Chapter 25 - Alana and Aiyana (Part 1)

*“Life is so complete that even when we are knocked on our backs, we have the best view of the stars.” ― Laura Teresa Marquez*

***Kiya***

“I should’ve sent his ass to the grave! He’s abusing those girls and Luna Liberty! I know it! I fucking know it!”

I’m pacing in circles in the suite, my anger putting my rising adrenaline to the shame. Neron sat on a settee, following my movement with his eyes in silence. I kicked off my heels and watched them fly across the room.

After my Incredible Hulk demonstration, Neron hauled my ass out of the banquet hall. I’ve lost my appetite, anyway. All the alphas and lunas witnessed me, a shorter and smaller girl, throw a fully grown Alpha across the room like he weighed nothing. That’s sure to get people talking, more than I would’ve like. Speculations will arise and rumors will spread.

Yet, I don’t care. I saved those two girls from getting hurt. That was rewarding enough.

However, when Luna Liberty rushed to me while Neron held Bastard Jackson down, her plea chilled me to the core.

“*Save them*!” She begged, squeezing my shoulders as if her life depended on it. “*Please*!”

It was **her**. Luna Liberty was the one who slipped that note under the door.

*Alana and Aiyana*. *Save them, please*.

Why me? Why did she come to me and not the other alphas and lunas? Hell, Anthony would’ve been the better option!

A headache stretched from my right temple to my forehead. I slowed my pacing and huffed out my frustrations. Alpha Jackson infuriated me. A man bold enough to hit defenseless children in public has done the same behind closed doors without consequence.

He claimed he was friends with Jonathan Prince. Birds of the same feather fucking flock together.

My fingers clenched and unclenched at my side. “If only I could wrap my hands around his throat and—”

“I saw Dad in him.”

I stopped in my tracks. Our eyes met briefly, and I could see anger in them, but also fear and sadness crawling their way through the blue fire.

“I wanted to kill him too, Kiya. He was…” Neron growled softly, bunching up the fabric of his trousers in his fists. His blue and white vest covered the buckling of his muscles as he exhaled harshly through his nose. “He was going to hurt you. When I held him down for a split second, his face disappeared, and I saw my goddamn father. I wanted to kill him for what he was about to do, but I wanted to kill him also because of Dad’s fucking face.”

“Oh, Neron…”

“I thought I got rid of him, Kiya. I really did.”

I walked over to the settee Neron was sitting at, taking my spot next to him. I listened to his harsh exhales as he tried to grab the reins of his emotions. I reached for his hand, plucked them apart from his fist, and settled mine inside. Almost immediately, the tension in Neron’s muscles melted, and his breathing equalized.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Jackson was going to hurt you,” Neron repeated. “Who knows what else he would’ve done if he had gotten his hands on you or those girls.”

“We’d be in a sea of trouble if either of us snapped his neck.” I joked. His lips tugged up to a smirk before quickly falling. “I just wanted to protect those girls.”

“I knew something was off when they entered the room. Their fear clung onto them like a second skin.”

“Liberty’s too.” I thought back to the fear running wild in her brown eyes; the way they flashed from Jackson to me, as if she was terrified of him breaking free to charge at her. She held the same fear in her eyes as the women and children who sought asylum in Garnet Moon.

*There has to be a way to get those three out of Jackson’s grasp*.

“Does it ever go away, Kiya?”

I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“The pain.” He explained. “I thought I had escaped Dad when he died, but I don’t think I ever did. He’s still in my head. How do I stop this?”

“Neron…” I leaned my head against his shoulder, drawing circles on the back of his hand with my thumb. “Trauma never fully goes away. It only becomes more manageable. Some days are harder than others, but that doesn’t mean you’re permanently broken.”

Neron swallowed, his eyes fluttering close. I watched his chest rise and fall with his deep breathing, counting the seconds in between movements. It was the same breathing exercise Mayra taught me to help regulate my anxiety attacks—inhale, hold for five seconds, exhale, repeat. Something stirred in me to see Neron use that technique beside me.

It made me happy.

“It gets better, right?”

“It does.” I squeezed his hand. “You just have to take things one step at a time.”

“There’s so much to deal with.” He confessed with a short laugh. “And I’ve been seeing Andreas for three years.”

“And I’ve been in therapy for eight. Journeys differ, but each are unique on their own.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t fault yourself if you lose your head momentarily. Your work is valid, no matter how long you’ve been doing it.”

Neron bit the inside of his cheek. There was the desire to say more, but he shook his head. Was there something he wanted to tell me he couldn’t?

“I have a session scheduled with Andreas after we get back.”

“That’s good.”

“Thank you, Kiya.” The emotions in his eyes faded, now alight with another that made my stomach clench. He released my hand and brought it up to my cheek, cupping it gently. “You’re aware that we leave tomorrow afternoon, right?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wow. It has been three days already?”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Heat surged to my cheeks as his thumb ghosted over the apple of my cheek. “Despite all the craziness that happened, I had a good time.”

“I always dreaded these trips, but you’ve made it better, if I’m being honest.”

I smirked, arching an eyebrow. “I bet you’re saying that because we kissed.”

He returned the same smirk, except the octave in his voice made my skin tingle. “Do you want another?”

Holding his gaze, I ran my tongue across my lips, catching remnants of his taste. My cheeks blazed. My thighs clenched, and his finger played with one of my loose tendrils. I wanted another kiss. The last kiss made me feel good. I felt *alive*. Yet, we almost lost control the last time. Would it happen again?

I can’t believe how his kisses left me needing more. *Is this what being truly desired felt like*?

“Yes,” I replied. “I-I do.”

“So do I.”

With a soft growl, Neron leaned down, and I leaned up. Our breaths mingled as one as the distance between our lips disappeared. I couldn’t resist the magnetic pull this time. His lips ghosted over my own, prepared to take me into his…

Until there was a knock on our door.

Neron growled again, this time with frustration. I snickered, earning a playful scowl from the Alpha. The knocking continued, more insistent this time.

“I swear to Selene…” The grump grumbled under his breath.

“I’ll get it.” I pulled away, already missing the warmth between us. The smile on my face dropped to a frown when I looked through the peephole. “Oh, my Goddess…”

“What is it?” Neron was already on his feet.

“It’s them!” I announced, unlocking the door, swinging it open to reveal the two girls I shielded from Bastard Jackson. Both wore the classic maid outfits minus the headband. Their eyes lit up when they saw me, but their lips didn’t move. I inhaled the apprehension roll off them like perfume. “Come in, please.”

The girls wandered into the suite, joining hands. Neron’s eyes widened, but his demeanor changed to one of friendliness, his muscles, and stance relaxing. I walked around the girls after shutting and locking the door, taking my place beside Neron.

“Please, have a seat on the couch.” Neron requested in a soft tone. Their heads darted to the empty settee in front of us and climbed to their seats, sitting as close to each other as possible.

My eyes dropped to the beige bandage bound around the redhead’s hand. “Does it hurt?”

The girl’s green eyes widened when she peered down at her hand, hiding it behind her back. Her nose wrinkled, drawing my eyes to the many freckles dotting her face. “No. Not really.”

“That’s good. It means it’s healing.” I smiled kindly, hoping to ease the girl’s anxieties.

“Who sent you to our room?” Neron asked, leaning inward and propping his elbows on his thighs.

“Um…” The curly-haired girl, a shade darker than me, bit her lip. “…Luna Liberty, did.”

 “Which one of you is Alana and which one is Aiyana?” I inquired.

The girls bristled in their seats; shooting looks at one another. They shrugged their shoulders and exhaled sharply. They looked back at us and the redhead raised her uninjured hand. “I’m Alana.”

“And I’m Aiyana.”

Neron turned to me. “How did you know their names?”

“From this.” I stood on my feet and shuffled to the closet, picking out the note in my pant pocket. I handed it to Neron before sitting back in my seat. He opened the note and his glare hardened slightly.

“Where did you get this?”

“It was slid under the door a few days ago. I forgot about it until today.” I rubbed the back of my neck, blowing out a sigh. “Luna Liberty sent this, Neron. It is the only thing that makes sense.”

“She said you can help us.” Aiyana suddenly spoke, her small and sweet voice pulling our attention to her. Alana stared at her, unblinking. “She said you can get us away from the Alpha.”

“Alpha Jackson.”

Alana nodded with hope surging in her emeralds. “You’re so strong, Luna! You threw him like a baseball!”

“Yeah, it was funny.” Aiyana giggled, her white smile glowing against her skin. “Can you get away from him, Luna? Please?”

My mind spun. Liberty had entrusted me with the girls’ safety. She believes I can save them, yet I feel like I’m in over my head. How am I going to do this?

Neron slid an arm around my shoulders, rubbing smooth circles on my bare skin. “How old are you two?”

“Eleven, Alpha.” They replied in unison. Alana raised her hand. “But I’m a week older than Aiyana.”

“You always say that!” Aiyana complained.

“It’s true!” The redhead grinned, poking her arm.

“Goddess, they’re younger than I thought.” Neron whispered, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Where are your parents?” I suddenly asked. “Do they know what’s going on?”

Both girls became silent. Aiyana’s dark eyes watered as Alana clenched her jaw. There’s definitely a story there. Their eyes stoked the anger in me all over again.

“Mine aren’t around.” Aiyana said, twiddling her fingers in her lap. She crossed her ankles and bounced them against the bottom of the settee. “We were given to the Alpha and Luna for work. I was there first and Alana came after me.”

Neron and I shared incredulous looks, beyond stunned. “Wait a minute, ‘given’?” He asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“Mom and Dad spent too much money, so I have to work to help pay their debt off. Alana explained, tugging at a piece of her hair hard enough to pull some strands from her scalp. “They left me and never came back.”

“Mine did the same.” Aiyana admitted. “They got some money, though! But they never came back for me either.”

I shot up from my seat and marched toward the window before I blew a gasket or two. The level of fury was akin to the level I felt three years ago. My nails dug into my elbows as I glared outside into the open landscape, watching the leaves rustle under the wind and the ocean water lap up against the shore.

I wanted to smash something. Anything!

*These innocent girls*. *What hell did Jackson put them through*?

“Kiya.” Neron walked up beside me, weaving a finger under my knuckles to pull them away from my elbow. He didn’t want me to hurt myself. “Aiyana and Alana were sold to Alpha Jackson and Luna Liberty as debt repayment. I don’t believe their parents have any intentions on returning for them if they gave them up so easily.”

“Say it like it is Neron.” I grunted. “Sold or not, they were essentially trafficked. How has no one stopped him yet?”

Neron’s jaw clenched when he looked back at the girls innocently communicating with one another in their silent language of hand gestures. A practice they probably picked up to cope with their situation. “Many cling onto outdated practices as means of power. Jackson isn’t the first to do this, and he won’t be the last.”

I shifted away from the window. “Aiyana and Alana aren’t girls to him—they’re his fucking property. How does one stomach this shit? All because of some accumulated debt? Give me one good reason I shouldn’t march out of this room and tear his head off.”

“Look at them.” Neron whispered, resting his hands on my upper arms. I did, and my heart melted at the sight. “The way they looked at you and responded to you means they trust you. They trust *us* to save them. Right now, we need to be there for them. You’re pissed and so am I, but we need to think of a concrete plan before we lose our heads.”

My eyes boiled with tears. “They can’t go back to Jackson, Neron. I won’t let it happen.”

“And they won’t.” Neron curled his finger and thumb under my chin and turned my head back to him. His eyes brightened with his determination and I got lost in them. “We’re going to get them out of this, even if it means them coming with us to Oregon.”

I haven’t known the girls for over ten minutes and I wanted to give them a better life. I’m here today because Mom and Dad took me in and helped heal me. Those girls deserved the same. I sniffled, wiping a tear before it fell. There was so much at stake here besides the girls’ safety.

There was also Luna Liberty to think about. Her safety mattered, too. I feel like I’m juggling fire and one wrong move would burn me. Three innocent lives depended on my choices and actions.

What if there were more victims? Or more perpetrators? What about their pack as a whole?

“I’m going to call Anthony in the morning and see if he and Alesia can figure out an escape plan for Liberty.” I bit my bottom lip. “She’s a victim too. She wouldn’t risk her safety and Jackson’s anger to protect the girls if she didn’t care.”

Neron turned to look at the digital clock sitting on one of the tables. “I, too, fear for her safety. But there is not much we can do about it tonight. It’s almost midnight, so why don’t we get the girls situated first?”

I nodded, smiling small. “Yeah, let’s do that."