Riley – POV
I left Ivy and Sia behind, heart pounding as I dashed through the alley, my mind racing. The vampire realm was within reach. I was so close—so close to finally rescuing my parents. Soon, I’d be free from all of this. Free from Nick. Free from the vampire realm’s demands. No more spying, no more lies. And maybe, just maybe, I could finally tell Tyler the truth about everything.
As the vortex opened, I braced myself and stepped through, landing hard on the frozen ground. The cold bit through me, but I ignored it, slipping on the ring Jax gave me to mask my presence. He’d told me to head to the tavern, where Zac usually drank. It wasn’t my first time there.
I hurried in that direction, my mind buzzing. So much had happened in just a few days. Tyler and I... we’d had a brief mom
