/-Raven-/The journey began under a heavy sky, the wind biting at our cheeks as Lisa and I trudged through the woods. The silence between us was as thick as the clouds above, and for a while, it seemed neither of us would break it.I was happy with it, because I didn't even want this woman next to me but circumstances wouldn't stop forcing us together. But, of course, Lisa couldn’t help herself.“I know we’ve never been on the best terms, Raven,” she began, her voice unusually soft. “But I wanted to say… thank you. For what you did for me in the tunnels. If you hadn’t come back…”I cut her off with a sharp glance. “You would’ve found your way out. You’re resourceful like that.”She was taken aback by my words but I wanted the conversation to be over already. I already knew she didn't like me and frankly, I didn't like her too. There was no need for pretense. “No, I wouldn’t have,” she admitted, surprising me. Her eyes flickered toward me before focusing on the path ahead. “You saved
/-Raven-/I glanced at Lisa whose face had gone pale as she said the name. Even Tim's expression was confirmation that Lisa was right. It was indeed Diane. Declan suddenly stopped convulsing and for a moment, I was afraid that something might have happened to him. That he was dead. But then his steady breathing assured me that he was still alive.His face was ashen, his breathing shallow, and I had never felt so powerless. Amelia straightened slowly, her expression grim as she stepped away.Dread washed through me as I knew what was coming. Just like many others before her, she couldn't heal him. Yet, I tried to stay positive as she spoke."The curse on him," she began, her voice cutting through the silence, "is bound by blood. The one who placed it tied it to herself with a blood oath. As long as she lives, with her blood coursing through his veins, no one, not even me, can fully break it."Her words struck me like a physical blow. For a moment, I could only stare at her, struggl
/-Raven-/The faint flicker of Declan’s eyelids was the first sign of life I’d seen in days. His lashes fluttered before those misty silver eyes cracked open, bleary but warm. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was blind, and it was so freaking gorgeous. Relief surged through me, making my chest ache. But relief quickly gave way to fury."You idiot!" I snapped before I could stop myself, leaning over his bed. I didn't care if he was Alpha or not. "Do you have any idea how much you scared us? We even had to go as far as seeking a sorcerer for you!"Declan’s lips curved into a faint, lopsided smile. “Us?” he murmured, his voice scratchy but teasing. “Or are you speaking for yourself, Raven?”I froze, my cheeks burning as I struggled for a retort. Even when he was still weak and just barely recovered, he still had the energy to tease me. “Everyone,” I said stiffly, crossing my arms over my chest. “Don’t flatter yourself.”Yet, I felt so warm inside. I didn't know how much I mis
Raven’s POVDeclan’s silence was maddening. I watched as Hannah glared at him, waiting for some sort of response, anything that would validate her anger. But Declan remained still, his gaze distant, almost disinterested in the scene unfolding before him. It was almost as if he had already decided what his stance would be and nothing would change it. His lack of reaction only seemed to make Hannah more frustrated.I could feel the anger simmering beneath her skin and it was almost amusing. The way she stood, fists clenched at her sides, her jaw tight with fury. It wasn’t hard to tell that she expected me to be at the mercy of her wrath. She had that aura of entitlement that came with being close to the Alpha.But Declan wasn’t interested in her theatrics. It was a strange sort of relief, but it also made me feel strangely isolated. I wished Declan would just tell her to back off rather than stay silent. Even though I could deal with her myself, I still wanted him to. “You little…!” He
/-LISA-/Hannah stormed in like a tempest, slamming the door behind her. Her face was a twisted mask of anger and desperation, her breaths ragged as though she had run the entire length of the palace."The plan is ruined, Lisa," she spat, pacing the room. "Francesca is alive. Alive! And now there’s a skin crawler in the palace."I leaned against the edge of the table, folding my arms. "What plan?"Her head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing. "Don’t act stupid. The plan to kill Francesca! You know, the one we spent weeks putting together? And what time did you even get to arrange a sorcerer? You didn't tell me about that! Are we now keeping things from each other?"I raised an eyebrow, confused as hell. "You must have me confused with someone else. I’ve been a little preoccupied… being locked in tunnels for days."She froze mid-step, her expression flickering with uncertainty before settling into irritation. "What are you talking about? You’re the one who came up with the plan! Stop
Lisa walked out of the palace for a breath of fresh air. She couldn't believe the conversation she just had with Amelia. There was just no way a woman like Amelia would also fall under Declan's charms. It felt like felony. She had tried to focus on anything else, to get her mind off the fact that she might be having more people to get rid of, but the sight of Tim stopped her.He stood by the gates, his figure rigid, his gaze distant. Once, he would have noticed her immediately, greeting her with a warm smile or even a teasing remark. Now, he didn’t even glance her way. He turned, as if she were invisible, and began to walk away.Lisa was shocked for a brief second then heart clenched for some reason. She told herself to let him go. He had every right to be angry, and forcing a conversation wouldn’t help. But her feet moved on their own.“Tim!” she called out, hurrying towards him. He froze. For a moment, she thought he might keep walking, but then he slowly turned around. His face w
/-RAVEN-/Dinner was over in a blur with everyone just happy and wishing Declan a quick recovery, after which they began to disperse. Declan didn't move, however. His presence was like a magnetic pull I couldn’t fully ignore. Those mesmerizing silver eyes followed me intensely, unspoken words swirling within them. He didn’t ask; he commanded with a simple look, gesturing for me to help him to his room.I hesitated. Helping him always came with strings attached. But leaving him to fend for himself while still recovering wasn’t an option, and he knew it.“Fine,” I muttered, walking to his side. “But don’t get any ideas.”Declan’s lips curved into that infuriatingly cocky smile as he leaned slightly against me. “When do I ever, princess?”Princess… My skin tingled at the brief eye contact. There was just something about that name, the way it rolled smoothly off his lips that had me melting every single time.“You want an honest answer?” I asked, forcing my mind off my acting nerves.
/-RAVEN-/I didn't think it was possible to get any paler but he did. He was horrified to see me. At least he was smart enough to know that what he did was paramount to death. To my surprise, he immediately fell on his knees, tears clouding his eyes. I was stunned. I have only seen Eric cry once and that was several years ago when he lost his childhood friend. It was that incident that brought us closer to begin with, because I was always by his side, consoling him. “Raven please… I know I have fucked up badly but please… give me one last chance to make this right, I beg of you. That is all I am asking,” he pleaded. He legitly gripped my legs, sobbing at my feet. I didn't know how to react. I wanted him dead for sure but now, I wasn't sure anymore. “Is this some game you and your father put up?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him. I wasn't going to fall for any of their tricks. “No, Raven… it's not a game. I know I messed up badly and it took being on the brink of death to
/-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
/-Amelia-/“Why do you keep staring at me?” He asked. His tone was neutral so I figure the spell was still active. “Why did you suddenly go off like that? The feast barely even started,” I asked suspiciously. “I was drugged by one of your numerous guests and I passed out. Anything else you'd like to know?” He asked. I let out a sigh. He was right. There was no way he would have known what happened while he was drugged and he never liked the idea of a feast. “There was this veiled woman I saw in your room when I came to check on you,” I started, monitoring his expression closely. There was nothing I could accuse him of because his expression remained blank. Once again, I reminded myself that he wouldn't know. There was no use being suspicious over him. “So, what now?” He asked. “Did you find her?” “No, we couldn't find her. She just sped away and I suspect that she might have been the one who drugged you,” I said. “Good to know,” he said dryly and walked towards the bathroom. I
/-Raven-/He was angry but I was angry as well. I might be in love with him but I wasn't stupid. “Did you just hit me?” I asked him. “Evade my fucking question and I will hit you again! Do you know how crazy we went looking for you? We thought something happened! And you just stroll in here acting like you nothing happened?” He yelled. I dropped my hand and stepped closer to him, staring him dead in the eye. “Listen to me carefully, because I am only going to warn you once. I don't care if you are the air that I breathe but the next time you lay your fucking hand on me again, you are going to regret it. If you have a fucking problem, you speak. Use your words, do you understand?” The iciness in my tone was unbelievable to me as well but I needed to set him right. “You fucking bitch! Hoe dare you speak to me like that, huh?” He yelled. “Who did you go out there to see? Don't even tell me you were flying because I know you weren't!” “Good for you,” I said coldly and turned away fr
/-Raven-/There was something awfully familiar about this woman but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't place it. “Well?” She growled, stepping closer. “Where is my husband?”Husband…For some reason that word made my heart tighten in a way I didn't understand. Why should I care if he was taken? That man was flirting with me so he was hardly a good keep! He wasn't worth thinking twice about.“You're not deaf, are you?” She stepped closer, glaring at me menacingly. Woah! Someone tell this tiger that nobody wants her man. He might be hot but all I want to do is kill him. That's all!“He… he just…” “He just what?” She snapped, pushing past me to look inside the room. I glanced back and to my greatest shock, he was on the bed, passed out. At least pretended to be. I knew for sure that I couldn't waste another minute here so I took to my heels. “What have you done?!” I heard her scream and fastened my pace. I didn't know where I was headed but when I spotted the guards coming, I
/-Raven-/“I'm sorry. I know you were probably not expecting to see me but something came up last minute and the princess couldn't make it,” I told him. “I see…” he said simply. “Do you mind sharing one glass with me?” I asked, offering him a glass of champagne. “I know I'm beneath your class and you probably don't want to but if you could please…”He took the glass before I could go on with my pretend rambling. “Cheers?” I raised my glass and he clanged his glass against mine and we each took a long sip of the champagne. Gotcha!“This is really good,” I commented but before he could respond, a strange woman joined him. I tried to keep the frown away from my face. Who is she now?She began flirting with him right in front of me and I know I shouldn't care but my grip on my glass was tightening subconsciously. I hated the way seeing her smile at him. I hated watching her hands drape all over him. I hated her kissing him. And I didn't know why. Maybe it was because I hated him tha
/-Raven-/The blackouts have been frequent, coupled with horrifying nightmares that all ended with a metal stake in my heart. Not to forget the body pains I felt every time I woke up. I felt violated and I couldn't tell if it was real or not. I never fully understood it and when I told Eric about it, he said it could be a memory from the torture I went through in the IronClaw pack. Those agonizing dreams made me hate Declan Thorne and everything about him more and more. Not a day went by without me thinking of how to destroy him.It pushed me to train harder than I ever have and soon, the day was here. The day when I was finally going to put a face to the silver eyes that haunted my dreams. It was a solo mission and no one had any idea what I was doing or planning to do. IronClaw was hosting a big feast and I was going to disguise myself as one of the guests and get in. I wasn't quite sure what they were celebrating but I knew Alphas from far and near were going to be present. I