~Third Person~
Wanda’s hands balled into fists against the sheets, her voice rising as her anger poured out.
"I will take back what’s mine, either by hook or by crook! I underestimated that nobody, Levi. I thought her curse and her lack of a wolf made her nothing. I should have finished her long ago. I should have used others to do it, plotted it properly, but I was blind. And now she stands where I should be—beside him!"
Her chest heaved, her eyes burning with fury as she continued, "Draven belongs to , not to that wolfless disgrace that would never amount to anything good."
Levi dropped the bloodstained cloth into the basin with a quiet splash. His voice ca calm, but edged with steel.
"Enough, Wanda. You forget yourself. Draven is not your private property. He is the future King of our race."
"I don’t care!" Wanda snapped, her voice cracking. "King or not, he should have been mine!"
Levi leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "Do you even hear yourself? Tell , do you truly love Draven, or are you just obsessed because of what Father drilled into you? Because of the power he wanted you to seize?"
The words hit her like a blow. Wanda froze, her lips parting, but no sound ca. For a mont, only the faint hiss of the fireplace filled the silence.
Then her shoulders shook. Tears welled and spilled freely down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands, her voice breaking apart.
"I love Draven. I have always loved him."
Levi’s gaze softened faintly, though his expression stayed guarded. Then he rested a hand on her trembling shoulder, his voice quieter now.
"Then stop letting Father twist that love into sothing poisonous. Because if you don’t, it will be the end of you."
Wanda wept harder, the sound muffled against her palms.
A few minutes later, her sobs quieted to ragged breaths, her body trembling as she clutched at the sheets.
"I can’t breathe properly," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Knowing that he is probably holding another woman in his arms right now—another woman who isn’t ."
Levi’s hand tightened gently on her shoulder. He crouched closer, his voice low, steady, as though he could anchor her with tone alone.
"Wanda, don’t do this to yourself. Stop thinking about Draven. He isn’t worth destroying yourself over."
But she lifted her face, her tear-streaked eyes locking onto his. For a mont, he saw not his fierce sister, nor their father’s ambitious pawn, but a woman consud by longing she couldn’t shake.
"To not be with Draven..." her lips trembled, her voice thinned into a whisper, "...is death."
Levi’s chest tightened. He wanted to argue, to snap her out of it, but the sheer desperation in her gaze stole the words from his throat.
And all he could do was hold her steady, his hand firm against her arm as her tears fell heavier.
"Then live," he muttered finally, his voice hoarse but resolute. "Even if it ans living without him."
But Wanda only shook her head, clutching tighter at his arm, her expression crumbling with every breath.
***
DUSKMOOR.
Draven’s boots struck quietly against the polished floor of the hallway, his stride asured, and his shoulders set with their usual authority.
Just then, the phone in his pocket buzzed. He slipped it out and glanced at the screen before answering.
"Alpha," ca the steady voice of his trusted guard. "I’ve dropped Miss Wanda at her family’s residence, and her brother, Levi Fellowes was there."
Draven’s brows lifted slightly, though his tone stayed even. "Levi? Did he say anything?"
"No," the guard replied. "I only inford him of your reassignnt for Miss Wanda. He said he would make sure she fulfills her duties."
Draven was silent for a beat, his mind shifting quickly through the implications. Then, he uttered curtly, "Good. Stay in Stormveil for a few days. Watch for any movents and report directly back to ."
"Yes, Alpha."
The line clicked dead. Draven slid the phone back into his pocket, his jaw tightening just as a voice called lightly from behind him.
"Brother," Dennis drawled, catching up with an easy pace. "Has Wanda arrived?"
Draven turned, his dark gaze eting his brother’s. "Yes. She’s ho. Levi was there when she was dropped off."
Dennis’s brows arched with curiosity as he fell into step beside him, their footsteps echoing together down the long hall toward the dining hall.
"Levi, hmm? Knowing Reginald’s temperant, it seems like Wanda made sure to warn her brother ahead of ti. She probably asked him to be there before she arrived."
Draven’s lips curved faintly in acknowledgnt. "Most likely."
Dennis’s grin widened as he slid his hands into his pockets. "Then that greedy man will be shocked and very unhappy."
Draven said nothing, though the flicker in his eyes suggested agreent.
Together, they both crossed the last stretch of the hallway before arriving at the dining hall.
---
The dining hall was warm with the soft clatter of silverware and the low murmur of conversation.
redith sat beside Draven, her expression softened in rare ease. And right beside her, Xamira held up a fork with a piece of at perched at the tip.
"Here, my lady," she chid happily, leaning forward. "Try it."
redith’s lips curved into a tender smile as she bent, taking the bite without hesitation.
Xamira’s gaze watched as she chewed on it before she asked, "Do you like it?"
"It’s good," redith nodded approvingly. "Thank you."
Draven raised his glass of water slowly, his gaze fixed on redith. He drank, the cool liquid grounding him as he made the vow silently in his heart:
’I will do everything in my power to keep that smile on your face for as long as I live.’
He set the glass down, his jaw tightening slightly as his resolve deepened. ’I won’t let anyone steal your happiness. Or co between us.’
Then his eyes shifted to the left side of the table, settling on Mabel and Gary.
Both siblings kept their heads down, their focus entirely on their food. But Draven’s gaze lingered on them, sharp and unblinking.
’Even if it is your own family,’ he thought grimly. ’This ti, I wouldn’t bundle them back to Stormveil in one piece.’
The faint clink of redith’s laughter at sothing Xamira said pulled his eyes back to her. His expression softened instantly, his vow sealing itself deeper inside him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)