Chapter 48: A Vision Worth Mentioning - Riven's POV

Both cars were already in the driveway when we arrived. I could see our parents standing in a cluster near the front door, not going inside. They’d been waiting for us, and probably talking about how we pulled over.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked as I put the car in park.

“No, but let’s do it anyway,” Callista said, squeezing my hand once before letting go.

We climbed out and approached them. Her father’s expression was grim, but her mother looked as if she had been crying again. Red splotches were all over her face, especially around her eyes. My own parents stood rigidly. Dad’s Alpha authority seemed barely contained as he tried to relax his shoulders.

"What happened back there?" My father asked. "Why did you pull over?"

“We needed to talk about things,” I said carefully. “This is a big decision, but the Alpha King’s offer might not come back around.”

“Inside,” Alpha Monroe said firmly. “We’re not discussing this outside where anyone could overhear us.”

We filed into the house, and this time, instead of separating into our respective families, our parents seemed to have formed a united front against us. They stood together while Callista and I sat on the sofa, facing them as if we were on trial.

Which, in a way, I guess we were.

Luna Monroe sighed. “Okay, tell us everything. No more half-truths or careful wording. What is really going on between the two of you? Why did you feel the need to mark each other now? At your age, the pull shouldn’t be that strong, even if you are Moon Marked.”

I looked at Callista, seeing my own uncertainty reflected in her gaze. We’d agreed not to tell them about the demon, because that secret was too dangerous and likely to get me executed or locked away. But we had to tell them something, something that explained why the Alpha King’s offer felt so significant.

A reason why we needed to accept.

“I had a vision before I saw Riven at school,” Callista said, her voice steady.

“The morning you woke up with a scream,” Luna Monroe said. “I thought that was nothing.”

“Oh, it was something, “Callista said. “I saw our pack destroyed by a demon and there’s more.”

“What kind of more? What are you saying?” Her father asked, his Alpha authority bleeding through despite trying to control it. “Demons don’t…exist, right?”

Callista took a breath, and I felt her hand find mine between us, hidden from view. “In the vision, everyone was dead except Riven and me. He told me he was the Alpha King.”

There was silence for several seconds. Their faces were blank as they stared at both of us.

“So Riven…is the next Alpha King?” My father asked, his voice hesitant.

“The vision showed him with that level of power and authority. He commanded me to come to him,” she said, her voice low. “We were in danger and the only way for us to save everyone was to be together.”

“And the Moon Marks?” Luna Monroe asked, her voice trembling. “They showed up that day.”

“Yes,” Callista said, reaching up to rub her fingertips over them. “They were there when I woke up. I saw him at school that day and it all clicked.”

“Wait, you’re saying that the vision showed Riven as the Alpha King, and that’s why the marks appeared?” My mother asked, holding up a hand. She was definitely processing, but it was hard. “You need to be together to prevent what, exactly? A demon destroying your pack?”

“The vision showed a possible future,” Callista said quietly. “One where the demon succeeded in destroying everything, but Riven was there and powerful enough to stop it as the Alpha King.”

“This doesn’t make sense at all,” Alpha Monroe said, pacing in front of us. “If the demon is a threat, why would you need to be with Riven to prevent it? Why wouldn’t the Alpha King deal with it? Would marking each other at sixteen truly be necessary?”

Callista was struggling with how much to reveal without exposing the truth, so I stepped in.

“We were Moon Marked, whether or not you wanted us to be, okay? You may not understand why it’s early, but it is. We’re bonded now, and that is the end of it,” I said, my own Alpha authority easing into my tone too smoothly. “But that vision wasn’t just a warning about a demon. It showed us that we need to be united to face it. That our bond is the key to somehow stopping it.”

“And the Alpha King?” My father pressed, his gaze locking onto my face. “How does his offer fit into this?”

“How else would I be the Alpha King?” I asked, my voice lower now. “Something must happen to him or he can’t defeat it, so it falls on my shoulders.”

“You think the Moon Goddess is guiding you toward accepting his offer,” Luna Monroe said slowly, understanding dawning on her face. “You think the dream showed you the path to take.”

"Maybe," I said. "Or maybe it's a warning about what happens if we do accept. We don't know which interpretation is correct."

"That's a pretty convenient interpretation," Alpha Monroe said, his voice sharp. "A vision that justifies you accepting the most powerful position in our world. How do we know this isn't just teenage ambition dressed up as prophecy?"

"Because you know my visions are never wrong," Callista said firmly, her own authority rising to meet her father's. "When have I ever been inaccurate? When I saw the rogue attack on the northern border last year, you listened. When I warned about the flood near the eastern territories, you evacuated families. You've never questioned my gift before."

Her father's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He couldn't. Callista's track record spoke for itself.

“She’s right, you know?” Luna Monroe whispered. “Every vision Callista has ever had has come true and come to pass in some form or another. We can’t dismiss this just because we don’t like what it’s telling us.”

“Visions can be interpreted many different ways,” my father argued, though his tone wavered. “Maybe the demon threat is real, but accepting the Alpha King’s offer isn’t the answer. Maybe there’s another path through this.”

“Then what is it?” I asked, a laugh escaping. “We’ve been trying to figure it out since we met. If you have another solution, I’m listening.”

Once again, silence filled the air.

“This is why we need until tomorrow to think about things,” Callista said firmly.

“We’re staying here for tonight,” Alpha Monroe said, looking at my parents. “If you still don’t mind, that is. I’d rather keep our families together right now, especially with everything going on.”

“What about Sabine?”

“She’ll come here after school. One of Riven’s pack mates is going to walk her here. We had her pack this morning overnight.”

My mother nodded. “We have plenty of room and, honestly, I’d feel better having everyone close, like we talked about this morning.”

So, they talked about it. Riven and I exchanged a glance. I wasn’t sure when that conversation had taken place, but I guess it didn’t matter.

"We'll need to contact the Alpha King in the morning," my father said. "And let him know that we need more time to consider his offer."

"How much time do you think he'll give us?" Luna Monroe asked.

"Hard to say," Alpha Monroe replied. "But if he's genuine about wanting Riven as his successor, he should be willing to wait a few days for our answer instead of just one.”

"And if he's not willing to wait?" Callista asked quietly.

The adults exchanged worried glances.

"Then we'll know he's hiding something," my father said grimly. "Any legitimate offer can withstand scrutiny and time to consider. That is what any good Alpha King would do.”

As our parents moved to sort out sleeping arrangements, their voices became lower. Callista and I remained on the sofa, both feeling the weight of what had just happened.

"Do you think they believed it?" I whispered.

"They believe the vision is real," she murmured back. "That's what matters. They trust my gift, even if they're skeptical about the interpretation."