RALPH
Keilah’s sudden movement caught me off guard, my heart pounding with confusion. I instinctively moved to intercept her, my every fibre urging me to shield her, but she held up a hand, halting me in my tracks. Surprisingly, I did so.
“Ralph,” she said, her voice surprisingly calm amidst the chaos surrounding us. “I need to talk to him.”
Her words sent a shiver down my spine, a sense of foreboding settling over me like a heavy blanket. But before I could voice my protest, she stepped forward, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on Damien.
“Damien,” she began, her voice resonating with a quiet authority that demanded attention. “I understand your pain. I know you’ve suffered unimaginable loss. But seeking revenge will not bring your wife back. It will only perpetuate the cycle of pain and suffering.”
Damien’s expression softened slightly at her words, a fleeting moment of uncertainty crossing his features. But it was swiftly replaced by a steely resolve, his jaw tightening with determination.
“What do you know, human,” he growled, his voice dripping with bitterness. “You can’t possibly comprehend the depth of my grief, the agony of losing someone you love.”
Keilah’s eyes softened with sympathy, her hand reaching out towards him. I felt a pang of disbelief. “I may not understand your pain, Damien,” she said softly, “but I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. And I also know that revenge will only consume you, turning you into the very thing you despise.”
“What the hell is going on here?” I muttered, frustration mounting as I placed a hand on my forehead. Unable to endure any more of this shit, I stepped forward, scooping her up and swiftly carrying her out of the bloodsuckers’ territory.
“Wait, I’m still talking to him,” Keilah murmured continuously over my shoulder, her voice growing weaker until I felt her body go limp.
As we exited Damien’s castle with Andrew and others following close behind, waves of gratitude washed over me. I turned to Andrew and his members, along with mine, thankful for their aid. “I’ll shift and take Keilah with me,” I said, but was immediately cut off by Dahlia and Jay.
“No, Alpha. You’re not in a state to run that distance,” Dahlia asserted firmly. “You need to heal properly. So you’ll use the car.”
I was about to protest, but Andrew placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “They’re right, man. Shifting into your wolf isn’t a good idea with all that silver poison still in your body. I’ll ride you to the car. And I’ll carry Keilah,” Dahlia added.
Unable to argue any further, I reluctantly accepted their reasoning. Dahlia was the first to shift, and I carefully laid Keilah onto her back.
With Keilah on Dahlia’s back, we sprinted down the hill and to where the car was. As the rest of the members dispersed into the forest, we too, keilah by my side, Dahlia and Jay behind the wheels took off.
As the first rays of dawn began to paint the sky with hues of pink and orange, we finally reached the grounds of the pack house.
As we pulled up, I could see Andrew and the other members already arrived and gathered outside, their expressions a mix of relief.
I took Keilah in my hands to take her inside for medical attention. But as I took a few unsteady steps towards the house, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, my vision blurring at the edges.
“Ralph!” Andrew’s voice rang out with alarm as I stumbled, struggling to maintain my balance. Keilah’s weight felt heavier in my arms.
“Alpha!” Dahlia’s voice joined the chorus of other members’ concern, their footsteps quickening as they rushed to my side. But it was already too late. My legs gave way beneath me, and I collapsed to the ground, Keilah still cradled in my arms.
***
As the strong scent of herbs invaded my nostrils, I groaned, feeling the discomfort of the nauseous smell. Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking away the haze of unconsciousness.
I found myself in Isabella’s room, the familiar surroundings offering a small comfort. She stood by the bedside staring down at me.
“Ralph, are you awake?” Her voice cut through the fog in my mind.
With a start, I jolted upright, a sudden rush of panic coursing through me as Keilah’s name knocked my head. But before I could make it to the door, Isabella’s voice cut through the turmoil, halting me in my tracks.
“Keilah is very fine, Ralph,” she said, her words a balm to my frayed nerves. “She was worried about you.”
Relief flooded through me like a tidal wave, washing away the remnants of fear and uncertainty. I sank back onto the bed, running a hand through my dirty, messy hair, the tension slowly easing from my shoulders.
“How long was I out?” I asked her, my voice rough with disuse.
“Some good long hours,” she replied, sinking down next to me with a weary sigh. “How are you feeling?”
“Other than your sickening herbs, I’m better now,” I grumbled, rubbing my temples. “I’m just worried about Keilah. She got Andrew’s bite, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.”
I expected Isabella to be shocked or alarmed, but instead, she smiled, her expression oddly serene. Frowning, I asked, “Is this something to smile at?”
“Don’t get me wrong, son,” she began, her voice gentle. “I’m just happy to see you getting worried about her.”
“It’s surprising, isn’t it?” I mused. “She’s my mate, after all. Thanks to my wolf, I learnt to accept it and can’t stand her being away from me.
“Does that mean you don’t have any grudges against humans anymore?” Isabella inquired, her eyes searching mine.
“Hell no.” I said, my face turning dead serious.
“Keilah is different,” I continued, my voice tinged with bitterness. “But that doesn’t change how I feel about the rest of them. The wounds inflicted by them still festered within me, raw and unhealed.
Before Isabella could utter a word, there was a knock at the door, followed by the creak of it as it swung open, revealing Keilah with Dahlia trailing behind her. “Can we talk?” Keilah said as she stepped inside.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Isabella interjected gracefully, excusing herself and closing the door behind her.
As Keilah began to speak, I interrupted her by pulling her onto my lap, feeling her warmth against me. Pressing my face into her neck, I inhaled deeply, invigorated by her scent. Surprised, she brought her small hands behind my back, offering gentle taps of comfort. “It’s alright. You’re safe now.”
After a fleeting moment, we parted, and she settled on the bed beside me. Her eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
“There’s something I need to ask you,” she began, her voice steady. “And I need the truth from you.”
“Okay,” I replied, though a knot of apprehension tightened in my chest.
“Why did you rape that vampire’s wife?”
Her question hit me like a freight train, and I struggled to keep my composure.
“Raping her was horrifying enough, but then you killed her. Why? Was that just another dark deed in your repertoire?”
I swallowed hard. The weight of her accusation hit me like a physical blow. “Did Damien tell that?” I asked, my voice barely audible above a whisper. “Did you actually believe him?”
“What? Did I believe him?” Her tone brimmed with disbelief and anger. “Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I when you did the same thing to me? Did you already forget?”
Her words pierced through me like daggers. She was right, and I couldn’t deny it.
“You’re right,” I admitted, the bitterness of truth lingering on my tongue. “I haven’t forgotten. But let’s not use the word ‘rape’ here. It wasn’t about malice or cruelty. You’re my mate, Keilah. At that moment, I felt a primal need to claim you, to possess you, and I would do it again if I had to.”
I reached out to touch her hand gently, hoping to find some understanding in her eyes. She recoiled at my touch. “I don’t regret it,” I continued, my tone serious. “So don’t expect any apology from me.”
Her gaze bore into mine, a tempest of anger, hurt, and disbelief swirling in her eyes. The turmoil within her was palpable, almost tangible. “I can’t believe you,” she whispered, her voice laced with pain before exhaling a long, heavy sigh. With her head bowed for a moment, she then turned back to face me.
“Okay,” she began, her tone a mixture of resignation and yearning, “I understand that’s your nature, and I can’t change that. But please, tell me what humans did to you. I’m your mate, aren’t I? Of course I am. Because I feel it deep in my soul every time I see you, every time I’m close to you.” And it drives me crazy that I feel this way, yet I should be hating you. And I do hate you. I don’t like you. Or maybe I do. I don’t know what I am anymore. She said, her words laden with the weight of conflicted emotions.
“It’s infuriating,” she continued through gritted teeth, her eyes burning with intensity. “Even amidst all this hurt and anger, there’s this relentless yearning for you. It’s like a relentless ache in my soul, a craving that refuses to be ignored.”
She paused, her gaze locking with mine once more, as if seeking some form of redemption in my gaze. “I hate you, Ralph,” she spat out, her voice laced with vitriol. “No, I want to hate you,” she corrected herself, her tone softening slightly as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “But I can’t. And I don’t know how to make sense of that.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips, mingling with the tears that threatened to spill over. “That’s how much of a mess my life has become since I stepped into your world,” she admitted, her voice raw with emotion. You made my life a fucking mess, Ralph.
Feeling the weight of her words, I reached out to her, my touch gentle yet firm as I pulled her closer. With a tenderness born from a depth of emotion I couldn’t fully articulate, I pressed my lips against hers in a soft, reassuring kiss.
As I kissed her, a surge of conflicting emotions washed over me – the pain of her hurt, the intensity of her longing, and the overwhelming emotions swirling within her. I broke the kiss and gently cradled her face in my hands, my palms warm against her skin as I met her gaze.
“I feel it too, mate,” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath, as I held her gaze steady with mine. “I hate that I’ve hurt you, but I can’t deny the pull you have on me. It’s as if our souls were suddenly intertwined, bound together in ways I can’t begin to fathom.”
Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself, ready to bear the truth that had long been buried within me. “And as for my loathing towards humans,” I began, my voice steady despite the agitation churning within me, “it stems from a past filled with betrayal and loss. But I’m ready to share that with you, to let you in completely.”