The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate

As Radulf laid Zenna down onto the mattress, she pressed her hands against his chest, her breathing uneven. "Are you sure you don’t want to see Nina? She’s leaving for the palace... You might not get to see her often," she whispered.

Radulf’s gaze darkened, his lips curving slightly. "Are you suggesting I meet her in this state?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No," Zenna murmured, her fingers tightening around the collar of his shirt. "I don’t want you to go."

His eyes softened at her words. "Then..." His gaze flickered down to the sash of her robe, fingers moving slowly as he undid the knot, the fabric parting slightly beneath his touch.

"I thought you both were friends," Zenna remarked, trying to steady her voice.

Radulf’s fingers stilled momentarily. "She broke that friendship the moment she accepted Loretta’s offer," he said.

"But—" Her words were cut off as his lips captured hers, swallowing any protest she might have had.

"I don’t want to talk about anything else," he murmured against her lips. "Only us."

With the sash fully undone, his fingertips ghosted over her bare skin, tracing a slow path from her belly upward. Zenna’s breath hitched, her body reacting instinctively to his touch.

His eyes locked onto hers for a brief moment—searching, questioning—before he lowered his head, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He deeply inhaled her intoxicating scent and groaned lowly.

Zenna’s eyes fluttered shut, her body tensing and relaxing under the touch of his lips and fingers. Her legs shifted instinctively, brushing against his as a fire she couldn’t explain spread through her entire body.

Radulf smirked against her skin, knowing she was already losing herself to him.

Radulf’s hand moved slowly, teasing its way toward one of her curves that seemed to beg for his attention. His lips, however, remained at her neck, pressing lingering kisses against her flushed skin.

A soft gasp left Zenna’s lips, her body tensing beneath him. But when his thumb brushed over the peak of her breast, still concealed beneath the silk fabric, she couldn’t hold back the quiet moan that escaped her throat.

"Mmph..."

Radulf smirked against her neck. "You’re quite sensitive to my touch," he murmured in a low and husky voice. His hot breath fanned over her skin each time he pulled away, only to return with another slow, open-mouthed kiss.

His thumb moved in lazy circles, testing her reactions, savoring the way her body trembled at his touch. "I wonder," he mused, his lips ghosting over her jawline, "just how much more sensitive you’ll become when I touch you down there."

"Why are you talking like that?" Zenna finally asked, her cheeks had turned red because of the pleasure that started building in the pit of her stomach.

"You mean talking dirty?" Radulf bit her earlobe, and she yelped in pain. He squeezed her curve and at the same time, kissed a sensitive spot right below her ear where her neck and shoulder met.

Zenna’s mind drifted back to the night of his rut. He had been just as gentle then, despite not being in his right mind. But tonight was different. He was fully aware, and also, fully in control. Yet, for some reason, fear crept into her heart.

What if he started acting cold again?

He had never confessed why he did this—why he touched her this way, why he craved her. Was it only for his needs, or was there something deeper? Did he feel anything for her beyond desire?

For her, it would always be love. But for him? 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Radulf’s lips traveled downward, searing a trail of heat across her skin. His fingers moved to the delicate strap of her silk robe, slowly slipping it down to reveal the curves he had been teasing.

Zenna’s heart pounded against her chest. Before he could go further, she suddenly gripped his arms and pushed him down onto the mattress, flipping their positions.

Radulf’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected shift, but amusement soon glimmered in his gaze. He relaxed beneath her, letting her straddle him, his hands instinctively moving to her waist. The sight of her—hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes burning with both uncertainty and challenge—was intoxicating for him.

She looked breathtaking.

His fingers traced slow patterns along her waist as he watched her closely. Then, her voice cut through the moment.

"Do you like me... or just my body?"

Radulf stilled at her question.

"Why do I feel that because of the matebond and the mark, you crave for my body and not me. You always talk about my scent, but you never talk about me. If I give my body to you, will you only admire it and not me? I want your love for me, not for my body," Zenna confronted him directly, ready to hear his response.

"Aren’t both the same? I don’t hate you. I told you numerous times," Radulf said.

"You don’t love me, do you?" Zenna’s grip on his shirt tightened. "You see my body rather than my heart," she said.

"Why are you saying like that? I took you out, I tried spending time with you and even tried knowing you. Isn’t that what you wanted? I tried to be a gentleman," Radulf explained to her.

"You aren’t answering my question. Is it love or lust?" Zenna’s tone turned a bit stern.

Radulf couldn’t answer because he didn’t know.

"You should see Nina for the last time. You brought her here as a guest. Send her with honor. That’s what a gentleman does," Zenna said and got off him before getting down from the bed. She smoothed her clothes and made a knot on her dress before walking out.

Radulf sat up, his one knee in the air as he frowned. "What was that? Was she disappointed in me again? Isn’t this what she wanted?" he bitterly murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, outside, Zenna talked to Pia if Nina was still in the mansion.

"Yes. But she is ready to depart," Pia said. "I already told her that you and Alpha were busy," she asserted, smiling.

"We aren’t busy. Your luna left in the middle," Radulf’s voice reached their ears in an angry tone. "As per your advice, I will see off the guest with an honor," he taunted Zenna.

"I’m coming with you," she opined.

"In this attire?" Radulf asked.

"Pia, bring me an overcoat," Zenna instructed.

Pia bowed and rushed to the dressing room.

"You didn’t do it right," Radulf said, still upset.

"What about you? You lust over my body rather than loving me! It disgusts me. You don’t need to take me anywhere or bring me any gifts if you want to keep acting that way," Zenna snapped at him, her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"You always find faults in my efforts. Is it wrong to lust over my mate?" Radulf’s voice raised.

"Yes!" Zenna replied. "Stay away from me. I don’t want to sleep with you on the same bed. Learn the meaning of love and desire first before coming to me," she shouted and walked away.

Radulf clenched his fists hard. "This time she did wrong. I am not going to take you on my bed either. Stay five miles away from me!" And in anger, he kicked the table, and the vase on it fell down. However, he didn’t care and left to see Nina.