LOGINKaelI set the two heavy grocery bags down on the sidewalk the moment I saw him.Riven was standing outside the police station. My stomach tightened. What the hell was he doing here?I squinted against the evening sun and started walking toward him. The closer I got, the more I noticed how tense he looked. When he saw me coming, he swallowed hard and actually took a small step back.“Riven?” I asked, stopping right in front of him. “Are you okay? Did you just come out of the station? What happened? Were you arrested?”Riven blinked, then let out a surprised laugh and shook his head. “I wasn’t arrested. I actually had someone arrested.”I stared at him, confused. “What? Why? What happened?”“It’s a long story,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can you drive me home? I’ll explain everything in the car.”He started walking ahead, but I quickly caught his hand, stopping him. “Wait. Why didn’t you drive your car?”For a second, worry hit me hard. Had his trauma come back? He had onl
RivenThe back room was quiet except for the soft hum of the ventilation system. I was going through the new shipment of coffee beans, checking the quality, aroma, and moisture levels of the latest Ethiopian batch when the door burst open.“Boss!” Liam panted, eyes wide. “You need to come out front right now. There’s a customer screaming at Sarah.”I frowned and set the bag of beans down. “What happened?”“She’s really mad. Something about her drink.”I wiped my hands on a towel and headed out to the front of the cafe. The moment I stepped behind the counter, I could feel the tension in the air. A woman in her mid-thirties was standing at the pickup counter, face flushed with anger, while poor Sarah looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her.“What seems to be the problem?” I asked calmly, stepping forward.The woman turned her glare on me. “Are you the owner?”“Yes, I am. How can I help you?”She shoved her cup towards me. “There’s a long hair in my latte! I specifically asked f
RivenMy back hit the hospital wall as I took another step away from the four alphas closing in. My heart was hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears.“Do not come close,” I said, my voice shaking. “Don’t come any closer.”They kept moving anyway, slow and predatory, eyes dark as they breathed in my scent. The open cut on my finger was making everything worse — my pheromones spiking uncontrollably because of the vampire syndrome.One of them smirked. “Look at his neck. He has a mark.”The others paused, narrowing their eyes. Another one tilted his head. “Yeah… it seems like he’s already taken. Fresh mark too. Let’s get out of here.”They stopped advancing. After a few tense seconds, they turned and walked away, muttering among themselves. I stayed pressed against the wall until they disappeared around the corner.Only then did I let out a long, shaky breath. My hand came up to touch the fresh claiming mark on my neck. It was still tender, but right now it felt like the only thing
RivenWe stood at the door for a long moment, reluctant to let go. Kael leaned in and kissed me deeply, slow and full of promise, his hand cupping the back of my neck right over the fresh mark. When we finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine.“I’ll call you later,” he whispered.I nodded, smiling softly. “Drive safe.”He kissed me one last time, then watched as I stepped inside and closed the door. The second I was alone, I slumped onto the couch, a stupid, lovesick smile spreading across my face. Everything from last night replayed in my head — the way he fucked me on the counter, the way he marked me, and the way the bond had flared between us like a living thing. I reached up and touched the mark on my neck. It was still tender and warm and sent a spark of heat through my whole body. I let out a small whimper, thighs pressing together at the memory.My eyes drifted to the band-aid on my finger. It was already peeling at the edges. I shook my head with a quiet laug
RivenI woke up slowly the next morning, body heavy and deliciously sore. My neck throbbed where Kael had marked me, and between my legs I felt the deep, used ache from how thoroughly he had fucked me last night. The sheets smelled like him… like us.I sat up, blinking. The room was tidy. Clothes were folded, the floor was clean, and even the mess we’d made on the bench last night was gone. Kael had changed me into one of his soft shirts while I slept. I smiled despite the soreness, warmth blooming in my chest.He wasn’t in bed. I got up carefully, wincing a little, and padded out of the room.I found him in the kitchen, shirtless, wearing only low-slung sweatpants, humming quietly as he made coffee. The morning light caught on the fresh mark I’d left on his shoulder last night. He looked up when he heard me and smiled, soft and warm.“Good morning. You’re awake.”I nodded, smiling back. I glanced around the quiet house. “Your dad and May… they’re not home?”“They headed out earlier,”
KaelI thought it was time.Riven had been through enough, and so had I. After everything that happened, I wanted our families to start healing too. So one evening, I brought it up while we were lying in bed.“I think you should come with me to visit my dad,” I said softly, tracing circles on his arm. “Just dinner. No pressure.”Riven tensed immediately. He looked nervous, almost shy, biting the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know, Kael… what if he doesn’t like me? What if it’s awkward?”“He already knows about us,” I reassured him, kissing his temple. “And he’s been asking about you. Come on. For me?”He hesitated for a long moment, then sighed. “Okay. I’ll go.”***The dinner was at my family home. The table was full — Dad at the head, May beside him, and Riven sitting right next to me. At first, things were surprisingly smooth. Dad and Riven clicked faster than I expected. They talked hockey, strategies, and even old games. Dad laughed at one of Riven’s jokes, and I felt something w
KaelI stared at the screen, my pulse kicking up.Me: Are you sure you’re on heat? Have you experienced it before?Riven: No.Me: Then what makes you think you’re on heat?The typing bubbles appeared, disappeared, then appeared again. When the message came through, I had to read it twice.Riven: I
KaelThe evening air was cool as we piled into the big team bus headed for Millbrook. The guys were already loud — some talking shit, others with headphones on, a few half-asleep before we even left the parking lot. I greeted a couple of them as I climbed aboard and dropped into the seat next to Ol
RivenThe morning light felt too bright and too loud. I barely slept after what happened last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my own slick-covered fingers and heard the broken way I’d moaned Kael’s name while I came.I couldn’t ignore it anymore.I needed answers.I had a shower, pulled o
RivenThe taxi pulled up near the side entrance again. I paid the driver and stepped out into the cool night air, my legs still shaky from everything that had happened in the locker room.The moment I got out, May spotted me. She broke away from Kael and ran straight toward me, throwing her arms ar







