Kiera sat back in her chair and sighed. The sun was warm, a little too warm, but the one thing she loved about the sun was how it had the capacity of making her forget the cold days. It was almost as if the horrors she endured never even happened. The only reminder that they did was the empty space in her heart that belonged to Kane, and that would forever remain vacant. It took her a long time to feel normal again, even after finding out that Simone and Mikael hadn’t died that day. It was all a big shock to her, and although she had every reason to feel normal, she didn’t. She couldn’t get the image of Celia’s body out of her mind, and it was strange that that was the scene that haunted her the most, apart from the two of them cutting her neck with a knife and leaving behind a scar that she would bear forever. With Simone and Mikael’s help, though, she began feeling better. Leaving town helped. In fact, the change of atmosphere and the drastic improvement of the weather was enough
Aaron Rogers made a gesture with his gloved hand. "Bring him forward," he announced.His assistant, Simone, tugged at the chain in her hand and the man before her stood. He was a tall fellow dressed in tattered clothing and his shaggy hair was matted to his head. It was dirty with leaves and dry twigs. He glanced warily at Simone before turning to Aaron. He put his bony hands together and said in a deep, hoarse voice, "Please, I beg of you. My children. Set them free.""Name?" Aaron enquired, ignoring him.He gulped and licked his cracked lips. "Sam."Aaron wrote it down on his ledger and underlined it. "How many in your pack?""We are not a pack," he answered, shifting from one foot to another. "We live in these forests by ourselves. We have a small cabin. We don't bother anyone.""How many in your immediate family?""Please," the man said, nearing the table. Simone pulled the chain forcefully and the man stumbled and fell to his knees. Aaron put a hand up and she stopped jerking the
Kiera slammed her glass down on the counter and thought of ordering another shot but decided against it. She drank more than enough. Another shot would make her stumble out of the bar. The thought was appealing. She didn't consider herself a reckless person; she never did anything irresponsibly. But the argument she had with Jared was still on her mind after two days and she was desperate to flush it out. If a good hangover didn't take care of it, she didn't know what would. She asked for the bill instead of a drink, though. Going home to an empty house wasn't appealing in the slightest but it was all she had. It was getting late and she had work in the morning. She stepped down from the stool and buttoned her coat. She looked around the bar once but didn't see anything or anyone interesting. She had planned on talking to someone new or meeting someone who would at least have kept her entertained the whole night but she had no luck. She felt incredibly alone at that moment. With
"I-I..." Kiera trailed off, looking into his eyes.He patiently waited for her to finish her sentence. She couldn't find her words. She felt embarrassed for stammering and she couldn't help but wonder what he thought about her.She had to get a grip and fast."I'm—""Shaken up," he finished for her. She nodded gratefully. Yes, that was one way of putting it. Behind him, the employees were returning to the store. She looked at the mess the guys and caused and she groaned helplessly."I could call the police," he suggested. She turned to him again. "They can't have gone far. And who knows? They might have a record."She thought quickly. Did she really want to spend the rest of her evening in a police station? She was exhausted as it is and she had a fair amount to drink. If they tested her and she exceeded the permissible limit by even a little, she'd be arrested for misconduct. They might even blame her for the whole incident. So she shook her head. "No, I think I'll go home. I'll figu
Kiera's pounding head woke her.The first thing she did was check the time. Her phone said 10:30. She hadn't expected to sleep till so late but she spent an unnecessarily long time looking up Mikael. She couldn't accept that there was nothing on him.She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and made her way downstairs in her nightgown. Simone usually woke up at around eight so she already had breakfast, probably. Kiera would have to have her breakfast alone.Simone was in the kitchen prepping lunch. She was sawing a kitchen in half and the sight made Kiera squirm. She looked up and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. "You look like you went to hell and back.""I feel like it," she admitted. "Do we have ibuprofen? Advil?"Simone shook her head in disapproval. "I'll fetch it. You just wait here. Do you want to have your breakfast now or later?""Now, please. I need to get started on work. I'm already behind." She looked around. From the kitchen, she had a full view of the sitting room an
Kiera and Mikael left the station side by side.She felt better about filing the complaint. The police reassured her that they would do anything they could to find the men who harassed her. Mikael was a good witness and the great part was that he remembered some of the men's faces. Two portraits were made. It was good progress."I can't thank you enough," she began, "Thank you for taking the time to help me with this.""I'm happy to help," he said, flashing her his bright smile, "and please, do not hesitate to contact me again.""I won't," she replied, blushing. Spending the day with him had made her heart grow fonder. Yes, she was aware that she had only met him the previous night and that falling in love with a stranger had its complications but she couldn't stop. She felt strongly toward him and perhaps it was because he saved her when she needed it most but also because he showed up at the most opportune moment. She wasn't with Jared anymore and she was looking for someone to spen
Kiera opened the door and Simone was immediately upon her. "Where were you?" she asked angrily.Kiera looked at her with a guilty expression. Simone had her hands on her hips and was looking at her expectantly. Kiera knew how upset she got when she didn't give her word for hours on end. "I-" Simone interrupted her. "You disappear with a stranger and don't even bother to answer your phone! Do you know how anxious I've been? I sent Kane after you. He still isn't back. I'll have to call him to tell him you're home." Her phone. She hadn't checked it since she left the station. It made her feel worse. "I'm sorry, Simone. I should've called. It's just that the man who accompanied me to the station invited me for lunch and I lost track of time."She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It was almost comical. "You mean the one who rescued you last night.""Yes, him. I'm glad you remember.""I'm old but not that old if that's what you're implying." It wasn't, but there was no arguing with Simone
Kiera woke up in the morning somewhat disoriented. Sunlight was streaming through the window she forgot to close last night and the sun was in her face. As much as she loved the sun, she hated it when she didn't close her curtains. She got up from bed and closed it although she usually opened it in the mornings. She checked the time on the alarm clock on her nightstand and saw that it was a little past ten. She was filled to the brim with optimism after Mikael's call but now she was hesitant and a little concerned. She had neglected her work for too long and she knew that sooner or later, she'd be let go if she didn't do something about it. She slacked off for too long. She was supposed to make the most of the week to really catch up but she had dinner with Mikael. She couldn't and wouldn't cancel on him—she was eager to see him and nothing would stop her, not even the threat of losing her job, but she had to get a grip on herself and not spend the afternoon thinking about him as sh