LOGINSam’s POVMy hands were still trembling when I stepped out into the hallway. I didn’t even realize I had taken out my phone until it was already in my hand, Nora’s name staring back at me on the screen.I pressed dial. She picked up almost immediately.“Sam, hey! What’s up?”“Come to the hospital,” I blurted.There was a pause.“…Is Clara okay?” she responded with a more serious tone.“She’s fine,” I said quickly. “Just… just come if you can. Please.”Something in my voice must have told her this wasn’t a joke.“I’m on my way,” she said immediately and hung up.By the time Nora rushed into Clara’s ward, slightly out of breath, I was pacing.“Okay, what is happening?” she demanded, dropping her bag onto the chair. “You scared me half to death.”Clara giggled softly from the bed. “She’s been like this for the past ten minutes.”“I have not,” I muttered, though I definitely had.“Sam,” Nora said, grabbing my shoulders. “What’s the matter girl?”I took a deep breath.“You remember I told
Sam’s POVI couldn’t breathe. The hallway suddenly felt too small and too tight for me… as if the walls were closing in on me. My heart pounded so hard in my chest it almost hurt, each beat louder than the previous one.He was here. Riven Black, literally the king of the city.He was here not just in my thoughts, or in the memories of our one night together, but here in my place of work. Just paces away from me. And he was staring at me like I was the only thing there.My fingers tightened around Nora’s arm without thinking. I didn’t even realize I was gripping her too hard until she winced slightly.“Sam…” she whispered, her voice a mix of excitement and panic. “Why is he looking at you like that?”Because I ran from him, the thought rang in my head.“I… I don’t know,” I lied weakly.But my body knew it. God, my body could barely contain me seeing him slowly approach. I felt that same pull wrapped around me again, but stronger this time.It wasn’t just a feeling anymore, but somethin
Sam’s POV Hours after that beautiful, but much dreaded night I had spent with a total stranger, I tried so much to return to my usual life.The idea of forgetting about my current life conditions and pretending I was someone else hadn’t worked out so well after all. It felt like I had just briefly moved through someone else’s life, and now I had to return to mine.I went back to work at Royale Lodge that morning like nothing had happened. I cleaned the rooms, my mind still hooked on the stranger who seemed to have crawled up under my skin.I smiled politely at everyone, but inside me, everything waschaos. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.The masked stranger. My totally unexpected one-night-stand. The way his touch had felt against my skin… like I belonged there.It was like I went on with an invisible string tied to him, which I couldn’t seem to discard. And there was the way my heart behaved… like it had lost something.I’d catch myself turning suddenl
Riven’s POV I woke up to emptiness beside me. The warmth that had been pressed against my chest was no longer there.For a second, I thought it had all been a dream. Then the scent of the mystery girl I had just spent the night with hit me.Her sweet delicate scent was still in the sheets and wrapped around me like a ghost. My eyes quickly snapped open.I turned and the other side of the bed was cold, confirming my suspicions. My heart slammed hard against my ribs. The girl was gone.“Shit!” I sighed.Silence took over the room as I scanned my mind for what could have gone wrong. Then suddenly, I sat up fast, scanning the apartment.The balcony doors were closed. The bathroom empty. No sign of her anywhere. A low growl ripped from my throat as the reality dawn on me.“No, no, no.” I whispered.Why would she leave? After our steamy night together. The bond I felt to her burned hot against my chest through the scent she’d left behind.The moment I confirmed in my mind the still existin
Sam’s POV The air outside was cold when we stepped out of the bar, but his hand around mine warmed me a bit.His grip was strong and firm. And I didn’t even question him about where we were going, I just let him lead me on.My head spun from the alcohol, but there was something else… something deeper. And ever since I set eyes on him, it seemed to be pulling me toward him like gravity.Neither of us spoke. We didn’t need to. It felt like words would ruin whatever magic we had wrapped around us.A black car waited at a corner. He opened the door for me, and I slid in, my heart racing. The ride was short but quiet, filled with tension so thick I could almost breathe it.I kept stealing small glances at him. But the dark mask still covered half his face and I could see his much of his features. Only his clenched jaws, sharp eyes that burned with something wild in them.When the car stopped, I realized we were in front of a small building.“This is…?” I started.“My place,” he said simpl
Sam’s POV Back home after my shift at Royale, Nora wouldn’t stop pacingin her apartment. She moved back and forth across the tiny living room, her hands on her hips, her hair bouncing with every step while I sat down on the couch, still in my work clothes.“Sam,” she said for the hundredth time, “you are not spending another night crying over your problems.”“I won’t be crying,” I muttered.She shot me a look. “Well, your eyes suggests otherwise.”I sighed and rubbed my face. My body tired from work. My mind also ached from everything else.“I’m tired, Nora.”“Tired isn’t the same as giving up, my friend,” she said, then smiled slowly. “Besides, I have a great idea for you.”That made mea little nervous, knowing Nora well. “Really? And what idea is that?”“So… there’s this underground party tonight…” I started but wasn’t allowed to finish…“Oh please, Nora!” I sighed, already aware of what she was driving at.“It’s going to be fun, I swear!” she said excitedly, “An underground masked







