Thirty-Three: Exile.

KAYLA.

The truth hit me like a shockwave that even hours after Lucien had left, I was still curled up in the corner with his words echoing in my ears. I had no idea what to make of the fact that I was here because of Rafael.

A man that I trusted with my whole heart was the one to ultimately betray me. He knew of the trauma and the scars that came from being caged through my entire childhood, only for him to now do the exact same thing.

I was gutted and to be honest, I’d cried so much that it wasn’t physically possible for any more tears to come from my eyes.

It wasn’t until more than five hours had passed and night had fallen that Rafael finally came. I scented him even before he walked through the doors and my heart started to pound in my chest.

“Kayla” His voice thundered the walls, only to be followed by sheer silence.

I cupped my chin, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes. As much as I wanted to yell at him, I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word yet, even about the f