Chapter 4
FEELING DISORIENTED, Serena woke up with her head throbbing. Her body felt weak and uncoordinated as she struggled to fully open her eyes, but when her vision finally cleared, she realized she was lying on an unfamiliar mattress. In an instant, the memories of the previous night hit her like a ton of bricks and panic struck her senses.
Bolting upright, her eyes frantically scanned the room she was until they landed on the man who had just entered the tent, wearing nothing but black pants. Ilis tanned skin glistened the dim light of the room, highlighting his chiseled torso and well–defined muscles. It was obvious that he was indeed the Alpha of Alphas in the north, with an aura of strength and authority surrounding him.
“You shouldn’t get up so abruptly, Perez approached her, slowly drying his long–wet hair with a towel. He then leaned closer, causing the dog tag necklace around his neck to glint in the sunlight coming from outside the tent.
Serena’s eyes couldn’t help but linger on him, captivated by his handsome appearance. Yet, a part of her wanted to flee and escape from him, sensing that there was something not quite right about him. She swallowed nervously and looked away, but he reached out and gently tilted her chin back toward him, prompting her to meet his intense gaze once again.
After staring into her eyes, Perez’s mouth curved slightly upwards. “Why are you trembling?”
“I’m not.” Serena replied defensively as she tried to pull her chin free from his grasp. “Why am I here?”
“You passed out from pain. I don’t know where exactly you stay on the base so, I brought you back to my tent instead,” His jaw clenched as he stood up tall, still drying his hair and trying to control his anger. The image of her last night, sweating and moaning in her sleep, made him want to lash out at her mate and tear apart their limbs. “Effective immediately, you will be placed under my command until the war comes to an end.”
Serena’s eyes widened, she had a lot of questions she wanted to ask but when her mind drifted to Calix’s betrayal, she closed her mouth and stayed silent.
“It appears that you are not in a stable mental state, Do you want to take a break and stay here instead of participating in the battle?” Perez’s question snapped Serena out of her thoughts.
No matter how much she wanted to cry or feel sorry for herself wouldn’t change the fact that her husband was being unfaithful. Reflecting on what Alpha Perez had told her yesterday, she knew he was right–she needed to use Calix’s betrayal as fuel to go back home and confront him once and for all.
She refused to let love blind her, especially while struggling in the midst of war. With that determination, she got off the bed and looked at Alpha Perez.
“No, I’m going to continue fighting,” she said, her voice filled with conviction. Then, she approached him and slightly bowed as a sign of respect, “I’ll be in your care, Alpha Perez, and thank you for saving me.”
Perez’s lips curved upwards, his gaze dropping down to her due to their height difference. She was petite compared to him, but she exuded a strength and determination that impressed him. For a moment, he considered making a pass at her, bast then he remembered the current circumstances were not ideal for that kind of behavior.
“Alpha, the breakfast’s ready.” Serena’s attention was drawn away from her thoughts when she heard a man’s voice coming from outside. She lifted her gaze to see Alpha Perez placing the towel on the chair nearby.
“Come on, you have to eat and regain your strength. We’re needed on the battlefield later to give the other warriors a break from last night’s fighting,” he said, and she nodded, feeling a twinge of guilt for leaving the ongoing battle the previous night.
As she ate her breakfast, she discovered that Alpha Perez’s troop was made up of his own most skilled warriors. Despite only having ten members, they were renowned as one of the best in the northern region. Aside from that, their tent was conveniently close to hers on the base, so after she finished eating, Alexia, the only female warrior on Alpha Perez’s troop, escorted her to retrieve her belongings.
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Chapter 4
-Where are you going? Serena froze when she recognized the voce as she exited the tent where the female warriors were staying. She glanced at Alexia, who was waiting for her outside, before turning her gaze to Cesare, Calix’s brother.
“I’ll be under Alpha Perez’s command starting today, so I need to move where his troops are stationed,” she answered a little coldly. She was aware that she shouldn’t, but he bore such a strong resemblance to her husband, enough for her to remember what Calix had put her through last night,
“I see. Anyway, my brother sent a letter, and there’s one for you as well. It came in yesterday, but things were so busy that I forgot to give it to you.” Cesare handed Serena an envelope, causing her to furrow her brow as she questioned why he was writing to her now. She had been gone for half a year and he hadn’t sent a single letter during that time. If she was still the same person who believed her bond with her mate was meant forever, she would be grinning with joy, but things had changed now.
“What’s wrong?” Her brother–in–law asked, prompting Serena to take the envelope and thank him before excusing herself. As she passed by him, he said something that made her stop in her tracks. “I feel sorry for you.”
“What?” She frowned, turning back to face him.
“No, it’s just that… I heard your sister was officially declared the heir of your pack.” The words Cesare spoke caught her off guard, causing her to clench her fist, “How unfortunate. You’ve been risking your life out here, and yet your family and pack members completely disregarded you. It’s a shame, I can only imagine my brother is now full of remorse for marrying you.”
Serena shot him a scowl, but she couldn’t interject as he continued to talk without pause.
as
“Just so you’re aware, my little brother married you not only because you’re his mate, but also because he thought he could become an Alpha by marrying the heiress of the Crescent pack. Cesare’s words continued to pierce Serena’s heart like a knife, as she couldn’t deny the possibility that he was telling the truth. Calix’s betrayal spoke volumes after all. “If I were you. I would be wary of your sister.”
Those were his final words before he turned and left. Serena stood frozen in place, her fingers gripping the envelope with a tight hold. The idea that Marga was the woman Calix was cheating on her with flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it away, unable to bear the thought. Instead, she focused on Alexia, feeling embarrassed that she had to hear all that information.
“Sorry, let’s go,” she said, and Alexia just nodded, her eyes showing sympathy as they both left the tent.
As soon as they arrived at her new tent, Serena made a hasty excuse and sat down on a log, away from the base. She stared at the envelope she held in her hands, unsure if she should open it and read the letter inside. Part of her was afraid to find our what it may contain- perhaps Calix was asking for a divorce or admitting he had been unfaithful
paper:
rinside.
While she read the letter, her hand began trembling and tears streamed down her cheeks without her even realizing it. The words on the paper expressed his apologies for not writing sooner, how much he missed and loved her, but they only served to shatter her heart into a million pieces knowing they were all just empty lies.
“Who am I kidding?” Serena couldn’t help but laugh at herself for even considering the possibility of him admitting anything. She shook her head and steadied her breathing before tearing open the envelope and unfolding the
The fact that he had written this letter before sleeping with another woman only added to her pain–As her tears fell onto the paper, she couldn’t bring herself to finish reading it. Instead, she ripped it into shreds and threw it away. She then slowly glanced up when she noticed a pair of shoes in front of her, flinching when she saw who it was.
“You should take a break for a day. Stay here at the base-
“No, I’m fine. I’ll join you on the battlefield later. I needed it to let out some of my frustration and anger.” Serena said, wiping her tears as she watched Alpha Perez crouch down before her. The unexpected sight took her aback, but what surprised her even more was how he calmly reached for her face and gently wiped away the remaining tears with his thumb
“W–why are you treating me like this?” She slightly avoided his touch, feeling awkward as her body reacted against itself. “1 am married, and you should not be physically affectionate with another woman. How do you think your mate would react if
Chapter 4
“I don’t have a mate, Perez–qut her off, “Can’t I care about my co warrior?”
“Not, it’s not that but.. Don’t you think you’ve been treating me as if we’re already close? It’s almost like you know me already, even though we’ve only met last night.” Serena cautiously locked eyes with him, a shiver running down her spine as she felt his penetrating gaze searing through her skin,
There was a moment of silence between them before he straightened up and casually put his hands in his pockets. His gaze remained fixed on hers, not wanting to break the connection.
“Because I do know you.”
