Chapter 83: Without Her - Riven's POV

She…left me. Callista actually…left me. She’s moving back home and leaving me.

My heart pounded hard in my chest on the drive home as I fought back tears. What was happening to me.

You know what you did, Riven.

“Shut up,” I said, my voice trembling. “You did this to me.”

You knew what I could do and yet you pretend that I can’t. Now tell me, are you going to cooperate?

I shivered. “You are ruining my life. Get out of my head.”

There was a brief laugh before silence. I knew it was something he would never do. It wasn’t possible unless…

My mind drifted off. No, there was no way of saving me. I was beginning to think that my fate was just that. I was going to lose myself and kill everyone. Any hope of saving me was gone in the wind.

The demon had lied.

Did I? Or did I just confuse you?

“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!”

He cackled again, low in the back of my head, then pulled back.

I drove the rest of the way home, barely able to control myself. Everything felt huge and too much for me to handle. Then I parked in the driveway.

Callista’s parents were still there, packing her things with a few others. My parents were standing on the porch, watching everything. Their gazes met mine through the windshield.

I got out of the car, grabbing my bag last, and then slammed the door. That caught Alpha Monroe’s attention.

“What happened? Why is Callista asking to move home?” He asked, his voice tense.

“Alpha Monroe,” my father snapped. “It is a delicate situation. Please remember to handle with care. They are just sixteen.”

Her father whirled on mine. “I have been nice. I let her move here before she was eighteen. She’s mated to your son, but if this keeps up, I think we’ll see about getting her out of the mating mark.”

My father growled low in his throat. “You’d do well not to make those threats. They have the Alpha King’s blessing and my son fought others for the right to be with her. He has more than proven himself.”

I trembled as I climbed the steps, feeling hollow. When I reached my father, he met my gaze.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to my room and going to sleep.”

He nodded, though his brow furrowed.

As soon as I was in the house and climbing the stairs, I met a few of Monroe’s pack, bringing more of Callista’s things. I ignored them and went straight to my room, slamming that door as well.

Once I was alone, I broke down. I could still smell her and it was making my chest ache. I reached up, touching the spot right over where my heart was.

“No, I can’t do this. I can’t do this.”

The bond was still there, but so much weaker and colder, as if she were actively blocking me from feeling her.

How are you going to fix this one, Riven? Tell me your grand plan. Oh, that’s right, you don’t have one. You’re only good for death and destruction.

“No, I’m not. No, I’m not who you want me to be. You lie about everything. We’re going to make it through this and I’ll get you out of my head.”

My words felt as hollow as I felt. It was a dream that was never coming true.

You don’t know how to get rid of me, Riven. Is it taking the Alpha King’s offer? Is it with her? Or do both of those bring me out? I’ll never tell.

I growled low in my throat. “Will you stop talking? I don’t want to be who you are making me.”

I sank to my knees as I realized that he had driven her away. Everyone had noticed the tension between us today, but I truly thought I was doing the right thing by creating distance. It appeared to have done the opposite.

I stayed on the floor for a long time after that, my hands pressed against the carpet as if it would anchor me to something. The silence in the room didn’t help, nor did the silence coming from her room. If anything, it made everything louder.

Or maybe that was just me noticing it for the first time without her on the other side of it.

I exhaled shakily.

“She’s not gone,” I whispered, as if saying it out loud would make it true. “She’s just… at home. She’s safe. We’re not done or over.” I checked my phone and there weren't any messages. “She’s safe,” I repeated.

The demon hummed softly at the edge of my thoughts.

Safe… from you, it suggested.

My jaw clenched. “I didn’t hurt her.”

Not physically.

I flinched at that. My fingers dug into my hair as I tried to steady my breathing. The room felt too small again, like it had in the Alpha King’s office.  I forced myself up and began pacing to burn off the nervous energy.

One step. Then another. Then another.

I needed control. That’s what the Alpha King always said. Control was everything. But control was slipping through my hands like sand and Callista wasn’t here to ground me.

That thought hit harder than I expected. I stopped pacing, and the silence stretched. My phone finally buzzed. For that one split second, my heart beat faster as hope filled me.

But as soon as I looked, it wasn’t her. It was the Alpha King. I didn’t want to answer, yet I did anyway.

“Hello,” I said softly.

“You are coming to the mansion tomorrow, aren’t you?”

My throat tightened. “Yes, but I’m not sure Callista will.”

There was a pause, then, “I know.”

That single word made my skin go cold.

“You know everything that happens,” I said flatly. “Don’t you?”

A faint sound like amusement. “I know what I need to know.”

I swallowed hard. “She’s moving out because of you and all of this.”

“No,” he corrected smoothly. “She’s moving out because of you. You are getting unstable.”

Something in me snapped at that. “I’m trying to protect her.”

“Are you?” He asked. “Or are you trying to control what you don’t understand?”

My grip tightened around the phone. The demon stirred again, almost pleased.

See? it whispered. Even he thinks you’re broken.

“I understand enough,” I said through my teeth.

“Then you understand this,” the Alpha King replied. “Distance weakens the bond. It weakens you both until you can’t see straight. She won’t let you come here by yourself. That much I know for certain.”

My chest tightened. “I didn’t tell her to leave.”

“You didn’t have to,” he said simply. “Your instability did that for you. Or maybe it was acting like a jerk for the entire day at the academy.”

Silence stretched between us. I hated how much that landed, because part of me… knew it was true. The call ended before I could respond.

I stood there staring at the dark screen until my reflection blurred, then I threw the phone across the room.

It hit the wall hard and dropped to the floor. I didn’t move for a moment.