Aaliyah's Redemption: Bound by Fate ***DISCONTINUED, READ DESCRIPTION***

Chapter XVIII

The words echoed through Aaliyah's mind. She had overheard Arthur and Levi talking about Freya, so she listened in, her heart sinking deeper with every word.

A gut-wrenching scream tore from her throat before she could stop it, the kind that seemed to rip her apart from the inside. She stumbled back, eyes wide, her breaths quick and shallow as panic surged through her. Her heart pounded like a wild drum, her mind raced, and her legs gave out beneath her, sending her crumbling to the ground.

"No... no... no..." she whimpered, shaking her head as if to banish the nightmare she was living. She didn't want to believe it. Freya couldn't be gone.

Arthur was there, kneeling beside her in an instant. "Aaliyah..." he murmured, his voice gentle, thick with regret.

Her vision blurred through tears as she looked up at him, raw with emotion. Without thinking, her fist flew toward his chest, landing with a dull thud. "You lied! You said she would be here!" she cried, the words thick with accusation, another punch following, though weaker this time. "How dare you..."

Her sobs swallowed the rest of her words, her voice breaking. The silence that followed felt louder than the thunder rumbling in the distance. Arthur let out a low groan with each hit. Though he'd been punched by stronger men, her blows stung in a way that had nothing to do with strength. Her fists may have not done much physical damage, but the betrayal in her words cut deeper than any knife.

Still, he didn't pull away. He didn't know what to say, how to make it better. But the way her hands clung to his shirt told him she didn't want him to leave.

Tears streamed down her face, her sobs gradually quieting as the storm outside raged on. The roar of thunder swallowed her cries, the storm a reflection of the tempest inside her.

Minutes passed, maybe longer, as the barn resumed its usual activity, the world moving on as if nothing had changed. But Aaliyah and Arthur remained, kneeling on the cold ground, unmoving in the midst of it all.

Aaliyah's breaths slowly steadied, her mind coming back into focus, but her heart still throbbed with grief and anger. She glanced out the stable window, watching the flashes of lightning that illuminated the stormy sky. The fierce weather seemed to mirror her emotions, wild and uncontrolled.

A sudden wave of anger surged up in her chest again, stronger than before. She balled up her fist and delivered a final punch to Arthur's chest, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I trusted you," she spat, the words raw, laced with hurt. She used his chest for leverage, forcing herself to her feet, while Arthur remained kneeling, silent.

"I-I have to go," she muttered, her voice weak but resolute. She took a few unsteady steps, her mind a blur of confusion, pain, and betrayal. She didn't know what to think, didn't know how to process what she'd just learned. All she knew was that she needed space, needed to get away.

Before Arthur could respond, she was gone, slipping out of the stables and into the storm without another word.

Arthur stayed where he was for a moment, watching her leave, knowing that she needed space. His hand instinctively moved to rub his chest where she had punched him. For someone her size, she packed a noticeable punch, and he was surprised by the force behind it. But it wasn't the physical pain that bothered him—it was the weight of her words. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but somehow, he had.

"Sir—" Levi began to speak, but Arthu cut him off with a raised hand

"Mr. Levi, I want you to tell me everything you know about that man," Arthur said, his voice cold and sharp, thick with barely restrained anger.

Levi's eyes widened as he looked at Arthur, finally noticing the outlaw's hard, weathered appearance. "I told you all know," Levi stammered, holding his hands up in submission.

"You're lucky that girl means more to me than putting a bullet in your head," Arthur said, his voice low, each word carrying a threat that wasn't hard to miss. "Because I need whatever information you have."

Levi's gaze faltered, and he gulped nervously before speaking again. "The only other thing I remember is the man asking his friend, "Isn't that the girl's horse?' I don't know who or what he meant by that," Levi said, his voice trembling.

Arthur's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he stared Levi down. "If I find out you're lying..." he let the threat hang in the air, the unspoken words clear enough.

Arthur scratched his chin, turning toward the stable doors. The rage simmered beneath the surface threatening to boil over, but he pushed it back, knowing there was something more important right now: Aaliyah.

Stepping out into the storm, Arthur scanned the area for any sign of her, rain pelting down in heavy sheets. A bystander, who had seen the pair ride in earlier, called out to him. "You lookin' for the lady that came with ya?"

Arthur nodded, his voice gruff. "Yeah. You seen her?"

"Last I saw, she was headed toward the river," the man replied, pointing in the direction Aaliyah had gone.

Arthur glanced back, realising Maverick was no longer tied up. "She took my damn horse," he muttered under his breath. Spotting another horse hitched nearby, Arthur made quick work of untying it, ignoring the owner's furious shouting as he swung up into the saddle.

He had one focus now—finding Aaliyah.

***

Arthur arrived at the Dakota River, pulling the mare to a half. His eyes scanned the landscape, searching for any sign of Aaliyah. He whistled for Maverick, his call piercing through the storm. A distant whinny answered, pulling Arthur's attention upstream. He urged the mare into a trot, following the sound.

Rounding a bend, Arthur spotted her. Aaliyah was kneeling beneath a tree, her hand resting on what appeared to be a small wooden cross. Maverick stood nearby, taking cover under another free from the downpour.

Arthur dismounted, tying up the mare before approaching cautiously. "Aaliyah..." he called softly.

"I want to be alone," her voice came, strained and heavy with exhaustion.

"I can't do that," Arthur said quietly, moving closer. "I'm sorry about Freya... I didn't know."

Aaliyah's eyes stayed fixed on the cross, her fingers tracing the weathered wood. "She was the only thing I had left from my mama," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rain.

Arthur's gaze shifted to the cross, the words"In Loving Memory of LIllian Stephens" carved into its surface. His heart clenched. He knew the pain of losing someone you loved deeply.

"Aaliyah..." he knelt down beside her, shielding her from the storm as best he could.

Slowly, she leaned into him, her head resting against his chest. Despite everything, despite the hurt and anger, she still found comfort in him. Arthur wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as the storm raged on, the unspoken words between them heavy in the air.

For now, there was nothing left to say.