Chapter 184: Chosen or fated
Yuki froze halfway to her seat when she saw Eloise approaching. Eloise hadn’t noticed her yet. She was too busy complaining to Kieran about something, her arm linked through his while he carried the small purse hanging from her wrist. Kieran listened with the patient expression of someone who had clearly heard the same complaint more than once, while Killian walked beside them with his attention elsewhere. Their focus remained on each other, completely unaware that Yuki and Declan were standing only a short distance away.
Yuki’s gaze drifted over them. Eloise wore a beautiful sky-blue gown that fell elegantly around her figure, the soft fabric catching the light from the chandeliers whenever she moved. The colour immediately stood out to Yuki. It was the colour Aevia had chosen for family members for the event. Eloise wasn’t married to any of the brothers. She wasn’t even officially engaged to them. Yet apparently, she already considered herself family.
Yuki’s eyes moved past her and settled on the brothers. For a moment, she forgot to breathe. They were dressed in official Ravencourt royal robes, the deep navy fabric fitted perfectly across their broad shoulders and falling almost to their ankles. Intricate gold embroidery traced the collars, sleeves and edges of the robes, forming patterns that looked almost like ancient runes. A small Ravencourt crest was embroidered over each chest, marking their position within the royal bloodline.
Their hair had been styled with unusual precision, every strand seemingly in place. Without their usual casual clothes, they looked completely different. More imposing, distant and very regal.
Yuki had seen them dressed formally during the Spring Festival, but that had been from a distance, with hundreds of people between them. She had barely gotten a proper look at them then. Now they were only a few steps away. For some reason, it made something click inside her.
Sometimes she genuinely forgot that the Ravencourt brothers weren’t simply Alpha heirs or powerful lords. They were blue blood. Royal Alpha blood. The Ravencourts had ruled for generations, absorbing smaller packs and territories into their kingdom over decades and centuries.
Several former Alpha families now governed their lands beneath Ravencourt authority as lords, their bloodlines still respected but ultimately subordinate to the Ravencourt crown. Alexander wasn’t merely an Alpha. He was an Alpha King. Which technically made his sons princes. The brothers simply didn’t care much for the title.
Yuki’s gaze travelled over Killian’s golden hair, then to Kieran’s dark hair. They carried that unmistakable commanding presence that made the air around them feel different. Even Estelle came from a lower Alpha bloodline. That was part of what had made her such an acceptable match for Alexander in the eyes of the royal court. Yuki realised she had been staring. She should have looked away. Instead, her eyes lingered. She completely forgot that Eloise was walking between the brothers until Declan’s voice gently pulled her back.
"Aren’t you going to sit down?" Yuki blinked. She looked at him, then realised he was watching her with a faint crease between his brows.
"I..." She cleared her throat and forced herself to smile. "I spaced out for a moment."
Her voice sounded more embarrassed than she intended. The exchange finally caught the attention of the approaching group. Eloise looked up first. Her eyes widened. Kieran’s gaze immediately followed hers, surprise flashing across his face when he saw Yuki standing beside Declan.
Killian’s expression changed more subtly. His brows drew together, and his eyes moved from Yuki to Declan before settling on their linked arms. For a brief second, nobody spoke. Yuki felt the weight of their attention and immediately looked away. Declan, however, merely gave the brothers a polite nod before guiding Yuki towards their seats.
Across the aisle, Eloise remained unusually quiet. Her gaze had settled on Yuki and, for a brief second, something ugly twisted beneath her carefully maintained smile.
Yuki looked stunning.
The light-blue dress accentuated her delicate features, and beneath the cathedral’s golden lights, the resemblance between her and Aevia was almost impossible to ignore. The same elegant features. The same striking eyes. The same effortless beauty that made people turn their heads without even meaning to.
But it wasn’t only Yuki’s appearance that bothered Eloise. It was the man standing beside her.
Declan Silverthorne. Eloise knew exactly who he was. Everyone with even a passing interest in Alpha politics did. His territory might not have been as vast as Ravencourt, but Silverthorne’s mines had made him one of the wealthiest Alpha rulers in the region. His fortune alone made him an exceptionally desirable match.
And now he was standing beside Yuki. Eloise’s fingers tightened around Kieran’s arm. A small, bitter feeling settled in her stomach.
Envy.
She quickly buried it beneath another smile.
They had barely reached the row when Eloise spoke. "Isn’t that our seat?" Her tone was light, but there was an unmistakable edge underneath it. She pointed towards the seats beside the brothers as though Yuki had somehow taken something that belonged to her. Yuki glanced at the chair, then back at Eloise.
"It is for family," she replied calmly. Eloise’s eyebrows lifted. Yuki slipped her hand through Declan’s arm and smiled politely. "Declan is my plus-one."
The change in Eloise’s expression was subtle, but Yuki caught it. Something flickered behind her eyes before she let out a soft laugh.
"Of course." Eloise tilted her head. "It’s for family. But you can’t just bring someone you’re not officially married to or dating and place him in a family seat." Her smile remained pleasant. Her voice did not. "It feels a little like you’re trying too hard."
Yuki’s smile faltered.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Before Eloise could answer, Kieran stepped in.
"Let’s just sit down," he said calmly, gesturing towards the seats. "The ceremony is about to begin, and this really isn’t worth arguing over."
Eloise barely glanced at him.
"It is exactly what she heard." Her smile widened as she looked directly at Yuki. "Perhaps she’s trying to prove she’s already moved on from the rejection."
The words landed like a slap. The chatter around them seemed to fade. Yuki went still. Across the row, Killian’s jaw tightened. Kieran’s expression hardened, his eyes cutting sharply towards Eloise. Neither brother had expected her to say it aloud.
The rejection had been deliberately kept away from outsiders. It wasn’t something that should have been discussed publicly, especially not inside the Ravencourt cathedral during Alexander’s wedding. Eloise seemed completely unconcerned.
Yuki slowly turned towards her. "I don’t have anything to prove," she said. Her voice was quiet. Too quiet.
Eloise opened her mouth, but Yuki continued before she could respond. "He was assigned this seat, and I accepted it. That’s all." Her fingers tightened around Declan’s arm. "So don’t put your insecurities on me."
"Yuki," Killian warned, his voice low. He knew that tone. He knew whatever came next probably wouldn’t be pleasant.
Yuki turned her head and shot him a sharp look. The words died in his throat. For once, even Killian seemed to understand that pushing her now would only make things worse. Yuki looked back at Eloise.
"Since we’re discussing official partners," she continued, her voice remaining deceptively calm, "perhaps we should discuss yours too."
Eloise’s smile disappeared slightly. Yuki tilted her head. "You’re sitting in a family seat despite not being married or mated to any of them either."
The cathedral suddenly felt much quieter. Eloise’s fingers tightened around Kieran’s arm. Yuki’s gaze moved deliberately between the brothers before returning to her.
"So what exactly are you?"
Eloise’s lips parted. Yuki’s voice remained soft. "Chosen? Or fated?"
Silence. Absolute silence. For the first time that evening, someone had openly questioned Eloise’s place beside the Ravencourt heirs. And judging by the way every nearby conversation had died, everyone had heard it.