SEVEN YEARS LATER~~As River scurried through the maze of hallways in the mansion, she suddenly remembered the meeting. The De la Mort family had called for a meeting of all the family members. Whenever they did this, the entire household was usually quiet as they’d spend hours and hours arguing, cursing, agreeing, and disagreeing with each other.River remembered the last time her daughter went to eavesdrop on them during the meeting and she went to get her…“Oh, please. Everyone knows you're all talk, and no action, brother!”“Sister, at least, I have never for once fallen in love with a human. Imagine loving a snack, but you, sister…”Argh. Mere thinking of their unending bruhahas was annoying enough. River shoved it off her head and focused on how they ended up catching her and her daughter while she went to get her the last time.And… they were punished. The punishment usually entailed producing a cup of their blood every day for a week for the whole family to dine with. River wo

Gonzalo felt overwhelmed with shame. He closed his eyes as the memories ran through his mind in quick succession. Then, he only wanted to keep River from her fairytale and had declared his intention to mate with Echo. It was but a lie fueled by fear and desperation.“Our agreement,” he said, shaking his head, “was for me to use it to wake her up. That was it, so don't use that against me now, Echo.”Echo’s fingers dug into his arm as she leaned completely into him. “Either way,” she hissed, “we are meant to be. Think of your pack.”Gonzalo yearned to agree. It was logical and practical. Merging their packs would create a formidable force, capable of better defending their territory. Yet, a part of him, the part that was still mourning River, the part that was overwhelmed with the possibility of her death, quivered at the thought.“I– I need time,” he mumbled. “I’m just getting over the loss of my pack," he finished with a strained voice. "I can't think about… uniting anything right no

“Not if I get powerful enough." She looked down at her daughter, making sure her voice was softening. "That's why we're here, Rain. To get strong. Strong enough to protect ourselves, strong enough to maybe even help the pack."Rain's eyes widened. "Will you train me too, Mama?"River smiled sadly. "No, Rain. My powers… they're different. You wouldn't understand."“But I want to help!" Rain insisted, her chin jutting out stubbornly.Oh, her stubborn daughter. She had too much of her father’s traits. Yet, somehow, River sees some of Lord Draven’s mischievousness in Rain. Since Lord Draven was the one who brought Rain from her womb with his hands during labor, he had developed a liking for her daughter.River could remember those little moments when she’d catch him smiling at her, telling her stories, and even how to hunt. She had always hated the kind of energy Lord Draven was instilling in her little girl, but when she remembered how cruel life could be, she always acted as though she

He wasn't just looking at her; he was devouring her, his eyes tracing every one of her curves with a hunger that both terrified and exhilarated her. The heat of his gaze was branding her skin even more intensely than his hand had moments ago.Get a grip, River; she reprimanded herself.“Clumsy, maybe," she finally blurted out, her voice reeking of anger and something else. Something hot and unwelcome that boiled inside of her. "But not useless."She needed to show him that she was growing. That this wasn't the submissive Omega girl he picked up from the woods. That she was learning to not become the one who cowered at every harsh word. This was a mother– a woman who had faced fear and pain and emerged stronger.That– was who she’d become from now on.A slow smile spread across Lord Draven's face. It was a smile that sent shivers of a different kind down her spine. It wasn't cruel, not entirely. It was intimidating, yes, but there was a hint of something else in his red eyes, a touch o

As River wrestled her attacker, Rain's small foot connected with his shin with a surprising amount of force. "Leave her alone! Let go of my mama, you bad man!”The muffled voice of her captor, strained by River's resistance, replied, "Hush, child. I'm a friend. I mean no harm.”What? He meant no harm, yet he grabbed her in such a way? Yeah, he meant no harm indeed.Suddenly, the pressure on her back increased, pinning her to the damp ground. A heavy sigh filled the air. "River, you need to calm down.” Said her captor.She thrashed against him like a wild animal desperate for escape. "Get off me! What do you want?" How did you know my name, you freak?!”By the gruffness of his voice, River knew he was a man. He finally relented, pushing her back against the brick wall with surprising gentleness. "River, listen to me. I know about the letter."River froze. The letter? H-how did he know about the letter? Her mother clearly made sure that piece of information remained between her and Echo