The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 3

Raphael

I’m swallowed by shock. I never thought I’d see her again. I watch her beautiful figure turn and run upstairs into the hall.

“Raphael?”

Urien, my Beta, startles me out of my trance.

“Are you okay?”

I force myself to compose and start walking. “Yeah.”

I pass beneath the veranda, where people watch from the top floor, and step into the grand ballroom.

“A smile would suit you from time to time, Raph,” Emmet chuckles, now following behind me with Antonio and Dorian.

The corner of my mouth lifts with a twitch. “There, happy?”

“Never the fucking mind,” he mutters, brows furrowed. “It’s creepy.”

We come up to Finn and Tobias. “Father not here yet?” I ask.

“No,” Tobias responds. He doesn’t even look at me and it’s not a surprise. We don’t get along.

Finn chuckles. “I knew war would be the only thing to bring us all together again.”

Tobias mutters, “Raphael is the only one who’s always too busy to see family.”

I correct him. “Not too busy, just don’t really care unless it involves my mother.”

Tobias grinds his teeth. “Of course you don’t care.”

I roll my eyes. “Besides, I’m not the crown prince. I don’t have to be here twenty‑four seven.”

“But you’re next in line after me,” Tobias snaps. “You should take that seriously.”

We were all born to different mothers, and since our mothers never got along, neither do we.

Tobias can have the throne for all I care. The only reason I’ve returned is because of my mother. Tobias and I clash the most, and though Finn is more agreeable, our relationship is far from perfect. Antonio, Emmet, and Dorian are different. I don’t speak much with any of them, but at least there’s no animosity.

A sudden flurry of stomps echoes through the hall as the guards strike the floor with their boots, announcing the king’s arrival. The crowd steps aside for Father, his salt‑and‑pepper hair framing a strong, warrior’s face. He walks to the throne, greeting people as he goes. My brothers and I bow when he arrives, and he touches each of our shoulders in turn, signaling us to relax.

“Glad to see you all here on time.” He turns and speaks to the crowd. “Let the festivities begin! Feast today and speak of war tomorrow!”

I take my secondary seat behind the throne where Father sits. Tobias and Finn settle into theirs as well. As for Antonio, Dorian, and Emmet, they don’t have thrones because of their ignoble lineage.

As the feast begins, I watch the crowd. Even though I’m not trying to, I can’t help but look for her. Day in and day out, she’s all I think about. Ever since the day I rejected her. But I had to, and I’ll never forgive my father for this. I hate myself for it—for breaking that smile when she first saw me. She was beautiful, everything I ever wanted.

I remember that night well. I looked out at the garden, trying to catch my breath from all the watchful eyes. Then I sensed someone behind me, a scent stirring my senses. When I turned, I was face‑to‑face with her. For a few seconds, I was captivated, entranced by the spell of the mate bond. She was beautiful, but I quickly came to my senses, and I uttered the words I never thought I’d say.

“I reject you.”

Her expression fell from the smile that had formed. Her eyes filled with tears, one slipping down her cheek. Without a word, she turned and walked down the garden stairs. I expected anger, maybe a fight, but there was nothing.

My heart hurt the moment she turned. An excruciating pain almost brought me to my knees, but I held it in. It nearly broke me. Even without speaking it aloud, she had accepted the rejection—so easily—and I felt it. Our bond broke instantly. But even after, it still hurt. I felt a loss. A part of me was gone.

She was crushed that night. I felt it, I saw it, and for the first time in a long time, my cold heart felt something. After she aimlessly walked away, I immediately left the gathering, but to my own surprise, I turned the car back around and looked for her at the edge of that forest. I didn’t know what I would say to her, but I wasn’t about to change my mind. What I had done was done with full intention. Maybe I’d explain why I shattered our bond.

But I never found her. It dawned on me that I’d never known her name, who she was, or even heard her voice. Not once. But I never forgot her face. It came to me every night. I longed for her. The woman who was supposed to be mine.

It was torment, and I believed I’d never see her again. How wrong I was.

The more the room fills with people, the more distracted I get. I look at everyone, especially women in golden attire. She must be related to one of the generals. Those are the only families here tonight.

I watch Emmet prance around with a beautiful girl.

“I heard he had chosen a mate,” Urien speaks in my ear. He stands next to my throne. “That must be her.”

No one can find information like Urien can. He’s cunning and smart, just like his father, who serves my mother as an adviser. I’ve known Urien since we were children, and I trust him more than anyone else. That’s why I chose him as my Beta.

“By the way… who was that woman you stopped to stare at in the foyer?”

“No one.” It’s futile. I can tell it’s piqued his interest, and he’ll find out sooner or later. But I won’t make it easy for him.

“Hm… no one? Yet she’s someone who made the second Prince—known for his cold demeanor—stop in his tracks in the middle of a crowded entrance.”

“Urien, get me a drink.”

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