Chapter 23
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A FEW DAYS went by in a blur, and Serena was adjusting well to her new home and pack. She was pleasantly surprised at how well she got along with everyone, from the higher–ranked members to the servants who treated her with utmost respect and kindness. This level of treatment was completely foreign to her, considering the way her previous pack had treated her. Looking back, she was grateful that she had chosen to leave with Alpha Perez
“Has your lawyer reached out to you yet?” Priscilla inquired as she sat comfortably on the sofa in Serena’s study. Since being assigned the room, Serena had been dedicating her time to learning about her responsibilities, and Priscilla, her soon–to–be sister–in–law, was guiding her through the intricacies. After all, she was temporarily in charge of managing the pack house and a handful of businesses.
Luckily, Serena had prior knowledge of certain tasks as she had been studying them since she was a child. This allowed her to quickly get started on her duties with Priscilla without spending too much time learning the basics.
“I haven’t heard from her yet, but I’m hoping she’ll reach out to me soon. Since our divorce was mutual, I don’t think it will take long for everything to be officially completed” Serena replied, her attention focused on the report that she was reading “By the way are you really not going to come with us tomorrow??
“Yes, I cannot accompany you to the capital because Beta Jarren and I will be overseeing our business and borders while my brother is away.” Priscilla replied, taking a sip of her coffee, and then turned her attention to the door as she heard footsteps approaching. “Speak of the devil. He’s here, so I’m going to leave you guys alone.”
“Huh? It’s fine, you can sta— Serena was interrupted mid–sentence by a knock on the door from Alpha Perez. Priscilla gave her a smile before walking over to answer the door, where her brother stood with an envelope in hand.
“Jarren has returned, he was looking for you,” he spoke with a serious tone as he stepped into the room. But once his eyes landed on Serena, his entire demeanor shified to one of joy and happiness. Priscilla had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. And when she realized that his aura had actually changed, she couldn’t help but scoff in disbelief.
“Well, I’ll leave you
two then.” She waved at Serena and exited the room with a smile on her face.
Priscilla’s relationship with her brother, Alpha Perez, was a complex one. They were not particularly close, but they were not distant either. She remembered how he had always been overprotective of her because she was five years younger. His protective nature extended to his strict ways, especially after their parents passed away. This led to frequent arguments between them, but they always managed to reconcile and make amends.
Though there were times that Alpha Perez was overbearing, Priscilla had a deep love for her brother and appreciated everything he did for her. He always looked out for her well–being, and she was grateful to have his trust in sharing the duties of leading the pack, even though he had his beta and garuma by his side,
Throughout her entire life, she had never seen her brother truly enjoy his youth. He seemed to always carry the weight of responsibilities and expectations on his shoulders, even as he grew into an adult. This is why she was glad that Serena came into his life, making her brother experience what he’d been missing out on since he was young
“Cilla!” She jolted at the sound of that weird nickname and turned around to see Beta Jarren making his way towards her, her heart started fluttering at the sight of him. She was mesmerized by the way his shoulder–length blonde hair swayed with each step, and the soft gaze of his hazel eyes focused on her.
“I told you to stop calling me that, it’s ugly.” She shook herself out of her reverie and frowned at her brother’s beta and childhood friend, but Jarren just laughed and wrapped his arms around him.
“Why do you think it’s ugly? I’ve always thought it was cute. And I’ve been using that nickname for you since you were little. Don’t you think it’s time for you to embrace it?” He reasoned as they started walking together in the hallway.
Priscilla tried to suppress her smile by pressing her lips together tightly. It frustrated her how difficult it was for her to regulate her emotions around him. She was well aware that she shouldn’t be developing feelings for him, as they both had destined partners yet to be found. But despite her efforts to control her heart, her emotions still found a way to break free and cause her a great deal of trouble.
Chapter 23.
“Why are you looking for me anyway?” she asked, composing herself.
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“Have you forgotten? I told you we are going to the border to make sure the security system is functioning correctly once I returned from my errands.” Beta Jarren took his arm off her shoulder and placed his hands in his pocket, “Speaking of which, don’t you think your brother was being overly possessive with Serena?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Priscilla furrowed her brow, clearly perplexed as she gazed at him. It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea where he had been for the past three days. She was so preoccupied with spending time with Serena that she didn’t really notice his absence.
“You didn’t know? I was away for a few days because he asked me to handle the necessary paperwork so Perez could marry Serena soon,” Beta Jarren said, halting in his steps, causing Priscilla to stop as well, her eyes widening. “He did something to expedite the divorce process, and now he’s going to talk to her about his plan to announce their engagement at the upcoming banquet.”
-W–WHAT?” S
Serena blinked in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock as she processed Alpha Perez’s words.
“Can you repeat that?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Your divorce has been finalized.” he repeated calmly, sliding the envelope across the table towards her. Serena hesitantly picked it up and opened it, her hands shaking as she pulled out the documents inside. As she read the decree absolute, her breath caught in her throat and she looked up at Alpha Perez, her eyes filled with questions. She had expected the process to take much longer, and the sudden news left her stunned.
“I did something to expedite the process. Aren’t you happy?” Alpha Perez asked, looking at Serena as she continued to examine the papers in her hand.
“Of course, I’m happy. It’s just… This is unexpected,” Serena replied, placing the paper on the table and turning her attention back to him. “I mean, I’m grateful because I’m officially free, but why the sudden rush?”
“I’m sorry for not informing you before doing something like this. It just occurred to me that it would be best to announce
Our engagement at the banquet, Alpha Perez stood up and sit beside her, prompting Serena to shift a little so she could face
him better.
“Did something happen? Why the sudden change of plans when we’re already leaving for the capital tomorrow?” Serena inquired, trying to understand his motives
“No particular reason, I simply want to solidify our agreement, he replied, causing Serena to furrow her brow, sensing there was more to his decision than he was letting on
While relieved that her marriage to Calix was no longer in effect she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a hidden motive behind Alpha Perez’s actions.
“Are you concerned that I might change my mind once I see Calix again?” Serena’s question caused his finger to momentarily pause before resuming its rhythmic tapping against his thigh.
“Will you hate me if I said that was part of the reason?” he looked at her, his gaze almost sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt a slight twinge in her stomach. It was a feeling that wasn’t familiar to her, but she brushed it aside and answered.
“Not at all, but what other reasons do you have for changing our plans so suddenly she inquired, concerned about how his decision might impact their original plan for the banquet in two days.
“Do you remember the blonde woman from the boutique?” Perez asked, and she nodded. “That woman was one of the unmated women sent by the Alpha King to seduce me. It seemed she had informed the King about us, and now he may take action to ensure I marry someone of his choosing
Serena hummed, feeling conflicted, but deep down, she knew there was nothing she could do about his decision. At that moment, she decided to put her trust in him and handle the situation accordingly,
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Chapter 23
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“I see, I understand,” she nodded, but then her eyes widened when he reached for his pocket and withdrew a small velver bos. Her blood began rushing through her veins, and she felt wanth rising to her cheeks “W–what?”
“This is my family’s heirloom. Once you wear it, the people and the Alpha King will immediately know who you are to me? Alpha Perez pulled out the gold ring with a red spinel stone that only the chosen Luna of their pack could wear. He then took her hand and slipped it onto her right index finger.
Serena couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter as it fits perfectly on her finger, it was as if it was destined to be worn by her But what made her blush was the way he kissed her linger, eliciting a sweet tingling sensation in her skin. She didn’t dare pull her hand away; instead, she returned his gaze.
“It suits you well,” he complimented with a smile, “Don’t worry about the possible consequences of announcing our engagement. I will handle them and make sure to protect you.”
