CHAPTER 419: THE ANGRY TRIO (II)

Evaline:

The air in the room felt thick the moment Selene’s voice sliced through it.

"Start talking, Evaline. Now."

Her tone wasn’t harsh, but there was sharpness beneath the calm surface... the kind that could make anyone squirm.

I blinked at her, words sticking in my throat. I had been preparing myself for something like this, but now that it was happening, my mind went blank.

My eyes darted toward the three people who could have saved me from this inquisition - Kyros, Rowan, and Mallory - but the moment our eyes met, they all gave me the same exact look... Don’t even think about dragging us into this.

Mallory had her chin resting on her hand, watching with a look of mild amusement. Rowan raised both hands like he was surrendering, and Kyros... well, Kyros had the nerve to smirk at me before casually leaning back on the couch like this was the entertainment he had been waiting for all semester.

Seriously? Traitors.

Selene cleared her throat sharply, drawing my attention back to her before I could glare daggers at my so-called friends.

"Don’t look at them," she said, her voice clipped but not unkind. "We are asking you, Eva."

"Yeah," Noah added dryly from beside her. "And if you are hoping for help from those three, forget it. They already claimed they ’didn’t know a thing’ when we asked again and again earlier."

Ria crossed her arms, leaning against the nearby shelf, her expression a perfect mix of disapproval and worry. "Eva, you disappeared for months. No messages, no calls, nothing. Do you have any idea how scared we were?"

Their words hit like small stones - not painful, but heavy with guilt.

I opened my mouth, but before I could even think of how to begin, a familiar deep voice filled the dorm room.

"Well," Draven said smoothly, the rich tone carrying easily across the common room, "this is quite the welcome party. I must say, I didn’t expect such a warm reception."

Every head snapped toward the door.

He hadn’t even stepped fully inside yet - just leaned casually against the doorframe, his eyes gleaming with mischief and quiet authority. The room collectively fell silent as his presence washed over them.

Noah’s mouth dropped open. Selene froze mid-breath. And Ria... well, her arms slowly uncrossed as her eyes widened in something between shock and disbelief.

I almost pitied them. Almost.

Because if I didn’t know Draven as well as I did now, I would have probably reacted the same way - staring in stunned silence as one of the most powerful Alphas in existence casually stepped into a dorm room of first years.

He pushed off the frame and entered, his tall form commanding the space instantly. Every movement of his was effortless, yet full of that dangerous confidence that made even the air feel charged.

Behind him, the door clicked shut softly.

Mallory was biting her lip, clearly fighting back laughter. Rowan muttered a quiet "Oh, this is going to be good," under his breath. And Kyros gave me a knowing look that said, You are on your own, sunshine.

If I didn’t have Draven’s presence nearby me, that was also grounding me, I would have melted into the floor out of sheer anxiety.

Noah was the first to find his voice... sort of.

"W-What the hell is he doing here?" he half-whispered, half-yelled, his finger pointing at Draven like he had seen a ghost. "Isn’t he- you are- you-"

"Draven Thorne," Selene blurted, her voice trembling slightly. "The Draven Thorne?"

Draven’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Guilty."

Oh, Moon above. I wanted to disappear.

He stepped closer to me, his scent immediately surrounding me and filling my senses. Then, without the slightest hint of hesitation, he slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against his side.

The room collectively gasped.

If Noah’s eyes got any wider, they had pop out. Ria looked like she had stopped breathing. While Selene actually took a step back, as though proximity to him might burn her.

Meanwhile, Draven just looked pleased with himself.

He tilted his head down to look at me, his thumb brushing my waist in an almost teasing motion. "Aren’t you going to answer your friends, little moon?" he asked softly, his tone dripping with false innocence that only I could detect. "They seem very eager to know where you have been... and what you have been doing."

I gave him a sharp look, whispering, "You are enjoying this, aren’t you?"

"Immensely," he murmured back, low enough that only I heard him.

"Physco." I threw at him through my gritted teeth, but he seemed to take the word as compliment.

"I know. A sexy one."

I sighed and turned to face my wide-eyed friends, trying to muster as much composure as I could with Draven’s hand still around me.

"Alright," I said finally, my voice steadier than I felt. "This is Draven."

"We know who he is," Selene said quickly, still sounding half in awe, half terrified. "But why is he here? And why are you-" she gestured vaguely between the two of us "-standing like that?"

I hesitated. I could practically feel Draven’s amusement radiating beside me. His fingers gave a light squeeze against my waist, silently urging me on... or maybe daring me.

I took a deep breath. There was no easy way to do this.

"Because," I began slowly, "he’s not just our senior."

Three pairs of eyes locked on me.

"He’s..." I swallowed hard, glancing at Draven briefly before saying it out loud. "He’s my mate."

You could have heard a pin drop.

For a full five seconds, no one moved. No one blinked. Even the faint hum of the air conditioner felt too loud.

Then...

"What?!" Noah, Selene, and Ria shouted in perfect unison.

Mallory’s laughter finally broke loose, echoing through the dorm. Kyros whistled lowly. And Rowan muttered, "Called it," under his breath.

But the trio in front of me were staring like I had just told them I was marrying the Moon Goddess herself.