Novels by Rivers Pen

SYLVIA POV The air in the dining room was suddenly tensed. Only moments earlier, my family’s voices had filled the dining room. But now it was filled with a heavy silence that made even the maids retreat into the shadows, their heads bowed. I could feel their nerves in the room like the prickle of an approaching storm.“Darian,” my mother stammered, her face arranging itself into a frantic, welcoming smile that didn't reach her eyes. “We didn’t expect you. Please, sit. I’ll have the cook bring another—““I’m not hungry,” Darian said coldly. He didn’t look at her. He walked straight to me, his gaze fixed on my face, searching for any sign of tears. When he found none, some of the tension left his shoulders, though I could still feel his wolf inside him, coiled tight and ready to strike.*They hurt her, * his wolf’s voice rumbled in the back of my mind, dark and protective. *I can smell it on her skin. They made her sad. Let me break their pretty things, Darian. Let me show them what

SYLVIA POV Darian was supposed to come with me.We had planned it the night before: arrive together, greet my parents, endure the meal, and leave whenever I’d had enough. I’d even chosen one of my new outfits for the visit—a deep blue dress with clean lines and sleeves that fell neatly to my wrists. It made me feel composed, as if I could meet the past without letting it pull me under.Then, just before we were due to leave, Darian’s phone rang. He listened in silence, his expression growing more serious with every passing second. When the call ended, he looked at me.“I’m sorry,” he said. “There’s an urgent matter at the company. I need to handle it.”A knot tightened beneath my ribs. I told myself it was only a disappointment. That it didn’t mean anything.“Of course,” I said. “Go take care of it.”*You let her go, * the wolf snarled, his voice a low, vibrating growl that seemed to shake my very bones. *You let our mate go into the lion’s den alone. Why? Because of paper? Because o

SYLVIA POV The next morning, Darian was waiting by the car when I came downstairs. He wore a charcoal coat over a dark shirt, his expression as calm and unreadable as it had been the night before. I had changed into one of the outfits that had been left in my closet—a simple cream blouse and a dark skirt. They fit well, but the unfamiliar softness of the fabric made me feel as if I were borrowing someone else’s life. “Ready?” he asked. I glanced at the car, then back at him. “You really don’t mind taking me shopping?” “I offered, didn’t I?”There was no impatience in his voice. No hint that I was being difficult or that he expected me to be grateful for every second of his time. Still, I hesitated. The last time I’d gone shopping with a man, I’d been careful to choose only what I could justify. I’d learned to calculate the cost of every want before I admitted to having it. Even when Julian’s company had begun to flourish, I’d rarely bought anything for myself. There was alway

The Darkmouth estate rose beyond a line of black pines, all pale stone and tall windows. The beauty of it made my breath catch. I stepped from the car with my small case in hand.“Welcome home, Miss Thorne,” the driver said.Home.The word caught somewhere in my chest. Then a housekeeper was assigned to me and led me up a sweeping marble staircase, past polished floors and portraits of stern-looking wolves, to a spacious bedroom on the upper floor. I stood at the doorway, my fingers tightening around the handle of my suitcase.The bedroom was enormous. A queen-sized bed occupied the center of the room, its cream-colored sheets neatly arranged beneath a canopy of sheer curtains. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a beautifully maintained garden, while a small sitting area stood beside the fireplace. There was even a private balcony with a view of the surrounding estate.I had never slept in a room this big in my entire life.Hell, my previous bedroom could probably fit inside this on

SLYVIA POV By noon, the Bluemoon manor was in chaos. Servants hurried through the corridors with bags and flower arrangements. My wedding dress hung in my room, pale as moonlight, waiting to be packed for the journey to Lord Darian’s mansion. I was folding the last of my clothes into a battered leather trunk when Evenlyn swept into my bedroom without knocking. Her own wedding dress-a lavish, imported silk affair that my parents had clearly drained their personal accounts to afford—rustled behind her.Her gaze landed on the small velvet box beside my mirror.“That necklace is lovely,” she said, opening it before I could answer. Inside lay a delicate silver chain set with a single blue moonstone—It was the only thing of value I owned, a gift from my late grandmother."I'll be taking this," Evelyn said, sliding it into her own perfectly coiffed hair. "You're marrying Alpha Darian, Sylvia. You'll be dripping in diamonds by tonight. You don't need this cheap trinket anymore.” The stone

SLYVIA POV“My daughters,” my father, Alpha Thorne, began, his voice a low rumble that usually commanded absolute respect. “The Bloodmoon Pack and the Ironwood Pack have both requested alliances through marriage.”I opened my eyes.The familiar room swam into focus: the carved oak table, the silver tea service, the moonstone chandelier. Beyond the tall windows, the Bluemoon estate’s grounds lay silver beneath the full moon.And across from me sat my parents.I knew this room. I knew this conversation.I had heard it once before—years ago, before my first life had ended with a locked door, a shattered glass, and my husband’s fist.My hand rose to my cheek. Smooth skin. No bruises. No blood.I was alive again. “Sylvia,” my mother’s voice cuts through the haze. It is a voice I once thought was warm. Now, I hear the sharp, brittle edges of her indifference. “You and you're sister are of age now. It is time to decide whom you shall marry.”I sat beside my older sister, Evelyn, my hands fo