The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate

Radulf returned to his chamber in the late afternoon only to find Nina there. He abruptly halted, asking, "Shouldn’t you be outside at this hour?"

"I refused to go with Savio," Nina replied, standing up from the sofa chair. "You brought me here, so I’m your responsibility."

"I didn’t have time to take you out. Moreover, Savio was following my orders. You should have considered going out with him," Radulf said.

"What about sending Zenna with me?" Nina inquired.

"I don’t think Zenna should go out at this time. The pack’s doctor said that she needs a week’s rest," Radulf asserted. "I would like to stay in quiet," he then added.

"Ah, sure," Nina rose from her place. "I feel lonely here. Out of all the people, you should know this," she affirmed and walked away.

"What’s wrong with her suddenly?" Radulf muttered, removing the overcoat. As he got rid of heavy clothes, he folded his sleeves and went to the bedchamber to rest for some time.

"Is Zenna around?" he murmured. The closer he approached the bedchamber, the stronger the scent became. He was sure now that Zenna was inside, waiting for him. Opening the door, he spotted Zenna on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

Crossing his arms across his chest, Radulf watched her. "Why is she here? Does she like sleeping on my bed?" he murmured and closed the door from inside.

The light thud of the door broke Zenna’s sleep, and she opened her eyes before turning to check. Her eyes met with Radulf, and as she attempted to sit, Radulf didn’t let her. His hands held her wrists, pinning them firmly on the mattress while hovering over her.

"Move," Zenna said.

"Aren’t you here to sleep with me?" Radulf teased.

"No. I fell asleep while waiting for you," Zenna replied with a frown.

"Why did you wait for me when you could have come directly to see me in the office? It’s within the mansion," Radulf said.

"You were working, so I came here," Zenna replied.

"Then, shouldn’t you have waited for me outside rather than here?" Radulf inquired.

"I was tired. I thought to sleep for some time before you would arrive," Zenna answered, feeling irritated by his persistent nagging.

"You are no fun," Radulf mumbled and moved away. His head rested against the headboard, his one knee was in the air on which he rested his arm. "Did you meet Gregor?" he asked.

"Yes," Zenna replied and picked up the bowl from the bedside table. "I picked some raspberries for you. Hope you like them," she opined, forwarding the bowl to him.

Radulf peered into her eyes. "Feed me," he demanded like a kid.

"You have your own hands to feed yourself," Zenna said.

"Then, take them away. I’m not eating them," Radulf replied. ’She won’t leave,’ he thought, feeling a strange joy already.

However, to his surprise, Zenna got down from the bed, shocking him.

"Where are you going?" Radulf promptly inquired.

"You don’t want to eat them, so I should leave," Zenna replied and went toward the door. Radulf acted swiftly and blocked her path, appearing in front of her like a ghost. He took several raspberries and stuffed them into his mouth all at once. His cheeks puffed out, which made Zenna laugh.

Radulf stopped chewing as he finally saw the laughter she was sharing with Gregor earlier. His insides, specifically his wolf, turned happier to see her laugh before him without any restraint.

Zenna finally stopped, apologizing to him for her sudden laughter. "You must be hungry. Did you not have lunch? I didn’t disturb you because Pia informed me you were busy in work," she said. She didn’t have any idea what she did to Radulf in such a brief moment with just her laughter.

Radulf slowly chewed the berries inside his mouth and swallowed them finally.

"Ah, yes, I skipped my lunch. I need to meet the pack members tomorrow. I have several meetings to attend. Since I’ve taken over the work finally, I’ve decided to do some changes," he confided in her.

"Hmm."

"Just that response. You should say that you wish to help me," Radulf stated.

"But you don’t like my help," Zenna remarked. "I will send lunch for you shortly. You can take some rest after that," she opined.

Radulf wanted to stop her, but he couldn’t. He watched her leave and realized Zenna was distancing herself from him.

’Serves you right,’ Black snapped at him.

’Don’t ruin my mood,’ Radulf retorted and went to the bed after closing the door from inside. His appetite had left suddenly, and he caressed the mattress where Zenna had slept earlier.

"Isn’t her scent like the spring flowers?" Radulf mumbled to himself and inhaled it. "Fuck! I’ve seriously lost my mind. She is not someone I should get attached to," he told himself. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

~~~~

"I saw Elder Neils and Walter meeting the Alpha earlier," Pia informed Zenna, who lay on the mattress after taking the medicines.

"And?" Zenna closed her eyes, again feeling sleepy.

"The servant told me that they both asked Alpha to consider bringing a stronger Luna. Also, he professed his feelings for you in front of them. They were saying you may not bear strong kids to the Alpha, which angered him," Pia said while smiling, feeling joyous that Radulf was finally standing for Zenna.

"He must be lying when he mentioned his feelings," Zenna refused to believe that. ’Radulf must have lied to end those rumors,’ she thought.

"Luna, I think the Alpha always liked you. He pretended not to like you because," Pia took a brief pause, wondering if Zenna might not like it.

"Because my father is the Alpha King," Zenna finished the sentence on her behalf. "You are mistaken, Pia. I would have known if he had the slightest feelings for me. We have agreed to end these rumors about us, that’s why he shows concern toward me," she stated.

She had put so many expectations from this marriage that it hurt her every time. That’s why Zenna had put an end to them.

"But when the Luna was heavily injured, Alpha Radulf was acting mad. I never saw him angry like that. He was barely holding it," Pia murmured.

"Don’t give me hopes, Pia. I don’t want to feel that pain over and over again," Zenna said, closing her eyes gradually. Pia didn’t say anything and quietly moved out of the bedchamber, letting her rest for a while.

In the evening, Zenna’s sleep broke with a nightmare of being locked in the dungeon. It was a memory from her childhood, which sometimes would haunt her in the dreams. She turned to her left and her eyes widened to see Radulf next to her.

’What is he doing here? When did he come here?’ Zenna thought. Since Radulf was sleeping, his guard was down. An idea struck in her mind, and she carefully stepped out of the bed. Bringing a brush and an ink box, she mischievously smiled.

Sitting close to him, she leaned down and drew on his face while suppressing her giggles. Once done, she put back the brush and ink box to their original place before heading to the washroom.