Evaline:
River’s grip on my wrist trembled as I guided him out of the ballroom, each step growing heavier beneath his feet.
The mont we crossed into the empty hallway, the warmth and music of the ballroom disappeared, swallowed by the hushed darkness. Only our hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. The hotel’s lights were dimr here, flickering once or twice as I supported his weight.
His skin felt far too warm, and a faint sheen of sweat was glistening on his brow. The drug was working fast, faster than I expected, and I had no idea how much ti we had before he lost complete control.
I stopped at the far end of the corridor and pressed him gently against the wall, trying to steady my own breath as I kept him upright. We were out of the direct sight from the ballroom, but still close enough to get caught.
"We got out of there, but it won’t be long before soone notices. You have been the center of attention all night," I whispered, more to myself than him. "If they are watching you, they’ll notice your absence... if they haven’t already."
River’s head tilted toward mine, his eyes hazy but still burning with that familiar intensity. "Eva..." His voice was rough, strained. "This hotel... it’s mine."
I blinked. "What?"
His hand slipped down to my waist as he slumped slightly, the weight of the drug pulling him down, and I had to brace him again. "It’s mine. I own it."
That changed everything.
I straightened quickly, my mind racing. "Okay. Okay, that’s good. Then we have got options."
Without wasting another second, I reached for his phone. "Give it to ."
He handed it over with no questions, unlocking it with a quick swipe. I searched his contacts and quickly dialed Jasper.
The call barely rang once before Jasper’s calm, clipped voice ca through. "Alpha-"
"It’s not River," I said quickly. "This is Eva. He’s been drugged. I need help. Now."
There was a pause for rely a second. Then Jasper’s voice sharpened with concern. "Where are you?"
I gave him our exact location, then glanced up and down the hallway. "Is there anywhere we can hide until you get here? Sowhere out of sight?"
"Yes. There’s a storage room one floor up. End of the east wing corridor. Use the stairs. I’ll send soone now. Keep him out of sight."
"Got it."
He gave a few more instructions before we ended the call. I wrapped an arm around River and began leading him toward the stairwell. He stumbled more than once, and I had to practically drag him up the steps, whispering reassurances the whole way.
When we reached the storage room, I opened the door with relief and ushered him inside. I locked it behind us and turned both our phones to silent. The corridor outside was already showing signs of movent. Distant voices. Shadows. They were looking for him.
River leaned against the wall, his breaths coming quicker now, his fingers trembling as he started pulling at the collar of his shirt. I moved to help him, just to loosen the tightness around his neck, but stopped when his hands slid down and he began unfastening more than necessary.
"Hey," I whispered, gripping his hands gently. "You need to stay focused. Help is coming."
His eyes were fogged with sothing deeper now as they t mine. "It’s burning," he murmured. "Inside ."
I swallowed hard, unable to think of a response. I just gave his hand a squeeze and he pressed his head against the wall, closing his eyes.
Seconds passed as they were hours, and finally, there was a soft knock on the door. My heart raced until I heard the whispered code Jasper had given before ending the call. I opened the door to find two hotel staff mbers - a man and a woman - waiting silently.
Without a word, they led us through a discreet hallway and into a private ellivator restricted for only staff use. We went up to the penthouse level. And the mont we stepped inside the luxurious suite, River’s hand clutched mine tightly.
"Send them away," he murmured.
I nodded and dismissed the staff quickly, locking the door behind them.
But before I could turn, he was already there.
His body pressed against mine, his hands caging between himself and the door. My heart thundered. "River-"
His head dropped into the crook of my neck, his hot breath brushing across my skin. "I can’t control it," he growled softly. "Get away from ."
I pressed my hands to his chest. "You need to stop. You know who I am, right?"
He let out a guttural sound that didn’t quite reach his lips. His nose grazed along my jaw, and I froze as his lips hovered just above my throat. "I know," he whispered hoarsely. "And that’s why I don’t want to hurt you, Evaline."
"Then please," I whispered, "try to fight it."
His hands twitched against the doorfra. His whole body was trembling as though caught in the grip of sothing much stronger than himself. For a long, terrifying second, I thought he might lose the fight. That the River I knew might disappear under the influence of the drug.
But then... he shoved himself back.
A groan escaped him as he stumbled away from , his fingers digging into his scalp. "I need... to get away from you."
"River-"
He ran, straight into the nearby bedroom and slamd the bathroom door behind him. I heard water running, his harsh breathing echoing even through the door. My knees nearly buckled from the weight of the tension as I tried to steady myself.
My hands were trembling as I reached for my phone and dialed Kieran’s number with shaking fingers. My breath hitched when it rang once... twice...
Suddenly, the penthouse doorbell rang.
Startled, I walked over to the monitor and blinked at the screen.
Kieran.
Without hesitation, I unlocked the door and flung it open. His hair was tousled, concern etched in every sharp line of his face.
He looked at once, just once, and I felt the tears prick the corners of my eyes from sheer relief.
"He’s inside," I whispered. "He needs help."
Kieran stepped in imdiately, holding my arms and grounding as his eyes searched my entire body as if looking for any sort of injury.
And just like that... relief crashed through .
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