Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel! Chapter 161: Feelings

The hideout was quieter than usual tonight.

The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows on the worn stone walls. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, but inside, everything was still. Riven sat cross-legged on the floor.

"You were a smart kid to make yourself a small fireplace. It gets especially cold in winter." Ronan comnted while relaxing.

Riven simply smiled at that comnt. His tail swished behind him, black ears perked. He was playing with a thread sticking out from a pillow, brow furrowed in deep thought, an unusual look for soone who normally had the emotional range of a hyper squirrel.

Ronan tied his snow white hair into a ponytail to keep it from falling on his face. Usually, he had it tied, but Riven liked his hair better open, so he changed his style.

"So," Riven started, voice softening as he stared into the fire, "what is your plan, Ronan?"

Ronan stilled. "What do you an?"

Riven tilted his head, green eyes glowing in the firelight. "To deal with everything. With the elders. With all of this. What was your grand plan, Alpha?"

Ronan turned away, his jaw tightening. "I will handle it, just as I always have. It will be fine."

Ronan glanced at him. "What was your plan then, Riven? Why did you insist on coming back here? Your childhood ho is not sothing you are fond of."

Riven’s grin faltered.

He looked away, pulling his tail into his lap and fiddling with it. For a mont, he seed like a different person—quieter, less playful. Vulnerable.

"I found sothing," he said, almost in a whisper. "When I was going through my old room."

Ronan’s brow furrowed. "What did you find?"

"A letter." Riven pulled sothing from his jacket pocket—a small, worn envelope with a faded seal. He handed it over, and Ronan took it cautiously.

Inside was a scrap of parchnt with a single ssage:"Co alone. We need to talk. – Julius"

Ronan’s jaw clenched. "When did you get this?"

"Just earlier. It was tucked inside a book I haven’t touched in years. ’How to Charm Your Way Out of an Execution.’ Classic bedti read. I did not show it to you... Because, well... You would say no." Riven shrugged. He then added, "So, I guess this is my plan."

"Riven," Ronan said sharply.

"I’m being serious," Riven cut in, ears flattening. "Julius is willing to sell out, he will expose our father’s secrets, but only if I et him. Alone."

Riven looked up at him, eyes wide but steady. "I know you don’t need my help. But I want to help."

"That’s not the sa thing."

"It is to ," Riven replied, rising to et his gaze. "You’re my mate, Ronan. We’re supposed to help each other."

Ronan blinked, his composure wavering at the word mate. Riven had said it so casually, like he wasn’t aware of how much power it held.

"You spent your whole life building a reputation," Riven continued, his voice more serious than Ronan had ever heard it. "You distanced yourself from our tyrant of a father. You made people believe you’re not like him—and you aren’t. But if you start capturing elders without proof, even if they deserve it, it’ll make you look like him. And I won’t let that happen."

Ronan exhaled slowly, trying to keep his racing heart from showing on his face. "The assassination attempt was enough justification to investigate them."

"But not enough to accuse them," Riven said gently. "Not all the elders are corrupt. So actually support you. If you go after the wrong ones, you’ll lose your allies to suspicion."

He stepped closer, placing a hand over Ronan’s. "I wanted to give you a reason. A real lead. Nas. That’s why I agreed to Julius’s terms. So you wouldn’t have to bear the fallout."

Ronan looked down at their joined hands, then up at Riven’s face.

This wasn’t the bubbly, bratty kitten he knew. This was soone who had thought this through, soone who had taken a risk not for himself, but for him.

"You’re... Different tonight," Ronan murmured.

Riven raised an eyebrow. "What, because I’m not trying to seduce you?"

"Ronan," Riven said softly, tail swishing behind him. "I know I don’t act serious most of the ti. But I am pretty smart and serious when the situation arises." He said, beaming with pride. Did this not defeat the purpose?

Ronan stared at him, speechless. In a good way.

"Do you want to go to Julius alone?" he asked, voice quieter than before.

Riven hesitated, then nodded. "I will be fine. Our bond—" he paused, grin blooming again, "—made stronger."

He flashed his teeth, practically beaming. "I an, I can bench press a wolf now. Pretty sure that’s the power of love!"

Ronan rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the warmth that blood in his chest. "You’re ridiculous."

"You’re ridiculous, actually," Riven teased, winking. Being cheesy was a lot of fun.

Ronan watched him for a long mont, then sat beside him again, closer this ti.

Their shoulders touched.

"So you are eting him today... Because tomorrow you are..." Ronan did not finish the sentence.

But Riven understood, he was going back to Soren. One week was not enough ti to do what he ca here for. He was planning on checking on Raphael and take revenge on behalf of the old Riven.

Which went down the drain as soon as the elders started to work against him. Life was really too hard. Thankfully, he heard from others that Raphael was safe, and when he asked Ronan about it, Ronan said that he was back at ho... Training.

Riven narrowed his eyes at this. But Eli confird that he was at ho, recuperating and training to take over. Riven sighed in relief when he heard that. He needed to learn to be stronger, he was dealing with two powerful n here, and he did not want to be overwheld.

"It is ti... Ti for my training arc!"