Untitled Episode
1007 Words
CHAPTER TWO
Don’t Look at Me
By lunchtime, Elara had convinced herself that she was overreacting.
That was what she told herself, anyway.
The strange vision had probably been stress.
The burning sensation in her hand was probably nothing.
And Riven Ashford knowing her name?
There had to be an explanation.
Maybe he’d heard someone call her.
Maybe he’d seen her student ID.
Maybe—
“You’re staring.”
Elara blinked.
Nia was waving a fork in front of her face.
“I’m thinking.”
“You’re thinking about him.”
“I’m not.”
“You’ve been staring at the same piece of chicken for three minutes.”
Elara looked down.
She had.
She sighed.
“Fine.”
Nia leaned forward.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Nothing.”
“Elara.”
“He caught my coffee.”
Nia waited.
“And?”
“He knew my name.”
Nia’s smile disappeared.
“What?”
“He called me Elara.”
“Did you tell him your name?”
“No.”
Nia sat back.
“Okay. That’s weird.”
“Thank you.”
“And creepy.”
“Thank you again.”
“And you should definitely stay away from him.”
Elara frowned.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Because he’s Riven Ashford.”
“That isn’t an explanation.”
Nia lowered her voice.
“His family isn’t normal.”
Elara laughed.
“Neither is yours, apparently.”
“I’m serious.”
Before Nia could continue, a shadow fell across their table.
Elara looked up.
Riven.
Her heart immediately betrayed her.
He was standing only a few feet away.
His eyes were fixed on her.
“Can we talk?”
Elara glanced at Nia.
Nia shook her head.
Absolutely not.
Elara stood anyway.
“What do you want?”
Riven looked around the crowded cafeteria.
“Somewhere private.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“No?”
“You told me to stay away from you.”
“I did.”
“So I’m staying away.”
Something almost like amusement touched his face.
Then it vanished.
“Good.”
He turned.
Elara frowned.
“Then why did you come here?”
Riven stopped.
He looked back.
“Because I wanted to make sure you understood.”
“Understood what?”
His eyes darkened.
“You don’t know me.”
Elara crossed her arms.
“I gathered that.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“Then stop acting like you know everything about me.”
Silence.
Something flickered in his expression.
Fear.
It was gone so quickly that Elara wondered if she’d imagined it.
Riven stepped closer.
“You should leave Aurelia.”
Her heart skipped.
“What?”
“Transfer.”
“You don’t get to tell me where I study.”
“Elara.”
“Don’t.”
His jaw tightened.
“I am trying to keep you safe.”
“From what?”
He didn’t answer.
“From you?”
“No.”
“Then from what?”
His eyes shifted toward the window.
For a moment, Elara thought she saw something behind him.
A dark shape.
Almost like a wolf.
She blinked.
Nothing.
Riven looked at her again.
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.”
He opened his mouth.
Then his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
The name displayed made something change in his face.
Father.
He answered.
“Yes.”
A deep voice spoke from the other end.
Riven’s expression hardened.
“No.”
Pause.
“I said no.”
Another pause.
Riven looked at Elara.
His voice became quieter.
“She has nothing to do with this.”
Elara’s stomach tightened.
The call ended.
“Who was that?” she asked.
Riven ignored the question.
He walked away.
Elara watched him go.
She was beginning to hate him.
Which should have made everything easier.
It didn’t.
⸻
That evening, Riven stood in the library of Ashford House.
His father sat behind a large wooden desk.
Lucien Ashford had aged well.
Too well.
His silver hair was neatly combed back, his dark suit immaculate.
He looked like a respectable businessman.
He didn’t look like a man who had ordered the deaths of entire bloodlines.
“Where is she?”
Riven said nothing.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“The girl.”
“I don’t know.”
“You found her.”
Riven’s jaw tightened.
“You knew?”
“I know everything that concerns my pack.”
Riven stared at him.
Lucien leaned back.
“Is she the one?”
Riven didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
Lucien’s expression changed.
For the first time, Riven saw genuine fear.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does she remember?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Riven looked at him.
“You’re not going near her.”
Lucien smiled.
“You’ve forgotten your place.”
“I’m warning you.”
“And I’m reminding you.”
Lucien stood.
“You are my son.”
He walked toward Riven.
“But more importantly, you are the future Alpha.”
His voice became cold.
“Whatever you feel for that girl is irrelevant.”
Riven stared at him.
Lucien continued:
“Find her.”
Riven’s fists tightened.
“And if she is what we think she is…”
Lucien paused.
“Kill her.”
⸻
That night, Elara dreamed again.
The forest.
The moon.
The little boy.
But this time, she saw something else.
A woman.
Her mother.
Standing behind her.
Crying.
Then a man’s voice:
“Erase it.”
Elara woke screaming.
Her hand flew to her chest.
The room was dark.
Her heart raced.
Then she heard breathing.
Not hers.
Slow.
Deep.
Right beside her.
Elara turned.
Nothing.
But on the floor beside her bed was something that hadn’t been there before.
A silver feather.
She picked it up.
The moment her fingers touched it, a whisper filled her mind.
Run.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
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