All Chapters of Mated to Rival Kings: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Raven's POVI looked around the dark, freezing forest again, my heart beating against my ribs. I tried to make sense of the landscape, but the shadows seemed to shift whenever I looked at them too closely. Then, suddenly, everything went still. It was an unnatural silence, as if even the air had stopped moving.A steadily growing light appeared in the distance, cutting through the gloom. As the glow intensified, I saw a woman with long, silver hair walking toward me. She was talking to an older woman who shared the same striking shade of hair. My mind immediately flashed back to Alpha Storm. He had that same weird, silver hair color.Does it mean something? I wondered, shivering despite the lack of wind. Is this a memory? Or am I watching something happening right now somewhere else?As they drew closer, their voices became clear."The Kingdom needs a ruler," the first woman said, her voice sounding like the chime of a bell. "The seat has been empty for too long. It is causing a great

Raven's POVMy heart raced as my eyes closed and I opened up to Darian. Everything else in the room sort of faded away. Darian didn't hesitate. He leaned in, his tongue sliding past my lips to stroke mine with a slow, deliberate confidence.He tasted like the sweet maple syrup from the pancakes, and his breath was hot against my skin. Oh my Goddess! Was this really happening? My brain felt like it was short-circuiting. What was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to put my hands?Darian seemed to sense my internal panic. He shifted his weight, his large hand sliding up to cup my jaw possessively. His thumb rubbed my cheek in a soothing rhythm even as he kissed me deeper. His tongue moved with a firm, demanding pace that sent shivers racing down my spine and pooling in my lower belly. I found myself pressing back against him, my own tongue tentatively meeting his.In response, he let out a low vibration in his chest and sucked on my lower lip, tugging just enough to make me let out

Raven's POV The stern-faced housekeeper appeared in my doorway not long after the door had been kicked in. She didn’t look surprised; clearly, the news of the future Queen in heat had traveled through the mansion like wildfire. It was amazing how the Elders had made themselves scarce the moment chaos erupted. I suppose even ancient, powerful wolves didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of two Alpha Kings losing their minds.My skin was still burning from the inside out. When the housekeeper reached out to help me toward the bathroom, my skin reacted painfully to her touch. Everything felt too much and far too sensitive. I extricated myself from her grip as quickly as I could, stumbling into the lounge bathroom where Rowina had already filled the tub.Rowina must have made the bath extremely cold, because the moment I sank into the water, I let out a breath of relief. The icy chill acted like a shock to my system, damping the fire in my blood just enough so I could finally think s

Darian's POV "I’ll tell you later," I said, leaning my head back against the cold stone. "I just don't like talking about it. Talking about him when I already feel shitty makes everything feel twice as sad."Valen nodded in understanding. For a moment, the usual fire in his eyes was replaced by something solemn. It felt strange. If you had told me a month ago that I’d be sharing my deepest insecurities with the Northern King in a dungeon, I would have laughed in your face. But here we were.I felt like we had finally gotten somewhere. There was a part of me that wanted to go further, to tell him about the letters from my advisors back in Celeste. They were practically begging me to return to the Southern Kingdom. The political pressure was mounting, and having someone to discuss it with, someone who actually understood the burden of a crown, would have been a relief.But I refrained. I didn't fully trust Valen yet. He was impulsive and possessive. There was nothing stopping him from

Raven's POVA crazy warmth was what woke me. For a split second, panic flared in my chest because I thought my heat had returned, that the fire was starting all over again. But as the fog of sleep cleared, I realized it was just a physical weight. Something—or someone—warm was pressed up against me.I blinked my eyes open. The room was slowly brightening with the first rays of dawn, and I realized I was still in the lounge. We must have fallen asleep right there on the sofa. It was amazing; I hadn't stirred once through the entire night.I looked down and nearly laughed. Valen was wrapped around my legs tightly, like a vine seeking a trellis. His head was resting right in my lap, and he looked completely knocked out, his usual sharp features softened by sleep. Then I noticed Darian. He was slumped on my other side, his arm draped loosely and comfortably over Valen’s waist.The sight was so ridiculous that I let out an unintentional little laugh.That was all it took. Both of them woke