Chapter 57: 57. I dare you to touch her
Raven could not believe what he heard. How could a father treat his child that way? He asked himself. The sight in front of him was driving his wolf mad, he was as furious at how his mate was treated. No one had the right to treat his mate that way not even her own family.
He wanted to hear that man to pieces not caring whether she would be scarred and run away from him, but Raven couldn’t allow that. His beast didn’t care but he did so he could not allow him to do whatever he wants to. At the same time, he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing when she was being abused by the man whom she calls her father.
He walked over to the house and stood in front of the door. From outside where he stood, he could hear Rosie crying and begging him to stop hitting her. His fingers clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white. He stared at the closed door with his onyx eyes, he lifted his leg to kick open the door but stopped before he could connect.
Dropping his leg, he raised his hand and knocked very gently on the door as if the storm that was raging within him never existed but it burned brightly within. It was suppressed to the max and he knew when he lets it out it would burst and burn, consuming anything in its wake.
After knocking three times, Raven heard the click of the door lock, the door was finally pulled open from the inside, and before him, stood Rosie, who had worn a long-sleeved shirt with a turtle neck covering all of her body leaving only her face which still had glaring palm prints on her cheeks.
Rosie could not hide the surprise on her face upon seeing Raven standing in front of the door. She did not expect to see anyone at such an hour especially not him. It wasn’t too late but no one ever comes to visit her in the evening hours. She had friends but she had never allowed them to visit her whenever her father was around and that was mostly from seven in the evening.
And whenever they come around, she would make sure they never suspect anything and would leave after their stay without a single knowledge of what she experienced at the hands of her father who often got drunk and beats her like she was a stuffed animal who didn’t feel a thing.
There is the option of running away but she had promised her mother before she died to stay and take care of their home and reporting the man was another option but that had failed many times already and all that she could do now was stay, suck it all up and deal with it.
"M... Mr Stones? What are you doing here?" She true to stop her voice from shaking and making it obvious that she was in pain.
"I was just passing by and thought to check up on you." He lied smoothly without batting an eye. "It is so early and lights are out already so I thought I should come and see if you were okay." His eyes stared at her swollen cheeks that had turned red and bluish at some sides. "Who did this to you?" He asked stretching his hand to touch her face.
Rosie took a step back avoiding his touch. She forced out a smile that came out awkwardly and didn’t reach her eyes. "Ah.. that, I slipped and fell, nothing to worry about. I will go soon leaving no scar." She said and let out a dry laugh which Raven found no humour in.
Seeing that he didn’t seem to buy what she said, she became frantic and started raking her brain for an excuse. She looked at his blank face and those grey eyes that seem to be holding a storm that could burst at anytime. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "The lights, yes, the lights were out because I felt exhausted and needed to rest early, I didn’t want to wake up late at night to do that when I can do it now." She said trying to get a reaction from him.
"I see...." Raven spoke but was cut short by the man who was walking towards Rosie towards the door, which made him frown.
"Who are you talking to at this time of the day?" the man came and stood behind Rosie reeking of alcohol with every breath that he took. He looked between Raven and Rosie with annoyance which he didn’t bother to hide. Raven looked at him with anger and just like Rosie’s father, he didn’t hide it either. He couldn’t even if he wanted to. "Tell him to leave, friends are not allowed here," The man commanded Rosie.
Rosie looked at Raven apologetically and begged him silently with her eyes to leave. But Raven didn’t move an inch from where he stood and stared at the man as if trying to kill him with his eyes. Only the goddess knew how hard he was forcing himself to hold back from ripping his head off his shoulder.
"I said to tell him to leave." He said again and this time raising his and up to hit her again.
Before the hand could reach Rosie, it was caught midway by Raven while he also pulled Rosie into his chest. His hold was firm on the hand that was left suspended in the air. "I dare you to touch her one more time," Raven said his had turned back to black and his voice deep and grim.
Rosie who was expecting the impact of the slap and had closed her eyes opened them when she felt no pain and heard Raven’s voice speaking in her defence and feeling the sparks that travelled through her. She looked into his eyes and saw a different colour from what she had seen before. She was already wondering what was with the electricity that happens whenever they touched, now she was wondering what was with the change of eye colour too.
