Chapter 14: Chapter 14

KIARA’S POV

The packhouse seemed eerily quiet when I returned after handing the original box to Nivaan. I had this weird feeling that something was not right.

Maybe it was a gut feeling or something… The hair on my back stood and my heart pounded against my ribs…

I decided to take a tour of the entire house to make sure everything was alright. Everything seemed okay on the surface but the nagging feeling of danger persisted.

In the end, I decided to tour the house once more. There was no one else in the house and it didn’t hurt to be a little extra cautious.

My footsteps sounded in the empty halls as I went around, looking in every nook and corner. When I was in the storeroom, I was assaulted by a distinct scent of jasmines. Wasn’t Jasmine Risha’s favorite perfume?

Shaking my head, I walked into the backyard. Probably I was just overthinking. A sparkle caught my attention near the bushes. A gasp escaped my mouth when I realized that I had seen this diamond on Risha’s ring.

Was Risha here? I had searched the entire house except… except the dungeons…

I knew it was foolish but I shoved open the door and trotted down the spiraling stairs. My heart went numb and my legs turned into jelly when I saw the sight in front of me.

A tall, burly man was holding Risha in a death grip and the other was trying to take advantage of her. Her face was pale and she seemed too terrified even to call for help.

Anger flowed through my veins like hot lava. I ran to the man and grabbed his hand with all my might.

He was taken aback by the sudden impact and staggered.

“Sweet F***!” He cursed as he stabilized himself. His lips stretched into an evil smile as he said, “And here I was worrying there won’t be enough for two…”

“You B******! How dare you?” I shouted as I kicked him in the groin. His face contorted in pain and he bent over holding covering his nether region.

The other man released Risha and grabbed me. I tried hitting him and scratching him but he held me in a tight grip.

“Help! Somebody help!” I shouted repeatedly at the top of my lungs.

“Shut the mouth of that b***! We don’t want anyone coming in.” The tall man said, recovering from my hit.

The burly man’s strong hands cupped my mouth muffling my cries. My eyes swept around the dungeon looking for something that would help.

“Leave… leave her….” Risha’s weak voice sounded. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she said in a slightly firmer tone, “She is my brother’s mate… let her go… if something happens to her, my brother will be devastated…”

I was stunned by her words. I had always treated her with hatred yet here she was trying to save me. No! I couldn’t let anything happen to her. I would save her no matter what it takes.

I kicked and thrashed, struggling to get free. He kept me in a tight grip but his hand slid down my lips. Taking advantage of this, I bit him hard.

In a few moments, his hands went limp and I managed to free myself. My eyes widened in realization when I saw froth coming out of his mouth. I didn't need to look for a weapon, my bite was enough to kill these b******s!

I lunged at the other man, grasped his hand, and bit down as hard as I could. He screamed in pain but I didn’t release him. He deserved a painful death.

His body went limp and he dropped to the floor just like his comrade. Spitting out the blood that had filled my mouth, I turned to check in on Risha.

Grasping her shoulders, I asked, “Are you okay, Risha.”

She bobbed her head and buried her head in my chest. “I… I… had just come here… to meet Cami…these men caught me… they brought me here and then…” She started sobbing loudly.

“Shhhh!!! It is okay… they can’t hurt you… it is okay…” I said rubbing her back.

A vibration near my left leg drew my attention. I pulled out the phone with one hand while keeping my other hand on the small of Risha’s back.

It was a message from Nivaan. ‘It is time to execute our plan,, Meet me near the lake in five…’

I was wondering what I should do with Risha when Cami’s voice sounded, “F***! What the hell happened here?”

I pulled away and cupped Risha’s face. “Go back with Cami… ahem… I have some work to do…”

Her eyes widened in fear and she shook her head vigorously.

“Hun… I have no choice… please listen to me…”

“No… please… please don’t leave me alone…”

My heart ached when I heard her terrified voice. I wanted to stay back and support her but I didn’t have a choice…

“You don’t have to plead with this b****! I will take care of you, Rishu…” Cami said, pulling her away.

I turned on my heel and trotted out of the dungeon without sparing a single glance at her. If I looked at her, I would feel guilty for leaving her alone.

KEVIN’S POV

The moment the meeting got over, I took my BMW and drove home. I had promised my mate that we would have candlelight dinner together. I wanted to reach home quickly and cook for her.

I parked my car a little away from the packhouse to keep my arrival a secret. It would be great to surprise her after I made all the preparations.

My lips stretched into a wide smile as I took out the ring and examined it. It was inspired by the motif on the golden box, a five-petalled lily with a large ruby in the center.

The plan was to propose to her after dinner. Soul mates were a blessing of the moon goddess but that didn’t mean I couldn’t officially ask her to marry me.

I tiptoed to my room intending to change. You can imagine my surprise when I saw Cami seated on a chair. What was more Risha was sleeping on our bed.

“When did Rishu come here?” I asked, walking inside.

Cami raised her finger and placed it on her lips. Then, she extracted her hand from Risha’s grasp. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

“Risha has just slept… we mustn’t disturb her…” She said, wringing her hands. Her face was pale and her eyes reflected worry and grief.

My voice shook slightly as I asked, “What happened?”

“I need to show you something…” She said and led me to the dungeons.

I was stunned to find two strangers lying on the floor. I grabbed Cami by her shoulders and said, “You are scaring me now. Tell me what happened…”

Her face turned paler than the ghost. She licked her lips and said, “I don’t know if you believe me but I owe this to Risha… you might even start hating me after this…”

“Get to the point, Cami!” She flinched as I almost shouted.

She cleared her throat and lowered her eyes, “I was on my way to the airport when Risha texted that she was coming to the packhouse.

I wanted to say goodbye to her before leaving. So, I decided to come back…then…” her voice broke and a slight sob escaped her throat.

“Then what happened, Cami…” I prompted when she kept quiet for a long time.

“I heard a scream from the dungeon and came down to investigate… These two men were trying to take advantage of Risha… while Kiara…”

“What happened to Kiara… I didn’t see her… is she alright…”

“Kiara was sitting there watching them molest your sister…. I have a feeling she had hired those goons…”

Blinded by fury, I slapped her and shouted, “You are lying… Kiara would never do that to my sister…”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me… you only care about your mate… If I hadn’t come on time… God knows what would have happened… If you care even a bit about Risha  ask the guards who send them away…” Cami said between sobs and ran out of the dungeon.

Her words kept ringing in my ears long after she left. I was so happy that I hadn’t noticed the absence of the guards. Could Kiara go to such an extent?

I felt like someone had stabbed my heart with a thousand knives. The pain radiated all over my body plunging me into a sea of misery.

My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. A blood-curdling scream escaped my mouth. Tearing my hair, I shouted, “Why Kiara? Why? I did everything I could yet you go around hurting my family as if they mean nothing to you… as if I don’t mean anything to you…”

The grief, pain, and guilt filled my heart to a level that I felt, I would burst. It would have been better if Kiara had let me die yesterday. How would I face mom, dad, and my baby sister now?