Chapter 34 034

Chapter 34 034


Dante's POV

I woke up that morning with a smug smile plastered across my face. Everything was falling into place exactly as I wanted it to.

Lucien thought he was so clever, trying to use Ria as a weapon against me and Silas. Trying to make us compete for her affections while he sat back and played the noble one. But the joke was on him because I had already won that game.

Ria liked me now. More than liked me, if the way she looked at me was any indication. And with Anna feeding her exactly what I needed her to hear, she trusted me more than she trusted either of my brothers.

Perfect.

I stretched lazily in bed, letting that satisfaction settle over me like a warm blanket. Last night with Anna was good. The girl knew how to please, and she was more than happy to help me manipulate her best friend in exchange for a few hours of attention.

Win-win.

I got out of bed and headed to the shower, humming under my breath. Today was the second trial, and I was looking forward to watching Ria struggle through whatever test Lucien had cooked up. She would probably come running to me afterward, seeking comfort and reassurance.

I would give it to her, of course. Along with whatever lies she needed to hear to keep her wrapped around my finger.

The hot water felt amazing against my skin as I washed away the remnants of last night. I took my time, enjoying the peace before having to deal with my brothers and their constant posturing.

Once I was clean, I dressed in dark pants and a fitted shirt that I knew made me look good. Ria might claim she did not care about appearances, but I caught her staring often enough to know better.

I was just about to head downstairs for breakfast when a mindlink slammed into my head.

East wing. Now. Both of you.

Lucien's commanding voice as always came through.

I groaned out loud, my good mood souring immediately. What the hell did he want now? Could we not even have breakfast in peace before he started barking orders?

On my way, I sent it back, not bothering to hide my irritation.

I stalked out of my room and down the hallway, my jaw clenched. Lucien always acted so superior, like being born a few minutes earlier made him king of the world. Like we were supposed to bow down and follow his every command without question.

Soon enough, I was going to put him in his place. Show him that he was not half as important as he thought he was.

Silas was already waiting when I reached the east wing. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, looking just as annoyed as I felt.

"Any idea what this is about?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No clue. Probably another lecture about pack duties or some other boring shit."

The door opened and Lucien stepped out. His eyes landed on me immediately, and there was something in his expression which I couldn't grasp what it meant.

He was glaring at me with that cold fury he usually reserved for pack enemies.

What the hell?

"Inside," Lucien said, jerking his head toward the room behind him.

We followed him in. The space was empty except for a few chairs and a table. Lucien did not sit. He stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed and the aura was radiating tension.

"We need to talk," he said.

Silas raised an eyebrow. "Clearly, You're going to tell us what has gotten you so worked up?"

Lucien's glare shifted to include both of us. "I noticed the both of you have been cheating on Ria, banging other girls. She is our fated mate, do you have any idea how it affected her or what it could do to the bond?”

Silas burst out laughing again, the sound. "Are you serious right now? You are lecturing us about faithfulness? You, who has been screwing Tracy for months?”

"I never claimed to be better," Lucien snapped. "But there is something you both seem to be forgetting. Ria is our fated mate. The bond between us is sacred, whether we like it or not. And that means there are rules."

I crossed my arms, matching his stance. "Rules?"

"You have to be faithful to her." Lucien looked directly at me when he said it. "Both of you. No matter what games you are playing, no matter what plans you have, the mate bond demands faithfulness. If you break that, there will be implications. For all of us"

I watched Lucien's jaw tighten, he was staring directly at me.

"I messed up," Lucien admitted through gritted teeth. "I know I did. But even when I was with Tracy, I made damn sure Ria never felt it. I used blockers. Kept the bond shut down so she would not sense anything. I protected her from that pain."

"How noble of you," I drawled sarcastically.

Lucien's eyes snapped to mine. "You want to know what is not noble? Sleeping with someone else while your mate is in the same building. Not even trying to hide it. Letting her potentially feel every moment of your betrayal through the bond."

My blood ran cold. He knew about last night with Anna.

But I kept my expression blank and avoided his gaze even though I knew he could sense my emotions "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Sure you do not." Lucien took a step closer, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"Listen to me very carefully. I do not care what sick games you want to play. I do not care if you hate Ria or want revenge or whatever twisted reasoning you have. But if you keep this up, it is going to ruin everything. The bond will fracture. She will feel it eventually, and when she does, there will be no coming back from it."

"Maybe I do not care if there is no coming back," I shot back.

"Well, you should." Lucien's glare intensified. "Because when the mate bond breaks completely, it does not just hurt her. It destroys all of us. You want to live the rest of your life feeling like something vital has been ripped out of your chest? Be my guest. But do not drag me down with you."

Silas pushed himself away from the wall, his amusement fading. "You are being dramatic."

"Am I?" Lucien looked at him. "The Moon Goddess does not hand out fated mates for fun. There is a reason Ria is bonded to all three of us. And if we spit in the face of that gift, there will be consequences. Real ones."

I clenched my fists at my sides. Part of me wanted to argue, to tell him to mind his own business. But another part, a smaller part I tried to ignore, wondered if he was right.

Not that I cared about Ria. But I did care about myself. About not suffering because of some cosmic punishment for breaking rules I did not ask to follow.

"Fine," I said eventually. "Message received. Can we go eat now?"

Lucien studied me for a long moment, clearly not believing my easy acceptance. But he nodded anyway.

"One more thing," he added as we turned to leave. "Anna is off limits from now on. I do not care what arrangement you had with her. It ends today."

I smirked at him over my shoulder. "Whatever you say, brother." Even when I did, I clenched my fist hard, trying to be patient until I could put him in his place.

He did not need to know I had no intention of listening. As long as Ria did not find out, what did it matter? And Anna was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. She wanted to be Luna too badly to risk exposing our little arrangement.