Chapter 207 — Between the Sheets

Chapter 207: Chapter 207 — Between the Sheets

~ Raven ~

For several seconds, neither Brielle nor Tessa said anything.

Then Brielle blinked, leaning forward as though she’d misheard.

"Wait. You’ve been dating someone this whole time?"

Thalia nodded, looking increasingly uncomfortable under their attention.

"And you didn’t tell us?"

"I wasn’t exactly planning to announce it!" she protested.

Tessa tilted her head, looking curious rather than offended.

"Who is she?"

Thalia hesitated before answering, her fingers tightening around the pillow in her lap.

"Gloria."

Brielle frowned.

"Gloria?"

"Seventh Seat," Thalia clarified.

"What?!"

Raven winced.

"Brielle, lower your voice!"

But Brielle was already staring at Thalia in disbelief.

"Gloria? Adelaide Fenn’s Gloria?"

"She’s not Adelaide’s property!" Thalia snapped, her expression turning defensive.

"I didn’t say she was! But she’s always with that group. How the hell did you two even get together?"

"Brielle," Tessa interrupted, although she looked equally surprised, "perhaps let her explain."

Thalia folded her arms.

"Gloria isn’t the person you think she is."

Raven could see her friend growing increasingly uncomfortable, and she understood why. Gloria’s association with Adelaide’s circle was hardly the sort of thing that inspired confidence, especially after everything the First Circle had done.

"She’s right," Raven said eventually, drawing everyone’s attention.

Brielle frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Gloria doesn’t agree with everything Adelaide does. She has her own reasons for staying close to that group."

"And how would you know that?"

Raven considered how much she could safely explain before answering.

"Because Gloria has helped Cassian with certain matters involving the Court. She’s not nearly as loyal to Adelaide as people think."

Brielle looked thoughtful.

"So she’s been working with Cassian?"

"She’s helped him, yes. And before you start asking another hundred questions, that’s all I’m saying."

Tessa considered the explanation for a moment before turning toward Thalia.

"And you’re happy with her?"

Thalia’s expression softened.

"Yes."

"Then that’s what matters," Raven said, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "Besides, I’ve spoken to Thalia about it already. I don’t think we need to turn this into another investigation."

Their eyes met briefly, and the gratitude Raven saw in Thalia’s expression made her feel unexpectedly pleased.

Brielle eventually sighed, although she still looked as though she had a hundred questions waiting to be asked.

"Fine. But I still can’t believe you’ve been secretly dating Seventh Seat without any of us noticing."

Thalia laughed, looking considerably more relaxed now.

"You were busy with Lucien."

"Oh, don’t you fucking start."

Raven smiled, glad to see the conversation returning to something less serious. She’d been worried about how the others might react, particularly given Gloria’s connection to Adelaide, but at least Thalia no longer looked ready to flee the room.

Unfortunately, Raven’s relief lasted approximately three seconds.

"Speaking of secrets," Tessa said, turning toward her, "we’ve all confessed now."

Raven stopped smiling.

Brielle’s eyes narrowed with renewed interest.

"She’s right."

Thalia leaned forward, grinning.

"So?"

Raven looked between them before releasing a long, defeated sigh.

"You people are exhausting."

"Raven," Brielle warned, although the smile on her face ruined the effect.

"Oh, fine!" Raven threw her hands up. "Yes, I kissed Cassian. Are you happy now?"

Thalia let out an excited squeal.

Raven immediately lunged forward and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Keep your fucking voice down!" she hissed. "We just got yelled at!"

Thalia was laughing against her palm, nodding vigorously until Raven reluctantly released her.

Unfortunately, she immediately started grinning again.

"Oh, Goddess. You really kissed him!"

"Congratulations. Your hearing works."

Brielle leaned closer, her earlier embarrassment apparently forgotten.

"So that’s what happened before you advanced?"

Raven hesitated, wondering how she was supposed to explain something she barely understood herself.

"Not exactly. I mean, yes, but I don’t think it was just the kiss."

She briefly explained how the connection between their wolves had grown stronger, how their bond had changed, and how the sudden rush of essence had accompanied her advancement to Tempered.

Brielle listened with obvious fascination, occasionally interrupting to ask questions about what Raven had felt.

"So strengthening a mate bond can actually trigger an advancement?" she asked when Raven finally finished.

"Apparently."

"That’s extraordinary."

"Fascinating," Tessa added thoughtfully.

Raven made the mistake of looking at her.

Tessa’s expression was perfectly serious.

"So all I need to do to become Tempered is kiss a boy more passionately?"

Brielle burst out laughing.

Raven stared at her.

"Tessa."

"What?" Tessa asked innocently. "It’s a reasonable question."

"No, it fucking isn’t."

"Well, then how passionately did you kiss Cassian?"

Raven grabbed her pillow again.

Tessa immediately raised both hands, laughing as she leaned away.

"Alright! I’m done!"

"Good, because I’ve seriously had enough of you people tonight," Raven muttered, dropping the pillow back onto the mattress.

Thalia was still smiling when something seemed to occur to her.

"What about Dante?"

The question brought Raven’s amusement to an abrupt halt.

She lowered her eyes, suddenly remembering the uncomfortable thought she’d been trying not to dwell on since leaving the Ball.

For a moment, she considered pretending she hadn’t heard.

Unfortunately, all three women were looking at her again, and she knew there was no escaping the question.

Raven sighed.

"I think he might have seen us."

Silence followed.

Brielle stared at her, while Tessa’s eyes widened behind her glasses. Thalia slowly lowered her hands into her lap, looking considerably less amused than before.

"You think Dante saw you kissing Cassian?" Brielle asked eventually.

Raven nodded miserably.

"Oh, Goddess."

"Exactly."

Brielle leaned back against her bed, looking completely overwhelmed by the information.

"Raven, I swear you go through the most diabolical shit imaginable."

Raven glared at her.

"Thank you. Very helpful."

"No, seriously." Brielle shook her head, looking almost offended by the situation. "I’m suddenly so grateful my romantic life is simple."

Tessa chuckled at that, prompting Raven to turn her glare toward her instead.

"Something funny?"

"Nothing at all," Tessa assured her, although she was still smiling.

Raven would have appreciated a little sympathy, particularly considering that Brielle had spent the last several minutes threatening her with a pillow over a harmless bluff.

Thalia, fortunately, looked considerably more concerned.

"What are you going to do about Dante?"

Raven rubbed her forehead.

"I don’t know."

She thought of the way Dante had searched for her after she’d disappeared from the Ball, the effort he’d put into making the evening special, and how happy she’d been dancing with him.

He’d been good to her, even when she hadn’t made things particularly easy for him.

And if he’d really witnessed that kiss, she couldn’t imagine how he must have felt.

"I didn’t mean to hurt him," Raven admitted, lowering her hand.

None of the others interrupted.

"But I can’t pretend what happened with Cassian meant nothing either."

Thalia nodded slowly.

"Then you’ll have to talk to Dante."

"I know."

Unfortunately, knowing what she should do didn’t make the prospect any less unpleasant. Raven had no idea how she was supposed to approach Dante, much less explain something she was still struggling to understand herself.

What was she even supposed to say?

That she’d gone outside to speak with Cassian and somehow ended up kissing him?

That she hadn’t been thinking about Dante at the time, even though he’d spent the evening making her feel like the most important woman in the ballroom?

Goddess, she was going to make a complete mess of that conversation.

After another moment, she sighed and stood.

"Can we please stop discussing my romantic disasters now? I’ve had enough for one night."

Brielle raised her hands.

"Fine. No more questions."

"Thank the Goddess."

Raven returned to her bed and sat down, intending to get comfortable before the others found another reason to interrogate her.

Instead, something hard pressed against her.

She frowned and shifted sideways, assuming one of the girls had thrown something onto her mattress during their ridiculous pillow fight.

The lump was still there.

"Which one of you idiots put something on my bed?" she demanded, reaching behind her.

Nobody answered.

Brielle glanced toward the mattress, looking confused.

"Don’t look at me. I didn’t put anything there."

Raven pulled back the bedspread, already preparing to complain about whatever nonsense they’d left behind.

Then she froze.

A wrapped bundle lay against the mattress, partly concealed beneath the covers, with several folded documents tucked alongside it.

For a moment, she simply stared.

Something about the wrapping looked familiar, although she couldn’t immediately understand why it would be lying on her bed.

Slowly, she reached down and picked it up.

She unfolded the outer covering, and the moment she saw what was inside, her breath caught.

There were handwritten pages bundled together, their edges worn in places she recognized immediately. Several letters had been tucked between them, along with a small amount of money and the other belongings she’d hidden away at Blackthorn.

Raven’s hands began trembling.

No.

She turned the first few pages, recognizing her own handwriting, including the corrections she’d made so many times that she could still remember exactly where she’d been sitting when she’d written them.

Her manuscript.

The manuscript she’d been certain she’d never see again.

For several seconds, Raven could do nothing but stare at the pages in her hands.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Raven jerked backward so violently that the bundle flew from her hands, scattering papers across the floor.

"FUCK!" Brielle shouted, jumping in fright.

"Raven!" Tessa exclaimed, stumbling away from the bed.

Thalia let out a startled curse before turning toward her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

But Raven barely heard them.

She remained frozen beside her bed, staring at the scattered pages lying across the floor.

The pages she’d written in secret, the ones she’d cried over when she thought nobody was watching, and the story she’d poured so much of herself into because there had been so little else in her life that truly belonged to her.

Her manuscript.

Beyond the Chains.