Chapter 61
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THE NEXT DAY, everyone gathered to bury the fallen warriors to rest. The air was thick with grief and sorrow as their wives, parents, and children wept for the lives that were taken too soon. Serena clenched her jaw, fighting back tears as she listened to the mournful cries echoing through the forest. Her heart ached as she thought of all the brave souls that were lost in this tragic event.
She brushed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, ignoring the chill in the air. She then heard soft whispers coming from behind her and turned to see Perez. She felt a sense of comfort wash over her, but it quickly vanished when she saw Marga standing right behind him. In an instant, all color drained from her face and her eyes widened with shock as her heart pounded furiously against her chest, as though it might burst out at any moment.
“What in the world?” Priscilla’s face twisted in anger as she watched her brother standing next to the woman who had made Serena’s life a living nightmare not too long ago. “Why is she here?”
“Priscilla, not here. We’re still mourning.” Serena intervened before her sister–in–law could cause a scene and turned to face Perez. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind, but he remained silent. “Explain this to me later.”
Alpha Perez’s fist tightened as he nodded, overcome with guilt and anger. After the burial, they returned to the house where he instructed Jarren to take Marga to the guest room in the annex before he and Serena retreated to their own room. Once they were inside, the air was filled with tension and silence. Serena struggled to keep her emotions in check, feeling on the verge of tears for multiple reasons, not just because of Marga’s presence
“I’m sorry, you had to go through all of this…” He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling her scent in an attempt to soothe his intense feelings.
As soon as he heard about the pack being attacked, he rushed back home. However, due to the King’s orders, he had to bring Marga with him.
“As for Marga, I had to take her with me because the King ordered it. I tried to refuse but he threatened to make your father’s pack suffer.” he explained, “The King no longer hid his intentions and was finally revealing himself.”
“He clenched his jaw but continued to explain why Marga was at the palace and how the King had played innocent and asked him about the infected rogues who were wreaking havoc in the North. In the beginning, their conversation focused solely on the rogue situation, but things changed when Serena called the next morning and found out that some of their warriors had been killed in an attack.
He quickly prepared himself to leave the palace to deal with the situation, but the beta blocked his way. Tensions rose and a fight almost broke out, but Perez knew he couldn’t risk attacking the King’s beta if he wanted to leave safely.
And so, he joined the king for breakfast and was given a surprising order: to take Marga with him on his journey to the north. The king then explained that he felt sympathy for Marga, as she reminded him of his deceased sister who had died during pregnancy. This absurd request made him angry, and he immediately refused. However, when the king threatened him, he had no choice but to comply.
“Have you rejected her already?” Serena asked as she turned around to face him, her expression unreadable.
“I desperately wanted to do it, but I knew that the risk of her having a miscarriage from the pain and stress was too high. The King had given me strict orders to keep her safe, as any harm to her could be seen as a declaration of war.” Alpha Perez averted his gaze, feeling ashamed to look his mate straight in her eyes. “It appeared that he had developed a fondness for Marga, or perhaps he was merely using her to keep tabs on me because he knew we’re destined mates.”
“So, does that mean she’ll be moving in with us? And now you have to cater to her every need like a princess?” Serena’s voice trembled with anger. She knew it was the King’s cunning orders that had led them to this situation, but she couldn’t help feeling furious about it. Her stomach churned as she pushed past him and hurried to the bathroom to vomit. The stress had been building inside her for so long, and now it was finally taking a toll on her physical health as well.
“Are… you pregnant?” Serena looked up at Alpha Perez, startled by his sudden question, as she finished rinsing her mouth and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.
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“No, my wolf was awakened last night, and I was able to shift so it is impossible for me to be pregnant.” she explained, “This was merely because of the stress.”
“I understand that this may not be easy for you, but I assure you that I will not engage with her. I’ll assign a maid specifically for her to attend to her needs, and she’ll stay in the annex, so you won’t have any encounters with her. He wiped the remaining water on her cheek and looked at her apologetically, knowing that Serena must be hurting.
“Until when does she need to stay here?” she asked, gently removing his hand from her face, which surprised him. His hand clenched and then relaxed by his side, as if unsure of what to do with it.
“Until she gave birth and recovered. After that, I would reject her and send her back to the palace.” He answered, and Serena simply nodded in response. Marga was already five months into her pregnancy, which meant she would have to stay here for six months at most.
The thought made Serena bite her inner cheek nervously. After all, it had only taken Marga one month to ruin her relationship with Calix. She couldn’t shake the fear that she might also ruin her new relationship with Perez in just half a year. Not only did she desperately want him because they were fated mate, but she also wanted revenge on Serena for ruining her life.
With the Alpha King now supporting Marga, Serena knew that her marriage would soon undergo significant changes. It was just her luck that this all happened right before her upcoming marking ceremony. It seemed as though the moon goddess was trying to tell her that their fate was already decided and there was no use fighting against it. This realization left Serena feeling hopeless about ever having a peaceful and happy life with her mate.
“Don’t you believe me?”
Suddenly, Serena snapped out of her thoughts and focused on Alpha Perez, whose expression showed complete dejection. She could sense that he didn’t agree with the current circumstances either, and she felt guilty for adding even more pressure
onto him.
“I do,” She replied with a forced smile. Alpha Perez then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, grateful that she still believed in him despite the complexities of their current situation.
“I’m really sorry, I will make up for it.” He placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head, slowly trailing down to her nose and cheeks before finally meeting her lips. His touch usually had the power to instantly melt her body and leave her weak in the knees. But today, a strange feeling had taken over. It was as if a heavy fog had settled over her senses, making it difficult for her to fully enjoy his affection.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on this unfamiliar sensation, but she knew she didn’t like it. So, when he pulled out from the kiss, she she gazed at him with a hint of bitterness in her smile.
“After a couple of days, could I leave a mark on you? I wanted to show you that-”
“Sorry,” Alpha Perez was taken aback when Serena abruptly interrupted him, causing his stomach to turn with unease. “I know I made a promise, but I don’t think I could fulfill it even if I wanted to.”
A heavy silence hung between them as they both pondered their current predicament. Serena’s eyes began to well up with tears as she stood there, taking in the sight of her husband’s pain. She loved him deeply, enough to let him claim her as his own. But now that Marga had entered their lives, things would surely become complicated again.
She couldn’t bear to see him so miserable and heartbroken, but all of her fears and worries came flooding back in an instant, and that was stopping her from being tied to him.
“I’m sorry,” she said before biting down on her lower lip, and then walking past him. As she left the bathroom, he trailed after her and embraced her from behind again.
“What are we supposed to do now?” he sighed as he rested his head against her shoulder, staring at the floor dejectedly. “We’re still okay, right? You’re not going to leave me, are you?”
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Chapter 61
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Once again, the silence filled the room as Alpha Perez’s worries intensified with each passing second. He felt a growing urge to kill the king for placing them in such a ridiculous situation.
“Serena, answer me please.” He pleaded with her, but she only shook her head and let out a weary sigh. She then gently pulled away from his arms and turned towards him, placing her hand on his cheek.
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you,”
