,” I told her with a smile.

“I was wondering,” she began and then paused like she was about asking for too much, but she finished regardless, “Is it too much to ask you to speak to them? Online of course,” she breathed.

“Oh of course! What do you need me to tell them?”

“Um, they just have, we have a few questions that I would appreciate having answered directly because my responses aren't doing it for them anymore.”

“I'll be happy to and I hope you know they're welcome to share the city with us, right?”

“We are? That might be disastrous, demons are everywhere,” she said, tense.

“And you keep forgetting I go to bed with one every night.”

“No, I get that, but even if I convince them, which I will, to not be antagonistic towards them, what's to stop the demons from attacking?”

“The same thing you're doing. Alaric told me about a contract thingy he had with you guys when he dropped me off. Does it work?”

“Yes but even if he hadn't held us by that, we still would have taken care of you,” she added quickly.

“Well, I'm going to hold them to that. If they want me to be their queen, which should be happening in a few days because I have to do it before giving birth, they'll have to end this stupid battle with demons. At least, when Lust demons have a normal relationship with the Fallen, others would be encouraged to stop hiding their relationships. The hypocrisy is sickening anyway,” I finished with an eye roll.

“We actually have a bigger sanctuary here in Romania. If you're okay with it… we can move the headquarters here,” she said slowly, like she was scared I was going to say no.

It was still strange being this person now; normally, nobody cared that my head produced thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

“You can move them here. It'll be better, I doubt I'll be able to travel to Russia every month for the rituals. Alaric will have a fit for sure.”

“What if he doesn't like this idea?”

“I have a few conviction tactics,” I joked with a giggle.

I heard her take a deep breath.

As she drove, I slowly fell asleep, feeling safe in her presence for the first time in a while.

Maybe because I had an alter ego that could protect me now or because it'll be stupid of Kiara to hurt me now but one thing I was sure of was that I was tired of living my life in constant fear of danger.

It was my season of peace and I was ready for it.