She stood there, cloaked in the night, her eyes locked onto Declan and Raven, her nails digging into the bark of the tree she leaned against.Her lips twisted into a sneer as she watched Declan laugh, his silver eyes warm as he gazed at Raven. The sight made her stomach churn. ‘That should be me sitting there, not that irritating little assassin who refuses to die,’ she thought with a hiss. Her grip on the knife in her hand tightened. The cool steel pressed against her palm, grounding her as her thoughts spiraled into vivid images of what she could do to Raven. Cut out her tongue first so she can't scream. Then carve her pretty little face into something unrecognizable. Maybe slit her throat just enough to make her choke on her own blood before finishing her off.The knife glinted in the faint light, and she traced the edge with her thumb, imagining how it would feel slicing through Raven's flawless skin. But she stopped herself, exhaling sharply.‘No’, she reminded herself. ‘I can
/-Hannah-/Sneaking around the palace with Raven's unconscious body is certainly the hardest thing we have ever done. Clearing the evidence and witnesses was going to be even harder, but it was a risk Lisa and I were willing to take. We found out about the date through one of the maids who were preparing the dessert and appetisers for the date.I knew Declan had a very strong immune system so if anything was going to work on him, we needed thrice the dose that would knock out an average wolf.Even then, it would only be effective for a few minutes then wear off. Lisa and I decided to drug the drinks with that. If Raven was lucky, it would only knock her unconscious, if not, it was death by overdose. Frankly, we were hoping that latter would be the case but the pest wasn't dead. Her heart was very much beating even though it was at an erratic pace. “How much further?” Lisa groaned behind me like we weren't treading the same path. “Stop whining like a child, Lisa. We're only halfwa
/-Hannah-/The sight of Raven striding toward us, alive and completely untouched, made my heart seize in my chest. This couldn’t be real. I had buried her—we had buried her. I watched her body disappear under the dirt, her pulse faint and fading. There was no way she could be standing here now, much less looking so... put together.Lisa’s face mirrored my own shock, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “This isn’t possible,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Hannah, what the hell is going on?”I swallowed hard, forcing myself to snap out of the panic that threatened to paralyze me. If Raven was here, then something—or someone—had intervened. There was no logical explanation otherwise."Lisa," I hissed under my breath, "keep it together."Raven stopped a few feet away, crossing her arms as a sly smile tugged at her lips. "Well, well. Fancy seeing you two here," she said, her voice laced with mockery. "You look like you've seen a ghost.""Raven," I began, my voice steady despite the chaos
/-Raven-/I woke up in an unfamiliar environment and my heart was pounding at a rapid rate. The last thing I remembered was drinking wine with Declan and now I was here?I tried to move but I couldn't. My hands were chained above my head and I couldn't move. My legs were chained as well, and I realized I wasn't in the two-piece I was wearing anymore. My heart skipped a beat. I was now wide awake and scanning around for anything familiar. The door opened almost immediately and I feared the worst. “Well… well…” a familiar voice drawled and my breath caught in my throat as I saw Azaiah walk in. What the hell was I doing back here?“I see you're awake,” he coldly stated. There was anything but a smile on his face. He was clearly pissed over the fact that I tricked him into letting me go. “I hear that Declan is doing well now…”“You have to let me go!” I demanded. “I am not your prisoner!” “And you weren't supposed to be!” He snapped. “But you just have a way of pushing my buttons, do
/-Raven-/Getting married.I was getting married!And it wasn't to Declan!!I was visibly panicking as these women gripped me. With how respectful they were before, I didn't think they would actually go as far as forcefully prepping me against my will. I didn't want to fight them. I wasn't sure I would succeed even if I tried. And if I managed to escape them, what were the chances that I would leave this place?But I needed to stop this wedding somehow. I needed to think and think fast too. They were currently washing me up. One of girls picked up a perfumed liquid soap. “Can I see that?” I asked politely. “Why?” She asked. “It's just soap.”“I have never used it before. I need to make sure it doesn't contain anything I'm allergic to,” I told her and she handed it to me. “Just for fun, what can disrupt the initiation ceremony?” I asked and they exchanged glances. “Come on, if I am going to be your Queen, I should at least know things about you, right?” I wasn't sure they would b
/-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
/-RAVEN-/The buzz of the place jolted me from the horrific nightmare called sleep, My eyes flew open as I say up in panic. Did they catch me already? Oh goddess, I'm screwed. I tried moving my body subconsciously even though I expected to be tied up and to my surprise, I was unbound. I sat up and took in my surroundings. There were several maids entering in and out of the room, serving food on a big table. Who are they? Where am I? One of them glanced at me and immediately squeaked. “She's awake. We should inform the Alpha immediately.” That was when I truly panicked. It was obvious that I was captured by some unknown Alpha and probably going to be forced into marriage. Alpha Timultin would never catch me and spare me, especially after killing his son. He would murder me. Not sell me off. Which was why it made sense that this Alpha found me in the woods and brought me here, to be his Luna, possibly because if I were to be a slave, I would wake up in a cell, not a queen sized b
/-Declan-/“Are you even listening to me?” She yelled triggering an instant headache. I wanted to just lie down and get some sleep. But she got in my face again. I was trying so hard to tolerate her but she would stop making things difficult for me. Sometimes, she made me question how we got together because we had absolutely nothing in common.“I don't know what you want me to say,” I sighed. “I want you to deny it!” She yelled. “Tell me that this has nothing to do with her. That you didn't go to see her or something.” “I went for a run. Does that make you feel better?” I asked and walked to the bathroom without giving her a chance to respond.I took off my clothes and got under the shower. I shut my eyes, enjoying the way the steamy water ran down my back. The burn on my skin came with flashes. Me in a tub filled with hot water. Me taking pyre's breath. Me carrying a burning person. Me and a flame of fire. I turned off the shower andrl tried to think but everytime I felt like
/-DECLAN-/“Do you want to tell me where you are going?” She asked and I took a glance at her. I fixed my coat without offering a response. I made to walk out but she ran in front of me. “Can you ever stop treating me like I don't matter and actually put some effort into communicating with me? Tell me where you're going, Declan!” She demanded. “No,” I said simply and walked out of the room. As I stepped out of the palace, the guards made to follow me but I stopped them. I didn't want to be policed around by Amelia's spies. As I walked towards the borders, the people kept bowing and greeting and I got tired of responding. I just want to take a long run. Transforming into my wolf, I dashed into the forest. It was exactly what I needed. The energy flowing through my veins, the adrenaline, everything was just exciting until I picked up a scent. It was a sickening sweet smell that reminded me of the woman I met days ago. The woman in that red dress. Was she out here? If she was, wha
/-RAVEN-/I retracted my hand, pulling his eyes along with it. Screams ripped through his throat as blood gushed out of his eyes. I tossed his useless eyeballs to the ground and turned to the guards who were completely frozen in shock. The eventually recovered and tried to attack but I didn't waste time in beating them one after the other until they were all on the ground groaning in pain. I went back to Eric who was crying now. “You bitch! What have you done to me?” He screamed out. “You will pay for this, I swear you will!”I squatted to his position and yanked his head up. I twisted it so hard that he was screaming out in pain and then I pushing my hands into his mouth and clawed his tongue. Another scream struggled to come out but his tongue was at my mercy. “All I ever did was love and respect you. I followed your instructions, allowed to take whatever decisions you wanted to, I submitted to you and the one time I decided to do something for myself, you have me beaten up and
/-RAVEN-/The pits felt a lot more safer than being up there with those animals. But then, when he said rats, I assumed he meant actual rats or rodents at least but this pit was a very deep well and this well had crocodiles in them. I'm not even sure that is possible. Point is, Eric is not even smart and I always about to die. There was still dragon bane in my system and until I flushed it out, or my body neutralised it, I was nothing but a defenseless human with chains around her wrists.When they threw me in, I landed in a floating position, right above the water and once I settled my foot on either of the well, it was gone. No matter how hard I tried to make it work again, it just wouldn't. But it wasn't new to me. Every time I was in a near-death situation, I always ended up floating a few feet from my death and this thankfully, was one of those situations, else I would have conveniently been a late breakfast to some hungry creatures.Water sloshed below. The crocodiles circled,
/-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