Help! I Became A Guy In A BL Novel!-Chapter 262: Just A Guest

Soren’s smile twisted—dangerous, teasing, and yes, a little possessive. He stepped closer, folding his arms, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Won’t you tell us what happened between you and that lion?"

Riven froze. His tail flickered, his ears twitched like a startled fawn. He hadn’t expected Soren to pry so boldly, right in the middle of the camp after the ceasefire, with embers still warm on the battlefield. There was no hiding now, not that he’d ever really tried. But Soren’s teasing tone made it feel like a trap.

He was not teasing no, he was trying to contain himself. His eyes were dark, questioning, coaxing—and utterly possessive. Riven’s heart hammered against his ribs.

He cleared his throat and shot Soren a helpless shrug. "Well... On my quest to find out more about—my mom—it just... Happened, I guess?"

Soren raised an eyebrow. "On the quest about your mom?" His tone was challenging, silent, but full of that quiet power Riven dreaded—and secretly adored. Soren’s voice was smooth, but in his voice was a delicious challenge—daring Riven to slip.

Riven shifted his weight. Boots scuffed the dirt. "Yes. I tracked the style of that bracelet back to the Lion Kingdom. Their goldsmiths... they have a very specific flourish. Swirls of gold and ivory, if you know your metalwork." He forced himself to smile. Laugh. " So I ended up in their bazaar."

Soren’s gaze was enough for Riven to shiver. This was a damned interrogation! He wanted to run away!

"Really?" He said with a scoff.

"Why would I lie to you?! Anyway, I tried fighting back, he wanted me arrested, he recognised that I was Ronan’s mate..." Riven looked at Ronan, hoping Ronan would be his saviour, but nothing. He was just as interested in this story of his. Except he did not look as scary as Soren.

The words came fast, more truth than he’d planned. He did not even have time to breathe.

Soren watched him, a slow, small smile returning. He wasn’t letting it go. Riven needed to figure out how much to share.

"He... He walked me to a large jewellery shop. And promised to help since I am in his territory, and he was proud of his kingdom. He started behaving politely even..."

Soren’s eyes darkened. Not because he doubted the story, but because his possessive nature was flaring. "Polite?" he echoed.

Riven batted his eyes. "Yeah. He was good at it. And he helped me narrow it down to the location and era of goldsmithing based on the design!" He was quite impressed at how well he was lying.

Riven swallowed. He didn’t meet Soren’s eyes.

Soren’s jaw tightened. He gave Riven a sideways glance, testing him.

"But he didn’t just help, did he?" Soren murmured, turning around so Riven could feel the heat behind his eyes.

"And...he didn’t just help, right?" Soren urged, stepping closer so Riven could feel the warmth of his clothes, the proximity of his breath.

Riven’s cheeks colored, resignation and embarrassment and guilt mixed together. "O- okay, yes." He sighed. "We had dinner, in the merchant district. He brought me lionberry tea... Then he offered me lodging at... The palace. I... I ended up staying a week."

Soren’s jaw shifted. He wasn’t that easy to rattle—but this story was close.

Riven rubbed the back of his neck, awkward, avoiding Soren’s gaze. "He said—something about safety. The roads outside the walls are dangerous. That, um, tourists are easy targets for thieves." He looked at the ground then up at him. "So, I stayed."

Soren’s expression darkened. He folded his arms—barrier, restraint. This wasn’t a declaration of war. Not yet. Just extraction. "A week."

"Yes."

Soren’s expression tightened, his eyes narrowing as he processed Riven’s words. "Safety, huh? Sounds like a convenient excuse to me."

Riven swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably under Soren’s gaze. "It wasn’t like that! He was just... Being nice."

"Nice?" Soren echoed, his voice low and dangerous.

"I—" Riven stammered, feeling cornered. "Look, it was for research! You know how important this is to me."

Soren stepped closer, invading his space, the teasing edge in his voice sharpening into something more serious. "What if he wanted more than just your company?"

Riven felt heat rise to his cheeks. "Nothing happened between us! I swear!" His voice was a frantic whisper, glancing around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping on their heated exchange. Well, he just lied again! The BL Gods are not going to forgive him!

Then Soren reached out, turned Riven’s chin to meet his stare. The action was possessive, caring, controlling all at once. "Riven—what were you... to him?"

Riven’s stomach fell. He could feel Soren’s hand trembling his jawline. The intensity was overwhelming.

Riven exhaled, barely audible. "A guest?"

Soren paused, brows furrowing. "A guest?" he repeated. His voice tightened.

Riven swallowed. "Yes."

After that, a long pause followed. An uncomfortable silence. Ronan did not interrupt them at any point of the conversation. He was patiently waiting for his turn to speak.

Soren finally said something, "Fine, I will believe you... For now."

Ronan, standing off to the side, observed the whole exchange with a calm facade, but inside, he was a storm of emotions. He wanted to interject, to ask Riven what was going on between him and Leon, too, but Soren seemed to take over the entire conversation.

"And your mom’s bracelet?" Soren asked, softer.

Riven held it to his chest. "We narrowed down the smith’s name. I’ll track them when I get back. And he said he’d forward any info."

"And the war..." Soren asked. He wanted to know if Riven knew anything...

Riven shook his head, "I don’t! Who knows what’s going on in his mind! He has always been an arrogant man and-"

Ronan immediately interjected, he was protecting Riven now. "Leon had been eyeing this town long before Riven’s journey to the lion kingdom. Let him take a breath."

Soren shot Ronan a look before backing away. He still had some things to do, addressing the injured soldiers and so, Riven was free to walk. He mouthed the words ’thank you’ which Ronan gladly accepted.

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶