65

65
Raven’s P.O.V.

The weeks had stretched on endlessly, with no sign of Kane, no letter, no contact. I had convinced myself that aligning with him would be the key to getting Carden, but the silence was gnawing at me. Day after day, I had waited for something to happen, for a shift that would finally put me in control. But now, as the days dragged on, doubt had started to creep in. Maybe trusting Kane had been a mistake. Maybe he had used me and then disappeared, leaving me with nothing but the same frustration I’d had before.

I was tired of waiting. I was tired of being the woman on the sidelines, the one who gave and gave but never truly received what she wanted in return. I wasn’t blind. I knew something was going on with Carden. I had seen the looks, the tension between him and Aria. And no matter how much he tried to hide it, I could feel the pull he had toward her.

I had tried everything—supporting him, standing by his side, being the patient, understanding partner. But my patience was wearing thin. I couldn’t keep pretending that everything was fine, that I wasn’t slowly losing him to a woman who didn’t deserve him.

I sat in front of the mirror in my cabin, staring at my reflection. My thoughts spun, swirling into something dangerous and desperate. How much longer could I keep waiting for something to change? How much longer could I pretend that I didn’t see what was happening right in front of me?

If Kane wasn’t going to deliver on his promises, then I had to take matters into my own hands.

The thought struck me like a lightning bolt, sudden and clear. Carden might still be caught up in whatever unresolved feelings he had for Aria, but I knew him. I knew his sense of responsibility, his duty. And that could be my way in. If I could just give him a reason to stay—something that would tie him to me, something he couldn’t ignore—then he wouldn’t have a choice. He wouldn’t be able to walk away, no matter what he felt for her.

A plan began to form in my mind, simple yet effective. If I could make Carden believe that I was pregnant, everything would change. He wouldn’t leave me if he thought he was going to be a father. It would bind him to me, in a way that nothing else could.

The more I thought about it, the more the plan solidified. It was the perfect solution. Carden had always been honorable, always taken his responsibilities seriously. If he thought I was carrying his child, he would never abandon me. Aria would be out of the picture for good, and I would finally have what I wanted—Carden’s undivided attention.

But it wasn’t enough just to tell him. I had to make it believable. I had to make him come to the conclusion on his own, to think it was his idea, his realization. If I dropped the right hints, acted like I didn’t want to worry him, let him notice the signs, he would be the one to ask me. And once he did, there would be no going back.

I shook my head, trying to calm the racing thoughts in my mind. It was dangerous, yes, but it wasn’t like I had any other options left. I had waited long enough for things to fall into place naturally. It was time to take control of my future.

But even as the plan took shape in my mind, I felt a flicker of doubt. What if it didn’t work? What if Carden saw through it? Or worse, what if he found out the truth and walked away for good?

I pushed the doubts aside, focusing instead on the image of what could be. I had spent too much time waiting, too much time watching him slip away. This was the only way to secure my place in his life. The only way to make sure that Aria didn’t win.

I stood up, pacing the room as I thought about how I would make it work. Timing would be everything. I couldn’t rush into it too quickly or he might get suspicious. I had to be careful, subtle. Make him believe that I was hiding it from him out of fear or uncertainty. He had to feel like he was protecting me, taking care of me. That was the key to everything.

Once he thought I was pregnant, once he believed it, I would have him. And there would be no more space for Aria in his heart, no more tension between them. She would be nothing more than a memory, a what-if that had no place in our lives.

A slow smile crept across my face as the plan settled into place. I had waited long enough for Kane to make his move. Now, it was my turn to take control.

\---

Later that afternoon, I joined Carden in the pack’s training yard, watching as he sparred with some of the younger warriors. He moved with precision and strength, the kind of confidence that always made me proud to be by his side. But as I watched him, I could see the weariness in his movements, the strain of everything that had been weighing on him lately.

Part of me hated that I had to resort to this. I loved him, truly. And I had always believed that, given enough time, he would realize that we were meant to be together. But time was something I didn’t have anymore. Not with Aria still so close, still lingering on the edges of his heart.

As Carden finished up the sparring session, he wiped the sweat from his brow and caught sight of me standing nearby. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Raven,” he called, walking over to where I stood. “You’ve been quiet lately. Everything okay?”

I forced a smile, shaking off the heavy thoughts that had been swirling in my mind. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

He raised an eyebrow, his expression softening. “Thinking about what?”

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice light. “Oh, you know, the usual. The pack, the future.”

He nodded, wiping his hands on a towel. “The future, huh? Anything in particular?”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if now was the time to start planting the seeds of my plan. But no, it was too soon. I needed to bide my time, wait for the right moment. Rushing into this would only make him suspicious.

“Just… wondering what’s next for us,” I said instead, keeping my tone casual. “With everything going on with Kane, it feels like we’re always on edge, waiting for the next battle.”

Carden sighed, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It feels like we can’t catch a break. But we’ll get through it. We always do.”

I smiled, stepping closer to him, resting a hand on his arm. “I know. You’re strong, Carden. You always find a way to make things right.”

He looked down at me, his expression softening for a moment. “I couldn’t do it without you,” he said quietly.

The words were meant to be comforting, but they only fueled the fire burning inside me. I didn’t just want to be his support. I wanted to be the center of his world, the one person he couldn’t live without.

And soon, I would be.

\---

That night, as I lay in bed, the plan continued to play out in my mind. It was all so simple, so perfect. I could already see how it would unfold, how Carden would react when he realized what I was “hiding” from him.

But I had to be careful. I had to be patient. Timing was everything, and I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

For now, I would wait. But not for long.

I would play my part perfectly, and when the time was right, Carden would be mine completely.

Aria wouldn’t stand a chance.