Mag-log inKael's POV She chuckled, though the sound was weak."Why are you laughing?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips despite the worry churning in my chest."I'm so happy to see you again." Her voice was soft, but the warmth in her eyes made my heart clench.I moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Draven's in the bathroom," she said.I reached out, cupping her face gently, careful not to touch any of the bandages. "I missed you so much, baby," I said, my voice low. "I thought I'd lost you.""You didn't." She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing for a moment. "You never will."I kissed her then, soft and slow, pouring every ounce of fear, relief, and love into it. Her lips were warm, and when she sighed against me, something inside me settled."Don't ever do that again," I muttered against her mouth. "Don't leave like that. Not without us.""I didn't leave," she whispered. "I was taken.""You shouldn't go to Rowan alone. I'm sorry we didn't tell you what happened, but this is w
Elara's POV I turned toward the voice. She was stunning. Black hair that fell past her shoulders in a glossy sheet, lips full and curved into something that wasn't quite a smile, and eyes that dragged over me like I was something she'd already decided wasn't worth her time.She was tall. Built lean with muscle that showed even through her fitted training gear, and she carried herself like she knew exactly how dangerous she was."Hara," Prisca said, her voice measured.Hara didn't acknowledge her. She walked straight toward me, stopping so close."So this is what all the fuss is about," she said, looking me up and down with her arms folded. "The kings drag an outsider onto our training grounds and everyone is supposed to act like it's normal."I opened my mouth."I'm not exactly an outsider," I said carefully.Hara's lips curved into a slow, condescending smile."Right," she said. "You seduced them both, didn't you? Got them wrapped around your fingers and now you want to collect both
Clara's POV My coffee had gone lukewarm by the time Elara finally got to the part about the training ground and I sat up straighter on the couch, tucking my feet under me."Wait, wait, wait," I said. "Back up. She just walked up and decided she wanted to spar with you herself? Out of all the people there?""Out of all the people there," Elara confirmed."And she insulted you.""And hit me.""In front of everyone."A pause."Clara.""I'm just clarifying the facts," I said, setting my mug down on the coffee table before I dropped it. "So this woman, this Hara, with her little superiority complex, decided that the best welcome she could give you was a smack to the head?""She called it a lesson.""I'll give her a lesson." I pressed my back teeth together. "I will fly out there and give her a full curriculum. I will teach her things about herself she never knew."Elara laughed on the other end and even though I could hear that she was tired, it was a real laugh, and that settled me down
Draven's POVThe moments the shot was heard, I was already moving.Behind me I heard Kael hit the ground beside Josh, his voice dropping to something low. I heard him bark orders at the security detail. I heard the sharp intake of breath from one of the doormen. They all knew Josh. He was their former boss.I rushed into my car and I drove.The car was already three blocks ahead by the time I hit the first intersection, and I pushed the accelerator to the floor. A delivery truck lurched out of a side road and I swung the wheel hard, clearing it by nothing, straightening out and pressing harder, my eyes fixed on the car ahead.'Draven.' Kael's voice arrived in my head. 'Come back. Josh needs—''No.''Draven, I need you here—''Handle it. You know what to do. I said that I wouldn't let it go if this ever happened again.'He paused. He didn't try again. He knew me well enough to know that nothing he said right now was going to reach the part of me that was still capable of listening.Th
Elara's POVI stood there, staring at the door they'd just walked through, my chest heaving with a mixture of rage and guilt.How dare he.How dare Draven blame me for all of this, as if I'd asked Rowan to become a psycho stalker, as if I'd wanted any of this to happen.But even as the anger burned through me, another feeling crept in.Guilt.Because he was right, wasn't he?If I hadn't run to Rowan's place, if I hadn't left the house that day, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't have had to worry about me, wouldn't have had to risk their lives to save me over and over again.I pressed a hand to my chest, the weight of it crushing. I didn't mean to hurt them.I just wanted to help, wanted to do something instead of sitting here like some damsel in distress while they handled everything.I wanted it to end.I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and dialed Clara's number.She picked up on the second ring."El, baby? Are you okay? I saw the news about the company opening a
Draven's POV"Draven," Kael warned, his voice low. "Stop talking."I couldn't.The words kept pouring out, fueled by the terror that had gripped me the moment I saw her bleeding, shaking, tears streaking down her face."You don't get it, do you?" I said, my voice rising. "We've been searching for you our entire lives. Do you know what it would do to us if we lost you now? If we'd spent all this time looking for our mate only to have her ripped away because she couldn't stay put? It gets worse after finding our queen and losing her. We'd be fucking misera—""Draven—" Kael started, but I cut him off."No," I snapped. "She needs to hear this. She needs to understand that we can't keep throwing herself into danger. She won''t be lucky every time."Elara's face crumpled, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks."It's not my fault," she said, her voice breaking. "I can't just sit here while you both risk your lives for me. This is my mess, Draven. I created it, and I should also try to fix i
Elara's POV I dashed out of the house as fast as I could, and the only thing I was able to take with me was my cell phone. I had a feeling I might need it so when I picked up the divorce papers, I carried it along with me, but my mind right now was a mess. It was in the middle of the night, and I
Elara's POV "W-what, what are you talking about, what do you mean done?" He questioned, eyes planted on me with disbelief in his eyes. Rowan didn't believe I could make such a bold decision. Well, the joke was on him because I had done what he believed I couldn't. "You heard me right. I want a di
Elara's pov"AHH!" A loud scream echoed from my lips as I staggered to the direction the force came from. The pull happened all of a sudden, and because of how unexpected it was, my stamina failed me. I struggled, planting my hands onto a nearby wall as I tried to blink back the tears that came wi
Elara's POV I laid in bed, my body shivering, my breath came out in pants, and my tears wet my pillow. I didn't expect him to do what he did. It was hurtful, painful and the fact that he didn't care about my feelings was something I couldn't really get over. I laid there, thinking about my life t







