Chapter 17
THE SOUND OF GLASSES clinking together was quickly overpowered by a loud cheer as the pack began their celebratory drinks. The hall was adorned with beautiful decorations, from scattered flowers on every table to fairy lights dancing along the walls, creating an enchanting atmosphere. Serena couldn’t help but feel touched by the amount of effort they had put into welcoming her.
After she talked to Priscilla, she quickly changed into a more appropriate outfit and braided her hair. She also applied light makeup, anticipating that she would be meeting the members of the Blood Moon pack again. She had thought it would just be a casual dinner, but she was surprised to find an extravagant banquet awaiting her.
“Are they aware that you had planned to enter into a contract marriage?” Serena asked as she looked at Alpha Perez who had just sipped his wine with grace.
Dinner was over and now it was time for drinks. They stood in the corner, observing the other members dance through the hall, all of them looking blissfully happy and carefree.
Serena couldn’t help but feel happy too, her spirits lified by the sight of everyone laughing and having a good time
“Only my sister and the higher rank members of the pack are aware of it,” Alpha Perez responded, causing her to feel a sense of guilt. It appeared that she would have to lie and deceive the rest of the pack. The others only knew that I had found my chosen mate
“I see, but when can we go make sure we won’t mess up.” Serena took a small sip of her wine, aware of the Alpha’s lingering gaze on her. She delicately held onto the stem of her glass as she continued to sip slowly, before meeting his intense stare head–on. The weight of his gaze caused her to momentarily hesitate, “W–what’s wrong?”
* the specifics of our agreement? I think we need to discuss this whole contract marriage to
“Then let’s discuss it now, let’s go to my study. He placed his glass on the polished wood table and reached over to take her glass, setting it next to his own. Then, with a soft but firm grasp on her hand, he led her out of the grand hall.
Priscilla and Beta Jarren who had seen them just watched as they left, their eyes following them until they disappeared into the double before exchanging glances.
“Wait, is it okay to leave just like that?” Serena asked, feeling the sense of Deja vu creeping up on her.
“Of course it is, he reassured her calmly as he took her to his study. When they stepped inside, she was struck by the opulence of his office. The moon shone through the large window behind his desk, giving the room an almost ethereal quality–it was like a scene from a painting.
“Have a seat,” Alpha Perez made his way to his desk and grabbed a pen and paper before sitting down next to Serena. “First, we should document the terms and conditions of our agreement. Then, we can officially sign the contract.”
“Okay, but just to clarify, how long was our contract supposed to last? Until you found your fated mate?” Her sudden question caught him off guard. For a moment, he tightened his hold on the pen as if he were contemplating whether or not he should tell the truth that
he had no interest in his fated mate even if he were to meet her
“Until I reached my goal,” He responded instead, causing Serenato tilt her head in confusion. Alpha Perez placed the pen and paper on the center table and leaned back against the sofa, then turned his head to look at her. “I will tell you what it is when the right time comes,”
“Hmm.” Serena hummed, studying him with narrowed eyes. Her curiosity only grew stronger, but she knew that the present moment was more important to focus on. So, she gave him a nod of understanding, not wanting to push for details abour his future plans. “I understand.”
“Okay then, first things first. Let’s come up with a story we can use in case the Alpha King asks about how we met.” He suggested, his fingers lightly rubbing against his chin. Killian was always perceptive, so he would likely be suspicious of their
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Chapter 17
NOV Z8
relationship. “We need to convince him that our love and marriage was genuine,”
盘:65%
“Why make up a story when we can just tell the truth about how we met? Plus, I’m sure the Alpha King would recognize me.” Serena remarked, not wanting to make things complicated. “Let’s just say you rescued me during the war when I was on the brink of giving up. Then, months later when I was being hunted by my father’s warriors, you saved me yet again. You took pity on me and took me in when I was kicked out of my pack, and from there, we fell for each other-”
“I never took pity on you.” Alpha Perez interjected, stopping her sentence. “Is that how you see it? That I only showed you kindness out of pity?”
“W–well, why else would you do all of that if it wasn’t because of pity?” Serena’s words stumbled out of her mouth, her heart pounding in fear that she had offended the Alpha with her clumsy response. His expression hardened for a moment, causing her to flinch, but it quickly softened when he reached for her hands. He laced his fingers between hers, and his thumbs began to caress the back of her palms gently
The unexpected gesture left her completely stunned and unable to move, especially as the tension between them intensified with each passing second.
“You’re intelligent but dense when it comes to these things,” He chuckled, the comers of his lips curling up in a warm smile. Though he couldn’t help feeling a tad offended when she accused him of taking pity on her, he couldn’t deny that he felt a twinge of sympathy for her situation.
Yet, everything he had done so far was not out of pity, but rather out of genuine care and concern for her well–being. His actions were driven by a deep desire to see her happy and safe, no matter what it took. He refused to let her believe that it was mere pity that drove him forward, so he needed to make sure she wouldn’t misunderstand him.
Once again, his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, igniting a soft tingle that traveled down Serena’s spine. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his intense gaze, unsure of what was happening or what he might say next.
“I was
drawn to you resist pursuing it.”
Serena. That was the main reason why I did all of those things. You caught my attention, and I couldn’ı
