A Gift from the Goddess by Dawn Rosewood

Chapter Fifty-Three Aleric didn’t look reassured by the answer I’d given but he let me go anyway, the two of us walking back over to where Thea was laughably pretending to act scared.

I scoffed at her appearance, much to the curiosity of the warriors standing around.

Aleric ignored me and walked up to her, crouching so they were eye level. And even though I felt the urge to murder Thea more than anything in that moment, I couldn‘t help but feel a pang of distress echo inside me seeing the two of them so close together again. I knew it wasn’t remotely the same as in the past and I shouldn’t care anymore, but the reaction was involuntary. It was just more fuel for the pain I was nurturing inside. “Your name is Thea, correct?” Aleric asked.

She just nodded, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around at everyone surrounding her.

“We’ve been trying to locate you for almost a week now. Where have you been?”

Her voice was exactly the same as how I remembered it. I couldn‘t help but wonder just how good it would feel once I stopped her from being able to speak ever again. “I was attacked. Me and another girl,” she started, sounding nervous. “I think her name was Myra? She introduced herself at the shops and offered to show me around town. But that‘s when we were attacked… It was at a park down the street… a group of men came out of nowhere and… and killed the girl in front of me.”

“Why did they spare you then?” 

Her eyes watered up as she began to cry. “I don‘t know... but they took me to a camp somewhere. A cave. Tied me up and beat me. But I didn‘t want to die there in the dark. I waited until they went out for food and twisted my way out of the ropes by shifting. I–I think I‘ve dislocated my ankle. It was so dark though... I didn‘t know where I was… I’ve been walking aimlessly in the woods for days now, trying to find help.” 

I snorted. It was all so rehearsed, even the tears. As if the numerous patrols wouldn’t have found her in that time she was allegedly alone in the woods. The entire pack was on high alert scouring the area for rogues and didn‘t see her? And what was that about shifting? I swore Thea had only been a year older than me. Was she lying about that too? 

“I was so scared,” she sobbed. “I thought I was going to die. I was only meant to be here a few days and should have been home by now. Please... help me.” “And where might ‘home‘ be, Thea? Which pack?” I asked smugly, unphased by her charade unlike the others around me. This was the Thea I remembered; the manipulator. I could see how her words were making the warriors look mildly sympathetic to her situation. It was infuriating.

But I knew she would have to come clean though. There were only two answers to my question; she was either a rogue or she would be caught in a lie when no pack would be able to verify her identity.

“I don‘t belong to any pack...,” she said, turning her eyes to me. “I was mistakenly adopted and raised by humans. I’ve been trying to navigate how this all works and have only just stumbled into this world recently. I‘m sorry, I still don‘t really understand much. Did I do something wrong? Was I not meant to come here? I was only trying to find my birth family.” 

I clenched my jaw, livid at everything that sugary-sweet sounding voice was saying.

“Lies! Tell them the truth!” If that were true, then there was no way she could have avoided the private investigator for as long as she did.

Thea’s eyes widened more as she flinched away from me. “I–I‘m sorry?”

“You think I’m going to let you get away with killing Myra and waltz into this pack? I know what you are. You can’t use those tricks on me.”

impossible occurrence, but it was incredibly rare and almost unheard of. And she knew it. She purposely chose that background because it meant we wouldn’t be able to

fantasy books than anything real. As if she were a poor, average girl who just woke up one day to discover she wasn’t like all the other humans. Was this the same storyline she had fed Aleric in the previous timeline? Did he take pity on her

you‘re taking her side?” I laughed, turning my glower to him. “What a surprise there.”

to do my job and understand what’s happened. Something that you’re making incredibly difficult to do!” He got up and the two of us stood in

finally spat out slowly, glaring up at him dead

that was the final straw for him.

Now!” he roared. “You‘re off this case. Go home and cool your head.” I wanted to dispute it, to scream back at him, but I could feel this wasn‘t an ordinary demand. He‘d actually had the audacity to Alpha order me away. I could feel the wave of authority wash over me as it tried to command my movements. I didn‘t try to fight it though... I knew well enough that I would need to obey or it would only cause pain until I conformed. “Oh, and Aria?” he called just as I‘d turned my back. I didn’t turn around, choosing to remain still until he spoke. “Don’t think for a second I’m letting you

order and immediately walked

I left. “Sympathising with the murderous bitch…

escaping once more terrifying me. I needed to find a way around the

father caught my attention. I was extremely relieved to see him. He was the only other person who could possibly understand how messed up this situation all was and I knew I could trust

I yelled out, running to

said, grasping onto his arm desperately. “But Aleric has banned me from seeing her. You can’t let her get away. Please.

already explained to him in private my conclusion about her hand in Myra’s death a day or so earlier. Surely, he would realise just how important this was? Not just for avenging Myra’s death, but to possibly save me in the future too. Possibly to save countless

when

clenched his jaw before finally giving me a small nod.

would help. I felt like I was going insane being the only person who understood just how dire our situation was. Especially if she was working with

let go of his arm reluctantly. “You look tired, Aria. Go home and rest for a bit,” he

Okay...,”

do here and I was still under orders to return home. Maybe it would be okay to rest for just a little

almost as if by some miracle my stares would somehow speed up time until he’d come home. I felt I should be doing something. Anything. Not just standing around waiting. Not just standing around until Thea made her next move. Was it going to be the Aleric play next? Was this the part

so far that I‘d thought things could be different this time. That we could be equals in our contribution to the pack, not enemies. He‘d shown so much respect to

I knew that if he tried to revert back to the Aleric of the past, I wouldn‘t stand by and accept it this

suddenly came

so hard that I hadn’t heard the front door open. My father stood there,

I could feel my heart beating fast in my chest over

started, clearing his throat. “Well, she is being taken to the hospital for her injuries to be looked over.” I laughed. “Why would a prisoner be allowed access to the pack hospital?

reciprocate my humour, averting his

they take her to the cells, right? For further interrogation?” He sighed. “Aria... —.”