Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
KORRAN
The drive to the estate passed in a haze of satisfaction as Korran was still riding the high of claiming his mate in the most primal way possible.
The scent of their coupling lingered in the SUV—rose and rain mingled with pine and spice, marking the space as thoroughly theirs.
His hands flexed on the steering wheel as he replayed every moment: Tess straddling him, taking him deep, her inner walls clenching around him as she came apart in his arms.
Mine.
His bear prowled, demanding more. Demanding he complete the bond properly—with his mark seared into her skin. But Korran forced himself to maintain control, even as his claws ached with the need to sink into the soft skin over her hip.
Not yet.
Not until he knew for certain that Varix’s mate bond theory was complete fabrication.
The logical part of his mind—the part trained by years of royal duty and scientific observation—insisted on proof before he irrevocably bound Tess to a fate that might destroy them both.
If there was even a chance that the human-shifter bond had caused his father’s decline, he couldn’t risk exposing her to the same fate his mother had endured.
But his bear snarled in disagreement, pushing closer to the surface with frustrated fury.
She is ours. Mark her. Stop this foolish hesitation.
But Korran held firm. One more day. Just long enough to test those stolen vials and shatter the last of his doubts.
When they pulled into the circular drive of the estate, Tess turned to him with eyes still bright from their encounter. “I want to test those vials immediately. Every moment we delay—“
“I have to attend my father’s private burial first,” he interrupted, his voice rough. The reminder of duty crashed over him, sobering the heated satisfaction still coursing through his veins.
Her face softened with understanding. “Of course. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking—“
He reached across the console and cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her kiss-swollen lips. “Don’t apologize for wanting justice for him. I’ll call Kael to pick you up here, and I’ll meet you at the lab as soon as I can.”
She nodded, then leaned forward to press a quick, fierce kiss to his mouth.
The brief contact sent heat spiraling through him again, and his bear rumbled approval.
Then she slipped out of the SUV and hurried up the front steps.
Korran watched until she disappeared inside, then forced himself to focus on the grim task ahead.
He found his mother in her private chambers, standing at the windows overlooking the snow-covered gardens, her posture rigid with barely contained grief.
“What took you so long?” she asked without turning. “They’ll be expecting us soon at the burial grounds.”
Korran closed the door behind him, then moved to stand beside her at the windows. “Tess and I... reconciled. I told her she was my fated mate.”
His mother’s reflection in the glass showed a flicker of something—relief, perhaps, or satisfaction. “And?”
“She didn’t exactly choose the mate bond yet,” he admitted, running a hand through his dark hair. “Neither did I, not completely. But she’s staying to help uncover the truth about Father’s illness. Maybe once we have answers...” He trailed off, unwilling to voice the hope building in his chest.
His mother finally turned to face him, her blue eyes sharp despite the exhaustion etched around them. “Well, I hope this all wraps up soon. Malvek is putting tremendous pressure on me to step down as queen, and for you to choose Seraya. We’re running out of time here, Korran.”
“I know. That’s why Tess is going to the lab now with Kael. They’re testing samples we... acquired... from Varix’s private stores. She thinks Father’s immunity booster may have been toxic rather than therapeutic.”
His mother went very still. The color drained from her face, and her knees wobbled dangerously. Korran lunged forward, catching her arms to steady her.
“Don’t worry about all that right now,” he said firmly. “Let’s just get to the burial grounds, and then we can handle everything later.”
She nodded shakily, but he could see the storm brewing behind her eyes. If Tess was right—if Varix had been slowly poisoning his father for a decade while pretending to treat him—the implications would shatter everything they’d believed.
After ensuring his mother was steady, Korran pulled out his communicator and pressed Kael’s contact.
“Your Highness?” Kael’s voice crackled through the device.
“Pick up Tess at the estate and head to the lab immediately. It’s the perfect time—the facility will be empty with the clan mourning.”
“On it.”
The call ended, and Korran pocketed the device. He then guided his mother out of her chambers and out of the estate toward his SUV, trying to ignore the way her grief seemed to have carved hollows in her cheeks overnight.
The drive to the ancient burial grounds passed in heavy silence.
The sacred site lay deep in the mountains, accessible only by a narrow, winding road that had been carved into the rock face centuries ago.
Snow-laden pines pressed close on either side, their branches creating a natural cathedral that had sheltered the remains of his ancestors for generations.
When they arrived, his mother wasn’t crying—she seemed beyond tears now, hollowed out and fragile as spun glass. Korran helped her from the SUV and guided her through the snow toward the clearing where his father’s closed casket waited beside the grave that had been prepared.
The elders stood in a solemn circle, their weathered faces grim. Two younger shifters—members of the burial detail—waited respectfully at a distance, their shovels resting against their shoulders.
What Korran hadn’t expected was the sight of Malvek and Seraya emerging from another vehicle, their formal black attire stark against the pristine snow. His bear bristled with immediate suspicion.
What are they doing here?
Malvek approached with measured steps, his expression appropriately somber. “I came as a duty of the council,” he said, his tone carrying the weight of false sincerity. “And Seraya wanted to offer her support to her future mate.”
The presumption in those words hit Korran like a slap. He’d never agreed to any such arrangement, never given Malvek or his daughter any indication that he’d choose her yet. The fact that Malvek would make such a claim here, at his father’s burial, sent rage coursing through his veins.
But he couldn’t afford a confrontation. Not here, not now. Not when Tess and Kael needed time to analyze those vials without interruption.
So he bit back his fury and focused on the ceremony, trying to ignore Seraya’s calculating gaze as the elders spoke the ancient words of farewell.
His father’s casket was lowered into the frozen earth with reverent care, and Korran felt something fundamental shift inside him—the final severing of childhood, and the weight of kingship settling onto his shoulders like a mantle of iron.
When the last shovelful of earth had been placed and the elders had departed, Malvek approached him again with that same false concern.
“I’ll escort the queen back to the estate,” he offered, his steel-grey eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Perhaps you should take Seraya for a drive. Discuss your mating arrangements.”
Every instinct screamed at him to refuse, to tell Malvek exactly where he could shove his political machinations. But Tess needed more time. The lab needed to remain undisturbed while she worked.
“Fine,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Malvek’s smile was razor-sharp as he guided Queen Lysia toward his vehicle. Seraya fell into step beside Korran, her movements fluid and predatory.
He didn’t help her into his SUV—the passenger seat where Tess belonged felt like sacred ground that Seraya had no right to defile. She climbed in on her own, her sharp blue eyes flashing with annoyance at his lack of courtesy.
The sight of her in Tess’s place sent his bear into a frenzy of possessive rage. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles went white, fighting the urge to order her out immediately.
Instead, he started the engine and drove in tense silence until they were well away from the burial grounds. Then he pulled off onto a narrow side road and cut the engine, turning to face her with barely leashed fury.
“Unfortunately, I will not be choosing you as my mate,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “I apologize if your father gave you the wrong impression, or if I did at any point over the years. But I’ve found someone else.”
Seraya’s composure cracked, revealing the calculating ambition beneath her polished exterior.
“Who?” she demanded, her voice sharp with wounded pride.
“No one else is more perfectly suited for you or the queen role. I can give you everything you need politically. And we can learn to love each other, satisfy each other.”
She reached toward him, her fingers brushing his arm. “I find you incredibly attractive, Korran. Maybe we could go somewhere now and have a little fun together. See how compatible we really are.”
The suggestion hit him like a punch to the gut. The idea of anyone other than Tess touching him, of betraying the bond they’d just acknowledged, made his stomach turn.
“Absolutely not,” he snarled, jerking away from her touch. “That will never happen.”
Her face twisted with fury and desperation. “You can’t just—“
“Get out.”
“You can’t make me walk home!”
“Sure I can.” He leaned across her and opened her door, his proximity making her shrink back. “I really need to be somewhere.”
Seraya climbed out in a huff, her designer boots sinking into the snow. “This isn’t over, Korran. My father won’t—“
He slammed the door and peeled away, leaving her standing in the swirling snow.