Chapter 1
Ravenna’s Pov
“What nonsense are you spewing now?” Alpha Riven’s voice rumbled like thunder, shaking the very air between us.
The tension in the room was palpable, but I stood my ground, unflinching under his piercing gaze.
“It’s been eight years, Alpha Riven,” I declared, my voice steady, yet edged with finality. “I’m leaving.”
Alpha Riven’s features twisted in a snarl, his wolfish anger rising to the surface. His aura pressed down on me, almost suffocating. “Why are you making a fuss now? Corvin’s just a cub. Don’t take his childish antics to heart. Today is his birthday. Come along, don’t be difficult. I’ll deal with him later.”
Before I could respond, his hand clamped around mine, tugging me toward the door. I yanked my hand away, my eyes cold as I faced him. “You promised me, Alpha Riven. When Corvin turned eight, I was free to go. Why am I making a fuss?”
As I spoke, a voice sliced through the thick air, sharp and biting.
“Ravenna, how dare you cause such a scene? You always manage to steal the spotlight, even on a day meant for my grandson!”
I didn’t need to turn around to recognize Sara’s voice. She was the one who had struck the deal with Alpha Riven, promising me freedom once Corvin turned eight. So why was she now making such a racket?
“I’m not stealing anything, Sara,” I shot back, my words laced with ice. “You were the one who said I could leave after eight years.”
Her lips twisted into a venomous sneer. “On Corvin’s birthday, Ravenna? You couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
Alpha Riven intervened, his voice too smooth, too calculated. “It’s fine, Sara. Ravenna didn’t mean to disrupt things.”
I could see through him now. Years ago, I would’ve believed it, but now I knew his words were just an empty attempt to keep me by his side, trapped in this unending cycle.
“Come, let’s go join the party,” Alpha Riven said, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice.
I didn’t protest, letting him lead me into the crowded celebration. Corvin and his friends were already in the middle of their chaos, but as soon as Corvin saw me, his face hardened, turning to stone.
“Look, Corvin,” one of his friends called, “Your mother is here.”
Corvin’s lip curled in disgust. “She’s not my mother.”
The sting of his words didn’t pierce my heart like they used to. Now, I stood unmoving, only watching as Alpha Riven sighed deeply, pulling Corvin into line.
“We don’t speak like that, Corvin. Ravenna is your mother now. She’s taken care of you like her own.”
Corvin’s face contorted with rage. “She’s not my mother! She killed my mother!” His voice cracked with fury as he pointed at me, accusing me before the entire room.
Whispers rippled through the hall, the guests’ eyes darting to me like I was some kind of pariah.
“She’s the boy’s aunt.”
“Why does he act like that toward her?”
“Obviously, she’s done something wrong. He doesn’t like her…”
Alpha Riven’s booming voice cut through the murmur of voices. “Apologize to Ravenna, Corvin!”
I raised my hand, stopping him in his tracks. “Let him be, Alpha Riven. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Without a word, I turned and walked out of the room, my steps composed but my mind swirling. In the past, Corvin’s words would have crushed me. But now, I was numb to his hatred, numb to the way Alpha Riven’s love always belonged to someone else.
“Why would you cause a scene on his birthday, Ravenna?”
Sara’s shrill voice echoed behind me, and I turned to face her, my expression neutral.
“What do you want, Sara?” I said, my voice dripping with exhaustion. “I’ve fulfilled my duty for eight years. I’m done.”
Her eyes narrowed with disdain as she took a step closer. “You should treat Corvin like your son. Endure his fits, care for him as if he’s your flesh and blood. If my daughter were alive, she’d have handled him better.”
I gave a nonchalant shrug, the bitterness of the situation settling in. “Pity, your daughter is dead.”
Without warning, Sara’s hand shot out, aiming for my cheek. But I caught her wrist effortlessly, my grip like iron.
“Don’t try it, Sara. I’m not in the mood for this. Eight years ago, you forced me to come here and care for them. The contract is over. Corvin is eight. I have every right to leave.”
She jerked her hand away, glaring at me as she rubbed her wrist. “Do whatever you want, Ravenna,” she hissed, “No one will ever love you. Not even your father.” She turned on her heel and stormed off.
A hollow smile twisted on my lips as I watched her leave. It had been eight years since I’d last seen my father. Ever since his beloved daughter had died, he’d sent me away and never looked back.
“I’m sorry, Ravenna. I brought you a gift.”
A quiet voice broke my thoughts, and I turned to see Corvin standing there, holding a small, neatly wrapped box. His innocent smile was almost too much to bear.
“You shouldn’t have,” I said, my voice flat, though I could see the hint of irony behind my words.
Corvin giggled, a light, almost playful sound. “I wanted to. Please, open it.”
With a shrug, I unwrapped the box. The moment I opened it, an overpowering stench hit me. Inside was the lifeless body of my cat, an arrow lodged through its heart.
“That will be you, if you don’t leave me and my father alone,” Corvin said, his voice dripping with sick amusement, his eyes gleaming with a chilling intent.
Chapter 3 Ravenna’s Pov
I was mortified staring at my only pet that I had been allowed to bring to the pack mansion nestled deep in Bloodpine Forest, the ancestral land of the Moonclaw Pack. The same way I have taken care of Corvin.
The air was sharp with winter frost, my Beta senses pricking at every sound, but all I could hear was my own heartbeat—and Corvin’s angry growl.
“Don’t mess with me and don’t get my father upset with me!” Corvin snapped, his wolf aura flickering in his eyes, golden like his father’s.
I watched as he stomped off while I stared at the arrow in my cat’s body.
A silver-tipped arrow. Wolf-forged, cruel, precise.
Fate is indeed mocking me because I was the one who taught Corvin how to shoot arrows. I taught Corvin everything he knows and now he’s using it against me.
I cradled the box as I stared at Lin Lin, my best friend, and a single tear slipped from my eyes.
“Why are you out in the cold, Ravenna? Don’t get sick on me!” Alpha Riven Grimsbane’s deep voice carried through the thick wooden door, laced with command and concern.
He immediately stood behind me as he draped me with his jacket, his scent—pine and steel—enveloping me in a wave of unwelcome familiarity, which I shrugged off.
“What’s wrong?” he queried.
His face twisted in slight disgust when he saw the dead cat in the box.
“Your son came to apologize,” I stated.
Alpha Riven’s frown deepened, “He’s your son too.”
I scoffed, “He hates me, Alpha Riven! He killed my cat.”
“Come now, let’s go inside. I’ll have a talk with him in the morning, and you can bury the cat tomorrow. I’m sure he was just messing around and it was a silly prank,” Alpha Riven said.
I shrugged away from him as I carried the cat and headed into the garden. The moon above was nearly full—another cruel reminder that I wasn’t his Luna, only his obligation. I wasn’t going to let my cat stay out all night for some animal to poke at him.
Alpha Riven followed me, complaining about how I was being stubborn, but he stayed with me while I buried Lin Lin.
When I was done, I went inside. The party was over, and the guests had all gone home. The pack house was silent now, except for the distant howls echoing through the valley.
It was already late and windy.
I sneezed just as Alpha Riven held me. We got to my room, and he sat me down on his lap. His touch no longer warmed me—it burned like an unwanted bond.
I cringed inwardly.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
Alpha Riven sighed, “What’s wrong, Ravenna? I’ll get you a new cat.”
“I want to leave, Alpha Riven. Tomorrow,” I stated.
Alpha Riven tensed. A flicker of Alpha command slipped into his gaze, but I held mine, refusing to submit.
“Corvin is a child. I don’t trust anyone to take care of him except you. Besides, where do you want to go? It’s not like you have anyone else.”
I shrugged, “I’ll worry about that. I have no place here. You have refused to marry me after eight years.”
Alpha Riven sighed, “I already told you, Ravenna, I can’t take another mate now.”
“I’m not asking you to. In fact, I don’t want to marry you. I just want to leave.”
“Okay, why don’t you have a child for me? That way I can secure your future and that of your child. If you have a child for me, no one would dare say a bad word against you. And then Corvin will have a little sibling.”
I smiled sadly. I had reduced myself to nothing and discarded my pride and yet eight years still he wants me to have an illegitimate child for him.
All this just to protect Corvin and keep me in the same house as him.
“I’ve instructed the maid everything she needs to know about Corvin. He’s homeschooled, so you can get the best tutors for him or send him to school. He doesn’t need me again,” I stated.
Alpha Riven kissed me, his lips cold despite the heat of his wolf. “Sleep on it and tell me how you feel in the morning.”
That night I didn’t sleep a wink. I packed my luggage and I kept seeing the face of Lin Lin.
In my dreams, Lin Lin ran under moonlight… until the arrow struck again.
Morning came sooner than expected, and after a quick shower, I dragged my suitcases outside.
It was finally happening. I was leaving.
But of course, I wasn’t going to leave in peace.
A slow clap echoed through the courtyard, followed by a familiar, mocking voice.
“Well, well, well,” Kiera’s shadowed voice cut through the early dawn fog. She leaned against the stone pillar of the eastern gate, her Beta aura bristling beneath her flawless skin. “Have you finally come to your senses?”
I sighed. Kiera, my Alpha Riven’s mistress, always knew when to strike with her venomous charm. Corvin adored her. She never let me forget it.
I ignored her and kept walking, but she stepped into my path, tilting her head in amusement.
“Eight years, Ravenna,” she continued, crossing her arms. “Eight years of playing house, of waiting for an Alpha who never claimed you. And now, after all that time, you’re finally leaving.” She chuckled. “Took you long enough to realize that Alpha Riven and Corvin will never love you. You’ve been nothing but a worthless concubine.”
I met her gaze, my expression unreadable. “Enjoy it, then,” I said simply. “Do whatever you want. None of this concerns me anymore.”
Her smirk widened. “Oh, I will. Don’t worry,” she whispered. “Soon, I’ll move in and take your place.”
Before I could respond, the front doors swung open.
Alpha Riven stepped out, followed closely by Corvin.
And in an instant, Elspeth’s entire demeanor changed.
She gasped dramatically and dropped to her knees, clutching the hem of my coat as if her life depended on it.
“Ravenna, please!” she sobbed, her voice thick with desperation. “Please don’t go! Corvin needs you! You’ve been taking care of him all these years—how could you just leave him like this?”
I stared down at her blankly.
“Corvin loves you, he really does,” she continued, her voice cracking. “He’s just a child! Please, don’t leave him. I’m so sorry for everything, just please, Ravenna—”