Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER EIGHT

Raven's POV

My legs felt like they were made of jelly as I walked toward them. Every eye in the clearing was glued to me, but I kept my head down, focusing on the grass until I reached them.

"Look at me," the man said.

I slowly lifted my chin. He had this aura around him that made it almost impossible to hold eye contact for long. It felt like he was looking through my skin and straight into my thoughts. I couldn't handle it, so I compromised and focused on his nose instead. It was slightly crooked, like it had been broken a long time ago and never set right.

"What is your name?" he asked. His voice was low, but it commanded attention.

"Raven," I whispered.

"Look into my eyes, Raven," he said. I forced myself to meet his gaze. He stared at me for a long time, his expression unreadable. "There is something about you..." He trailed off, looking thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head. "Who are your parents?"

"I don't know, sir," I said, my voice getting a bit stronger. "I was abandoned as a baby."

"No matter," he said. "Answer my questions truthfully. I will know if you lie."

I nodded my head so many times I thought it might fall off. I definitely didn't want to get on this scary man’s bad side. I couldn't even tell if he was a werewolf. His scent was weird—it didn't smell like a wolf, but it didn't smell like a human either.

"Is Darian Callisto, King of the South, your mate?" he asked.

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Speak up," he scolded, his voice scolding.

I jumped, my heart skipping a beat. "Yes! He is."

He turned his gaze slightly. "And is Valen Aibek, King of the North, your mate?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the pull from both of the men standing behind me. "Yes. He is too."

The woman with the pale eyes looked at the man. "Elder Fabian, how is it?"

"She tells the truth," Elder Fabian said, turning back to the other elders. "This is almost unprecedented. The last time a single person was mated to two powerful bloodlines was over five hundred years ago. It shouldn't even be possible."

Elder Fabian turned to face the Kings. Valen was standing there with his arms crossed over his bare, bloody chest, looking defiant. Darian had his hands clasped behind his back, trying to regain his royal, prim posture despite the chunks of flesh missing from his side.

"Neither of you is willing to concede to the other?" Elder Fabian asked. "If one of you rejects the female, the bond will break, and you might get a second chance at a mate later in life."

The moment the word 'rejection' left his mouth, something horrific happened.

A sudden, unexpected pain ripped through my chest. It felt like a hot iron was being driven into my heart. I gasped, doubling over and clutching my stomach, unable to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Valen flinch hard, his face contorting in agony. Darian’s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his jaw set in a hard, pained line.

I wondered if it would kill them to actually cry out. They were both clearly suffering, but their pride was keeping them silent.

"What just happened?" Elder Fabian asked, his eyes darting between the three of us.

Darian took a ragged breath, slowly straightening up as he recovered. "It seems that the idea of rejection might not be possible, Elder. The bond... it reacted before we really even considered it."

Elder Fabian narrowed his eyes. "No rejection is impossible, King Darian. It just might be more agonizing than you are prepared for."

I finally caught my breath, wiping a bit of sweat from my lip. "I don't think so," I said, my voice shaking. "I've gone through a rejection before. It hurt, but it wasn't anything like that. If just the idea of it can spark that much pain, what would happen if someone actually said the words? We might all die."

I shuddered at the thought. Valen let out a low, dark chuckle.

"Well, I won't be doing any rejecting," Valen said, his black eyes fixed on me. "I can't take that chance. I don't know about Darian, though. Maybe he's willing to let her go."

"Shut up, Valen," Darian snapped. "Why would I reject my mate for you? I’m not giving her up."

"Enough!" Elder Fabian raised his hand, and the two Kings fell silent immediately.

He moved away, joining the two women. They whispered together for several minutes, their heads close as they discussed our fate. I took the chance to sneak a look at my two mates. I immediately regretted it. Both of them were already staring at me with such intensity that I felt my face turn bright red. I looked back at my shoes, feeling like a prize at an auction.

"Are you hurt?" Darian asked suddenly.

I blinked, my brain momentarily refusing to process that he was talking to me. "Huh?"

"When I threw you out of the way earlier," he said, his voice softer than it had been with Valen. "Did you hit the ground hard?"

"Oh. No, I wasn't hurt," I said, looking up at him. "You were actually very gentle, your Majesty."

I gave him a small, awkward smile, feeling a little bit of the tension leave my shoulders. But before I could even enjoy the moment, Valen cut in.

"Don't smile at him, little mate," Valen growled, his eyes flashing. "He doesn't deserve it."

Darian glared at him, his lip curling. "At least she has smiled at me, Valen. Looking at your face right now, she might never smile at you."

If it were possible for a person to breathe fire, Valen would have burned the courtyard down right then. He looked absolutely livid. Before I had to step in and try to stop them from shifting again, the elders returned.

"We have come to a decision," Elder Fabian announced. "Do you all promise to abide by it? If you break the peace on these grounds again, the consequences will be severe."

Darian took a deep, steadying breath. "Yes."

Valen paced in a small circle before stopping. "Yes."

"Dramatic prick," Darian muttered under his breath.

"And you, Raven?" Elder Fabian asked.

"Yes," I said. At this point, I figured whatever they came up with couldn't be much worse than being the center of a potential war.

"Good," Elder Fabian said. "The decision is this: Nobody is returning home today."

We all looked at him in total confusion.

"You will all stay here," he continued. "You will be moved to the main mansion under heavy guard and supervision. We cannot risk an assassination attempt, and we certainly cannot have you two killing each other over a girl. We need to see if this bond can even function."

"But why?" I asked, my voice rising. "I have friends! I have a life back at the Inker Pack."

"Your life at the Inker Pack is over for now, child," Elder Fabian said firmly. "Since you cannot go to the North and you cannot go to the South without starting a conflict, you must stay on neutral grounds. For peace to reign, you stay here."

"For how long?" I asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

Darian stepped forward, looking frustrated. "Elder, I have matters to handle in my kingdom. There are laws to sign and borders to watch. How can I stay here indefinitely?"

"You either stay here with your mate, or you go back alone," Elder Fabian said calmly. "Pick one. You are Kings and you have trusted Alphas. Have them report to you and pass your orders back to your lands. But you are not leaving. Not for anything."

I stood there, looking between the two blood-stained Kings and the stone-faced elders. This was not good. I was stuck in a mansion with two men who had been rivals for God knows how long, and both of them wanted me for themselves.

I looked up at the setting sun. This definitely wasn't going to end well.