RAINI LAVERNE This dinner was going to be epic and I damn well make sure about that. As I picked up the phone and saw Trinity's name, I knew something was up. She was always the first to cancel plans, but I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that she wouldn't be joining us for dinner."Hey Trinity, what's going on?" I asked, trying to sound upbeat."I'm sorry Raini, I'm feeling a bit under the weather and I don't want to risk getting you or anyone else sick," she replied."Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. You take care of yourself, okay?" I said, feeling sympathetic."Yeah, I will. Sorry to cancel on you guys again," she apologized."It's okay, don't worry about it. We'll catch up soon," I reassured her.After hanging up the phone, I started to feel a little anxious about cooking for everyone. I wanted to make something special for River and Caleb, but now that Trinity wasn't coming, I felt like there was even more pressure on me.But I took a deep breath and reminded myself
RIVER LAVERNE Fuck, I could barely catch my breath. I'm really looking forward to tonight's dinner with Raini, Zavier, and Caleb. It's a chance for me to show Raini that Caleb is not just a rebound guy, that he really cares about me. I want her to see that I'm happy and that I'm moving on from Damon.But at the same time, I'm feeling nervous. What if Caleb and Zavier don't get along? What if they don't like each other? What if Raini doesn't like Caleb? I know I shouldn't worry so much, but I can't help it.I just hope that tonight goes well, and that everyone has a good time. I want to show them all that I'm happy and that I'm moving forward with my life. And who knows, maybe there's a chance that something might happen between Zavier and Raini... but I shouldn't get my hopes up. I'll just focus on having a good time and enjoying the company of my sister and Zavier.I stood in front of my closet, scanning through the hangers, trying to pick out the perfect dress for tonight's dinner
RAINI LAVERNE As we sat at the table, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. The meal was finally being enjoyed by River and Zavier and everything felt perfect."So Caleb, have we met before? You look familiar," I asked, trying to break the ice.Caleb smiled politely, "I don't think so, Raini. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've met."I chuckled, "Well, maybe I've seen you around in River's photos or something. She tends to talk about you a lot."Caleb blushed slightly, "Oh, really? What does she say?"River chimed in, "Nothing but good things, Caleb. Don't worry."Zavier added, "Raini actually cooked this meal herself, with a little help from Karla of course."I blushed at the compliment, "Zavier is too kind. It was a team effort."Caleb took a bite of the food and his eyes widened, "This is amazing, Raini. You're quite the cook."I beamed with pride, "Thank you, Caleb. I'm glad you like it."River teased, "Raini can cook better than this, actually. S
ZAVIER CROSS I was sitting in my office, trying to focus on work, but my mind kept wandering to Raini. I hated that I couldn't allow myself to be with her, but I knew it was for her own safety. The last thing I wanted was to bring her into the dangerous world of the supernatural. Just then, Damon barged into my office, interrupting my thoughts. "Zavier, I've got news about the Rogue wolf," he said, looking serious. I sat up straight in my chair, instantly intrigued. "What happened?" Damon leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I followed him to an abandoned warehouse, but then a group of wolves ambushed him and killed him. They were trying to silence him so he wouldn't reveal who sent him." I let out a frustrated sigh. "Dammit. We're back to square one." Damon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but at least we know there are other wolves involved. We just need to keep digging." I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of the situation. "I know. It's just frustrating. I need to fi
RIVER LAVERNE If I could ever be grateful for something I would be for how yesterday went, I had overthought all the possible outcomes and I am more than grateful non of them happen, else there may or may bit be a tsunami coming. I was sitting at home, feeling content with how the evening went. My sister Raini and Caleb seemed to hit it off well, and I couldn't help but feel happy for them. But just as I was settling in for the night, I received a message from Raini asking if we could meet up. Instantly, my heart sank a little. Had something gone wrong with the dinner? Did Caleb do or say something to upset her?I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those negative thoughts. Maybe Raini just wanted to catch up, or talk about something else entirely. I quickly got ready and headed to the café where we agreed to meet.I tried not to overthink it and got ready to meet her at the café. As I walked over, I tried to push those negative thoughts out of my head. I knew that Raini had alwa
DAMON POVIt's crazy that I have such a feeling and I can't seem to Phantom what is going on with me.I woke up feeling so uneasy this morning. I couldn't shake off this feeling that something wasn't right. I got dressed and headed to work, hoping that the feeling would go away. But as soon as I stepped into the office, I knew that something was definitely off.I went straight to Karla's kitchen. Karla and I had a history; we had dated in the past but it didn't work out for us. We decided to remain friends and it worked out fine. But right now, I needed to talk to someone and Karla was the only one I could trust."Hey, Karla," I said, walking into her office."Hey, Damon," she said, looking up from her computer. "What's up?""I don't know," I said, pacing around her office. "I woke up feeling really uneasy this morning. Something just seems off.""Off? How do you mean?" she asked, arching her eyebrows."I don't know," I said, feeling frustrated. "It's like something bad is going to ha
ZAVIER CROSSI walked into the boardroom, my eyes immediately drawn to Giselle who was dressed in a stunning red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. It was definitely not the kind of attire I expected for a business meeting, but I couldn't deny that it was alluring.Giselle approached me with a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering a little too long for my liking. I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest and kept my composure as we took our seats at the opposite end of the long conference table.We started talking about the possibility of a partnership, Giselle wanting a merger while I preferred a collaboration. We went back and forth with negotiations, throwing business terms around like they were second nature to us.I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease throughout the entire meeting. Something about Giselle's demeanor and the way she was flirting with me seemed off. Was this really just about business?As we began discussing the partnership, I couldn't help
RAINI LAVERNEDo we actually have alter egos, if so River would be mine and Liam would be Damon's I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Damon standing in the hallway of my home. Memories of the picture my sister sent me rushed back into my mind, and I was sure it was him. But then he told me his name was Liam, and my mind was thrown into confusion."Hi, Raini," he said, giving me a warm smile."Hi, Damon," I replied, trying to hide my suspicion."It's Liam, actually," he corrected me, still smiling.I raised an eyebrow. "Liam?""Yeah, that's my name," he said, still with that smile.I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him from somewhere, and I couldn't let it go. "Are you sure? You look so familiar to me."He laughed lightly. "I get that a lot, but I promise you, my name is Liam."I nodded slowly, still not convinced. "Okay then. Is there something you need from me?"Damon--or Liam--shook his head. "No, not really. I was just passing by and thought I'd say hi."I tried to relax