Chapter 231 - 0231

Lorelei POV

On the other end of the line, Raven let out a long, heavy exhale, and the frantic edge in her breathing finally began to ease.

"Right... Jaxen has always been a scaredy-cat when push comes to shove." She paused before letting out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Moongoddess, I don’t even know why I got so worked up. I was panicking so badly that I was actually considering packing my bags and coming back to the estate."

A quiet chuckle bubbled up in my chest. "And then what?"

"To keep you safe, of course!" she declared dramatically.

A warm, genuine smile touched my lips at her protectiveness. "You do know I have an entire army of security guards here, right? Including two who are constantly breathing down my neck and probably listening to this exact conversation as we speak."

My gaze drifted toward the bedroom doors, and sure enough, I caught Paul pretending to help the decorators move a heavy wooden side table while sneaking glances in my direction.

That made my smile widen.

With my wolf senses slowly returning, pretending to live like a normal human was becoming nearly impossible. I could feel every gaze, hear every whisper, and pick up on the smallest shifts happening around me. It could be overwhelming sometimes, but moments like this made it surprisingly useful.

"I know, I know..." Raven admitted with a light groan. "How could my pathetic security skills ever compare to the Alpha King’s personal guards? It was just a panic thought. I was so worried that I felt like I’d be more at ease if I were right there beside you."

"And I’m so grateful for that, Raven. Thank you for always having my back," I murmured, turning my attention back toward the sprawling estate grounds. "But seriously, you don’t have to uproot your entire life and come here, especially not because of someone like Jaxen."

I leaned against the railing, letting my gaze wander across the grounds below.

"This is my fight now."

And it really was. More than anything, I wanted Jaxen, Callista, and my parents to pay for everything they had put me through. I had no forgiveness left in my heart for any of them. They might not have physically killed me, but they had made me suffer for two decades straight, and a part of me desperately wanted them to experience that same agony.

I just hadn’t figured out exactly how I was going to make that happen yet.

To put Raven more at ease, I shifted the conversation and began telling her what had actually happened at the banquet. I explained how Jaxen had dropped to his knees, shaking like a leaf as he begged Kaelen for mercy simply because he had dared to put his hands on me. I also told her that he probably would have been slaughtered right there if the High Council elders hadn’t stepped in to save him.

"Why do those High Council elders have so much power over Kaelen anyway?" I asked, my brows drawing together as I remembered how hostile they had been toward both of us. "Isn’t being the Alpha King of an entire empire enough? Especially when he’s clearly the most powerful person in the room?"

Even with Kaelen’s explosive temper, he had still held himself back and allowed them to speak, which only made me more curious about the authority they seemed to possess over him.

"Because as powerful as Kaelen is, that’s exactly why the Council exists," Raven explained over the phone. "They’re there to keep him in check and reassure the common wolves. Every creature, no matter how powerful, needs some kind of counterbalance. Even if the Alpha King claims he has good intentions, the people need to know that he can still be held accountable if he ever goes completely out of control. The High Council is that check on his power."

My forehead creased further. "But wasn’t the former Alpha King worse than a tyrant? From everything I’ve gathered, the High Council actually supported him."

And that was what made it even more confusing. How could they claim to exist to prevent an Alpha King from abusing his power when they had stood behind a man who had been far more ruthless?

Worse, he had abandoned his own son, leaving Kaelen to suffer through that horrific fate of being sexually abused. Just thinking about it made my fingers curl into a tight fist.

"Because it’s all an illusion," Raven replied bitterly. "They benefited directly from the old Alpha King’s corruption, so despite how cruel he was, they chose to look the other way while pretending to preach justice to the pack. That’s exactly why they hate Kaelen. He refuses to let them continue their old, shady dealings, and they’re constantly trying to undermine him by hiding behind fake professionalism and bureaucratic procedures that keep his hands tied."

I let out a heavy, saddened sigh. "Kaelen really has enemies coming at him from every direction."

"That’s high-stakes politics for you," Raven muttered.

It was honestly a shame that I wasn’t educated enough in kingdom politics to offer Kaelen any real strategic advice on matters like this. He already had more than enough problems to deal with without having to fight enemies within his own Council.

Wanting to lighten the mood, I quickly shifted the conversation and told her the big news.

My wolf had finally returned.

The heavy atmosphere disappeared almost instantly. Raven let out such an excited squeal through the phone that I had to pull it slightly away from my ear. She then proceeded to shower me with enthusiastic congratulations, repeating how happy she was for me so many times that I couldn’t stop smiling.

As we continued talking, the conversation naturally shifted toward her own life. After a little hesitation, she confessed that she was planning to open a cozy coffee shop as a surprise for Skye.

However, she admitted that she was already feeling overwhelmed and had no idea how to organize everything without accidentally giving the surprise away.

Relieved that things seemed peaceful on her end, and genuinely excited about whatever she was planning, I settled more comfortably against the balcony railing and began giving her a complete step-by-step blueprint.

Raven listened intently on the other end, occasionally interrupting to ask questions, while I could hear her scribbling notes in the background.

By the time we finally ended the call, I felt much lighter than I had when it started. I slipped my phone back into the pocket before returning inside to join Margot.

By late afternoon, my new chambers were finally finished. The entire space had been transformed into a beautiful sanctuary, so warm and inviting that I could have moved in immediately.

As I looked around at the newly decorated room, however, a familiar pang of bittersweet sadness settled in my chest. There was a good chance Kaelen would make me sleep here alone tonight, and knowing that made the excitement of having my own beautiful space feel a little less satisfying.

Still, I refused to let myself sulk over it.

Instead, I turned toward Paul, who was standing dutifully near the doorway, and reminded him to make sure the kitchen staff had all the fresh ingredients ready.

After all, I was still making dinner for Kaelen tonight.