Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 326

Chapter 326

Chapter 326

Alpha Ethan’s POV

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“What do you mean by she isn’t there?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. “How could she escape with the tight security in place?”

The guard standing before my desk was shaking so badly I thought his knees might give way.

Sweat dotted his forehead, his uniform clinging to him as though it could hide his fear. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides, knuckles white.

“I–I don’t know, Alpha,” he stammered. “The windows were barred. The door was locked from the outside. When we checked during the next round, she was gone.

There were signs of force… but also signs that someone helped her.”

Something cold twisted deep in my chest, spreading slowly like poison.

“Helped her?” I echoed, my voice dropping dangerously low.

“Yes, Alpha,” he said quickly, bowing his head. “She couldn’t have escaped alone. Someone must have distracted the guards… or unlocked the restraints from inside.”

My fingers curled into a fist against the desk, the wood groaning beneath the pressure.

“Who would help her?” I asked calmly, too calmly.

The guard swallowed hard. “I… I have no idea, Alpha.”

That was the final thread holding my temper together.

I stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “If I ever find out you had a hand in Vera’s escape,” I said coldly, every word deliberate and precise, “I will make sure your death is slow and unforgettable.”

The guard dropped to his knees instantly. “I swear on my life, Alpha, I had nothing to do with it!”

“Get out,” I ordered. “And pray you’re telling the truth.”

He bowed repeatedly, nearly tripping over himself as he scrambled out of the study. The door shut behind him with a heavy thud.

Silence followed.

A suffocating, dangerous silence.

I turned slowly and met Raven’s gaze.

Her eyes weren’t wide with fear. They burned with something sharper. Something deeper. Anger and hurt.

“This is your fault,” she said quietly.

The words struck harder than any physical blow.

“If you had listened to me earlier about Vera,” she continued, her voice trembling now despite her effort to stay calm, “it wouldn’t have come to this.”

I closed my eyes briefly, shame tightening my chest. “I know,” I admitted. “I made a mistake. I should have handled it

Chapter 326

differently.”

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“Mistakes like this don’t just disappear, Ethan,” she said, stepping closer. “What if she comes back? What if she tries to hurt me… or the kids?”

The thought was unbearable. My chest tightened painfully, my wolf snarling in response.

“She won’t,” I said firmly. “I won’t allow it. I swear to you, Raven, I’ll protect you and the children with my life.”

She searched my face, as if weighing my words, looking for doubt or weakness.

She found none.

“I hope you’re right,” she whispered.

I pulled her gently into my arms and kissed her slowly, steadily, grounding. For a moment, the world fell away. There was no Alpha, no threats, and no escaped prisoner. Just us.

When we pulled apart, both of us were breathless.

“I need to check on the kids,” she said softly. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Be careful,” I murmured.

After she left, the study felt colder. Empty.

I tried to work. I truly did. I forced my eyes over documents and reports, but every sound felt like a threat.

Every shadow seemed to move. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, unable to settle.

Enough.

I mind–linked Matthew.

Come to my study. Now.

Thirty minutes later, he arrived. I told him everything: the letter, Vera’s escape, and my suspicions. His concern mirrored my own.

“Then tighten security,” I ordered. “At the borders. Inside the pack. Watch the guards too. Trust no one.”

Matthew nodded grimly. “I’ll handle it.”

When he left, the room fell silent again.

I stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of leadership heavier than ever.

For the first time since morning I didn’t know what to do.

My phone vibrated on the desk.

Reven’s.

“Yes?” I answered immediately.

“It’s time for dinner,” she said softly.

“I’ll be there soon.”

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Chapter 326

“We’re not using the dining room tonight.”

I frowned. “Why?”

She laughed lightly. “You’ll see.”

The call ended.

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I sighed, carefully returning the files to their proper places. Whatever Raven had planned, I already knew it had nothing to do with titles or tradition.

I wheeled out of the study, my thoughts circling endlessly.

Why my room?

When I opened the door, I froze.

Raven sat on the bed with the children gathered around her, their laughter filling the room like warmth after a long winter. The moment they saw me, they jumped down and ran toward me.

“Daddy!”

I laughed despite myself, opening my arms as they crashed into me. I hugged them one after the other, breathing them in, grounding myself in their presence.

“Daddy, we missed you,” Zara said as she gave me that her puppy eyes. “I’m sorry, princess.

Daddy was busy, and I promise to spend more time with you and your siblings, ok?” I told her as she nodded. Raven smiled. “Come sit.”

She settled the kids back onto the bed and served the food she had prepared. Simple. Warm. Perfect.

“I wanted this to be a family dinner,” she said quietly. “Just us.”

I helped her share the food with the kids

Emotion tightened my throat. “It’s perfect.”

We ate, laughed, and shared stories. The kids argued over silly things. Reven’s laughter rang freely, as though fear had loosened its grip for now.

For the first time in a long while, my chest felt light.

I watched them my mate, my children, and something fierce and tender settled deep within me,

“I wish things could stay like this forever,” I said softly.

Raven met my gaze, her smile gentle… but knowing.

“So do I.”

But even as laughter filled the room, my wolf stirred uneasily.

Because somewhere out there, Vera was free.

And happiness, I was learning, never came without a price.

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