/-Hannah-/Amelia crossed her arms, staring at both Lisa and I. “Fancy seeing you two back in my chambers together after coming individually to deliver your threats. What's new? Surprise me.” She leaned against her dressing table, crossing her arms as she stared at us. If I had my way, I wouldn't even be here, talking to her but I just had to. “The skin walker has taken Raven's form and she is with Declan currently,” I said plainly and her smug smile vanished. “Now that was unexpected,” she blurted. “And how do you know it is a skin walker and not just Raven?”“Because Raven is dead and buried,” Lisa blurted without thinking and I shot her a glare. She cupped her mouth, shooting me an apologetic glance. Amelia's eyes darkened as she crossed her arms. “What the hell do you mean by Raven is dead?” She demanded. I didn't say a word and Lisa didn't speak either. “Of you're not going to speak then see yourselves out of my room!” “Fine! Calm the fuck down!” I sighed. “So we kinda dr
/-Raven-/“You are sick! You have lost your damn mind!” He yelled. “I thought five hours would have been enough to come up with something more creative,” I sighed. “Why do you keep pissing me off…”“Hush! I'm sick, stop yelling,” I interrupted his ranting. “You've not even experienced half of the things I plan to do to you.”My response caught him off-guard. “Why are you so insistent on punishing me, Raven? I am trying to help you! To help you achieve your potential! Why are you making things difficult for us both?” He growled. I stared at him unapologetically. “You don't abduct someone and expect to be treated like a king, sweetheart. If you wanted me to cooperate you would have approached me politely and asked.” He palmed his face and I moved from a lying to a sitting position. “What's for breakfast?” I asked him. I skipped dinner. I was out all night.” He looked at me in disbelief and I raised a challenging brow. His shoulders sagged and I smirked inwardly.“Can I have meat
/-Declan-/There was just something wrong about her. I could feel it. Last night, she had been insistent on sleeping in my room but I couldn't let her. Rolfe wouldn't let me and for the first time, I agreed with him. The Raven I knew was a tease and would never admit she wanted to be in the same room with me, let alone beg to speak d the night in it. The intense pull I felt towards Raven anytime she neared me was gone. I was seriously considering Hannah's words that she was the skinwalker. But if this wasn't Raven, where was she then?This morning, before I even got the chance to open my eyes, she was at my door, knocking. She brought me breakfast and I couldn't even begin to explain how creeped out I was. “Come in,” I said dryly, stepping aside for her to enter. “I brought you food so you don't have to stress yourself out. I want us to spend the entire day together,” she said. “Spend the day together?” I repeated. That was one suggestion Raven would never make no matter how muc
She hissed in frustration. That man was just too smart for her. How could he have figured her out so soon?It took her weeks to copy Raven's voice and mannerisms, only for him to figure it out in a space of a few minutes. Pacing the room, she groaned. “I have come too far to lose him now,” she muttered under her breath.She thought hard, thinking of what she could have done wrong and then it clicked. “Fuck! I was too desperate for him! Raven literally acts like she doesn't care about his existence. Maybe I should have done that instead of throwing myself at him,” she mumbled, facepalming. How could she mess up such a perfect opportunity?But there was still a chance to make it right. Declan had no idea where Raven was and she already knew that Azaiah's men may have taken her away. All she had to do was hurt herself and let him find her, and then she would correct all the mistakes she made. Now that sounded like a very good plan. All she needed was someone to aid her with it. An
/-Declan-/I stood in front of Amelia, my heart racing. She had just asked for my blood, and I had no choice but to give it to her. I needed to find Raven, and if she could help, I would do whatever it took.“Just get it over with,” I said, my voice firm but full of frustration.Amelia didn’t hesitate. She picked up a small blade from the table and made a clean cut along my arm. I winced slightly as the blood flowed into a small cup she held out.She seemed calm, almost detached, as she watched the blood fill the cup. I didn’t know if I could trust her, but right now, she was the only lead I had.“Is that enough?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.She nodded and set the cup aside, carefully placing it on the table. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was making a grave mistake but at this point, I couldn't even say I cared. Raven was my top most priority. “Now, I will perform the incantation,” she said softly.Amelia closed her eyes, her hands moving slowly as she whispe
/-RAVEN-/Later that night, I sat by the window, staring into the sky since I wasn't allowed to go outside. The stars were so pretty tonight and it made me feel a little lonely.It stirred memories in my mind and it made my eyes watered. How long was I going to keep poisoning myself to keep from being with him?What if I ran out of poisons? What if he decided to perform the ceremony with my corpse? I was still thinking when the door opened and the maids entered my room with food. They simply bowed and dropped it, walking out before I even got the chance to say anything. Azaiah had forbidden them from talking to me because he thought I was going to manipulate them into helping me escape. I couldn't blame him because I would actually do so if I had the chance. I opened the plate and the food just made my spirit fall. I was tired of everything. This place, the food, the people, everything!I covered it back and got in bed. An hour later, they came to pack the food and we're surprised
/-Declan-/Tim and the rest of the warriors prepared for the journey to the Dragon clan. I had the Elders oversee the pack while I was gone. Raven was the most important person to me and I couldn't lose her. As we got ready to leave, Hannah ran to me with her bag. “What do you think you're doing?” I asked her. I wasn't in the mood for her antics now. “Allow me to come with you, please. I can help,” she pleaded. “No, I don't think you can help me in anyway. Stay back, I will bring her back as soon as possible,” I said. “No, please…” she pleaded. “I… I feel guilty. Every time I think about it, I blame myself for not helping her while I had the chance.”“Why should you?” I asked her. “You've never liked Raven to begin with. You should be happy she is finally out of your way. If you're going to hate someone, at least be straightforward about it. Stop trying to score yourself brownie points b pretending to care.”Hurt flashed in her eyes, “I don't care what you think about me but I a
/-Hannah-/No! No! No!This couldn't be happening to me! What the hell was he doing here? He shouldn't be here! Oh goddess, everything I planned was going to be ruined! Just when I came so close to achieving it!“Hannah?” Declan called. “Do you know this man?” I opened my mouth to deny it but Nile beat me to it. “Why wouldn't she? I should be asking who the fuck you are!” Nile stepped up, his fists clenching in anger. Declan chuckled, but it was his usual amused laugh. Nile had no idea what he was asking for. Declan would kill before he even got the chance to raise his fists. “What do you think you're doing?” Declan's tone darkened. “I asked a simple question and it wasn't even directed at you.” “You're the one with my wife and you think you get to ask questions?” Nile seethed and Declan's anger was replaced by confusion. “Your wife…” he echoed, staring at me and I wanted the ground to just open up and swallow me. Anything to save me from this moment. “Yes, my wife! We have a
/-Declan-/Pain. That was all I knew these days. Sometimes, I felt empty, like I was living someone else's life and other times, it felt like I was floating in this empty space I had no control over. I didn't know what I was going with my life until I met her. That fiesty red head that got on top of me with those intense beautiful eyes. All she wanted to do was kill me and leave. Bold of her. At first I was going to let her be but when her sweet scent hit my nostrils, I couldn't hold it in any longer. But I had to let her go. For her own safety. The rumor was already spreading around the palace that my Luna was looking everywhere for her. I didn't care enough to ask her why. I assumed it was because Amelia saw her walking out of my room. She never really talked to me about her or even asked me about that night because she thought I was completely passed out and I preferred it that way. I didn't have the energy to argue with anyone or prove anything. I just wanted to be on my
/-LISA-/“Why did you say Rum was arrested again?” Francesca asked suspiciously. Now was not even the time for her baseless suspicions. We needed to find out what he was hiding. Convince him to tell us where Raven is so we could bring her here to save the Alpha. It was a lie of course, I just wanted Amelia and Raven to meet again so whoever was more powerful could take the other out of the picture. Though, I knew for sure that Amelia could take out Raven. I mean, she did so before, didn't she? This time it was going to be for good. “You should answer her question because if she doesn't agree with whatever you have to say, then I am with her,” Othelia said. I rolled my eyes. When did all this nonsense bonding start? “You should channel your friendship in helping her learn magic or maube you both are just pathetic witches. I mean, think of it, she has been practicing magic for two months now and she still can show us even a flicker of that magic,” I huffed. Both of them glared at
/-Eric-/For a second, I thought I might die but something wanked from behind before she could stick the glass in my neck.She dropped to the ground unconscious and I looked at the person who saved my life. It was aere guard of course, but I guess I still had to be grateful he saved my life.However, the gratitude was going to the goddess, not him. He was merely a tool she used to save me. Other guards running in, picking up their fellow guards to check on them.“What took you morons, so long huh? She could have killed everyone!” I snapped at them.“Forgive us, your highness. We were just coming from the gate,” he answered and I rolled my eyes. If she had succeeded in killing me, I wonder who they would render their apologies too. “Take away these bodies and tie her to the two pillars outside,” I instructed. They exchanged glances and my fists clenched. “What was that for? Are you question my authority?” “No, your highness. Please forgive us,” one quickly apologised. I rolled my eye
/-Eric-/“Is she awake?” Father asked.“Yes, father,” I responded. “And?” “Still as stubborn as she was the night before. She threatened to kill us, starting with me first,” I answered. “And do you believe her?” He asked. “Well, she is Raven, father. She doesn't just go around bluffing. She will definitely find a way to exert her revenge, unless we kill her,” I said.“Kill her?” He frowned. “I don't want that. She is a very valuable asset to us. We were supposed to use her on Declan but we let gresd get in the way and diverted her to the men who were ready to pay up to a ten bags of gold for a night with her.” “I strongly believe that we can still use her,” I said and he raised a questioning brow. “Raven might think she is tough but every person has a limit. A breaking point. We just need to find hers.” “What are you suggesting, Eric? That we experiment on her every day?” he asked with disbelief. “Exactly, father. We experiment with her during the day and at night, we let the m
/–Raven–/“Let go me, where are you taking me?” I screamed but despite my struggles they didn't release me.I was still bleeding and my vision was blurring at a rapid rate. I was going to lose consciousness in a matter of seconds and I still didn't know what he planned to do with me. They were taking me back to the very house I had escaped from. This time, Eric appeared and I had a little hope. I was his fiance right? There was no way he would just stand by and watch his father give me out ot some strangers, right?“Eric…” I muttered weakly. “Please…”“Oh, you can beg now? Did I just hear the mighty Raven beg me?” He taunted. “You wanted to prove that you were better than everyone else right? I gave you a simple instruction and you couldn't even obey it. Now you stand there, begging for mercy? From who?” “I… fiance…” at this point, I was so weak that even the words wouldn't come out anymore. I was loosing a lot of blood but nobody seemed to care. Alpha Timultin, the one I called fa
/-LISA-/I watched as Tim was brought before Amelia. My heart was pounding. I didn't know what she was going to do to him. Hell, I didn't even know if he was going to live past this minute.Why did he have to lie to me? I know we had our differences but that wasn't enough reason for him to lie about Raven's death. “I am only going to ask you this once and I expect a direct answer from you, otherwise you will be held responsible for whatever happens to you,” Amelia started but Tim didn't even look a quarter as terrified as I was. He didn't even look afraid of her. “Yes Luna,” he answered in a monotone. Since he came back from wherever they went to and Raven was allegedly killed, he has never been the same again. This time was cold and emotionless. If he was asked to stab a baby, he would do it without hesitation. With Declan under her control, it made things even worse. I didn't know this man anymore.“Where is Raven?” She asked.“Lying at the bottom of the river somewhere,” he re
/-Raven-/I don't know how it happened but it did. The chains fell off me like it was nothing and I found myself wondering if I could do that the whole time.I mean, if I could, why the hell was I stressing myself? I could have just easily freed myself before those animals got the chance to lay their hands on me. Now was not the time for that, anyways. I needed to get out of here before they realized what was happening, but where would I go?Back to Azaiah? Or just complete my mission by killing Declan? I didn't have the luxury to contemplate on that so I shifted and flew as high as I could. I left the mountains and just flew high into the sky, wondering where I was going to go. Azaiah might have treated me well but there was no guarantee that he wouldn't just hand me back to that crazy man and his son if they came asking. Something struck me by the side and I let out a painful roar but then it hit me again, and again until I stop seeing myself fly and crashed to the ground in a ma
/-LISA-/"Are you sure it was Raven you saw?" Othelia asked again, her voice filled with skepticism.I folded my arms, forcing myself to remain calm. This entire conversation was ridiculous. Francesca was grasping at straws, desperate to hold on to the idea that Raven was alive. But if she was right… no, that couldn’t happen."I know what I saw," Francesca insisted, her eyes blazing with conviction. "She walked right through that door in a red dress. She looked real, alive, but she didn’t even seem to recognize me."Othelia sighed. "Francesca, do you hear yourself? You’re telling us that Raven, Declan’s mate, the woman who was supposed to be dead, just strolled in like nothing happened? And then, what? She attacked you and disappeared?""I don’t think she attacked me," Francesca admitted. "It was more like… she was surprised to see me. I mistakenly shattered the vase and slipped out her name and she panicked. Then she hit me" She shivered. "Everything went black, but there was somethi
/-RAVEN-/I could barely move a muscle. When talpha Timultin mentioned the whips at first, I thought he was joking. That there was no way he was actually going to sit back and let me get whipped but I was wrong. This man was as strict as he was merciless and his men couldn't afford to disobey him so I got whipped. Over and over again until I passed out. Now I woke up, I was still tied to the pillar with the pain shooting through me from all angles. How coido Eric do this to me? How do you even watch someone you claim to love go through such pain and you do nothing about it. It was cruel and wicked but he didn't obviously give two shits about that. Speak of the devil, he stroleld towards me like my suffering was a delightful sight. “What are you doing here?” I glared at him with all my might. “I'm guessing you haven't learnt your lesson yet. Else, you wouldn't be speaking to me in such a disrespectful tone,” he said. I looked at him in shock and anger. Was he being serious right