Elena
I woke to the scent of iron and antiseptic, and something else too, leather and smoke. Thorne.The dull ache in my shoulder became a sharp scream the moment I tried to shift. I gasped, teeth grinding as I dropped back onto the pillow.“Don’t move,” a voice ordered, low and unmistakably him.My eyes fluttered open.The room was dim, the walls painted a faded white, likely a safe house.Thorne sat beside the bed, his black shirt rolled up at the sleeves, blood crusted along his knuckles.His coat lay draped across a chair, and his dagger gleamed on the table like a second spine.He hadn’t shaved. Dark scruff outlined his jaw, and his eyes were rimmed with shadows, not from sleep, but from something heavier. Guilt. Rage. I couldn’t decide.“You’ve been here the whole time?” I rasped.He didn’t answer right away. Just poured water into a glass, then helped me drink from it. His~FreyaMarcel’s body lay cold on the marble floor.Lorenzo was bent over him, his voice hoarse, whispering Marcel’s name again and again, like repetition might reverse death. Like his brother could wake from this if only he begged hard enough.Rosy didn’t cry.She stood still in the doorway, arms slack at her sides, her lips parted slightly like she’d just swallowed something bitter. Her gaze wasn’t on Marcel, no, it was locked on the far wall, blank.I couldn’t stand there anymore.The scent of blood and metal was starting to creep under my skin. I turned and walked toward the side room, and after a moment, Rosy followed.We sat in silence. She didn’t look at me. Her fingers were twitching like she was trying to keep herself from trembling, but her eyes still didn’t blink.Then finally, she spoke.“You think we can ever avenge him?”Her voice was small. Timid. Like a little girl who used to believe the world was fair. But we weren’t children anymore. We were soldiers. Orphans of a
Katherine.The mirror in front of me didn’t lie. My hands were steady, my lips parted just enough to allow the creamy red lipstick to glide smoothly. I wasn’t in a rush. I rarely was. I had mastered the art of composure long before the world around me learned how to burn. When I still used my body to gain informations from influential men, making myself a irresistible liability for them is never a problem.A faint knock echoed on the door. I ignored it.The knock turned into a slam.Raven barged in like he owned the room, like fury had carried him past logic and restraint. Of course, he owned the room.His eyes, normally sharp, always observant were wild now, bloodshot, his chest heaving.I smirked into the mirror."Did I say you could come in?" I asked, still holding the lipstick in my hand, perfectly poised to finish the curve of my mouth."Marcel is dead. Thorne killed him."I didn’t flinch."And Thorne?" I asked, dragging the stick along the edge of my lower lip."Still breathi
Elena I woke to the scent of iron and antiseptic, and something else too, leather and smoke. Thorne.The dull ache in my shoulder became a sharp scream the moment I tried to shift. I gasped, teeth grinding as I dropped back onto the pillow.“Don’t move,” a voice ordered, low and unmistakably him.My eyes fluttered open. The room was dim, the walls painted a faded white, likely a safe house. Thorne sat beside the bed, his black shirt rolled up at the sleeves, blood crusted along his knuckles. His coat lay draped across a chair, and his dagger gleamed on the table like a second spine.He hadn’t shaved. Dark scruff outlined his jaw, and his eyes were rimmed with shadows, not from sleep, but from something heavier. Guilt. Rage. I couldn’t decide.“You’ve been here the whole time?” I rasped.He didn’t answer right away. Just poured water into a glass, then helped me drink from it. His
ElenaMarcel stepped closer. The others moved out.He approached me slowly, like I was dangerous.“We’re not really sure who the real one is between you and Katherine,” he said, voice low. “But I want it to be you.”The sincerity in his voice hit me in a place I didn’t expect. Something flickered behind his eyes, regret, hope, maybe both.I narrowed mine. “Why? Is it because of the password? You need someone to unlock the Obsidian Sons, right? If that’s what this is about, you’re wasting your time. I don’t have them. She should.”His jaw tightened. “That’s exactly why I want it to be you.” His voice cracked with something between desperation and rage. “Because she doesn’t know the password. And if you do, it changes everything.”There was heat in his eyes now, barely restrained. A storm gathering behind his calm.Then it snapped. He raised his voice, sudden and sharp. “Why don’t you remember?!”The shout startled me, more because of the way it twisted his expression like he hated him
ReidLucia's head rested on my chest, hair spilling across my skin, and I could feel every shallow breath she took. The room was quiet except for the faint rustle of bedsheets and the soft sound of her lips parting when my finger dragged slowly over her nipple.I was staring at my phone, pretending to be focused, scanning messages I didn’t care about. But my left hand had a mind of its own. It circled, teased, tugged on her hard nipples.She let out a soft moan, one of those broken, breathy sounds that made my muscles tighten. Her legs shifted restlessly against mine, her body chasing what my hand was promising.She didn’t speak. Her body told me everything.I tossed the phone aside. It landed somewhere on the bed, forgotten.Lucia shifted, her head lifting slightly from my chest as if to look at me, but I didn’t let her. My palm slid up to her jaw, tilting her face so her lips hovered near mine."You want something again, angel?" I asked, voice low and lazy, like I had all night to
Elena I stood in front of Lorenzo, his grip firm around my wrist.He chuckled, not letting go. “Maybe because that’s exactly who you are.”“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re mistaken,” I said instantly, yanking my wrist free. “Trace your steps back, I’m not Zoey. Or whoever it is you’re looking for.”He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. Just tilted his head slightly, that irritating smirk never leaving his face.“Then come with me,” he said. Not quite a request. More like a quiet demand.I stepped back instinctively. “Not a chance.”Lorenzo gave a small, almost theatrical bow. “Forgive me, my lady.”I didn’t have time to ask what that meant.A shadow fell over my face, something thick, like cloth or a black sack. I let out a muffled scream, twisting, struggling, but a sudden sharp pressure at my neck stole the strength from my limbs. My breaths shortened, panic blooming in my chest.And then everything went dark.__________________My eyes fluttered open, the world spinning and blu