The Lycan King’s Mark (Nevara) by Tiffanie L. Campbell novel Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27 – A Blade Between Us

Nevara

I didn’t expect him to knock. But he did–soft, hesitant. Like he was bracing for rejection.

I opened the door to find Thoren standing there, dressed down in black, casual enough that I might’ve believed he wasn’t the king. But it was the small box in his hand that caught my attention.

“Hi,” he said. “You have a minute?”

I stepped aside wordlessly and let him in.

“I know it’s late,” he went on, clearing his throat. “But… I thought maybe we could do dinner. Again. This time without mashed potatoes being weaponized.”

That got the faintest twitch from my mouth.

He held out the box, the rough paper tied with twine. “I brought something for you.”

I hesitated before taking it. “Is this your way of bribing me into dinner?”

“Only if it works.”

I sat down on the edge of the couch and untied the twine. Inside was a sheathed dagger, small enough to

hide in a boot, but sturdy–functional. No flourishes. No jewels. Just strong, balanced steel.

My fingers curled around the hilt automatically. It felt good in my hand. Like it belonged there.

“You’ve been favoring the daggers in training,” he said, dropping into the chair across from me. “You’ve got

a natural grip. Thought you should have one of your own… something that stays on you. Just in case.”

I nodded, still staring at it.

“We train to shift last,” he added. “Not first. That blade could save your life before your wolf ever gets the

chance.”

“I like it,” I said quietly, sliding the dagger back into its sheath. “Really.”

“But?”

I looked up.

“You don’t seem as excited as I thought you’d be,” he said, his brow pulling slightly. “Did I read you wrong?”

“No. It’s not that. I just…” I sighed, setting the box aside. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

He didn’t push. Just picked up the plates that had already been set on the table–Sabrina, no doubt–and moved to sit beside me.

“Well, I’m here,” he said. “If you want to talk about it.”

Silence.

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We ate in awkward quiet, the clink of utensils somehow louder than it should’ve been. I couldn’t focus on

the food. My thoughts were still upstairs, tucked between the pages of that journal I never should’ve opened but couldn’t put down.

I stared at my plate until the words forced their way out of my mouth.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He blinked, mid–chew. “Tell you what?”

I looked at him, jaw tight. “I saw your journal.”

His expression darkened instantly. “You read my private journal?”

“It was on your desk. In the open.”

“In my private office,” he snapped. “Which is supposed to be safe from prying eyes.”

I sat back, folding my arms. “Well, maybe don’t leave your soul out in the open if you don’t want someone

to trip over it.”

He exhaled hard through his nose. “So what? You just went snooping around because you were bored?”

“I went looking for you,” I said through clenched teeth. “You weren’t there. I saw the journal, and I opened it. Anyone would’ve.”

“Anyone wouldn’t have kept flipping pages,” he muttered.

We glared at each other, two storms threatening to collide.

Finally, he leaned back, stabbing at his food with more force than necessary. “So what do you want to ask

me, Nevara? Since we’re throwing privacy out the window.”

I hesitated. Then said the only thing that mattered.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He didn’t look up. “You’re going to have to be more specific. That question applies to about a hundred things in that journal.”

“All of it,” I said. “But for starters–why didn’t you tell me that you didn’t want to reject me?”

That got his attention. His gaze lifted slowly, sharp and cautious. “How much of it did you read?”

“Enough to know the truth.”

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Then you already read the answer. My father forced me. Said if I didn’t, he’d kill you. Not threaten. Not hurt. Kill. You.”

“And you thought I didn’t deserve to know that?” I whispered. “You thought I’d be better off believing that you hated me?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Because if I’d told you, you would’ve tried to fix it. You would’ve dragged

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us into some half–cocked plan and tried to fight him. Or run. Or plead. And I went through every single scenario in my head, Nevara–every single one–and they all ended with you dead. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

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