Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 378

Chapter 378

Reven’s POV

I woke up the next day earlier than necessary.

For a few seconds, I lay still, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, my heart pounding as if I had been running in my sleep. It always happened like this: waking up disoriented, a hollow ache blooming in my chest before reality settled back into place.

You don’t remember anything.

The thought was no longer new, yet it still hurt every single tit

pale gray

of dawn. Edna was still asleep, curled

I turned my head slowly. The other side of the room was dim, washed in the on her side, one arm tucked beneath her pillow, her breathing deep and steady.

A strand of her dark hair had fallen across her face, and for a moment I just watched her, feeling something tight twist inside my chest.

Gratitude. Guilt. Fear.

She had taken me in when I had nothing no memories, no family, no identity beyond a name given to me by hospital staff. She fed me, clothed me, sheltered me, and helped me learn how to exist again in a world that felt like it belonged to someone else.

And yet… things between us had been strained.

Ever since that night.

Ever since I asked about the little boy at the mall.

My throat tightened at the memory. The way her face had hardened. The way she shut down. The way she avoided my eyes afterward.

We barely spoke now. Only polite greetings. No laughter. No late–night conversations. No stories about a past I couldn’t remember.

I hated it.

I slowly pushed the blanket aside and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her. The floor was cold under my feet as I made my way to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind me.

The mirror greeted me with a stranger’s face.

Long dark hair. Pale skin. Eyes that looked older than they should tired in a way that didn’t belong to someone my age. Sometimes I stared at myself and tried to feel recognition, but nothing ever came. Just emptiness.

“Good morning,” I whispered to my reflection.

My voice sounded foreign too.

I brushed my teeth slowly, mechanically, watching the foam gather at the corners of my mouth. Then I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me, soaking into my skin, washing away the lingering heaviness of sleep.

Steam filled the small bathroom, fogging the mirror completely until even my reflection disappeared.

Part of me wished my thoughts could disappear just as easily.

Mull, red 10

Chapter 378

As I washed my hair, flashes of something not memories exactly, more like sensations, flickered at the edge of my mind. Cold air. Running. Fear. A voice calling my name.

Reven

My chest tightened.

“Stop,” I muttered under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut. “It’s nothing. Just your imagination.”

Because that’s what the doctors said. Trauma sometimes created phantom memories. Echoes. Illusions.

Not truth.

By the time I stepped out of the shower, my skin was flushed pink from the heat. I dried off, changed into simple clothes for work, and opened the bathroom door.

Edna was awake.

She was sitting up in bed, scrolling through her phone, her expression neutral, too neutral. When she looked up, our eyes met for a split second before she glanced away.

“Morning,” I said softly.

“Morning,” she replied, her tone flat.

Nonchalant.

Distant.

Something inside me sank.

Since that night, every conversation felt like walking on broken glass. Careful. Painful. Fragile.

I swallowed hard. Not today, I told myself. We can’t keep going like this.

“I’m heading out soon,” I added, forcing a small smile.

She hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything else.

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.

I grabbed my bag, pretending to check its contents while my heart pounded in my ears. Say it. Apologize. Fix this.

But the words stuck.

Coward.

I turned away quickly and busied myself getting dressed properly, pulling on my shoes, tying my hair back, anything to avoid the tension suffocating the room.

Edna stood and walked past me toward the bathroom without another word.

The door clicked shut.

I exhaled shakily.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the empty room.

But that wasn’t enough.

21:07 Mon, Feb 16 M

Chapter 378

I moved to the tiny kitchen area and made myself coffee, the bitter aroma filling the apartment.

vou

My hands trembled slightly as I wrapped them around the warm mug and sat down at the small table facing the door.

Waiting.

For her to come out.

For courage.

Minutes ticked by, marked only by the faint drip of the faucet and the distant sounds of traffic beginning to swell outside. I stared at the coffee, watching thin wisps of steam curl upward, my mind replaying the same thought over and over.

She helped you. Don’t lose her too.

Finally, the bathroom door opened.

Edna stepped out, already dressed for her morning shift, her hair neatly tied back, her nurse’s uniform crisp and professional. She paused when she saw me still sitting there.

Surprise flickered across her face.

“You’re still here?” she asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to work?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah… I am.”

“Then why”

“I stayed because of you.”

The words came out before I could stop them.

Her brows drew together. “Because of me? What’s wrong?”

My throat tightened. I set the mug down carefully so she wouldn’t see my hands shaking.

“I don’t like… how things have been between us lately.”

Silence.

Heavy. Fragile.

“I’m sorry,” I continued, forcing myself to meet her eyes. “For asking you questions about my past. It’s clear you don’t know anything… and I shouldn’t have pushed.”

Her expression softened, just slightly.

“I won’t ask again,” I added quickly. “I just… I don’t want us to keep being like this.”

For a moment she didn’t move.

Then she sighed, the tension draining from her shoulders.

“It’s fine,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I know you want to remember. Anyone would.”

Something inside my chest loosened, like a knot slowly unraveling.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Maybe… maybe it’s better if I don’t know.”

21:07 Mon, Feb 16 MJ

Chapter 378

Her eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Then she stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.

Warm. Firm. Familiar.

I I 1 froze for a second before melting into it, clutching her back like I

“Are we good?” I asked softly.

“Of course we are,” she murmured.

Relief hit me so hard my eyes burned.

as afraid she might disappear.

“I missed you,” I admitted. “Talking about random things…. stories I don’t remember.”

She chuckled softly. “When we get back from work, I’ll tell you everything you missed.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

I smiled for real this time.

“Okay, I should go,” I said reluctantly. “I’m already late.”

She nodded, walking me toward the door.

But just as I reached for the handle

“Reven… wait.”

I turned. “What’s wrong?”

She hesitated, studying my face carefully.

“Do you really want to work there?”

The question caught me off guard.

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