Chapter 23 

~Valeria ~ “You’ve been looking for me…” the Raven Wolf King says, then whispers, “Valeria…” This can’t be real! The hollowness of his gaze seems fixed straight on me. Am I even real? Am I really here? No. This is a dream. It has to be. The shock makes me take a step back, and suddenly I’m flying backward. The Raven Wolf King grows smaller until he’s no longer visible, and all that remains is darkness. I wake with a gasp. That’s not real! It isn’t! It can’t be! “Valeria.” Raphael hugs me. “What’s wrong?” I close my eyes and shake my head. “Just a bad dream.” He pulls me back beneath the covers, holding me close. The panic dissolves, the fear fades, and in his arms I feel safe. “It’s almost dawn. I should head back to my room,” I tell him. His arms cling tighter, and he whispers, “Not yet.” “Raphael—” “Valeria, you’re so unpredictable. One day you hate me, the next you want to fuck me. I don’t know which Valeria I’ll encounter next, so let me enjoy this a little longer.” Am I really lik