Chapter 13
Pain. A relentless, all–consuming pain
er the beat my bones threatening to crack and
It surged through me, burning as if my very blood had turned to molten fire. My skin blistered under the beat, my dissolve
Time lost all meaning, each second stretching into eternity. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, desperate to anchor myself to something–anything–other than the agony coursing through me.
But the poison was merciless. My resolve began to falter, my mind slipping into a dark abyss,
And then, the hallucinations began
At first, they came as flickers–disjointed images, fragments of a past I had tried so hard to bury. Then, the vision sharpened, and I saw him.
River. My son
The last time I saw him was sa vivid in my mind it felt as if I were truly there again. I had left him in the care of my parents, his grandparents, and hid him to the world.
River was standing there.. his golden eyes, though blind, seeming so clear and pure. But they were heavy with sadness–a weight no child should ever bear.
I remembered the way he had clung to me, small hands grasping my sleeves as if he knew I was leaving for a long time. And.. I had been reluctant to let go.
But I had no choice. I had to hide him, to shield him from the cruel world that would destroy him if it ever discovered his secret.
His golden eyes. A mark that made him special but also made him a target.
I had seen firsthand how the world could tear someone apart for having golden eyes. for being perceived as a threat of those who wanted the throne. River’s uniqueness, coupled with his blindness, would only make him an even bigger target. I knew they would come for him, just as they had come for me.
The scene shifted abruptly, yanking me from that bittersweet memory.
Flames roared around me… licking at the sky with vicious fervor. The heat was suffocating, the smoke stinging my eyes, and through it all, I saw them my parents.
They were surrounded by shadows, their bodies rigid with defiance even as blades pierced their backs. Their blood spilled onto the ground.
aining the earth they had once protected with their lives.
And then, amidst the chaos, I saw River.
He was bound, his small form trembling as he was dragged forward. His golden eyes, still blind but somehow filled with despair, began to weep icars of blood
The sight tore through me like a dagger, wrenching sobs from deep within my chest.
“No_” I whispered, my voice hoarse and weak. The tears spilled from my eyes, hot and unrelenting, mingling with the sweat on my skin.
But suddenly, the flames and chaos faded and they were, replaced by a cool sensation on my check
It was a hand.
Someone was wiping away hy tears, their touch firm yet unexpectedly gentle.
And then I heard a soft whisper
“I thought you became different.” The words were teasing, almost nocking, yet there was something familiar about them.
“So why are you still a mouse trapped in a cruel mare!”
The voice sent shivers down my spine. Before I could place it, the person spoke again, softer this time
“Puo’t hate me too much,” he murmured. “This is the only way to save your life.”
The next thing I felt was his touch–cool and soothing – it was like a balms for my scorched and broken body. Wherever his hands traveled, the underable pain dulled. i was as if he was taking the venous from my body
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Chapter 13
Then, I felt their arms encircle me, pulling me close.
The embrace was unexpected, but it was the kiss that followed that truly caught me off guard. Soft and reverent, might have expected from someone willing to trespass so boldly into my suffering.
E, it wasn’t a demanding claim I
It felt respectful.
And yet, it worked. As his lips gently met mine, the toxin in my body seemed to waver, retreating as if drawn away by the touch. Relief surged through me, and with it came clarity.
“Please.. more.” The words escaped me before I could stop them a desperate plea laced with vulnerability. I clung to the person, seeking the comfort and relief that his touch provided.
But after hearing my plea, the person pause snd hesitated.
“You’ll hate me if I do more,” the voice said, a faint note of regret weaving through the teasing tone.
But I couldn’t bear the thought of him pulling away. With a newfound strength, I grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him closer. Then, my lips found hiz in a fierce, unrestrained kiss.
I felt him still for a mon
a moment caught off guard by my boldness. Then, he chuckled, the sound low and dark
You really are troublesome,” he muttered, amusement lacing his voice.
“The things I do to save you,
And then he responded.
little mouse.”
His kiss deepened, his touch becoming firmer, more insistent. I lost myself in the moment, the lines between pain and relief blurring until all that remained was him his presence, his warmth, his overwhelming pull.
The night unraveled in a haze of desperation and intimacy, each moment erasing the agony that had consumed me before.
When I finally awake, the room was still.
The poison was gone, its lingering effects banished completely from my body. The air felt lighter, and my mind was clear.
But I was alone.
1 sat up slowly, the sheets pooling around me as I took in the empty room. For a moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream. But the remnants.
of his touch lingered on my skin, undeniable proof of the night we had shared.
And then it hit me—like a thunderclap.
The voice.
The warmth.
The teasing words that only one person had ever dared to use with me.
Rowan.
He was the one who had saved me. He was the one who had pulled me from the brink of death, the one who risked his life to soothe my pain and banished the poison.
And more than that
He was River’s father.
The realization struck with the for
force of a tidal wave, leaving me breathless. It was Rowan all along.
Rowan is River’s father‘ My heart skipped a beat.
hid River from the world. Did Rowan not know about him in my past life
My heart raced as the questions poured in. If Rowan truly was River’s father, had he remained unaware of his own son’s existence! Had he discovered the truth only after the rebellion, when everything had already been lost?
that why Rowan came to me in my past life, just as I was about to die!
The memory of that moment came rushing back Howan appeared when I gave up un life. And like the devil he informed me of the my family’s death and my pack’s destroyal
