Something They Made

RIVEN’S POV

I tossed and turned, clutching my stomach, my eyes shut tightly.

It felt as though I was in a losing game, each breath I took was as though it was my last, each bone in my body shuddered as I moved, beads of thick, hot sweat dripping down my skin and the air smelled like it was contaminated with poison.

I parted my mouth, my eyes rolled into my head as I continued taking deep breaths to at least keep myself conscious, but it didn't relive the crazy pain that was making me go insane. It felt as though the walls of the room were closing in on me, the bed I laid on was made out of rock.

But amidst my pain, I knew he was there, staring at me.

I didn't have to see him to know, I could feel his thick, suffocating aura and that scent….that scent of his that literally made me lose my mind.

He didn't move from where he moved, just stood there, silent, his breath calm.

I pressed my lips tightly together, took a deep breath then spoke up in a raspy, cracked tone. “Are you just gonna stand there and stare at me all day, huh?” I asked with a slight scoff.

He said nothing, but still didn't leave.

I gritted my teeth, forcing my eyes open slightly, my vision blurry, but I could make out his tall, imposing figure leaning against the wall opposite the bed, his arms folded under his chest, those golden orbs locked onto me.

“If you're gonna stare at me like some kind of art exhibition, why don't you just fucking kill me?” I spat. “That's…. that's what you're famous for, right? Any rogue that dares infiltrate your land is instantly turned into food for your pets”

I heard him scoff, then stepped away from the wall and began talking slow, deliberate strides towards me, his boots hardly making any sound as it met with the marble floor. “I wouldn't kill you….not until I under what the fuck you are”

I rolled my eyes, the pain kicking in once again but I forced myself to speak up. “I'm nothing,” I replied. “I've told you this before…..just a boy who's gonna be dead anyways”

He came to a halt just a few steps away from where I laid, so close that I could literally perceive the distinct scent of pinewood and something deadly on his coat…. blood, or poison, maybe.

I saw as he leaned in a little, then spoke up again. “What's your name? Or identity tag?” He asked.

“Go kiss the devil in hell” I spat, sneering.

"That's quite a lengthy name” he muttered in a sarcastic, cold tone.

I gritted my teeth, wiped the bead of sweat that had rolled down my mouth then muttered under my breath. “I'm…I'm Riven”

“Hmm….” I heard him hum, but said nothing at first. He just stood there, arms crossed behind his back. Then, almost in a low whisper, he repeated my name.

“Riven, huh?”

The way he said it made me almost flinch, it stirred up something inside of me, like he had placed a curse just by mentioning my name.

Just then, another intense pain hit me so hard, my spine arched, a loud yell escaping my lips before I stopped it. I choked on a sob, biting down on my lower lips so hard my lips cracked, fresh blood oozing into my mouth.

I whimpered, clutching my arms around my stomach once again, this time even tighter than before as I felt something shift under my skin.

“No..no, no” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. “Shut…. shut up”

I whimpered, pressing my head down to the wall, trying to force the cold to calm me down but unfortunately, it was impossible.

Just then, I heard him taking another step closer to me and flinched.

“You're heating up” he snarled.

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the update, I guess,” I muttered. “You're such a genius for realising that”

“I never said you were heating up normally” he said again, his voice low and deadly.

I tried to ignore him, shutting my eyes close once again. I didn't want to go through what I went through in the past again, not with him.

But unfortunately, before I could stop it, the memories invaded my thoughts anyway.

I could still feel the cold metal cuffs clamped around my wrists, the poisoned silver seeping into my skin. And that dark room….the one where I was tortured and constantly heard voices that tormented my emotions for weeks without knowing who they belonged to.

And when I tried to escape the first time, I remembered their words. “That bastard tried to break free from the spell…..drag him back in!”

Then the echoes of boots stomping against what sounded like dried bones, followed by the strong scent of blood.

I snapped back to reality, my body trembling violently and I couldn't stop it no matter how much I tried. My arms, legs every fucking part of my body trembled, my teeth clattering vigorously against each other, the bed I laid on burning up.

I could feel him more close to me now and the way he breathed changed too.

“You're deadly” he growled.

“Then fucking kill me” I whispered through shaky breaths.

“I…I should have” I heard him snarl. “I really would have but each time I try or even think of it…..”

He stopped his words, his voice fading as though he hated how he sounded and the words he spoke. “My wolf objects…. wanting to protect you”

I scoffed, a broken, bittered laugh escaping my lips. “Then your wolf is as broken as I am”

When I turned to look at him, I didn't expect the look he gave me.

It wasn't pity, neither was it rage. Just….raw, genuine confusion, as though he too was finding it hard to believe what was going on either.

But then, a sharp bang suddenly sounded outside on the bars.

“Alpha…Alpha…Cazriel…..” I heard a loud, guttural voice roar, almost feral. “I…I can't fucking take it anymore!!! The….the scent…..I…I just need a taste…Just one lick….pl…please….”

The bars shook, sounds of claws scraping against the metal but Cazriel spun his heels almost immediately, moving in the shadows.

And before I could even blink, he had disappeared from sight. But then, the loud crunching of bones splitting apart filled the air, followed by loud, painful screams of agony.

My heart skipped a beat as I heard another slam on the metal, then another, followed by a low thud, the finally…..silence.

He walked back into the cell, his boots echoing wet with blood.

“If anyone dares to touch him….” He snarled, his voice still low but it vibrated with raw, unfiltered anger and death. “I don't just kill you…. I'll fucking drag you to hell myself”

My breath hitched, I couldn't breath, neither could I speak.

My body felt like it was collapsing. My head fell against the wall, my eyelids heavy. His scent filled the room now….no longer calm and distant, but strong and intense. He turned to leave. I don't know why I did it. Maybe I panicked. Maybe I was trying to survive. My hand reached out, weak and shaking, and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't... don't let them take me back."

He stopped moving. "Who?" he asked. "The ones who want me."

He looked at me like I was talking nonsense. "Who are 'they', Riven?"

I didn't answer.

My throat felt tight. I didn't have a name for them. I didn't want one. “They'll come for me,” I whispered. “They always do.”

His eyebrows furrowed, his face hard to read. “What did they do to you?”

“I don’t know.” My voice broke again. “I don’t know. Just keep them away from me.”

I didn’t explain why. I didn’t say what they did, I didn’t mention the thing inside me that stirred when I cried, or how my body felt foreign. But his eyes moved to my stomach and I saw him swallow hard.

He smelled something I couldn’t hide anymore. He stepped back slowly, ran his hand through his hair, looking like he'd seen something terrible. Then he turned to the door, opened it, and spoke without looking at me.

“Kaan.”

“Yes, Alpha?” someone replied from down the hall.

“I need every name of every Alpha that's been hunting rogues across the border.”

“You think he’s one of them?”

He paused. “No,” Cazriel said. “I think he’s something they lost.” A pause. “…Or something they created.”

Then the door slammed shut.