บททั้งหมดของ Mated to Rival Kings: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

Raven's POV Early the next morning, a letter really did arrive from the South. The soft knocking on my bedroom door woke me up, and when I opened it, I found Darian standing there. He looked crisp and fully dressed already, though the clock on my nightstand only read 6:30 AM."The response from Alpha Hilton just arrived," Darian said, his voice low. "Come, let's go read it together."My heart did a nervous little flip. "Okay. Let me just grab a robe."As we walked out into the living space, Valen was just stepping out of his own room. He let out a wide, lazy yawn, stretching his long arms over his head until his joints popped. "Good morning," he mumbled, blinking sleepily."Good morning," Darian and I responded in unison.The three of us walked to the sofas, but before Darian could even pick up the scroll resting on the table, another knock sounded at the door. We all looked at each other in surprise."Enter," Darian called out.The heavy wooden door swung open, and the three Elders

Raven's POVThe loophole we ultimately decided to exploit was simple. Darian wouldn't be allowed inside the punishment sector of the Labyrinth of Shadows, but there was nothing in the ancient decrees forbidding him from staying directly outside the entrance. We hoped that by letting Darian sit nearby, his familiar scent would drift through the wide space, keeping Valen company and anchoring him against his episodes. The second the clock struck seven o'clock tomorrow morning, Darian would free him and bring him straight back up to the lounge.Meanwhile, the estate felt noticeably emptier. Celeste and her mother had officially begun their forced exile at dawn. I had absolutely no idea where they had decided to go, but I sincerely hoped our paths would never, ever cross again.As for the investigation into the mysterious attendant from Valen's memories, Alpha Maddox hadn't written back yet. The lack of a response meant he simply didn't have any concrete news. On the bright side, since n

Valen's POVWe followed Elder Kaelith outside the building, stepping into the cool, damp night air. I wondered briefly why it was just her executing the punishment instead of the full council, but I quickly decided it didn't matter. One Elder was just as annoying as three. Raven followed us onto the stone porch but came to a halt right by the door, her eyes wide with lingering anxiety. Darian, however, kept walking with us.Elder Kaelith stopped and shot a sharp, questioning look back at Darian. "The punishment sector is restricted, King Darian.""I am aware," Darian said, his voice flat and unyielding. "I will just be nearby. I am not violating the boundary, but I am not staying back either."Elder Kaelith stared at him for a moment, her eyes deep with thought. After what looked like a brief moment of internal pondering, she gave a simple, silent nod and turned back around.We navigated through the oppressive darkness of the labyrinth. Walking through these winding stone passages fe

Raven's POV It was currently well past midnight, and the entire mansion was dead silent. I hadn't gone back to our shared lounge upstairs because I simply couldn't bear to be in that space without both Darian and Valen there. The room would feel too empty. Down here in the library, I could at least distract myself, though my mind kept wandering back to them. I could only hope that Valen was doing okay out there.Although my eyelids felt incredibly heavy and I was really sleepy, I forced myself to keep staring hard at the thick books stacked in front of me. I figured that even if I didn't find an immediate solution to our three-way bond dilemma tonight, I was still learning about a lot of other important stuff regarding my mage side.Through the histories, I had come to know much more about the distinct differences between light and dark mages. Is it weird that I actually find dark mage powers to be cooler? According to the texts, light mages could heal physical bodies, depending on

Raven's POV Valen's voice shouted loudly from the bathroom again, cutting through the water. "Hey! Absolutely no flirting allowed in my absence!"I laughed softly, pushing Darian gently toward his bedroom door. "Go on, before he comes out and throws a fit."A few minutes later, Darian reemerged dressed in a simple pair of soft grey trousers alone, his chest still bare. He walked over to the massive center sofa, sat down heavily against the cushions, and opened his arms wide to me. I didn't hesitate. I walked over, climbed onto the plush cushions, and lay down right beside him, resting my head against his shoulder.I looked up at his jawline. "You do know that I haven't actually bathed yet either, right? I've been in the library all night."Darian wrapped his strong arm around my waist, pulling me closer against his side. "You are completely different, Raven. You somehow smell incredibly good no matter what you've been doing."I rolled my eyes playfully. "Flattery.""I flatter you not