Aftereffect

Micha Kessler, Prince of Ashen Springs, bully, and devil in disguise.

We were the Knights, the future leaders of the Order of Ravens and Wolves. Each born into privilege and power. We could have anything and anyone we wanted.

And I wanted Riley Adams.

That pigtailed little brat slapped me in the park. She thought she could handle me. That I was just an entitled prick who got my kicks taunting her. She should've listened to the rumors, paid attention to the warnings...not that it would've mattered.

Her fate was sealed the day she came up to me looking for her damn dog.

Hate wasn't a strong enough word for how I felt about Micha. I could handle his taunting words and cruel jokes, but he decided to up the ante. Trap me, lock me in a cage, and throw away the key.

But the thing about a cornered animal is that they eventually turn feral, desperately clawing around for a way out. Even the devil had a weakness.

I just had to maintain my sanity long enough to find his, and hope that I didn't lose something I couldn't get back in the process. Because there's a fine line between love and hate...and that line is starting to blur.