Third-Person Point of View
Riley's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze blurry as it gradually focused on the sterile whiteness around her. The soft beep sound of the machines and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air. She blinked a couple of times, trying to clear away the heaviness she felt on her eyelids. Her whole body felt stiff, disconnected from her soul, as if she were a stranger inhabiting it.
The bed beneath her felt rigid, and the humming sounds of the machines beside her seemed distant, almost unreal.
Maybe she is in a dream. She will wake up soon, but wake up to what? What was she doing before? Why is it this hard to recall?
She pinched herself on her arm to make sure she was dreaming.
Unfortunately, she felt the pain... It is not a dream... This is the reality...
Riley closed her eyes again, seeking refuge in the darkness behind her eyelids. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, to untwist the scattered memories that seemed just out of reach. Slowly, the fog in her mind began to clear, and with it came the excruciating pain in her heart caused by the flood of emotions she had long tried to bury.
Two extraordinarily handsome faces emerged from the depths of her mind. They looked so similar yet so different. The owners of those faces once made her feel like the happiest person on Earth. Their smiles had once been her sun and moon, guiding her through every day and night.
But as their images get more sharpened, so does the pain that comes with them. What had once been the reason for her to live had turned into the very reason she had to run- to escape the life she so painstakingly built.
Tears began to spill from her eyes, making her pale cheeks wet as they rolled down. She hadn't even realized she was crying, so consumed was she by the deep, indescribable pain that had resurfaced.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Riley opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at it. Subconsciously, she propped herself up a bit.
A middle-aged woman in a plain, somewhat worn-out dress stood by the door holding a plastic bag in her hand. She looked utterly drained; the depth of sorrow and frustration carved clearly into every line of her face. Yet, despite the traces of exhaustion, an undeniable beauty still lingered that couldn't be entirely erased.
As she saw Riley propping herself on the bed while staring at her, her eyes grew wider, and her jaws opened. The plastic bag in her hand dropped without her even knowing. In a split second, her eyes began to fill with tears.
Then, before Riley could even react, this woman flung herself onto the bed, wrapping Riley in a tight embrace. She began to sob uncontrollably as she kissed Riley's head.
"My baby... My beautiful Riley, you are finally awake... I knew the Moon Goddess would one day listen to Mom's prayers. See, you are finally in mom's arms after one year, hugging mom tightly...."
Riley was getting suffocated with how tightly the woman embraced her, but she couldn't worry. All her focus rested on one thing this woman said: cancelling everything else.
Mom... This woman said she is her mom...
But how could it be possible? Riley's mom passed away a few months before she fled from home. Riley had never seen this woman in her entire life. She didn't even have any relatives except for her mom. So, who is this strange woman claiming to be her mom?
"Oh! I have to call your dad... He just left the hospital, spending the whole night beside you. Oh! God! I don't even know if he gets a heart attack, hearing this good news." After kissing Riley's whole face while crying and praising the Moon Goddess, the woman took a phone from the side bag she had on her.
My dad? Riley fell into a greater dilemma after hearing those words. She had never had a father in her entire life; she didn't even know who her father was. So, how come she suddenly has a father now? A caring and loving father who spent an entire night beside her in a hospital room at that?
"Oh, my baby... Your dad will run all the way here..." The woman was about to dial a phone number but suddenly paused.
"My God, what am I doing? I got so excited seeing you awake. I completely forgot to call the doctors. Baby, Mom will be right back!" she kissed Riley's cheek and hurried towards the door.
Riley let out a sigh, staring at the closed door. Even if the words can deceive a person, not the emotions shown on that face or those continuously rolling down tears could be fake. No doubt this woman loves her daughter so much; even her husband seems to love their daughter a lot. A lucky daughter to have such loving parents. But that lucky daughter is not her!!!
Riley felt her headache becoming more intense with every passing second. This woman even called her Riley, saying she was awake after one year. What was the meaning of all these? How could she untangle this highly messed-up ball of yarn?
Right then, Riley saw that the woman had left her phone on the bed, as she had left in a hurry. Riley quickly picked up the phone; she wanted to check the date to see if a year had really passed since that incident.
As she held the phone, the screen lit up, showing the date, time, and a photo of a lovely girl on the lock screen. But none of these could catch Riley's attention, as her mind stilled when she saw her own reflection on the phone.
It took her a few seconds to process what she should do next. By then, the screen had gone dark, giving her a clearer picture of her reflection. Riley blinked a few times, thinking she must be hallucinating. But the girl on the phone screen blinked along with her. She touched her face, and the girl on the screen did the same.
Riley couldn't help but scream with indescribable panic and fear! Who the hell is this girl on the phone screen? Whoever she is, she is not her!!! She is not Riley Simons, who fled from her house because of those two devilishly handsome faces!!!
Third Person Point of ViewThe air in the room suddenly got thicker with the tension. Riley stood in the middle of the living room, caught between Eash and Ezra. Her heart was thumping in her chest as she observed the silent battle between the two dominant alphas. Eash and Ezra had their eyes locked over Riley's head. Their gazes were filled with dominance, desire, and reluctance to share...Then in an instant, Eash's hand slipped under Riley's T-shirt, gently rubbing her hips. He placed a kiss on the back of her ear. Then his tongue traces along her earlobe, making Riley let out an involuntary moan."You won, princess..." Eash chuckled. "But don't regret you asked us to share you..."Ezra's fingers tangled in her hair, lifting her head up to him. Then the next moment, his lips locked on hers. The usual gentleness and care were nowhere to be found in that kiss. It was just a claim of possessiveness. It was so fierce... So raw...When he finally pulled away, they both gasped for air."
Third Person Point of ViewThe entire room was filled with tension. Eash and Ezra gazed at each other, their dominant alpha instincts surging up, their eyes were filled with desire and possessiveness. Riley stared at both of them in turn, her eyes were heavy with guilt and nervousness.It was Eash who broke the silence first. He laughed out loud and asked, "So what are we supposed to do? Sharing her between us? Take turns to be with her like fucking gentlemen?"His usual playfulness had vanished without a trace. His whole self was covered with something darker, something extremely mysterious... "Bullshit!"Ezra spoke, breaking the silence. His voice was ice, "Do you think I want this? You think I could even imagine you touching her?""But she is serious about her decision. So what are we going to do? "Walk away because we can't share?" he then asked."Walk away.... " Eash spit.Riley's chest tightened as she watched them. The two men she loves the most are about to pounce at each othe
Third Person Point of ViewHowever, Riley had no idea how to begin discussing these things. She can't go and directly ask them about these things; also, how could she help both of them with these issues? It sounds ridiculous and goes against all the moral rules Riley had ever set for herself. She sincerely believed that her heart, body, and soul must belong to one person. She thought she should dedicate herself solely to that person, but now everything has changed. It's common in their society for a woman to have multiple partners, but that typically occurs when they are her mates. However, in Riley's case, she hasn't even had her transformation yet, so she is not their mate, but she still feels this way. Also, what about when Eash and Ezra one day found their respective mates? What will happen to her after that? They won't be able to resist their mates no matter how much they love Riley. Her heart was aching even thinking of such a day...However, they haven't found their mates yet.
Third Person Point of ViewThe sun rose the next morning, lighting up the world with warmth and hope. However, it brought no comfort to Riley. She received the news she had been dreading, the one that her mom had left her all alone in the world, her only family gone forever. She had a mother, at least, someone she saw every day, but now she was gone. Without knowing who her father was or having any other relatives, Riley had truly become an orphan.Because of her mother, Riley had to endure so much. She had almost lost her dignity in the hands of her mother's numerous lovers. She worked tirelessly to care for her, often sacrificing her own well-being in the process. Yet her mother never truly did much for her in return. Still, after losing her mother, Riley didn't dwell on the things she missed or the troubles she had to endure because of her. All she could think about was that her mother had given her life, let her live under her roof. Her mother was her only family, her everything.
Third-Person Point of View"Miss Riley, your mom suddenly got chest pain! She seems to be in a lot of pain. I am taking her to the hospital," the caretaker's panicked voice rose from the other side. "What?" Riley stood up involuntarily, pressing the phone hard against her ear. When she left home this afternoon, her mom was just fine. How could she suddenly get chest pain? She never had a chest problem."We are almost in the hospital now. Will you come quickly?" the caretaker asked."Yeah...I am coming. Please do the needful. I will call Aunty Jay, too." Riley said, looking at the three faces staring at her."She is already with me. Don't worry. We will do what needs to be done. It's just that she is in a lot of pain. I think if you come quickly, it's better." "I am coming! I am coming soon!" "Mom suddenly had a heart attack!" After the call, Riley said, looking at the three people. They didn't waste a second. They quickly dressed up and left the villa. ***************************
Third Person Point of ViewFinally, the exams are over, marking the end of weeks of hard work and sleepless nights. As she stepped out of the exam hall, Riley took a deep breath, savouring the freedom, and she needed to catch up on her sleep seriously. She involuntarily yawned."Sleepy?" A strong arm wrapped around her shoulder leisurely. No matter how much she told Eash, he won't stop putting his arm around her shoulder like this."Yeah... I will sleep the whole day tomorrow." Riley yawned again."So, the final paper was good, right?" Ezra joined in."Yeah... It had some questions, we predicted! I was smiling like a fool when I saw them." Riley laughed."Damn! Why didn't I see you smiling like that? I bet you looked beautiful!" Eash gently rubbed Riley's upper arm with his thumb.Riley tried to pout, but she couldn't help but smile at the end."I should thank both of you, for studying with me. It helped me understand the subjects I struggled with. Also, keeping me awake to study and