The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Valeria

This can’t be real! Is it rally him?

The hollowness of his gaze seems fixed straight on me.

Am I even real? Am I really here? No. This is a dream. It has to be.

The shock makes me take a step back, and suddenly I’m flying backward. The Raven Wolf King grows smaller until he’s no longer visible, and all that remains is darkness.

I wake with a gasp.

That’s not real! It isn’t! It can’t be!

“Valeria.” Raphael hugs me. “What’s wrong?”

I close my eyes and shake my head. “Just a bad dream.”

He pulls me back beneath the covers, holding me close. The panic dissolves, the fear fades, and in his

arms I feel safe.

“It’s almost dawn. I should head back to my room,” I tell him.

His arms cling tighter, and he whispers, “Not yet.”

“Raphael-”

“Valeria, you’re so unpredictable. One day you hate me, the next you want to fuck me. I don’t know which Valeria I’ll encounter next, so let me enjoy this a little longer.”

Am I really like this? Maybe I’ve been giving him mixed signals, but it’s only because I’m so unsure of what to do next. In the end, I let Raphael have his way. My eyes close, and sleep takes me–this time, peaceful.

***

When the sun’s light touches my face, I wake fully. Raphael is already dressing. He looks at me as he buttons his shirt.

“You’re having dinner with my brother today,” he says.

It isn’t even a question, and all the tenderness he had before is gone.

“Yes.” I spot folded clothes on the edge of the bed–surely placed there by him–and begin to dress.

I can barely hear it, but I still catch it: a growl.

I roll my eyes. “And that girl? The one you’re supposed to be mated to?”

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“Fera. What about her?”

“So you are getting mated to her?”

“No. You know I’m not.”

“She sounded very sure you two would.”

“And I made it perfectly clear to her that we’re not.”

“Yet you entertain her.”

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brother.”

“I don’t. And if you’re speaking about entertaining someone’s advances, that’s all you with my Done with his attire, his hasty steps lead him to me, where he gives me a quick but harsh kiss before turning and leaving the room, slamming the door before I can continue the argument.

I get that it upsets him, but too bad.

This time the clothes fit me. Jeans and a white shirt. Max and I return to my room, where I shower and then head to the closet for the last set of clothes I own. But I stop short. The closet is full of new clothes.

On the narrow dresser rests a note:

Don’t get too comfortable in them. They’ll be ripped off in no time–Raphael.

How can this man be so sweet and infuriating at the same time?

I glance through the clothes, surprised to find they match my style perfectly. Things I would’ve chosen myself. Raphael pays attention to detail in ways I never expected.

Later, I join my family for breakfast, only because Father insisted. Afterward, we gather outside to see him off to his duties in the war. Mother is inconsolable, her tears unending. She may not love me much,

but Father is everything to her.

He says his goodbyes to Mother and Jade. Then, at last, it’s my turn.

He stands in front of me in his general’s uniform, carrying the sword every general bears. “Be you, Valeria.” He gives my cheek a quick touch with his thumb.

“Be safe… Dad. Come back.”

He’s surprised. I’ve never called him Dad. I’ve always been distant from my parents, calling them Mother and Father.

“I will.”

I watch the car disappear down the road. Jade and Mother retreat inside, but I remain, watching as the other generals depart and say goodbyes to their families. Fera lingers, having seen her own father off. She notices me and strolls over, arms crossed, eyes scanning me. The urge to make a face at her rises, but before I can act, a voice cuts through.

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“Did your father leave too?” Grimm asks, stepping up behind me, a few shovels balanced in his hands.

“Yeah. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I need to collect these. They’re taking them to the training grounds to dig trenches or something like that.”

“You’ve been there?”

“The training grounds? Yeah, a couple of times.”

“Are you joining?”

“I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure.”

“Well, maybe you and I should join together.” I laugh.

“You’re thinking of joining?”

“I don’t know. Like you, I guess I’m thinking about it. It seems scary, but at the same time… liberating. At least for me.”

He falls silent, his eyes fixed on something behind me. I turn, and there she is–Jade, standing on the front steps, watching us.

“She warned me to stay away from you,” I whisper to him.

“Fuck her,” he mutters, scowling, his mouth twisting with irritation.

“You really don’t feel anything?” I ask, searching his face for a flicker of softness.

“I do,” he shoots back, eyes flashing. “Anger.”

I nod. “I guess that’s something. So there’s no chance in hell you’d take her back?”

“Hell no. Would you?”

“Well… what if they regret it? What if they’re actually good but just made a mistake?”

“Are you going soft?”

“I don’t know.”

“After the kind of pain they caused you, would you really take that chance?” he asks.

I slowly shake my head. “No. I… don’t want to.”

“There’s your answer. Anyway, let me finish this task. I’ll see you later.”

I give him a wave and head upstairs, deep in thought after that conversation. I hear crying coming from my parents‘ room. Mother already misses Father, and she’ll probably be like this for a while, but I don’t give a rat’s ass. She can console herself.

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When I get to my room, it’s no surprise that Jade is there. She’s fuming.

“You just don’t listen, do you!” she shouts.

Rolling my eyes, I go past her. “The man is all yours if you want him, ‘cause I don’t. But warning, I doubt he’ll want you.”

“You will stop speaking to him, or I’ll make your life a living hell.” Her eyes narrow.

“Uhm, you’ve done that already, and I survived it.”

Actually, I’m not sure I did. But it’s impossible that I actually died that night, right?

“Trust me, I can make it even worse for you. Mother is always on my side.”

“Mother won’t do shit.” I mock her.

“Well, Dad’s not here anymore to stop her.” She smiles wickedly. “Mom! Valeria hit me!” she shouts and starts faking a cry.

I squint my eyes, lift my arm, and slap her with every ounce of strength I have. The girl’s head almost twists all the way back.

She gasps, her eyes watering, and there’s even some blood at the corner of her mouth. The shape of my fingers protrudes on her swollen, reddened cheek.

I point a finger at her. “From now on, if you want to fake tattle on me, I’ll make sure you get exactly what you accuse me of. Go on, call Mother again, lie to her. See what happens.”

Her lips tremble, and tears fall. “Y–y–you can’t do that,” she mutters. “You’re wolfless. You’re not on my

level. You can’t do this!”

“Want another?” I show her my hand.

She stumbles, taking a few steps back, then runs to her room.

That felt so damn good.

She doesn’t bother me for the rest of the day.

When evening arrives, I’m ready for my date. I begin to make my way to where Tobias told me to meet him in a message he sent a few hours ago. Walking through the halls, distracted, I’m suddenly grabbed and pulled into a dark room. A hand cups my mouth before I can scream, and then I feel a rope being tied around me.

Then the scent hits me. Familiar. Unmistakable.

Mother fucker! Raphael!

“Mm!!” I try to shout at him.

When I’m completely constricted, he finally releases my mouth and whispers in my ear, “You are mine.”

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“What the hell are you doing?!”

“Keeping you from that date.”

“Raphael! This isn’t funny!”

“I’m not trying to be funny.” His grip tightens around me, my chest pressed hard against his, every breath caught between us.

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