bChapter /bb221 /b

    ra’s POV

    My heart was hammering so loudly, I was convinced it could be heard. Each beat felt like it would give me away. But I couldn’t let him see how nervous !

    was.

    “Do you have a trust issue, Dorian?” I asked, trying to sound annoyed, though inside, my stomach was twisting in knots.

    His eyes flickered, a sharp glint of suspicion in them. “Don’t make this about me, my love,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “You managed to win over Wells and Belle, and then there was the effort with the baseball game tonight… Dario’s even on your side now. It’s hard to believe you’re not working some angle behind my back.”

    “Wait, what? You asked me to be nice to Dario, remember?” I shot back, feigning exasperation. “And you want me to get along with your brother and sister, too. What’s your deal?”

    “Of course, I want you all to be friends,” he said, his voice softening. “I see the effort you’ve put in, and for a second, I thought maybe you were ready to ept my proposal. Hell, I was thrilled. But when I saw that look on your face just now, I realized I was wrong. So tell me, ra, what are you trying to do

    here?”

    His words hit harder than I expected. Dorian wasn’t just asking; he was peeling back theyers of my facade, looking for the truth.

    1 stiffened, unwilling to admit how much it had been eating at me. He saw through every little thing I did.

    “I’m doing my best here, Dorian.” My voice cracked slightly, but I steeled myself. “I’m just trying to adjust. To make this ce feel like home. Maybe, if I could, I could see us having a future here. But right now, I’m not ready for anything else. My heart is still with Thorne.”

    The room seemed to freeze as his face darkened. A storm brewed in his eyes, and for a moment, I thought he mightsh out. But instead, he clenched his jaw and stared at me, silent,

    “How could you expect me to just ept this?” he said through gritted teeth. “After everything… after everything we’ve been through? You want me to believe you’re still thinking of him?”

    I didn’t flinch, though inside, I was trembling. He was so much smarter than I ever gave him credit for.

    “I’m trying,” I whispered, my voice trembling now. “Trying to make this work, trying to build something with you. But I can’t do it if you don’t trust me. If you don’t trust that I’m trying.”

    For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Then, with a deep sigh, he finally softened. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, pulling me into his arms. “I push too hard. I just… I want you to love me, ra. I want it so badly that sometimes I don’t know how to stop myself.”

    The floodgates in my chest opened, and I let iout /ia shaky breath, not entirely sure where the tears wereing from. “But it’s a process, Dorian. You can’t rush me. If you keep pushing, this… this won’t work.”

    His hands tightened around me, but his voice was steady. “I know. I’ll wait, no matter how long it takes. Because I know I’m the one for you. And one day, you’ll see it, too.”

    I buried my face against his shoulder, the weight of my relief flooding through me. It wasn’t perfect, but for now, it was enough.

    I pulled away, wiping my eyes quickly. “So, about the hunting trip-”

    He looked down at me, his smile a little unsure, but his tone light. “You’re still going? After all this?”

    “Of course I am. I need this. I need to prove myself, even if it’s just to these elders.” I met his eyes, trying to keep the edge of confidence in my voice.

    “Well, when’s this hunting trip happening?” he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

    “The day after tomorrow,” I said, my heart speeding up again.

    08:57 Tue, 2 Sept W

    O

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    “That’s the day before the deadline, isn’t it?” He tilted his head, looking puzzled. “I have meetings all day. Are you going to be alright by yourself?”

    “Don’t worry,” I reassured him. “Dario will stay with me.”

    His arms tightened around me again. “If there’s no… intimacy tonight,” he said, his voiceced with teasing, “what should we do instead?”

    I chuckled, finally feeling some ease in my chest. “You can read to me. There’s a book on the nightstand.”

    With a small sigh, he pulled away just enough to grab the book. His fingers brushed mine as he opened it, settling back iinto /ithe crook of my arm. His voice was smooth, deep, like a river flowing through velvet, and for a moment, I let it wash over me.

    The tension in the room ebbed away slowly, and I closed my eyes, allowing myself to drift into his words.

    The next morning, the air was crisp as the hunting party gathered at the front gates of the castle. The sun was barely rising, casting a warm golden glow over the mountains. I rode alongside Dario, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

    “You’re a good rider,” Dariomented, ncing over at me.

    “My brother taught me,” I shrugged. “But why aren’t we taking cars?”

    “The paths in the mountains aren’t made for vehicles,” he replied, his tone casual.

    “But we’re werewolves, right?” I shot him a yful look. “Why can’t we just shift and run? It’d be so much faster.”

    I hadn’t had the chance to shift since I arrived. My wolf was practically begging for a good run.

    “Because,” Dario said with a smirk, “shifting in public is… ungraceful.”

    Before I could retort, a voice interrupted us from behind.

    Turning around, I found an elder with a goatee riding closer. “Elder Robert from the House of Light,” Dario introduced us. “Lady ra, this is Elder

    Robert.”

    Elder Robert gave me a long, critical look. “The werewolf Queen,” he muttered, his voice cold.

    I raised an eyebrow. “Did you just say shifting is ungraceful?” I asked, my voice dripping with disbelief.

    “It is,” he said firmly, chin held high. “We are Lycans. We are human/first. Our animal instincts don’t define us.”

    I rolled my eyes inwardly, imy /iwolf growling in agreement.

    “If you want to be part of thismunity, Lady ra,” Elder Randy chimed in with an air of superiority, “you’ll need to reconsider your approach.”

    I couldn’t hold back the smirk. “Thank iyou /ifor your advice. But unlike the Lycans, I n to embrace my animal instincts. It’s what makes me stronger.”

    His expression soured. “We’ll see how far that gets you,” he muttered, before riding off.

    Dario sighed beside me. “Elder Randy was poisoned, and he thinks you’re behind it.”

    I frowned. “I have my suspicions, but no proof!” i couldn’t help but nced over my shoulder at Randy’s retreating form. If my n worked, I’d be gone from this ce before the day ended.

    Turning to Darío, I gave him a sly smile. “I need a favour.”

    He raised an eyebrow. “Anything.”

    “When the hunt begins, I want to do this on my own,” I said, my voice steady. “Don’t follow me. I want to show these elders exactly what I can do.”

    Dario gave me a longb, /bconsidering look before nodding. “Alright. But be careful.”

    08:57 Tue, 2 Sept W.

    I didn’t need him to tell me that. This hunt was more than just a game to me–it was my chance to prove myself.