The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Raphael

I don’t know what the fuck this is. I can’t stop thinking about her. This shouldn’t be happening. It’s as if… I’m obsessed with her. Only fated mate bonds do this, and ours doesn’t exist anymore. I’m sure I felt it break that night.

I close my eyes and see her clearly–the way she stood in my shower that day, the water tracing every curve of her skin. I begin to imagine a different outcome than what really happened. My hand glides down her back, and she shivers beneath my touch. She turns to meet my gaze, and I claim the lips I’ve wanted since the night I first cornered her. My fingers tangle in her hair, tilting her head back as my mouth finds her neck. She trembles against me, her breath catching, and the sound of her soft moan tells me she feels it too–the bond neither of us can deny.

“Raphael?”

“What?” I ask. The haze vanishes, and I’m now sitting on my throne, watching the multitude of people

dance around.

Urien sighs. “Where’s your head at tonight?”

On the most beautiful girl in this castle, but I don’t tell him that.

Urien whispers with a smirk, “That girl, perhaps?”

“What is it? What do you want?” I snap at him. Why the fuck did he interrupt my thoughts?

“Your father wants a word with you.”

The ball is underway as intended. Mother is recovering, but she’ll be back to full health, so Father left her side but surrounded her with an army of guards.

With a grunt, I get up and leisurely walk to my father, standing next to his throne. I wait for him to speak since I’m sure he knows I’m here.

Nearby, an entertainer dances as the crowd claps and cheers. He suddenly kneels, spits what smells like alcohol onto the torch he carries, and the flames flare higher, drawing gasps of awe from everyone

around.

“Were you lying?” Father finally asks, clapping at the fire wielder.

“Ask yourself–do I ever lie? And what exactly are you speaking of?” I ask.

“Your fated mate. You rejected her?”

“Yes.” There’s no hesitation in my voice, but a sudden hint of regret surfaces. My thoughts go back to yesterday. How she held me. How she comforted me. It felt right. I felt like I was meant to be in her arms.

“A fated bond is sacred, Raphael,” Father says. “Do you know how many people wish they had one? And

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you threw yours away?”

A few days ago, I would’ve wholeheartedly stood by my decision. Now, all I can do is repeat rehearsed words with no true feelings backing them up. “It’s a psychotic obsession,” I say. “That’s what a fated bond is. My mother has been miserable at your hands, and because of this obsession, you won’t let her go.”

“If she’s been miserable, it’s because she’s wanted to be. I don’t mistreat her. She loved me unconditionally once.”

“Once. She’s your prisoner now.”

“She’s welcome to leave the room, the pack house, but not the territory. Not without me. She’s mine, my mate, and I will not part with her.”

I finally turn to look at him. “Were you always like this?”

He turns and looks at me as well. “Like what?”

“Consumed by this idea of needing her.”

“It’s what a fated bond is. Your mother was the same when we first met.”

I’m surprised by this. Is he lying? All I’ve ever known of my mother is her endless struggle to escape my father.

“She was,” he assures, seeing my doubt.

I remain silent and let him speak. “We were obsessed with each other,” he says quietly. “But it consumed her. She demanded that I cast aside Isadora and Angelica, my first two mates. She refused to share me. Yet Tobias and you had already been born, and Finn was on the way. Like your mother and you, they were my responsibility too. I couldn’t simply abandon them.”

There might be some truth in what he says, but I know his true nature. He’s a selfish man, and I’m sure that even if he could’ve removed his first two mates, he wouldn’t have. Antonio, Dorian, and Emmet are proof of that. He cheated on all his mates.

Silence now reigns between us, stretching like a veil over the room. I watch Emmet closely as he moves through the crowd, irritation written on his face. He keeps his distance from the woman he’s taking as a mate, slipping away whenever she draws near.

Has Emmet changed his mind about her? If he truly wanted her, why hasn’t he marked her by now?

“By the way…” Father begins speaking again. “Do you see that beautiful young lady there?”

He points to a long–haired blond girl with blue eyes, and my fucking heart drops.

“Fera?” I whisper.

“Your soon–to–be mate has arrived along with her father, Alpha Brimstone. You haven’t spoken to her.”

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“Nor do I want to.” My face hardens, cold as stone.

“Must I remind you this was part of the deal for you to return and be near your mother? Alpha Brimstone commands one of the largest packs, and we depend on his men for this war.”

Mother fucker.

Before I answer him with irritation, my eyes are caught by someone else.

Holy… shit.

Valeria steps into the room, radiant, like royalty. The dress I chose for her fits perfectly, surpassing anything I imagined. The crowd falls silent, eyes drawn to her as if she were the only one in the room.

But… she lied to me. She said she wouldn’t come. My eyes narrow at her, even though she can’t see me. Suddenly, Tobias rushes past with such speed I can’t ignore him. My blood burns as I watch him reach

Valeria and then bow before her.

“Your name was Valeria?” he asks.

I catch every word with my sharpened werewolf hearing.

“Huh?” Valeria is completely shocked, and so am I. She looks around, trying to figure out if he’s really speaking to her.

“Uhm… yes,” she responds.

“Valeria, would you honor me with a dance?”

My father hums thoughtfully. “Hm… it seems your brother has chosen to take a second mate.”

“What?!” The word bursts from me, my surprise tangled with disgust, and jealousy most of all. It surges hot through my veins.

Father speaks to his Beta, Osric. “This is the woman who saved Alma. One of Alpha Albert Langford’s daughters?”

“Yes,” he responds.

Father nods. “She’s wolfless, but this girl has a fighting spirit, and I believe she’s a great choice.”

I leave him to his words and slip into the crowd. My gaze fixes on Valeria and Tobias, circling them like a predator stalking prey, listening closely.

“You… are the crown prince?” Valeria asks.

“I am, Valeria.” He smiles, still holding her hand.

“And you wish to dance with me?”

“I do. Please, give me the honor.”

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“Honor?” she whispers, dazed, her voice barely audible. Slowly, she nods, then adds with a trembling breath, “But I don’t know how to dance.”

Tobias chuckles. “It’s quite all right. Let me lead.”

I burn inside as I watch him take her hand, his other settling on her waist. My fists clench, nails cutting into my palms. Around us, people whisper, their eyes fixed on the pair as if the room itself has shifted toward them.

My gaze finds Roseanna, Tobias’s mate. She sits stiffly on a small chair beside his throne, staring straight ahead, unblinking. She refuses to look at Tobias and Valeria, but I see her trembling. She’s holding back that werewolf rage–the same one I’m choking down. Only royals are allowed more than one mate, like my father. I despise it. I’ve seen what it did to my mother.

I turn back to Valeria and Tobias. Tobias may do whatever the hell he wants, but not with her. Not with Valeria. He can’t have her. He can’t have her! She’s mine, she’s supposed to be mine.

And then it hits me. I’ve claimed her. The fated bond may not exist, but somewhere along the way, I claimed her as my own. I don’t even know when it happened. I want her. I want her back. And now I realize, maybe I can’t fight a fated bond. Maybe I was wrong.

Suddenly, someone almost rams into me. “Sorry, cousin,” Stephan mutters as he strides past with visible anger. He’s my father’s sister’s son and one of the trainers for the new recruits in our army, alongside my brother Antonio.

My focus drifts back to Valeria. She looks nervous, uncertain, while Tobias gazes at her with a glint in his eyes. Rage surges through me. I want to wipe that look off his face, to slap him so fucking hard he’ll never dare look at her again.

I circle the dance floor, keeping close as they move together. He speaks, and she giggles nervously. When the song ends, she politely parts from him, but his eyes cling to her, following every step. Tobias and I have never gotten along, and now my hatred burns hotter than ever.

My gaze returns to Valeria. She drifts through the room, pausing to watch the entertainers, but then her eyes find mine across the crowd. It’s as if she knows what I’m thinking. Just like before, she begins to keep her distance, slipping away each time I draw closer. Soon, she’s nearly running. But I won’t let her escape. I catch her past the doors that lead to the garden.

“If you make a scene, everyone will stare,” I warn, gripping her hand as I guide her outside. There are still people nearby, but I lead her into a shadowed corner, hidden behind tall potted trees and thick plants.

“What do you want now?” she asks.

“First of all, you said you weren’t coming. You lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie. I changed my mind.”

She thinks she’s being cute. My gaze tightens on her. “You were dancing with my brother.”

“And?” She’s defiant, and I love this side of her.

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“Why?” I ask.

“Because he asked. He was just being nice. And I can do whatever I want.”

“Do you want him?” I press, stepping closer. She retreats, each step pulling her farther back.

“What is your problem? Can’t you just leave me alone?” she snaps.

I cage her against the wall, my hands braced on either side, cutting off her escape.

“Do you like him?”

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