How did you run from the devil once you’d caught his eye?
Soran exhaled slowly, controlling the storm inside him.
No, he could not let rage take over. He was not an aggressive hound, lashing out blindly.
He was the one in power.
Calm. Collected. In control.
His fingers twitched as he fought the instinct to break sothing—or soone. But this was no ti for violence. Not yet.
He turned to Xavier.
"Kindly escort our guest back to the estate," Soran said, his voice eerily smooth. "Prepare a grand room for him, and make sure he understands..." His obsidian eyes glead in the dim light. "That he is not leaving."
Xavier hesitated.
It was only for a second—a flicker of uncertainty.
But Soran caught it.
His eyes narrowed.
"Is there a problem, Xavier?" he asked, tone sharp as a blade.
Xavier imdiately shook his head. "No, Master."
"Good."
Soran turned away, dismissing him. "Now go."
Xavier inclined his head before stepping toward Riven.
"Co," he ordered.
Riven, despite the sheer ss he had thrown himself into, still had the audacity to smile as if this was all so elaborate ga. "Well, at least I’m getting a grand room. Could’ve thrown into the dungeons, right?"
Xavier didn’t respond.
Riven sighed dramatically as he followed. "Not much for conversation, huh? That’s okay, I’ll just talk for both of us. I have so many thoughts. So many questions. First of all, am I allowed to decorate? Maybe a nice rug? So curtains? A little ’Welco Riven’ sign—"
Xavier did not know what to feel, but he certainly felt pity. This young boy did not realise what he got himself into.
Riven took his silence as a hard no.
Fine. He could live without the sign.
Maybe.
The estate lood ahead, dark and imposing. The grand gates opened without a sound, and Riven couldn’t help but shudder.
"This place looks like the perfect setting for a murder," he muttered under his breath.
Xavier glanced at him. "It would not be the first ti."
"What’s going to happen now?" Riven asked, this ti serious.
Xavier didn’t answer imdiately.
Because the truth was—he didn’t know.
He had thought he knew.
When Ronan placed a bounty on Riven and Soran captured him, it seed simple.
Capture. Sell. Move on.
But now?
Now, Riven was staying.
And Xavier was not happy about it.
Not because he disliked Riven.
If anything, he found the boy... Strange.
Riven was either too immature to understand the danger he was in—
Or he understood perfectly and this was just his coping chanism.
Either way, Xavier knew one thing for certain:
Riven had just earned himself a permanent stay in a place he had no business being in.
And that worried him.
"... I don’t know," Xavier finally admitted.
Riven blinked. "Wait. You don’t know? That is incredibly reassuring." Eliott got a similar treatnt... Yes... But that happened when Soren’s obsession was at its peak. anwhile, he just earned Soren’s hatred.
Xavier’s expression did not change.
"Look, if you’re worried about , don’t be," Riven continued. "I have an amazing track record of getting out of bad situations."
Xavier raised a brow. "Is that so?"
Riven grinned. "Absolutely. I an, granted, I got captured this ti, but you know. Details."
Xavier sighed again.
This kid was going to be a problem.
When they arrived at the estate, Riven had expected to be thrown into so dingy little cell.
Instead, he was led to an absurdly luxurious room.
Like, too luxurious.
Like, "this is clearly a trap" levels of luxurious.
The room was spacious, draped in rich velvet, with a massive bed that looked softer than any surface Riven had ever slept on.
There was even a fireplace.
And a balcony.
And a freaking chandelier.
Riven stared at it all before turning to Xavier. "Okay, be honest. Am I being fattened up for slaughter?"
Xavier gave him a look. At least he was not completely stupid.
Riven sighed. "I an, co on. This is how fairy tale villains treat their prisoners. Lull them into a false sense of security. Then bam! Poisoned apple. Or a knife to the back."
"Do you ever stop talking?" Xavier muttered.
"Not when I’m terrified," Riven admitted cheerfully.
Xavier exhaled before finally stepping forward. Without a word, he reached out and—
Freed Riven’s hands.
Riven blinked. "Wait. Seriously?"
Xavier shrugged. "You won’t get far even if you try to run."
Riven imdiately stretched his arms, twisting his wrists.
"Wow," he muttered. "I forgot what it felt like to have circulation."
Xavier said nothing, simply turning to leave.
But before he did, he hesitated.
For just a second.
"For your sake, I hope the werewolf Alpha cos for you."
Riven frowned. "Huh?"
Xavier didn’t repeat himself.
He simply left, shutting the door behind him.
Leaving Riven alone.
Riven simply muttered, "But I don’t want Ronan to co for ."
Riven exhaled, finally allowing himself to drop the act.
Because, yeah.
He was terrified.
Not because he was locked up in so grand estate.
But because of Soran.
What had he done?
What had he triggered?
He had thought he was being smart. Clever.
But the way Soran had looked at him...
It was not the look of a man who had an inkling of rationality left!
It was the look of a man who had found sothing new to break.
Riven swallowed hard.
He glanced toward the balcony.
Could he run?
No.
Even if he made it past the guards, even if he sohow managed to escape the estate, where would he go?
Ronan still wanted him.
And Soran...
Soran had decided to keep him. Lordarcy. If he escaped he was sure Soran would co for him.
He wasn’t even sure what was going to happen next.
With a long sigh, he flopped onto the ridiculous, obscenely soft bed.
"... At least the pillows are nice," he muttered.
Too bad for him, he would not get ti to sink into those pillows for a good night’s sleep.
Reviews
All reviews (0)