CHAPTER SIX

Raven’s POV

King Darian’s hands were steady as he tried to keep me from falling for the third time. At this point, I wasn’t just shocked, I was beyond mortified. I had completely and utterly embarrassed myself in front of the most powerful man in the South. My mind was spinning. The son of my own Alpha had rejected me because I was a lowly Omega so there was no way the King of the South was going to want me. I felt like a disaster waiting to happen. My only instinct was to disappear, to run back to the kitchens and hide in a cupboard before I got hit with a second, even more public rejection.

He was still holding the tray of drinks, his fingers long and strong against the silver edges. I reached out with trembling hands and managed to collect it.

“Thank you, your majesty,” I squeaked. I turned on my heel, ready to bolt, but he was faster.

His hand shot out and grabbed my sleeve, stopping me in my tracks. “Where are you going?” he asked.

His voice was deep and smooth, like flowing water. My stomach did a somber little flip, and I turned back to look at him, my mouth hanging open like a fish. I tried to answer, but all that came out was a series of stutters and weird choking noises. I couldn't get a single sensible word out. Darian just shook his head and without saying another word, he started pulling me by my sleeve toward the center of the courtyard, heading for a long table.

By now, we were already gathering a lot of attention. Wolves from every pack were stopping their conversations to stare at the King of the South leading a sweaty, wide-eyed server through the crowd. He reached the table and went to take the tray from me. I tried to hold onto it because it was my job, after all but he pulled it out of my hands as easily as if I were a child. He dropped it on the table with a clatter and didn't stop there.

Still pulling me by my sleeve, he walked right into the very center of the courtyard. He let out a loud, sudden growl that radiated pure dominance. The scent of rain and wet sand became so strong it felt like a storm was about to break inside the castle walls.

Silence fell immediately. You could have heard a pin drop on the stone floor.

“I have an announcement,” Darian said. His face was perfectly straight, his expression unreadable.

I really wanted to cry at this point. My cheeks were burning a bright, angry red from the sheer humiliation of it all. Was he really doing this? I thought. He could reject me privately in the hallway, but he wants to do it in front of everyone? Northern and Southern wolves alike? It felt low, even for a King. I lowered my head, wishing my hair would grow long enough to cover my entire body.

“Who is the Alpha of the pack she is from?” Darian asked, his eyes sweeping over the crowd with a comfort that only a King could have.

Alpha Hilton scurried over, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else on earth. He bowed so low I thought his forehead might hit his knees. Gary and Larry were a few paces behind him, both of them looking completely stunned.

“I am, your majesty,” Alpha Hilton said, his voice shaking. He glanced at me with a look of utter confusion and worry. “If she has done anything wrong, I will take full responsibility for it. I apologize for her clumsiness.”

I avoided his gaze, staring intensely at a crack in the pavement.

Darian didn't waste any time. He was as blunt and to the point as the rumors said. “She is my mate,” he said simply. “I just wanted to know which pack she was from. Seeing as I don't recognize you, I assume she is from the South?”

Alpha Hilton’s eyes went so wide I was surprised they didn't actually fall out of his head. He looked like he had just been hit by lightning. “M... mate?”

Darian cocked his head to the side, his amber eyes narrowing. “Did I stutter, Alpha?”

“No! No, of course not,” Alpha Hilton hurried to say, his hands shaking. “Yes, she is from the Inker Pack. In the South. She is one of ours.”

“Good,” Darian said, his grip on my sleeve loosening just a bit but his presence still looming over me. “I’ll be taking her with me to my palace after the Peace Summit concludes. I—”

“I don’t think so.”

The voice cut through the air like a blade. Everyone in the courtyard gasped. The shock was so thick you could feel it. Who would dare interrupt the King of the South?

I looked toward the sound, and my heart nearly stopped again. Standing near one of the center pillars was the King of the North. Valen Aibek. He was leaning against the stone with his arms folded, a slight, dangerous smile playing on his lips. The iciness in his eyes made him look terrifyingly unpredictable, like a man who could kill you on a whim.

The people who had been standing near him scattered immediately, leaving a wide circle of empty space around him. Even though he was just leaning there, waves of dominance were rolling off him in a way that made my skin prickle. I had heard that Kings could hide their presence so they didn't crush everyone around them, but right now, Valen was letting it all out.

Then, the scent hit me.

Citrus.

He smelled like the orange and tangerine air fresheners they used back at the Inker Pack house during spring cleaning, except it was much more exotic and rich. It was fresh and heady. I chuckled to myself despite the chaos because how could a man this powerful and scary smell like a fruit basket?

Both Kings looked in my direction at the same time. I felt like I was going to melt into the ground. I could feel Darian’s heavy attention on my left, and Valen’s black, bottomless eyes locked onto mine.

Then it hit me.

Mate.

It felt like rainbows and sunshine had suddenly erupted inside my chest, followed by a weird sense of elation that I couldn't control. My wolf, Eva, was practically doing backflips in my head. But then I jolted, my brain finally catching up.

Hold up. Another mate? I thought, panicked. Why is the Moon Goddess doing this to me? Is she trying to kill me?

Valen uncrossed his arms and started to walk toward us. His slightly long brown hair was tousled like he has a habit of running his hands through it and unlike Darian, who was dressed formally in a crisp shirt and pressed pants, Valen was wearing a dark, armless vest that showed off his massive, scarred arms. He clearly couldn't be bothered with royal fashion.

He stopped just a few feet away from us, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You don’t think so?” Darian asked. His voice was deathly cold. “And what exactly does that mean, Valen?”

I could see Darian’s eye twitch. He was clearly trying his absolute hardest to keep his cool, but I could see he was losing it.

“Meaning?” Valen asked, his smirk growing wider. He gestured toward me with a casual flick of his hand. “Meaning she isn’t going anywhere with you, Darian.”

Darian took a half-step forward, his body tensing like a man poised to attack. “And why not?”

Valen dropped the bomb with a calm voice that carried to every single person in the courtyard. “Because she is my mate.”

The silence that had held the courtyard broke into a million pieces. The wolves watching the drama unfold burst into a riot of shouts, screams, and disbelief. People were grabbing their hair, whispering frantically, and staring at me like I was some kind of alien creature.

My head was spinning so fast I thought I might actually faint this time. Two Kings. Both claiming me. Aren't they going to reject me? 

For Goddess’s sake, what is going to happen now? A war? A fight? This is absolutely nuts!