LOGIN“Enjoying yourself, whore?”Elara froze on the throne as Lucan’s voice slithered into her head. Cold spread through her chest instantly.Lucan.The voice was quieter, weaker somehow, but still there, almost like a whisper. Still trying to claw his way into her mind like a parasite that refused to die.Fuck... Not here... please not here.Elara’s fingers tightened around Riven’s hand.Across the throne room, Zara was still yelling, aboutthe bond fake or weak, but Elara could barely hear her anymore over the sudden pounding in her ears.“You really think he wants you?” Lucan’s voice mocked softly. “Look at you sitting there pretending to be a queen while he passes you around like a prize.”Elara’s breathing changed, and almost immediately Riven noticed.His thumb stopped stroking her hand for exactly one second before starting again slower, like he was being extra deliberate to remind me that he was right there. His silver eyes flicked down toward her face briefly.“Elara?” he murmured
Elara stared at Riven, her mouth slightly open.“We’re really going back under the mountain?”She asked, her words hanging in the air between them. “Right now?” she added again when he didn't respond. Riven nodded, “Yes. You said it yourself , we can’t let her spread those lies. The longer we wait, the more damage she causes.”Elara swallowed hard. Now that he had agreed, she still remembered how cold the Blood Court felt last time. The stares, the whispers... and the wsy she had felt afterwards... Going back so soon made her stomach twist, but she knew she was right. Running away or ignoring it wouldn’t fix anything. It never fixed anything for her anyway. They left soon after. Riven winnowed them to the very entrance of the blood court and then stood smugly as the entrance guards shook, looking startled and scared. After quickly adjusting themselves, they came to stand behind Riven and Elara as they walked together. It was almost laughable that these wolves were even bothering
That singular name was enough to get Elara to roll her eyes in annoyance."What about her?" Elara asked flatly, trying not to let her own rage and the petty jealousy she was habouring show in her voice. "Apparently, there is unrest in the Blood Court....again. Funny how my true pack with more citizens never gives me the issues the blood court does...vile, worthless creatures.”Riven’s expression darkened even more as he spoke."Is it something to do with me?" Elara asked, her heart still tumbling in her chest.“Zara made her way to the blood court immediately she left us. And spread word that the first Luna announcement I made to them about you was fake... and using her position as my Beta's daughter to turn the werewolves there against you...well, us.""What does that even mean? What will dhe gain from telling them about something like that, that has happened a while ago..." Elara questioned further. It really made no sense to her."Well, I believe she hopes that telling them it is
Elara’s chest tightened painfully at his words.No one had ever said things like that to her before.Not Lucan. Not her former pack. Not even herself.All her damn life people had spoken about her powers and the prophecy that she barely understood like it was something to be scared of. Something dangerous that needed to be controlled before it destroyed everyone around her. But Riven...Riven spoke about it like it was something natural. Something that belonged to her...like she belonged to herself, like she was stron enough to handle herself...Elara looked away quickly because suddenly her eyes were burning again, and she was honestly getting tired of crying in front of this man every five fucking minutes.Riven noticed her tears anyway. Of course he did.The man was always looking at her. His expression softened almost immediately as his thumb brushed gently beneath her eye. “Hey,” he murmured quietly. “Don’t do that.”“I’m not doing anything,” Elara muttered.“You’re thinking too
Elara wanted to believe him. Goddess, she really did.But the problem was that everything good in her life always seemed to come with pain attached to it somehow.And this...This felt too good. Which made it more terrifying.What if he woke up one day and realised that he did not want to be with her and the mate bond was just blinding his thoughts just like the fake bond with Lucan had blinded her and even caged her powers. Elara closed her eyes and tried to breathe.The moment Riven loosened his grip slightly, Elara reacted on pure instinct.She turned sharply. And ran...or at least... she tried to.Elara barely made it three steps before Riven’s strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind.“Oh, absolutely not, you'renot running from me again,” Riven muttered.Before she could even gasp properly, the world flipped upside down.“Riven!” she yelped in shock as Riven tossed her clean over his shoulder like she weighed absolutely nothing.The movement made her white hair fall everywh
Even while Riven was devouring her lips like she was the very air he needed to breathe, Elara turned her face to look at Zara while a smug smile played on her already busy lips.Zara looked like she was about to throw up or cry or even both. Her face twisted with humiliation as she stared between both of them, her eyes shining with angry tears she was clearly trying hard not to let fall.Elara still stood close to Riven, breathing hard from the kiss she absolutely should not have just done. Fuck... how the hell would she face Riven now that she literally acted on instinct and kissed him to make his smug Beta's daughter angry?Riven’s hand was still firmly planted on her waist too.Like he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.And from the way Zara’s eyes remained on the spot where Riven held her, Elara knew Zara noticed it too.“You're mated to him...so what? You kissed him, so fucking what? You think this changes anything?” Zara spat bitterly, glaring directly at Elara no







