The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate

The other alphas, standing in a unified front, nodded in agreement. One by one, they spoke, each offering their own apology. "We should have listened to you, Radulf," one of them said. "When you came to us for help, we turned our backs on you. We failed to see the truth."

"We’re sorry," another added. "We should have stood by you, and we should have seen the injustice for what it was."

However, their apologies would never bring Radulf’s parents back, his four years back when Zenna suffered too in the hands of the Alpha King.

After the council members left, Radulf turned to Zenna. "Savio will take you and mother home. I need to stay here and discuss the further plans with Crown Prince Leon."

Zenna agreed to him with a nod. "Return by the evening," she said before hugging him tightly. "We did it." After a moment, she pulled away and passed a small smile to him.

"Yes. Go home with mother and take rest," Radulf told her.

Zenna gave Radulf one last look before turning to accompany Savio, her hand gently holding onto his mother’s as they left the council hall together, heading toward the pack’s mansion.

Once they disappeared from Radulf’s sight, he slowly turned to face Leon.

"Thank you," Radulf said.

"I should be the one thanking you," Leon replied. "You freed me from a burden I’ve carried for as long as I can remember."

Radulf studied him for a moment before speaking. "You shouldn’t have revealed your real identity," he said. "It will place you in more danger."

"It was suffocating me for years," Leon confessed. "Living as someone I was never meant to be... obeying orders I never agreed with... pretending to be a prince when I was just a mere commoner. I couldn’t keep living that lie."

"You were never just a mere commoner, Leon," Radulf said at last. "But now, the elders from the pack may not accept you as the next Alpha King."

"I don’t wish to be king," Leon replied without hesitation. "In fact, you deserve this throne, not me. I plan to leave and find my real parents. I’ll ask Phillipe and Loretta about my origins. Once I locate them, I intend to live with them, quietly, away from all this."

Radulf’s gaze softened. "Are you sure you want this? You could bring your family here after you find them. I’ll support you in every way I can."

"I’m more than sure, Radulf. This place..." Leon took a slow breath, "has always suffocated me. I want to leave as soon as I can. And—there’s something I need to apologize for," he said, hesitating for a moment.

Radulf’s brows drew together in confusion. "What is it?"

Leon lowered his eyes. "You found the letters, didn’t you? The ones Sylvan had?"

Radulf’s expression hardened slightly at the mention of the name, but he gave a small nod.

"I was the one who told Sylvan not to let those letters reach you," Leon confessed. "Because... I liked Zenna. I wasn’t related to her by blood, and I wanted to free her from the marriage Phillipe had arranged. I thought if I never let the bond form between you two, maybe she’d look at me instead." He swallowed the lump of shame rising in his throat. "Radulf, I’m sorry. I created that distance between you two. You and Zenna didn’t deserve it."

’If I were the Radulf from the past, I would have killed him. Because I vowed myself. But I no longer want to do that,’ Radulf thought.

"You protected Zenna from the shadows," he finally said. "I only recently discovered the truth. It was you who reached out to the other packs on her behalf, ensuring they supported my pack whenever she visited them. I had misunderstood you all along, Leon. Even Zenna did. She didn’t know how you helped her when she felt she had no one around her. Whatever feelings you carried for her that time, they were at least, in her favor to grow her."

He exhaled slowly as a small smile spread across his lips. "I forgive you for what you did. I wasn’t the best husband to Zenna for a long time. I let my pain blind me. But you... you were there, watching over her, even if silently."

Leon hadn’t expected such a response from Radulf.

Radulf took a step closer. "You should stay in the palace, Leon. Rule this Kingdom. I once dreamed of becoming king myself, but this place has brought nothing but pain to Zenna and her mother. And while you say it suffocated you... this has been your home since childhood. You were raised here. You know its people, its politics. Whether by blood or not, you were destined to wear the crown. You are supposed to lead this kingdom, Leon. And I will always stay loyal to you."

"Radulf, you..." Leon’s voice faltered as his golden eyes brimmed with years.

"I’m offering you my friendship and loyalty," Radulf said sincerely. "You did so much for my pack, and for my wife, more than I ever realized. This is the least I can do for you now."

He gave Leon a reassuring nod. "We’ll find your family, Leon. And once we do, we’ll bring them here where they belong. You’ve carried this kingdom’s weight for far too long without anyone truly recognizing it."

Radulf smiled faintly. "And don’t forget, you’re going to marry Nina soon. So build your future with her. Have a family. Create a life where love doesn’t have to be hidden or sacrificed."

"Don’t tell Zenna about what I’ve done," Leon said. "I’ve carried that guilt for a long time. She was locked away, left to suffer in isolation... and in her, I saw a reflection of myself."

He let out a shaky breath before continuing, "Though I was given love, there was always fear woven into it. The fear of disappointing Phillipe... of saying the wrong thing... and being punished for it. I lived walking on a blade’s edge."

Looking back at Radulf, his voice steadied. "I don’t know if I’ll be a good Alpha King. I don’t have the royal blood, or the legacy others had. But I promise you, I’ll try my best. For Zenna. For the packs. And for this kingdom."