Chapter 223

Meredith.
After spending almost my entire day with Xamira, I decided to go find Draven in his bedroom.
The bedroom was already softly lit when I entered, and the first thing I saw was Dennis kneeling beside Draven’s travel bag, struggling to stuff a pair of boots in alongside folded clothes.
Draven stood nearby, watching his brother with an expression of mild amusement and exasperation.
Dennis looked up as I stepped in and grinned.
“Well, look who’s here,” he said, rising to his feet and brushing imaginary dust off his hands.
“Have you heard? I will be your esteemed combat instructor while your husband’s away.”
I arched a brow but smiled back. “Yes, I’ve heard.”
Dennis placed a hand over his chest in mock solemnity. “Don’t worry, I will go easy on you. Nothing to be afraid of.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t afraid of him—or anyone else for that matter—but Draven’s voice beat me to it.
“Dennis,” he said, tone sharp and clear, “you’re not to go easy or hard on her. You are to train her. Spar with her. That’s it.”
Dennis blinked, then turned toward his brother with a look of mock hurt. “You doubt my professionalism?”
Draven gave him a flat stare. “I doubt your maturity.”
“Oh, please,” Dennis said, flinging his arms in the air. “One offhand joke and suddenly I’m unfit to train the lady of the house?”
I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the bickering with a soft smile tugging at my lips.
There was something deeply comforting about the way they bantered—like two boys caught in a power struggle only they understood.
And yet, beneath the teasing, there was brotherly trust and unspoken understanding.
A strange ache twisted in my chest.
How I wished I had this with my own siblings. But no—my sisters were my competition, and my brother was a threat cloaked in shared blood.
We were nothing like this. We were sharp smiles, cold wars, and poisonous intentions.
Well, I didn’t even stand a chance against any of them.
Dennis finally lifted his arms in surrender. “Alright, alright,” he muttered, stepping away from the bag. “I will be the best trainer this estate has ever seen.”
Then he helped Draven fold the last of the garments and lock the travel bag neatly.
After a quick nod of approval, Dennis turned to me, gave a slight bow, and said with a wink, “See you at training, my lady.”
Then he sauntered out, humming to himself as he shut the door behind him.
Draven crossed the room and settled beside me on the bed, his presence immediately grounding.
Without warning, he leaned in and stole a kiss—soft and quick. It was more like a tease.
“You owe me something,” he murmured against my lips.
I tilted my head, frowning slightly. “What?”
“You promised me I’d meet your wolf after I caught the vampires.”
The breath caught in my throat. I hadn’t forgotten—I just hadn’t expected him to bring it up so soon.
I nodded slowly, then released a sigh. “Let me see if she’s willing. I can’t force her.”
Draven’s brow creased. “She hides herself? Not you?”
“Yes,” I answered truthfully. “She’s… private. She keeps her presence hidden on purpose.”
“Why?”
I hesitated for a moment, then met his gaze. “To protect me. Because of what she is.”
Draven sat up a little straighter, studying me with intensity. “Introduce her to me.”
I closed my eyes and called to Valmora softly in my mind. For a moment, there was nothing. Just silence.
Then, a ripple stirred at the back of my mind, like a wave brushing over a still lake.
“She’s here,” I said gently, opening my eyes again. “Her name is Valmora.”
Draven’s eyes widened slightly. The name clearly struck something in him.
“Valmora?” he echoed. “The same Valmora who was wolf to Serena, the Wolf Queen?”
I shook my head slowly. “No… Valmora is actually the Wolf Queen, not Serena.”
After being corrected by Valmora a few times, I was now teaching others and correcting the notion.
Draven’s pupils dilated. He stared at me as if I had sprouted another head. Then, slowly, his expression shifted into one of dawning understanding.
“That’s why she hid herself,” he said. “Now I understand.”
“Do you really?” I asked softly, unsure if even I fully understood.
Draven nodded. “Serena and your wolf—shook the foundations of our race back then. If people knew Valmora was alive and inside you… It wouldn’t end well. There’s too much history. Too many fears. You’re right to keep her hidden.”
A quiet sigh of relief escaped me. Valmora had always said this, but hearing it from someone else—someone like Draven—lifted a weight off my chest.
“I can feel her aura now,” he added. “It’s strong. Intimidating. Anyone close enough will feel her presence if you’re not careful. You must keep her concealed. Keep training without her. And when you’re ready… then you can fight with her power.”
“I will,” I whispered. “She told me something similar.”
I paused, remembering Valmora’s cryptic words about regaining power. I wanted to tell Draven… but I still didn’t fully understand what it meant.
And for now, it felt too fragile—too unfinished—to share. So, I kept that to myself.
But what I did share, I shared with my whole heart.
“I trust you,” I told him quietly. “Thank you for understanding.”
Draven didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he reached for my hand, laced our fingers together, and lifted it to his lips.
“I will always understand you, Meredith. Even the parts you don’t say. Let’s just continue to keep this trust and not let it crack again.”
Those words meant everything to me.
I was content with Draven just understanding that I couldn’t share everything with him yet, and I hoped he would continue to have that patience with me.
“So, you don’t have any message to pass on to your grandmother?” Draven asked.
I shook my head slowly. There was no need for that anymore.
“I think I will wait until I meet her personally because she is the one who has something to say to me,” I explained.
“If you say so.” Draven smiled and leaned in to brush his lips across my forehead.