CHAPTER THREE

Raven's POV

Somehow, in the haze that seemed to hang over me, my feet found the staircase. I stumbled upstairs, holding the banisters for support. My heart felt like a magnet being pulled towards his; even as I ascended the staircase, I felt as though I was moving against a force.

Finally I reached the first landing, then groped my way towards my room. I found the door and collapsed against it, taking several shaky breaths.

"Calm down, Raven." I murmured, swallowing hard. "Calm down, wolf."

My wolf was drawn to his like a moth to a dangerous flame. Even from this distance, I could hear his heart thudding heavily. In the space of a minute, my entire world had been flipped on its head. Even now, I can still catch the misty, soothing smell of rain and metal that seemed to follow hin anywhere he went. He had infiltrated my world and suddenly turned my purpose around.

The Goddess had given me my fated mate at the worst of times. It was as though I was nothing but a string puppet, being controlled by things stronger than me.

Finally I let out a gasping breath. I turned, my fingers finding the doorknob. I turned it, then slipped into the room before I could be discovered.

My eyes roamed around the room, goosebumps of sadness flooding my skin. The room had never felt like mine. I felt more at home in a tool shed, with sharp blades and hard sticks keeping me company.

And soon, the only thing I had held so dear to me would be snatched away from me. If Alpha Jaxon declared me as his mate, I would have to go with him to his own pack, become his Luna and live as a shadow of my former self.

I didn't want to be mated to him if that was the cost, and yet I couldn't imagine my world without him in it.

I moved swiftly to the window, peering outside. I could see Yara in the courtyard as she darted around, obviously looking for me and wondering where I had gone. Guilt gripped my heart as I watched her frail form. She was so kind to me, unlike my stepmother. She did not deserve the heartbreak of finding out her older sister and her future husband were fated mates.

I should never have agreed to dance with her betrothed.

I heard Alpha Jaxon's heartbeat grow closer. Quickly I turned towards the door, hearing footsteps as someone ascended the staircase. I waited with bated breath as the doorknob slowly turned, and then Alpha Jaxon walked in.

Relief flashed across his face as he saw me. "I traced your heartbeat," he explained.

"Go away, Jaxon. I want to be alone." I murmured instead, turning towards the window and shivering as a cold draft wafted in. Yet I heard his footsteps approaching me.

"Raven?" He murmured. Then I felt his warm fingers on my shoulder.

His touch was strange and yet welcome; warm and comforting. I wanted to turn around and collapse into his arms, wanted him to hold me as close as ever to his chest. I wanted so badly to meld my heart with his, to cling to him ever so tightly until we became one.

He was dangerous: the mere thought of the both of us together was purely outrageous, but I didn't care.

Instead I did what I knew how to do best.

I lashed out.

"Do you know what you have caused?" I spat at him, bitterness roiling inside of me. "Do you know the damage you have wreaked, not just on me, but my entire family? And Yara—"

"Yara will never know about this," Alpha Jaxon cut in, his eyes full of plea. "I promise. She will—"

"Will you marry her, then?" I asked, suddenly going quiet. I turned around to face him. "Will you marry Yara?"

"Raven—" he started, then ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair in frustration. "Fuck, Raven!"

"Alpha Jaxon, are you going to marry my sister?" I repeated, voice raised. "It is a simple enough question—"

"It is not as simple as it looks, Raven!" He yelled suddenly, startling me slightly. "My engagement party is going on down there. I'm supposed to be getting married to Yara in a few days. And yet here I am, in a room with the older sister of my betrothed. And somehow, she happens to be my fated mate."

The heartbroken look in his eyes was agonizing. I sighed and looked away, trying to gather my emotions. When I looked back, the look in his eyes had been replaced by the hardness that I was slowly getting familiar with.

"It's not as easy as it looks, Raven." He murmured, jaw tightening. "God, I want to be with you so bad! You've occupied my mind ever since I saw you in that shed. It's all I ever wanted, Raven. To be with you again."

He paused, panting slightly, a defeated look in his eyes. "What do you want me to do, Raven?"

My heart fluttered at those words. It was strange reconciling the hard, brooding man in that tool shed to the one that stood before me right now. The sad look in his eyes was slowly melting the resolve in my heart.

Stormgate pack! A part of my head screamed. Don't forget your purpose there.

"Stormgate can wait!" I blurted out before I could swallow the words.

Alpha Jaxon's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What?"

I didn't wait for him to say another word. Swiftly I crossed the room, over to him. His misty scent hit my nose again as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Raven," he whispered hoarsely, the green of his eyes growing darker.

"Jaxon," I whispered in response. And then he leaned down and kissed me fully on the lips.

He tasted like whiskey and rain. His lips were unnaturally soft, and soon I felt the last shred of my resolve slip away. My body gave in to him as he deepened the kiss, his hands going around to clasp my waist.

He broke away from my mouth and traced a line along the nape of my neck with his lips, then forward to the hollow of my collarbone. I felt my pulse leap beneath his mouth, mimicking the throb of desire in my lower belly.

He pulled away again, then whispered, his breath warming my face. "I want you, Raven. Right here, right now!"

I took in a sharp breath. "Your engagement guests....Yara, my parents, they're all waiting—"

"I don't care!" He growled, low and hot.

A feral growl escaped my lips as his hands went around my waist and grabbed my bottom. He squeezed gently, his mouth plunging into mine and taking what I was offering. He mimicked my groan and gently guided me towards the window. Then he reached down and lifted me by my thighs, placing me on the windowsill.

He drove his tongue through my eager, parted lips, and my lower body jumped in response. The glass behind my back felt damp with the perspiration from my desire, as I held on to it. His tongue began to flicker and curl over mine, sending hot waves of pleasure through me.

Heat coursed through me, the burning lava-hot need to bury myself in him and claim him as mine forever, but I held myself back. I could feel him holding back too, restricting his desires to grinding against my pelvis with his. My wolf almost went crazy as he moaned in response, as his hands slipped forward and cupped my breasts through the sheer material of my silk gown.

I could feel the hard bump of his dick between my legs, could feel desire pool in my lower belly as he kissed me hard.

Then a loud noise jarred into my subconscious, interrupting our makeout session. I heard Jaxon give a loud "Fuck!" then took several steps away from me.

Without his body on mine, I felt exposed. My eyes darted around the room and caught the source of the interruption.

Yara stood at the door, two tall glasses of red liquid in both of her hands. Her gaze flickered between my face and Jaxon's, a look of shock, confusion, then realisation on her face. I watched as both of the glasses slipped from her hands like finely-woven silk, hitting the ground with a deafening crash.

She stared at me for a few tense seconds, then slowly her face twisted into a grimace of anger, and she yelled: "RAVEN!"