Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 324

I woke up to soft arms wrapped tightly around me.

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For a moment, I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe too loudly, afraid that if I did, the fragile peace of this moment might shatter like glass. It had been so long since I had woken up feeling this calm, this whole. Slowly, carefully, I opened my eyes and turned my head slightly.

Raven was still asleep beside me.

Her lashes rested gently against her cheeks, her breathing slow and even, her face relaxed in a way I had not seen in years. There was no fear in her expression, no guarded tension. She looked safe, content, beautiful in a quiet, dangerous way that made my chest ache deeply.

Carefully, I lifted my hand and brushed her hair back, exposing the mark I had given her the night before.

My breath caught instantly.

The mark was perfect.

It rested just below her collarbone, dark and elegant, the imprint of my claim wrapped around her skin as though it had always belonged there. It wasn’t angry or harsh like the marks I had seen in the past. It was beautiful and deep, glowing faintly with the magic of the bond that tied us together.

It suited her.

More than that it completed her.

A slow smile spread across my lips as pride swelled in my chest, warm and overwhelming. “You were always meant to wear my mark,” I murmured quietly, my thumb tracing the edge of it without pressing too hard. “And gods, Reven, it looks beautiful on you.”

Just then

Ethan.

My body stiffened.

The voice was deep, steady, and unmistakably male. But it didn’t come from the room. It didn’t come from Raven.

It came from inside my head.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs as I froze, my fingers curling into the sheets beneath me. For a moment, fear threatened to take over, sharp and familiar.

I’m imagining things, I told myself firmly. You’ve been through too much. You’re exhausted.

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Chapter 324

I shook my head slightly and leaned back against the pillows, forcing myself to breathe.

Ethan.

The voice came again, stronger this time, clearer.

My pulse spiked. “Enough,” I muttered under my breath. “Get yourself together.”

You hear me now.

I inhaled sharply, my throat suddenly dry. “Who’s there?” I whispered.

There was a brief pause. Then

I am your wolf.

I blinked.

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Once.

Twice.

My heart thundered so loudly I was sure Raven would wake from it alone.

“My… wolf?” I whispered hoarsely. “That’s not funny. You must be joking.”

I am not.

Emotion rushed through me too fast, too strong, blurring my vision. My chest tightened painfully.

“You’re gone,” I said, my voice cracking despite myself. “You’ve been gone for five years. I lost you.”

No, the voice replied calmly. I was never gone. I was trapped. Silenced. Bound by pain and lies.

Something inside my chest snapped completely.

A raw, broken sound tore out of my throat before I could stop it a loud, uncontrolled scream that echoed through the room.

Raven jolted awake instantly.

“Ethan!” she exclaimed, pushing herself up on her elbows, eyes wide with concern. “What’s wrong? Why are you screaming?”

I was shaking.

My hands trembled as I turned toward her, my chest heaving. “My wolf,” I said breathlessly.

Her brow furrowed confused. “Your wolf? What happened to your wolf?”

“He spoke to me,” I said, disbelief and awe flooding my voice. “For the first time in five years, he spoke to me.”

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Chapter 324

Her eyes widened. “What?”

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Before she could say anything else, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly, burying my face in her shoulder like I was afraid she would disappear.

“I knew it,” I whispered fiercely. “I knew I made the right choice. Marking you… choosing you instead of Vera… it was the right decision. I can feel it.”

“Ethan,” she gasped softly, tapping my shoulder. “Let go…. you’re suffocating me.”

I immediately loosened my grip. “I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to—”

She smiled gently and cupped my face. “I’m happy for you,” she said sincerely. “Truly. This is huge.”

I hugged her again, gentler this time, holding her like something precious.

“Now that you have your wolf back,” she added carefully, “you might be able to walk again soon.”

Hope flared in my chest like a spark catching fire, lighting up places I thought were dead forever.

“I pray so,” I whispered.

She slid off the bed and reached for her robe, pulling it around herself before walking toward the mirror. I watched as she studied the mark on her neck, her fingers brushing it softly, almost reverently.

“It’s perfect,” she said quietly. “You did this.”

My chest tightened with pride.

She turned to me. “I need to go back to my room and shower so I can come down for breakfast.”

I nodded. “I’ll see you there.”

I leaned forward and kissed her–slow, meaningful, full of promises neither of us said out loud. Then she left

the room.

When the door closed, I took a deep breath and focused inward.

Can you hear me? I asked.

I can, my wolf replied.

Emotion burned behind my eyes. I missed you.

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