Chapter 240 — Four Hearts, One Mark

Chapter 240: Chapter 240 — Four Hearts, One Mark

~ Raven ~

For several seconds, nobody answered.

The newcomer stood near the entrance, his expression growing increasingly unpleasant as he surveyed the damaged training court and the three men who had decided to settle their differences with violence.

Sevrin, however, looked completely unbothered.

"Bastien," he greeted with a faint smile.

"Don’t Bastien me." The vampire approached him, looking furious. "Do you have any idea how long we’ve been looking for you?"

Raven glanced between them, her attention returning to the newcomer as she recognized the name Cassian had mentioned during their discussions about the vampire Cardinal Houses.

Bastien Durnholt.

The Earth Cardinal.

She examined him with renewed interest, noticing his immaculate dark uniform and the disciplined way he carried himself despite his obvious anger.

He was considerably broader than Sevrin, and judging by his expression, he didn’t find the situation nearly as amusing as his companion did.

"You disappeared without informing anyone," Bastien continued, glaring at Sevrin. "We’ve been searching the grounds while the rest of the delegation prepares to enter, and now I find you fighting werewolf Cardinals?"

Sevrin gave a casual shrug. "I was having a look around."

"A look around?" Bastien repeated incredulously. "You left before we even reached the academy!"

"And yet here I am."

Raven pressed her lips together, struggling not to laugh at the look on Bastien’s face.

Goddess, this bastard.

He’d been giving his own companions the same ridiculous explanations he’d given her earlier, and if Bastien’s expression was anything to go by, he was probably wondering whether strangling Sevrin would create an even bigger diplomatic incident.

The Earth Cardinal drew a slow breath before turning toward Cassian and Dante, making a visible effort to regain his composure.

"I apologize for his behavior. Whatever disagreement brought you here, I’m sure we can resolve it without another fight."

Cassian regarded him coldly, clearly unimpressed by the apology.

"Your companion attempted to interfere with one of our students."

Bastien immediately turned toward Sevrin, his expression becoming considerably more serious. "Is that true?"

Sevrin opened his mouth, but Raven had already grown tired of listening to him explain why his actions were supposedly harmless.

"Yes," she answered sharply, drawing Bastien’s attention toward her. "And I would appreciate it if someone finally dealt with that instead of trying to kill one another."

For the first time, the Earth Cardinal properly looked at her.

His gaze moved across her face, lingering briefly on the hand she still had pressed against her forehead, and his expression became more attentive when he noticed how pale she was.

"Are you injured?"

"Not particularly." Raven rubbed her aching temple, wishing the headache would finally disappear. "I just want someone to explain what the hell happened to me."

Sevrin glanced toward her, his earlier amusement fading slightly.

"I was attempting to do exactly that before we were interrupted."

Raven gave him an incredulous look. "You were the one who caused it!"

"And I believe we’ve established that," Bastien said firmly, shooting his companion another warning look. "You can explain yourself properly when the officials arrive."

Sevrin sighed but offered no further argument, much to Raven’s relief.

At least one of these vampires seemed to possess some common sense.

She was about to ask Bastien whether the Headmaster had been informed of Sevrin’s presence when an unexpected warmth stirred beneath her collarbone.

Raven stopped speaking.

For a moment, she assumed it was another consequence of the headache she’d been experiencing, but the sensation spread through her chest with a familiarity that made her stomach tighten.

Oh, no.

She knew that feeling.

It was the same strange warmth she’d experienced during her training session with Cassian and Dante, when the Mark had suddenly reacted to their presence.

Except this time, it was considerably stronger.

Raven instinctively pressed her hand against her chest, her breathing faltering as another wave of heat spread through her body.

What the hell?

Her wolf stirred, and the familiar pull she experienced around Cassian suddenly intensified, making her acutely aware of him standing only a few steps away.

She looked toward him, hoping the sensation would settle, but instead found herself becoming equally conscious of Dante’s presence on the opposite side.

The two men had always affected her in ways she struggled to understand, especially after everything that had happened during the Renewal Ball.

But what she was feeling now was different.

Alongside those familiar connections, there was something else, something that seemed to be drawing her attention toward the two vampires standing nearby.

Raven frowned, glancing toward Sevrin and Bastien.

Sevrin was still watching his companion with an irritated expression, while Bastien appeared determined to prevent another argument from beginning.

Neither was paying her much attention.

Yet somehow, Raven could feel an unfamiliar pull toward them, and the longer she remained standing there, the stronger it became.

Her stomach tightened.

That couldn’t possibly be right.

She barely knew Sevrin, and she’d only just met Bastien, so why the hell was her body reacting as though they were—

Another wave of heat interrupted the thought, spreading through her chest so suddenly that she gasped and pressed her hand more firmly against the markings beneath her uniform.

"Raven?"

Cassian’s voice immediately drew her attention, and when she looked toward him, she noticed the anger in his expression giving way to recognition.

His gaze dropped toward her collarbone.

Dante followed the movement, his expression changing when he saw where she was holding her hand.

"Again?" he muttered, approaching her.

Raven opened her mouth to answer, but another surge of warmth made it difficult to concentrate.

She could feel her wolf growing increasingly restless, and the strange attraction surrounding the four men had become so intense that she was beginning to struggle with the simple task of remaining still.

Across from her, Sevrin abruptly stopped speaking.

His crimson eyes widened slightly as he looked toward Raven, one hand rising almost unconsciously toward his chest.

"What the hell...?"

Bastien stiffened beside him, his attention shifting toward Raven with such suddenness that she wondered whether he’d experienced something similar.

The look on his face answered that question before he said a word.

Raven’s heart began beating faster.

Oh, Goddess.

They could feel it too?

She tried stepping backward, wanting some distance from the four men, but the movement only seemed to make the sensation worse.

A powerful wave of longing swept through her, leaving her breathless as the Mark blazed.

Silver-white light began spreading across the markings beneath her collarbone, growing bright enough to shine above the neckline of her training uniform.

Cassian immediately moved toward her, his expression tightening when he saw her struggling, while Dante approached almost simultaneously.

"Raven, what’s happening?" Dante demanded, his earlier anger forgotten.

"I don’t know!" she managed, looking between them helplessly. "I swear, I don’t know!"

Sevrin had gone unusually quiet.

For once, there was no irritating smile on his face as he watched the glowing markings, and when his gaze returned to Raven’s, she saw genuine bewilderment in his expression.

Bastien looked equally unsettled, his fingers tightening at his sides as though he was struggling against an instinct he couldn’t explain.

Raven wanted to know whether they were experiencing the same thing, but before she could even do anything, another pulse surged through her chest.

She gasped, stumbling slightly as her wolf stirred with an excitement that only made the unfamiliar attraction more difficult to bear.

Cassian reached toward her, and Dante moved at almost the same moment, but neither was the first thing Raven noticed.

It was their eyes.

Cassian’s were glowing silver, while Dante’s had become a brilliant molten gold.

Across from them, Sevrin’s crimson gaze burned a deeper shade of red, and an unmistakable green glow had appeared in Bastien’s eyes.

All four men were staring directly at her.

And judging by the shock on their faces, they were feeling exactly what she was.