The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate

Moments earlier, Radulf had been ready to retire for the night, but his thoughts betrayed him. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about Zenna.

Frustration and longing warred within him until he finally surrendered to the pull she seemed to have on him.

Without a second thought, he turned and strode toward her chamber, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he entered the room, the faint, intoxicating fragrance that lingered throughout her chamber instantly calmed his restless mind.

A low chuckle escaped his lips in amusement. With a gentle push, the doors gave way under his touch.

Radulf crossed the room in mere moments, his long strides bringing him to the edge of the bed. Without hesitation, he slipped under the covers, his body finding its place beside hers as if it had always belonged there.

Zenna’s eyes flew open, and her voice was sharp with disbelief. "What are you doing here? I told you not to—"

Before she could finish, Radulf raised a finger to her lips, silencing her.

His face hovered inches above hers, his gaze locking onto her wide eyes.

"Don’t deny it, Zenna," he murmured in a low and mesmerizing tone. "You want me as much as I want you. You feel it, don’t you? The way your heart races when I’m near. You hate it when I pull away. You crave my touch, my attention. So, don’t lie to yourself—or to me—that you don’t want this. That you don’t want me to be near you."

Zenna’s lips parted slightly, her breath shallow as she gazed into his piercing green eyes that glimmered like jewels in the dim chamber. She shifted under his intense scrutiny, trying to find her voice amidst the storm he stirred within her.

"Shouldn’t you apologize to me?" she finally asked, though her heart betrayed her with its rapid thrum.

Radulf’s expression softened. "Forgive me," he said in a regretful tone. "I should have been careful with my words. But I can’t stand Gregor being near you. You laugh with him so freely, so cheerfully—it angers me." He paused, swallowing the deeper confession threatening to escape. He didn’t tell her how he had seen them together through the office window, their easy smiles stirring a possessive fire in him.

Zenna arched a brow, her own emotions bubbling to the surface. "He is my childhood friend, Radulf. You’re jealous of him because he makes me happy," she said, her voice tinged with exasperation.

Radulf’s jaw tightened. "No one was allowed in the cold palace. How did you meet him?"

Zenna’s gaze didn’t waver as she replied. "He got permission from the Alpha King to play with me daily. His father helped him. Alpha Jasper holds a high rank in the kingdom, and my father trusts him deeply," she explained.

"I see," Radulf said, though his voice betrayed lingering suspicion. "But how did you two meet for the first time?"

Zenna let out a soft sigh, her patience wearing thin. "Why do you want to know? Are we really going to discuss my childhood at this hour?" she countered in irritation.

Radulf leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers. "Because every part of you, past and present, is mine to know," he said. "You complain to me I don’t give you attention. When I am giving you, you are pushing me away."

"I met Gregor at the cold palace’s gate," Zenna began in her soft voice as though the memory had gently unfolded in her mind. "We were nine when he first came with his father to the palace. He was curious, always wandering where he shouldn’t. While roaming around, he ended up at the cold palace."

She paused, her lips curving into a slow, wistful smile. "That’s when we met," she asserted.

"Why were you in the cold palace? Is it because your mother was an omega servant? Or there was another reason?" Radulf queried.

"I think my mother was the reason. She ended up giving birth to me and her affair was revealed to the world," Zenna stated in a low voice. "I don’t like speaking about her," she revealed, hoping for understanding from him.

"Hmm. Let’s eliminate them one by one," Radulf said, lying back in his place.

"What do you mean? I told you to stay away from the royalty. You shouldn’t take enmity with my father or anyone there. You even angered the Crown Prince the other day," Zenna muttered.

"Zenna," Radulf used her short name for the first time and tilted his head to meet her gaze. "We both have one thing in common. We suffered a lot because of them. I lost my everything in one day. My innocent father beheaded in front of so many people, in front of my eyes, and my mother... She was hung to death. What wrong did we do to Phillipe? I couldn’t even mourn for their deaths and I had to marry you, go for a battle, where I didn’t even know if I would survive."

Radulf ended up saying things he never did to anyone, not even Savio. The pain reflected in his green orbs, which Zenna noticed. Her heart ached for him, and she realized the pain he carried was much more than she ever understood.

Before she could speak, Radulf turned his back to her, closing his eyes. ’I should not have said that,’ he thought.

Zenna watched his back for a while before taking the initiative to hug him from behind.

"What are you–" Radulf’s protest stopped midway.

"I always wanted to sleep like this with my husband," Zenna whispered. "I-I am sorry for not running away the day my marriage was fixed with you. If only I knew what you were undergoing, I would have chosen punishment from my father over you. I always wondered why you looked at me disdainfully at the altar. Now, I know, and I feel guilty," she voiced out her thoughts.

Radulf clenched his fists hard. ’She is doing it again. Fuck! I am losing control of myself,’ he thought, shutting his eyes tightly.

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