Chapter 84: Uncertain - Riven's POV

I pressed a hand to my face and dragged in a breath that didn’t feel like it reached my lungs. Everything felt wrong. Everything felt like it had shifted into a version of my life I didn’t recognize anymore. Callista wasn’t here. The bond felt wrong. Even the air felt wrong, as if it didn’t know what to do without her in it.

I moved toward the window without thinking and stared into the trees. Her parents were gone now, along with her things. There was a sharp knock at the door.

“Come in,” I said under my breath.

The door opened with a groan and my father stepped in. I didn’t even have to turn to know it was him. The sound of his footsteps was ingrained in my mind.

“What happened today?”

“I don’t know,” I said, knowing I was lying.

“Something tells me you do know and you don’t want to talk about it.”

I groaned. “It’s the stress of everything, okay?” I turned to face him. “We’re sixteen with a mate bond we don’t understand. It’s driving my wolf insane, because I have all the urges and…thoughts, like you had when you found Mom. But I’m sixteen. We can’t even go through the ceremony for two more years. Do you know how hard this is?”

He nodded, then blew out a breath. “I know it’s tough, but fate doesn’t make—”

“Mistakes?” I interrupted. “I’m beginning to believe that it did. It could have waited until I was eighteen.”

“No, it couldn’t,” he said, his voice soft. “You have grown into your alpha abilities before any other alpha heir. You’ve had your beta since you were…what? Twelve? Nothing has ever gone normally for you. Why would this?”

“I know you’re trying to help me,” I said, almost losing control of my voice. “But you don’t understand. This didn’t happen to you.”

“No, but I’m learning,” he replied. “Tomorrow, go to the Alpha King’s mansion. I know both of you have questioned it, but I think you need to. If this weekend doesn’t work out, then…we will find a way to get you out of it.”

My gaze moved back to the window. Her house was within running distance. I could be there in twenty minutes and talk about this. It should have made me feel better, but hearing my Dad speak had…done something to me.

“So you think this is the right choice?” I asked, my voice hesitant. “Do you think I need to call her?”

“Talk to her at school tomorrow, okay? Give her tonight. From what I heard from Luna Monroe, she’s pretty upset. Sabine is with her, though.”

I nodded, then he turned and left me with my thoughts.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur that I couldn’t be bothered to remember.

Sleep didn’t come. Not even close. I stayed awake until the edges of my vision started to blur, my mind circling the same thoughts repeatedly until they lost meaning. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face when she turned away from me. Not angry exactly. Not even fully hurt anymore. She was just done, as if something had finally snapped.

By the time morning came, I didn’t feel rested. I felt hollowed out. I went through the motions blindly, getting dressed, grabbing my bag, and forcing myself to leave the house before anyone could stop me and ask questions I didn’t want to answer.

School felt worse than the night had. The halls were too loud and too full of people who were pretending nothing had changed when everything clearly had. I could feel eyes on me, whispers brushing past me, but I didn’t care enough to listen.

During the first period, she wasn’t there, so I had to turn in our project, which wasn’t even finished. Mr. Cross had graciously given us an extension since we weren’t the only ones with an unfinished project and he knew the circumstances.

When I got to the second period, I knew even before I stepped inside that something was wrong. She wasn’t coming today. Her seat was empty and I was here all alone.

I stopped for half a second longer than I should have, staring at it as if it might change if I looked hard enough. It didn’t. The space remained empty.

My chest tightened in a way I didn’t like. I walked in anyway and sat down in my usual place, but it felt off. Everything felt off. The teacher spoke, students wrote, and life continued around me as normal, but I couldn’t focus on a single word. My eyes kept drifting back to her empty seat without permission.

She wasn’t here.

The thought shouldn’t have mattered as much as it did. We were fighting. She had moved out. I knew that. But seeing the absence made it real in a way I hadn’t prepared for. It wasn’t just distance anymore. It was a separation.

By lunch, I was already done pretending I could sit still.

I left early without thinking or caring about reporting to anyone. I ignored the way a few people glanced at me as I walked out. If she wasn’t going to be here, then neither was I. I got in my car and sat there for a moment without starting the engine. My hands were still shaking on the wheel, which made no sense.

I wasn’t supposed to be reacting like this, because I was supposed to be in control. I drove anyway.

The road back to the house felt longer than it should have. When I pulled into the driveway, I sat there for a moment before getting out. The house was quiet. There was no movement, noise, or anything to distract me from the fact that she wasn’t there and I couldn’t fix it by walking into a room and seeing her like I always could before.

I went inside but didn’t stay downstairs. I went straight up to my room again, slamming the door behind me without thinking. The sound echoed harder than I expected, and I hated how much I wanted it to be answered by her voice on the other side.

But there was nothing.

The bond stayed muted all day. Not gone, but distant, as if it were being pressed down from the other side and held there. Every time I tried to reach for it, it slipped further away from me.

By late afternoon, I was sitting on the edge of my bed when my phone buzzed again. I almost didn’t look, because I almost didn’t care. But something in me still reacted before I could stop it.

It wasn’t her. It was the Alpha King again. I stared at the screen longer than I should have before answering.

“Hello,” I said again, quieter than I meant to.

“You are coming tonight,” his voice said immediately, as if there was no question in it.

“I know,” I replied, though my throat felt tight. “I’ll be there.”

A pause followed, as if he were debating my answer. “And the girl?”

The way he said it made something inside me tense.

“She won’t be coming with me. You said she’d be there,” I said mockingly. “So you find out.”

“I am aware,” he replied smoothly. “That is why she will be brought separately.”

My grip tightened on the phone. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, “that she will still be present. Whether she wants to be or not is irrelevant. You both are needed.”

My chest felt like it dropped. “That’s her choice. If she doesn’t come, then she just doesn’t. You’re getting me.”

“I didn’t need to,” he said calmly. “You both are predictable when separated.”

The line went quiet for a moment. I could feel the demon stirring again, as if it were listening more closely now.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked finally. “Why push this so far?”

“Because,” he whispered, “you are at a turning point, Riven. And I prefer to see which version of you survives it.”

The call ended before I could respond.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the phone again, but this time I didn’t throw it. I just set it down slowly, like it might break if I touched it wrong.

That evening came entirely too fast. I drove to the mansion alone without even saying goodbye to my parents or telling them that I was gone. In the time between the call and driving, I had packed my bag and prepared myself as best as I could.

I still didn’t feel ready. Even the drive felt off, because she wasn’t in the passenger seat beside me.

When I arrived, the mansion lights were already on. Guards stood outside as if they had been expecting me. They didn’t stop me this time either.

I got out of the car and walked in and then I felt it.

Her.

The bond tugged at me, letting me know we were close. I looked outside, but I didn’t see the car. Then Kinsley found me.

“She’s already with the Alpha King. Come along, Mr. Nightshade.”

I followed her, the bond tugging at me the entire way and humming with satisfaction at being close again. Then I saw her.

She wasn’t looking at me. Her back was turned to me. From what I could see of the side of her face, she looked different from yesterday. It wasn’t exactly physical, but something in her expression had changed.

Her eyes met mine over her shoulder. For a moment, neither of us moved.

The bond pulsed again, weaker than it should have been, but still there. She was really here.

And I had no idea what that meant for either of us anymore.