The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 184

The Truth 1-3

Happy. Peaceful. Completely at ease.

And beneath that, a flicker of surprise.

*Did you feel that?*

The words appeared in her mind, clear as crystal. Not spoken aloud. Not whispered. Just… there.

Iva’s eyes flew open.

She sat up so fast her head spun. Caleb was sitting up too, his expression a mixture of wonder and shock.

“Did you just-” she started.

*Talk in your head?* His mental voice was as warm as his real one. *Yes.*

Iva pressed a hand to her chest, her heart hammering.

“We can mind link,” she breathed. “We can actually mind link.”

Caleb’s shock was melting into something else-something bright and fierce and joyful. Through the bond, she felt it all.

*Only completed mates can do this,* he said inside her head. *It means the bond is fully sealed. Fully recognized. Matured.*

Iva stared at him. She could hear his voice in two places at once-in her ears and in her mind-and the sensation was dizzying and wonderful and terrifying all at once.

“This is insane,” she said aloud.

Caleb grinned. *Welcome to the rest of your life, little mate.*

She laughed-a breathless, disbelieving sound. Then she reached out and smacked his arm.

“Warn a girl next time, as initially I thought that I was hallucinating.”

*Where’s the fun in that?*

But his hand found hers, and through the bond, she felt his love wrap around her like a blanket. Warm. Safe. Unconditional.

Iva lay back down, pulling him with her. They curled up together, the day’s exhaustion finally catching up, the bond humming softly between them.

But in the quiet of Caleb’s chambers, something was leaning hard in Iva’s mind.

She sat beside him on the edge of the bed, her fingers intertwined with his, the bond humming softly between them. Everything should have felt perfect.

1/3

The Truth La

Complete.

The mate bond was sealed. The royal family had welcomed her with open arms.

And yet.

Her mind wouldn’t rest.

Claim

The question had been there since the moment he appeared in her academy bedroom. She had pushed it aside during the emotion of their reunion. She had buried it under the weight of the ceremony and the overwhelming pressure of being the Messenger. But now, in the quiet, it rose to the surface.

Iva turned to look at him.

“Caleb,” she said softly.

He turned to her immediately, his attention focused like a blade.

“How did you find me?”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. His expression shifted, something flickering behind his eyes.

“You didn’t tell me,” she continued. “After I ran away. I ended up at the Lycan Academy. I thought I covered my tracks well. I used different roads. Different names. I didn’t use my phone. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going.”

She searched his face.

“How did you find me?”

Caleb was silent for a long moment. His thumb traced slow circles on the back of her hand.

“My people,” he said finally. “I have extremely capable people. High tech equipment. Top trackers.”

Iva nodded slowly. That made sense. He was the future king. Of course he had resources she couldn’t imagine.

“And the person who impersonated me?” she asked. “The woman who pretended to be the Messenger before I was confirmed?”

The shift in Caleb was immediate.

His face went dark.

The warmth drained from his eyes, replaced by something cold and hard and ancient. His jaw tightened. His grip on her hand didn’t loosen, but it changed-became more like iron wrapped around her fingers.

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