Novel & Cerita Hold Back The River Book

My voice cut through the commotion, halting everyone in their tracks, "I have the medicine." A pale blue pill lay in my open hand. Relief washed over James's face. "That's it! Honey, hand it over quickly, I need to give it to our son." James reached out, his face a picture of gratitude for his son's narrow escape. However, I did something completely unexpected. With a light laugh, I flicked the pill into the champagne tower. It fizzed, then sank. Everyone froze. James was livid. "What are you doing, Joyce?! That's our son's lifeline!"

But suddenly. “Mommy, Daddy.” A cry from a little girl echoes right in front of him and from the other end of the bridge. The night that is deep and quiet makes the crying echoes. The burning cars in front of them and the smell of intoxicating burns are raising. He stops crying, now pitying the little girl that just got his attention. He turns his gaze in front and saw the little one dressed in red, full of wounds, and crying hard. Her cheeks are red from crying and her nose seems to swell because of the same reason. The lights from the bridge made him see her clearly, or perhaps he is only seeing himself from her.

River ~~ River couldn't believe she was in this predicament all because of some decision taken by her parents when she was born. A wave of nausea washed over her. Her parents, the ones she held on a pedestal, had taken away her birthright? Annemarie reached out to her, placing a gentle hand on River's trembling arm. "No, dear," she said softly. "It wasn't like that. They were desperate. They were facing an impossible situation. The pack wouldn't accept your mother for who she was, and they were terrified of losing each other. The ritual was a last-ditch effort to save your family."

Now, all at once, it hit me that everything I had given over the years had been nothing more than a one-sided effort. I was just about to book a flight when I realized I had forgotten my ID and passport, so I had no choice but to return home. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted by a mess all over the floor. Leftover snacks were scattered everywhere, along with half-finished dishes left behind. Right by the bedroom door lay something impossible to miss—a box of levonorgestrel pills and a piece of wine-red lingerie. Willow had never liked being physically intimate with me. Even Naomi's existence had come from a drunken incident.

Her mother was chanting, weaving the binding spell that had kept Jesse hidden. “The water remembers what the blood forgets,” her mother’s voice whispered in the rush of the current. Suddenly, the river rose. A rogue wave, powered by an unseen force, slammed into Jesse, knocking her off her feet. She went under, the dark, silken water swallowing her whole. Silence. In the depths of the river, Jesse didn't panic. She felt the two halves of her soul finally stop fighting. Her wolf wanted to claw for the surface; her witch wanted to command the water to part.

River’s POV When we got back to the apartment, I thought maybe stepping inside would make me feel different. Safer. The door closed behind us with a soft click, and for a moment the world outside was shut away. But the truth was, the message was still there in my head, loud and sharp, echoing through every part of me. ‘Be careful my lovely River.’ It did not matter that the walls were solid, that Noah was here with me, that the night was locked outside. The words were still crawling under my skin.

AQUA After River uttered those words, I drew in a deep breath, attempting to mask the rapid drumming of my heart. His gaze was filled with such sincerity and hope that, for a fleeting moment, I almost forgot all the reasons I was fighting him for. Guilt gnawed at my chest because I knew if it was under normal circumstances, I should have been over the moon for finding the man who was the perfect fit for my incomplete soul. Yet now, all I yearned for was to escape and never look back. I pushed down my wolf's protests and pressed firmly against his chest, channeling every ounce of strength I had, hoping he would relent. Surprisingly, River didn't resist my silent demand and shifted away from m

Six months later… The trajectory of River’s decline had spiraled into chaos, the scale of its losses growing exponentially. Violent protests erupted in the streets, escalating into uncontrollable riots that forced the imposition of martial law. Rivermirror, in its growing power, severed its ties completely, banishing River’s citizens from its borders. Under the new law, any River resident found within Rivermirror’s territory would face immediate execution if sufficient evidence was presented—unless a Baron explicitly approved their presence. Rivermirror declared itself an independent city, governed by its Barons, with Hound assuming the role of overseer of all Seers. His position was absolut

“None of this is your fault, Jada. But I need you to leave. Right now. Before Winter or August or any other person shows up. Please, Jada. Please.” River closed his eyes. He didn’t have the strength left to argue. He only had the strength to stay alive—for her. For Scarlett. For whatever came next. His good hand—swollen, trembling—closed around hers. He pushed it gently away from his face, the gesture weak but insistent, as though the simple act of touching her was both salvation and torture.

Alpha Winston growls out, looking at me in distaste, "That is not true, we heard about the way she attacked the rogues when they trespassed the Silvan pack. People say she bursted in flames, she—" "I was one of those rogues, actually, so I think I know better than you. I mean, if all your information is hearsay," River interrupts him, his almost rude tone making Rem's jaw clench, "So, listen, we've been testing her. And after we saw the way her fire acts, we started digging and found this." Everyone looks as River pulls something out of his back pocket. It's a page from and old book with the Mother Flame prophecy. He told me he'd pull it out at some point, so I'm not surprised.