Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 263

Chapter 263

Reven’s Pov

My breath caught in my throat.

This can’t be Alpha Ethan.

My second–chance mate?

No. The Moon Goddess must be mistaken.

I could feel his gaze piercing through me even though he hadn’t moved from his wheelchair. It was a strange mix of familiarity and something darker, an energy that unsettled my entire being.

My wolf stirred inside me, restless, as though she wanted to jump out and howl his name, to announce our presence to the whole hall.

“No… no, this can’t be happening,” I muttered under my breath.

Derick turned to me, his brow furrowing. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I forced a smile, though my voice trembled like glass about to shatter. “Just… dizzy. Maybe the wine.”

He reached for my hand gently, his touch grounding but not enough to stop the storm inside me. “Then let’s get some air,” he said softly. His thumb brushed my palm in a way that always calmed me before, but not tonight.

Tonight, nothing could calm me.

Because he was here.

Alpha Ethan.

The man who once shattered me beyond repair. The man I once loved and hated with the same breath. The man I had sworn never to see again.

And yet…

here he was.

The dance floor glimmered under soft golden lights as we walked toward it. The music that played was a slow, romantic a rhythm meant for lovers. I could feel Derick’s steady grip on my waist as he led me, his hand warm, protective.

I tried to focus on him, his scent of cedarwood and strength, the gentle smile on his lips, and the warmth in his eyes, but none of it mattered because my heart wasn’t beating for him at that moment.

It was beating for another man.

“Stop it, Raven,” I hissed in my mind.

My wolf stirred again. “Why are you lying to yourself? You know that bond never truly broke. You can feel it, can’t you?”

I gritted my teeth. “Shut up. I don’t have time for this.”

But she didn’t stop. She never did when it came to him. “You think rejecting him will set you free? You think you can move on when your heart still remembers his touch, his voice, his scent-”

“Enough!” I snapped inside.

Derick glanced at me curiously. “Did you say something?”

I forced a smile. “No. Just… thinking aloud.”

He chuckled softly. “About what?”

“Nothing important.”

But it was everything.

As we swayed to the soft rhythm, my eyes drifted, betraying me until they found him again.

Alpha Ethan.

He was seated across the hall, in his wheelchair, surrounded by a few Alphas and Betas. His presence dominated the room effortlessly, even without movement.

His broad shoulders, his piercing eyes, and his aura all screamed power, command, and danger.

My breath hitched. Even sitting down, he radiated dominance. The Alpha in him had not faded with his injury; if anything, it had intensified.

Our eyes met.

For a moment, the world froze.

The music faded. The laughter of the crowd became a distant hum. The only thing that existed was that unspoken connection between us–raw, burning, undeniable.

Then I looked away, quickly, before my wolf could take over.

“He doesn’t know,” I whispered to myself. “He doesn’t know about us. He doesn’t even know he’s my second chance.”

“You think so?” my wolf teased, her tone sharp. “You really think the Alpha who once broke you can’t sense his own mate’s presence in the room? You’re the one being foolish.”

“Shut up!” I hissed internally again, this time louder.

Derick gave me a worried glance. “You sure you’re okay?”

Vouchers

“Yeah. Just… it’s hot in here.”

He smiled faintly, unaware of the storm inside me. “You know,” he said, lowering his voice as the song ended, “you’re perfect tonight. Anything you wear always looks beautiful on you.”

I tried to laugh, tried to be present. “You’re just saying that.”

He smirked. “No, I’m serious. You could wear a sack, and I’d still think you’re stunning.”

The compliment should’ve warmed my heart. It should’ve made me smile like it usually did. But I couldn’t feel anything.

Not truly. Because even now, even standing in Derick’s arms, I could still feel Alpha Ethan’s eyes on me, heavy, unrelenting.

It was like the air itself shifted whenever he looked my way.

When the music ended, Derick led me back to our seat. The hall was loud again with laughter, clinking glasses, and faint chatter about pack alliances and political strategies, but all of it blurred into meaningless noise.

I couldn’t focus. My thoughts were chaos.

Why was he here?

Why did fate have to be so cruel?

Why tonight, of all nights?

I sipped the glass of water a maid handed me, trying to calm the tremor in my hands.

My wolf purred softly. “He’s here for a reason, Reven. You can’t hide from destiny.”

“Destiny can go to hell,” I snapped in my mind. “I have Derick now.

“I have a life now, and also kids.”

The rest of the evening drifted by in a blur.

I smiled when I needed to, laughed when someone cracked a joke, and nodded politely at conversations I didn’t hear.

My heart wasn’t there.

My thoughts were a battlefield memories of Alpha Ethan’s touch, his voice, the pain, the betrayal, and the fire that once burned between us all crashing against the fragile walls I’d built around my soul.

Derick noticed my distance but didn’t comment. He knew me well enough to understand when I needed

space.

That was one of the things I admired about him: his patience, his calmness. He was everything Ethan wasn’t.

And yet…

Why couldn’t I stop thinking about the man I’d sworn to forget?

Maybe he had changed. Maybe time had softened the Alpha I once knew. Or maybe, deep down, I was just fooling myself again.

Either way, it didn’t matter. The best thing I could do now was to reject him quietly and move on. For good.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify