Scarlet Moon: The Marked Heir

CHAPTER SEVEN

Lioran's POV

“Ahh damn… give it to me harder, Alpha…” Ruby let out a soft sound, gripping the edge of the bed as she felt the intensity building from behind.

This time, I wasn't in the right headspace; my thoughts were still in turmoil. My pride was slowly being chipped away, piece by piece. If the moon goddess intends to toy with my fate, she could have simply given me a heads-up.

“Lior…” Ruby let out a piercing scream as I lunged at her, my blood surging with intensity. The wolf inside me roamed restlessly… It scratches at the edges of my consciousness, yearning to emerge completely.

Ruby was powerful, capable of supporting me, yet in this moment, it seemed as though I was shattering her.

“No… it’s impossible for him to be the one…” A primal growl stirs inside me. The tension that hung in the air was unavoidable.

“Silence, Raven. I need to gather my thoughts.” I silently reprimanded Raven, narrowing my eyes briefly.

I once found pleasure in this, but it seems that joy has faded away. I could never tell if my actions were causing her pain, or if she was simply putting on a show.

“You and I understand that we cannot escape the reality, Lioran.” Raven's voice echoed inside me, “the connection has only deepened.”

I let out a frustrated hiss; Raven wasn’t being any help either. Yet, it felt utterly strange. My thoughts drifted back to that time a week ago when I ventured into the woods for a hunt.

Just at the edge of the academy, with a determined expression, lies the northern territory. Two footsteps echoed in the silence, drawing my focus.

“That doesn’t sound like…” a low growl escaped, scratching at the surface of my skin.

But it wasn’t a sound made by a prey, it had a similar quality. I gazed intently, my eyes cutting through the bushes. Unless we were engaged in a hunting game or had obtained permission from the council, leaving the academy was off-limits to us.

Except for me… and the other heirs at the academy could. Then I felt my heart tighten, the scent was intense, so intense. I was never really interested in searching for my mate, despite my father's insistence that I do so at any cost.

Being in the academy made me feel like my mate was drawing closer.

I sensed a primal force stirring inside me, eager to emerge and claim its shape. I tried my best to hold him back, it was more like a fight with my inner wolf.

He was powerful and untamed; if I didn't keep him in check, he could cause harm to anyone. That's why with each passing day, he grew more intense, more formidable, and more aggressive.

With a fierce hunger to tear apart and consume whatever crosses his path.

“Mate…” Raven’s voice echoed in my thoughts, primal and unwavering.

“Calm down raven…” I let out a breath, my eyes drifting over the passersby, and next to a man, there was a girl beside him, though her face remained hidden from view. Raven snarled, his claws sinking into the ground beside me, filled with fury and restlessness.

“She’s slipping away, Lioran,” he urged, his voice barely a whisper in my mind. “Please, let me see her before she leaves.”

“I don’t want to frighten her.”

…

But if that person I saw back then, why am I now being connected with that boy? This is completely baffling.

“It seems you’re angry, Lioran…” she gasped, digging her nails into the pillow. “You’re driving me insane.”

“Shut up.” I retorted, grabbing her panties from the bed and stuffing them into her mouth. I felt the urge to reflect, to understand my next steps.

I placed my hand on her neck, gripping it firmly, constricting her breath with each thrust, growing more intense and forceful. Her body faltered, her cries echoed through the space. No, I wasn’t finished; Raven craved more, and she was just right for me, someone who could embrace all that I offered.

But why did she feel so vulnerable at this moment? Have I become stronger? I clenched my lips and tugged at her hair, yanking it fiercely until another exhilarating scream escaped her lips.

"Lioran!”

Absolutely, just what I was looking for. I craved the echoes of terror. My grip on her neck intensified, her eyes starting to sink deeper, and that was the moment I released her, yet I continued to thrust from behind.

“Please…” she pleaded, her voice trembling with uncertainty. Out of nowhere, the door swung open, cutting me off.

I let out a frustrated growl, poised to unleash my fury and strike. I despised the interruption at that moment, but then the wave of pleasure crashed over me, and I withdrew, spilling myself across her body.

Rowan stood, his eyes filled with disdain as he regarded us. “Quit pretending to be a saint,” I scoffed, shifting my belt into place. “You do this more than I do.”

“Leave!” he commanded, directing his words at Ruby, who lay nearly motionless on the bed, slowly gathering her strength. Ruby trembled, snatched her clothes, and bolted from the room.

“Perhaps I need to bring some clarity to your mind and show you the proper way to knock.” I snatched my shirt and slipped it on, avoiding even a glance at Rowan.

“Oh, so you think that gives you an edge?” he grinned, yanking the bed sheet away and tossing it aside. I cast a fleeting look at it, yet remained unresponsive. I would replace it with another one anyway and had one of the omegas take care of washing it.

“You already know why you’re here, no need for me to ask.”

He released a brief chuckle and kicked the bed sheet away with his foot. “Earlier, I got a call from Dad.”

I rolled my eyes; I could tell he was itching to ask both of us if we had found our mates. He thought that the one who discovered a partner first could be the next to rise as the leader, succeeding him.

“I can see it now, he probably asked about whether you’ve found your mate?”

Rowan nodded, a playful glint in his eyes. We locked eyes and then erupted into laughter. For me, it wasn’t merely amusing; it was utterly heartbreaking, following those astonishing turns of fate from the Moon goddess.

“Even though I totally rejected mine last week,” he said, gazing at his hand as if he anticipated something to emerge from it.

“What’s the reason?”

He casually shrugged and settled onto the sofa at the far end, right next to the window. “She’s an omega, and besides, they’ve treated her like a plaything. I can’t have someone like that as my mate.”

Was he actually serious? It was akin to a wolf criticizing another for its howl. Often, we think that the other gender is clueless about their desires, yet there are moments when we ourselves are just as clueless.

“Don’t judge me,” He pushed his hair back with confidence. “I always get the best.”

“And where do you believe you would discover the best, when you also sleep around, and you turned her away, simply because she shares a similar quality as you?”

His body coiled with fury, his fist tightening into a hard ball. I could tell he was holding back from transforming, probably because he knew I would end up hurting him and breaking a bone once more. He resembled father in every way, with that fiery temper and a knack for making poor choices consistently.

“What about you?” He tossed the question my way, moving closer with a predatory grace. “Are you saying that up until now, you still haven’t found your mate, Lioran?”

“I can promise you that many of those she-wolves out there would attempt to entice you into claiming and marking them as your mate.”

Forget about them. I don’t simply take any she-wolf; I find and claim them as my own. Raven won't do that either; instead, he would seek to cause me pain while attempting to get it.

“Rather than giving me a lecture,” I said sharply, “why don’t you take action instead?”

Rowan chuckled once more, circling around me as if this were some sort of inquiry. He reacts this way when he uncovers something intriguing about me, and his curiosity is piqued.

“Everyone at the academy is talking about you, brother.” He rested his hand on my shoulder, “Should I be curious about why the well-known, laid-back Veylar brother sent everyone running from the hall, except for the newcomer?”

My entire body stiffened at once, but I quickly masked it, brushing Rowan's hand away from my shoulder. “So, what makes you think the new guy was hanging out with me?”

“I mean, there are cameras, Lioran. It seems that everyone around us is quite intrigued by our presence. We’re practically a well-known figure here, particularly when it involves someone like you who has a certain... detachment.”

Raven snarled inside, ready to pounce, yet I held his gaze, a smirk curling at the corners of my mouth. I used to leap at him every time he uttered those words, but now, I feel a change within me, a strange sense of joy.

“Just get out, Rowan.” I gestured dismissively, my back turned to him.

“No, from the way the video played out, it seemed incredibly intense. I mean, what made you get so close to him?” He sprang at me, his voice deep, cutting, and filled with challenge.

“Please don’t say you’ve developed an interest in guys now.” I stood still, my breath caught in my throat. I tightened my grip, questioning whether Rowan truly caught our words. I turned to him slowly, and he pulled out his phone, revealing a video.

“See what we've done to him, though?” He pressed the play button. In the video, Roi clutches Arian firmly, his hand positioned just under his jaw.

His face was a mask of fear, with tears on the brink of spilling over. I kept my composure while watching the video, but inside, I sensed something unusual, and Raven reacted sharply at the sight of it.

What was happening?

It simply cannot and will not happen. I’m still trying to figure out, what to do, to snap that link bond. But his scent, became more intoxicating, each time, i come closer to him.

“And what do you want me to do?” i scoffed, dragging the phone from him and threw it at the bed, his smile wearing off. “I found that fucker in the woods a week ago, and he kinda seemed familiar. You know the rules here.”

“Now get out of my room, and stop bothering the new boy.”

I innerly chuckled at myself, wondering how easily i could lie, in a way that was easily believable. I didn’t have to think twice before uttering words out of my mouth, and they always go as i want it, without me regretting it.

“Oh why do you want me to stop bothering the new boy?” he dashed at the side of the bed and grabbed the phone placing it in his pocket. “I posted that video, and just like me, everyone is curious, and they’re all chasing him, wherever he goes.”

He walked towards me and patted my shoulders “you know, its unlike you to talk to new comers. But right now, the little change is driving the students crazy.”

“Just like Henry…” my eyes darkened at the mention of that name. “Arian, is next brother.”