The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44-1

Chapter 44

~Valeria~

“Are you okay?” Grimm asks me.

“Yeah, my arm hurts a little, but I’m okay.” I watch him pick up a tray of food. The kitchen is alive with movement and chatter, buzzing as the Generals’ banquet is about to begin.

“Why does that new girl have-it in for you?” he asks.

“A boy.” I steal one of the tiny crab cakes.

“A boy? You mean your man?”

I giggle but don’t answer him, popping the stolen goods into my mouth. “Damn, these are good.”

He smiles. “I’ll give the chef the compliments. My mom made them. Anyway, after the banquet, I’ll be at the tower if you want to come and practice with me.”

“Uhm… I probably won’t.”

He gives me an exasperated stare. “You’re afraid of it, aren’t Jou?”

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“No. I just don’t have time right now. Maybe tomorrow.”

He’s not wrong. I am kind of afraid of it. But I said no because I’m going to spend my night with Raphael. At least I hope so. I didn’t get to see him all day.

I brush the crumbs from my dress-a simple long gown of shimmering pearl fabric. Its spaghetti straps and V-neckline frame my chest, modest yet graceful. A thin scarf of the same fabric drapes around my neck, concealing the mark.

“I’ll see you later.” I wave at Grimm.

I walk out and head to the banquet room. Just as I turn a corner, someone slams into me.

“Shit! Sorry.” Stephan steadies me, his hands firm on iny shoulders, keeping me from falling. “Are you okay? I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t either, but I’m fine.”

“Good. Last thing I want to do is hurt you.” He looks at my dress. “You look great.”

I smile. “Thanks.”

He leans closer. “And you did great today at practice. Have you been practicing on your own? Because Ivy looked shalen.” 18:44

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I want to flip a damn table at this point and throw it right on Ivy’s head.

I look around for the other woman who wants to take my man from me, but Fera is nowhere to be found. I would’ve loved to see her reaction to all of this.

I spend the rest of the night watching Raphael, tuning out everyone else. People try to mingle with him, and he does his best to socialize, but his attention stays on me. Even Ivy notices. That’s when she gets bold, caressing his hand and leaning closer.

He shuts it down instantly-with nothing more than a look. She jerks her chair back, cheeks burning, and the embarrassment is delicious.

Good boy…

When the banquet ends, I head to Raphael’s room. I arrive first, and I’m not surprised. I’ll be furious if he’s pulled into another sudden meeting.

I slip out of my dress, leaving it in the middle of the room. As I walk toward the bathroom, I shed the rest piece by piece, dropping everything along the way. By the time I reach the shower, I’m bare and ready for the warmth of the water.

Steam begins to fill the bathroom as I turn it on. I almost drift into sleep, but I jolt fully awake when strong arms wrap around4

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He kisses my shoulder. His lips slide up my neck. I close my eyes, enjoying his touch, but I do nothing to respond.

“What’s wrong?” he whispers as he begins to massage my back.

“I don’t like this.”

“Like what?”

“Hiding. It shouldn’t be like this.”

“I hate it too, Valeria.” He hugs me.

I want to argue, to fix what’s broken between us. But his closeness makes me want to forget it all. His presence calms me so deeply that all I can think about is holding him.

We shower together, lingering under the water for what feels like eternity. When we’re finally content in each other’s presence, we step out, dry off, and he lifts me into his arms.

B

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Chapter 44-2

On the bed, his touch is everywhere-kisses, caresses, devotion in every movement. He settles onto the mattress and draws me onto his lap, holding me from behind in a quiet embrace.

His lips travel to my shoulders, and he whispers, “I want no one but you, Valeria.”

I believe it. I feel it. I feel his wants, desires-all of it.

He runs his fingers through my hair, pulling my head back to expose my neck, and he kisses it. His hands grip my breasts with care and desire.

“You are my world,” he whispers.

He guides my head with his hands, turning me toward him. His lips meet mine in a sweet, tender kiss.

“Lie down, my love.” He gently sets me down on the bed and lies over me. My hands are held down with his, fingers intertwined, and slowly he makes love to me. It’s a mix of slow strokes and roughness. And yet, even when he’s rough, it’s gentle. His body presses against mine, his face close, kissing and watching. He studies every expression, every move.

“I love you, Raphael,” I whisper. 1/6

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< Chapter 44-2

I like it.

I watch him put his clothes on and head out.

I clean up and then lie in bed to wait for him. It doesn’t take long for him to come back, but I can see something is wrong.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Something happened.”

“What?! What happened?”

“I… I have to go.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry, Valeria. I can’t say much about the war or our tactics,

but there’s something I have to do outside of the pack.”

“Now?!” I watch him grab a bag. “For how long?!”

“A few days, and yes, I have to leave now.”

“Raphael!” I shout.

He stops, sits beside me. “I’m sorry, my love. I know how hard this is on you. It is for me too. But all this that I’m doing is to keep us all safe. You and the packs.”

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“You won’t.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I will always come back to you, Valeria.”

I close my eyes and bite my lip, feeling the agony inside ripping

me apart.

He cups my face and slowly kisses my lips. “Trust me, in my abilities. I’ll be okay.”

“Be careful,” I whisper.

“I will, now more than ever. I have something important to come

back to.”

He kisses my head before he begins tò pack. Reluctantly, I say my goodbyes. Once he’s gone, I sleep in his room, where his scent lingers and helps me rest.

***

Morning brings training. Ivy doesn’t bother me, though I catch her watching.

All day, my eyes drift to the new phone he left me. I don’t have his number, so I wait for him to call or text-but nothing comes.

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