Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 51 - Chapitre 60

Raven's POVThe warmth of his skin and the steady beat of his heart against my chest made me warm all over. "Eat something," he whispered. "Don't worry, you will figure it all out."I nodded, my breath hitching as Darian’s hand stayed firmly on the back of my neck. He didn’t let go; instead, his grip tightened just a fraction, a possessive anchor that made my eyes flutter shut. I found myself gravitating closer, my body acting on an instinct that had everything to do with the man holding me.Darian leaned in impossibly close. The world narrowed down to the warmth of his body and the scent of wet earth and rain. He ran his nose slowly along the side of my face, his breath ghosting over my skin."She smells really good today," he murmured, his voice a low, vibrating rumble that I felt in my bones.Before I could process the words, he licked my earlobe, his tongue hot and deliberate. I let out a soft, helpless mewl, my knees turning to liquid. My head fell forward against his shoulder,

Valen's POVI honestly didn’t know how to feel. Since I received Maddox’s letter about Onyx, my step-brother, I had felt a strange sense of being lost. A part of me was absolutely furious—how dare that pup crawl out of the shadows now to stake a claim? But then another part of me felt some pity toward the kid. I knew he likely harbored a mountain of hatred toward me. Given what I had done in the past, I couldn't exactly blame him.Apparently, Onyx had gone to the palace in the North and revealed himself as a son of the late Northern King. I didn’t know how they had managed to prove it but he had been officially accepted as royal blood. Technically, Onyx had no right to the throne. I was the firstborn son. But if my father had left a will saying otherwise… We were all seated around the table in the study, the air thick and quiet as we each lost ourselves in thought. Raven broke the silence first."On what basis would he even be able to take the throne?" she asked, her voice small but

Raven's POV It looked like we finally had a lead, though it was a grim one. As Valen sat there, drained and pale from reliving his worst nightmare, Darian surprised me. It turned out he had a secret artistic skill. Without a word, he grabbed a piece of charcoal and a clean sheet of parchment, his hands moving with a fluid, practiced grace. He was drawing the mysterious attendant who had been beside Valen’s father in his final moments. I looked at Valen, my heart breaking all over again. A barely adult wolf should never have had to experience the death of both parents on the same day, especially not in such a violent, horrific way. The loss of his mother, combined with Valen’s natural temper and the sight of his father’s betrayal, had produced a total catastrophe. No wonder Onyx was mad. "Darian," I said, breaking the heavy silence of the study. "Write my letter first. Before we get too deep into these other important things." Technically, I could write it myself. I was no less lea

Darian's POVI walked over to where Valen was standing by the door. I realized I was still only wearing a towel, but I wasn't too bothered by it. I took the scroll from the guard and unrolled it, scanning the neat script. The guard bowed and left, and Valen shut the door firmly behind him.The message was from the palace. To King Darian,This is to inform you that Madam Callisto, Madam Alveri and the council of advisors will be arriving at the mansion tomorrow morning, rather than the day after. They have already departed from the Southern lands and are currently on their way. Madam Alveri is extremely worried about Lady Celeste and cannot wait any longer for the proceedings to begin. Please ensure all arrangements are pushed forward accordingly.The Grand Chancellor of the South.I passed the letter to Valen, and Raven came over to read it over his shoulder. I took a deep breath, running a hand through my damp hair. Well, it was fine. The sooner we did this, the better it would be f

Raven's POVI resisted the urge to stare at Darian's mother too much, but I couldn't help taking occasional peeks at her from my seat. She was undeniably beautiful, carrying her age with a quiet, regal dignity. The family resemblance was striking. She had the same structured jawline and commanding presence as Darian.The heavy silence of the courtyard was broken by the sound of boots on stone. A guard walked Celeste into the center of the open area. She was led directly to a designated stone marker and forced onto her knees.Madam Alveri stood up immediately, her face flushing with indignation. "Does she absolutely have to kneel, Your Majesty?"Darian looked down from his elevated seat, his expression completely unreadable. "It is a formal trial, Madam Alveri, not a family discussion. The accused always kneels."Celeste looked up at her mother, her eyes swimming with tears. "Mother..." she whispered, her voice trembling."Don't be scared, dear," Madam Alveri replied sharply, glare fix