Page 56 of The Collector
Performers rushed across the backstage floor, heels clicking in sharp rhythm as they scrambled to finalize their first outfits of the evening. Laughter burst from dressing rooms, mingling with loud conversations and the rustle of fabric. Stylists adjusted straps, pinned hems, and shouted for missing accessories. The air buzzed with urgency, weaving a vibrant thread of chaos through every corner.
Backstage pulsed with life—imperfect, electric, and ready to explode into brilliance the moment the curtain rose.
A hand snaked around Raven's wrist as he took his first few steps toward Mynx's dressing room, avoiding eye contact with passersby to draw as little attention to himself as possible. The sudden touch took him by surprise, causing him to turn.
"Elanah," he said, eyes widening in surprise. She stepped out of the shadows, tall and luminous in a crimson mesh dress that clung to her curves like water.
Her signature scent—sandalwood and lavender—hit him before her voice did, curling around his senses like a memory he hadn't asked to relive. Raven's steps faltered, the familiar ache of recognition blooming in his chest before he could shut it down.
Her hair fell in soft curls over her shoulders, cascading down the contours of her hourglass frame like silk spun for seduction. She was beautiful—undeniably so. The kind of beauty that once made Raven pause, recalibrate, forget himself.
But not tonight.
Tonight, she was a distraction—a ghost of indulgence he'd already buried. The interruption in his night was far from welcome, and the timing was too precise to be a coincidence.
"Where are you going in such a rush, love?" she said. Her voice was a soft purr as she tried to tug him into an alcove tucked behind a velvet curtain in the hallway.
"Elanah, now is not the time," Raven muttered, his voice low but firm, eyes flicking down the hallway to the door he knew Mynx was behind. Her hand lingered on his arm, but he pushed it away with a quiet finality.
She was fast as she descended upon him, hands smoothing across the lapel of his jacket, her body molding to his. Raven hated to be cruel, but she was pushing all the right buttons to get that reaction from him tonight, and she wasn't going to like the outcome.
"You sure about that?" she asked, her voice husky with desire. "You know— you're circling the wrong flame, Raven. Mynx may be beautiful—desirable even—but I could set your whole world on fire—and you know it. If you'd just let me prove it, I could be the Queen you deserve."
He stiffened, feeling his pulse thudding in his throat. Elanah's timing was terrible. Raven had way too much on his plate to deal with her brand of drama. He had no idea what kind of game she was playing to keep him away from Mynx, but he had already made it clear to her more than once that their relationship was over.
"The problem with you, Elanah, is not that you're unworthy. It's that you crave drama—create it—so you can perform for those around you. That's not what I want from the future Queen of this organization."
He stepped back just enough to break her hold, eyes sharp and unwavering.
"Elanah," he said, voice low, controlled. "You were never the wrong flame. Just the wrong future for me, I'd hoped you would understand without me being cruel, but you won't, so I want you to listen to the words I'm about to say and understand that I mean them. Do you understand?"
Elanah's smile flickered, something cold creeping into her expression. Raven saw the shift—the wounded pride beneath her painted confidence. But he didn't have time to piece her back together, not tonight. He'd let her actions slide, but now it was time to be brutally honest with the woman. Not only for himself, but for her, to spare her any more disappointment.
"I'm not looking for a queen any longer," Raven said, his voice low, deliberate. "I already know who will wear the crown."
He locked eyes with Elanah, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.
"Elanah, let me make this crystal clear. You and I? We made a mistake that ended. Keep pushing me, and you won't like the results. You're not just playing with me—you're playing with your place in this club."
His tone sharpened, the velvet edge stripped away. "Don't mistake my tolerance for your presence as interest."
She didn't flinch, but Raven caught the flicker in her eyes—the brief, unmistakable shift when realization hit. He wasn't bluffing. Not tonight. Not anymore.
Her gaze hardened, the warmth draining as disappointment settled over her like a veil. It coated her in silence, thick and unforgiving. Her posture changed—subtle but telling. Shoulders squared, chin lifted, but the reach in her body was gone. She wasn't trying to pull him back anymore. She was bracing herself against the truth.
And that was precisely what Raven needed. He broke free from her hold, stepping back without breaking eye contact.
"You're here by choice. Don't make me take that choice away, Elanah."
"You're going to regret not choosing me—Raven," she said, her voice cold, each word descending like frost on his skin. "I hope your words echo when the silence closes in. I hope they taste different when you're alone with them."
Raven slammed her slender body against the wall, his right hand pinning her in place by the throat.
"Remember me tonight when you close your eyes. And hear this clearly—if you ever come near me or any of my businesses again, there won't be warnings. There won't be second chances."
His tone darkened, the threat coiled beneath the surface. "Keep pushing me and I'll make you a queen, all right—the queen to a kingdom of insects that will be feeding on your flesh in the shallow grave I'll put you in myself."
He released her arm before the fury could take full hold, before the heat in his chest turned into something he couldn't pull back from.