Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 269

Chapter 269

Reven’s Perspective

It had been two full days since Derick uncovered the truth about the father of my children. Two painfully slow days that seemed to stretch time itself, as if someone had pulled on it so hard it might finally snap.

He hadn’t shouted. He hadn’t let anger consume him. No harsh words were thrown in my direction. Oddly enough, I almost wished he had yelled—anything to break the suffocating silence he wrapped himself in. That quiet was sharper than any blade, cutting deeper than I could bear.

Breakfast used to be our little sanctuary, a warm bubble of normalcy in our chaotic lives. The twins would bicker endlessly over who deserved the bigger pancake, Derick would sip his coffee, feigning indifference but betraying a slight smile, and I’d be desperately trying to keep the milk from spilling all over the table.

But these past two mornings had been different. He barely glanced at me. He sat stiffly across the table, as if I were a stranger intruding in his home. He answered the kids’ questions but ignored me completely. Not once did our fingers brush accidentally, no small touch to remind us we were still connected.

That invisible wall between us was slowly squeezing the life out of something deep inside my chest.

I knew I had hurt him. I knew hiding the truth about the kids’ father was a mistake. But I kept telling myself I had a reason—some twisted justification that I was protecting us all from a darkness Derick couldn’t even begin to imagine. Maybe I was fooling myself.

Maybe fear had kept my lips sealed far too long. But did he truly believe I wanted to shatter him? That I took any pleasure in carrying this unbearable guilt, heavier than my own skin?

After breakfast today, he stood up abruptly, nodded at the twins without a word, and left without so much as a glance in my direction. Again.

The chair rocked gently as he rose, and that’s when the sting behind my eyes began. I swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. I had cried enough these last few days. Tears didn’t fix anything. They didn’t explain anything.

And yet, silence wasn’t a cure either.

I decided I needed to clear my mind, to shake off the heaviness that gripped my heart. Maybe if I moved fast enough, breathed deeply enough, the thoughts squeezing me would loosen their hold.

I rose slowly from the bed, my muscles stiff from sleeping in an awkward position. The twins had crept into my room last night, clinging to me like little monkeys, seeking comfort in my arms.

They worried far too much for children their age. And it broke my heart that they could sense the tension even when no words were spoken.

I carefully tucked the blanket around them, then slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. I washed my face, pulled my hair into a tight ponytail, and changed into my running gear.

Running was always my refuge. It felt like opening a window inside my chest, letting all the heavy, suffocating feelings fall away.

Before stepping outside, I peeked into the kids’ room. They were sitting on the floor, books scattered around them as they worked on their school assignments together.

They looked so peaceful, so innocent. I hesitated at the doorway, reluctant to disturb their focus. They didn’t even glance up, fully absorbed in their little world. Good. At least for now, their world remained steady.

I slipped out quietly and closed the door behind me.

The morning air outside the pack house was cool and slightly damp, carrying with it the faint scent of earth and pine, as if the forest itself was keeping secrets. I headed toward the woods, the path so familiar that my feet followed it without conscious thought.

Tall trees surrounded me, their leaves whispering softly in the breeze, murmuring things I couldn’t quite catch.

When I reached my usual spot, I shed my clothes and shifted into my wolf form. The transformation surged through me like a sudden blaze beneath my skin—bones reshaping, muscles stretching, fur sprouting.

And then, that wild, untamed freedom flooded through me, the feeling that only came when I was in wolf form. I took off running.

The world around me blurred into a swirl of green and brown. My paws pounded the earth with fierce determination, the wind rushing past my fur.

The forest embraced me like an old friend. This run wasn’t just exercise—it was my escape. A scream without noise. A cry without tears.

Here, no one could see my fear, my confusion, or the shame that weighed me down.

With every pounding step, I tried to outrun the chaos consuming my life. But my thoughts were relentless—they chased me no matter how fast I ran.

What had happened over these last few days? How had everything unraveled so quickly?

Derick’s face kept flashing in my mind—the shock in his eyes, the pain etched deep within them, the betrayal that seemed to hollow him out.

There was a sadness there, too—a deep, aching sorrow that wounded me more than any anger ever could.

I pushed myself harder, until the burn in my legs felt like wildfire spreading through my muscles. Good. At least this pain made sense.

An hour passed, maybe more, before I finally stopped. Panting, I shifted back to my human form and sat on a smooth rock.

My chest rose and fell unevenly, as if it were fighting its own battle. Sweat trickled down my neck, and I brushed my damp hair from my face, taking in the quiet forest around me.

No. Absolutely no way was I going to let Alpha Ethan get anywhere near my kids. I didn’t care what bonds the wolf world tried to impose on me.

Derick was their dad. He had been since the day they were born. They loved him fiercely. He raised them, fed them, held them when they were sick, and tucked them into bed every night.

They called him “Daddy” with that soft, tender voice only children have.

Alpha Ethan wouldn’t touch that. Not in his wildest dreams. I’d burn the whole world down before I let him take that away.

But thinking of Derick again made my throat tighten painfully.

I needed to apologize. I had to. Even if he didn’t forgive me now. Even if he still looked through me like I was a ghost.

At least he’d know I was truly sorry. That I wanted to make things right.

That I wasn’t trying to choose the past over our future.

I stood slowly and walked back to where my clothes were folded. As I dressed, my wolf’s voice echoed in my mind.

“If you apologize and things get better with Derick… what about Alpha Ethan?”

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