The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Valeria

I rush inside, unable to believe what I just heard from Raphael’s mouth. How coldly he says those things after what he did. After he destroyed our fated bond. He’s toying with me. What a horrible man. They all are. At this point, I don’t want a mate.

I wipe my tears and force myself to stop crying. Looking up, I see trapeze acrobats gliding across the ceiling. The show has begun. People watch in awe.

“I’ve been looking for you!” Mother grabs my arm, her voice sharp in my ear, low enough that no one else can hear. “Explain yourself.”

Which part is she talking about?

“Why are you here, and how is it that you were dancing with the Alpha Crown Prince?” she asks.

“Father allowed me to come since my bruises are gone. You can ask him.”

She grips both my arms, her eyes locked on mine, waiting silently, demanding the rest of what I have to

say.

“The prince just asked me to dance. I don’t know why,” I reply.

She studies me, her gaze piercing, searching for any crack in my words. Then her eyes drop to my clothes. “Where did you get this dress?”

“Uhm… it was brought to my room, by that butler, Nolan. I don’t know from whom.” Obviously, I’m not telling her the truth.

Before she can say more, glass shatters. Ravens crash through the windows, wings beating, attacking everyone inside.

They don’t attack, huh? Bullshit!

One of the acrobats crashes onto a table. It’s a miracle his neck isn’t broken. He’s alive–barely. Mother and I duck under a table. Others scramble to do the same. Suddenly, she seizes my shoulders and shakes me hard, her eyes blazing in the dark chaos.

“Stop it! Stop it!” she screams.

“Stop what?” I shout back.

She stares at me for a few seconds, eyes wide as bulbs. I’m so confused, and I think she notices. “N- nothing. I’m… just panicking.” I’ve never seen her act like this.

We watch as guards and butlers swing chairs and long objects at the birds, joined by many of the male guests. Another man steps before the throne where the King once sat and shouts, “In an orderly fashion, make your way out of the ballroom and back to your rooms. We will handle this.”

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Mother crawls out from under the table, and I follow. We rush, arms raised to shield our heads from the flapping and scratching of the birds.

“Get low.” Raphael is suddenly there, covering us, guiding us forward.

“I told you!” I grunt at him. This isn’t the time, but I can’t help it, everyone laughed at my raven theories, and now I’m getting my win.

We break free of the ballroom and climb the stairs. A few ravens escape too, but alone they’re no threat.

“I’ll take you to your rooms,” Raphael says, leading us up the stairs.

“No! My daughter! Jade! She’s still in there,” Mother cries.

“Stay here. I’ll find her.” Raphael bolts back down the steps.

“Cover your eyes! They go for the eyes!” I shout after him. He glances back, gives me a quick smile, then disappears into the chaos of the ballroom.

What the hell are you smiling about? Bastard… handsome bastard. It’s not like I’m actually worried. I’m definitely not! It’s just stupid birds! Birds that could… claw his beautiful eyes out. Uh! Hurry up and get back, you beautiful bastard!

In my thoughtless head rant, he arrives with Jade in his arms.

“Uh! My face!” Jade complains, clinging to Raphael with her hands around his neck.

There’s a small scratch. Less than an inch. The bitch is milking it!

“Are you alright?” Mother fusses over her.

“I don’t know. It hurts. My ankle hurts. Please carry me to my room.” She bats her eyes at Raphael.

Punch her. I want to punch her more than I’ve ever wanted to hurt anyone. I force myself to calm down, rolling my eyes as we move through the hall. My attention drifts to the voices of people passing by, their words pulling me away from my anger.

“Ravens?!” someone barks.

“This is an omen. He’s back!”

“Who?!”

“The Raven Wolf King!”

“Hush your nonsense!”

Grimm said the story was real. But is it? It always sounded like a fairy tale to me. Maybe I’ll check the library when I have time.

When we reach our rooms, I stop in Jade’s doorway, watching Raphael lay her on the bed–just as she insisted. As he steps back, she clutches his hand. I grind my teeth so hard it feels like they might break.

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“Wait, don’t leave. I’m scared.”

“You’ll be fine now.” Raphael’s voice is flat, without sympathy, and I almost laugh.

“But… what if they come through my window?”

At that moment, Emmet bursts in. “Jade! Are you okay? We got separated. I couldn’t find you.”

Raphael pulls his hand away and walks off. Jade watches him go, her face clouded with disappointment. Then turns on Emmet, irritation flashing in her eyes.

“She needs rest,” Mother begins to say.

I head to my room with a smile, but the door won’t shut. One glance back tells me why–Raphael’s foot is wedged against the frame.

“What?” I ask with attitude.

“I need help,” he says.

“What?”

He points to his forehead. A scratch runs across it, with a thin trickle of blood sliding down.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Help me.”

I squint my eyes. This bastard.

“Fine, I’ll call the butler Nolan and-”

He closes the door behind him, stepping into my room. “No. Every room has a med–kit. Use that.”

He sits on my bed. Max gets up and lazily pads over to him. Raphael begins to pet him, but his eyes quickly return to me.

“I’m not playing this stupid game with you,” I tell him.

He smirks. “Are you refusing to help your prince? That’s called treason around these parts.”

I grind my teeth. Handsome or not, I really want to rearrange his face. I don’t feel the tenderness I felt yesterday when he was in my arms.

“Where?” I ask.

“Where what?”

“Where is the med–kit?”

“I don’t know. This is your room.”

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My eye twitches. I stomp to the bathroom, knowing that’s where these things are usually kept, and find the red bag under the sink. I march back into the room and toss it to him.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” he asks. “I’m no commoner.”

“You are kidding me!”

A playful curl tugs at his lips. “Am I?”

I haven’t seen this side of him. A damn brat!

My hands rise, ready to strangle him, but then I gasp as my sister’s bathroom door creaks open. I yank Raphael off the bed and shove him into the closet.

“What the hell?” he mutters.

When I close the door, Max begins to scratch at it.

“No! Shoo! Traitor!” I manage to push him away just as Jade bursts into my room.

“I came to tell you to stay-” She stops mid–sentence, her eyes fixed on my dress. “What are you wearing?! Where did you get that?”

“It was left for me by the butler. Did you not get one?” I taunt her.

Her eyes linger on my dress, then the necklace. Jealousy drips from her expression. In a breath, she snaps out of it. “Stay away from the princes. I have my eyes set on them, Raphael especially. So stop whoring yourself to them.”

I glance toward the closet, narrowing my eyes, then shift my gaze back to her. “Raphael? Are you not getting mated to Emmet?” I ask.

“For now. But Raphael is a legitimate son of the King. Getting mated to him would be so much better, and he is–Uh!-so gorgeous. Did you see how he came to my rescue?”

A knock on the door startles us both. I open it only to find… ding, ding, ding! Another prince. Tobias.

What the hell is happening?!

Jade gasps, and I hold mine in.

“I wanted to make sure that you were unharmed, Miss Lanford,” Tobias says.

“Did you get the wrong room?” Jade asks.

He looks at her and then at me. “I do not believe I did. This is your room, is it not, Valeria?”

I slowly nod.

He looks me up and down. “And you seem unharmed.”

I nod again.

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Mother suddenly walks up to us and stops, startled, staring at Tobias.

“P–prince?” She bows.

Mother looks at me, then her gaze shifts to Jade. “Are you here for Jade?”

Tobias frowns, confused. “Jade?”

Mother and I both turn to Jade, then back to Tobias.

“Oh, no. I was here for Valeria,” he says. “But I am glad to see that you are all well. I will take my leave now.” His eyes settle on me. “Have a good night, my lady.” He takes my hand and kisses it before leaving.

“What. The. Hell?” Jade asks.

Mother and Jade both stand side by side, staring at me inquisitively.

Oh, how these men have screwed me over. What do I say now?

“Explain,” Mother says.

“Uhm… I don’t know why he was here. We just danced together, and that was it.”

“You danced with him!” Jade shouts. “He danced with you in public?”

“I saw it. He did,” Mother mutters.

Jade scoffs. “But you are wolfless–the equivalent of a nobody! Why did he want to dance with you?”

“I don’t know!” I toss my hands in the air.

Jade snaps and yells, “Valeria has been sleeping with the princes!”

“What!” Mother shouts.

“I have not!” I quickly deny it.

Jade snatches Raphael’s folded clothes from my bed and shows them to Mother, “See!”

“What is going on here?” Father asks, alerted by the ruckus.

They start telling him what we just spoke of and what happened with Tobias.

“I did not sleep with any of them!” I yell. This is getting out of hand.

“What other reason would he have to come here?” Jade shouts. “As if anyone would really want you just for you!”

“Enough,” Father says. “This is good news–not the sleeping with them, but the interest. The King sent his own Beta to ask about Valeria.”

“He did?” Both Jade and Mother ask in surprise.

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“Yes. I don’t know why, but this is a good thing. And another young fellow, part of the distant royal family, has been asking about her as well.” Dad smiles. “Our young Valeria has drawn the interest of prospects of great worth.”

Jade huffs. “They’ve been asking about her? How? Why?”

Dad ignores her. “With luck, you will both be mated within the next few months.”

I dislike Jade’s comments and remarks, but I do agree in some way. Why would these men want someone like me, a wolfless? What is happening? And why?

“Can I… just please rest? I’m tired,” I tell them.

Father nods. “Yes. Come. We all need rest.”

Jade stomps out of the room, and Mother shakes her head as she also leaves. When Father closes the door, I slide onto my bed, lying flat. “I hate my life.”

The closet doors burst open. Raphael–whom I’d forgotten was even in there–rushes out, pacing the room. “Why was he here?! What did he want?!”

“Who?” I ask.

“Tobias!”

I roll my eyes. “After everything you heard, that is what you care about?”

“No, that other prospect your father spoke of interests me too.”

Is this truly jealousy? Yes, but only because other men want me. He doesn’t care. If they weren’t showing interest in me, he’d be ignoring me altogether.

“Your wound has already healed. Leave,” I say plainly.

He blows out a harsh breath and sits on the bed next to me. “Valeria, I did hear everything that was said, and I really don’t like your sister.”

I giggle. “Join the club. She’s horrible, and I feel bad for your brother.”

He smiles, and the sight makes my pulse quicken. I look away before I stare too long. “You should leave.”

“Valeria, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Raph-” He leans closer, pressing me back against the bed. I gasp as his weight settles over me. “You can’t do this again!”

“I want you,” he whispers, his lips hovering near mine.

“You can’t,” I breathe, the words trembling between us.

“Why not? I know you feel it too.”

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“I told you before–it doesn’t matter what my body wants. You’ve already broken too much.”

“You’re right. I haven’t earned it. I haven’t made things right.” He slides back from the bed, his lips brushing my cheek, then my neck. Over my clothes, he scatters quick kisses on my breasts, stomach and legs. Each one landing before I can react. By the time he’s already up, I’m left frozen in shock.

“But you’ll want me by the time I’m done groveling,” he says, leaning down as I sit up. His hand grips my chin, pulling me close. “I promise you, you’re mine. I’ve made up my mind.” His whisper brushes my lips.” I’ll beg like a dog until you forgive me.”

Forgive him? The thought rattles me. I sit stunned as he leaves my room, heat flooding through me. Damn that man–his beautiful, irresistible body. Damn him.