Page 87 of Alpha's Exiled Mate
No. Prince Alexander Valder.
His gaze held a storm of emotions—joy, guilt, an aching yearning—as he bowed, his movements flawless but his voice unsteady, betraying the turmoil within.
“Your Highness,” he said, his words formal but laced with a tremor, “it’s an honor to meet you.”
My wolf surged, recognizing her mate, her joy a tide that threatened to drown me, my blood singing, my heart pounding so fiercely I feared it would burst. Anger, longing, confusion collided, a maelstrom I barely contained, my hands clenching tohide their tremble. I held my composure, my voice cool, a shield against the chaos within.
“Prince Alexander,” I said, each syllable measured, “welcome to our kingdom.”
My parents stood nearby, discussing the friendly relations between our two kingdoms and arranging the itinerary for the coming days, but my attention was entirely on the man before me.
Allen—no, Alexander—maintained the demeanor expected of a prince at all times, but I could feel his gaze lingering on me every now and then, his eyes filled with too many unspoken words.
At the banquet that evening, he invited me to dance. When his hand took mine once again, that familiar electric sensation surged through my entire body.
“Anna,” he whispered in my ear, “I have so much to tell you.”
“Now?” I tried to keep my voice cool and detached. “Prince Alexander?”
A flicker of pain crossed his eyes. “Tomorrow, in the rose garden, the place where we first met. I’ll explain everything.”
I didn’t respond, but we both knew I would be there.
The next evening, I arrived at the rose garden. As the sun set, the Bulgarian white roses looked even more pure and beautiful under the golden light.
He was already there waiting for me, still the familiar figure I knew, but now dressed in the lavish attire of a prince. Hearing my footsteps, he turned around, his eyes filled with apology and anticipation.
“Anna,” he said, his voice rough, breaking on my name, “I know you’re furious, and you have every right to do so.”
“Furious?” I scoffed, my voice sharp, a blade honed by months of pain. “Why would I be, for someone who never existed?”
He flinched, closing his eyes, pain etched across his face, his hands clenching at his sides. “I exist, Anna,” he said, his voice low, raw. “I’m Alexander Valder, prince of Valder. Three months ago, I came here as Allen, because—”
“For what?” I snapped, cutting him off, my anger flaring, a fire fed by betrayal. “To spy on our defenses? To toy with a naive princess, to break her heart for sport?”
“No!” he exclaimed, stepping forward, his eyes blazing, then halting as I recoiled, his hands raised in surrender. “My father wanted this marriage to unite our kingdoms, but he feared a direct proposal would be rejected. so, he sent me to assess the situation first.”
“So, you lied,” I said, my voice cold, “pretending to be a groom, sneaking into my life, my heart?”
“It was...at first,” he admitted, his voice raw, his gaze unflinching despite the pain in it. “But Anna, when I saw you in that garden, when our wolves called to each other, everything changed. I wasn’t here for duty anymore—I was here for you, for the girl who stole my breath, who made my world make sense.”
My heart raced, a traitor to my anger, his words stirring the ashes of a love I’d tried to bury. “Then why disappear?” I demanded, my voice cracking, tears threatening. “Why let me think I’d imagined it all, that I was losing my mind?”
His eyes shimmered with anguish, his voice breaking. “My father summoned me back. A neighboring kingdom attacked, sparking a border war, and I had to leave immediately. It was chaos—I couldn’t explain, couldn’t reveal who I was without risking everything.”
“You could’ve left a note,” I said, my voice trembling, “sent a message, anything to stop me from thinking I’d gone mad.”
“I wanted to,” he said, his voice thick with regret, his hands reaching out, then falling. “But Anna, if I’d told you the truth, would you have believed me? I won your heart as Allen, a groom,not a prince. I feared you’d see me as a liar, that our love would be tainted by politics, by duty. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you to that.”
I stared at him, the man who’d haunted my dreams, my heart a battlefield of love and hurt, his words a balm and a blade. “And now?” I asked, my voice steady despite the storm within. “You’re here as a prince, proposing a marriage. How is this different from the political game you feared?”
He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering, his presence a pull I couldn’t resist. “Because I’m hiding nothing now,” he said, his voice fierce with conviction. “Anna, I love you—not as a princess, not for alliances, but for you. The girl who laughs like an angel under moonlight, who races horses without fear, who stole my wolf’s heart and mine in a single glance.”
His hand brushed my cheek, warm and steady, igniting a spark that woke my wolf, her joy a tide within me, her certainty a beacon. “I know I hurt you,” he said, his voice breaking, “and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But if you still feel anything for me, even a spark, please, give me a chance to make it right.”
I closed my eyes, his touch a lifeline, my wolf trembling with recognition, her bond unbroken despite the pain. “Do you know what these months were like?” I said, my voice thick, tears spilling down my cheeks. “I thought I was mad, loving a ghost. Everyone said you didn’t exist, and I doubted my own heart, my own sanity.”
“I’m so sorry,” he choked, his voice a sob, his thumb brushing my tears away. “I’ll never forgive myself for your pain, Anna, never.”
