Chapter 4: Inner Peace

DENSMORE

SOME MINUTES EARLIER

Ever since River left, I had known no peace.

Instead, my wolf had whined and purred, until I had to excuse myself from the party, 

Unfortunately for me, Paloma followed and I wondered why she didn't follow after her best friend.

“Baby, please talk to me!” Paloma demanded and I sighed just as I reached my bedroom door and turned around. 

“I want to be alone.” I mindlinked and Paloma looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. 

“Den, you’ve just been through a traumatic experience. You need someone to be there for you.” She reached out, her hands rubbing my collarbone. 

For the first time in forever, her touch made me uncomfortable, so I grabbed her hand and peeled them off of me. 

 “I’m fine. I want to be alone. You should check on your friend.” I insisted and didn’t wait for her reply before going in and closing the doors behind me. 

After hearing her walk away, I heaved a sigh and crossed the room to my balcony while removing my suit jacket and tie. Then I rolled up my sleeves, and leaned against the banister, feeling the fresh midnight breeze wash over my hot skin. 

How in the hell am I even mated to River?

She’s far from what I have always imagined my mate would look like and she comes from a family my mother hates. 

Is this some cruel joke from the Moon Goddess? Does she have a twisted sense of humor or is she trying to make me pay for my mistakes?

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a migraine come on. 

Touching River had ignited something in me, something I never knew I could ever feel and in those few seconds, where our skins touched, I felt utter bliss. Like a calm settling over a raging storm, touching River undid me and somehow I found myself wishing our mate bond wasn’t over. 

I need a dose of that peace again. I need the voices in my head to stay quiet. 

A light came on in the distance, and when I noticed it was from the farm where River stayed, I immediately went in to get my binoculars. As soon as I got them, I went back outside, placing them over my eyes to watch River. 

I found her standing in her room, seemingly talking to someone and I couldn’t understand why some feral part of me wanted to know who. 

Then someone threw something at her and I watched River stagger and fall to her knees. Instantly, something flipped inside me. Like fire bursting into flames, that familiar rage within came to life, curling my hands into tight fists. 

Thunder echoed in the skies and when I saw her father come into view with his belt, I was torn between turning a blind eye or doing something about it. After some agonizing seconds of watching and warring inside me, I took my shirt off,  and channeled my wolf.

When he came to the surface, I climbed over the banister and without hesitation, I spread my arms and fell. 

Lightning struck and thunder echoed as it began to rain and the adrenaline rush that zapped through me was nothing compared to the fiery rage building within. I crashed into a tree, using my clawed hands and feet to slip down gracefully, and as soon as I got on land, I went at full speed down the path leading to the farm.

I could barely feel the chill of the rain soaking through my clothes. All I felt was a mixture of rage and panic as I pumped my legs harder, slipping and nearly falling over the muddy path. 

The moment I arrived, thunder rumbled again but her scream pierced through, causing shivers down my body. 

No one should ever experience abuse from their loved one.

Not even the girl I am supposed to hate.

And with that, I stormed up the steps and was about to kick down the main door when it opened and I came face to face with River’s brother, Raven. 

His eyes bulged in surprise, his lips parting to utter a word but before he could do that, I grabbed his throat, pushing him back against a wall. 

“Where is she?” I mindlinked and he huffed once before giving an answer. 

“Last room down the hallway to your left.” He whispered and my jaw tightened, hating the lack of remorse in his eyes. 

“You should be ashamed of yourself.” I mindlinked before releasing him and storming down the direction he gave. 

The closer I got, the louder her cries became, grating on my damn nerves. 

Kicking the door down, I walked in, barely keeping my rage in. Lightning flashed, and in that split second, I saw everything. 

River was curled into a fetus, her father standing over her with his belt. Her skin had red angry marks on them and blood oozed from her knee, pooling on the wooden floor. 

“Your Highness!” Her father gushed in surprise and that was all he could say before I closed the distance between us and threw him out the window. 

The sound of glass shattering did nothing to abate the anger still raging inside me, but River had my full attention and when she didn’t move, it felt like my entire world had gone still. 

Raven rushed in, his eyes falling on his sister before cutting to me.

“She deserved it.” He said. “She was being punished for going to the Palace. Your mother gave my father the order!”

My blood ran cold. Wasn’t it enough that River was forced to reject me? Did she have to suffer on top of that?

Kneeling down, I touched her, having the intent of carrying her to a Healer but to my shock, that same feeling of inner peace shot through me, cooling my rage. 

I retracted my hand, stunned and confused because why does it still feel like River’s still my mate?