Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 268

Reven’s Perspective

Derick yanked me roughly into his room, his hand clenching tightly around my wrist. The pressure burned against my skin, sharp and unrelenting, as if his anger was a physical force radiating from him in fierce waves. I had never witnessed him like this before, and the fear that stirred within me was stronger than I cared to admit.

The door slammed shut behind us with a loud bang, making my heart leap painfully in my chest. As soon as we crossed the threshold, he released my wrist, but the fury in his eyes remained—cold and jagged, like shards of shattered glass. His chest heaved rapidly, as though he was struggling to restrain the storm of emotions threatening to break free.

“What did I hear on the balcony?” he demanded, his voice low and rough, trembling not with fear but with pain.

His gaze locked onto me, intense and unyielding. I could see the battle raging inside him, the desperate effort to hold back the urge to lash out. My lips parted, but no words came. How could I possibly explain, especially when he had overheard everything I had said to Alpha Ethan?

“Reven, explain,” he pressed again, his tone sharper and louder this time.

“I… it’s not what you think,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, fragile like a frightened child.

He laughed, but it was a hollow, broken sound—one born from betrayal and heartbreak rather than joy.

“Then tell me what I’m supposed to think,” he said, taking a slow, deliberate step closer to me.

“What is a man meant to believe when he learns you’ve known the father of your children all these years… all these long years… and yet you lied to me, said it was just a one-night stand?”

His voice cracked like thunder, the last words echoing sharply in the tense air.

I flinched involuntarily. My wolf stirred within me, trembling with a desire to retreat and hide from the pain.

“No, Derick… he’s not like that,” I whispered, reaching out tentatively to touch him.

But he shoved my hand away as if my touch burned him.

“You should have told me!” he shouted, his voice raw with anguish. “You should have told me the truth from the very beginning! Five years, Reven! Five years! You lied to me for five whole years! What kind of woman does that?”

Tears sprang to my eyes so suddenly it startled me. My knees weakened, and my heart pounded wildly, as if desperate to break free from my chest.

“I never wanted this to happen,” I said, my voice trembling. “I never wanted any of it. I lied because I wanted to forget my past. Alpha Ethan… he hurt me so deeply. The pain he caused was something I didn’t think I could survive. I wanted to erase everything, to start fresh with you. A clean slate. I was terrified that if I told you the truth… you might stop wanting me.”

Derick shook his head slowly, his jaw tightening in frustration.

“That’s no excuse to lie to someone you claim to love,” he said quietly but firmly. “It’s not enough when children are involved. These kids grew up in my home, in my arms. I love them like they’re mine. And now you’re telling me another man could just walk in and take them away? Do you even understand what that feels like?”

A heavy weight pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“I didn’t think he would ever come back,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Derick exhaled deeply, exhaustion etched into his features as he looked away. “And now he’s threatening to come back for his children,” he said bitterly. “Do you know what kind of position that puts me in? Do you even realize? Everyone will think I’ve been raising another man’s kids without knowing it. They’ll laugh at me. Mock me. My mother always warned me to be careful. I should have listened.”

His words cut through me sharper than any blade.

“Please,” I begged softly. “Don’t say that. Don’t speak like that, Derick. We can fix this. I believe we can.”

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