~AspenI stare at the large wooden door, a dark feeling of dread curling up in my stomach.I've stepped through this door many times in my life. I've been dragged through it, I've been pushed through it...and it was never home for me, even if Oliver swore I would never leave here again, after I married him.I can feel Kastriv looking down at me, monitoring my expression as rain dribbles down my face."I really didn't think I was ever going to be back here again," I murmur.We have come here first thing in the morning. I didn't sleep last night, plagued by new reality. I can never exist in this society again. People hate Demon's so deeply, they won't stop until they have hunted me down and killed me.There is no going back for me. And it's all because Oliver decided he hated me enough to tell the whole city.Kastriv's gaze softens. "I can do this alone, if you need me to.""I know...I should be here," I say, more so to assure myself than him. If I allow him to confront Oliver alone, wh
*Mature Content Warning!*~AspenI stare out the window, watching the rain as it soaks into the forest floor.Kastriv hasn't told me where he has taken me. From what I know, it looks like Territory Ten, but I can't be certain. All I really know is this place only has one bedroom, and it's small.But out here, there is truly no one for miles. Kastriv assured me of that.We are completely alone out here.I turn around, leaning against the sill. Kastriv has managed to light the fire, dousing the small space in golden light. It feels comfortable and warm, and most importantly, far away from those who know what I am.What people choose to say about me doesn't matter out here."How are you feeling?" Kastriv asks, straightening as he wipes his ashy hands together.I shrug, loosening a breath. "I don't know. I'm scared my life will always feel like this."Kastriv rinses his hands in the sink, frowning slightly. "Like what?""Unsettled. Like nothing is grounded and sure. Everything is so uncer
~AspenKastriv's hand squeezes mine as we face the towering entrance of the Noble's manor."I'm not going to leave until she affirms this mate bond," he assures me gently. I nod numbly, overcome with the desire to turn and run for my life.I never want to see Atari again."Or she agrees to back out of our lives," I mutter. I couldn't care less about whether she accepts us as mates, I just want her to stop trying to ruin my life.Kastriv breathes in deeply, pushing the door open. "Exactly."There are no Noble's around today, which is a relief. Last time having eyes on us, even if they were trying to help, only makes this more difficult.And none of them will truly stick up for me. Not when I'm a Demon, and not when Atari has something over all of them.I'm hoping today that whatever she is using to manipulate Kastriv is revealed.I hear her approach before I see her."Ah, I was wondering when you two would visit again," she exclaims, clasping her hands together.I've forgotten how beau
AspenI'm forced to walk all the way across the city to the only place I know I'll have refuge.I keep my head down and my hood up as I weave past people, trying not to draw any attention. If one person recgonises me from the alert Atari put out, I'll probably be killed in the middle of the street.Eventually I make it to the apartment building in question. I've been here only once, when Oliver was out of town.Stalking up the stairs, I look for the hidden key. This place belongs to Kaia, who should be out of this Territory with her family, safe and away from my monstrous husband.Finding the key, I make my way inside, tensing as I hear voices floating from the kitchen.Frowning I listen closer. It's Kaia, she's home, accompanied by the silken voice of a man.Opening the door, I still. Keo is leaning back against the kitchen counter, dripping with seduction as speaks softly to Kaia, whose back is to me."I just don't get why you think people hate you," I hear her say, pushing at his s
~AspenI don't want to go out today. But I don't exactly have a choice.Kaia has returned back to her relatives in another Territory today, and I've been left in her apartment while I wait to hear something from Kastriv.I've officially run out of supplies, and although it's dangerous for me to go out in public, I don't have any other choice, unless I want to sit in this tiny apartment to starve.So, I slip into a thick jacket and tug the hood over my head.People know who I am now. They know I'm a Demon, and if they recognise me, they will kill me without hesitation.I choose a market close to the apartment, keeping my head low, avoiding eye contact with people as I weave through them. Thankfully, none of the shopkeepers seem to notice my shadiness, giving me my goods with no question at all.Quickly, I make my way back, until someone steps in front of me.At first, I try to dodge around him, not wanting to draw any additional attention to him, but when he makes to step in front of m
~AspenKastriv stands between my legs as I sit on the counter, wincing every time he presses the damp cloth against the side of my head."I hate that he did this to you," he murmurs, rinsing the cloth in the sink beside me.I watch the blood dilute in the water, flowing down the drain. My stomach turns uncomfortably, knowing that he could have killed me with no effort at all."I guess this means I'll never be able to go in public again." I stare down at my hands, trying not to get emotional.Will I ever know freedom?Kastriv frowns, shaking his head, although I get the feeling he is trying to make me feel better. "It doesn't have to mean that. We can fix this."He presses the cloth to the side of my head again, and I wince."Ouch." The stinging pain is bearable, but it's frustrating. At least the dizziness has subsided, and the wound isn't bad enough to take a long time to heal."Sorry, he got you pretty good." I can hear the quiet anger in his voice. I wonder if he's replaying that m
~AspenI stare at the Demon across the table from me, and then at my mate beside me."We didn't know who else to talk to," I say after what feels like decades of silence.Kastriv wasn't happy when I brought up Keo and how we should meet and talk to him. Eventually he reluctantly agreed, letting Keo visit one of his many properties.And now, we all sit in the same room, the tension palpable.Keo looks at me. "Not when everyone wants you dead.""How can you help Aspen?" Kastriv demands. He doesn't want Keo here for any longer than he needs to. I can't blame him, Keo does have an infinity for making situations uncomfortable.Keo sighs, tipping his head back. "Look, I don't know much about spirits. It's not my kind of thing.""You must know something." I'll beg him if I have to.He sighs, tilting his head from side to side. He was very dramatic when I asked him to come here in the first place. Apparently he has far more important things to deal with, forcing me to remind him of his obliga
~AspenIt doesn't take time for Keo to locate Kastriv's parents.We gave him a day to return home, filled with the knowledge of everything Kastriv could impart about his parents to him. It's not much, since they were taken from him so long ago, but Keo seemed convinced he 's capable of tracking them down.He's returned today, looking both determined and wary.Seeing Keo unsure of himself isn't a good sign. He seems to know the result of everything that happens across these lands. It's uncanny, quite frankly."It's simple, in theory," Keo exclaims, stalking back and forth in front of Kastriv and I.Kastriv sighs. "Go on.""Your parents are in Territory One, not far from here," he announces. Kastriv sits up a little straighter, a dulled down version of his true shock crossing his face.He doesn't want Keo to see how much that information pleases him. He doesn't want him to know how desperate he has been over the years to hear that. To know he is one step closer to seeing his parents aga