Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Darian's POV

The Elders didn't linger. Once they were satisfied that we were physically inside the suite and the heavy oak doors were shut, they retreated to whatever dark corner of the mansion they inhabited. With how large it was, we could go months without even seeing each other. The guards took up their posts downstairs leaving us by ourselves.

We didn't talk. The exhaustion of the run and the shock of the new living arrangements were too much for conversation. We just retreated to our separate rooms quietly.

My room was spacious and cold. It was decorated in deep blues and heavy mahogany, with a bed large enough for four people. I stood by the window for a long time, looking out at the moonlit grounds. It felt surreal. My mate was sleeping just a few feet away, separated only by a wall and a few yards of lounge carpet.

What is going to happen now? I wondered.

The Council would eventually demand a choice. Would Raven have to pick one of us? And if she did, could I really live with the outcome? If she chose the two of us, could I truly share her with another man—especially a man as volatile and unhinged as Valen?

Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind. I saw Valen, his brown hair wild and his back arched, holding himself over Raven. She was flushed, her eyes glassy with heat, writhing in pleasure beneath him while he claimed her.

My fist connected with the wall before I could stop myself. The thud echoed through the quiet room. The stone cracked only a bit but my knuckles throbbed. I couldn't bear the thought. I hated the idea of his touch on her skin, yet I knew the bond tied us all together in a knot I couldn't untie.

I stripped off my clothes because I’ve always preferred sleeping naked, enjoying the freedom of it and climbed into the cold sheets. It took hours for my mind to shut down.

.

.

The next morning, the distant sound of clanking pots and the faint sizzle of cooking pulled me from a heavy sleep. I sat up, rubbing my face, and quickly dressed in a pair of dark trousers and a simple white shirt from my suitcase that was already brought up here.

Darian, can you smell mate? Sage’s voice was sudden and laced with confusion.

I froze, sniffing the air. My heart skipped a beat. Sage was right. Usually, Raven’s scent—that sweet, Jasmine aroma — filled the space around her. But right now, there was nothing.

Panic flared in my chest. Did she leave? Did someone take her in the middle of the night?

I rushed out of my room, my shirt only half-buttoned, my fingers fumbling with the last few fasteners. I burst into the lounge, my eyes scanning the room on edge.

Raven was there. She was half-sitting, half-lying on one of the plush velvet sofas. She looked perfectly fine, dressed in a small, form-fitting top and blue jeans that hugged every curve of her legs. She was looking at a book, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had disappeared from my senses.

I stalked over to her, my bare feet thudding on the rug. As I got closer, the smell hit me. It wasn't her. It was a thick, overwhelming cloud of synthetic lavender and heavy musk. It was a perfume so strong it made my eyes water.

I stopped a few feet away and pinned her with a hard stare. "Why?"

She looked up, her rich brown eyes meeting mine. She knew exactly what I was asking. I felt like I was standing in the middle of a flower shop that had just exploded.

"Why what?" she asked, though her voice was almost nonchalant.

"The scent, Raven. It's as if you bathed in the stuff. I can't smell you at all."

Her eyes strayed to my chest, specifically the part where my shirt was still open. I saw her throat move as she swallowed, and a small part of me preened at the attention.

"I just... I wanted to use the perfume my friend gave me back at the pack," she said, blushing. "I guess I probably overdid it. I forgot how sensitive our noses are."

"Damn right you did," I grumbled, trying to ignore how the perfume was making my head throb.

Just then, Valen’s door burst open. He stumbled out, looking like a total joke. His hair was a bird's nest, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was wearing a pair of wrinkled pants that sat dangerously low on his hips. He looked half-asleep and entirely panicked.

"Raven!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Where is she? I can't catch her scent!"

I didn't even look at him. I just pointed a finger at the sofa. Valen’s gaze landed on her, and he let out a visible, ragged sigh of relief. He slumped against the doorframe, his hand over his heart.

"What did you do?" he groaned, sniffing the air and immediately crinkling his nose in disgust. "Ugh. It smells like a funeral home in here."

Raven held her head in her hands, looking mortified. "It will wear off, don't worry. I’m sorry."

Before Valen could launch into a rant, there was a firm knock on the main doors. A woman in her early forties entered. She was dressed in a sharp, professional uniform, her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She didn't look intimidated by two Kings staring at her.

"Good morning, your majesties," she said, her voice strong and loud. "Glad to see you are awake already. Breakfast is ready in the dining area."

I appreciated her lack of cowering. Most people looked at me like I was a god and at Valen like he was a monster. She just looked at us like we were guests who were late for a meal.

"We will be there," I said.

I turned and walked toward the dining wing, leaving Valen and Raven to follow. The table was set with an impressive spread: thick slices of ham, scrambled eggs with herbs, fresh bread, and jugs of chilled juice.

We sat down in random seats. Valen grabbed a piece of ham with his fingers and began chewing loudly, leaning his elbows on the table like a barbarian. It was disgusting.

I picked up my silver fork and knife, carefully cutting my eggs into perfect, uniform squares. I did it slowly, making sure the metal clinked against the china just enough to be noticeable. I knew it annoyed him. He hated my order and I hated his lack of it.

"Must you eat like you were raised by feral wolves?" I asked, dabbing my mouth with a silk napkin.

Valen swallowed and glared at me. "Must you eat like you're afraid the food is going to bite back? It's eggs, Darian."

Raven sat between us, her head moving back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. She looked exhausted by us already. We bickered through the rest of the meal until the food was gone, and we dispersed to our own corners of the suite.

I wondered how I was going to survive this. I had no work, no advisors, and no borders to patrol. I was used to being busy from sunrise to sunset. Now, I was just... here.

The Elders had informed us we could explore within our wing, but we couldn't leave the suite. I spent an hour in the greenhouse, admiring the rare Southern ferns and Northern pines they had somehow managed to grow together. It was a peaceful place, but my mind was still racing.

By the afternoon, I decided I needed a shower to clear my head. I went to my room, undressed, and threw on a heavy silk robe. I walked across the lounge to the shared bathroom.

In hindsight, I really should have knocked.

I pushed the double doors open and stepped into a cloud of warm, fragrant steam. I assumed it was Valen in there because I was pretty sure he was the only one who took showers long enough to fog up a room that size. I was ready to curse him out for not locking the door.

"Valen, if you’re—"

The words died in my throat. Through the shifting white fog, I saw wet auburn hair pinned up loosely.

"Raven?"

My heart did a violent somersault in my chest. She was in the massive stone bathtub, submerged in the water. I saw her bare, porcelain shoulders and the elegant curve of her neck. My eyes traveled down, catching the beginning hint of the swell of her breasts above the water line.

Her eyes, which had been closed in relaxation, flew open. She gasped, her face turning a deep, vivid shade of red.

"Turn away!" she blurted out, her hands splashing as she tried to cover herself.

I cleared my throat, feeling heat rising to my face for some reason. "Yeah. Sorry."

I turned my back immediately, staring at the closed doors. "I didn't know you were in here. I didn't hear any water running."

"I was just... soaking," she said, her voice muffled.

I stood there, my back to her, my mind replaying the image of her in the water. The bathroom was silent except for the soft sound of her breathing and the drip of a faucet.