RAVENNA POV
Darius was my mate.Mine.God, was this real?I kissed him with the urgency of someone on the brink of death, my arms clinging to him as though, if I let go even slightly, he would vanish from my grasp.When I had woken up and didn't find him, panic had seized me. I thought that maybe he had finally come to his senses and didn't want me anymore and had left. I was ready to drive back to his territory and beg him, slap him, kiss him.And that ache in my chest had only made matters worse. It had throbbed and then I became restless, like I wanted to leave this room.And when Darius had come back it had faded.And now I understood what it was. It was our mate bond. Even though we hadn't bonded yet, it was still there. Strong.And I knew that was how Darius had found me.I broke away from the kiss to breathe, placing my headIt was dark but the moon shone brightly enough. Mia was at the river far from the packhouse. She had shifted back to her human form, so she was naked. She sat on the bank, her back facing Dalian, but he knew she knew he was there. He shifted back and the cold hit him so hard that he shuddered. He sat beside her, his feet entering the water, and the cold made him flinch. “You must be cold,” he said softly, aching to touch her, hold her, but he restrained. After seeing that look in her eyes earlier, he didn't know if she even wanted him to be here, let alone touching. She said nothing and just stared at the water, her legs moving and disrupting the stillness of the water. He looked at her, his eyes burning into the side of her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but he couldn't. Her expression was closed off, yet… peaceful. He hadn't expected that, but that made him relax a little. “I have never come to this place before,” she said softly, and Dalian let out a breath
RAVENNA POV As I stared into Dalian’s eyes, into the coldness that I had never seen in those eyes before, it suddenly struck me how much of a fool I had been. It struck me that I was turning into something I didn't recognize. Pressure had been high ever since the preparation for this celebration began. There were days when I snapped for no sensible reason. And there were days when I took out my frustration on Darius. But he never minded. He just held me and kissed me and loved me. No, actually, this change had been happening since I gave birth. Ruling the pack and taking care of the twins hadn't been easy. And I have been neglecting Mia. No matter what she says or how she tries to sugarcoat it, I have been neglecting her. Mia, who had been here for me even when Darius wasn't. Mia, who had helped me at my lowest low. Mia, whom I have turned my back on. “She was family to all three of you,” Dalian said through clenched teeth, his body shaking, pointing at all three of us. “She loo
What was going on? Just… just what was going on?Somehow, this whole thing that was happening hadn't really dawned heavily on Mia. Somehow she was still thinking—hoping—that all this was a terrible nightmare and she would wake and everything would be the way it was. Because this was all just too much to be real. Too painful. Sure, she was never loved by her pack, but she had Darius and Lucian, and then Ravenna came along and she had her too. And it was bearable. She no longer felt like she would suffocate. She no longer felt like she wanted to run away and go somewhere where nobody would know her. But right now… Right now she wanted to do more than just run away; she wanted to disappear from the surface of the earth. Because now it was worse than unbearable. This time… it was choking her to death. Darius, Ravenna, and Lucian were looking at her with a look in their eyes. A look that said, “Admit it. Admit it so we’ll still have the witches' support.”She didn't know if they thoug
Mia couldn't stop shaking. She felt cold and hot at the same time. And she was shaking so badly that she could hear her bones rattling. She was confused and scared. Why would Aria do that when she knew it would also affect Dalian? When she knew he would feel everything? “She is mad,” she whispered to herself, her voice hoarse. She had screamed for help like a woman possessed, crying and begging. Fortunately, a group had been able to help her and carried Aria and Dalian back to the camp where the witches immediately took them and started healing. Mia couldn't stop thinking, “Was the witch going to die? And would Dalian die with her?”But Dalian was a wolf who had healing properties in his blood, so he would survive. And Aria was smart. She wouldn't do all that just to die. That had calmed Mia a bit. But that calm didn't last. In the heat of the moment, nobody had asked any questions. Nobody had even looked at her—until Aria and Dalian were steady, and then she was backed into a
The ladies stood still, staring at each other, not knowing what to say. Aria looked away first, searching around her with a hopeful glint in her eyes. “He’s not here,” the words came out of Mia before she could stop herself, her voice sounding bitter.Aria’s shoulders fell and she looked back at Mia with a sad smile. “Oh. I-I thought he would be here since you are practically glued together.”She said that with a sad smile, her shoulders in a defeated slump, her eyes soft, yet… yet her voice was filled with venom. Dripping with it. Lacing her every word. Mia stared back at her. “Could you help me with that? I mean glue us together?”Aria dropped the soft look faster than light, her features transforming right before Mia’s eyes. She stood up straight and she was towering over Mia. Her face grew hard and cold. Her eyes… God, her eyes were empty. Like she had no soul. She tsked as she walked towards Mia, shaking her head. “Mia. Mia. Mia. You're quite small for the trouble you're causi
THE SECOND DAY OF THE CELEBRATIONHunting. That was what they were doing today. What better way to build a bond than hunting? They would hunt in their human form during the daytime, and then in their wolf form at night. Darius’ territory was vast and had lots and lots of land filled with trees and wildlife. A day before the hunting, people were sent to build tents in a vast space in the middle of the forest. There were about ten tents big enough for five people. From each pack, the Alpha and Luna were the ones going hunting, hence the many tents. Plus, three of the witches—including Aria—were there, much to Mia’s dislike. “Can’t I just sit this one out?” Lucian grumbled, his arms folded, leaning against the tent walls. “No, you can't,” Ravenna answered, fastening the strap where her arrows were. “Why not?”“Because you just have to be there,” Darius answered, checking to see if his weapons were complete. “And who are we going to torture if you’re not there?” Mia asked him, smi