Chapter 161 Chapter 160

Chapter 161 Chapter 160
Aloria.

"That's all you were concerned about?" Draven asks, looking puzzled.

"I mean..." I start, raising my shoulders. "She's rather pretty for her age!" I protest.

"Still rather vain, I see..." Kairos grumbles, but there's no real heat in his voice. "Always concerned about beautiful things."

"Hey!" I cry out, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Beautiful things are easier to look at," I argue, and Draven chuckles, nudging my shoulder playfully.

Kairos looks around, the amusement in his eyes fading as his jaw tightens.

"Let's get out of here before the king changes his mind and decides to throw us into the dungeons," he mutters.

My eyes widen at that, and Draven seems to straighten as well.

"Yeah, right..." he says.

With that thought planted, we immediately hurry out of the council hall and straight into our carriage, ready to return home.
.
.
.
The carriage rolls into the familiar grounds of the Ashenvale Manor, and the breath I have been holding ever since I left the palace finally eases out of me.

Beside me, Kairos and Draven also let go of the tension in their shoulders, their expressions becoming more relaxed.

Once the carriage rolls to a stop at the entrance, Draven steps out first, then gives me a hand, helping me out before Kairos follows behind us.

We walk into the grand hall, passing by bowing maids and guards until we are left alone.

Only then do my shoulders slump, all the tension bleeding out of me as well.

Being in front of the king and his court has been nerve-racking as hell, but I'm glad it's all over now.

"For a moment, I was absolutely certain we wouldn't be making it out of there alive." I murmur, massaging my stiff shoulders, looking back at the alphas.

Draven let's out a scoff, closing the distance between us even as his eyes gleam with a crooked form of amusement. "Now... Why would you think that?"

"Because of the king!" I say, letting out a huff. "Didn't you see how determined he was at executing me?"

"We did... And we would never have let it happen even if we tried." Kairos growls, his gaze darkening as he stares at me.

For some reason, his words make my heart flutter. I give him a soft smile, feeling the butterflies in my belly go on rampage. He's so adorable when he's like this. "I know.. And that more than anything, made me feel better." I say.

He gives a short nod, and a charged silence settles between us.

"We survived the king's summons. Thank goodness. What happens now?" I ask them.

Draven blinks, staring intently at me. He takes a step closer, his height looming over me, forcing me to look up and stare at him.

"What would you like to happen now?" he asks, his tone suggestive.

"Well..." I start, feeling my cheeks heat up. "You said something about marking and bonding with me. Is that true?"

"Yes..." Draven answers without missing a beat.

My heart skips a beat at those words, but I maintain a cool expression even as goosebumps break across my skin.

"How long have you thought about that?"

"Ever since we returned to the werewolf realm..." Draven says slowly, his gaze staying fixed on me, studying my every expression. "But... if we were to be more specific, the moment we took you away from Malachyr."

"Oh..." I say, trailing off. I don't know what to say to that.

That long?

I still can't believe it.

"Don't worry... We're in no rush about it," Draven adds when he sees the conflict in my eyes.

"Unless it's something you don't want," Kairos adds, his voice a deep growl.

"Are you crazy?" The words burst out of my lips before I can filter them.

Embarrassed, I clear my throat and speak more properly.

"Of course I want it. Why wouldn't I? Not only would it solve a pressing problem of mine—needing sex to survive—it would mean..."

I cut myself off, unsure if I want to say those words to them just yet.

"What would it mean?" Draven presses, his brows furrowed, eyes narrowing.

For some reason, I don't have to tell them it would mean I would be bound to the males I feel safest with, so I just say,

"I'm just really excited to be your mate... once more. What more could I ask for?"

Draven lets out a huff, the sound a cross between a chuckle and a scoff, even as his gaze on me remains tender.

I feel my cheeks burn, but I don't pull my gaze away.

Then another thought occurs to me.

"When... when do you plan on doing the mating ritual?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, but they hear it all the same.

"By the next full moon..." Kairos answers, his expression turning contemplative.

My eyes widen as my brain does the calculations.

That's a few weeks away.

It's still a pretty long time away.

"In the meantime..." Draven says, erasing the distance between us, his fingers reaching to curl a strand of my hair before he tucks it behind my ear. "You'll be here, getting to know us. Settle in... and then we'll bind you to us, permanently. Eternally."

My heart flutters again as those words settle deep within me.

I give them a wide, genial smile, my eyes twinkling as I look up at them.

I can't wait.

"I'd like that," I say, my voice soft.

Draven's and Kairos's lips twitch upward, not quite forming smiles.

"We knew you would."