where and offered her a safe place to stay while the rest of the world seemed to be closing

ady, but it made her quiver. His dark eyes stared

while. The walls were plain and the room was silent, but he was everything bu

ing her arms. She wasn't sure if she was at

nscrutable smile. "It's not a gift.

wrinkled. "

ead, he looked behind her, as if

oftened, showing a glim

hing," he fi

felt right. Riven hardly said anything. He was always there, like a shadow she couldn't get away from. Ev

burst through her thoughts one night when she

d her eyes. "I'm not the

life. Every motion he made was planned and deliberate. "

stronger with every second. There was something about Riven that made her blood throb. The way he

he murmured, and her voice was

tion. "No, you didn't." But I think you'll

she felt a pull, like an unseen t

y spoke out. The candlelight flickered and cas

rena?" His voice was so quiet t

ack without thinking. "I already t

shed, and his eyes g

this. "From a past I can't change. From someone I c

low, almost soft. "I understand. It's easier to run than to stay

She wasn't only running away from Lucien and the wolves. She was running away f

second, she saw something weak

ou," and his voice was firm.

e a face.

My past. And my future. "

, Serena could feel the tension in the air. His dominion used to be little, but

ed across the group with a hardness that made her uneasy. He

a broke the hush that had settle

swer right away. When he did, his voice was low and steady. "They don't need to kno

She could feel something in the air, something more than just safety. R

he turned to depart. The smell of Lucien's pac

mpenetrable as they stared

all over the place. She had come here to escape, but something wasn't right. There were nights wh

ned to the dense, oppressiv

at emotion was familiar to her. The feeling of drea

mach, where her child was

changed, and her heart raced. There was a commotion, a warning, and the s

eathing hard, as the pr

e the hut. It was mild, yet

the dark. She tried to control her shaki