Chapter 333

DEREK’S POV I leaned back in my chair, the weight of that word sinking in like a stone. War. Draven wasn’t bluffing — not after what happened at the assembly. Not after Olivia humiliated him in front of half the continent. He’d been waiting for a reason, any reason, to retaliate. And I’d just handed him one. “What’s the timeline?” I asked. “He wants to meet at dusk tomorrow.” Tomorrow. He wasn’t wasting time. Kael hesitated, then said, “Derek… he’ll be expecting you to show up with Aurelia.” My eyes snapped up. “What?” “He mentioned her by name. He said — and I quote — ‘If the girl is safe, let her prove it by standing beside him.’” My claws dug into the desk, splintering wood. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing. “He’s testing me,” I said quietly. “He wants proof that I have her. Proof that she’s alive.” “Or he wants her back,” Kael countered. That thought made my blood boil. He wasn’t getting near her again. But the reality was clear — if I denied the meeting, it wouldn’t just