Mated To Rival Kings

CHAPTER NINE

Raven's POV

After the elders were finally satisfied that the Kings weren't going to tear each other’s throats out again, they called for a temporary truce. They ordered Darian and Valen to go their separate ways to get patched up properly and announced that the Peace Summit festivities would continue in thirty minutes.

I was dismissed too. Elder Fabian told me to go back to my room and "freshen up," though I felt more like I needed to hide under a rock for a decade.

I entered the building through the side entrance, my heart still racing against my ribs. To my surprise, the corridors were completely empty. No servers, no guards, no whispering pack members. I was incredibly grateful for the silence. I would have hated for anyone to stare at me unabashedly after the show that just went down in the courtyard. I guess the elders had strictly ordered everyone to stay indoors while the mess was cleared away.

I reached my door and pushed it open. I didn't even have the handle fully turned before I heard the shouting. My roommates were in the middle of a loud, heated argument, their voices clashing so hard they didn't even notice I had walked in.

Hmm. I thought, closing the door behind me. The rooms must be soundproof. I hadn't heard a peep from the hallway.

The moment the door clicked shut, the three of them paused mid-sentence. They all spun around to stare at me, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open. Diane was the first to move. She scrambled off her bed and hurried over to me, grabbing my shoulders and checking me over like I’d just survived a house fire.

"Raven! Are you okay? What happened out there? We heard the growling and then the screaming!" Diane’s voice was frantic.

I let out a long, heavy sigh and walked over to my bed. I sat down on the edge, feeling every bit of the exhaustion from the last hour. I looked over, and the three of them were standing in a semi-circle around me, looking like they were ready to explode if I didn't speak soon.

"What were you guys arguing about?" I asked, trying to deflect for just a second.

Sheila shrugged, though she still looked agitated. "It was about which of the Kings is being untruthful about the bond. There’s no way both of them felt it. Someone has to be lying to start trouble."

I stared at her. "What?"

"Don't change the subject," Diane said, sitting beside me and gripping my hand. "Answer now. What did the elders say? Why were they fighting over you?"

I scooted inward, reclining my back against the cool stone wall and looking out the window. Down below, people were starting to filter back out onto the grounds, moving like ants.

"They were fighting," I said slowly, "because both of the Kings are my mates."

The room went so quiet you could hear the wind whistling through the glass. Sheila was the one to break it.

"What the f**k?" she blurted out.

Dan shook his head, looking impressed and terrified at the same time. "Only you, Raven? Damn, girl. That’s... a lot."

Diane looked at me with deep concern, her brow furrowing. "Are you sure? Like, absolutely sure?"

"Absolutely," I said. "It was supposed to be my second chance after Gary rejected me. I thought the Moon Goddess was being kind. But now it’s not just one mate, it’s two. And they’re the two most powerful, stubborn men on the planet."

Everybody went silent again, pondering the weight of what I’d just said. It was a lot to take in. I was still trying to wrap my own head around it.

"So..." Sheila said, crossing her arms. "Are you going to complete the bond with both of them? Is that even allowed? Can Kings even share a mate? It’s all a big mess."

I waved my hands in the air, feeling the frustration bubbling up. "I know, right? But the conclusion for now is that neither of us is leaving. The elders ruled that we all have to stay here on neutral grounds indefinitely. At least until they can work out if this is some kind of miracle or a disaster."

Diane’s eyes immediately got teary. She let out a small, choked sob. "Does that mean... does that mean I’m returning to the Inker Pack alone? Without you?"

I felt a lump in my throat. I reached out and placed a palm on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "I’m afraid so, Diane. I don't think I'm allowed to step foot outside these gates for a long time."

Just then, the loud chime of the courtyard bell signaled the continuation of the festivities. A roar of excitement rose from the grounds below as the wolves outside realized the show was back on.

"Well," Dan said, standing up and smoothing out his shirt. "It’s time to rejoin the crowd. Duties call."

We all nodded in agreement and filed out of the room. As we headed downstairs, I spotted Miss Freya in the foyer. She was talking passionately, and by passionately, I mean she was gesticulating with intensity to a lanky man I didn't recognize. I couldn't tell if she was angry or just overwhelmed, but her face was a bright shade of pink.

"Go ahead to your duties," I told my roommates. "I’ll meet up with you later."

I headed toward the kitchens to continue my drink-sharing duty. I figured the best thing I could do was act like nothing had happened and stay busy. I stepped into the kitchen and waited my turn. When the people in front of me had moved off with their trays, I reached for a heavy tray of prepared juices.

Before my fingers could even touch the metal, someone snatched it away.

"I'll take that," a sharp voice said.

I looked up. Miss Freya. Goddess, the woman really was everywhere. She was like a bad penny that kept showing up.

I forced a smile, trying to keep my voice steady. "Is anything the matter, Miss Freya? I was just heading out to serve."

She didn't smile back. She just looked at me with her nose turned up, her eyes scanning me from head to toe like I was a bug she was about to squash. "It is no longer appropriate for you to be serving drinks, Raven," she said, her voice dripping with something I couldn't quite identify.

"Not appropriate?" I asked, feeling confused. "Why? This was the duty I was assigned, wasn't it?"

She opened her mouth to reply, probably with something biting, but she was interrupted. A young woman ran towards the kitchen, looking out of breath.

"Hey!" she called out, looking between us. "You’re being called to the courtyard. Right now."

I blinked, wondering why this lady would be addressing Miss Freya with so little respect. Then I realized the girl was staring directly at me.

"Me?" I pointed to my chest. "Why?"

The lady shrugged, already turning to leave. "Don't know. My Alpha just said I should find the girl named Raven and tell her to get to the courtyard immediately." And with that, she walked away.

I stood there for a second, unsure of what to do. I assumed Miss Freya wouldn't let me go since she had just told me I wasn't allowed to work, so I didn't move to follow the girl. I just stayed put, waiting for instructions.

"Well?" Miss Freya shouted, her voice reaching that shrill pitch that made my ears ring. "What are you waiting for? An invitation from the Goddess herself? Go!"

I jolted, nearly jumping out of my skin, and started walking quickly in the direction of the courtyard. My mind was racing.

What now? Had the Kings started fighting again? Or were the elders about to deliver more bad news?