TRADING MY CHEATING HUSBAND FOR THE LYCAN KING novel Chapter 189

Mate’s Attention 212

CHAPTER 131: THREE DAYS AWAY–1

EMBER’S POV

Rafael Montenegro rises from our couch like he belongs there.

Smooth and unhurried, all dark tailored elegance against Rayana’s champagne brightness, and his eyes find mine before he’s even fully standing.

They scan me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle, tracking the exhaustion I can’t quite hide, the healing bruises peeking out from my collar, the particular kind of wrecked that comes from days of

violence and very little sleep.

Nonetheless, I haven’t quite forgotten the stunt he pulled at the Summit’s farewell gathering

“Ember.” My name leaves his mouth with a soft breath. “You look…”

“Don’t.” Knox steps in front of me before Rafael can finish the sentence or take a single step closer. His shoulders are a wall, his voice a warning. “Whatever you’re about to say, shove it up your ass and keep

walking.”

2

Rafael’s smile only sharpens with amusement.

“I was going to say she looks like she could use a vacation. But by all means, Knox, keep treating her like property you’re afraid someone might steal.”

“What are you doing here, Montenegro?”

“I was invited.” Rafael gestures lazily toward Rayana, who’s watching the entire exchange with the delighted expression of someone enjoying dinner theater. “Your lovely houseguest and I have become fast friends in your absence. Bonding over champagne and mutual appreciation for finer things.”

Rayana raises her glass in cheerful confirmation.

“He’s been wonderful company, Knox. Unlike some people, Rafael actually knows how to hold a conversation that doesn’t involve glowering or monosyllabic grunts.”

r

I step around Knox because I refuse to have this conversation from behind his back like a child hiding

from strangers.

Rayana looks better than she should, and that’s the first thing that registers. Color in her cheeks. Brightness in her eyes.

But under the polish I catch something else, something careful in the way she holds herself, the slight tension around her mouth when she shifts position.

“The doctor released you?” I ask.

“This morning.” Rayana sets down her champagne with a satisfied click. “Wound is healing beautifully, vitals are stable, and I was going absolutely insane being trapped in that bedroom while all the excitement

CHAPTER REAR ANTAN

happened without me.” She pauses dramatically “Speaking of which, I heard the most fascinating rumors about a certain fine dinning and a subsequent car chase and possibly some explosions? You simply must tell me everything.”

“Later,” Knox says flatly. “Right now I want to know why he’s here and how long until he leaves.”

“So rude.” Rayana tuts. “Rafael came to discuss something important, actually. Something that involves all of us.” She looks at me with an expression I can’t quite read. “This might not be the best time, but Knox made me a promise, Ember. Before all the chaos and the stabbing and whatever else you two have been up to. He promised me certain things before I die.”

The bucket list.

I remember Knox mentioning it, back when Rayana first arrived and everything felt simpler and I was still

pretending this arrangement between us was temporary.

“The Northern Lights,” Rayana continues, her voice taking on an edge that yearns with something that is almost genuine. “My mother’s grave in Switzerland. A few beautiful experiences before my body decides it’s done fighting.” She looks at Knox, and for a moment the mask slips and I see something raw under.

“I’ve been stuck in this penthouse for days, Knox. Bleeding and healing and watching the world happen through my phone while you were off doing goddess knows what. I’m dying. Doesn’t that count for anything anymore? Don’t I deserve a few good moments before the end?”

The silence that follows is uncomfortable in a way I don’t fully understand. There’s history here, old wounds and older promises, and I’m standing in the middle of it without a map.

Knox’s jaw is granite. “Rayana-”

“Which brings us to my proposal,” Rafael interrupts smoothly, and I hate how naturally he commands attention, how easily he redirects the conversation toward himself. “Rayana and I have been talking, and while I’m not one for sentiments, I find it honorable to help a woman counting down her days. I own a property outside Fairbanks. Remote, luxurious, spectacular views of the aurora borealis. Glass–roofed cabins, natural hot springs, pristine wilderness for miles. I’d been planning to revisit the invitation for that dinner we discussed…” His eyes meet mine, heavy with meaning I don’t want to examine. “But this seems like an even better opportunity. A proper trip. Three nights. Rayana gets one last adventure. And we get time to decompress after the chaos of this Summit and an opportunity to start afresh. All of us.”

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