005

Raven's POV

The room went silent after Jaxon’s words. Every pair of eyes fixed on us, scrutinizing us, almost tearing us apart. My father’s gaze was the hardest of them all. I could see the disbelief in his face, the thin line of his mouth tightening even more as he looked between Jaxon and me.

“You choose Raven?” His voice was flat and cold.

“Yes,” Jaxon replied, his voice steady. “Raven is my mate. It is only natural that I accept her."

A murmur went through the crowd, hushed whispers that felt like tiny knives scraping over my skin. Yara’s face turned pale. She looked like she might break right there in front of everyone.

My father held up a hand to quiet the crowd. His eyes flashed with anger as he spoke. “This engagement party is over,” he announced sharply. “Everyone out. We will settle this tomorrow.”

People hesitated, looking from my father to Jaxon and then back at me. My stepmother grabbed Yara’s arm, tugging her toward the door. Yara shook her off, her eyes fixed on me with a look that sent a chill down my spine. Then she turned and vanished into the crowd.

Jaxon’s grip on my hand tightened. I glanced at him, wondering if he could feel the tremor in my fingers. He met my gaze, his green eyes filled with something I couldn't read.

“Go to your room, Raven,” my father’s voice cut through the silence. “Now.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Jaxon’s grip relaxed. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ll handle it.”

I didn’t want to leave him alone with my father, but the look in his eyes told me to trust him. Slowly, I turned and walked up the stairs, feeling everyone’s eyes on my back until I disappeared around the corner.

******

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. My heart pounded with anger and guilt. Yara’s face haunted my thoughts, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d ruined her life.

Hell, I did ruin her life!

I hated my father for making a spectacle of it, hated the way he looked at me like I was a curse instead of his daughter. But mostly, I hated myself for feeling this way about Jaxon. He’d almost torn my family apart, yet all I wanted was to be near him. The craving burned inside me and pulled me like a magnet.

I crossed the room and sat on the edge of my bed, burying my face in my hands. My head was spinning. I couldn’t understand why the Goddess would choose this moment to reveal my mate, why she’d throw Jaxon and me together right in the middle of Yara’s engagement.

For a long time, I just sat there, staring at the wall, lost in thought. The house was quiet now; everyone had gone. Even the murmur of voices outside had faded. I could almost feel him, right there on the other side of the wall. The thought made my heart pound even harder.

I tried to push it down. I couldn’t give in. Not to him, not when Yara had already suffered so much because of this. But my body ached for him, ached in a way I’d never felt before. His scent lingered in my mind, like rain and metal, fresh and familiar. I needed him.

My breath stopped in my throat. I stood, tiptoed to the door, and reached for the handle, my hand hovering there as I hesitated. What was I doing? He’d caused so much trouble already. How could I want him after all of this?

I couldn’t resist. Slowly, I turned the doorknob and opened the door.

And there he was, standing right in front of me.

It was Alpha Jaxon.

******

“It’s you,” I whispered.

Alpha Jaxon stood there, his face shadowed by the dim light spilling into the hallway. His green eyes locked onto mine, shining and desperate. For moments that felt like eternity, we just stared at each other.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he spoke finally, with a hoarse, manly voice that made my skin tingle. He stepped forward, closing the space between us. “All night during my engagement party, Raven. You were all I could think about.”

My breath hitched, and I stepped back into my room. He followed without hesitation, shutting the door softly behind him. The room suddenly felt smaller with this man in it.

Part of me wished he would disappear. Part of me wished he would stay.

“Alpha Jaxon,” I started, my voice trembling, “you shouldn’t be here.”

He gritted his jaw. “I know. But I can’t stay away from you.”

His words sent a rush of warmth through me, and I hated myself for how much I wanted him. I should’ve pushed him out of the room, slammed the door in his face. But instead, I stood frozen, my heart thundering as he even moved closer. His scent—rain and steel—wrapped around me, intoxicating and undeniable.

“This is wrong,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. “Yara—”

“Yara doesn’t change what we are,” he interrupted. “You’re my mate, Raven. You. Not her. Not anyone else.”

My chest tightened at his words. The pull I felt toward him, the raw, unrelenting connection, was impossible to fight. But I couldn’t just give in. Not when everything in my life was already falling apart. I took another step back, and the back of my legs hit the bed.

“This is tearing my family apart,” I said, my voice breaking. “It’s tearing me apart.”

His hand reached out, brushing against my cheek. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through me, and I shivered despite myself. His eyes softened, and for a moment, he looked almost vulnerable.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he murmured. “But the thought of you walking away, of being anywhere but with me, kills me.”

I tried to speak, to argue, but my words caught in my throat. My pulse thundered in my ears as he leaned closer, his breath warm against my skin.

“You feel it too,” he said softly. “Don’t you?”

I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t lie, not to him, not to myself. Instead, I closed my eyes, trying to block out the truth written in every beat of my racing heart.

“Alpha Jaxon, what are you—”

But before I could finish, Alpha Jaxon crushed his lips against mine in a mind-blowing kiss.