Chapter 197 The Accusation

Chapter 197 The Accusation
Chapter 197

DARIUS

I had just woken up from a strange, heavy sleep.

My head hurt like someone had taken a hammer to it, and my entire body ached like I'd been thrown down a flight of stairs.

And all I could remember was feeling Ravenna's fear through the bond—and her complaint of Selina attacking her and some men rounding her up.

I had stood up from the stupid meeting immediately, interrupting my father mid-sentence.

"My mate is in trouble," I'd said, my voice tight. "I need to go find her."

I left before he could say a word, rushing down the hall, trying to scent her.

But I hit a dead end.

Nothing.

Her scent was there, faint, but it led nowhere.

I went back to the main hall and found Sam and Dorian standing near the entrance, looking worried.

"Ravenna's missing," I told them quickly, my chest tight with panic. "She told me through the bond that Selina attacked her in the bathroom. She got away, but then some men surrounded her."

Sam's eyes widened. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know," I replied, my hands clenching into fists. "Split up and check the toilet area. I'll search the perimeter."

They nodded and took off.

I ran down the hallways, following the faint trace of her scent.

It led me to a room. The door was open, hanging awkwardly on its hinges.

I stepped inside carefully. The window was broken, shattered glass scattered across the floor.

I walked over and looked down. It's three stories and from the scent I caught drifting up from below, she'd jumped.

And underneath her scent were the rogue's scent.

Rogues were chasing her? Why? What did they want with her?

My blood ran cold.

I climbed onto the ledge, preparing to follow her.

Then something slammed into my back with brutal force. I spun around, my fists raised.

A man in a mask was standing there, glaring at me.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was low, dangerous.

I got angry immediately, my wolf surging forward. "Get out of my way, you idiot."

I tried to push past him, but he grabbed me.

Before I could react, something sharp pierced my neck.

A needle.

I struggled, trying to stay awake, but my body grew weak immediately, my vision blurring.

My legs gave out and everything went black.

There was a sudden rattle in the house that shook the walls.

And then some kind of power slammed into me like a shockwave, jolting me awake.

I gasped, my eyes snapping open. I looked around, disoriented.

I was still in the storeroom, sprawled on the floor.

I tried the door. It's locked. The asshole had locked me in here.

I slammed my shoulder into it, once, twice, and then it broke down with a loud crack.

I stepped out into the hallway.

People were gathered there, whispering, looking scared.

I ran back toward the main hall to see what had happened.

When I got there, my stomach dropped.

Some of the tables were overturned, chairs scattered. The ceiling had cracks running through it, and sand was leaking from the walls like the entire structure had been shaken from its foundation.

My mother saw me and rushed over immediately, her face pale with worry.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded, grabbing my arms. "We've been searching for you!"

"Have you seen Ravenna?" I asked urgently, ignoring her question. "Or Dorian and Sam?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but my father appeared and grabbed my arm roughly.

"Enough of this game," he said firmly. "You're not going anywhere."

I yanked my hand away, anger flaring hot in my chest. "Ravenna is missing. When I went to look for her, I was drugged."

My father's expression hardened. "Something dangerous is out there. It just affected all of us. I'm not going to let you go out and look for some stupid mate."

"Don't call her stupid!" I yelled, stepping closer to him. "She's my mate. And if anything happens to her, I won't survive it!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly people started shouting at the far end of the hall.

I strained my eyes to see what was happening.

And then the bond opened.

Relief flooded through me so fast it left me breathless.

I could use this to track Ravenna.

But before I could move, a huge wolf bounded toward me.

It'd golden fur, bright and shining like moonlight.

It slammed into me with full force, knocking me to the ground.

I yelled out in shock, but the wolf just glared at me.

And then I heard Ravenna's voice in my head, sharp and furious. Where the hell have you been?

I stared at the wolf.

Her colour was different. It's Yellow—not the ordinary kind of yellow. Like the moon's color. Her eyes were different—glowing with something I couldn't even see talk more of naming properly.

Even though the mate bond was pulsing heavily between us, I still wasn't sure.

"Raven?" I called hesitantly.

She looked away and shifted on top of me.

I kept staring at her, my eyes tracking the heavy marks on her back, the blood soaking her skin.

She was red and covered in blood.

"Fucking stop looking at me and cover me, Darius!" she yelled.

I snapped out of it immediately and turned away.

My mother came to stand in front of her, blocking the view of everyone watching.

I pulled off my suit jacket and my shirt quickly and handed my shirt to her.

Once she was dressed, she cursed under her breath and crawled toward a nearby table.

The people sitting there stood immediately and moved back, their faces pale with fear.

She grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down, then poured some over her body.

She did it again and again.

I grabbed her hand on the third glass. "It's fine. You're fine."

She pushed me away roughly and stood up, but her legs gave out.

She staggered backwards, her arms flailing.

She caught her balance just in time.

Richard stepped forward, his voice cold. "What is the meaning of this? Running into my home in your wolf form and scaring everyone?"

Ravenna covered her face with her hands for a moment, her chest heaving.

Then she looked up at me slowly. "Where have you been?"

I was still staring at her, trying to process everything, when she suddenly yelled, "Where the hell have you been hiding whilst I nearly got murdered?"

But that wasn't all.

The lights blinked and the tables shook.

I looked at her, my eyes widening. "Are you doing that?"

She glared at me. "What if I am?"

"Calm down," I said quickly, holding up my hands, now scared of what's wrong with her. "I was looking for you. I got drugged by some rogue. I just woke up now."

"You're lying!" she yelled, her voice breaking.

"It's the truth!" I insisted. "I came out to look for you when you appeared in your wolf form."

She laughed bitterly. "Perfect timing. Just when I managed to break free, that's when you woke up."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "Ask my mother if you think I'm lying."

Ravenna stared at me for a long moment, her expression twisted with pain and fury.

Then she laughed again and pointed directly at Richard.

"Your father tried to kill me," she said, her voice shaking. "He sent Caleb and Selina to murder me or do whatever they pleased with me.”