A Luna for Alpha Kieran-Chapter 98: Father

[ The other direction ]

The road blurred beneath them as the car hurled into the night like a bullet.

Trees whipped past like ghosts...some leafless silhouettes against the charcoal sky...some thick with bushy canopy. Wind screamed through the gaps in the windows, carrying with it the stench of soil and rotting pine.

Every time the wheels hit a pothole, the entire car jolted, bouncing so violently Lyla’s teeth nearly clicked against each other.

"Father...Father, slow down!Please..." she cried, clutching the door handle with white knuckles.

But Roanoke did not even blink.

His hands were locked around the steering wheel, fingers stiff and pale, veins bulging under his skin. His gaze stayed straight ahead, wild and unblinking, the pupils dilated unnaturally. He did not look at her. Not even once.

"You are going too fast!We are going to crash! " she screamed again.

Nothing.

He swerved hard to avoid a fallen tree limb, the tires screeching as the car skidded. Lyla braced herself against the dashboard...her heart leaping out in her throat.

The forest thinned.

They were far from the pack now. The roads were unpaved, raw gravel and mud. No more landmarks. No more lights. Just the howling emptiness of wilderness creeping closer with every mile.

The speedometer needle trembled near the red...the engine was roaring like a caged beast.

A pothole sent the car lurching violently. Lyla gasped as her head nearly slammed into the dashboard, saved only by the seatbelt locking tight across her chest.

"Father!" she shouted again, voice cracking with real fear. "Please...just tell me what is happening. Why are we...Where are we going?!"

Still, nothing.

He glanced down at his watch, cursed under his breath, and pressed the gas pedal harder. The engine groaned in protest.

The sky above them had turned bruised with storm clouds.

There was no moon now...just a low, choking fog that slithered over the road like a warning.

They were passing around the Great Lakes and it was taking them around twenty minutes , but now... the air grew heavier. Drenched in moisture.

And up ahead...Water.

The lake came into full view.

Lyla’s breath caught in her chest the moment she saw it glinting like oil in the dark.

"No," she whispered, curling forward on the seat. "No. Not here...please, not here...why are we here, Father? Please forgive me. Please!!!"

She could not breathe. Literally.

Her chest convulsed as that horrible, choking feeling clawed up her throat. Like she was drowning from the inside. Her eyes widened. The water was too close.She could taste it in her mouth, her lungs... coming out through her nose...

"Father! FATHER STOP THE CAR!"

Roanoke slammed the brakes.

The tires shrieked, biting into dirt and gravel. The whole vehicle fishtailed before skidding to an abrupt stop.

Lyla shot forward too hard...But he caught her by the arm, yanked her back hard into the seat before she could hit the dash.

Her breath finally tore out of her in a ragged gasp.

And then... SLAP

Lyla’s head snapped to the side, her cheek burned with the impact. She didn’t make a sound. Didn’t even whimper.

It rang in her ears,like a white hot echo. Her cheek exploded in pain.

She blinked. Dazed.

And then her father’s voice boomed like thunder.

"You were drinking?" Roanoke snarled, his face red, teeth clenched. "You were drinking and partying like a damn bitch in heat?!Are you trying to get yourself killed?Do you have any idea what you have done?"

Lyla gasped, holding her cheek. "I...I wasn’t...I didn’t..."

"Shut up!"

He bellowed, slamming his fist into the dashboard so hard the glovebox snapped open.

"You little piece of shit," he growled, towering over her, spittle flying from his lips. "You have any idea how much it drains your body when you let your damn emotions out? When you feel things? Did I send you there to waste your energy on nothing? !"

His hand raised again... Lyla flinched, curling into herself, arms coming up to shield her face. "Please..."

Roanoke did not hit her.

Instead, his fingers dug into her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were wild, his lips peeled back from his fangs, his gums looked darkened. "Listen to me, you useless girl," he hissed, his breath hot and sour against her face

"You listen to me. Listen carefully."

His face hovered inches from hers.

"You save your emotions," he hissed. "You save every goddamn drop of energy you have got left in that miserable excuse of a body. You don’t waste it laughing and smiling with anybody. You don’t waste it on being weak."

Tears ran down her cheeks now, quietly. Her mouth trembled as she tried to get a word in. "Please... please don’t..."

"You are only to spend that energy," he growled, eyes wild, "in pulling Kieran into your bed. You understand? That is your only job. Mate with him. Give me a grandchild. Lock down your position. That is it!"

He shook her again, so hard her entire body shuddered, her teeth rattling in her mouth.

She began to tremble.

No...worse.

Shake.

Her limbs began to twitch uncontrollably. Her shoulders jerked. Her knees spasmed. The tears didn’t stop, but now her eyes rolled back slightly, her breaths coming in short gasps.She was going into full body convulsions.

Roanoke froze.

His fury dropped from his face like a crumbling wall.And panic took over.

"Shit."

He scrambled out of the car, mud splashing as he fell to his knees near the edge of the forest where it met the Great Lake. His fingers clawed into the dirt, yanking at something buried beneath the surface.

A small, rusted metal box.

He flung it open, tore something out...a capsule the color of bone, wrapped in cloth and ash.

Then he ran back.

The door flung open.

Lyla was still convulsing...barely. Her head tilted back. Eyes unfocused.

"Damn it! Don’t ruin all my plans now..." he growled, cradling her face and prying her mouth open.

"Swallow it." He forced the capsule between her lips. "Swallow it, damn you..."

Her throat worked.Then she almost gagged as she swallowed it.

And then...suddenly... Stillness.

Her body stopped shaking.

Her breath evened out.

And her eyes closed.

Not peacefully.

Not asleep.

Just... motionless.

Slumped back against the seat, her face pale and streaked with tears, hands slack on her lap.

Roanoke stood over her.

Panting.

The storm above them cracked faintly...a low rumble came from far away.

The lake lapped silently at the muddy shore a few feet away.

Still. Cold.

Roanoke closed the door gently.

His face expressionless.

As if nothing had happened at all.

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