KALIA
I swallowed at Darren mother’s words. She looked angry and very much terrifying from over there where she stood.
I don’t know what to expect from her now that she’s in this mood.
She must’ve probably heard from my parents that Darren and I are in a relationship and judging from the looks of things, I don’t think she’s quite happy or ready to accept that.
"Darren," I whispered his name in fear as I tried to pull my hands away from his grip but he held on tighter, refusing to let go.
"I think it’s best that I stay here while you go ahead to sort this out with your mother and father first. She doesn’t seem quite happy to see me here and I don’t want to make things worse for you than it already is."
"And then what? Do you really expect me to leave you out here and have you cower in front of all of them in shame?" He whispered back, his eyes peering down at me with nothing short of anger and determination.
"You are going to be my wife soon and whatever happens tonight, we’d face it together."
"This isn’t the time for pep talks and technically, we’re not really married to each other so I don’t want to complicate things." I retorted.
"She is clearly angry and furious at both of us right now—"
"And what makes you think that running away or hiding out here would solve it?" He countered.
"I’m not leaving you out here Kalia. It’s either you come with me to meet her or we both leave together. Your choice."
I weighed my options. I didn’t like the fact that he had put me in the spot but what would I do?
I was already feeling guilty that I had dragged him into this and if I should decide to leave and he follows then I would be blamed for that too.
I didn’t want to complicate matters more than I already have so I felt that the safest option at this point would be to follow him.
"Let’s go then." I muttered and with that, we made our way towards the entrance of the mansion where his parents stood waiting for us.
As we got closer, I found my parents at a corner waiting for us too. I can’t believe that they have come here too. Who called them here?
I had thought that they would only complain but they had come all the way down here to see to it that their plans were finished to the very end. Such pathetic people.
"I just said that you shouldn’t bring that girl over here. She shouldn’t come here with you, Darren." His mother repeated as she pointed her finger at me.
From the corner of my eyes, I could see my stepmother trying to hold back her laugh. How is it that this woman hated me so much when I literally didn’t do anything to her?
"The woman you’re addressing as ’that girl’ is my wife to be mother and I will not tolerate it if you speak to her in that manner." Darren’s response had everyone shocked, including me.
Why was he standing up for me? Why would he speak to his parents this way because of me?
"Her name is Kalia mother and she’s going to be your daughter in-law soon so please, address her by her name." He added.
"Daughter in-law?" She scoffed, "Over my dead body."
I was practically shaking and my nerves were all over the place yet he went on to do this.
We were in the presence of the Alpha King, his father of all people so it scared me to death that he was fighting for me.
"This woman has clearly bewitched you!" His mother scolded him angrily while she threw glaring glances at me.
She was practically boiling with rage and when she saw our hands intertwined together, she completely lost it.
"Don’t you have any shame girl?" His mother attacked me. "You were supposed to be married to his step brother not too long ago."
"You were already a daughter in making to this family before you called it off and I don’t care what twisted obsession you have with our family but it still doesn’t give you any right to throw yourself at my son."
"Darren is destined for greatness." She went on. "He is to rule his father’s empire after him and he is next in line to lead the Crescent Pack."
"Aren’t you a little selfish to come between his destiny and his future?"
"MOM!" He yelled at her causing me to flinch.
"Kalia didn’t come after me. If you should blame anyone for this then blame me because I went after her. I’m in love with her and I was the one who proposed that we get married."
"W-What?" She stuttered in shock. "It can’t be. You’re lying. You’re not telling the truth and I know it."
"I am speaking the truth, mom. Kalia had nothing to do with this. It was all me your son so blame me instead and leave her out of it."
"Darren..." I was saying but he shot me a death stare and I snapped my mouth shut. I had never seen him this angry before and it terrified me to the bone.
He was always so nice and friendly and this was the very first time I was seeing him loose his cool.
"Do you think that it changes anything?" She asked, wide eyed. "The fact still remains that you are with her when you shouldn’t. What were you thinking Darren?"
"If you wanted to get married so desperately, I would’ve found a woman worthy of your status. A woman from a good pack and family. Why would you choose an Omega that is beneath your status?"
"I’m sorry I never told you about her mom but I won’t apologize for choosing her either."
"I love Kalia and I will do everything in my power to keep her next to me. She is going to be my wife and you guys can’t split us up." He said to his mother while I stared at him.
If our relationship wasn’t contracted then I would’ve believed his very words because he had sounded so convincing that even I had almost fell for it.
"Darren, don’t do this because it will only end badly." His father warned him with an angry voice that almost had me shivering and falling down to my knees to plead on his behalf.
"You don’t have to worry Alpha King." My father said in response to his statement.
"Kalia has always had a way of causing problems for everyone and as her father, I blame myself for not raising her properly. I’ll take her home and make sure to discipline her myself." He said and grabbed my wrists forcefully.
"No. Let me go." I struggled to let go. Callum and Celyn arrived at the exact same time and from the look of things, I could tell that my stepmother was the one who invited them here.
She must’ve called them to see me being dragged out of here and humiliated by everyone.
"You did all of this to embarrass me and now I’ll teach you a lesson for that." He went on to pull me towards his side but Darren didn’t let go, not even for a split second.
"Stop making us look bad in front of my soon to be family, Kalia." It was Celyn’s voice.
"You’re embarrassing our family and after everything we’ve done for you, this isn’t very nice. Why are you trying to make us look bad in front of everyone? Just come back home with us sister and stop doing this."
My stepmother sniveled. "This is how the goddess decided to pay me back after years of raising a child that isn’t mine."
"I loved you like a daughter Kalia and it breaks my heart to see that you’re only doing this out of spite and the hatred you have for your stepsister."
"I know that you’re upset but just come back home with us and we’ll sort everything out. You don’t have to cause a scene here." She went on to shed her pretentious tears in front of everyone.
I can’t believe that she was trying to manipulate and gaslight Darren’s mother into believing her lies but I knew her for the monster that she was.
"Sister." Celyn touched my shoulders. "Please just stop all this already."
"Let go of her hand." Darren said to my father.
It wasn’t a statement, neither was it a warning. It was a command. It was an order and he meant it. "Let it go or I’ll break those hands in front of everyone present here."
My father quickly retracted his hands, freeing mine completely.
"You call her a disgrace to your family? You call her a wicked child? And then what are you?" He asked them, not mincing words.
"You practically ruined her life and casted her aside like she meant nothing to you."
"You ganged up on her and supported your daughter to be with her fiance. You never loved her as a child and you made her whole life miserable and now, you’re calling her a disgrace when you both failed as parents?"
"Darren!" His mother screamed at him and just then, I noticed the color of his orbs go deep bright red forcing everyone to take a step back.
His hold on my hand tightened and I found it almost hard to break free.
"I dare anyone to take her away from me." He challenged them. "I dare any single one of you to try it."
"But she’s not even your mate. You haven’t marked her yet." His mother complained. "You can easily stop this ridiculous relationship and then we call all sort this out."
"Is marking her really the issue here?" He asked sarcastically but there was no response.
"Fine then." He blurted out and without any warning or whatsoever, he pulled me closer to him.
And just before I could process my thoughts on what he was about to do, he placed his mouth on my bare neck that was exposed to his view and bit me.
I yelled and cried out in pain when his teeth came in contact with my exposed flesh. He let go and I felt my eyes getting blurry and before I knew it, I fell to the ground and my eyes closed shut.