Kade
Disbelief.
Disbelief cloaked me like a robe when I sat beside Esmeralda with the sandwich in my hands.
What was I doing?
Trying to feed her?!
Get hold of yourself, Kade, father will not be proud of you.
It was like I could feel his presence hovering around the room, watching me with a heavy frown forming on his hardened face. The face that rarely smiled.
Despite his absence, his dangerous aura filled everywhere now, and so was his image in my head.
I could feel those blazing eyes of his on me, burning me with a look of disapproval as he watched my next action.
“Weak!”
His voice rang in my head with so much force, it was like he was here, in this room… with me.
Despite his demise, his presence brought a great deal of fear in me, making me pretend to be perfect.
Even when I wasn’t close to it.
“I didn’t raise a weakling who lets his emotions take charge of him. Drop that now and leave. Leave at once, Arcade!” His voice played in my head, and so was his scrunched-up face which watched me with disgust.
It was like I could hear him now. I could hear him speak to me with so much irritation, so much anger.
My gaze travelled from the plate in my hands to Esmeralda who watched me with raised brows and an unsettled mind, expecting me to fill her mouth with food.
A feeling of indecision clustered up in my throat. It was so hard, I couldn’t swallow it.
What do I do now?
I was left with two options.
Obey the man that shaped me into the ruthless man I had become or disobey him and take care of my mate.
Beads of sweat gathered around my forehead as many thoughts clouded my head.
“Leave her now,” His voice boomed in my head again, making me lower the plate in my hands, almost tossing it on a nearby table.
I wasn’t going to be a weakling.
“But Kade…” Tyson gritted between his canines. His unending whispers filled my head, “Don’t listen to him,”
“Don’t listen to that voice in your head, Arcade, listen to me. I didn’t know why the Moon goddess paired you with a weak wolf who lets his emotions control him,”
He had always said that when he got angry at Tyson’s decision. And it was like he was saying that now. I could hear it loud and clear.
“Kade, no…”
“Don’t interfere, Tyson,” I cut Tyson off before he could complete his sentence.
My father didn’t raise a weakling.
As if hypnotized, I dropped the plate on the table, turning away from Esmeralda to leave the room, but her shocked expression erased my father’s words.
Those beautiful amber-coloured eyes stared back at my indecisive green ones in hurt. It took no time before they began to sparkle under the bright light in the room and I knew in no time, she would break down in tears.
I didn’t want her to cry. I hated to see her cry.
But I didn’t want to appear weak before my father. Late father.
Without breaking eye contact as I was lost in the ocean of their mysteries, it didn’t take long before they magically began to soften my hardened heart, breaking off the ice on it, bit by bit.
At once, all my father’s teachings vanished from my head like they were never there.
I should assist her.
She had fallen in the wing because of me and injured herself, yet, I wasn’t going to help her?
No. I won’t listen to my father.
“Open your mouth,” I ordered, carrying the plate once more. A feeling of excitement stirred up within me as I watched a small smile play on her lips.
Why was she having so much effect on me?
Why do I feel at ease whenever she is happy?
“Arcade!” Father’s angry voice resonated in my head, making my heart skip a beat. It thundered so loud that I couldn’t miss the anger and disappointment laced in it.
But instead of me listening to him, and adhering to his teachings, I turned deaf ears, filling Esmeralda’s mouth with more sandwiches.
I’m sorry father.
While my father spent years bringing out the ruthless side of me… I was afraid, Esmeralda brought out the soft side of me within months.
A moan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, savouring the delicious taste, “This is good. I can’t believe you made this,”
“Now you do, eat up,” I hurried her, shoving the rest of the food in her mouth.
I couldn’t help but watch her as she munched the food, chewing it with so much care before swallowing it and requesting more. My gaze trailed the food in her throat as she swallowed, down to her exposed neck.
A tingling sensation shot through me at the thought of her unmarked neck.
“Thanks for the food, it was delicious,” Esmeralda smiled, pulling me out of my reverie.
I cleared my throat, erasing the thought from my head and placed a glass of water in her mouth, “Here, drink up, it will help with the ache,” I put the aspirin in her water-filled mouth, watching her swallow it before squeezing her face because of the bitter taste.
“You can sleep here for the night, but tomorrow, you will be taken to another room,”
“But why?” She asked, wondering the reason for my sudden change of mind, “I thought you wanted me here,” Her eyes were fixed on mine demanding an explanation.
“I told Jade to take you to any room apart from the pink room. I don’t know why she brought you here,” I clicked my tongue in disgust, scanning the room like it was thrash.
“If you say so. Thank you,” She muttered, yawning tiredly as she lay on the bed, about to sleep.
Time was up. I had to leave.
But I didn’t want to go.
I wanted to stay with her. To talk to her.
I wanted her to know that I wasn’t the monster she assumes me to be.
“I’m not what you think of me, Esmeralda,” I said, breaking the long silence.
“I’m not a monster,” I swallowed, observing her face that betrayed no emotions, “The girl you saw in the wing is not my prisoner, she committed no crime. She is just there because that was her fate. She has to be in there. She doesn’t belong here,”
Curiosity spread through her face like wildfire, I could feel several questions bubbling up in her head.
“If she isn’t your prisoner, then who is she? Why is she tied to a chair?”
My heart shattered into pieces at once as Amelia’s image popped into my head.
I don’t think I was ready for this conversation. I had to end it.
Conversing about Amelia’s change was the hardest thing to do. It was hard, so hard that I always avoided it.
“Who is she?” Her enchanting voice asked, as if I was under a spell, my mouth flew open with words. Words I was always afraid to say.
“She is Amelia, my little sister,”
An unsettling feeling rested on my face, arching my brows as I scanned her, waiting for a reaction.
She wasn’t surprised.
Does she know about Amelia?
“The dandelion lover?” She asked again, confirming my doubt.
Someone must have told her about Amelia.
Jade. It must be Jade, on the day she shows Esmeralda the garden.
“Who told you?” I demanded. I wanted to hear her spill Jade’s name, but I was met with silence.
Her teeth found her bottom lip, nibbling on it and her eyes met her fingers.
I could smell her fear.
She didn’t want to put Jade in trouble. She was scared of what I would do to Jade.
“Why did you lock her there?” She resumed her unending questions, raising her eyes to meet mine.
“I don’t want to go into details. It is a long story, but she is there because she can’t stay with normal people,”
“Was she born that way?”
“No. Amelia was a lively girl with a big heart,” I said, staring into space with a smirk on my face as memories of my little sister filled my head, “She was my favourite sister. It happened on the night of the Moon ball, she was abused, she was tortured, and it was so bad that it can’t be remedied. Even after many years, she doesn’t remember herself. She doesn’t remember anything, she is trapped in her head, and the only thing she remembers is the abuse. And whenever she remembers it, she screams, thinking her abuser is near,”
I thought talking about Amelia caused me more pain, but with Esmeralda, it reduced it a bit.
“Who abused her?” She sniffed, blinking hard as she was close to tears, “And why would he do so?”
My heart squeezed as Amelia’s lifeless face popped into my head.
“It was a woman,”
“I’m so sorry for judging you,” She whispered, holding my hand, but it lasted for a few seconds as the sparks sent her hands flying.
Don’t be sorry. I didn’t need anyone’s pity.
Sorry doesn’t fix anything. The deed has been done,”
Whoever did this to Amelia was going to die an excruciatingly slow death.
“That’s the reason you didn’t let anyone in the North wing,” She muttered to herself, nodding her head as things became clearer to her.
“She is locked in there because she is a threat to people and I don’t want her to harm anybody,”
Silence settled in the room for another minute. I could feel several thoughts oozing out of Esmeralda.
“I know, Alpha Kade, but locking her up is not the best way to make hee heal. If you don’t mind, Alpha…” She paused, watching me with fear and uncertainty.
“What?” I hissed, irritated by her fears.
Why was she always scared?
“If you let me, Alpha Kade, I can help her,”