Chapter 31 Achilles Heel
When Kian approached Raina, he never expected those words to come out of her mouth. This place that he had built for Mia would’ve been Raina’s coffin. For years, he had tended to the beautification of the pond. For years, he had been building the perfect place for his fated mate to die in. The last time he had slept with Mia could’ve taken away the best thing in his life.
He hadn’t thought about how this place impacted Raina. He didn’t think how it hurt her. It never occurred to him that Mia’s personal touch and essence continued to breathe life into this pack house. Whenever he passed through these hallways and these gardens, he didn’t see the things Raina did. He just blew it off without realizing the emotional impact. He had moved on from it, but Raina couldn’t move beyond it.
Now that he watched over her from where he sat in his armchair as she slept in his bed, he thought about all the things that Mia’s existence still touched. Mia had been a part of his life and this pack house for years. Her essence was very much tangled in these life of these walls and he had been so blind.
Mia had been the one to select the duvet and bed sheets in his room. She was in the curtains hanging elegantly around the windows. She even selected the wallpaper in the newly renovated library. She had chosen the figurines and picture frames on his desk in the personal office.
Shame and disgust settled within him. Nausea threatened, but he leaned forward, letting his elbow perch on his knees while his hands cradled his face. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Tears prickled his eyelids until he felt tears roll down his cheeks.
He hadn’t even cried when Mia broke up.
He had cried over his mother when she tried escape the pain and take her life. If it hadn’t been for Raina, he would’ve never got to her on time. She hadn’t been answering her phone, but he knew where she was. If it hadn’t been for Raina following her instincts, he would’ve lost her. He had gotten in touch with a renown psychologist to speak to his mother and the moment he came for her first session he knew that his mother’s recovery would be a beautiful road.
He had watched her recover with the love of her fated mate, helping her work through the pain of betrayal. Her mate’s presence also helped her mother understand why his father couldn’t stay away from Deidre by her own growing relationship with her mate.
Kian took the time to observe Deidre and his father’s relationship from afar until he came to them with his mother and her fated mate by her side. He had brought Deidre flowers and embraced her, welcoming her into the family. His eyes went to his father, who had his own tears in his eyes, as he held Deidre in his arms as she cried into his chest.
He had cried then, but he didn’t cry for Mia. He didn’t cry when she was gone. That was when he started to question everything and had these discussions with Sebastian then his parents and their fated mates. Why had it been so easy to let go of Mia when she had been his life for years?
It didn’t make sense. He almost felt relief when she left to start up her life elsewhere. He had hoped that she would find her place out there and find her happiness away from Crimson Moon. For awhile guilt and shame ate at him until suspicion started to seep into his bones.
When Sterling came to examine Raina, she couldn’t even find anything wrong with her physically. He had explained what had happened and he watched Sterling’s heart shatter in her eyes. She had never told her she thought she was going to die alone or that she welcomed death.
Raina had protected everyone from her pain… at least she tried to, not realizing how important she was to everyone.
“Sebastian,” he whispered. He didn’t bother looking over his Beta. He hadn’t left yet after Sterling’s departure. “I need you start destroying that pond. I want it to look unrecognizable.”
He finally looked over at Sebastian who smirked at his request. Sebastian only nodded his head in agreement. Kian glanced back over at his bed as he watched his mate sleep.
“This entire pack house is getting a makeover,” he told Sebastian just as he made a move to leave. “When she awakes, she’ll be in charge of it. Whatever she says goes.”
He heard the door open and shut when Sebastian left. His eyes never left her sleeping form. This pack house would be going through some necessary changes, because he never realized Mia still haunted the walls of this place. The words of warning from Ridley and Jayce burned into his skull.
The world would know the truth.
Raina was his fated mate and his Luna.
He would go through hell to be worthy of her. He would protect them from their enemies that believed they were so cunning to hide in the shadows and darkness, but he had been setting traps. They had been slipping up for awhile and he’d been keeping count even if nobody realized he was hunting.
Let them believe that he didn’t know. An Alpha protecting his Luna was customary. An Alpha protecting his fated mate was dangerous and lethal. The combination of his fated mate being his Luna was a death sentence to anyone who dared to threaten her. They played to win, but he played to eliminate the threat at all cost. There would be no mercy in the end.
Mia wasn’t as sweet and innocent as she presented herself. She did after all come from a bloodline that was just as savage and power hungry as an Alpha’s rite of passage. The more she played her games and hid behind her mask of innocence, the more he realized she had been an illusion all along.
When Raina finally awoke, it had been well beyond midnight. Kian had barely registered that the sunlight had disappeared from the floorboards and the softness of moonlight kissed the floor until it bowed to Raina, crowning her with moonbeams. He had torn down the curtains himself, ripping the offending fabric from where it had been hanging on the wall. The intricate curtain rods and little designer elements were no longer there.
He had even replaced the duvet and bed sheets with a new clean set. He had requested a maroon set to be bought during the day. Within the hour, the maids had come in, requesting to change the bedding. He had quickly scooped Raina up in his arms and waited for the bed to be made.
Once the deed was done, the maids had blushed when he had thanked them for their service. He didn’t even mind that they had watched him tenderly put Raina back into his bed. He wanted everyone to know that he cared tenderly for her. He wanted that to be spread on the lips and tongues of gossip.
Now that he realized Mia still lived and breathed in this pack house, he wanted every trace of her out and he wouldn’t relax until he accomplished it. He wanted Raina’s essence to be resonate within these walls.
Dazed, Raina sighed as she looked about his bedroom. Her eyes took in the torn up curtains. Even her hands gingerly patted the new bedding before her eyes met his in slight confusion.
“Do you like it?” He asked her from where he sat still in his chair.
She swallowed, taking the intensity in his eyes. “Like what?”
“The new bedding.”
Her eyes once again glanced at the bedding. Her fingers touched the fabric. “It’s more your style,” she said with a slight smile. He nodded his head at that assessment. “What’s with the sudden change--”
“When I realized that her ghost is haunting this place,” he told her simply. His eyes locked on hers, watching the deep hurt flash within her. Her soul wouldn’t lie to him now and he wouldn’t let her hide from him anymore. “This a place — your home — won’t be your coffin. This territory won’t be your graveyard. Do you hear me, Raina? I ‘m not letting death have you. You’re mine.”
Raina’s eyes widened at that declaration. Her mouth opened to speak, but he shook his head. He had been following her lead, but it was time to follow a new path. They were wasting time with all these misunderstandings. They made such a successful and productive Alpha-Beta team, because they were clear with one another and there was clear direction.
It was time he took the lead. He rose to his feet. Eyes still pinning her in place as he walked towards his bed. There was a flicker of concern within those cognac depths, but he was proud that she stayed put, meeting his steady stare. That was what he loved about her. She faced things head on… except when it had to do with him.
She still tried to run from him. She still tried to escape, thinking that he’d allow her to hurt alone. The only thing she ever stubbornly resisted him on was the true nature of their relationship. She had made decisions without consulting him and he had tried to be patient, trying to earn her trust and her heart.
There were moments he thought they had a breakthrough and then something would happen. He would screw up. Her secrets. There was just too much moving in the shadows and darkness. Along with the appearance of this witch runner, his fated mate shattering before him, the conniving Amato bloodline trying to wield power they thought they had, the pressure from the Elder Council, and the World Council’s inevitable interference were all heavy on his back.
The floorboards creaked beneath his feet as he reached the edge of the bed. His body loomed over the bed. His shadow overtook her form, but her eyes continued to stay on his. The warrior in her stood ground. The warrior refused to look away.
But every warrior had an Achilles heel.
He was hers and she was his.
It was time to change that weakness into a strength.
“Mate, you’ve kept your secrets long enough,” he growled low. The Alpha in him came to the surface. Panic flared within her and her breathing quickened. He quickly captured her chin to keep her in place when she attempted to break eye contact. “You have some explaining to do.”