The Wolf: a gothic monster romantasy by Riley C. Smith

Author:Riley C. Smith [Smith, Riley C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Riley C. Smith
Published: 2024-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

I hold Julia close, with her back against my chest, her sobs quiet now, the warmth of the water surrounding us like a cocoon. But the heat of it does nothing to ease the cold that wraps around my heart. Her beautiful face is streaked with tears, but it’s the way her shoulders shake, the way her breath hitches, that cuts deeper than anything else.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cry. I wanted to make this night special. But I’m just PMSing really bad… and I’m so scared!”

She’s afraid like I’ve never seen her before. Not when she was held in the vampire’s grasp. Not when she fought the hybrid in the field for me. Not even when her own family threatened her.

Turning her head in my direction, I tilt her chin up, my thumb gently sweeping across her damp skin, watching the big tear that lingers on her lower lip. “Julia,” I whisper, my voice rougher than I intend, “I hate seeing you like this. I hate that I’m the reason for the tears in your eyes.”

“No, it’s not you.” She shakes her head. “It’s just… this was supposed to be our happily ever after, Alex. We were supposed to have a future together… a long, beautiful life…”

The ache in her voice alone is enough to crush me. Her words are like silver daggers, each one driving deeper into my chest. The weight of them is unbearable. And yet, there’s a truth in them. A truth I can’t deny. I close my eyes for a moment, battling the storm inside me. I want nothing more than to wrap myself around her, to keep her safe and happy, to shield her from every danger, every fear. But I can’t. I know what I have to do, even if it tears me apart to leave her.

“I know,” I rasp, my voice breaking with a vulnerability I’ve never shown anyone before. “I know, baby. But that’s the reason why. Everything I’m doing is for the life we still can have. For the future that’s waiting for us—one we’ll build together, I promise you that.”

Her fingers curl halfway around my wrist, her touch soft but despairing. “How can you promise that?” she whines hysterically, her voice cracks. “How do I know you’ll come back to me? How do I know we’ll have that future?”

How I can reassure her when I don’t have the answers myself? Yet, there’s one thing I can tell her, one thing I know in the deepest part of my soul. “Because I will fight, Julia,” I say, my voice thick with emotions. “I will fight for that future. For the life we’re meant to have. No matter the cost.”

Her breath catches, and for a moment, I think she might say something more, but then she’s kissing me, her tongue desperate against mine. I let her take what she needs, give her the comfort of knowing she’s not alone in this. There’s a fire in that kiss that burns deep, all-consuming.

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