Chapter 280 Chapter 280
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “So…” she started, her voice too bright. “What are your plans now, once you leave this place?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“We need to set out first so we don’t get taken by surprise,” Xenon stated, his voice serious. “The spies we planted have already informed us that Dorian has gathered his men, and they have quite the number…”
“Oh…” Rayena trailed off, a flicker of concern flashing in her eyes. Xenon reached to grab her hands, squeezing them reassuringly.
“I know we aren’t as many, but with the strategies we’ll be deploying, I’m confident that we will succeed. No need to worry.”
Rayena let out a deep breath, willing herself to be brave. “In that case, I wish you good luck,” she muttered.
Xenon gave her a small smile, then leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you. But I also have to say, you need to be careful.”
Her eyes lifted to his.
His expression turned somber. “No rash decisions, please.”
“I won’t,” Rayena muttered.
“Even if, by some chance, the werewolf army finds this place and is breathing down on you all, don’t step out,” he instructed, desperation bleeding into his voice.
“I won’t, I promise,” she repeated again.
Xenon looked into her eyes to confirm the authenticity of those words before letting out a breath. “Good girl,” he groaned, pulling her into a hug.
Rayena stiffened, startled at first, before reciprocating, hugging him even tighter.
Xenon placed his hands under her chin, tilting her face up, and kissed her.
Rayena melted into him, sighing as his tongue slid into her mouth, claiming hers in one of the most passionate kisses she’d ever experienced. Her hands slipped around his neck, tugging him closer, her heart racing in her chest. He hadn’t even left yet, and she was already missing him terribly. This separation was going to hurt like a sore toe.
Xenon pulled back a bit too soon, his breathing heavy as he rested his forehead against hers.
“I’m going to miss you,” Rayena whispered, her voice small and trembling.
When he gazed into her eyes, he saw the tears that had gathered.
Xenon felt a surge of emotion in his chest as he gazed at his mate. Heavens, he didn’t want to leave her, but as always, duty called.
“I have to go now,” he said, stepping back before he lost his resolve.
Rayena nodded quickly, hands dropping to her sides. She clenched them into fists.
“You should go,” she said softly. “I’ll be here.”
He gave her a faint smile. “You can’t be anywhere else.”
Then he turned, his coat billowing behind him as he strode out. The door closed with a solid, final sound.
Rayena stood there, unmoving.
Her heart ached dully in her chest, like a bruise pressed too hard. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, and she drew in a shuddering breath, blinking them back.
She needed to stay strong.
For her. For him.
For everyone.
.
.
.
In another corner of the fortress, Morvan was in his room, getting dressed as well. Jaw set, eyes narrowed, he was the epitome of cool seriousness.
He was buttoning up his cufflinks when a soft knock rapped against his door.
“Who is it?” he groaned, voice rough, not bothering to look up.
“It’s me, Soraya…” Her voice drifted through the wood—soft, hesitant, threaded with something fragile.
Morvan froze.
The air seemed to thicken around him. Before he could think, his body was already moving.
He crossed the room in two long strides and swung the door open with such speed that Soraya startled, her breath hitching audibly.
Her eyes widened.
“H-hi…” she stammered, wringing her hands behind her back. A warm flush bloomed across her lips and crept up her cheeks, vivid against her skin.
“Hello,” he replied, more tightly than he intended. His pulse thudded in his ears.
“May I come in?” she asked, looking over his shoulder. He instantly stepped away, ushering her in with a gesture.
“Please, do,” he answered.
Soraya gave a low nod and walked into the room, and he closed the door gently behind her. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
“What brings you here?” he asked, closing the distance between them.
“Um, I came to give you this.”
She muttered, stretching out something. Morvan took it, inspecting it.
It was an embroidered handkerchief.
His fingers ran over the multicolored embroidery at the edge, his chest tightening with something he couldn’t name.
“It’s for good luck,” she added, the blush on her face spreading down her neck and shoulders. “I made it for you,” she whispered, her voice almost inaudible.
For a moment, Morvan didn’t know what to say. He stared at her reddening face, stunned.
“Thank you…” he managed to choke out, folding the handkerchief neatly before placing it in one of his hidden pockets.
“You’re welcome,” she muttered, her face lighting up as if she were the one who had received the gift. Morvan struggled to contain himself.
She gave an anxious smile, lowering her gaze to the ground as she fiddled with her fingers.
This was the first time in a long while that she had willingly come to him. He couldn’t help but drink in the sight of her, her scent wrapping around his senses. His fingers reached to touch her hair, but he held back.
“You have been avoiding me,” he blurted out in a growl. He saw her flinch, her cheeks reddening.
“I… believed it was a better course of action since our relationship was doomed from the start,” she said, a hint of anxiety flickering in her eyes.
Morvan cocked his head to the side, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “And how do you know that?”
“Well, you pointed it out, didn’t you?” she asked, raising her head to look at him.
Morvan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, so he snapped it shut.
“I have something for you too,” he groaned eventually.
He whirled around, walking away from her to a nearby drawer. Pulling something out from his chest, he walked back to her and placed it into her hands.
Soraya lifted it to look at it. It was a small bottle filled with dozens of round pills. “What’s this?” she asked, looking at him.
“Those are heat suppressants,” he started brusquely, yet his eyes filled with so many emotions that her heart fluttered. “If you can still wait…” He paused, his gaze flickering across the room before settling on her. “If you believe we’re still possible, I want you to use that. Otherwise, feel free to discard it and spend your heat with anyone you wish.”He murmured, his voice thick with emotions he refused to put into words.
Soraya’s jaw slackened in shock, but her hands wrapped around the bottle tightly. Jerkily, she nodded.
“I have to go now…” he groaned, his voice heavy. “But I have a better idea for a parting gift, if you would let me,” he said.