GINA’S POVI was sinking into darkness, suffocated by the shadows closing in as I delved deeper into the abyss. My heart pounded with unbearable pain as I struggled to breathe. I thrashed around, but my limbs remained frozen, as if an unseen force held my body down, and pushed me further into the surrounding darkness. I tried to scream but I felt something lodge in my throat. It pushed back and deeper, burning as tears forcefully sprang out from my eyes. I stopped struggling when I realized there was no use. I was getting swallowed into the abyss pulling me in, and there was nothing that could be done. No one was coming to rescue me; I realized that now.As I closed my eyes, bracing for whatever awaited me in the darkness, I heard a gentle voice call my name.I opened my eyes, finding hands outstretched towards me. I heard my name from above, like an echo, and the will to survive surged through my veins. Suddenly my body could move as I reached out, stretching my hands towards the
“Let’s get you out of these clothes.”A scowl crept onto my face, and I suddenly clutched my torn clothes, realizing that I was naked underneath the thin fabric."I'm pretty sure I can do that myself," I said to him, and I watched as amusement danced in his eyes. For the first time, my gaze fell on my arm, and I was surprised to find the gruesome wound gone.“You’re still recovering, so you shouldn’t do a lot of things yet till you’re completely better,” his voice was firm but gentle.I crossed my hands across my chest as I pouted my lips, “Is that just an excuse to see me naked?”“I’ve seen you naked countless times. The image is already imprinted in my mind,” he deadpanned as if it were a normal, casual, and appropriate thing to say. Heat crept on my cheeks and I quickly turned my gaze away so he wouldn’t see. Our bodies were so close and I needed as much distance from him so I could think properly.Sensing my retreat, he lifted me into his arms gently and swiftly. The unexpected m
We were seated at the dining table at our usual spot before Raven came to ruin the arrangement. Things had changed ever since Raven left. It was like her presence had been the catalyst for a change in our once-normal daily lives. Staring at the food placed in front of me, my mind drifted away, recalling the time when Raven had tried to poison me. The vivid image of Praya swinging the plate on Raven’s face replayed in my mind.Praya.She saved me that day. If she hadn't been there with me, I would probably be dead by now. And perhaps, if I had died then, she wouldn’t have died saving me from her siblings. She would’ve been alive, as she was supposed to be. I never hated living more than I did now.Tears welled in my eyes as I rubbed my hands in my lap. My heart ached painfully in my chest, and breathing into my lungs became difficult. I never truly understood what grief was until I lost Praya that night. Though I lost my mother, I was too young; I never really knew her, so grieving he
DEVYN’S POVWhen Gina was done eating, I let her take a glass of water herself. I watched her carefully, my heart beating against her back as I pressed my body into hers. I know I was invading a lot of her personal space but I couldn't care less. I wanted her close to me, I needed her body pressed against mine, whether she wanted that or not. I wasn't joking when I told myself I wasn't going to leave her or let her leave.The death was taking a toll on her, more than I thought it would. She seemed lost in her thoughts most of the time, and her eyes would get glassy occasionally as she tried not to cry. I wanted to comfort her but I knew I wasn't doing it right. I wasn't good at comforting people or good at showing concern at all. I wasn't raised to show my emotions, because it was a weakness, and I had grown with the notion all my life.I still held her firmly on my lap, although she was already done eating. I couldn't let go, and she didn't complain anymore, because she liked this a
GINA’S POVPraya’s mother’s words still lingered in my thoughts and I couldn’t just stop thinking about it. Her last words to me before she left haunted me.As I knelt by Praya’s resting place, I found comfort as I spoke to her, as if she were still beside me. I could feel her presence enveloping me, radiating warmth over my heart. It brought me to tears when I realized she was never going to be there.Praya’s mother had suddenly caught my attention when she knelt beside her.“Praya wasn’t my biological daughter.”Those were her first words and they hung in the air surrounding us. I turned to look at her, trying to conceal the surprise etched on my face. I didn’t speak, I just waited for her to keep talking.“Her late father found her by a lake, without any clues about who might have left her there.”A wave of shock surged through me. Could it be the same lake where we spent time together? Had that been her origin all along? That would explain why she was so drawn to it.I had so man
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Kristen was here. My best friend was here, in the living room, on pack grounds.She was here in flesh and I actually pinched myself to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. I stood, scanning around me as if searching for answers. Liam and Wilona were grinning from ear to ear when my gaze fixated on them.“Did you plan this?” I asked them, “How?”I still couldn’t get over the shock of everything. Kristen was her in the flesh, in reality, and she was standing right in front of me.“Actually, he did,” Wilona said as she pointed a finger in a specific direction. Following her gaze, my heart sank as I spotted him. Seated at the dining table, his hard gaze fixated on me. He had the usual nonchalant look On his face, like he just did the most common thing.A wide smile graced my lips, one that reached my eyes, “Thank you so much, Devyn.”He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t need him to. This was enough for me. Averting my gaze back to Kristen, the shock surged throug
I found myself in a dream, I could tell from the surreal atmosphere surrounding me. I had lay on the ground, gazing up at the ceiling. It was adorned with paintings of angels and people. Among them, I recognized a man who I assumed to represent God, dressed in a white garment with a golden crown placed atop his head. He was seated on a throne, watching the people from above the heavens. Below him, was his son. The paintings were breathtaking and very detailed, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop staring.This was the kind of beauty you can stare at for eternity, I thought to myself.“Gina,” a voice called out to me, and I jolted off the ground, startled. Standing, I recognized the beautiful dark-skinned woman seated by the foot of the altar, her hands resting gracefully on her lap. She had a welcoming charming smile that stirred my heart, and I found myself taken away by her breathtaking beauty.“Come,” she said my legs moved on their own. At that moment, I wasn’t thinking about who
When I got back to my room, Kristen abandoned whatever she was doing as soon as she saw me crying. I felt the comfort from her arms enveloping me as I collapsed on the bed, burying my face in the pillow.“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Her voice was laced with genuine concern. How could I explain to her how I truly felt? How could I could I tell her that I wanted to help Devyn? That I was trying my best to understand him, but he wouldn’t let me?“It’s nothing,” I mumbled into the pillow, my face remaining pressed against it.I felt her hands grasp my shoulder, “Look me in the eye and tell me it’s nothing.”When I lifted my face from the pillow, her eyes grew wide. “What the hell happened to your neck?” she exclaimed as she traced my neck with her fingers.A chill ran through my body. Had Devyn’s grip on my neck been so tight that it even left a visible mark? I was stuttering and as I tried to tell her it was nothing, but she cut me off. Her face twisted into a deep scowl, and her lips form