349 A Sneaky Lying Bastard
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 pondered about how Valmora had taken over Meredith like that, and how her voice had cut off mid–sentence–none of it remained with <ol><li>me. </li></ol>
“Rhovan, “I called inwardly. “What was Valmora <i>trying </i>to <i>say</i>? <i>Why </i><i>did </i><i>she </i><i>suddenly </i>stop<i>?</i><i>” </i>
His voice rumbled through me, deep and certain. “<i>I </i><i>was </i><i>the </i><i>one </i><i>who </i><i>shut </i><i>her </i>off.” 1
My brows furrowed, eyes narrowing at the firelight wavering across the study walls. “<i>You </i><i>shut </i><i>her </i>off? Why would <i>you </i><i>do </i><i>that</i><i>?</i>”
“Because <i>she </i>was talking out of point,” Rhovan said, blunt as ever.
I rested back in my chair, suspicion threading cold through my veins. Valmora? Talking out of point? That was impossible. Her words
were always measured, sharp, calcted.
“<i>What </i><i>was </i><i>she </i><i>going </i>to <i>say</i>?” I pressed. “<i>You </i><i>know</i>, <i>don’t </i><i>you</i><i>?</i><i>” </i>
“It’s not important to <i>you </i>for <i>now</i>,” he answered.
I grit my teeth with a quiet growl low in my chest. “<i>But </i>it <i>was </i><i>important </i><i>enough </i><i>for you </i>to <i>silence </i><i>her</i>?”
A sigh drifted through my head, a heavy, indifferent sound. “<i>This </i><i>is </i><i>between </i><i>me </i><i>and </i><i>her</i><i>. </i><i>She </i><i>was </i><i>seeking </i>for my attention and trying to
<i>bait </i><i>me</i>.”
I focused my eyes, gazing at nothing, at everything, knowing full well Rhovan was dodging me. He was hiding something.
And then, a pondered struck, sharp and sudden. “Why <i>does </i><i>Valmora </i><i>hate </i><i>you</i><i>, </i><i>Rhovan</i>?”
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 secondter, he broke it. “I <i>would </i><i>have </i>to <i>speak </i><i>to </i><i>her </i>to <i>find </i><i>out</i><i>. </i><i>But </i>it’s <i>a </i><i>shame</i>… since I <i>had </i>been looking forward to
<i>meeting </i><i>her</i><i>.</i><i>” </i>
My jaw tightened. Did he take me for a fool? “<i>There </i><i>is </i><i>something </i><i>I </i><i>hate</i>, Rhovan–and <i>that </i>is <i>you </i>keeping <i>things </i>from <i>me</i><i>. </i>How can <i>you </i>not
<i>know </i><i>why </i><i>your </i><i>mate </i><i>hates </i><i>you</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>you </i><i>haven’t </i><i>even </i><i>bothered </i>to <i>find </i><i>out</i>?”
He rumbled low,pletely unbothered. “Let <i>me </i><i>ask </i><i>you </i><i>something</i><i>. </i><i>Back </i><i>then</i>, <i>when </i>you and Meredith were not <i>on </i>good terms<i>, </i><i>were </i><i>you </i>
bothered by <i>what </i><i>she </i><i>thought </i>of you<i>?</i>”
A sharp and humourless scoff escaped me. “So this <i>is </i><i>your </i>little <i>trick</i>? Keep <i>living </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>past </i>to <i>dodge </i><i>my </i>question?”
Rhovan said nothing, so I leaned forward with my elbows on the desk, and my voice edged with disdain.
<b>> </b>
349 A Sneaky Lying Bastard
“Speaking about the past–wasn’t it you, Rhovan, who kept <i>teaching </i><i>me </i><i>how </i>to <i>treat </i><i>my </i><i>mate</i>? But <i>now </i>that it’s your <i>turn</i>, suddenly <i>you </i>don’t remember. I guess you don’t practice <i>what </i>you preach.”
There was a pause, then reluctantly, he let out a sigh. “Well… <i>give </i>me <i>some </i><i>time </i>to sort <i>things </i><i>out </i>with <i>her</i>.”
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 <i>say </i><i>something</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>will </i><i>not </i><i>shut </i><i>her </i>off.
Immediately, a low growl of disapproval vibrated in my chest. Rhovan clearly disagreed with my instructions.
“My duty <i>is </i>to protect <i>us</i><i>, </i>Draven. To protect you and our mate,” <i>he </i><i>said</i>.
I stiffened, my eyes narrowing at the mes 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 <i>that </i>wolf… I <i>mean</i>, <i>Valmora</i>—to <i>take </i><i>over </i><i>Meredith</i>, <i>even </i><i>for </i><i>a </i><i>few </i><i>seconds</i><i>, </i><i>is </i><i>risky</i>,” he pressed. “So, I <i>must </i><i>stop </i><i>her </i><i>whenever </i><i>she </i>
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.
“<i>Are </i><i>you </i><i>trying </i>to <i>convince </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>Rhovan</i><i>?</i>”
“Yes. <i>In </i><i>a </i><i>way</i>,” he admitted, his tone lessbative now. “<i>But </i><i>Valmora </i><i>is </i><i>an </i><i>ancient </i>wolf. <i>Very </i><i>powerful</i><i>. </i><i>And </i>I’m <i>afraid </i><i>that </i><i>even </i>I may
not <i>be </i><i>able </i>to keep <i>up </i><i>with </i><i>her </i><i>soon </i><i>enough</i><i>. </i><i>I’ve </i><i>not </i><i>seen </i><i>anything </i><i>like </i><i>her</i><i>. </i><i>She </i><i>has </i><i>once </i><i>again </i><i>reminded </i><i>me </i><i>that </i><i>she is </i>not to <i>be </i>trifled
with.”
His words wed 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, “<i>You’re </i><i>telling </i><i>me </i><i>Valmora </i><i>can </i><i>pose </i><i>a </i><i>threat </i>to <i>my </i><i>wife</i>?”
His answer came without hesitation. “Yes, <i>she </i><i>can</i>. <i>She </i><i>is </i><i>already </i><i>a </i><i>threat </i>to <i>me</i>–so <i>what </i><i>do </i>
<i>you </i><i>think</i>?”
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 <i>what </i><i>she </i><i>can </i>do <i>when </i><i>she </i><i>is </i>freed?” he muttered, almost to himself.
My eyes narrowed instantly as another thought came to me. “<i>And </i><i>what </i><i>about </i><i>you</i><i>, </i><i>Rhovan</i><i>?</i>” I asked.
“Would you <i>one </i><i>day </i><i>take </i>control of <i>me</i><i>? </i>Don’t <i>try </i>to <i>lie</i>. I <i>already </i><i>know </i><i>you </i><i>have </i><i>those </i><i>controlling </i><i>tendencies</i>–<i>especially </i><i>when </i><i>things </i><i>don’t </i>
go your way. <i>I </i><i>haven’t </i>forgotten <i>what </i><i>you </i><i>did </i><i>on </i><i>my </i><i>wedding </i><i>day</i>.”
A heavy, damning silence followed, but I pressed harder. “<i>You’ve </i><i>threatened </i><i>me </i><i>more </i>times <i>than </i>I <i>can </i>count.”
A low and defensive growl rose from him. “On <i>our wedding </i><i>day</i>, <i>I </i><i>was </i><i>just </i><i>overly </i><i>excited</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>wanted </i>you <i>to </i><i>get </i><i>our </i><i>mate </i><i>by </i><i>all </i><i>means</i>.”
“And???” I snapped, not letting him wriggle free from this one.
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349 A Sneaky Lying Bastard
“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 <i>the </i>fact that <i>you </i>have <i>that </i>potential.”
He began to deny it, his tone sharpening, “No, Draven, 1-”
But suddenly, a voice, sharp as a de and filled with fury, tore through the space between us. “<i>You </i><i>sneaky</i>, <i>lying </i>bastard!”
<b>Comment </b>
66
The next chapter <i>will </i><i>be </i><i>updated </i><i>within </i><i>half </i><i>an </i><i>hour</i><i>. </i><i>I’m </i><i>editting </i><i>it</i>.
<b>Paschalinelily </b>
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