Draven.
Rhovan rumbled faintly within . "You gave her what she asked for. It was the only choice."
"I know," I answered. "But that doesn’t an I should let her drown in it."
The flicker of pain in redith’s eyes tightened sothing in my chest. I had given her the truth, yes, but truth could cut as deep as lies.
I drew a slow breath and reached across the narrow space between us, taking her hand firmly in mine. Her fingers twitched at first, but she didn’t pull away.
"I am sorry, redith," I said quietly. "Not for being honest, but for the way my choices in the past made you feel, for making you question whether you were ever just a pawn on my board. You deserved more than that."
Her gaze lifted to mine, guarded, but I didn’t look away.
"I love you." The words ca without hesitation, steady and certain. "And you should know this. I was raised from the ti I could walk to withhold affection, to guard myself, to give nothing of my heart to anyone. All I was trained to see was vision, power and leadership. That’s why the only person I could ever truly love is my mate."
I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. "If, in so cruel twist, I had taken one of the daughters the Elders shoved at , I could never have loved her. Not then, not ever. Because my heart was already reserved for you."
Her lips parted, and I saw the faintest tremor cross her expression.
I leaned back slightly, though I kept her hand in mine. "Politics is cruel, redith. Every move must be calculated. Every bond weighed for the war it might spark. It was unfair of to drag you into that storm when I believed you were only a shield, an innocent caught in the fire. For that, I am truly sorry."
I let the words settle, unpolished, and unguarded. She needed my sincerity, not a king’s armor.
"But I want you to believe in this. Recognizing the mate bond didn’t force to love you. It only forced to abandon the plans that would have destroyed us both. My love for you ca after that, slowly, naturally, the way a fla catches and refuses to die."
Her breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly as I continued.
"As for my love for you," I said, my voice lower now, firm with conviction, "it is unquestionable. Don’t ever think it is conditional. Don’t ever think it is sothing fate trapped into. You are my choice as much as you are my mate."
The silence that followed was heavy, but different from before. She stared into , her eyes searching, as if trying to asure the weight of every word I had spoken.
Finally, her voice broke through, soft but steady. "When did you find out that I was your mate?"
Her question landed like a blade I had no shield for.
I drew in a deep breath, leaning back against the sofa for a mont. Of all the things she could have asked, this was the trap I had laid for myself long ago, not by her doing, but by my silence.
I wished she hadn’t asked, but now that she had... there was no path but truth.
"I first found out the mont I saw you at the Lunar Ball," I admitted quietly.
Her eyes widened, shock flashing across her face. Before the sting of betrayal could grow in her expression, I continued.
"My wolf, Rhovan, recognized you instantly," I explained, my voice steady but low. "But I doubted it. I never expected that the cursed, wolfless woman everyone whispered about would be my mate... my future queen."
Her lips parted, but no sound ca.
"I thought Rhovan was mistaken," I went on, forcing myself to give her the full truth. "So I refused to believe it. I chose to live in denial, convincing myself I could ignore the bond. Until I couldn’t anymore. The signs grew too clear, and months later, I confird it for myself. You were my mate."
Her breath wavered, but she held my gaze.
"And, redith," I added, softer now, "your attitude towards back then made it harder for to accept it. The way you talked back, how rude you could be... it made believe that surely this was not how a mate would act."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between us again. Then—
A soft sound escaped her lips. A chuckle.
I blinked, watching her features soften in a way that made my chest loosen. She raised a hand quickly, covering her mouth as though she were trying to stifle her laughter, but it was too late.
Her eyes glimred, the tension breaking around us like a fragile glass that had finally cracked.
I found myself smiling, unable to resist. The sight of her face lit with amusent, even at my expense, made everything worth it.
I exhaled slowly, relief threading through , and thought, ’If this is the worst of her anger, then I am a fortunate man indeed.’
redith’s laughter lingered in the air between us, soft and disarming, and I found myself staring at her as though I’d never seen her properly before.
But then she lowered her hand, her smile turning faintly thoughtful. "I guess you being my mate explains why my pheromones suddenly ceased going wild when you arrived at the Lunar Ball."
I tilted my head slightly, curiosity sparking. Before I could respond, she added quietly, "And I should confess sothing to you too. I already knew we were mates a few months ago."
Her words stunned . My brows arched in genuine surprise. "You knew?"
She nodded once.
I thought quickly, piecing it together. ’It must have been after she got her wolf. That would explain it.’
"When did you find out? And how?" I asked carefully.
Her gaze softened. "It was after Valmora ca to . She told herself."
I nodded slowly, the pieces falling neatly into place. But a question tugged at , one I couldn’t resist asking.
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