#83 Goddess Meddling

Goddess Meddling
Ryanna POV

The bond had me cocooned all night, warm bodies tangled around mine. Their breathing was steady, their hearts a rhythm I could sink into forever. But sleep wasn’t peaceful. The moment my eyes shut, the dream came.

Silver light bled through my mind, cold and soft, until I was standing barefoot in grass wet with dew. The moon hung full and heavy overhead, the whole clearing bathed in its glow. Syrene was silent, which meant one thing: divine interference. And then I saw her.

Veyra. The hybrid queen of sharp claws and sharper wit. She stood across from me in the moonlight, her black hair gleaming blue where the silver touched it, her eyes glowing like frostfire. She looked feral, beautiful and dangerous.

I moved without meaning to, my bare feet silent in the grass. My pulse was thrumming harder than it ever had when facing gods or enemies. Veyra tilted her chin, smirking like she’d been expecting me, her fangs catching the light. “You feel it too,” she whispered, voice like smoke.

And then she kissed me. Fuuuuck. Her mouth was soft and hard all at once, claiming and teasing, and the moon flared above us like it approved. The bond in my chest sparked violently, not just humming but roaring, like the star inside me recognized her. My hands fisted in her leathers, her claws scraped down my arm, and the world spun into heat and confusion.

When I jerked awake, gasping, the bond was pulsing hot, every nerve on fire. My mates were still dead asleep, sprawled across the bed like a pack of wolves who’d fought too long. I was grinning like a fucking lunatic.

“Well, well, well,” I murmured, stretching like a cat. Syrene purred, finally breaking her silence. “Careful, Queen. The goddess shows nothing without reason.”

“I’m not careful,” I whispered back, lips curling. “You know that.” The pull I’d felt toward Veyra since the beginning now made perfect sense. Fate, prophecy, goddess meddling, call it what you want. My star wasn’t finished yet. And if the dream meant what I thought it did… oh, the boys were going to lose their shit in the best way.

I slipped out of the pile of tangled limbs, careful not to wake them. My feet hit the cold floor, and I walked over to the wardrobe. If I was going to seduce a hybrid badass today, I wasn’t doing it in sweat stained leathers.

The castle must’ve been in on my scheme, because when I opened the wardrobe, a gown hung waiting. It was a deep royal purple, silk and velvet stitched with threads of gold. The neckline plunged scandalously low, and the skirt slit high enough to flash my thigh knives. I laughed, low and wicked. “Fuck yes.”

By the time I was laced in, my blonde hair curled into loose waves and pinned back with a jeweled clip, I looked every bit the queen the world expected.....except I had far dirtier intentions. Ruby lipstick, smoky eyes, and my favorite diamond dagger strapped just under my skirt. Dangerous and decadent. Exactly how I liked it.

Behind me, the bed creaked. Kaelan groaned first, rubbing his golden eyes, then froze when he saw me. “Holy shit, little wolf. Where the hell are you going dressed like sin itself?”

Lucien stirred next, shadows curling awake before his silver gaze landed on me. His lips quirked slow. “Well, well. Either you’re about to kill a king or break hearts at breakfast.”

Rhydor grunted awake, sitting up like a mountain, his black eyes narrowing suspiciously. “What’s the angle, Queen?”

Darian blinked blearily and his jaw dropped. “Fuck me. That’s… wow.”

Dryke cracked one eye open, dragon green gleaming, and smirked. “Planning to seduce someone? Because I approve.”

Aedryos was last, rising with all his calm dignity, his eyes raking over me in silence. He didn’t whistle like the others, he bowed his head faintly, his voice low. “Radiant.”

Their stares heated the air, a mix of awe, suspicion, and hunger. I just grinned, spinning slow so the skirt swished scandalously. “Relax, my loves. It’s just breakfast.” Kaelan laughed, shaking his head. “Breakfast in what, a royal court?”

I winked. “Something like that.” Lucien’s silver gaze sharpened, shadows coiling. “You’re up to something.”

“Always,” I purred, blowing him a kiss. They whistled, muttered and growled, but none pressed harder, not yet. I grabbed my sparkly black clutch, tucking in a pistol and lipstick like it was just another day. “Come on, boys. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

The great hall opened before us like it had been waiting, tables gleaming, sunlight streaming in through tall windows. Staff bustled with platters of eggs, smoked meats, fresh bread, and fruit. Soldiers were already seated, nodding their respect when I passed.

But my eyes weren’t on them. They were on the hybrid sitting near the end of the table, boots propped carelessly on a chair, tearing into a piece of venison like it owed her money. Veyra. Our gazes locked, and something electric snapped through me, the bond humming hard, the echo of the dream crashing over me. She arched one brow, her lips curling slow, fangs flashing as if she knew.

“Game on,” I whispered, sliding into my chair at the head of the table, my men flanking me with varying degrees of suspicion. Syrene chuckled darkly in my mind. “Careful, Queen. This hunt may turn both ways.”

I grinned, heart pounding, eyes locked on Veyra across the hall. “Good. I like the chase.”

The boys dug into their food, conversations buzzing around us, but my focus stayed razor sharp on her. Every laugh, every glance, every lick of juice from her fingers made my blood run hotter. The dream had only stoked the fire. Today, I’d make it real.

And when I was done, StarFury wouldn’t just hold seven points of the star.

It would hold eight.