Chapter 23 The Shadow Of His Father

Chapter 23 The Shadow Of His Father


I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I knew one thing—Malik was afraid of his father. That is the only explanation for the fear in his eyes.

Malik sat frozen, his gaze locked on Jessica. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then finally, his voice broke the silence.
"Why is he coming?"

"To meet the new Luna, of course. Why else would he come?" She grinned, as if it were wonderful news.

"I told you…" He stood abruptly, his voice heavy with fury. "I told you I don’t want him around, and you promised he wouldn’t come. You promised!"

Jessica flinched, startled by his sudden rage. "Malik, I’m not in control of what he does. I didn’t tell him to come. He decided that himself. How is that my fault?"

"You fucking promised!" He roared again, towering over her. "You promised me. You know I don’t—" He stopped, his eyes shifting suddenly to me. "Go to the room, Eli."

I said nothing, not because I was scared, but because I didn’t want to argue. I walked away while his shouting grew louder behind me.

Even upstairs, I could still hear his voice. I couldn’t make out the words, but the tone was different this time. Not his usual anger—something darker, far more terrifying.

At the top of the stairs, Steven pulled me aside. He dragged me into Malik’s room and shut the door behind us.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" I snapped. "If Malik finds you here, he’ll kill you."

"Not before his father kills him."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Malik’s father is a crazy man, and not mad-crazy. He’s worse than Malik."

"How do you know that?"

"Conrad, Malik’s Beta just told me. I’m telling you, Malik's father is evil. One that you need to stay away from."

"That’s why Malik doesn’t want him around?" I wondered 

"Maybe." Steven shrugged. "All I know is, when he comes, you’d better be ready for the worst."

"What’s going to happen?" I asked, fear creeping into my voice.

"I don’t know. And even if I did, it’s not my story to tell." He leaned down and pressed his lips gently to my forehead. "Make sure you avoid him at all costs." 

Then he walked out of the room.

I couldn’t stop the thoughts from spiraling. His words echoed in my mind again and again. Now I was truly afraid—because if Malik was terrified, and if Steven had risked everything just to warn me, then whatever was coming was something intense. Something I wasn’t sure I could handle.

I waited for a moment, hoping Malik would come back so I could ask him questions about his father, but when he didn’t return on time, I decided to just let it be.

I headed into the closet, changed into my nightie, and then went to bed, still thinking about everything. I could still hear Malik yelling, though I couldn’t make out the words. That alone only added to my fear. I had never seen Malik like that before, and it scared me deeply, leaving a mark I couldn’t shake.

As I kept thinking about it, my body slowly began to sink into the bed. I hadn’t planned on sleeping, and I didn’t even realize when sleep finally took over me completely.

~

“We have to go, Eli. He’s coming,” Malik said, his voice shaken.

“Who are you talking about?” I asked.

“My father. We have to leave, because if he comes here and finds you, he won’t spare you.” Malik pulled my hand, dragging me along with him.

I started running beside him, my heart racing, but out of nowhere his father appeared before us. He looked nothing like Malik and, just as Steven had said, he looked completely unhinged.

He was holding a pistol, and he pointed it at Malik. “You think you can run away from me?” he scoffed. “No. There is no running.” Without another word, he pulled the trigger and shot Malik. Malik fell to the ground, barely breathing.

My heart dropped to my stomach. Then his father’s hand seized mine, pulling me roughly toward him. His eyes widened with a disturbing light. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

He raised the pistol again and aimed it directly at me.

I started screaming, begging him to let me go, but he wouldn’t. His grip only tightened, and just like that, he pulled the trigger.

~

I jolted upright, my heart racing out of my rib cage. I glanced at the clock and saw it was 6 a.m. which meant it had only been a dream. When I turned to my left, my heart hammered even harder, Malik sat on the edge of the bed, staring at me.

"What?" I asked panicked 

"You kept mumbling, it’s disturbing."

I sighed catching my breath. "You’re weird. I was only mumbling because of you."

"How so?"

"I can’t stop thinking about your father and I had this stupid dream.…" My voice broke as I sighed letting my head down "What’s gonna happen when he comes?"

Malik’s expression changed "Nothing. Nothing will happen to you."

"I didn’t say it was to me." I replied "But now it makes me wonder if it’s to me."

He didn’t say a thing, he just stared at me for a moment and then said "You should go back to sleep, Eli."

"I can’t sleep, can’t you see it." I throw the covers as I crawled to him "I haven’t even met your father but I’m going crazy thinking about it. Tell me, what’s going on? Why were you acting at way toward him coming?"

Malik doesn’t respond, I pressed further "Tell me, Malik, what’s going on?"

Still, he remained silent.

"Malik…" I started but he quickly cuts me off 

"Don’t talk about my father again." 

I opened my mouth to speak but he quickly added completely shutting me out "Whatever doubts you have in your mind, live with it, don’t ask me anything again about him." He turned away to leave but his actions halted when the sound of a car driving into the compound roared throughout the place.

His heart dropped, he quickly rushed to the window and glanced only to pull back hurriedly "He’s here." He whispered.