Chapter 349: A Sneaky Lying Bastard
Draven.
My Study was too quiet.
I sat behind my desk, my fingers tapping on the polished wood, as my thoughts circled like vultures.
I thought about how Valmora had taken over Meredith like that, and how her voice had cut off mid-sentence—none of it remained with me.
"Rhovan," I called inwardly. "What was Valmora trying to say? Why did she suddenly stop?"
His voice rumbled through me, deep and certain. "I was the one who shut her off."
My brows furrowed, eyes narrowing at the firelight flickering across the study walls. "You shut her off? Why would you do that?"
"Because she was talking out of point," Rhovan said, blunt as ever.
I leaned back in my chair, suspicion threading cold through my veins. Valmora? Talking out of point? That was impossible. Her words were always measured, sharp, calculated.
"What was she going to say?" I pressed. "You know, don’t you?"
"It’s not important to you for now," he answered.
I grit my teeth with a quiet growl low in my chest. "But it was important enough for you to silence her?"
A sigh drifted through my head, a heavy, dismissive sound. "This is between me and her. She was looking for my attention and trying to bait me."
I narrowed my eyes, staring at nothing, at everything, knowing full well Rhovan was dodging me. He was hiding something.
And then, a thought struck, sharp and sudden. "Why does Valmora hate you, Rhovan?"
This was the perfect timing to raise this subject but what I did not expect was silence from the other end.
It was the kind of silence that told me Rhovan didn’t intend to answer.
But then a few second later, he broke it. "I would have to speak to her to find out. But it’s a shame... since I had been looking forward to meeting her."
My jaw tightened. Did he take me for a fool? "There is something I hate, Rhovan—and that is you keeping things from me. How can you not know why your mate hates you, and you haven’t even bothered to find out?"
He rumbled low, completely unbothered. "Let me ask you something. Back then, when you and Meredith were not on good terms, were you bothered by what she thought of you?"
A sharp and humourless scoff escaped me. "So this is your little trick? Keep living in the past to dodge my question?"
Rhovan said nothing, so I leaned forward with my elbows on the desk, and my voice edged with disdain.
"Speaking about the past—wasn’t it you, Rhovan, who kept teaching me how to treat my mate? But now that it’s your turn, suddenly you don’t remember. I guess you don’t practice what you preach."
There was a pause, then reluctantly, he let out a sigh. "Well... give me some time to sort things out with her."
Another scoff escaped my lips as I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking under my weight.
"Listen to me, Rhovan. The next time Valmora wants to say something, you will not shut her off.
Immediately, a low growl of disapproval vibrated in my chest. Rhovan clearly disagreed with my instructions.
"My duty is to protect us, Draven. To protect you and our mate," he said.
I stiffened, my eyes narrowing at the flames dancing in the hearth.
I hated how he had twisted the narrative, yet the moment he mentioned Meredith, my guard faltered. He knew exactly where to strike.
"Leaving that wolf... I mean, Valmora—to take over Meredith, even for a few seconds, is risky," he pressed. "So, I must stop her whenever she tries it."
I rubbed my jaw, a frown appearing on my face. Rhovan was sidestepping the truth again, but this... this was about Meredith, and I couldn’t simply dismiss it.
"Are you trying to convince me, Rhovan?"
"Yes. In a way," he admitted, his tone less combative now. "But Valmora is an ancient wolf. Very powerful. And I’m afraid that even I may not be able to keep up with her soon enough. I’ve not seen anything like her. She has once again reminded me that she is not to be trifled with."
His words clawed at me, dragging at the knot in my chest. I wanted to dismiss it as exaggeration, but I couldn’t—not after seeing Meredith’s glowing eyes, not after hearing Valmora’s voice coil like smoke in the air.
I lowered my voice as I asked him, "You’re telling me Valmora can pose a threat to my wife?"
His answer came without hesitation. "Yes, she can. She is already a threat to me—so what do you think?"
My jaw tightened, my breath sharpening in my chest. There it was, the confirmation I had been circling. Valmora wasn’t just unpredictable, she was dangerous.
"Who knows what she can do when she is freed?" he muttered, almost to himself.
My eyes narrowed instantly as another thought came to me. "And what about you, Rhovan?" I asked.
"Would you one day take control of me? Don’t try to lie. I already know you have those controlling tendencies—especially when things don’t go your way. I haven’t forgotten what you did on my wedding day."
A heavy, damning silence followed, but I pressed harder. "You’ve threatened me more times than I can count."
A low and defensive growl rose from him. "On our wedding day, I was just overly excited. I wanted you to get our mate by all means."
"And???" I snapped, not letting him wriggle free from this one.
"Valmora and I are not the same," he countered with a firm voice. "I will not put you in danger."
Rhovan thought he had me on this one, but I was smarter now.
I leaned forward, my fingers curling into fists on the desk. "But it doesn’t rule out the fact that you have that potential."
He began to deny it, his tone sharpening, "No, Draven, I—"
But suddenly, a voice, sharp as a blade and filled with fury, tore through the space between us. "You sneaky, lying bastard!"