RILEYI woke up with a strange hunger and thirst.I stared at Thane; he had his hands wrapped around mine."You would be fine," he promised, kissing my knuckles."You are back." I whispered, and he nodded."I am; Nick will be here soon, I don't think he did this; he speaks of a sorceress; he says she could help," he informs.I nodded absentmindedly. The sorceress was coming; how was I going to keep this a secret for much longer?My breathing quickened"Riley, are you alright?" He questioned the slight panic in his eyes. I nodded. "Look at me, Riley," and I did as he said. "Breathe in and breathe out very slowly." I did just that, and after a while I felt better."I'm fine, thank you," I said.The hunger panged at my stomach. I stared up at him; his scent was so nice, and then his neck. I couldn't get my eyes off it."I'll get you something to eat," he says, rising to his feet."No, please don't leave me." I pleaded.He sat back beside me. "I am here, always.""Kiss me."It had been a
THANE."Laugh it off, Axel," I said to him, he bursted into another fit of laughter. He did find this funny, and maybe it was. If he hadn't stepped in, I might have let her drink me dry, and I wouldn't even realize the abnormality of that action.The puncture marks her teeth left had healed, but I could still point out exactly where they had been."I'm worried about her," I say to Axel."Since she left this pack months ago, she hadn't been the same. So Nick hadn't been the one, right?""He denied.""And you believe him?" Axel asked."I didn't spot a lie, and he does love Riley; they were about to get married; I can't understand how he could have done that. I don't think it was him.""So had there been some other person involved?" Axel questioned."Not that I know of, but Nick does seem to suspect something; he would be here shortly with a sorceress.""A sorceress? What do we need a witch for?""You were right when you said Riley hadn't been the same since she returned from the Raven C
She couldn't hurt me. But still, I didn't proceed any further."I am not what you think I am," she says, "Not anymore.""What are you trying to say?""I heard everything the healers said to you, and I know I might die.""Don't say that; you won't die; I won't let you.""There are some things you cannot control, Thane, and death is one of them. I had to leave the healing room because Dias' neck suddenly seemed like the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And then there were people everywhere; it was overwhelming; I wanted to hurt them, and I've never been so afraid.""Riley, you don't have to be scared; we would always be there to protect you.""How can you protect me? You don't even know me.""I do, Riley; I know you better than you think.""Once I would have believed that," she says. "But now... now I don't. All this wouldn't have happened if... if you never let me go," tears streamed down her eyes. "You forced me into believing I wasn't good enough, and you thought you were protec
RILEY.The next two days passed by in a blur.I hadn't said a word to Thane, but he always visited. A part of me felt guilty for putting the blame on him, but the other part wouldn't let go of the pain he had caused. He might have been trying to protect me, but he did it so brutally I was left broken.The hunger lingered. No matter how much I ate, there was still that thirst, and food alone couldn't satisfy it.My stomach was significantly bigger; I had stopped watching it as it only freaked me out.When Thane and Axel walked in this time, they were accompanied by Nick and the... sorceress. She looked much the same, only that this time she had managed to put on a slightly better outfit; the gown seemed washed and old-fashioned, and a hat had been placed firmly on her head, shielding her face."I came as soon as I could," Nick says to Thane, and then he walks towards me. "It's growing really fast," he noted."Nick... I don't know what is happening to me. This thirst for blood never fad
"No. Don't you dare," I threatened."That's not a child, and you know it," the sorceress said to me, her eyes cold."It is mine," I growled."I think I'm done here. Summon me if she changes her mind; this was my mistake, and I have to fix it." With a nod to Thane, she turned and walked away."Riley..."Axel began."No." I cut him off, "Don't tell me how this is the better option; I want to keep it and I will." Thane and Axel exchanged glances again, there seemed to be a silent conversation going on between them. "I need to talk to Nick... alone.""If you do anything to hurt her, I will kill you." Thane promised before leaving; Axel followed next."You didn't tell me," I said to Nick. "You didn't tell me anything about the bloodlust I would have to live with; why?""I'm sorry... I just...""Say it, Nick, you don't need to lie to me."He gazed down at me, his eyes filled with guilt. "There are a lot of things you don't know." He paused again."Go on," I prompted."There's something abou
"I did my part of the deal, Riley; you aren't keeping to yours." Nick said, furious now."You never told me the whole truth; you hid it all from me. I would have never gone along with this if I knew the other side you kept hidden and you know that.""Don't lie to me, Riley. I knew it; from the moment I came here to visit you in the dungeons, I could see it in your eyes. You were never going to keep to your part of the deal, you were never going to go along with the marriage, so don't give me this bullshit," he said, and to that I had no reply.He was right."I'm sorry things had to end this way."I said to him."No. No, you are not. I'll be on my way now; maybe I might as well inform your mother that the wedding is off. I wonder what she would think about it.""Don't bring my mother into this.""Oh, she's so going to be involved, and don't you think for a moment that this is goodbye," he pointed at my stomach. "Either you take that thing out of you or you die. But well, you are good at
Nick had work to attend to, but he had promised to send Axel in to keep me company. So when the door was pulled open, I had expected to see Axel, but it had been Jake.His face paled the moment he saw me."Why are you here?" I asked, partly rising from the bed I laid on.“I'd been wanting to meet you for a while now, but since I last saw you on the training field you seem to have vanished…” his gaze never left me. Taking a step closer, his voice lowered, "What happened to you?" He asked and that's when I perceived the whiff of blood."I'm fine." I said to him, the blood smelled so nice, I wanted a taste. "You are injured; you should leave.""Not until you tell me what happened, are you alright?""Jake, go now," I growled, but he only drew closer."No, you need help. Does the Alpha know...?"I cut him off."Yes, he does, Jake. I'm warning you, leave." He paused, staring at my eyes. "Your face..."He didn't finish his sentence. I couldn't explain how I had suddenly been on my feet.I
THANE.I watched Riley; gods, she was in pain, she blamed herself for Jake's death. "Just… Get it out of me," she repeated."Riley, you didn't do this; it's the fault of the thing inside of you.""Is what I am. A ‘turned one’, I did this, Thane, and... what if it doesn't stop?""What do you mean?""What if the lust never seizes, even with the demon out?""He did say you would be able to control it.""What if he lied? Or what if I am different? I just can't… I can't hurt any other person. I have to be controlled, Thane.""You will be alright, Riley.""No. No, I won't be alright. Thane I can't…""You can't what?""I can't... stay in this pack; I can't hurt these innocent people. Nelly, Jake's sister, had died because of me, and now... I killed him too. Oh gods, what have I done? What would I tell his parents?" she muttered on, visibly shaking."You don't have to worry about anything; I have this under control.""No. You can't fix everything. I thought I could have a life with you; that
SIX MONTHS LATERThane lifted me up from the bed, carrying me bridal style to the bathroom."You know I can walk on my own right?""You are pregnant Riley, you should be treated like a princess, so now stop arguing and let me take care of you."I let Thane bathe me, after that he wrapped a towel around me."I'll get your clothes." he said, walking to the dressing room, he returned with a grey shirt and a pair of his sweatpants."This are your clothes.""Well I don't think anything in there would fit, I need to get more clothes your size.""Are you calling me fat?""No." he said with a smile. "You are beautiful and those breats keep getting deliciously bigger.""Thane!""What, I'm a guy i can't help it."I got dressed and Thane returned me back to the bed. "I am enjoying this more than I should." I admitted."Then enjoy it while it last.""No work today?" I asked him."I've covered all the urgent business, now I can spend more time with you and my baby.""Thane... I wonder if you are
I watched the soldiers as they paid tribute to one of their own, Axel. The pack members weren't the only ones present. Many from other packs came to honor Axel's burial, and despite how I had promised myself I wouldn't cry, I couldn't hold it in.I stared up at Thane, the sadness clear in his eyes, but never once did he shed a single tear."How do you do it?" I questioned him, "How could you be so strong even in a time like this?""If only you know how much I want even a few minutes of weakness, but look around you, everyone is mourning; in times like this we need to stand strong because it gives others hope." He said, and he was right.I spotted Alpha Zack, Alpha Cain, Alpha Pius, Alpha Trent, and Gabriel—the new Alpha of the Raven Clan pack. My mother had to stay behind to oversee the affairs of the Raven Clan.Nina, Axel's cousin's sister, who was rarely ever around was also present; her eyes swollen and red. I walked to her and stood by her side."He was a brave man." I said to he
Thane needed some time to digest everything I had told him; I could understand that.After I had explained to him everything that happened, he walked to me and drew me in for a warm embrace, but the moment ended too quickly, and then he... left.I didn't assume that the fact that he knew the truth meant I was forgiven, but at least I was able to tell him everything and it was a huge relief, now it was all up to him.There was a knock on the door and I headed to answer it, letting Daisy, one of the head healers in."The result is out," she says, a bright smile on her face.After the dream I had about Axel, I felt like he had been trying to tell me something when he said, 'If you go through the sacrifice, it wouldn't just be your life you would be sacrificing.Call me paranoid, but I noticed how weak and tired I had been feeling recently. I blamed it on everything that had been going on, but after the discussion I had with Thane, I went straight to Daisy and told her I needed a pregnanc
I walked into Axel's room; I hadn't been here since he... passed.I would have broken down in tears if I had any more tears left to cry. The longing in my heart grew worse. I pulled open his drawer, and a small smile stretched on my lips when I saw the book 'Barbara's fantasies'. He did find it in the end, but he never kept it in the library. I guess I wasn't the only one who found this book quiet... interesting.I took out his clothes from the dressing room, and I inhaled them deeply. I closed my eyes, and in that moment I could pretend he was still here; I could pretend that everything that happened was just a very bad dream.I couldn't let go of his clothes. I laid on his bed, his clothes fisted in my hand, and I fell asleep.Twelve hours more was all the time I had to make my decision, and still I hadn't changed my mind; Axel deserved to live....I knew I was dreaming, but yet it felt so real. Axel lay on the green grass, shirtless. I stared at him, and he smiled."Take a pictur
Axel lived on in my dreams but waking up to the painful reminder always left me in tears. There was this hole Axel had left behind, one that I feared even time couldn't heal.I didn't know exactly why I was paying the sorceress a visit, but I knew I needed to right my wrongs. This place was exactly how it had been when I and Nick arrived here for the very first time. I knew I shouldn't be here and yet... yet here I was. I pushed aside the tendrils, which came together to form a curtain. The sorceress sat as still as a statue on the moss-covered altar. "Welcome back, Queen." She said, turning to me. I stared into those ancient-looking eyes that seemed to know everything."You know why I am here," I said to her. "Yes, I do, but I am afraid I cannot help you.""Please...""You seek to fight fate, to fight nature itself. You cannot revive one that is already dead.""You can't or… you won't?""I can't give life, Queen.""But there is something you can do, isn't there? I will pay handsom
I sat in front of Thane's door the whole night, pleading and begging, but he never did come, and finally I rose.I had lost him, and it took me this long to see that. I hadn't only lost Axel; I had lost Thane's love too.How did my life turn into this? One moment it all felt like a fairy tale, one I didn't want to wake up from, and now it was a complete nightmare.Some days I questioned the point of my own existence; I had no use remaining here, and yet, I didn't want to leave, maybe because I still had hope that one day Thane would forgive me.I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, ignoring the knock on the door. I didn't want to see anyone right now, and I knew for a fact that it wasn't Thane. Whoever was behind the door persisted and it got annoying. I rose from the bead, heading for the door. I pulled it open, the frown on my face that disappeared the moment I saw my mother.She hugged me, knowing exactly what I needed. I couldn't help but be a child again and cry in her arms. "
I stared at the mirror; I looked like a mess. I sprayed some cold water on my face; a knock drew my attention.It was a maid."Can I help you?" I questioned."The Alpha sent me to pick up a file he left here. It must be that one." She said, pointing to the file on the table. She walked in, picking it up."You know what? I'll hand it to him." I said, taking the file from her hand. She seemed unsure."As you wish Luna," she said."Uhmm, where is he now?""The third room on the fifth floor," she said, and I nodded."Got it.".I knocked on the door to his ‘new’ room, and after a minute the door was pulled opened. Thane stared at me."What are you doing here?" He asked like I was some complete stranger, an intruder, but I couldn't blame him."I brought your files."He collected it, about to slam the door, but I placed a foot in the threshold. I pushed the door open and walked in."You've been avoiding me lately." I said to him, but he gave no response. He took a seat, opening the file and
The next few days I spent them with Thane; he was still in coma. The healers had to extract all of the toxin the elders had passed into his bloodstream; only then would the healing process begin, and from their report, he was doing well, but he still had a few more days to recover.I wiped his face with a wet towel; next, I gently brushed through his hair. I placed a kiss on his forehead and then his lips. I knew that when he awoke, things wouldn't be like they used to. I returned back to my room to take a bath before joining him once again.I couldn't bear the solitude of my room; I always ended up breaking into tears. I hadn't realized I was sleeping until the sharp intake of breathe jolted me awake. Thane was awake.The healers had said he would be down for a few more days, but he woke earlier than they had predicted; my heart pounded for the first time in excitement; I was so scared, I couldn't lose him too. "Thane!" I cried out, running to him to embrace him, but his cold star
A rock fell inches away from me, and I only managed to dodge it. Axel was losing a lot of blood. I knew what was about to happen, but I didn't want to think about it. It just couldn't."Riley, please listen to me." he said, and I turned to him; sweat coated his face and his breathing was laboured. "I can't make it, Riley. You know that, but if you go, you can save yourself and save Thane.""Please, Axel, we can make it alive, the both of us.""Look at me, Riley," he pleaded, and I did. "Kiss me."Tears rolled down my eyes as I leaned to him and kissed him. I wouldn't let him go; I just can't. "I love you, from the very first time I met..." he took a long breath. "But you were never mine, and yet that didn't stop me from wanting you. Don't blame yourself for this; you, Riley, were the best thing that had ever happened to me.""But Thane... he hates me.""No, he doesn't; reason with him; make him... make him understand." Axel coughed out blood. "Go now, get him, and leave this place.""