RAVENNA POV
The burning consumed me, filled my whole body. It was all I could feel. A searing, all-consuming burn. It wasn’t just pain anymore. It was fire.My chest flared with a heat so intense, I thought my skin would melt away. The scar pulsed, a dark energy seeping through it, crawling under my skin, making it feel like my body was being torn apart, shredded by invisible claws.Every muscle, every nerve, every fiber screamed in agony as the burn spread outward, clawing its way across my body.I screamed.It wasn’t human. The sound that ripped from my throat was raw, guttural, something primal—like an animal caught in a trap.I reached for my chest, my fingers trembling, but the pain was too much. It was too much. My hands trembled. My body trembled. My whole soul goddamned trembled.And through it, through the chaos in my mind, I heard Darius’ voice."RavennaDARIUS POV I rested my head on the wall and stared down at Ravenna's sleeping face. She had lost consciousness before those words had even been completed.I had driven us back to the hotel, cleaned her and put her in bed. Despite her body being naked, no desire had sparked in me. The fear I had felt from that clearing still clung to me brutally. I had never known true fear in my life until that moment. At first I didn't know what was happening until I heard her bones snapped and her claws lengthened. The fear had taken root then. Shifting for the first time was brutal, painful. Some didn't come out of it. Some get lost to their wolves and animal instincts take over their humanity. Pups were prepared from birth for their shifting. But I knew there hadn't been any preparation for Ravenna. If I was assuming correctly she was born without a wolf. But that… that was
RAVENNA POV Darius was my mate. Mine.God, was this real? I kissed him with the urgency of someone on the brink of death, my arms clinging to him as though, if I let go even slightly, he would vanish from my grasp.When I had woken up and didn't find him, panic had seized me. I thought that maybe he had finally come to his senses and didn't want me anymore and had left. I was ready to drive back to his territory and beg him, slap him, kiss him. And that ache in my chest had only made matters worse. It had throbbed and then I became restless, like I wanted to leave this room. And when Darius had come back it had faded. And now I understood what it was. It was our mate bond. Even though we hadn't bonded yet, it was still there. Strong. And I knew that was how Darius had found me. I broke away from the kiss to breathe, placing my head
RAVENNA POV I felt hot everywhere, but it wasn't the type of hot that burned, it was the type of hot that gave me pleasure. "Darius," I moaned my mate's name as his finger moved in and out for me, his tongue circling my nipples before he bit down gently on it. "Fuck!" I felt that presence in my mind again, and I now knew it was my wolf. My wolf. God, I really did have a wolf. I shifted. How was that possible?I cried out when Darius added a second finger, stretching me wild.I looked down at him to see him watching me, his eyes glowing. His wolf was at the edge. Mine was too. "I want all your full attention on me, my love, when my fingers fuck your cunt," he growled, his voice thick and husky. My hands clenched tight around the blanket when his fingers increased their pace. I kept my eyes on him, not daring to look away or even clos
RAVENNA POV All thoughts of sleep were abandoned and I sat up and looked down on Darius’ face which was illustrated by just the moonlight shining through the window.A day ago I wouldn't have been able to see him so clearly in the dim light but now I could. Because I shifted. I was a wolf. Someone had locked my wolf before I could shift."How do you know that?" I asked, my voice low.Darius still remained on back, his hands folded behind his head. His biceps bulge with that position. His wild chest was in full display. I could see curls of black hair on his chest. He looked so good, so goddamned hot. I wanted to lean in and kiss his nipples, then trail my lips down to his navel and then I wo—"It's just a theory," Darius answered, his eyes gleaming, a smirk on his face. Right. Back to the matter at hand. I cleared my throat. "Tell me about this your theory."Darius unfolded his arms before he spread them. An invitation to go back to my previous position. I rolled my eyes before I
RAVENNA POV All thoughts of sleep were abandoned and I sat up and looked down on Darius’ face which was illustrated by just the moonlight shining through the window. A day ago I wouldn't have been able to see him so clearly in the dim light but now I could. Because I shifted. I was a wolf. Someone had locked my wolf before I could shift. "How do you know that?" I asked, my voice low. Darius still remained on back, his hands folded behind his head. His biceps bulge with that position. His wild chest was in full display. I could see curls of black hair on his chest. He looked so good, so goddamned hot. I wanted to lean in and kiss his nipples, then trail my lips down to his navel and then I wo— "It's just a theory," Darius answered, his eyes gleaming, a smirk on his face. Right. Back to the matter at hand. I cleared my throat. "Tell me about this your theory." Darius unfolded his arms before he spread them. An invitation to go back to my previous position. I rolled my eyes
DARIUS POV I stopped in Ravenna's room to drop her bag before I climbed up to my room, feeling wary down to my bones.Lucian was waiting outside my door. Perfect. I nodded in greeting as I passed him and entered my room. "Come in, Lucian." The door clicked softly as he closed it. I walked to my coffee table and poured myself a glass of brandy, downing it in one go, the familiar burn smoothing some of my nerves. I sighed deeply as I ran my hand through my hair, feeling the weariness set deep into my bones. Now that Ravenna was safe in my territory some of the tension left my body, and in their place tiredness entered. She was safe now, but for how long?"You don't look good," Lucian commented, sitting on the chair beside me. "I don't feel good," I answered. I leaned back on my chair and refilled my glass, sipping this one slowly. Lucian said nothing and just waited."Ravenna shifted," I said. Lucian just hummed and said nothing so I continued. "She's a Lupinari." I looked at him
RAVENNA POV After breakfast Darius had walked up to me in the dining hall, kissed me until I was lightheaded in front of his pack and then told me to meet him in the woods an hour later.So here I was, walking towards the woods, my fingers tracing my lips, and a full bloom smile on my face. If anybody saw me now they would immediately know I was a love sick idiot.I couldn't help myself if I tried.It was the way he had kissed me in front of those many people as if letting them all know who I belonged to. And it hasn't been a light kiss. It was a wild kiss that had my panties soaked. If I had my way I wouldn't take my hands off Darius."You're looking like a lovesick dreamer," says the voice of my fantasising.I stopped walking and saw that Darius was in front of me. I looked around and I was already in the woods. When have I gotten here? I looked back at Darius, w
RAVENNA POV I could feel the shift tearing through me, my bones bending, about to snap. Despite the pain I was in, I was still fascinated by the shift.The way my bones bend and snap but they don't break. The way my body stretches and bends. It was fascinating and it was terrifying.The pain increased as the shift began to tear through. I cried out, trying to contain the pain. Darius’ voice cut through the haze. "Keep breathing. Breathe through it. You can do this."I clenched my jaw, focusing on my breathing, trying to steady myself. The leash he had spoken of—it was there. I could feel it, like a thin thread tethering me to my human side. Every part of me screamed to let go, to surrender to the wolf, but I fought it. I couldn’t let her win.The first bone snapped, the second crack coming faster. My hands clenched into fists as my nails elongated, sharp and dangerous. My body t
RAVENNA POV "Dawn's just an hour away," Darius said, his voice low as we shed our clothes in the woods, preparing to shift. "When the wolves are out, let yourself fade into your consciousness. Think of it like falling asleep. We'll shift back when the sun rises and then I'll take you to your surprise." He ended with a playful smile. I rolled my eyes at him. "If you're not going to tell me what it is then don't rub it on my face.""Patience, my love." I now stood naked, wrapping my arms around myself to keep warm from the cold air. It was also a struggle staying on my feet. I was so dizzy from the alcohol, a single breeze could knock me off my feet. "Okay, baby. Deep breaths," Darius instructed once his last layer of clothes was gone. "Just like the last time you shifted. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don't rush it, just let it take its course." I closed my ey
RAVENNA POV This was what true happiness felt like—the laughter that danced through the air, the warm smiles that wrapped around me like sunlight, the rhythm of the music that made my heart sway in unison. It wasn’t just joy, it was a pull from deep within, a force that gripped my very soul and held me tight. It was as if every moment, every heartbeat, was an invitation to stay—tangled in the beauty of it all. And in that embrace, I found peace, the kind of peace I never knew I needed. I had never smiled or laughed this hard in my entire life. I had never just let go and let myself feel before. But here… here I could let go. It all felt like some kind of dream, the ballroom was adding to that feel. It was large, with ceilings so hard I couldn't see where they ended. Chandeliers hung up, their crystals giving the room a fairytale feel. Long tables of food were lined up by the side, wit
DARIUS POV Ravenna sat up and looked down at me, her eyes wide, her hair sticking in every direction, face flushed and lips swollen. She was fucking perfect. "After the feast?" she asked, her hands resting on my chest. "That's a week from today. I'm going?""We are going," I said, adding enough emphasis on the ‘we’. "If we could go tomorrow we would, but we have to be here for the feast. The pack would be bringing gifts and want to see their new Luna so we can't leave yet." Ravenna said nothing and just threw herself back on me, drawing a ‘oooff’ out of me. "I thought you wouldn't want me to go for a while," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "Why wouldn't I?" I traced her spine with my fingers, making her shiver.She shrugged. "I thought maybe you would want to spend more time with me.""I'm still going to spend more time with you. I'm coming along a
RAVENNA POV The drive back to the pack house passed in a blur. Even though Darius was driving he couldn't take his hands off me, and me him. It felt like I was burning, and if Darius wasn't in me in a moment that fire would consume me. Just a brush of Darius’ fingers on my inner thighs were enough to make me moan loudly like a dying animal. And when that finger finally entered where I needed them I nearly exploded.I had told Darius to stop the car and forget about getting home but he refused, claiming this was a special night and I should be treated, even though his hard dick was nearly tearing through his pants, the spot where his head was already damp from per-cum. I admired that control he had. I was a raging mess. When I had asked him why the hell this was happening he had explained it was because of the wine. "It was no ordinary drink," he had explained, his voice rasped, his pupil di
RAVENNA POV "God, Ravenna, you look beautiful," Mia breathed, her bottom lips trembling. She shook her head. "No, beautiful is too small a word to describe you. You look heavenly." I could only nod, all words failing me as I stared at the girl looking back at me from the mirror. It was the night of my ascension ceremony, and I didn't recognize myself.The white dress clung to my body, the fabric soft and flowing, falling in gentle waves to the floor, covering my feets. My silver hair, usually wild and free, was now tamed and twisted with delicate accessories—silver beads and tiny braids woven with precision, each one pulling at the roots of my hair in a way that felt like a reminder of all the eyes that would soon be on me. I lifted my gaze to meet my own reflection. My gray eyes stared back, wide and uncertain. Was I ready? Ready for these new responsibilities? If it would mean a lifetime
DARIUS POV Each time I believed I had reached the fullest depth of my love for Ravenna, she effortlessly showed me a new layer, a new reason to love her even more. In every moment, she proved that my heart was capable of loving her beyond what I ever imagined. And so since I wasn't good with the skill of words I kissed her to express my ever growing love for her. I will make love to her so my body could speak that language which my tongue couldn't. I would worship you so my soul will be bare for her to see the depth of my love for her. She will see that there is no me without her. I took off her clothes and mine followed. I kissed her slow and deep as I positioned myself on her entrance. She looked up at me with soulful eyes filled with love and it felt like I was going to burn under that love. But it wouldn't be the type of burns that hurt.I was about to push into her but then a thought occurred and I had to pull back
RAVENNA POV When I had finally managed to pull myself together, Dalian pulled away and held my face, a small smile on his face. "It's still looking at a female version of myself," he said softly, brushing a lock of hair out of my face.I scoffed. "I said the same thing." "Grandmother had said we would be identical twins but Mother didn't believe her. She said we looked nothing alike when we were still infants and so we would grow to have different looks." "What was she like?" I asked. "Mother." That sadness returned to Dalian's eyes and he pulled me into his arms again. "She was a wonderful woman. She was soft but tough when she wanted to be. She trained some of the best warriors in our tribe. She was well respected and loved. If she lived to grow old she would have become one of our tribe's elders. Half of our tribe even voted her to be our leader but she wanted nothing to do with that life." "How…" I swallowed. "How was she killed?"Dalian's arms tightened around me and he too
DARIUS POV I wanted to drag this Dalian away from my mate. Him holding her filled my tongue with the bitter taste of jealousy, tightened my chest to the brutal feeling of possessiveness.I wanted to be the one holding her, confronting her while she broke down. I wanted to be the one kissing her hair, whispering words to her. Even though this man claimed to be my woman's brother I still wanted to kill him for touching her. Nobody should touch my mate but me. My wolf seems to agree with that because he was becoming restless, already rising to the edge.I felt a small, warm hand on my arm but I still didn't look away from Ravenna. "Come on, big guy," Mia said softly. "Give them space. They both need it." I clenched my jaw so hard I could hear my teeth grounding. "No.""Don't be like that, Darius," she persisted. "She had just found out that she has a family out there. She has a grandmother who loves her, and a twin who came for her. Don't you think she'll need time to be with him?"W
RAVENNA POV A jolt that shot through me was sharp and sudden, like the shock of touching a live wire with wet hands. The eyes staring back at me looked familiar because they looked like mine. The same shade of gray, like a stormcloud. I broke eye contact to look at the other features and my breath hitched. "What the hell?" I whispered to myself. That finally got Mia's attention. She stopped bubbling about jewels and turned to look at me. "Are you o–" Her voice cut off and I'm sure she was looking at the same person. "What... " The man standing a few feets away from me, looking intensely at me, was like a mirror I was standing in front of. Except the reflection in the mirror was male, six-foot-something tall, broad, and striking handsome. We shared the same silver hair, though his was cropped short, skimming his jawli