Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Valen’s POV

I had been irrationally angry all day, and the worst part was that I didn’t know how to stop it. It was like a black sludge had settled in my veins, making every word Darian spoke sound like an insult and every breath I took feel like a struggle for air. I hated the walls of this mansion. I hated the silent judgment of the Elders. Most of all, I hated the way I felt whenever I looked at Raven, like I was a drowning man and she was the only piece of wood floating in a stormy sea.

It was no shock that the moment I finally closed my eyes to sleep, I was plunged straight into a nightmare.

In the dream, I was standing in a massive hall with stone floors that were soaked in blood. The air was thick with the metallic tang of it. My hands were heavy, and when I looked down, my sharp claws were buried deep into a woman’s chest. Her face was unknown, but her eyes were clear. They were wide, terrified, and leaking tears that fell rapidly onto the crimson floor. She clutched her belly, gasping for air that wouldn't come.

I retracted my hand with a sickening squelch, and rivulets of fresh blood spilled over my knuckles.

I stared at the red staining my skin, my mind completely numb. Why was there so much? I looked around the hall, seeing shadows of bodies slumped against the pillars. Did I do all this?

The horror of it hit me hard. I clutched my head, my fingers digging into my scalp, and I started howling. It was a sound of bone-deep anguish. My control over Ash snapped. I could feel my wolf surging forward, his rage blending with my grief. He took over my body, thrashing around the blood-soaked hall, trying to tear the walls down just to escape the sight of the c*****e.

Suddenly, a heavy weight pressed down on me.

The ceiling felt like it was collapsing on me. It angered me, but it scared me more. I felt pinned, trapped in the room with the people I had just killed.

"Let me go!" I screamed, or maybe I thought I screamed. "I need to leave this place!"

I didn't want to see the bodies anymore. I didn't want to be the monster. I thrashed harder, but the weight remained, steady and frustratingly strong. Panic started blending with my fury.

Let me go!

Then, a word pierced through the dark haze. A name.

Raven.

Where had I heard that before? My mind struggled to place it, but the sound of it felt like a cool breeze on a scorched day. It sounded like peace. It sounded like comfort. It sounded like the only safety I had ever known.

Then, I smelled it. Beneath the scent of blood and stone in my nightmare, a real scent began to bloom. Flowery, sweet, and incredibly grounding.

This must be Raven. I must go to them. I need help. Save me. Please.

With a desperate burst of strength, I freed myself from the weight holding me down. I just needed to reach that scent. I rushed in the direction of the smell, my movements frantic and blind. I collided with something—or someone—and for a split second, the predator in me wanted to bite.

But then I realized it felt human. Small.

No. Can't hurt my salvation.

At the very last second, as we went crashing down toward the floor, I twisted my body. I hit the ground on my back, the impact jarring my spine and knocking the wind out of me, but I didn't let go. I had my salvation in my arms.

They felt so small against my chest… and curvy. A woman? She smelled better than anything I had ever encountered in my life. I buried my face into the crook of her neck, breathing her in until the blood-soaked hall in my mind dissolved into nothingness. I just held her, my heart slowing down as I realized I could finally breathe again.

My salvation, please don't leave me, I thought, my mind still half-lost in the fog. I am so lost without you. My life is in your hands.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of voices.

"...feel comfortable?"

"Yes, but who knows what is going on with him?"

I blinked repeatedly, the ceiling of my room in the mansion slowly coming into focus. The room was a wreck—a chair was smashed, and the rug was bunched up near the door. My consciousness returned and the memories of the last few minutes started flooding in. Darian pinning me. Raven running toward us. Me tackling her.

Ah, f**k.

I must have had a really bad episode this time. My face burned with a sudden, intense heat. I sat up slowly, realizing I was still holding the person in my arms with a grip like iron. It was Raven. She looked sleepy, her hair a mess and her eyes blinking up at me.

I looked up and saw Darian standing a few feet away. He looked just as sleepy as she did, his hair tousled and his shirt hanging open, but his eyes were sharp and full of judgment.

I felt a wave of embarrassment so strong I wanted to shift and run into the woods. They had seen it. They had seen me breakdown. I cleared my throat, trying to find some shred of dignity.

Raven looked at me, her voice soft. "Are you awake now?"

I nodded, unable to meet her eyes. "I… apologize for being an inconvenience."

Darian didn't miss a beat. He folded his arms over his chest, his expression hard. "It's good you know how much of an inconvenience you were. I almost had to knock you out just to keep you from putting a hole in the floor."

"Be nice, your majesty," Raven said, shooting Darian a hard look. Then she looked back at me. "Can you release me now?"

I looked down and realized I was still holding her against me, my fingers dug into her upper arms. When I let go, I saw that her skin had become red where I’d gripped her. A wave of self-loathing washed over me. I had hurt her. Even in my madness, I had managed to leave a mark.

She stood up and stretched, her joints popping. "It’s been over an hour. My body aches, but it’s fine."

She looked down at me, her expression softening. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

I looked away, remaining silent. What was I supposed to say? That I dreamed of murdering people? That I’m terrified of my own self?

"So, you cause this much trouble and still won't give us anything?" Darian cut in, his voice dripping with irritation.

Raven looked at Darian, her expression completely exasperated. "Please stop, your majesty."

She turned back to me, ignoring him. "Does it happen often?"

"Not often," I muttered.

"The events of yesterday probably triggered it, right?" she asked.

I looked up at her, surprised. I didn't expect her to be so perceptive. I nodded slowly.

"I can't believe your emotions are this fickle," Darian said, shaking his head. "A King should have more control."

Raven whirled around to face him. "One more word from you and you will get kicked out of this room. I mean it."

Darian looked irritated, his jaw tightening, but he actually folded his arms and looked away. He usually was so composed and in control, but I could tell he was on edge. He probably hated that I had put Raven through that ordeal, and he hated even more that he couldn't deal with me himself.

Raven bent down so she was eye-level with me as I sat on the floor. She reached out, her hand hesitating for a second before she tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

"We don't know what the Elders want from us yet," she said, her voice gentle and warm. "But no matter what it is, I will look for a way to save you, okay?”

I stared at her, my heart thumping a strange rhythm against my ribs.

"For now, don't entertain thoughts of me leaving you," she continued. "It’s clearly detrimental to your health."

A small, tired smile touched her lips. Then, she leaned in. I expected her to say something else, but instead, I felt the soft pressure of her lips against my forehead.

My heart skipped two beats.