RIVER
The image of my mother’s neck being ripped open jolted me awake and I woke up to light blue eyes glaring at me.
In a flash I remembered everything.
Sitting up in bed, I stared wide-eyed at my surroundings and nothing made a lick of sense.
I was in the most luxurious bedroom I had ever seen, richly decorated with themes of black and beige.
Was I dead yet? If so, why was my best friend here?
I turned to Paloma who stood with her arms folded across her chest, her demeanor cold.
This was surely not her bedroom.
“What happened? Where am I?” I croaked.
Her stern face seemed to cool as her arms fell by her sides.
“You’re in my man’s bedroom. He brought you here because you’ve had a rough night.”
I blinked in surprise. Densmore brought me here?
To his bedroom?
His bed?
How?
Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind’s eye and I remembered my door bursting off its hinges and Densmore walking in shirtless, looking glorious as ever. His hair had been matted to his skull, his eyes, a rich shade of red, glowing like embers in the dark.
Densmore came for me, at my lowest point. Is that why I am in his bed now?
Paloma must have seen the look of surprise on my face because she shrugged. “Trust me, I am just as baffled.” She murmured, her face downcast.
Still confused, I checked myself and realized I had been changed into a clean shirt. A shirt that smells like earth and fresh rain. I inhaled deeply, grabbing the collar to take a good sniff, then I caught myself remembering Paloma was watching.
“Uhm..I don’t know what to say.” I pulled off the covers, ready to climb out of the bed. Everything here smelt of him and it was starting to drive me nuts. “Is the Queen aware of this?”
Paloma shook her head. “She doesn’t know and my man wants to keep it that way. So he asked me to lead you out the back door and take you home.”
My body rang with alarm. Take me home?
Last time I checked my father beat me black and blue because I came to the Palace. What would happen if he finds out I slept in the bed of the Prince?
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about your Dad. My sweetheart had a talk with him so you’re safe to go home.”
I stared at her, nodding slowly as her words sank in.
Why was Densmore suddenly showing care towards me? How did he know I was in trouble? If he put me here, then where did he sleep? Where is he?
I was about to ask Paloma about Densmore’s whereabouts but I noticed something was off about her and then, the way she kept referring to Densmore as hers ... .was she feeling threatened?
“Paloma, you know I would never hurt you, right?”
My best friend swallowed, her eyes flicking away before one of her sunshine smiles appeared.. “Of course.” She answered, but I knew her well enough to know she wasn’t convinced. “Let’s get you ready to leave before the Queen wakes up. Remember you still have your assignment at the Academy?”
I froze, remembering the task given to the Healer’s department. Anyone who brought the rarest herb flower would win the Floriculture Award, and win some money - money that I needed to move out of my father’s place and start life on my own.
I began to wonder if I still wanted to give life a chance or continue with my plan to end it all.
As if on cue, a whiff of Densmore’s scent wafted through my nostrils, giving me a reason to see where this sudden change leads.
“Hello?”
I flinched, before getting out of bed, feeling completely brand new. Even old aches were gone. “Yeah. Sure!”
Shortly after, we tiptoed into the hallway.
The Palace was quiet, as if the building itself was still asleep and that eased my heart a little. The last thing I wanted was to have another run-in with the Queen.
We got to the steps and my heart dropped.
Security was on patrol, yet Paloma pulled me towards the steps.
“Don’t worry.” She mindlinked. “My Den already told the guards and maids to mind their business.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached the landing, trying hard to ignore the fact that she called him,
“My Den.”That statement didn’t sit right with me but I couldn’t be selfish. Paloma had been my only friend when everyone treated me like a freak. I had no right to think Densmore could ever be mine so they belong together.
I just wish Paloma didn’t have to remind me of it.
My best friend turned to me, her face serious. “Once we go down the steps, we cross the living room to the other side and that’s it.”
I nodded in understanding, then we began our quiet descent down four flights of stairs, and each time a servant passed by, I would flinch and then breathe at ease until we got to the bottom.
Now it was time to cross the huge living room and after looking left and right, Paloma decided that we should cross but then we froze as we heard a familiar voice coming from a corner.
Paloma and I shared a glance, our eyes bulging.
The Luna Queen is coming.
RIVERDarkness closed over me like icy water and I must have lost consciousness at some point, because I found myself reliving the worst moment of my life. It started with the sickening rip of flesh, followed by my scream. Then, the flash of an amber eye narrowing in delight as claws raked across my face.It was the Fae Fox and my chest tightened as the memory of him wrapped itself around me like a snake, squeezing the air out of my lungs. Instantly, I jerked awake, a sharp gasp leaving my lungs as my body moved like it had been yanked out of the depths of murky water.Breathing in short ragged breaths, I tried to take in my surroundings but then I was sudddenly seized by a fit of violent coughs that forced me to sit up. Fear gripped me as each hackling sound bounced off the walls of the caves and it was at this moment that I realized something.I could see clearly in the dark but that wasn’t because of my wolf's vision. Instead, there was something about the walls radiating a warm
RIVERTears streamed down my cheeks as I slowly began to move away from the beast, my breath catching in broken sobs. This was it. No matter what I do I was going to die in this godforsaken cave! Paloma was gone and she wasn’t coming back! She had betrayed me in the worst possible way, leaving me behind like trash! Like I didn’t matter.Would Densmore ever find out what happened to me? Or would Paloma twist the truth with one of her perfect smiles, crafting a believable lie that would make me just another forgotten name?My lips trembled as I choked on a whimper. The beast stalked towards me slowly, its wings shifting as its red eyes locked onto my trembling form. It bared its teeth at me, its eyes glowing maliciously. I shook my head in denial and fear as I scrambled back some more. Then my hands dipped into something wet and squishy and when I looked down at it, a raw scream tore from my throat. Next to me was the other girl’s mutilated body. My hand had plunged into her torn-off
RIVERI could not believe my eyes.Huge, leathery bat wings sprouted from the lycan's back, stretching wide and catching the dim light of the cavern like an omen. Fear seized my entire body, rooting me to the spot as I watched it. Suddenly, in the space of a heartbeat, it lunged forward, closing the distance in an impossible leap. To my horror, both Paloma and the other girl went down hard under its weight.Before I could even scream, it shifted, grabbing the other girl by the ankles and dragging her away from Paloma.Then the tearing began. The sound of flesh and bone ripping apart hit me before her scream did. Goosebumps rose on my skin as her shrill, unending cry filled every corner of the cavern. It was the kind of sound that would burrow into my skull forever.“River!” Paloma yelled, snapping me out of my daze. “Help!” She called, and I realized her ankle was smashed real bad, so bad her bones were jutting out. In a split second, I was torn between risking my life for her and ac
RIVERMy throat went dry as I realized we’d passed that spot nearly half an hour ago.I clutched the map tighter, my heart pounding so loud it drowned out the sound of crystal shards being chipped behind me. Fear coiled in my stomach like a living thing.Why hadn’t Paloma told me? Why had she acted so casual, like this was just another harmless errand?I glanced at her from across the cavern and saw her laughing softly with the other girl, holding up a gleaming violet shard as if it were treasure. The others didn’t seem concerned either but I couldn’t shake the unease clawing at me.Just as I stepped forward to go to Paloma and raise my concerns, one of the guys called her attention to a cluster of pitch black crystals at the back of the chamber. Immediately Paloma ogled in awe, her light blue eyes turning huge. “That’s it!” She exclaimed. “That’s the rarest crystal ever!”Instantly, she dropped her bag and raced towards him but just as they took a step forward, their feet tripped an
RIVERFear gripped me like icy fingers as Paloma’s expression shifted. The warmth I had always known in her eyes was gone, replaced with something sharp and unfamiliar. Standing this close to Densmore made it look like I had been trying to seduce him, and panic clawed at my throat.“I—it’s not what it looks like, Paloma. I swear—” I stuttered, my words spilling out in a rush.She raised a hand, silencing me instantly. The motion was calm, but her gaze flicked to Densmore. They locked eyes, and a heavy silence stretched between them. I knew that look. They were mindlinking.A pang of jealousy twisted in my chest so strong I nearly gasped. Mindlinking came naturally when two people were bonded by blood. That could only mean one of two things—they had marked each other or they’d done the blood ritual. Either way, it was a connection I could never compete with.When Paloma finally turned back to me, her face had softened with concern and pity. “I’m so sorry to hear about what happened, Ri
DENSMOREWhat have I done?The thought slammed through me as I stood frozen, staring at her.River’s eyes were wide, brimming with fear and shame. Her lips trembled, and although she said nothing, I could hear the frantic pounding of her heart through the silence. It was beating so fast, and so uneven, that it made my own chest tighten.Flustered, she bowed her head low. “My Prince,” she whispered, her voice small and broken.But I couldn’t respond. I was too stunned.The last time I had seen her, she had been unconscious in my arms, her blood staining my shirt. I had carried her to a Healer in the dead of night, ignoring every question, every whisper. I didn’t rest until I knew she was breathing steady again.Then, against my better judgment, I had come back to the Scarrow house. This time I hadn’t come alone. A close friend of mine, my most trusted spokesperson, had accompanied me.I remember walking into the house that night and finding River’s father sitting in a chair, his face t