Athaliah Kensington's Pov.

I knew this would happen. But I didn't expect it to happen this soon. Right now, I am in the car with Aldric and Zephyrus. Both are silent. However, their clenched fists and jaws are giving way to their anger.

Whatever they have done to me, keeping it aside, The Kensington Brothers are each other's world. So, I can understand their anger.

Parking the car in the driveway, we three moved towards the living room where the rest of the brothers are present.

"Are you guys okay?" Aldric asked as soon as he entered the living room.

"We are okay. The attack wasn't on us. Looks like they just wanted to deliver something." Royce said.

"Where is the box?" Zephyrus asked.

"It is here." said Reuben picking up the box that was nicely packed in his hands.

"But before I give this to it's rightful owner; I want to know why the fuck was there an attack for it." Reuben said glaring his venom filled eyes towards me.

"Reuben. Now is not the time." said Ezekiel.

"I cannot see my brothers in danger for someone outsider. For someone who has no importance in my family. For someone who has done some shitty things to let this kind of incident happen today in my house." Reuben roared at his high pitch, glaring at me.

I kept quiet. All my attention is on the box that Reuben is holding. I don't know what is in it. And I am dreading finding out.

"Why are you quiet now? Don't you have something to say? Don't you have to tell us who the fuck delivered this in your name?" Reuben asked.

"Reuben, you are crossing line. Keep your anger at bay for once and let's see what is in it there." said Kaelen.

Royce grabbed the box out of Reuben's hand and forwarded it to me, silently urging me to open it.

"Wait, is it safe to open?" Zephyrus interrupted.

"I hope so. We have already checked for any explosives but that's not the case." Ezekiel answered.

I reached out to grab the box and settled on one of the sofas. I need to get my shit together. My hands tremble slightly as I stare at the gift box placed in front of me. It's glossy wrapping paper, in shades of deep red and black, contrasts sharply with my pale face. The ribbon is tied with an almost cruel precision, a perfect bow mocking my unease.

Steeling myself, I decided to unwrap it. My fingers hover over the wrapping, hesitant, as if every inch of the paper I tear away will reveal something worse. The sound of the ripping paper echoes louder in my ears than it should, each tug on the corners of the box a reminder of the malicious intentions behind it. My breath is shallow, my chest tightening with each passing second. I try to steady my hands, but they refuse to stop shaking.

With a deep breath, I forced myself to lift the lid. The scent of something faintly rancid wafts out, curling into my nostrils, but I barely notice. My hands feel as if they're moving on their own accord, compelled by some dark curiosity, but the instinct to run is overpowering. I pull the tissue paper aside.

My heart skipped a beat when I stare at what's inside: a burner phone and a dry-blood smeared hunting dagger.

I felt my throat constrict, a wave of nausea rising in my chest.

It was not just any hunting dagger. It was his favourite dagger that he often used on me, saying he loves to hunt me.

The same dagger that has torn my skin apart many times.

The same dagger whose marks I still have on my body.

And if I guess, the dry blood, smeared on this dagger, is mine.

There is a chill in the air, and for a moment, the room feels colder than before.

Every pair of eyes are on the gift that he sent.

I stared at the contents of the box for a moment too long, when suddenly, a shrill voice rang cutting the silence. It takes me a moment to recognize that it is from the burner phone.

He is calling.

With my shivering hands, I picked up his call. Everything was silent. Nobody spoke.

"Put the call on speaker." said Aldric.

I nodded and did what he said.

Then I heard his voice.

Baby, I am preying on you tonight.

Hunt you down eat you alive Just like animals,

Maybe you think that you can hide I can smell your scent for miles

He started singing his favourite song for me.

He used to sing this song whenever I tried to escape from him or when he used to torture me afterwards.

"Hello, lavender. It's been a long time."

I was silent. Trying to find my voice. I looked up to see all the Kensington brothers glaring towards the phone. Reuben was about to say something, but Aldric gestured him to be silent.

"I hope you like my gift. There are way too many memories of yours with that dagger. Right?" He continued.

I finally found my voice and said,

"What do you want?"

"You."

"I escaped. Four years ago." I said, my voice quivering.

"That is the thing, lavender. You cannot escape from me. You belong to me. I have to admit that you did a good job by changing your name. The mere reason, I could not find you earlier. But thanks to your brothers. When they got you back and rechanged your name, I got my lavender back."

"I don't belong to you." I said, emphasizing every word.

"Oh, lavender. You do. You see, last time, when I got you for the very first time, it was your brothers who sent you here. This time as well, it will be your brothers who will send you to me again. After all, no one can live with the person who murdered their mother."

He hit a nerve there.

"Let me go. You....you can't take me again. Let me live.." I tried to shiver my voice.

"No. After so long, I found you. How can I let you go? If you want me not to get more angrier on you than I already am then beg for your life, lavender. You know how much I love your begging."

"I.... Let me..g.." And I started laughing.

I could not hold back anymore. After recovering back from my laughing I continued,

"Oh, you really think that YOU find me?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that it was not you who found me. It was me. I found you. I was waiting for this moment for too long. To drag you out of your cave."

"Looks like my lavender has steeled up her spine. Speaking to me in such a vile manner. You need to be disciplined."

"The only crackhead who needs to be disciplined is you. You were right. I have a lot of memories with this dagger." I picked up the dagger and ran my fingers through it while keeping the phone the table.

"I haven't used it on anyone since you."

"Seeing the blood on it, I assumed this much. But don't worry, the only person I am going to use this dagger is you. Oh! How I would love to hear you begging for your life." By holding the dagger in my left hand, I again grabbed the phone in my right one.

"Let's see, who will beg from whom. I would not let you stay there anymore longer"

"And I will not let you stay on this earth anymore longer. I will slice each and every ligament of your body from this same dagger."

"You will regret every word coming out of your mouth."

"Wish you luck."

With that the call was hung up. Again, the room fell into a bizarre silence. I did not want to lift my head up and face the interrogation that was bound to happen the moment this box was delivered. However, gaining my courage back, I glanced around the living room.

The Kensington brothers exchange glances, the initial shock creeping across their faces. Aldric stands up, his expression hardening. I am not sure who is he mad at right now, Me or the caller. Because both of us, the caller and me, have put his brother's life at risk.

Kaelen, who is usually playful and carefree, now looks alarmed, his face pale as the weight of the call sinks in.

Ezekiel, quick to act, grabs the phone from my hand, trying to get any information from the burner phone which is of no use now. This phone also cannot be tracked.

Zephyrus's face flushes red, and his jaw clenches tightly, his hands balling into fists. It's clear from his body language that he's trying to hold himself back, but his temper is quick to flare. He, then, starts pacing rapidly, eyes darting around the room, as if looking for something—or someone—to direct his anger at. His hands tremble with the intensity of the emotion, and it's obvious that this situation is pushing him to his limit.

Royce, who's usually quiet, sits still, his eyes narrowed with a cold determination. He doesn't say anything, but it looks like he is planning a murder in his head right now.

It wouldn't be a surprise if he is planning my murder.

Reuben is.

Well, he is calm.

I don't know if it is the calm before the storm or he just doesn't care. I wouldn't be surprised if the latter is correct.

"What is happening, Athaliah?" Adric demanded an answer to his question, his voice sharp with concern. I don't think so. His eyes scanned my face, searching for any hint of truth, any sign of what was really going on.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

"Nothing you guys need to worry about or get involved in," I replied. I could feel the weight of their eyes on me, but I refused to break.

Zephyrus raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. "Don't play us like that. We heard the call. Who the hell was he?" He stepped closer, his frustration growing. "You think we're just going to let that slide?"

Ezekiel crossed his arms, watching me closely. "Whatever it is, we're here for you," he said, voice steady but full of unspoken worry. "You don't have to do this alone."

"Is he the same person who burned your hand by cigarette?" asked Royce. His observational skills are pretty good.

"Why are you quiet dammit? Answer us. Who is he?" said Reuben in his thunderous voice.

Kaelen came to my side and held my right hand and said,

"Baby, don't worry, your big brothers will protect you."

Now this triggered me. And I lashed out.

I scoffed and said, "What brothers are you talking about Kaelen? The ones I wished I never met? The same brothers whom I begged not to let me go from here. The same brothers I wished every night would at least try to contact me, asking me how I was. Asking me if I was even alive or not."

My patience finally snapped. My face flushed with frustration, and my hands trembled with the buildup of years of hurt I had buried deep inside. My voice trembled at first, but it quickly gained strength, raw and unfiltered, when I continued,

"You think I need you now?!" I shouted, my eyes blazing with anger.

"You all sit here, acting like you care, but where the hell were you all when I needed you before?" My breath came in short gasps, the words tumbling out, fueled by all the years of being ignored, overlooked, and left to deal with everything on my own.

"When I was struggling, when I was falling apart, you all—you all—just turned your backs on me!"

"He was not wrong when he said that you were the ones who lead me to him in the first place."

"What is the point of all this? Just tell us who he is, and we will deal with him in our own way." said Kaelen, trying to calm me down.

"The point is that you all ruined my life."

"We didn't ruin your life. It was you who destroyed your own life. You killed our mother. Your own mother." shouted Reuben.

"Every person present in this room is bearing the consequences of the crime that you committed." Reuben continued.

"I did not kill our mother." I shouted, standing up, with equal intensity.

"Without knowing the truth, you and your father sent me the place that has become my living nightmare."

"That place was to save you. To protect you from going to the juvenile center." said Royce.

"I wish you could have sent me to the juvenile center." I said, my voice breaking.

I am letting out my years of frustration. And I am not going to stop.

"Your father was a vile man. He lost his moral compass."

"Athaliah! Don't speak about father in such manner. He loved you." Royce said.

"No. He did not love me. If he would have loved me, he wouldn't send me to such a rotten place."

"Then why don't you tell us where he sent you?" asked Zephyrus, increasing his tone. He could barely keep his anger in check now.

But I was way too angry to read the room at the moment.

"I was sent to a Mental Asylum." I shouted with all my voice. The words echoed in the room. My tears were threatening to fall, but I refused to show them my vulnerability.

"No. Dad could not do that. He....He loved you the most. How could he send you to a Mental Asylum?" Reuben asked in disbelief. after a moment.

"Remember your words Reuben?" I asked, slowly feeling numb.

"She killed our mother. She is mentally sick."

A look of realization flashes across his face. He sat down on the sofa, still remembering the past.

"I spent five years in that hell. After getting the worst punishments for simple mistakes in just nine months, I got a reality check that it was not a normal Mental Asylum. It was the place people abandon their shits. It was the place where people are broken, emotionally, physically and mentally. And then are rebuilt into their robotic versions. Barely alive, just following their commands."

The Kensington brothers stood frozen, a mixture of guilt, surprise and disbelief flashes across their faces.

"Why would he do that?" asked Kaelen, his face is more paler now. As if he could not believe a single word coming out of my mouth.

"I don't believe this." denied Ezekiel.

"Your dad ruined my existence. I was innocent. He wanted to take revenge from me just because I was not his —" I could not complete the sentence.

I glanced at Aldric. His face betraying emotions of guilt and resentment. I knew he knew something.

"Just because what?" asked Zephyrus, barely keeping himself together.

I looked at all the Kensington brothers for the last time before I finally stormed upstairs, to my room.

———🌸———

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