Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Raven's POV

Before I could even wrap my head around Diane being dragged out of the mud, a massive human arm wrapped around my middle. With a grunt of effort, I was hauled upward, the suction of the bog popping as I was pulled free. I landed on solid ground, my fur matted with stinking peat and my heart hammering against my ribs.

I scrambled to my paws and looked over at Diane. A huge, battle-scarred gray wolf was standing over her. He was twice the size of any Alpha I had ever seen but not as big as the Kings. He loomed over Diane’s smaller, shaking form, growling a low, threatening sound that vibrated in my own chest. But he wasn't attacking. He began licking her over, his tongue rough as he cleaned the thick mud from her face and neck. It was a strange, aggressive kind of care.

When he seemed satisfied that she wasn't going to die, he simply stepped off her, turned and walked into the dark woods without a second glance.

What the hell? I thought, my ears twitching.

"Shift."

The voice was like a whip cracking in the night. I turned my head and saw Darian. He was standing a few feet away, shirtless and wearing only a pair of black athletic shorts. His muscles were tight, and he looked like he wanted to punch a tree.

Shift? No thank you, I thought. I was covered in mud, I was naked underneath this fur, and I was exhausted. But the moment the thought crossed my mind, I felt my bones start to morph.

Eva, you b***h! I screamed in my head.

Why hide from mate? Eva replied simply. He is here. We are safe.

That’s not how humans think! I yelled back, but it was too late. The change was already happening.

To Darian’s credit, the moment he saw my form begin to shift, he looked away. He reached down to a bag he must have brought with him and tossed a large t-shirt toward me. It landed on my head just as my human skin hit the cool air.

"Get dressed," he said, his voice tight.

I sat on the damp grass, shivering as I pulled the shirt over my head. It was huge on me, reaching down to my mid-thighs, and it smelled like him—rain. Darian finally turned back to face me. He looked pissed.

"What happened?" he demanded. He looked over at Diane, who was still in her wolf form, looking small and miserable. "You too. Shift."

I guessed the command was unquestionable for her. Diane didn't even hesitate, she shifted immediately. Within seconds, she was standing there completely nude, her skin covered in black streaks of mud. I jumped up, ignoring my own shaky legs, and stood in front of her to shield her from Darian's view.

"It was a mistake," I said quickly, my voice trembling.

Darian ran a hand through his hair, pacing a small circle. "Why didn't you stay on the path? The scouts marked the safe zones for a reason, Raven."

"We did stay on the path," I countered, feeling a spark of defensiveness. "We just... fell in. It looked like solid ground under the leaves."

He let out a long, heavy sigh. The anger seemed to drain out of him, replaced by a weary sort of concern. He stepped closer, his eyes scanning my face. "Are you okay? Both of you?"

"Yes," I whispered. "We're fine. Just dirty."

"Both of you head back and clean up," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The run is almost over, and the buses will be leaving soon."

Before I could say thank you, he turned and disappeared into the trees in a blur of speed.

I turned to Diane, who was huddled behind me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she breathed, her eyes wide.

I looked toward the spot where the gray wolf had disappeared. "Diane... do you know who that was?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "Alpha Storm."

I just nodded. We didn't waste any more time. We ran back toward the edge of the woods. I grabbed my folded clothes from where I had hidden them and gave them to Diane so she wouldn't have to walk back to the guest house naked.

We found a small stream nearby, away from the main festivities. The water was freezing, but we didn't care. We scrubbed the mud off our skin and out of our hair, the terror of the bog slowly fading as we splashed each other.

By the time we got back to the main grounds, the atmosphere had shifted from wild celebration to a flurry of activity. The sun was fully gone now, and the bright floodlights of the mansion illuminated the chaos. People were dragging suitcases, shouting for their pack mates, and loading into long lines of buses.

Everyone was leaving.

I felt a strange pang in my chest as I watched them. I was the only one staying behind. I saw Valen in the distance, surrounded by a group of Northern Alphas. His face was stern, his jaw set as he gave what looked like a series of dos and don'ts. The Alphas looked intimidated, nodding quickly at whatever he was saying.

I found Diane near the South buses. We held each other tight, the goodbye feeling much heavier than I expected.

"I'll come visit," Diane promised, her eyes red-rimmed. "If the Alpha allows it... if Storm allows it... I'll find a way."

"You better," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "And remember what I said. If he’s mean to you, you send me a message. I mean it."

We hugged one last time before she climbed onto the bus. Miss Freya was standing by the door, acting as the coordinator for the Southern packs. She looked me up and down, her nose twitching.

"Be a good girl, Raven," she said, her voice sharp as ever. "Don't forget your lessons. And for the Goddess's sake, try not to act inappropriately. You represent more than just yourself now."

I resisted the massive urge to roll my eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

The engines rumbled to life, and one by one, the buses began to pull away, their taillights disappearing down the long driveway. Within twenty minutes, the silence was absolute. The only people left in the courtyard were me, the Kings, a few guards, and the Elders.

The woman with pale, almost translucent eyes stepped forward. I had heard someone call her Matilda earlier, she was one of the elders.

"The festivities are concluded," Matilda said, her voice calm and echoing in the empty space. "I will show you to your living quarters. You are permitted to stay only in the designated areas. You are not to wander indefinitely into any other part of the mansion."

We followed her into the main building. It feels different now. We climbed a grand staircase and walked down a long, carpeted hallway until we reached a set of massive oak doors.

"The Royal Suite," Matilda announced, pushing the doors open.

We stepped inside, and I stopped dead. It was a shared wing. There was a large central lounge with plush velvet sofas and a massive fireplace. Off to the sides were three separate bedroom doors. At the far end of the lounge, another set of double doors stood open, revealing a bathroom larger than my entire old apartment, featuring a massive stone pool for bathing.

I looked at Darian, who was standing to my left, and then at Valen, who was on my right. We were all standing in the middle of the lounge, realizing the same thing at the same time.

We weren't just staying in the same building. We were living together.

"Well," Valen said, his voice breaking the silence with a dark, amused edge. "This should be interesting."

Darian didn't say anything. He just looked at the three doors, then back at me, his amber eyes unreadable.