Se connecterRiley's POV
I stormed up to their table, my heart thumping fiercely—not just from the tequila, but because something about them unsettled me. Their eyes locked onto me, unblinking. I felt the heat of their gazes press against my skin, thick and heavy like the humid air. I was nervous, sure. But furious? Absolutely. Who were they to stop me from having another drink? “Hey!” I snapped, forcing my voice steady despite the nervous flutter in my chest. “Why did you tell that man I can’t have more drinks? Do you own this place or what?” The tallest one—the first—lifted his glass, swirling the dark red wine inside like it was some kind of poison. His dark grey eyes caught the dim club lights and flickered with a lazy, unsettling smirk. “We do,” he said, voice low and smooth. I blinked, momentarily frozen by the confidence in his tone. Still, I forced the words out. “Well, just because you own the place doesn’t mean you can control how many shots someone has.” He raised an eyebrow, amused. “Apparently, we can, Riley Grayson.” That made me stop cold. The second man spoke next, his voice a bit softer but just as commanding."We decide who drinks and who doesn't Riley" His eyes were the color of oceanic amber like molten gold flecked with the deepest blue. They seemed to look right through me, as if he could see every secret I tried to hide. He was handsome, sure, but more than that—he carried an aura of confidence that drew attention without trying. “How?” I stammered, fighting the mix of surprise and fear twisting in my stomach. “How do you know my name? Have we met before?” Before they could answer, the third man’s voice cut through the haze. “You’re not supposed to be here,” he said sharply. His eyes were cold—silver, almost and his expression was deadly serious. There was something frightening about his calm, like a wolf waiting patiently for the right moment to strike. His handsome features were precise but his gaze held a weight that made the air between us suffocating. He raised an eyebrow, his voice icy. “Does Ethan know his human wife is wasted in a downtown clubhouse?” I froze. My mouth dry, mind racing. “How do you know Ethan?” I asked, desperate for answers. The dark-eyed man, the one with the smirk, leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. “We know a lot of things, pretty,” he said with a slow grin. “And we also know about your now open marriage.” My breath caught, and my mouth fell open in shock. For a moment, I was speechless. The words stung—not because of what they meant, but because it was clear these men knew things no stranger should. “Who the hell are you people?” I almost staggered back, my voice sharp with shock and suspicion. They just smirked, settling back into their seats like they were enjoying some private joke I wasn’t in on. The second one, the one with those oceanic amber eyes—leaned forward, eyes locking onto mine like he could see every fracture in my soul. “Don’t you know who we are?” I hesitated. “No… I don’t.” He let out a low chuckle, slow and dark. “Maybe that’s because we’ve been away for a while pretty. Out of town for three years. But we’re back now.” Before I could react, the first man, the dark grey-eyed one with that lazy, dangerous grin stood up smoothly, towering over me. I took an involuntary step back, the heat radiating from his body making it hard to breathe. “Since you want an open marriage,” he said, voice low and teasing, “we thought we’d make you an offer, Riley.” I blinked, confused and a little wary. “What kind of offer?” His grin widened, sharp and wicked. “You want to get back at your husband, don’t you? To prove you’re not the boring woman he made you out to be?” I stared at him, stunned. How did he know that? Ethan didn't even say it out loud back at the company so how? I found myself nodding, more out of shock than agreement. “Good,” he said, stepping closer, eyes never leaving mine. “Then let us join your open marriage.” I blinked again, the words hanging heavy in the smoky air. “As you can see, there’s three of us,” he continued, a slow smirk playing on his lips. “And we can give you everything you’ve been craving for the past three years with Ethan.” His gaze was intense, daring me to respond. “But,” he added, voice dropping to a teasing whisper, “there’s one thing you should know—we like to be… together.” The amber-eyed man nodded, his eyes gleaming. “One woman. Three men. At the same time.” My heart hammered, a mix of fear, anger, and something dangerously thrilling coursing through me. I wanted to back away, to refuse, but something about the way they looked at me made it impossible. Not just desire but a challenge. “Why me?” I managed to ask, not liking the images that was painting in my head, nor the way my body was already reacting to those images. The first man shrugged, that wicked grin still in place. “Because you’re tired of being pushed around. Because you want to prove that you can still hold it in without him. And because… well, we like a woman who's wrecked and ready to be used to get what she wants .” The silence stretched, thick with possibility. I swallowed hard, my voice barely steady. “And what if I say yes?” They exchanged glances, their smiles widening a bit in surprise. They might think I would have turned it down, but no, a wicked thought already crossed through my mind mixed with the heavy alcohol that was swimming in my head at the moment. “Then,” the grey-eyed one said, “this night just got a whole lot more interesting.”he said, his voice low and full of promise. “And once we start, we don’t stop.”Third person POV The room had no walls, at least none that the eye could find. Darkness stretched in every direction, not quite black and not empty, but endless and ancient. Strange symbols glowed beneath the floor in intricate circles of silver and gold, and the letters moved across the ground as if they were alive. At the center of it all lay a body—still and silent. It belonged to a young woman, with silver flames drifting gently around her skin before fading into nothing. Beside her knelt another woman, her face hidden behind a long veil that covered her eyes completely. Yet somehow she saw everything. Her fingers moved slowly over the unconscious woman’s forehead as her lips whispered words no human language should ever know. The sounds were soft, ancient, and incredibly powerful, and the air itself seemed to listen. Wind began to swirl through the endless space, slow at first and then growing stronger. The symbols on the floor brightened in response. The body on the ground rem
Riley's POV “Do you want to say something?” Every face turned toward me. I froze, unsure if I could or even should. But then I looked at Gunnar, and suddenly I knew I had to. My legs shook as I walked forward. The closer I got, the harder it became to breathe. Finally I stood beside him. For a long moment I simply stared, then reached down and touched his hand—cold, still, and so terribly wrong. I laughed weakly. “You know, you’re a real jerk.” Several people blinked, and I heard Summer sniffle behind me. “I thought you hated me more because of my ignorance but you didn't.” A few smiles appeared. “You annoyed me.” More smiles broke through. “But every single thing you say is always true.” Cane muttered, “Facts,” and I pointed at him. “See? Even your brother agrees.” A tiny ripple of laughter moved through the crowd. Then my smile faded. “I didn't even feel safe with you. I didn't even get to see you smile for a second.” My voice started to shake. “You always showed me your ind
RILEY'S POVI didn’t remember walking to the burial grounds. One moment I was standing in Gunnar’s room, staring at the dark shirt folded neatly over the chair, and the next I found myself outside with the entire pack gathered around me. The sun hung low in the sky, far too low, casting long shadows that reminded me time was slipping away. It meant they were really going to put him in the ground, and the weight of that truth pressed down on me until I could hardly breathe.Summer gripped my hand so tightly that my fingers ached, but I didn’t ask her to loosen her hold. I needed the pain. I needed something real to anchor me and remind me this wasn’t just a nightmare I could wake up from. People parted silently as we approached, their eyes heavy with sorrow, but no one spoke. What could they possibly say? Sorry your mate died? Sorry you accidentally killed the man who loved you? Sorry life is so cruel? None of it would help. None of it mattered.My eyes found him immediately. Gunnar
Riley's POV"What do you mean he is fading?" I asked Cane. My voice sounded scared even to me. I looked at the beast with the iron bar still in its back. Right before my eyes, Gunnar started to change. His big beast body got smaller. Fur went away and skin came back. In a few seconds he was back in his human form on the ground. He coughed hard and blood came out of his mouth. The iron bar was still buried deep inside his back. That was when it hit me. He was dying.No no no. This is not happening. Cane and Caden had just told me about the prophecy. I could not believe it happened so fast because of my stubbornness. I stood there looking at him. My legs felt weak.I did not know when tears started sliding down my cheeks. Gunnar looked up at me and smiled even though he was hurt. He raised his hand slow and wiped my tears with his fingers. His hand felt cold."Thank you, Silly girl" he said soft. "Take care of my brothers for me, Riley. You would right?"He coughed again. Blood came out
Riley's POVJust then something shook the walls really hard. It vibrated like the whole place was about to fall apart. Dust came down from the ceiling. I stopped walking and looked around fast.Then a big shadow came out from the dark part in front of us. We all turned our heads at the same time. There it was. An enormous beast. It was super huge with silver fur all over its body. Its eyes glowed bright and scary. Its teeth looked sharp and long. It stood on two legs but looked like it could run on four too. The beast was breathing heavy and loud.I knew him right away. It was the same beast that saved me back in the Lunar Hollow cave. The big strong one that protected me when I was in trouble. And it was Gunnar."Riley, we need to get out of here," Cane said fast. "Gunnar is mindless right now."We had not taken even one step when the beast growled so loud it hurt my ears. Then it lunged at us right away. It jumped forward super quick with its claws out.Cane grabbed me fast and pull
Riley's POVI looked at Cane and Caden and said, "Take me to the dark cells."They both stared at me like I had gone crazy. Cane shook his head fast."No way," he said. "You are not serious. You can't go there."Caden stepped closer. "Riley, that place is not for you. It's dangerous down there."I crossed my arms. "I am serious. I want to see Gunnar right now."Cane rubbed his face with his hand. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn? We just told you it's not safe. The curse, the prophecy, all of it. Gunnar does not want you there.""I don't care what he wants," I said. "He is my mate too. I have the right to see him."Caden sighed loud. "Baby, please listen. The dark cells are full of bad energy. It can make you sick. Gunnar went down there to protect you.""Protect me?" I laughed a little but not because it was funny. "By hiding from me? That is not protection. That is lying."Cane walked to the window and back. "We are trying to keep you safe. You have been through too much al







