RILEY:I was let back into the room after protests that were enough to tire anyone out.I couldn't stand being inside a clinic or whatever it is that I was placed. I feel better now and would rather complete the later of my healing inside where I would count as the most comfortable for me in all of the places located in this pack.However it looks like I have no privacy even inside the room because what was up with Damien, Xavier and the maids coming in without even knocking. Only this time it wasn't any of them.I got up from the bed upon realizing it was Xavier's woman or what else would I even call her. His Luna, I guess. She walks in with the same lady that I saw her walk with the first time I met her and it made me uncomfortable knowing the hate she seemed to harbor for me."They weren't lying when they said you're still hurt," the Luna starts to say. "One would expect that you would have healed by now but I keep forgetting how much of a human you are."The snarky remark from her
RILEY:I didn't bother to knock after Xavier told me we had arrived where Damien was in. Instead I barged into the room and the look of surprise etched on Damien's face didn't elude my eyes.He was seated right behind a desk with some documents atop the desk. From the look of things he was busy because he had a pen in hand. I guess this must be his personal study judging from the variety of books stockpiled inside the shelfs."We need to talk!" I announce, my impatience exuding from my tone.For a brief moment he says nothing while just staring at me with narrowed eyes. Eventually he looks up at Xavier behind me and says, "Leave us."Xavier was out of the room in no time. And I knew that when I heard the sound of the door closing."Have a seat," Damien offers."I prefer to stand," I decline."Suit yourself," he states as he drops the pen to sit upright. "So why are you here? What's so important that you had to barge into my personal space?""Please, like you didn't already barge into
DAMIEN:"I don't know what to do with her," I lament, reeling in on the experience that occured here in my study with Riley. "She has rejected me twice. Twice, Xavier. At this point she's convinced that I'm shit. I'm sure that's the way she looks at me now."I'm tired. And thinking about everything was even more tiring. From being worried about her yesterday to now having to worry about her leaving me. It was too much."I need a drink," I state and then stand up from my seat to fetch a bottle of whiskey and wine glass which I left atop the shelf.Xavier speaks just after I pour myself a shot."That means one thing you know," he says.I sip from the glass. "What is that?""I'll have to be honest with you, Damien. You have to let her go. I don't think she deserves any of this happening to her."I scoff, taking another sip before setting the glass aside. "And then what happens after I do that? I just carry on with the burden of knowing I let my mate walk away from my life without so much
RILEY:"I heard what you did," Xavier says a little into the walk he proposed we take this morning. "You think it's okay going against the instruction Damien already laid down for the maids?""I'm not one of them, am I? So if he really wants me here, then he won't mind if I change a bit of things he put in place regarding my welfare," I state."That makes sense.""It does.""Just be careful with what you change. It could raise some questions if you go overboard with it," he warns.I scoff. "I don't intend going overboard to rile others up. I intend going overboard to rile up Damien in particular so it would let him realize he doesn't have to keep me here any longer.""And does that plan include creating an acquaintance with the maids so you could fulfill your desire to leave?"Glancing in his direction briefly, I say, "I only want a bit of acquaintance for my convenience. Don't start getting some ideas about it.""Let me warn you though. Whatever you do, don't get the maids involved i
CARMELLA:The water trickled off my head and down into the bathtub which I lay inside naked. My mind keeps wandering to a distant place but the thought of knowing my position as Luna of the Dark Moon wasn't safe anymore kept bringing me back.I haven't been more scared of being the Luna than this. I wasn't even bothered when I got betrothed to Damien some years back all because he failed to show forth a fated mate.That was one of the riskiest decisions I ever took in my life— being with a man who didn't feel anything for me. However that decision wasn't enough to make me as scared as knowing I'm about to lose a position I've invested so much into over the years."What do I do, Nadia?" I asked my Gamma who was scrubbing my arm smoothly while I just sat there without moving an inch.This isn't her job. She shouldn't be in here with me. Rather it should be the maids. But lately I've been doing away with them because I wanted the most loyal person in this pack close to me everytime. At l
DAMIEN:As the wind breezed through my face, it made me a bit light-headed. Maybe even worse than when I woke up this morning with no clue why I slept so heavily.I don't remember taking a drink before going to bed so it seems I must have been so exhausted from the duties I had to lay down yesterday in the pack.Hearing multiple footsteps behind me, I knew Riley was here now. So I turn around with my hands still behind my back to face her."Why am I here?" she asks, standing in between the two maids that she has now made to tend to her alone.A frown is etched on her face as she gives me a stare down but I wasn't bugged by her act of trying to make me feel her displeasure."I sent for you obviously," I say, signaling toward the maids to leave. They bow their heads before doing so, leaving me all alone with her. "I felt you might need a demonstration.""Of what?""Of what it might take to be a wolf."She sneers. "I've seen that already," she says icily."But you haven't seen me turn in
RILEY:"Where's Menya? I haven't seen her today," I ask Sansa about the other maid.From behind me, she says, "She's down with a fever, my lady. A rare one. But I'm sure she'll be up and ready to serve you once more from tomorrow."I pick out a wildflower, staring at it as if to study its makeup. But I wasn't able to gauge anything out of it."She doesn't have to rush. Tell her to take her time," I say to Sansa before turning around to see her nod in affirmation.The guards stationed at the entrance leading into the quarters simply stood at their positions like statues. It made me wonder if they were able to move a muscle at all because it looked very difficult to me."What can you tell me about Damien?" I ask Sansa right after I take my eyes off the guards."The Alpha?""Yes... Your Alpha.""I'm sorry but I can't, my lady," she says to which I frown at."Why?" I ask."We have specific instructions not to talk about the Alpha with you.""And who gave those instructions?""The Alpha."
RILEY: Maybe this was the time to believe they were indeed stronger than necessary. My face still hurts so bad from the slaps I received and I'm surprised that I was not able to stand on my feet after the second one. I remember how fear gripped me. How I was defenseless against the Luna. I guess I really wasn't cut out for all of this after all despite living a life where I had to face off bullies and assaulters all because of being without parents and a roof over my head. Sansa already helped massage my cheek with an ointment but nothing has changed. Mostly I felt like I was attacked with an iron at this point. "Do you need me to get you something?" Xavier says just after I wince from the pain. He has been in the room for a while now and was just standing there without a word until now. I couldn't shake my head. But at least I could still talk. "No, thank you. Ow." It was harder than expected. Proved really difficult to even do. "What did you do that was so bad to resort to an a