Chapter 28
Raven
I stared numbly at the huge family portrait hanging on the wall, at the girl of sixteen, sitting so primly, her ankles crossed, in a gorgeous gown. No one would have known she didn’t want to be there, her smile too perfect, but I could see it in her eyes. Her mind was already on the party later that night, where she was hoping to lose her virginity.
To the boy she thought was her future. Her mate.
My hand went to my chest, the ache constant, ceaselessly worming a hole through my heart.
“I’ll come for you.”
It had been over two months.
Two months of endless TV and magazine interviews I tried to dodge, constant meetings with Lars and my mother over what happened, copious amounts of lectures from my aunts, uncles, and especially my father, and a barrage of engagements and events I had to smile for. But all that I could get through. For Rook. He kept me from fleeing.
While Uncle Cole had recovered quickly, my brother was still recuperating, still not able to get through a full day without resting for a few hours. Some days he struggled to get out of bed. The healers said the pure goblin metal poison had been in his bloodstream too long, but they were hopeful he’d recover fully in time, which didn’t ease my guilt. It chewed on me daily, no matter how much my brother told me it wasn’t my fault.
Because it was.
Uncle Dax teased that Rook didn’t want to heal fast because he had such a hot nurse at his bedside. Celeste, so different than the sultry, dominant girl I met months before, had become quiet and solemn. She had followed Rook back to the castle and didn’t leave his side throughout his healing journey. Even when her stomach grew with her attacker’s baby. A Primul baby, which she grew more protective of daily.
My parents weren’t crazy about her being around. Something was off with her behavior, but they didn’t say much after Rook blew up over them trying to move Celeste out of his room.
The relationship was odd between them, as I never saw anything intimate happen at all, not even holding hands, whispers, or longing looks. But there was something. Something undefined and tangible. A bond no one could understand, but it was there.
“I’ll come for you.” Ash’s voice repeated in my head for the thousandth time.
But you haven’t. I snapped back in my mind. We had talked a few times, but every time, he was helping one of Sonya’s victims resettle in their new life or helping Warwick and Scorpion, picking up Wesley’s old job.
I knew I was being bratty and selfish, wanting him to forget who he was, to give up his life and come here for me, knowing he’d be miserable.
Like you are? I sighed to myself, strolling past my family’s painting and heading toward my room, where another stunning dress was laid out for me for another event that evening. It was with leaders of some country or another. I wanted to tell them all to fuck off while I stayed in my sweats, ate takeout, and wrapped myself in my blankets. Instead of talking about assisting the homeless at a party while eating shrimp tartlets, I wanted to actually be helping them. Like Aunt Zoey did with the orphanage.
The events were necessary, and my mom did all she could, but I felt even more impatient with this life.
Stifled.
Caged.
We all knew the history; it was my Aunt Ember who was supposed to be queen. Who was the rightful heir to the throne. It was her bloodline, her title. But she didn’t want it. She chose a different life with Uncle Eli, handing the title and position to my mother instead.
She chose a different life .
“Raven.” The familiar voice jerked my head to the speaker.
His six-foot-three frame stood in the hall wearing a tux, his blond hair slicked back, his scruff thicker, his white-blue eyes taking me in with affection but also a touch of caution.
“Wyatt. You look dapper.” I smiled, motioning to his suit, strolling to him. A wave of love rolled over me, but this time it was a different love. This was friendship love. “How are you?”
Piper and I were doing better, but we still weren’t chummy like we once were. They tried really hard not to shove their love in my face. In the two months back home, I had only seen him at a few events with Piper. I missed my old friend.
“Good.” He nodded, a glint in his eyes, telling me he was thinking about Piper. “Really good. Thank you.”
“I’m happy for you.” I reached up, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. “Really happy for you both.”
His shoulders eased, his arms tightening around me. “Thank you, Ravy.”
Pulling back, his gaze ran over me, his head tilting. “What about you?”
“I’m good.” I put on a smile, forcing a laugh. “A lot better place than I was when I left here last.”
Wyatt was not one for bullshit, his mouth flattening at my attempt to fake anything.
“Rav,” he grumbled, his grumpiness coming out. He was so like his father. “You can tell me the truth.”
Sighing, I looked away. What did he want me to say? That I missed Ash so much it hurt to breathe? That I hated it here, though I loved my family more than anything?
“Just because we don’t hang out all the time now doesn’t mean I don’t still know you.” He folded his arms. “I can see you are miserable.”
“Aren’t we all at these events?” I tossed out my arms.
“Raven.” That tone used to make me giddy, thinking the more I pushed him, the more he’d fight for me. It meant he loved me. Except Wyatt usually ended up walking away, irritated, while my brother would shake his head, seeing what I couldn’t.
I wasn’t the girl Wyatt would stand and fight against. And he wasn’t the boy.
I understood it now.
Ash never backed away. He challenged me at every turn.
The thought of him pulled a sob from my throat. “I miss him,” I whispered.
“Then why don’t you go to him?” he countered.
“What?” I laughed. “Just leave? Like it’s so easy?”
“I didn’t say it was easy, but it’s not impossible.”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I’m the princess!” I exclaimed. “The next in line.”
“And you hate it,” Wyatt said. “You always have. You never wanted to be queen or in the public eye.” Even if I had become comfortable with who I was and no longer would hide my traits, it still wasn’t something I wanted to flash around. People in general were judgmental and wanted a reason to tear me down. Even more so because I was royal.
“So?” I shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I can just walk away from it. I can’t do that again to my parents.”
“Maybe not completely, but your mother isn’t going anywhere, and why do you have to be next in line?” he asked. “Why not Rook?”
Rook was made to pick up the mantle from my mom. He liked this life.
“Have you even told your parents you don’t want to be the ruler?”
I blinked. “Not directly.”
“They love you, Rav. You know they’d want you happy.” He shrugged one shoulder, a device in his pocket beeping. He took it out, peering at the updated mobile phone Lars was testing, his eyes glinting.
“Piper?”
He grinned. Fuck, that boy was in love. How did I not see it before?
“Yeah.” He stuffed the cell back into his pocket.
“You better go.” I nudged at him.
He nodded, about to turn, but stopped, looking back at me. “You know those stories we used to make up about people at the parties?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t wait for someone else to give you a story, Raven. Go write your own.” Wyatt strode away, heading for the woman he wanted his fairy tale with.
I just needed the guts to do the same.