The Raven Wolf King: Wolfless novel Chapter 5

Valeria

“Hm… you have a dirty mouth.”

“What do you want?”

Raphael’s hand closes gently around my chin, guiding my face up to meet his eyes. “Don’t run from me again.” He’s not even answering my question. “You should know better than to run from an Alpha.”

“What? What do you want?”

“I wanted to speak with you, but now…” He pauses, slowly nuzzling his nose near my ear, whispering, “I want you on your knees… taking me all in.”

I’m shocked, yet the image flashes in my mind, and my knees grow weak. My body doesn’t resist the thought. No, I shouldn’t be reacting like this to him.

“Why would you say such things? You made it clear when you rejected me. You don’t want me.”

“Oh… I want you. And that’s the problem.”

I close my eyes and turn away. His words don’t match his actions. When I finally dare to look back, his gaze slides down my body. That’s all he wants, my body. And if I don’t escape, this man will claim me.

Be bold, Valeria. You might be wolfless and inconsequential to this kind of man, but that doesn’t mean even a prince gets to do whatever he wants with you.

My hand drifts upward, resting against his chest. He doesn’t move. Slowly, I trail my fingers along his chest, rising until they reach his neck. All the while, his eyes remain locked on mine. At last, my fingers find his chin, and I draw him closer, inch by inch.

I whisper, “You… broke this. You shattered our bond. You don’t get to have me now. Someone else will have that privilege.”

I let him go and gently push him away, enough to slip out of his grasp and walk away.

Do I look back? Should I? I do, and what I see is a very pissed‑off Alpha. How in my right mind did I talk to an Alpha Prince like that? But it felt so good to stand my ground, something I never do. So empowering.

But my biggest question is, why was he doing all of this? Was it for his amusement? The bond between us is supposed to be gone. There’s nothing to hold him to me. What does he gain by doing this? Amusement. He’s just toying with me. Cruel. He’s cruel.

I don’t go back to my room. Instead, I return to the party. Raphael follows but then turns away, taking his seat on the throne. From there, he stares at me, jaw tight and brows drawn, as if fighting some inner battle.

I try to ignore him and move through the crowd. Yet every time I glance his way, his eyes are fixed on me. Even from across the room, his stare doesn’t break. There’s a force about this man that’s hard to escape.

I force myself not to look at him. I keep my focus on the drink in my hand, on the food, on the crowd. But the longer I stand there, the more I feel eyes on me. It isn’t just him, others are watching too.

“What in the world?” Is it my dress? Do I stand out? Do I have a stain? I circle myself, checking my dress, but there’s nothing.

As the crowd settles, I begin to relax. I finally find a moment of peace, standing by the food table and eating. Then Jade circles around me, her eyes sharp with distaste. She grabs a drink, turns toward me, and crosses her arms, sipping slowly from the glass.

“I heard a rumor,” she says. I remain quiet. “A woman… with black hair and a golden dress was spotted with one of the princes.”

Is that why everyone’s been staring at me? Do rumors spread that fast here?

“I don’t know what that has to do with me,” I mutter.

“You have black hair and a golden dress.”

“Yeah, and I’m not the only one wearing a golden dress.”

She sneers, “What woman here dressed in gold has jet‑black hair like yours? Are you trying to pocket one of the princes? Are you trying to outdo me?”

Outdo her? “Tell me, Jade, why would a prince look my way?”

She scoffs. “You might be wolfless and worthless, but some men are stupid.”

“What’s your problem, Jade? Why are you always so jealous? What do I have that you want so badly? Because from my perspective, there’s nothing I can give you. You’re perfect and I’m not. Has Mother not made that clear enough?”

“Jealous? I’m jealous of you?” Her laughter is mocking. “Are you insane?” Her eyes rake over me with disdain before she leans in close, her breath hot against my ear. “You were a mistake. That’s why no one loves you. Why no one will ever love you.”

A sudden chill shocks me as liquid runs down my chest. She’s poured her drink on me.

If she wanted a reaction, she wasn’t going to get it. I calmly step back, take a napkin, and dab my chest.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify