KIARA’S POV
I was stunned to see Dr. Grimson in the dungeon. He looked so scared and helpless. He was the one who took care of me in the hospital. He gave me hope in despair. He taught me that our life’s purpose could extend beyond selfish goals. He inspired me to take care of the ones in need. I couldn’t let him suffer even if it meant fighting with all the Gilkins.
I knew I could convince him to help us willingly. I led him to the packhouse intending to take him to the room I used while I was here but was stopped at the entrance.
“Where do you think you are going?” Cami said placing her hands on either side of the doorway to block me.
“I am taking Doctor Grimson to my room…”
She snorted and shook her head before saying, “YOUR room? Alpha Gilkins has just postponed the wedding. He didn’t permit you to live here…”
I gave her hand a slight shove and walked right inside, “I don’t need permission, honey. I can stay here for as long as I want.”
She raised her hand to slap me but I grabbed it and twisted it behind her back. I had to say I was getting better at this specific move.
“Kiara! Leave her right now!” Kevin’s mom said, trotting down the stairs. “Why are you here?”
I didn’t feel like letting Cami go but I still released her since mom had said. I smiled at her and said, “Aren’t you happy to see your daughter-in-law?”
“Get one thing straight, Kiara. There might have been a time when I persuaded my son to give you a chance but now… I don’t even want to see your face… Kevin deserves someone better than you… Just get the hell out of my house…”
Her words sliced through my heart like a knife. I didn’t want to argue with mom. So, I jumped straight to the point, “I am sorry mother… but you can’t tell me to leave. Let me remind you that Kevin put 50% of all his property under my name. So, I can stay here for as long as I want…”
Without waiting for a reply, I grasped Dr. Grimson’s hand and took him straight to my room.
“How do you know these monsters?” Dr. Grimson asked the moment we were alone…
If I wanted him to help me, I had to tell him the truth. I cleared my throat and said, “Do you remember the man you saw with me in the dungeon?”
“How can I forget him? I used my fatal karate move on him but he didn’t even wince…”
“That is because he is a werewolf…”
His eyebrows furrowed and he exclaimed, “What in the bloody hell is that?”
“We can shift into our wolf forms at will…”
He licked his parched lips and stuttered, “Don’t toy with me, Kiara. Tell me what you guys really want…”
“I am not kidding Dr. Grimson. I swear.”
“If you want to keep bluffing…,” he started saying but then his eyes widened and a shudder coursed through him as he remembered something. His voice shook with fear as he managed to stutter, “That man… I remember his face… his canines had elongated just… just… what do you want with me… please let me go… I don’t want to die…”
I grasped his hand and said in a soothing voice, “No one will hurt you, Dr. Grimson. We just need your help… we will let you go once our work is done…”
He shook his head frantically and muttered, “how can I trust you?”
“You saved my life doctor. I promise I will keep you safe…,” I said, giving him my best smile. But, he didn’t react. He seemed quite shaken up. So, I asked him to shower and went to get some food.
I did shut the door behind me. I didn’t want him to run and get hurt in the process. I was taking out some fruits from the fridge when Cami’s voice sounded behind me, “You can’t take anything from the fridge. We bought it and cooked and unfortunately it was not added to the 50% of shares…”
I looked at her incredulously and shook my head, “Don’t tell me we are doing this now… you will stop me from eating food!”
I placed an apple and a few bananas and shut the door of the fridge. I placed the tray on the granite platform and reached out my hand to take a knife when Cami swatted my hand away and snatched the tray from me.
She didn’t seem like she was about to relent and I was too exhausted. So, I said, “ Whatever… I will get food from outside…” and started leaving but she blocked my way.
“Why are you wasting your time? Do you really think Kevin will choose you over me, his childhood friend?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her ignorance. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said, “I am sure he will choose me. After all, I am his soulmate…”
Her eyes turned red with anger and something flashed in them. I don’t know what but the next moment intense pain coursed through me. I groaned as I held my stomach and bent over.
“Stay away from Kevin!” She warned before storming out of the kitchen.
The pain subsided when she left. Had she done that? I couldn’t say for sure. It seemed so illogical. Werewolves didn’t have that kind of power.
I rushed to Kevin’s bedroom only to find him caressing the Golden Box. Sensing my presence, he looked up and said, “Could you wait here for a while. Father has asked for this box urgently. I will hand it over and return…”’
I grasped his hand to stop him in his steps. He placed his hand on my cheek and ran the pad of his thumb along my jaws saying, “I will be back in a moment.”
I licked my lips and blurted out, “This box is fake.”
His forehead creased in confusion and he asked, “How do you know?”
“Ummm…. Ariana made me switch the boxes…”
“F***! No! What have you done? What will I tell my father?”
My heart twisted with guilt when I saw his distraught expression. “I am sorry, Kevin. She threatened to kill my parents… I was helpless…”
“Hmm… I don’t blame you… but…”
His words remained in his throat as Alpha Andrew’s voice sounded in the doorway, “What is the hold-up, Kevin? I told you it is urgent…” He stopped speaking on seeing me.
He looked at me from top to bottom before taking the box from Kevin and storming out. We didn’t get a chance to tell him that the box was not the real one.
“Do you think father will open the box and see like right away?”
“Umm… I don’t think so… it is mostly for show… he told me that it sends a secret warning…”
I let out a sigh of relief and said, “That is great. We can just switch it back with the original one…”
“Didn’t you give that to Ariana?”
“No, I didn’t. I switched the contents of the box before giving it to Nivaan…”
“What was in the box?”
“Just a piece of paper with an address…”
Kevin frowned and said, “All this hue and cry… just for a piece of paper with an address? You got to be kidding me…”
Now that I thought about it, it did seem weird, “Maybe the address is the key to something. With everything going around we must go and check this place out…”
Kevin closed in on me from behind and buried his head in the crook of my neck. His even breathing against my skin made me shudder but in a good sort of way.
“What do you think we should do with Doctor? We can’t keep him locked in the dungeon…”
“Hmm…” He muttered against my skin as he left a trail of kisses along my neck.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and said, “What are you doing, Kevin? If someone comes in…”
“Oh… yeah… I almost forgot…,” Kevin said pulling away abruptly. He was beside the door in a flash and closed it…
I raised my eyebrows and took a step backward. “I don’t think this is a good idea, Kevin…”
He closed in on me so that we were mere inches apart. Cupping my face, he said in a pained voice, “Please don’t stop me, Kiara… I have waited for so long… I just want to forget everything and live this moment with you…”
I opened my lips to speak something but I forgot everything when his lips met mine. I had spent so much time denying this that I didn’t want to wait anymore either.
That night we broke all barriers and got lost in sweet passion uniting with each other in every way possible…