Chapter 348: Valmora Seized Control
Draven.
"When the first batch leaves tomorrow, I want ten of our finest warriors to go with them. Handpicked. No excuses," I instructed.
Jeffery blinked, looking surprised, while Dennis tilted his head, studying me.
"There may be attacks along the way," I continued with a low but firm voice. "Humans, vampires—it doesn’t matter. I won’t risk lives just because we thought the journey home would be quiet."
Dennis’s grin faded into something harder, more thoughtful. He gave a slow nod.
"You are right. If anything were to happen to them, it would cause an uproar. Some of the families already grumble about being sent away. If we lose even one life on the road, they will talk badly about you. Some might even try to lay blame at your feet."
I nodded once, sharply. "Exactly. And I won’t give them that chance. There will be no room for uproar. No one dies on the way home. Not on my watch."
Jeffery inclined his head, the corners of his mouth tight. "Then I will help Dennis with the selection. The best men only. If there’s a fight, they will end it quickly."
Good. That was the answer I needed.
Meredith leaned against me slightly, silent but warm at my side, and I caught the flicker of pride in her eyes. She didn’t need to speak. I knew she approved.
I let Dennis’s joke hang in the air a moment longer before I shifted the topic.
"Meredith," I said, my hand still resting on her shoulder, "today, you will face both Dennis and Jeffery during your evening training."
Dennis barked a laugh. "Oh, this will be fun. I will try not to bruise our Luna’s pretty face."
Meredith leaned away from me, her brow arched. "You’re joking."
I shook my head. "No. I’m training you to be able to kill a vampire on your own. If you can hold your ground against both Dennis and Jeffery, you will already have the advantage."
I held her gaze as I said it. And then I saw it.
Her violet eyes shimmered, a glow blooming in their depths, an unnatural yet alive radiance. My chest tightened.
And when she spoke, her voice carried a weight that wasn’t hers. "Then you are the right person to train with."
The air shifted, heavy and strange. Dennis stiffened beside Jeffery. "W-what in the moon is going on?" he stammered.
I raised a hand, silencing him without breaking eye contact with Meredith. Her glow held me, the presence behind it undeniable.
"Why do you say so?" I asked, my voice low, steady. "Why do I have to be the one?"
Her eyes burned brighter, the glow deepening like an otherworldly flame. And then Valmora’s voice spilt from her lips, calm and heavy with meaning.
"You are a—"
The words were cut off, snapped away as if some unseen force had silenced her mid-breath. The glow disappeared instantly, leaving only Meredith’s violet eyes, wide and pained.
She winced, clutching her forehead with both hands. "Ah—!"
"Meredith." I moved at once, steadying her shoulders, my thumb brushing against her temple. "Where does it hurt?"
"My head," she whispered through clenched teeth. "It feels like... like a hammer striking from inside."
Dennis let out a low, shaky breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Moon above, you almost scared us just now."
Meredith blinked at him, still holding her head. "Scared you? How?"
Before Dennis could open his mouth, Jeffery stood abruptly. He grabbed his arm with unusual force and hauled him to his feet. "Come. Now."
Dennis shot me a look but didn’t resist. They disappeared into the hall, their murmurs fading into silence.
I turned back to Meredith, her face pale, her breath uneven. I cupped her cheek, studying her closely.
"Do you remember what you just said... before the headache came?"
She looked confused, her brows furrowing. After a moment, she nodded slightly. "I told you, you were joking."
I frowned, searching her eyes, but saw no trace of the glow now. There was only confusion. Only her.
Her confusion lingered for a moment, her violet eyes searching mine as though waiting for me to explain something even she didn’t understand.
I brushed my thumb over her cheekbone, masking the storm inside me.
"Come," I said gently. "Let me take you to your room. You should rest."
She hesitated for a heartbeat, then nodded, leaning into me as I rose with her. I kept my arm steady around her waist as we moved. Outwardly calm. Inwardly, my thoughts twisted sharply.
Valmora’s voice still echoed in my ears—unfinished, heavy, promising something I wasn’t meant to ignore. You are a— And then silence, as though the truth had been ripped away before it could breathe.
I knew it wasn’t nothing. The weight of it told me enough. It was important. Dangerous, even.
As I guided Meredith through the corridor, I kept my face impassive, but inside I was already wondering: was there a way to reach Valmora directly? To speak to her without Meredith’s awareness?
It wasn’t about hiding things from my mate—not truly. It was about sparing her from a burden she wasn’t ready to carry.
But another thought coiled tighter. If Valmora could seize control of Meredith without her permission—if she could speak through her, bend her voice, her body—then what else could she do?
And worse, Meredith didn’t even realize it had happened.
I clenched my jaw as I eased her onto the bed, smoothing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
The idea of my mate being used as a vessel without her knowing... that was a problem I couldn’t ignore.
"I might get some sleep," she murmured, her voice soft, almost fragile, pulling my attention back to her.
I brushed my knuckles along her arm, steadying her comfort with my presence. A small hum rumbled in my chest, and I managed a smile for her. "Rest, my Queen. I will be in my study."
Her lips curved faintly before her eyes slipped shut, and I stood there a moment longer, watching her chest rise and fall, her breathing evening out.
Only then did I turn away, my thoughts already heavier than the silence of the room.