------------- Kaitlyn -------------
I'd known from the moment I knew about my being the lycan princess that I had a twin. But I hadn't known he was alive.
After reading from Valerian's book about the sibling bond, when I'd tried to reach out to my twin through the bond that every lycan twin in the Verakov bloodline have, I hadn't been able to connect to him. I had tried so many times. But every failed attempt made me believe that he didn't survive like I did.
According to Ekon, it was because we were separated at birth itself and the bond didn't get the time to develop.
To the present, I'm being crowned as the temporary queen of Lycor since I'm still the second inline to the throne. When we'll find my brother, I'll have to hand him the throne since technically he's the elder twin.
I didn't know how I felt about all this. Previously when I'd thought he was dead, I'd felt this immense sadness for a sibling I hadn't ever met. Maybe somewhere I really wished for him to be alive. So that I could have atleast some blood relative except for Narcissa. But now when I'm certain he's alive, I was determined to find him.
Pretty was restless. She was happy. She was sad. She was squealing and she was whining.
I couldn't understand whether the lycan was sane in her head. And she seemed confused too it seems. But one thing is certain, she misses her twin who she just came to know about. Yeah, that's Pretty for you.
A heavy metal being placed atop my head snaps me out of my reverie reminding me that I'm in middle of my crowning, seated on the throne.
Ekon fixes the now void of blood crown on my head before stepping back and giving a respectful bow. I give him a nod in return with a smile.
The wizard then turns to the crowd, "Long live the queen!"
Everyone cheers, "Long live!" and bow to show their respect.
"You may rise." I smile as they all stand back up, "Let the celebration began."
And just like that, the crowning ceremony turns into a full fledged ball party as people gather around for partners and dance to the low waltz music buzzing in the entirety of the throne room.
Involuntarily, my eyes flicker over to my mate only to find him sulking at a corner with a permanent frown to his face while Marilla kept talking animatedly beside him. He didn't even seem to be listening to her.
I couldn't help the smile tugging on my lips as Marilla smacked Valerian's head when he glared at a man who tried to approach him. Gosh, I really miss the grumpy man.
"Kaitlyn," My attention diverts to the person who took my name only to find Dante smiling down at me.
"Your highness." He does a dramatic bow making me laugh at it, "Care for a dance?"
I glance at Ekon to ask whether it was fine for me to leave the throne. The wizard merely gives a nod before going back to his task of observing everyone with his calculating gaze.
Rising from my seat, I place my hand over Dante's extended one as he leads me over to the dance floor.
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------------- Valerian -------------
My eyes narrow into slits as the commander pulls Kaitlyn to the dance floor where everyone is gathered in an anti-clockwise ball dance.
The annoying guard twirls Kaitlyn around making her laugh before pulling her close to him by placing his slimy hands on her.
"You look ready to murder someone." Marilla whispers from beside me.
I turn to her with a glare, "I could happily murder you. Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?"
"You hurt my emotions. " She placed a hand over her heart in mock hurt.
"Don't care." I mumble grumpily still glaring at the commander, trying to murder him with my eyes.
Why the hell is he standing so close?!
"Son, go dance with her. You'll fume a little less." Eleanor laughs approaching us.
"He won't. Dulcamara told him not to-" Before she can complete the sentence, I cut in.
"You're right, Eleanor. I should go have a dance." I said as Dante pulled Kaitlyn closer, inching his face closer to hers.
"You're coming along with me." I drag a whining Marilla towards the dance floor.
My insides fumed as I marched towards them, ready to slaughter heads. The rational part of my head told me to stay away and heed to Dulcamara's words but the irrational stubborn part couldn't bare the sight of another man having his hands all over my mate.
Either ways, it's just a dance. It's not like a dance would do much harm.
People scatter around as I join the anti-clock dance with Marilla, just a pair after Kaitlyn and the commander.
Marilla might be skilled in many things but she is a terrible dancer. Dancing with the siren was like your worst nightmare coming true. She kept stamping on my feet every five seconds and when I'd pass her a death glare, she'd just grin telling how I deserve it for dragging her to the dance floor.
I almost let out a sigh of relief when the bell rings and we change partners. The woman paired with me keeps batting her eyelashes so much at me that at a point, I felt like pulling those lashes out. Blame my dull mood for feeling like doing everything violent. But atleast on the plus side, Kaitlyn wasn't paired with the commander right now.
I glance towards her dancing next to me and then at her partner. I couldn't stop the glower I sent their way when I realized the said partner was not any better than the previous one.
Darwin out of all people alive!
Kill me already!
I was ready to pull my hair in frustration when Darwin tried to make advances towards Kaitlyn. But with a scathing look from my mate, the man behaved for the better and I couldn't help the glee of happiness and proud feeling erupting in my chest. That's my queen!
The lady with me took my smile in a wrong way and tried inching closer. What the-
Tring.
The bell saved the woman from being glowered at as everyone switched partners.
I let out a sigh of relief as Kaitlyn's hand clasps around mine. She looks up at me with those blue eyes and a smile tugs onto her lips, "Valerian."
I couldn't help my own lips pulling into a wide smile as I wrap my arms around her waist and hers hold my shoulders.
"Yours truly, Miss Winchester." I smile twirling her around making the hem of her gown float at the edges as I lifted her off her feet while she shakes her head at the name.
"I hate it when you call me that." She says cheekily once she's back on her footing.
"I know, Kate." I lean in to tuck the little strands of hair framing the side of her face behind her ears.
"I missed you." I whisper in her ears, pulling her body flush against mine as I entwine our fingers of one hand while the other holds her waist firmly.
Kaitlyn wraps her other arm around my neck and places the side of her cheek flat against my chest, "I did too." She murmurs so low that I almost couldn't pick up.
The admission shocks me making my heart race and warm up. I'm so tempted to lift her face and kiss her senseless then and there.
Stay away from Kaitlyn today if you don't want to get into trouble later.
Dulcamara's words from earlier makes me step back from Kaitlyn abruptly. What the hell am I doing?! Stay away, Valerian. If it was about you getting in trouble, it would've been fine but you cant pull her into your mess.
Kaitlyn stares my way in confusion but before any of us could fret over it, the bell rings and I have to involuntarily let go of her.
When another batting eye-lash lady is about to be partnered with me, I step out of the dance floor in annoyance.
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------------- Kaitlyn ------------
My mood dulls as I see Valerian leaving the dance floor and then rushing out of the throne room.
I'm about to leave myself and ask him why he's being so distant all of a sudden when arms wrap around me reminding me that I'm still paired up on the dance floor.
I glance up at my partner to find a silver masked man staring down at me with his obsidian eyes. His lips stretches into a lop-sided sinister smile as his arms tighten around me, pulling my body closer to his.
"It's not a masquerade ball, mister." I say politely, trying to maintain distance between us. But it only makes him plaster me firmer against him.
Iritated by the man's behavior, I'm about to inch back completely but his unearthly low voice makes me freeze,
"Stop moving, Kaitlyn." The masked man whispers into my ears.
My eyes snap upto the him as a feeling of dread washes over me. I've heard that voice before. I couldn't pin-point when or where but I was certain I have heard it. To add to it, the man's voice holds the eerieness a raven's voice does. The tone Valerian has when he compulses people.
"But there's no other raven who would." I had told Victor.
Leader had given me a blank look, "You're so wrong."
My eyes takes into the masked man with a newfound curiosity as I realise that I had the oak wood talisman chain around my ankle which prevented any raven compulsion. He could be the leader Narcissa and Darwin always speak of. Out of all creatures alive, I never expected the person to be a raven. Could he be. . .
"What's your name?" I stop moving as he ordered and ask in a slurry monotonic voice just like how people speak when they're compulsed.
The man's lop-sided smile turns into a full blown smirk as he inches his face closer to mine, "Keith Kingston, my Kaitlyn." His fingers runs a lazy path down the side of my face.
I stop my eyes from widening as my heart thuds in my chest at the name. Kingston. . .
Oh God, no. He's a pure raven. He's Valerian's uncle.
I take a quick glance around only to find every single person in the throne room freezed. They weren't really freezed in time. More like they were standing still, very still as if someone had told them to stand like a statue. Even when I catch sight of Eleanor and Marilla, they're all stand-still. None of them have worn oak-wood. They must've never suspected the raven apart from Valerian to ever compulse them.
My mind wanders to the time Valerian had compulsed the many guards at the castle to sleep. Valerian is a half raven and he could do that, I can't even imagine what a pure raven was capable of.
When I look back at the man in front of me, he's smiling a smile that sends a chill down my spine.
Gulping a lump in my throat, I school my features and smile at him in return. You can do this, Kaitlyn. You have to tell Valerian about this. You have to tell him about his uncle. Valerian trusted his uncle so much. . .
My heart hurt at the thought of Valerian to go through another betrayal. But I couldn't keep it from him. He had to know. No matter how heartbroken it would leave him.
"You're Valerian's uncle?" I ask acting as if I'm enjoying myself in his arms when in reality, I felt disgusted.
A dark look crosses Keith's face as he twirls me around and pulls me back to him. His right hand wraps around the side of my neck pulling my face closer to his, "Valerian? Aren't you getting too comfortable around him these days? Tell me, Kaitlyn," His lips moves over to my earlobes, "Are you falling for Valerian?"
His grip tightens around my neck turning painful but I don't dare to move. Had he asked this before too? Lord, I couldn't even imagine what I'd have said to this man if I hadn't had oak wood on me.
Because God only knew that in the deepest corners of my heart, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I am falling for Valerian. So much with each passing day that it was terrifying.
"No." I say confidently to Keith though, lying through my teeth.
Keith's grip loosens on my neck and he inches back from me. His slick finger trails down the side of my face again as his eyes snap to mine, "Good. Because you're mine, Kaitlyn. You'll be mine before Valerian could even touch you. You'll be in my bed, screaming my name right before we dig that dagger through my nephew's heart. By the time his blood drowns the lands of Raveria, you'll be my queen."
As my heart sunk at his words, his eyes takes into a misty white colour, "Forget you ever met me. You were just dancing on the dance floor. Nothing happened."
I gasp as everyone around me start moving again while Keith walks out of the throne room without anyone noticing him.
The bell rings and a person is there to be my partner on the dance floor again but I'm too shook to politely dismiss. Blinking at the sudden haze, I run out of the dance floor.
Eleanor gives me a worried look as I rush past her outside the throne room. I look around frantically, my heart thudding with fear like never before for someone who has grown so close to me in the last few days, I couldn't even imagine losing him. And I couldn't imagine Keith. . .
My lips tremble as I spot Valerian standing in the long empty hallways with his eyes shut. Before I can help myself, I rush upto him.
Once I'm in front of him, I throw my arms around him making him open his eyes in shock. His arms wrap around mine firmly the moment he notices the terror on my face.
"Kate, are you-"
"Valerian," I croak out as a fresh tear runs down my eyes, "Mate with me. Make me yours."
Kate isn't the one to hide things. So don't worry, she'll tell Valerian about Keith sooner than later. But for now, let's see what happens👀
Thoughts on the chapter?
Do you have any doubts so far in the story? I'll try my best to clear them.