Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Alpha Ethan’s POV

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I woke up with my head pounding like a drum, a sharp, relentless ache that made me groan softly.

My eyelids felt heavy as I forced them open, the early morning light slipping through the curtains like accusing fingers, exposing the chaos in my mind. Slowly, I blinked, trying to piece together the scattered fragments of last night.

Where the hell am I?

My gaze roamed the room, and I realized I was in my own bed. My room. But… how? I couldn’t remember leaving the club.

How the hell did I get back here?

I sat up slowly, my head throbbing worse with every movement. I squeezed my temples, trying to force some clarity into my foggy brain. But then another thought hit me like a slap to the face.

Raven.

Where the hell is Raven?

Panic slammed into me out of nowhere, flooding through my veins like cold poison. Did she… did she run away it night?

No. No, she wouldn’t dare. Or would she? I swallowed hard, the bitter taste of fear crawling up my throat. It she’s gone..

I shoved the duvet aside and swung my legs off the bed, ignoring the way my knees almost buckled. I couldn’t afford to be weak right now. I needed to find her right now.

I stumbled toward the door, my bare feet slapping against the polished floor as I yanked it open and stepped into the hallway. My heartbeat was a drum in my ears, fast and erratic.

“Raven,” I muttered under my breath, rushing down the hallway. I could feel my wolf stirring, restless, agitated. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like not knowing where she was. And neither did I.

I checked the first room I thought she might be in, empty. My heart sank further as I checked another and another. Nothing. My breathing grew harsher, fear curling tighter in my gut with every second that passed.

If she’s gone…

No. I couldn’t even finish that thought.

Finally, I reached her room and pushed the door open without knocking, my chest tight with dread. My eyes darted to the bed, and there she was: Raven. Lying there, curled up, her breathing soft and even.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at her. Relief crashed over me so hard it almost brought me to my knees. I let out a shaky breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. She didn’t leave. She’s still here.

Thank the moon.

I leaned against the doorframe, closing my eyes briefly as the tension in my shoulders eased just a little.

She looked peaceful, almost innocent, if only she really was. I dragged my eyes away and stepped back, pulling the door shut without making a sound.

Back in my room, Í sank onto the edge of my bed, running both hands through my hair.

My head still throbbed, but now a new weight pressed down on me: the weight of last night’s missing pieces. What happened

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10:30 Tue, 26 Aug 6.

Chapter 169

after I came home? Did I say anything to her? Do anything? Damn it, why can’t I remember?

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Before I could even begin to untangle that mess, my phone started ringing on the nightstand, shrill and insistent. I grabbed it without checking the caller ID and pressed it to my ear.

“What?” I snapped, my voice rough with exhaustion and irritation.

“Sir,” came the calm voice of my secretary, almost too calm for the storm brewing inside me. Just a reminder today is the final day for the project submission. The board will be waiting for your presentation in the afternoon”

Her words hit me like a thunderclap. The project.

Holy shit.

I shot to my feet so fast the phone almost slipped from my hand. “What time?” I barked.

“By 2 p.m., sir. The investors.

“Fine. I know,” I cut her off and ended the call, cursing under my breath as I tossed the phone back onto the bed

The project. The goddamn project that could change everything for the company the one I spent countless nights perfecting the one thing that could take us to the top, where we belonged And her was, hungover and late as bell

“Fuck!” I roared, the sound echoing through the room.

I stormed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, stripping quickly as steam began to fill the space the hot spray, letting the water pound against my aching muscles, but it did little to wash away the frustration me. Time was slipping away, and I couldn’t afford any more delays.

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Ten minutes later, I was out, toweling off, and heading straight to my closet. I yanked out tailored suit the first one my hand landed on and slipped into it with practiced speed. White shirt, black tie, charcoal jacket. Sharp, efficient. The Alpha who commands respect. That’s who I needed to be today.

I grabbed the key from my drawer the key to the locked cabinet where my designs were kept. The crown jewel of all my efforts. With it clutched tightly in my hand, I strode out of the bedroom and down the hallway, my mind already rehearsing the pitch, visualizing the design. The one that would make the investors bow.

When I reached my study, I didn’t waste a second. I unlocked the heavy door and pushed it open, stepping inside the familiar space lined with shelves and dominated by the massive desk in the center. My eyes immediately darted to the far corner, where a smaller locked room held the cabinet the sanctum for my designs.

I crossed the floor in a few quick strides, my heart thudding harder now, though I didn’t know why. Maybe it was the lingering adrenaline from earlier. Maybe it was instinct, whispering that something was off.

Sliding the key into the lock, I twisted it and heard the satisfying click. I pushed the door open-

-and froze.

My breath hitched, sharp and violent, as my eyes landed on the floor. For a split second, my brain refused to process what I was seeing.

Papers. Everywhere. Torn, shredded, ripped apart like worthless trash. The designs the ones I spent weeks perfecting, every detail crafted with precision scattered across the floor in jagged fragments.

No.

No, no, no.

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