Page 1 of Midnight Star

Sapphire

The dark angelis tied to Ghost’s back. Her wings are retracted, and she’s nearly unconscious, thanks to the relaxation potion Riven forced down her throat.

Another reason she’s unconscious? The blood loss.

The blood loss caused byme.

The moment I caught her blood’s scent, I lost control. I remember every moment of it—the rush of heat through my veins, and the hunger tearing through my chest as instinct overtook reason.

Even now, with the taste of her still lingering on my tongue, the craving claws at me. Especially because I wasn’t finished yet. I wantmore.And it’s here beside me, ripe for the taking, pumping through her body and tempting me so much I ache for it.

I swallow against the ache—against the whisper in the back of my mind that tells me to take. To feed.

I won’t give in. Because the memory of the way Riven looked at me when I turned and met his eyes—as if I was a stranger, or a monster—makes my chest feel hollow in a way it never has before.

Now, as we walk toward the cave with Ghost and the dark angel, I can’t bring myself to look at him. His disgust clings to the air between us like ice, like something shattered beyond repair. It will hurt too much when I see it, too.

But the silence between us is unbearable. Each minute we stay quiet, the distance between us grows.

So, I take a deep breath and glance at him.

His shoulders tense, but he doesn’t look back. He just keeps staring forward, like if he acknowledges me, even for a second, he’ll break. Or worse—he’ll hate me even more.

It’s another blow to my heart. One so strong that for a moment, I can’t even breathe.

Because Riven isn’t the only one who hates me.

I hate myself, too. For what I am. For what I’ve become.

But mostly, for the secrets I’ve kept, and the people I’ve hurt.

I wish I could go back in time and be honest with Riven from the start.

I wish I could go back in time and change so many things.

I’d protect Zoey from being taken at the waterfall by that dark angel. No—I wouldn’t have brought her with me to this realm in the first place. Maybe I wouldn’t have drunk water from that stream at all, and remained ignorant about the supernatural world in general.

But the moment I think it, I know that out of all this craziness, I wouldn’t sacrifice knowledge for ignorance. I’d never give up knowing what I really am.WhoI really am. Trading something so life changing would be one of the most tragic things a person could ever do.

Still, the regret’s consuming me. Drowning me. Making it impossible to remain present in the current moment.

Unfortunately, I can’t go back in time. I can’t undo what I’ve done, no matter how much I wish I could rip the hunger from my bones and throw it into the trench where it belongs.

All I can do is move forward and pray I can right this mess I’ve gotten myself into.

Starting now.

“Riven,” I say softly, but he doesn’t stop walking. He doesn’t even flinch.

“Don’t,” he says, coldly enough to freeze the air around us. “Just... don’t.”

As we continue toward the cave, the silence is so thick that I feel like I’m choking on it. And even though he doesn’t want me talking to him right now, I can’tignore this. I need him to understand that I never kept my vampire side from him to hurt him.

“I wanted to tell you,” I try again. “I just?—”

“You just what?” He whirls around, and the force of his anger slams into me like a storm. “Thought you’d wait until I told you I loved you to reveal that you’re…” He motions to the dark angel, not saying any more.

He doesn’t have to.

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