Ravena got the news from Luciver. She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She didn’t crumble. The first thing Magnus had taught her when they took the throne together was that a queen must always hold her crown with pride. So she held it now, even as her heart cracked in the middle. Her mate—her partner, her confidant, was gone. Slaughtered by the same creatures who now politely called her "Your Majesty" and offered condolences as if their fangs weren’t still wet with werewolf blood.
"Ravena..." he began. "I am sorry. I will do everything in my power to get these people. The ones responsible will bleed for this."
"Who brought the news?" she asked.
"One Beta Talon," he replied. "Says Alpha Kyllian demands that you be escorted out of Blood City instantly."
Ravena raised an eyebrow. This she expected. Kyllian was loyal to the throne to a fault, he worshipped his king. "I guess Kyllian blames you after all," she said coolly, eyes scanning Luciver’s unreadable face.
"I understand," Luciver replied, his hands clasped behind his back. "But as the newly crowned Alpha King, he needs to rule with his head, not his emotions. This is not the time to throw daggers blindly."
"And yet, that is what young alphas do," Ravena said under her breath. "Is the Beta still here?"
Luciver nodded. "Just outside, Your Highness."
She adjusted the jeweled collar of her dress, her fingers trembling once before stilling. "Good. I suppose I must return to my people."
Luciver stepped closer, lowering his voice as if trying to reach the woman under the crown. "If there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all... One message is all it takes, Ravena. Just one."
She gave a single nod, more powerful than a scream.
Together, they stepped out, where Talon was waiting. The poor man looked like he had wrestled through a forest fire, his clothes torn, his limp barely concealed by his attempt at a straight spine. \n(o)v.e\l.com
"My Queen," Talon rasped.
Ravena looked him up and down. "You look like death’s brother, Beta Talon."
He managed a broken smile. "Yes, Your Majesty. But I have been charged with bringing you safely home."
Luciver looked from Talon to Ravena, then stepped back slightly. "You are always welcome here. Regardless of what your new Alpha says."
Talon could sense the queen’s sadness before she even opened her mouth. His wolf whimpered softly beneath his skin, feeling the ache roll off her in quiet waves.
"I would like to have a word with you, Your Highness," Talon said quietly, tilting his head in deference. free we\bnove(l).com
Ravena gave a silent nod and followed him. He led her across the stone courtyard and down a narrow path shaded by tall hedges. They stopped near a fountain. The stone cherubs watched over them as Talon glanced over his shoulder, ensuring no vampire ears were within range.
Then, Talon told her everything.
The prince was gravely wounded. Kyllian was hunting him. Luna was with him, risking life and limb for the mate she had once refused. And if Kyllian succeeded in killing the vampire prince, retaliation from the Blood Court was all but certain. Their people, already licking fresh wounds from the earlier attack, would not survive another onslaught. This wasn’t a grudge anymore. It was a cliff edge, and Kyllian was running toward it full speed.
When Talon finished, he braced for a reaction.
Instead, Ravena let out a slow breath, closed her eyes for a brief second, and then turned toward the courtyard where Luciver still waited.
She walked back to him calmly, the picture of royal grace, her face giving nothing away. But her pace quickened slightly, her heels striking the ground with authority. She approached Luciver like a queen—not a widow.
"Apparently," she began, "things are already spiraling out of control, Luciver. And as the adults—as you yourself so wisely said earlier—we must think with our heads."
Luciver arched a brow. "What’s going on?"
She folded her hands before her. "Your prince and my daughter are in danger. Kyllian is actively hunting them as we speak. Beta Talon just informed me that Damien is already wounded, and if Kyllian catches him, it’s over. For all of us."
Luciver’s eyes darkened.
"I’ll call off the hunt the moment I reach the border," Ravena continued. "But if you hear from them before I do... send a message. I’ll have them escorted safely out of werewolf territory before my hot-headed king gets them both killed."
"I’m just supposed to trust you with the life of my son?" Luciver asked. His crimson eyes bored into Ravena, and his shoulders were coiled tight as if he was barely holding himself from exploding.
"I owe him a debt, Luciver," she said calmly. "He saved my daughter. I swear on my husband’s name, I will make sure he gets back to you. Alive. Whole."
"You cannot cross our borders," Ravena added. "It would be seen as an act of war at this moment. Kyllian is not thinking with a ruler’s mind. He’s thinking like a wounded mate and a heartbroken son. He was loyal to my husband, annoyingly so."
"Let the Beta return to us after he drops you off," he said. "He will be our only source of correspondence. No one else."
Ravena gave a low bow, sharp and dignified. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Then she turned with her usual elegance and headed toward the car waiting for her, a silent storm of grief and duty rolled into one. The driver opened the door without a word, and she sank into the seat.
Back in Morvakar’s crumbling manor, Damien didn’t bother with pleasantries. He stormed into the shadow-draped parlour, his spine rigid with pain.
"You need to help us send a message to Blood City," Damien said.
Morvakar was seated, legs crossed on an old chair that had lost most of its cushioning.
"Is that how you treat your mate?" he said. "Speak to her like some speck beneath your shoes. Degrading her? You insult her under my own roof."
(V2: You are so sweet!!! Thank you. ESinfo, Faiso Abuukar Mwaahhh)