"You can't love someone back to life, Israfil." She whispered. Her chest heaved with desperation, her heart throbbing against her rib cage.
He shook his head, "You can try," Israfil responded softly. "Let me love you, Farah."
-
In a society of lies...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter seven - flinch
song of the chapter ; colors (stripped) - halsey
--
ISRAFIL COULD FEEL his body stiffen under her touch. He could feel the very blood pumping through his veins halt in their place, his breathing screeching to a stop. The simple gesture reassured him that he would make progress with her, that he would help her get better.
He wanted to let out a small sigh of frustration when she suddenly tugged back, almost as if their mere interaction was scandalous and shameful. With her dark eyes wide and gleaming under the flash of lightning, Farah inched back in fear of any potential anger. When she tried to show any form of affection to Noah previously, the repercussions were perilous.
A lock of black hair fell onto her cheek, but she didn't bother to move it. She just looked down at the bunched sheets, fidgeting with the bracelet on her wrist. Subconsciously, Israfil reached up to brush the strands away from her face but when she flinched back he didn't feel anything but despondency.
"I'm not going to hurt you," He told her. "Ever."
Too entranced to move away, Farah did nothing as his fingers grazed against the skin of her cheek, shifting her hair and tucking it behind her ear. "Goodnight Farah, sleep well." He whispered, a comforting smile gracing his face. She watched his tall figure strode to the door, his eyes the exact color of the thundering lightning outside as he glanced at her once more before he left.
"Fuck." She hissed to herself under her breath. Was it not bad enough that she was staying with someone she barely knew? She had let him come too close, and last time that happened, the outcome was life-threatening. After all, she had no idea what had come of Noah, whether Israfil killed him or only beat him to a pulp.
Noah was always territorial, possessive in a toxic way to the point where he wouldn't let her even breathe a word to another male unless it was absolutely necessary. Farah had grown accustomed to it, and she knew that if she hadn't, there would be consequences. She had to listen to him whether she liked it or not. That's how it was.
Noah was always in control.
--
"Alpha Aamer," Eros, one of Israfil's pack warriors poked his head through the door.
Israfil lifted his eyes from the words that danced across the countless pages of his paperwork. "Yes?"
Eros sucked in a sharp breath, "Rogues have been found at the borders."
Israfil let out a heaved sigh, taking off his thin framed reading glasses that were perched on the tip of his nose. "Take them to the cells, I'll be down there in ten to interrogate them. Call James and have him meet me there."
Eros nodded and briefly left his office, shutting the door behind him. Israfil spent the next five minutes signing off various pack projects and needed permissions to repair various broken objects or damaged goods. Once he was done he set his pen down and went to go speak to the two rogues who had managed to stumble upon his territory.
The cells in the dungeon were abhorrent and repugnant, they smelled exactly like what you think death would smell like, what it would feel like and how it would sound like. Israfil could hear the various screeches of imprisoned psychotic witches and the screams of other prisoners and tried his best to not wrinkle his nose in disgust, his skin crawling at the sounds.
It was best not to be affected by such things, for these people were criminals who rained terror on lives. They had been brought here for a reason- Israfil didn't punish others for no reason, he wasn't a cruel person and most definitely didn't enjoy it, but it had to be done for the safety of the pack.
When Israfil strode into the cell that held two men with their wrists shackled to the table, it wasn't hard to tell that they were the ones who crossed his borders. But rather than appearing in fear of the large Alpha male, they stared straight into his eyes with a challenging arrogance, a clear sign of disrespect.
And everyone knew challenging an Alpha was suicidal.
"What the fuck were you doing on my territory?" Israfil snarled.
One of the men, with a deeper skin tone and long black hair spoke up. "Noah's coming back."
A thunderous laugh left Israfil's mouth. "Tell that little fucker that if he steps near me or Farah I'll end him for good this time."
"He wants her back." The other piped in.
Israfil slammed his fists down on the metal table, causing the rogue's bothered demeanor to deteriorate, the both of them wincing back, the intensity of his silver eyes branding into their souls and leaving a permanent imprint. "Do you think this is a fucking game?" His fangs began elongate, pearlescent and threatening.
Israfil began to see red fury burning his vision, his nails extending and scratching the surface of the stainless steel. Seeing his outraged state, his beta, James, tugged him back. "Israfil, with all due respect, you need to calm down."
Israfil glared at the rogues once more, "Torture them. With the highest dosage of wolfsbane."
Their eyes widened, including the guards that were meant to follow his instructions. Israfil was almost never angry, but when he was it was typically bone-chillingly frightening. He also never made such decisions, he often went for the less extreme route. But this- this incandescent rage took over his entire being.
With eyes reflective like melted mirrors, his mouth contorted in a snarl he spoke up. "And Noah's next."
--
this chapter was super short whoops lol.
also !! i gave a forewarning at the beginning of my book; i dont want anyone spreading false lies or ignorance about any religion or race in this book. you dont like it? dont read it. alright thats all (:
