Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Raven's POV

The night air was crisp and cool, a welcome change from the sweltering fever that had ruled my body for the last three days. My heat was finally over, and I felt much better—clear-headed and light. I stayed out late in the beautiful gardens, surrounded by the scent of night-blooming flowers and damp earth.

With only the moon providing light, the garden looked like something out of a dream. I knew the Kings were supposed to be released by now, but I felt too lazy to move. I was perfectly content lying on my spread-out blankets, watching the stars.

Then, the wind shifted.

I caught a scent that didn't belong in this territory. It was the smell of crushed grapes and bitter olives. My heart skipped a beat as I sat up. Gary.

I was in total shock. Gary shouldn’t be anywhere near here. I thought he had returned home with his father, Alpha Hilton, days ago.

I stood up cautiously and followed the scent toward the edge of the tree line. There, standing in the light, was a large, golden-brown wolf. As the son of an Alpha, Gary’s wolf was impressive and well-built.

Not as impressive as our mates, Eva remarked snidely in my head.

I couldn’t help but smile as I concurred. The golden wolf shifted, and I quickly looked away as I heard the rustle of clothes. I turned back impatiently once I heard him finish, though I still felt a lingering, subconscious bit of respect for him. He was, after all, the future Alpha of the only home I had ever known.

"What are you doing here, Gary?" I asked, keeping my voice firm.

He lifted his hands in a universal sign of peace. "I’m not a threat, Raven. That’s probably why the sentries haven't torn me apart yet. They can tell I’m not here to fight. I actually came to see you. My father sent me to apologize."

I raised a skeptical brow. "You came all the way back here just to apologize? To me? Why? And did you run the whole way?"

Gary looked down at his boots, shifting his weight. "It’s just the right thing to do, Raven. After everything..."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "No, it’s because you’re trying to get in my good graces. You’re worried I’ll tell the Kings how poorly the Inker pack treated me and instigate them against you."

Gary flinched as if I’d slapped him.

"I don’t know what to think about that," I continued. "The Inkers are my pack regardless of what happened. I grew up there. My friends are there. Why would I want to see it destroyed?"

Gary mumbled something under his breath.

"Speak up," I said sharply. I was surprised by my own tone, but I wasn't the lowly Omega anymore. I was starting to feel a new sense of confidence and authority blooming inside me.

"The leadership might be taken from our bloodline," he finally admitted, his voice cracking.

I let out a short, unamused laugh. "I knew it. You couldn’t possibly have genuinely wanted my forgiveness. You’re here to save your own hide. Well, like I said, I wasn’t planning on doing any such thing. You guys didn't do right by me, but your father is a good leader. The people are doing well under him, so I have no reason to interfere."

Gary looked visibly relieved, his shoulders dropping. I eyed him, clicking my tongue in disappointment.

"Now that that’s settled, you should leave," I said. "You really do not want the King of the North to find you here. He acts first and asks for explanations much later."

Gary blanched, his face turning ashen. He immediately started pulling his clothes off to shift back and make a run for it, but before he could finish, a pair of deafening, territorial roars ripped through the garden.

Fuck, f**k, f**k.

Gary seemed to be thinking the same thing. He paled further and gave up on trying to save his clothes, shifting instantly into his wolf form. He hadn't even run ten yards before a massive, ash-brown wolf collided roughly with him, pinning him to the dirt. Not far behind was a gigantic dark wolf, his eyes glowing with fury.

Now that they were all in one place, the size difference was staggering. Gary’s wolf, which I had once thought was huge, looked like a pup compared to Darian and Valen. Both Kings were baring their teeth, their hackles raised, while Gary looked absolutely petrified, tucked into a submissive ball.

"Why do I even care?" I muttered to myself. I started running toward them, knowing they wouldn't strike if I was in the way. I stepped between the Kings and the cowering golden wolf, holding my hands out.

Darian’s wolf gave me a look that clearly said, What do you think you are doing? Valen’s wolf didn't even look at me; he was too focused on the intruder he clearly wanted to teach a lesson.

"Stop it!" I yelled. "It’s Gary, the son of Alpha Hilton. Don't hurt him." I looked pointedly at Valen. He let out a disgruntled huff and sat back on his haunches, looking sorely displeased but willing to listen.

While still facing the Kings, I gestured wildly behind my back for Gary to get out of there. He didn't waste a single second. The golden wolf scrambled to his feet and bounded off into the night like his tail was on fire.

Darian shifted back to human form without ceremony. I squeaked and averted my eyes, but I heard him pulling on a pair of trousers he must have stashed nearby.

"What did he want?" Darian asked, his brow furrowed in a deep frown.

"You know... just to apologize for the past," I said, trying to sound casual.

Darian tilted his head, his eyes searching mine. He clearly knew there was more to the story, but he decided to let it go for now. He walked closer to me, the scent of rain following him. "I missed you, Raven."

I felt myself blush at the unexpected sentiment. "I missed you too."

"I would hug you," Darian said, stopping a foot away, "but I probably don't smell very good right now."

I didn't care. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his bare chest anyway. Darian stiffened in surprise for a moment before his arms came around me, pulling me tight. Funnily enough, he didn't smell bad at all. His natural scent was just way amplified. I had to resist the urge to rub my face against his skin.

Then, I felt a cold, wet snout bump into the back of my leg. I pulled away from Darian to find Valen’s massive dark wolf standing there. I draped myself over his neck, burying my fingers in his thick fur. He kept nudging my legs with his head until I realized what he wanted.

"I think he wants me to get on," I said, looking at Darian.

Darian didn't look concerned, so I figured it was safe. Valen crouched low to the ground, and I gripped his fur, swinging my leg over his back. My grip was light because I was afraid of hurting him, but Valen let out a low, warning growl.

"You should hold on tighter than that," Darian advised with a smirk.

I tightened my hold, burying my hands deep in his mane. Valen took off with a burst of speed I wasn't expecting. We blurred through the garden, the wind whipping my hair back and stinging my cheeks. I couldn't help it—I started laughing. The rush of the night air was incredibly refreshing.

After a few laps around the perimeter, he brought me back to Darian and stopped. He shifted back, his dark eyes looking so bright they almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. I grinned at him, but then Darian threw a pair of shorts at his head and swiveled me away.

Valen snorted but pulled the shorts on. Together, the three of us walked back into the mansion. Valen hung back for a moment to speak with one of the guard wolves while Darian steered me toward the kitchens.

"I'm starving," I admitted.

"So are we," Darian said.

The kitchen staff had left plenty of food ready for the Kings' release. We sat at the small breakfast bar and ate while making small talk about the gardens and the weather. The Kings finished their mountain of food much faster than I did.

"We’re going to head up and get cleaned up," Darian said, standing. "We'll see you in the lounge?"

"I'll be there in a bit," I said, continuing with my meal.

When I finally made it back up to the lounge, I found Darian sitting on the oversized sofa. He was dressed in soft pajamas, and with his damp hair and relaxed posture, he looked surprisingly unassuming and cute. I chuckled to myself as I sat down beside him.

I heard the sound of running water from the bathroom and figured Valen was finally getting his shower. I leaned back and started telling Darian about the books I had read to pass the time while they were in the dungeons.

A while later, Valen joined us, wearing a dark singlet and sweatpants. He looked exhausted but peaceful. He sat on my other side and I felt amazingly happy.

Eventually, we all drifted off to sleep together on the oversized lounge sofa, a tangled mess of limbs and blankets.