Chapter 3

Troy POV

It’s 2 a.m., midnight, and it’s impossible for a guard to knock by this time. Was Shrike locked outside the palace, or has he sneaked out to see his family again without any permission from me?

Shrike is one of my favorite guards who finds it more comforting to take permission from me than my father or Zac, my elder brother. My father is the strictest and fiercest man on this planet, a man who will kick his only daughter out of his life without a second thought. He should be a man you should never move an inch to. A man you should always battle with your breath whenever you are near him.

“ Shrike? Is that you?” I move quietly towards the door. This door is a secret passage to the palace, and only very few of us know about it, including Shrike. I hear no response from him, causing me to hesitate in my steps. It’s unusual; I should have heard his whispers asking for help to let him in.

“Who is that?” I shout with my fierce tone, and the tone is lowered so that no one in the palace will suspect anything, especially to wake people up; it’s pretty late.

I’m about to call out again when I hear a feminine voice and an outburst of tears: “Troy, please open up!” She cries in a state that I cannot fathom. Fuck, it’s my sister, Lily.

I hasten my steps as I throw down the lock from the door and flare the door open; immediately, she crashes into my arms like a wasted piece of sh*t.

“Fuck, Lily, look at me!” I slap her cheek softly as her eyes remain close. She smells of so much alcohol; has she been drinking? And damn, she is not meant to be here. Is she foolish enough to risk her life? Because the Alpha King will kill her if he smells her close.

“Troy, my life is completely shattered,” she finally whispers, tears trickling down her eyes. I’m confused as anger sweeps across my bones, raising the surge of protectiveness towards her.

“What is going on? You have to speak so that I can understand you!” I whistle and yell as my chest gets tighter. “Fuck, you have never consumed alcohol before; why the heck will you do it now?” My stomach sinks. I don’t believe this Lily, who will literally run away from you at the sight of an alcohol bottle in your hand, will ever think of tasting it.

“Troy… Charlie.” She tries to speak, but she shakes in my arms. That alone is scary, and I’m scared that she is here too; her life is at risk in this palace. Alpha Archie made a rule to take her life whenever she steps foot here again because she defiled him as a king and as a father. He gave orders to the guards to take her life if she ever came close.

When she mentions her husband’s name, my anger grows. He is the fucking reason Lily can never step into the palace again. He is the damn reason we are bound to not go see her. Alpha Archie has literally removed her from the family tree; he has removed her pictures from all the family albums.

“What happened to Charlie? Speak to me!” I shout again, telling her to hasten up, as I constantly look back to see if anyone is aware she is here. If any guards should see her now, I will have no choice but to cut his head off and hide his body where no one will see it because my sister’s life is more precious to me.

It’s been three years since I held my little sister like this. I miss the feel of her tiny body in my arms. She has a perfect shape and statue, but to me and Zac, she is tiny because we have a statue like a god, tall with broad shoulders and golden eyes with blonde hair just like Lily’s hair.

“Charlie left me!” She finally let it out, as though it had been too heavy to spit out. She says it with a pool of tears in her eyes, which apparently feels like a sword has been pierced into my heart. She still shakes in my arms; she is so vulnerable, and I can’t leave her alone at this point.

“Fuck that bastard.” I grit my teeth with rage boiling through my blood vessels, cupping her face as I lean on my laps to support her. Her ocean blue eyes are full of tears. I wonder if she can clearly see with those tears in her eyes.

I regret to say this, but I have no choice. “Lily, you can’t be here, please.” My heart squeezes as I spit it out. I hate that my little sister cannot be with me at this point in her life. I have to send her back to where she is coming from, for the sake of her life, so I can see these beautiful eyes of hers again. And again, only if she is going to leave now.

“I have no where to go, please; do not send me away, Troy.” She grips my arms tighter, looking into my eyes and begging not to leave her. She is the closest person to me in this family; she is my little princess.

“Lily, you have to go! Archie will kill you!” I shout without sugarcoating my words, then I watch as she staggers off my arms. I feel the walls of her heart breaking just from the way she stares at me.

“Fine, I will go then.” I know it takes an ounce of strength to spit that out. I can see the pain clearly in her eyes; it tears up my heart like a blade.

She completely left my arms, trying to stabilize herself. She waves like a tree that is being whipped by the winds. I’m tempted to pull her back into my arms, but no!

It’s getting so late, and anyone can wake up anytime from now on. “Go now, Lily, and don’t ever come back!” I know my tone will hurt her as hell, but this is the only way she can leave without making a scene. If she dares to make a scene, not just a guard will wake up; many will, and I can’t start killing all the guards without Archie finding out about it.

I watch as she nods, trying to wipe her cheek dry, but the tears keep pouring down; it’s uncontrollable. My stomach churns; I feel so much hurt seeing Lily like this, and I feel fucking tied down that I can’t help her. It makes me sick and useless. All this is that bastard’s fault!

I can’t tear my eyes off her back as she turns to walk away slowly. She can’t go on her own in this state. Goodness, what do I do?

I can’t stop her, and I can’t keep her with me. Shit, sometimes life is fucked up!