Chapter 122: Chapter-122

Raven's POV

"From now on, only high-ranking officials and leadership members will eat in the main dining hall," Martha announced, raising her voice so everyone could hear. She crossed her arms, giving us a smug smile.

"Everyone else will eat in the maids' dining room," she continued, her lips curling with disdain. "And that includes breeders and her pathetic friends."

The word landed hard against my chest. I looked at Iris and Nolan, watching their faces flush with anger; even then, they stayed silent to avoid making things worse. I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth together. She could insult me all she wanted, but I would never let her humiliate my friends. That was a line nobody was allowed to cross.

I placed my coffee mug down angrily on the counter and stood up.

"Excuse me?" I said, keeping my voice steady.

She turned away before I could continue speaking, dismissing me entirely. "You guys heard me. Make sure everyone follows this new rule by lunch today," she ordered, gesturing sharply at the staff.

The servants looked terrified, their eyes dropping to the floor as they quickly nodded.

"What new rules?"

A commanding voice boomed from the doorway. Every head snapped toward the entrance. Zayne stood there, filling the doorway with his massive frame. His expression remained calm, but his eyes held an icy edge that told me he was furious.

The moment Martha saw him, she straightened her posture immediately, and all her arrogance drained away. "Zayne," she said, forcing a bright smile, trying to act innocent.

He didn't return the smile. He ignored her entirely.

"King Zayne," he corrected, his voice dangerously low as he stepped into the dining room. "What rules?" he asked again, his tone carrying the weight of absolute authority.

The room became heavy with tension. Martha hesitated, her fingers twisting anxiously behind her back. I watched her carefully, wondering if she was foolish enough to stand her ground against a Lycan King.

"I was simply reorganising the dining arrangements, King Zayne," she muttered carefully, her voice losing all its previous malice.

Zayne's gaze moved around the room, lingering on the frightened servants before settling on Iris and Nolan's tense postures. Finally, his eyes caught mine for a brief second, and something unreadable flashed across his face before he snapped back to Martha.

"And who authorised that?" he demanded.

Martha blinked, her pale face turning even whiter. "I... well..."

Zayne took another step forward, completely invading her space. "You what?"

The fragile confidence she'd been displaying crumbled before our eyes. A suffocating aura of dominant power filled the kitchen, making the servants immediately lower their heads even more in submission.

"I asked you a question," he growled loudly, the sound vibrating through his chest and reverberating through the room.

Martha swallowed hard, her chest heaving as everyone noticed exactly how terrified she was.

"I thought it would be appropriate," she whispered, shaking like a leaf. "Since I'm the future Queen."

Zayne's laugh cut through the silence. It wasn't pleasant or amusing. It was sharp, dark, and dangerous, the kind of sound that made everyone's skin crawl. A warning wrapped in contempt.

"Future Queen?" he repeated slowly, his eyes narrowing into deadly slits. "Interesting."

Martha's shoulders slumped as the reality of her mistake crashed down on her. Did she truly believe she could challenge a Lycan King?

"You said it yourself—future Queen," Zayne said, his voice echoing through the kitchen. His fists clenched at his sides. "You are not a Queen yet. Stop acting like one."

Martha winced, pressing her back against the counter as if it could swallow her whole.

"You do not make decisions in my house," Zayne continued, stepping closer until he completely towered over her. "And you certainly do not insult my guests."

He paused, letting the threat settle over everyone, including the maids.

"If I ever hear you speak to anyone in this house like that again," he warned, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, "I will strip your family of their titles before sunset."

Martha's eyes widened with fear. Her lips trembled as she stared up at the Lycan King.

"I... I am deeply sorry, King Zayne," she whispered frantically. "This will never happen again. I swear it."

Without waiting for his dismissal, she turned and practically sprinted out of the kitchen.

…..

Zayne drove deep into the woods, and the landscape shifted around us. I stared out the passenger window, watching the thick pine trees blur past as the truck climbed higher. My mind felt fractured, scattered in a hundred different directions.

I glanced over at him. His large hands gripped the steering wheel with controlled tension.

"I already found a temporary location for your pack," he said, breaking the silence. "It's a secure property just past the northern border. It has enough cabins for all your people, and the Council won't touch it."

I blinked, caught off guard. Relief hit first, followed by irritation. It was my pack. My responsibility to find them shelter. He'd made a massive decision without consulting me first, and part of me resented that.

But thinking about my people, the irritation melted away. If he hadn't stepped in, my people would have had nowhere to go by tonight. Gratitude won over pride.

"Thank you," I said quietly, looking back out the window. "I appreciate you looking out for them."

Zayne shifted gears smoothly, his arm brushing lightly against mine as he adjusted his position.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" His voice dropped softer now, carefully controlled.

I stiffened. The question brought back the memory of Magnus on that stage, holding Martha's hand like it belonged there. I didn't want Zayne to see how deeply that moment had fractured me.

"Yeah," I said, forcing my voice to sound natural and unbothered. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Zayne let out a long sigh. He took my hand and started tracing slow circles on my palm while keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm sorry about Magnus," he murmured.

The name struck through me like lightning, and I resented how easily Magnus's name stripped away my carefully constructed walls. Why did he have to bring him up? Why now?

I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them again and forced myself to speak. "There's nothing to apologise for," I said, trying to sound normal despite the chaos inside my chest.

"No, seriously." I forced a laugh.

"Martha becoming Queen doesn't affect me. We're under a strict contract, remember? Magnus can choose whoever he wants. It's none of my business."

I kept my tone casual, hoping he believed me.

Zayne glanced at me for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the road.

His jaw tightened. The tension in his shoulders told me exactly how much he believed me.

"Alright then," he said quietly, his voice carrying an undertone of something I couldn't quite place. Disappointment, maybe. Or anger.

The rest of the drive passed in silence, with only the sound of the engine and the crunch of tyres on the dirt road. Keeping my distance from the Lycans is the best thing I can do right now.