BROKEN.

31. Ghosts.

Hey guys!!

I'm really worried about this chapter. I feel like a lot of you'll might not like it and honestly I'm slightly disturbed at myself.

While I'm worried about my sanity, I still hope I did this chapter justice because I've never written anything even remotely close to this so it took more time than anticipated.

Do tell me what you think. My heart is pounding 😂😂.

Anyway, try and enjoy it.
Byee!!
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ELAHEH

My grip on Aleksy's midnight black fur loosened as he began to slow down when we reached our territory. Only Kaveh stood waiting and he helped me off Aleksy's back, clutching me to him like his life depended on it.

"Oh sweetheart, are you okay?" He asked. I felt emotionally drained but safer now that I was in the midst of both the men that would quite possibly give anything to keep me safe. But I knew if I showed any weakness I would completely break. I took a page from my mate's book and wiped my face completely clean of emotion. All that was left was a blank sheet that was waiting to be painted on and I knew when I was alone there would be colours.

Colours of pain that brimmed in blue eyes and ran down pale cheeks, past a turned down mouth that once knew how to smile through anything. That girl was no more. This girl had to struggle to hold herself together. This girl also knew that if she allowed herself to stay in these arms that she'd grown up and always been sheltered in, she would begin to believe that it was okay to show weakness.

But her brother could not save her from herself. Maybe he could shelter her from the people who were so desperate to hurt her to get to him but the darkness and the ugliness inside was something she couldn't allow him to see.

I looked up at him. His blue eyes saw purity and goodness. Growing up, he would always tell me that when things got rough he just had to turn to look at me to be thankful. I remembered crawling into his bed when I had a nightmare and he would tell me stories till I fell asleep. He crawled into my bed when he had rough days and clutched me tightly to his chest while I sang him to sleep. We only ever had each other. I was his baby sister. How could I show him what brewed inside me? The hate, the fear, the thirst for revenge and blood. Everything that separated me from the Elaheh I used to be.

I couldn't even bring myself to smile when I said, "I'm okay."

The expression of worry slid of his face and was replaced by a mask. A mask I recognised too well. He was hiding his feelings, just like me. He ruffled my hair and looked over my head to Aleksy, nodding once before turning and walking away.

I watched his back as he crossed into the territory. Aleksy came up and stood beside me.

"Considering he basically raised you, it surprises me that you think he doesn't know you." Aleksy said, taking my hand and leading me in.

As I stared at our hands, the truth of his words rung inside my brain. I knew immediately what Kaveh was doing when I watched his expressions disappear. He was hiding his weaknesses because he thought that since he let me see them, the way what happened to me killed him inside, I was protecting him by hiding my feelings. I could see right through him. It never occurred to me that he could see right through me as well.

We stood in front of what looked like a long stone house, the length of which seemed to run for a long time. Aleksy had never brought me here. When I stepped inside I knew why. It looked like a prison but less comfortable. Each cell was a small damp space where the floor looked cold and hard. Iron chains ran across the floors inside the cells like snakes along with shackles. It was similar to the cells we had back home including the emptiness.