A River Runs Through It Audiobook Novels & Stories

She wakes feeling a little sick and out of sorts. Once she manages to get out of McKenzie’s arms, she uses the bathroom before pulling on her sweats. She feels in need of a run to clear her head. She leaves a note for McKenzie and exits the house via the back door. She runs along one of the trails not really paying much mind where she is going. But something is making her feel out of sorts. She doesn’t know how long she’s run, but stops when she hears whimpering. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you” River apologises to the crying woman.

I know that sounds crazy but it’s true… or maybe I really am just crazy. Speaking of the whole messed up world, all I know is Moonfall. I’ve never been out, I’ve never seen if the horribleness of wolves stretches out there and it’s not like I haven’t considered running away sometimes, many times actually, but dad keeps holding me back. I can’t do that to him. I just… can’t. The flowing river drew me out of my thoughts. Staring at it from here, it looked like it was falling from undetectable steps because the ground was uneven, and since it was constantly running at high speeds, hitting rocks along the way, it appeared white and foamy.

How he knew he was alone, and now a strange lady with wild hair and propensity for killing things was offering him a lifeline and her mate, a big, scary brute of a man wanted him as much as she did– I gasp as the lake roars to life with voices I can’t decipher. I almost give up out of fear, but I can’t stop now, not when my mind is racing through the world all around us, through the stars, over rivers and streams and high into the mountains where villages dot the valleys. “Keep going, Aviva,” Sarah says over the roaring in my ears.

*River* As I believe my final moment has come and the prince will kill me, a surge of primal energy disrupts the stillness. A thunderous roar pierces through the fog of my fading consciousness, igniting a spark of hope buried beneath the weight of despair. My instincts flare, and I instinctively recognize the sound… it's a fierce, unmistakable growl that reverberates through the very air around me.

I couldn't even remember how Julia got hurt. I never did anything to her. Why didn't he believe me? I was willing to leave him on my own accord—I wasn't that pathetic. I wanted him to look at me. The hollow rumbling of the hospital bed's wheels echoed down the hallway. The sound hurt my ears. He never looked back. With a long beep, my heart monitor flatlined. My soul began to rise from my body. I saw a nurse calling for the on-duty doctor while rushing toward me with a crash cart. I felt a little guilty,

That didn’t stop me from eyeing it up longingly as we pulled out onto the road, huddling in on myself to keep the chill at bay. “It’s mournful,” I said. “It’s about a man and his lost love, Lenore. He’s sitting in his room late at night, half asleep as he reads. Then there’s this tapping, and he opens the door, but there’s nobody there.” I paused, swallowing thickly. The menacing aura from before was swirling through the truck now, embedded in every sharp point of the fir trees outside and in every arched shadow.

“Sammy is getting torn apart by his father by now. Victor is surrounded by enemies who smile to his face. I cannot just sit here and read while everything burns.” “And you cannot keep acting like you are invincible,” she snapped. River rubbed his face with his hands. “Jayden,” he said carefully, “did you even finish reading that Gem of Life book.” I froze. “…No,” I admitted. Jane made a sound like she was about to scream into a pillow. “I actually read the whole thing,” River continued, and I turned to him in shock. “I wanted to understand how a human like you can do all this. And also if I could do it too.”

My four paws hit the damp moss, and I fly. I run until my lungs burn. I run until the scent of the camp is completely gone, replaced by the clean, sharp smell of the river. The stream is wide here, the water rushing fast over grey stones. I shift back to my human form, naked and dripping with sweat, and wade straight into the cold current. The water rises to my waist. It numbs my skin, chilling the frantic heat in my blood. A twig snaps. I freeze. The forest goes completely silent. The insects stop their buzzing. I strain my ears, listening to the rushing water. The scent of pine grows stronger. Is it him? Did he follow me through the dark? Did the water mask my trail?

Ordinary people could not watch, or misfortune would befall them. The icy river water rose past my shoulders, yet my body temperature did not drop. Instead, it climbed higher, and moisture gathered between my legs, mingling with the river. I soaked in the water for some time before the river god finally entered the cage. Though I was blindfolded and my hands were bound so I could not see his face or touch him, I could clearly hear his rapid, heavy breathing. The river god circled around me slowly, then lifted the hem of my skirt. Something smooth and slippery began crawling up from my ankle.

The River of Fernwood was louder than she expected. She had read about it in Theron’s accounts. Had studied the maps. Had listened to Evander’s description of the passage and the tide and the narrow window and filed every word of it away with the same methodical attention she gave to everything that mattered. She had thought she understood what she was walking toward. She had not understood the sound of it.