Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Raven's POV

Jumping over the wooden bars and ducking under the low-slung ropes felt surprisingly exhilarating. The wind whipped through my hair, and for a moment, I forgot I was stuck between two kingdoms. I felt free. My feet slapped steadily against the stone.

By the second round, however, the free feeling was replaced by a dull ache in my thighs. The air was getting chilly now that the sun had gone down completely, but I was working up a heavy sweat. My lungs felt like they were shrinking. I had never had to run like this before—not for sport, anyway.

As my pace slowed, I reached deep for the tenacity that had kept me alive as an Omega in the Inker pack. Back home, even if you were tired, you didn't stop. If the laundry wasn't finished or the floors weren't scrubbed, dinner was waived. I had learned to move even when my muscles screamed.

I pressed on, refusing to look in Valen’s direction. I didn't want to see him judging me. Almost there, I told myself, my vision blurring slightly. Just one more.

I cleared the last hurdle and practically collapsed. I hit the stone floor, rolling onto my back and heaving desperately for air. My chest felt like it was on fire.

I heard the thud of Valen’s boots as he walked over. He started clapping, a slow, appreciative sound.

"Seven minutes and six seconds," he announced. I couldn't see his face from my position on the ground, but his voice sounded impressed. "Honestly, Raven, I wasn’t expecting you to finish. Most Omegas would have quit halfway through the second lap. You’ve got real stamina."

A warm flush of pride spread through me, though it might have just been the heat from the run. I tried to say thank you, but all that came out was a pathetic wheezing sound.

Valen tossed a bottle of water down next to my head. I grabbed it, cracked the seal, and practically inhaled the liquid. After a few minutes of lying there like a landed fish, my heart rate finally slowed down to something normal.

"Next is weights," Valen said, offering me a hand to pull me up. "Speed is good, but you need to improve your raw strength and muscle power. If someone grabs you, you need to be able to break that grip."

He brought over several short logs of wood, varying in thickness and weight. He threw me a pair of heavy work gloves. The task was simple: stand with my legs apart, grab both ends of the log, lift it to chest height, and hold it for as long as possible.

"We’ll do reps later," Valen explained. "For now, just hold. Build that tension."

I was exhausted, but I refused to look weak. Gary had rejected me because he thought I was a useless, fragile thing that couldn't contribute to a pack. I wasn't going to let Valen or Darian think the same. I gripped the first log, a medium-sized piece of oak, and hauled it up.

It wasn't too bad at first. I held it, my biceps trembling and my jaw clenched. But after thirty seconds, the log felt like it was made of lead. My grip began to slip, and my arms shook violently until I finally had to drop it. It hit the stone with a heavily.

"Enough for today," Valen said, stepping in before I could reach for the next one. "You did well."

He handed me a towel, and I began wiping the sweat from my forehead. Just as I was about to ask if we were heading back to the lounge, a cold droplet hit my nose. Then another. We both looked up at the dark sky.

"Is that rain?" I asked, squinting.

"It appears so," Valen muttered, his eyes narrowing at the clouds.

Within seconds, the drizzle turned into a steady downpour.

"s**t," Valen cursed. He moved with sudden, blurring speed, grabbing the equipment and logs to move them under the small roofed section of the training ground where they wouldn't get ruined.

I helped where I could, carrying the lighter ropes and mats. But once everything was sorted, I didn't follow him into the shelter. The rain was getting heavier, and it felt amazing against my heated skin. I spread my arms out, tilting my head back and letting the water wash away the sweat and the stress of the day. It was fun. It felt like being a kid again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Valen shouted from the shadows of the porch. "Come on, let’s find shelter before you freeze."

"No!" I shouted back, spinning in a circle. "Give me a few minutes! This is fun!"

He walked to the edge of the roof, reaching out to grab my arm to pull me in, but I saw it coming. I immediately twisted my body and slipped past him, running off into the center of the yard and laughing wildly.

"Hey, little mate!" Valen shouted, though I could hear the amusement behind his irritation. "I definitely do not share your sentiments about the rain! I’ll be cross with you if either of us catches a cold!"

"Unlikely!" I yelled back, jumping over a puddle. "Our bodies aren't that fragile! Loosen up!"

I stuck my tongue out at him and kept dancing around. Valen stayed under the roof, watching me with his arms crossed, shaking his head. He looked like he’d given up on trying to be the boss for one night.

Then, a new voice cut through the sound of the falling water. "What is going on here?"

I turned and saw Darian. He was standing near the stone stairs, holding a large black umbrella. Even with the rain, I could hear him clearly thanks to my enhanced hearing. He looked perfectly dry and perfectly annoyed.

"I wondered why you guys hadn't returned yet despite the storm," Darian said, stepping onto the training ground. He looked at Valen. "Is this how you protect the female you call your mate? Letting her run around in a downpour like a stray?"

Valen’s eyes hardened instantly. He stepped out into the rain to face Darian. "Don't you f*****g come for me, Darian. She has a will of her own. Am I supposed to force her inside? Loosen up for once in your life. You're acting like a control freak."

Well, I wasn't going to let them ruin my good mood. I spotted a small plastic basin near the equipment that had collected a good inch or two of rainwater. I grabbed it, sneaked up behind Darian while he was busy arguing with Valen, and poured the entire thing directly over his head.

Darian froze. The water dripped off his perfectly styled hair and down his expensive shirt. He looked so shocked it was comical—the composed King turned into a drowned rat in three seconds.

I backed away, holding the empty basin and looking entirely unrepentant. "Oops."

Darian dropped the umbrella, his amber eyes flashing with a mix of shock and playfulness I hadn't seen before. He let out a low growl. "Oh, I'll get you for that, Raven."

"Catch me if you can!" I squealed, turning and sprinting away.

He started chasing me, his long legs eating up the distance. I ran behind Valen, using him as a human shield. "Help! The scary King is going to get me!"

Valen laughed and actually joined in. He started running with me, blocking Darian’s path and dodging his grabs. Somehow, the serious training session turned into the three of us chasing each other through the night rain like children. Even Darian started laughing when Valen almost slipped on a wet patch of stone.

Eventually, the rain began to let up, turning back into a light mist. We were all breathless and soaked to the bone.

"We should go dry up," Darian said, wiping water from his eyes. "Before someone actually does get sick."

I walked back over to the equipment area to drop the basin where I’d found it. As I walked back toward the Kings, who were waiting by the stairs, I pulled my long, soaked hair over my shoulder and began squeezing it to get the water out. My stomach gave a loud, treacherous growl.

"I'm famished," I said, looking up. "What are we having for—"

I stopped.

My words died in my throat. Darian was looking at me with an intensity that made the hair on my arms stand up. His alluring scent flared up, and I could feel his dominance radiating off him in waves. He looked alarmed, his eyes fixed on my torso.

I shifted my gaze to Valen. He wasn't even trying to be subtle. He was blatantly staring at my chest with a look of pure, shameless hunger.

What is...

I looked down at myself. My thin cotton top, now completely saturated with water, had become entirely see-through. My hair, which I had just pulled to the side to squeeze, had been my only shield. Now, everything was grandly on display. The white fabric clung to my skin like a second layer, showing the full, rounded outline of my breasts and the hardened, dark peaks of my n*****s from the cold.

I let out a strangled scream, crossing my arms over my chest and hunched over in a blind panic.

"Don't look!" I shrieked, my face turning a shade of red that felt like it was glowing in the dark.