/-Raven-/I don't know what I was thinking but at that point, I genuinely believed I could kill him. His eyes flickered open, but there was no form of struggle on his features as I tightened the material around his neck. He peeled it off almost effortlessly and sighed. “Just three hours, that was all I needed. You couldn't even give me that?” My mouth hung open as I couldn't bring myself to believe my efforts to suffocate him went down the drain. His drowsy eyes didn't leave me as he continued, “Is there anything else you'd like to explore? If not, I suggest you go to sleep.” “Sleep?” I muttered. “You think I deserve sleep now? That is genuinely touching considering the fact that you wanted me to fan you all the way to Dreamland.” Rolfe patted the spot behind him. “Lie next to me.” “Why?” I asked. “Because I need your body heat. Isn't that obvious?” The silky voice which let out the words reminded me heavily of Declan. I didn't understand why everything and every moment som
/-Raven- /Hannah's friendly expression shifted in slight confusion. I could tell several thoughts were running through her mind. “Do you know me?” She asked.“No, but I know someone who does. It's probably the same person you're looking for,” I told her and she visibly relaxed. “That's a relief then,” she smiled widely. “I'm guessing this friend of yours is Ronin Hemsworth right?” “Couldn't care less about his name. I just saw him at the artist's shop, describing you and stuff. I guess he is also looking for you,” I shrugged. “Oh,” she mumbled. I smirked inwardly. I knew the name thing was a test. She was trying to see if I was lying to her, which I wasn't if you look at it. Everything I said was completely true.“Could you take me to him, please?” She politely asked.“Of course. Why else would I tell you?” I smiled sweetly.‘Rolfe, I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that you owe me big time,’ I thought. I was certain he was keeping track of my thoughts so
/-Raven-/Returning to the IronClaw pack gave me chills. I still couldn't believe I had been stupid enough to take Rolfe at his word. Why exactly did I think he would just let me go?He wasn't any different from Declan, but he was the worst version. Hannah took a deep sniff of the air, and a sceptical expression settled on her face. “It's been so long since I last stepped foot here,” she breathed. “I didn't think I would ever come back.” “Neither did I,” Rolfe said beside her. “But I'm glad you did. It hasn't been the same without you.” “Me? A mere servant?” Hannah chuckled in disbelief. “Oh please. I bet no one even noticed my absence and half the staff don't even know my name.” Time approached us immediately with some guards. Surprise touched his features the minute he saw her. “You found her!” He exclaimed and Rolfe smiled. “More like she found me.” “I didn't find you. You came looking and somehow found me!” I couldn't help but notice that her tone was a little defensive.
/-DECLAN-/“You locked me away for days!” I growled. “Shut me out completely and leave me in the dark!”“I understand you're angry, but I'm certain with the news I have, that will barely be a problem to you,” he said, but I wasn't buying it. I was very furious with him and I was going to shut him out as well. Completely.Rolfe growled as soon as he realised my intentions. “Now is not the time to be angry, Declan. I found Hannah!” That immediately caught my attention. “What do you mean by you found Hannah?” I asked, perplexed.“She's right here in the palace with us,” Rolfe said. “I brought her home.” I wasn't going to believe him until I saw it myself. “She's in the slave quarters,” he informed me. I wanted to go see her, but at the same time, I didn't. I wasn't sure she would want to speak with me ever again after what happened to her. I didn't even know how Rolfe convinced her to come here. “I have everything under control, Declan. You only need to talk to her,” Rolfe assured
/-LISA-/“You never told me he was going to find Hannah,” I scolded Tim. “Because I had no idea, my love. I was just as surprised as you are when he suddenly returned home with her. We have been searching for years now and never got any positive results,” Tim said, reaching for my shoulder. I shoved his hand away. “So, just a few days with Raven, and he already found Hannah? It doesn't make any sense, Tim!” I could barely control the anger in my voice. All these years, I had managed to convince myself that she was dead in a ditch somewhere or at least, married with children. I didn't think she had any reason to want Declan after her family was killed before her. It gave me hope. I was almost convinced I was heading somewhere with Declan before that little witch showed up with her disgusting attitude. Now, Hannah was here as well. How was I supposed to deal with all this now? Especially when Hannah has always been my best friend.Tim wrapped his hands around me and I felt utterly
/-Raven-/“Hey.” I looked up in surprise. “Mind if I join you?” She asked.“I don't own the chair,” I answered. Francesca smiled, taking a seat beside me. It was weird for her to suddenly talk to me, but again, she was only mistress who didn't go out of her way to make my life miserable. She was rude to me a few times, but she has mostly minded her business. “Are you still planning ways to escape?” She asked me and my lips curled.“Why would you assume that?” “You were sitting out here, lost in thoughts for several minutes. It's a clear sign you're up to no good,” Francesca answered with a small smile. “Subtle way of saying that you've been stalking me,” I noted. “I wouldn't call it stalking. I was just passing by and saw you. Thought you could use some company,” she said. “How remarkably generous,” my voice dripped with heavy sarcasm. “Cut the chase, what do you want?” “Nothing,” she answered. “I just told you the truth.” I nodded, deciding to let it slide. “You know I adm
/-RAVEN-/Declan was furious. Furious enough to keep everyone under the heavy rain. The courtyard wasn't exactly large and the palace had a lot of workers. Luckily, Francesca and I managed to squeeze ourselves under the roof. “I am only going to ask this once and after that, there will be no form of mercy. If you have the royal emblem and the Luna's eclipse stone, kindly surrender them now,” Declan's voice cut through the rain. So this thief didn't just take the emblem but the eclipse stone as well? Whoever ever did it either had a death wish or was just plain stupid. For the next five minutes, no one said a word or even admitted to knowing who took it, which wasn't surprising. The men who stood beside Declan, who I suspected were the Elders, studied everyone present. They wanted to pick out the slightest shift in expression and body language from anyone. My gaze shifted to Hannah and Lisa who happened to be talking in hushed tones, glancing at me. “What are those two up to now
/-Raven-/“What if she's innocent?” I whispered to Francesca. “You're suggesting that the CCTV is lying?” She asked me with furrowed brows. Right, it didn't make sense when she put it like that. “I just have this nagging feeling that she is innocent. Did you see her eyes? I can boldly say that she had nothing to this,” I said. “You better not say it out loud before this people without evidence,” she whispered harshly. “let's leave it to the Elders and mind our business.” “I guess you're right,” I sighed. But if she was indeed innocent, it would be really sad. “What do you think they will do to her now?” “She is still denying it so they will probably torture the truth out of her. Either way, the truth will come out , whether she likes it or not,” Francesca shrugged.“Can we go back to the library now?” She asked. It was surprising how casual and unbothered she was about Othelia's arrest. They had been staying together long before I came here and even if they didn't like each oth
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
/-Raven-/“Well, I thought we were going on an actual date not a cuddle session,” I mumbled, looking everywhere but him. A chuckle followed and my cheeks coloured. Francesca quickly stepped in front of me. “I'm sorry, Alpha. This is all my fault. I misinterpreted the situation and dressed her up to suit my taste. I'm sorry,” she apologized, surprising me. “Could we maybe retreat and change?”Amusement didn't just shine in his eyes, his lips were twitching as he struggled to control his laughter. “Gosh, this is so embarrassing for you,” Declan snorted and I wanted to die. Even Francesca snorted and I shot her a glare. I was ready to walk out and never show my face again but Declan caught my arm. “It's okay, Princess. There's no need to act so cute. Since you are dressed up, I might as well take you on one,” he said but it didn't ease my shame.“Maybe I should just change. You're not even strong enough to start anything outdoors or long distance. I don't even know what I was thinki
/-Raven-/I should have never underestimated her. When she said it wasn't a dress, I simply thought she was kidding but this wasn't a dress. This thing before me had me wishing she had given me a dress. Even if it was a short one. “So… try it on!” Francesca urged but I didn't dare move. Even my eyes wouldn't leave the two piece outfit. “I don't remember telling you I planned to fornicate with this man,” I blurted and she chuckled. “It's a date night. What do you think, you're going to eat and say your goodbyes?” She retorted. “Uhhmm… yes?” She skidded past me, ignoring my obvious displeasure and picked up the mini skirt, “Try this on. It has a a tiny waist so I'm certain it'll fit you perfectly.” “I'm not going naked to see Declan, Franc,” I stated. “This isn't going naked…” she defended, unbuttoning the skirt to test it around me.Since it was a button up, wearing it was relatively easy. All I had to was wrap it around me and button. She wrapped it and held both ends between
/-Raven-/I stopped by Amelia's room to check on her. She was supposed to leave today for her village and although Declan had already prepared gifts for her, I thought it would be great to give my personal thanks to her. Knocking twice, the woman opened the door for me with a bright smile. “Hello, Raven,” she greeted. “Quite a surprise.” I returned the smile, “I'm sorry for barging in on you. It's nothing too serious. I just wanted to thank you once again.”She stepped aside, “come in.”I stepped into the room to see a long line of packed bags. “Oh,” I blurted before I could stop myself. “The Alpha has already present his gifts, I see.”“Oh, these are not from the Alpha. They are my things,” she explained and for a moment I was stunned. “Your things?” I repeated, incase I was hearing wrong. She simply shrugged as though it was no big deal. “Yeah, I will be staying here for a while.” I was speechless for almost three minutes. Staying here for a while? Since when?“I… I don't und
/-Raven-/Whether or not, he wanted to forgive me, I was going to make it right. I followed him into the room, even if he clearly didn't want to see me. “Let's talk please,” I pleaded, shutting the door behind me. Declan turned, “You really need to leave, Raven.”“Not until we resolve this. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. I shouldn't be with anyone while I still have your mark…” I was saying when his eyes suddenly darkened. Fuck! I wasn't supposed to put it like that. “Declan…”“Do you want it off?” He asked and I flinched, like he just hit me. “Huh?”“Do you want the mark off so you can be with your ex?” He asked and my chest tightened. Was he giving up on me already?“Are you…” I couldn't even get the words out as my eyes watered. “Well even if you're giving me up, that is your business. You think I went all that way, searching for a cure, a way to keep you alive, just to let one stupid mistake ruin it all?” Surprise flickered in those beautiful eyes. He clearly wasn't expecti
/-Raven-/I couldn’t breathe. Not with the thought of Declan hating me forever. The very thought of him never talking to me again crushed me. I didn't know what I would do if that happened.I hadn’t eaten, hadn’t slept—not properly. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the betrayal in those silver eyes. The hurt dancing in those orbs as I lied to his face. I didn’t blame him for shutting me out. I hated myself too. But I couldn’t let things end like this. I couldn't lose him. I don't care if I have to grovel but I was going to get his forgiveness. I stood outside his door, my hand trembling as I knocked for the hundredth time. "Declan, please... let me explain." My voice cracked, the desperation leaking through.No response.“Declan, I’m not leaving until you hear me out!”Silence.I pressed my forehead against the cold door. "I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry. Just... please. I made a mistake, but I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear. You have to know that, please…"Nothing.
Eric’s voice was soft, but there was something about it that made me uneasy. “Stay the night, Raven.”I turned away, pretending to focus on the empty glass in my hand. My chest felt tight, a war raging inside me. Why am I even here? I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have answered his call.My mind slipped, unbidden, to Declan. His voice, his steady presence, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me. I swallowed hard, guilt rising like a tide. What would he think of me if he knew where I was right now?I shut my eyes, willing the thought away. This isn’t about him, I told myself. It’s about me. I’m not back with Eric. I just need time to figure everything out.That was all there is. But even then, I still felt like I was lying to myself. A part of me knew that the longer I stayed here, the most likely I was to mess things up for myself.“I can’t, Eric,” I said finally, standing. “I shouldn’t have come in the first place. I need to go.”“Raven, please.” His voice cracked, and I
/-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
/-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.