Chapter 40

Raven

For the second time since I had met Hannah, she had a blade pressed to my throat. And if the infuriating curl to her lips was any indication, she was loving this little power imbalance. But I had learned from our last encounter, and I was prepared.

“You seem to enjoy holding a knife to my throat, Hannah,” I said, lifting my chin. “But this time, I’m not unarmed.”

Hannah’s smirk faltered, and her gaze flicked down to where my own knife was pressed into her stomach, just beneath her ribcage. The tip of the blade dug into the soft fabric of her robe, right between her ribs. I wasn’t a skilled fighter by any stretch of the imagination, but I knew that one swift thrust would be enough to at least incapacitate her.

And she knew that, too. Her eyes widened, if only for a second, before she regained her composure.

She released me with a sneer, stepping back but keeping her own blade visible.

“You shouldn’t be so confident just because you’re Prince Neil’s little pet,” she said. “If anything happens to him, you have no protection here. My father is the King’s seneschal, you know—he oversees every single servant in this castle.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What are you getting at, Hannah?” I ground out.

She simply shrugged a shoulder. “There are many people here who would happily do as I say. Don’t think for a second that there aren’t some loyal to me who would take care of a pale little weakling like you if I so much as hinted at it.”

Her words were clear: she was threatening me. Fear clenched at the inside of my chest like a vise, but I managed to keep my face calm and unbothered.

“Is that what you tell yourself?” I countered, holding her gaze. “That I’m a weak excuse for a Lycan? Is it because I’m skinny and pale?” I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching into a wry smile. “It’s strange, though, that a ‘weakling’ like me was chosen as Neil’s betrothed. Or could it be that there is more to me than you realize?”

Hannah’s eyes flashed, and she scoffed. “You are not here because of your strength or charm. You were chosen by convenience. Neil is stuck with you, and that will be his downfall.” She made no effort to hide her judgment as she eyed me up and down. “If he dies, it will be clear that your blessing at the ceremony was just as weak and useless as you are. Pathetic, really.”

The words hit harder than I wanted them to, because there was still a big part of me that was afraid for Neil. But I forced myself to stand tall, my shoulders pulled back. She was trying to cow me, bully me into submission.

I wouldn’t take it.

“Just because you’re in love with Neil doesn’t give you a right to him,” I replied coolly. “He’s not interested in you, Hannah. Or are you too stupid to realize that, even when he’s told you straight to your face?”

Hannah’s eyes flashed, a low growl rumbling in her throat. She surged forward, ivory-handled knife glinting in the moonlight as she raised it toward me. But I was ready this time.

Before she could reach me, I held out my own blade in one hand, aiming it directly at her throat. The point grazed her skin, stopping her at arm’s length.

On the outside, my face was a cool mask of indifference. I wasn’t sure how I managed that, considering that on the inside, I was absolutely screaming and pissing myself in terror. My hand wasn’t even shaking.

But then her eyes flicked to the hand holding my knife, and she scoffed. “You only weaken him. Look at your hand—still healing. And so is his. A wound that lingers, a sign of a mate unworthy of him. Everyone has noticed. Has your wolf abandoned you or something?”

I clenched my jaw, willing myself not to glance at the bandage wrapped around my hand. “Watch your tongue,” I warned her quietly. “My family was ambushed and slaughtered on the way here. Or do you think that didn’t affect me? Do you think any of this has been easy?”

Hannah rolled her eyes and stepped back. I didn’t lower my knife. “And that’s exactly why you are weak,” she said. “A tragedy like that would make a strong queen, not weaken her. If you were worthy, you would have used that pain to grow stronger. Instead, all it has done is make you look pathetic.”

Her words cut deep, even if it wasn’t my family that had been killed, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from showing the hurt on my face.

But just as quickly as that pain sparked, a surge of defiance rose up to smother it. I wouldn’t let her see that she’d rattled me.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said calmly. “Maybe I am weakened by it. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. You can try to throw your weight around all you want, but remember this, Hannah—I’m the one that Neil chose to have by his side.”

A lie, all of that. But she didn’t know that.

Hannah’s jaw tightened, her grip on her blade visibly tightening as her knuckles turned white. For a moment, I thought she might lunge at me again despite the fact that my knife was still aimed at her throat.

She almost looked… deranged. And maybe she was. But before either of us could make another move, a voice interrupted us.

“Is everything alright here?”

Both of our heads whipped around to see a guard standing at the end of the hall, spear in hand. He’d no doubt heard at least part of our little scuffle.

Hannah’s demeanor changed instantly, her sneer replaced by a saccharine smile as she turned to face him.

“Oh, just a bit of girl talk,” she said sweetly, slipping her knife back into the sheath at her hip and sliding her robe back into place. “You know how it is.”

The guard lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the shattered teacup and teapot on the floor, clearly not entirely believing it. Without another word, Hannah turned on her heel and stalked down the corridor, disappearing from sight.

Once she was gone, the guard turned to me. “Are you alright, my lady?”

I opened my mouth to tell him I was fine, but then stopped myself.

No. I was supposed to be playing the role of a Lycan noblewoman, and I also wasn’t a fucking idiot.

“I order you to stand guard outside my door tonight,” I said, lifting my chin. Before the guard could even begin to protest, I was storming past him, knife still in hand, shoulders straight. He followed, clearly not looking to start an argument with the prince’s betrothed.

After the guard took his position outside my door, I slipped inside, locking it behind me. Ember was still asleep on the chaise, unaware.

I glanced around for a moment before spotting the heavy armchair by the window, which I dragged over to the door. Ember began to stir at the sound and sat up, brow furrowed and hair mussed.

“Raven, what are you—”

“Help me,” was all I said.

I didn’t need to tell her twice. Despite being utterly confused, she jumped up and helped me move the chair. We pushed it up against the locked door—another barrier against the outside world.

Once we were finished, she turned to me. “Care to tell me what happened yet?”

“Hannah happened,” I said, stomping over to my bed and climbing back under the blankets.

Ember blinked at me, still confused. But surprisingly, sleep finally began to weigh on my eyelids, and I just waved her away.

Maybe surviving my own healthy dose of danger in the wee hours of the night was enough to make me realize that Neil would be just fine.

He would keep his promise and return tomorrow. I was sure of it.