Page 70 of Alpha's Hated Mate

“Uh, I never knew Natasha—my mother. My grandparents . . . ” I pause, correcting myself. “The people I thought were my grandparents weren’t actually related to me. They found me abandoned beneath their porch.”

Aydan’s hand clasps mine beneath the table, his warmth pulsing through me, fueling my strength.

“They were kind people, good people. Gave me a wonderful childhood. But they died when I was a teenager.” I drop my gaze to the polished table surface. “After that, I bounced between different families until I came of age. I guess you can say that becoming an orphaned Scarlet made me a ‘troubled teen’. As soon as I came of age, I applied for enrollment at Moonhelm on a scholarship.”

The Alpha King shakes his head. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandparents’ passing and the tough years that followed.” He leans forward, his massive frame seeming to take up even more space. From inside his jacket, he pulls out a small, ornate frame and slides it across the table toward me. “This was one of the few portraits of your parents together.”

I lift the portrait with unsteady hands. A young woman with tanned skin and long dark hair stands beside a handsome man with the same commanding presence as the king before me, but more piercing eyes. My fingers trace their faces through the glass. My parents. You would’ve never known one of them had Scarlet blood in their DNA.

“Had I known of your existence . . . ” The Alpha King’s sullen gaze lingers on the portrait. “Things would have been different.”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Aydan interjects carefully, “according to my father’s journals, Natasha believed you would kill both her and the baby—Saffron—if you discovered them.”

The temperature in the room seems to drop ten degrees. The Alpha King’s face darkens, not with rage but with something that looks startlingly like pain.

“That was never true.” His voice rumbles low, thick with emotion he’s clearly fighting to control. “Natasha was heart-broken and misguided. My brother’s betrayal devastated us all, but I would never—” He stops, collecting himself. “Had she come back and swore her loyalty, even after everything, I would have welcomed her back to court.

“And despite his treachery, Raphael was my brother. I never stopped loving him.” His gaze finds mine again, intense and earnest. “I would never punish a child for the actions of their parents. Never.”

Aydan’s grip tightens on my hand. “My father—” His voice breaks. “My father is responsible for Natasha’s death. For the suffering of so many Scarlets.”

I turn to look at him, wanting desperately to ease the guilt etched across his features, but the Alpha King speaks first.

“The crown bears its own culpability.” The admission stuns us both into silence. “We’ve allowed the persecution of Scarlets to continue unchecked for generations.”

A sharp knock interrupts us. The door opens to reveal a man in a formal navy blue and silver uniform, the royal colors.

“Your Majesty,” he bows slightly.

“Dylan, my Second in Command,” the Alpha King introduces him. “What is it?”

“There is a matter of importance requiring your attention, my lord.”

The Alpha King nods. “Stay a moment. I want you to bear witness to what remains of our conversation.”

Dylan steps inside, closing the door and standing at attention.

The Alpha King rises to his feet with newfound purpose, and we rise as well. His posture straightens, his deep voice taking on the formal cadence of a royal decree.

“From this day forward, discrimination against all wolf kinds shall be outlawed throughout Clarion.” He turns his full attention to me. “And I formally acknowledge you, Saffron Kamaria, as part of the royal family by blood and by birthright.”

Tears come to my eyes unexpectedly, blurring my vision.

“You will carry the title of Her Royal Highness Saffron Kamaria, Princess of Clarion.”

Aydan’s sharp intake of breath matches my own.

I lower my head. “It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

The Alpha King reaches into his pocket once more, retrieving a small velvet pouch. “One more thing . . . ”

He tips the contents into his palm—a silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon, encrusted with crystals that catch the light in rainbow patterns.

“This belonged to Natasha. Raphael gave it to her when they were first mated.” He steps closer, gently taking my hand and placing the pendant in my palm, closing my fingers around it. “A reminder of your lineage.”

The metal feels cool against my skin, but somehow it radiates warmth.

As the Alpha King turns to leave with Dylan, he glances back at me. “The Royal House is open to you. The Luna Queen and our children would welcome your visit anytime.”

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