Page 55 of Alpha's Exiled Mate
His words stirred something deep within me, creating ripples in my heart that I couldn’t ignore, though I kept my expression guarded. “The past is done,” I said calmly, though my heart ached at the raw sincerity in his voice, the weight of his regret. “We’re representatives of our kingdoms now, Perock. We need to focus on the future, on the alliance our people need, not dwell on personal history.”
“Is it that simple for you?” he asked, leaning forward, his voice low and intense, his amber eyes brimming with emotion that made my breath catch. “Five years of separation, five years of longing—can you really dismiss it so easily, like it was nothing?”
His sudden closeness made my chest tighten, my pulse quickening as I leaned back instinctively, but the chair’s edge left no room to retreat, the pavilion’s confines amplifying the intimacy of the moment. My wolf stirred, responding to his proximity, the bond between us flaring like a spark in dry tinder.
“There’s nothing to discuss,” I insisted, my voice wavering despite my resolve, betraying the turmoil within. “That’s all behind us, Perock. It has to be.”
“And Orin?” he pressed, his tone shifting, low and edged with a dangerous undercurrent, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “I saw you talking to him in the garden today, looking quite friendly. Five years ago, you were always so attentive to him—bandaging his wounds, lingering in his company. Why, Lilia? Why care so much for a near-stranger, yet turn away from everything I’ve tried to give you?”
The abrupt pivot caught me off guard, my mind scrambling to keep up as his words stirred a mix of anger and disbelief. “What?” I said, my voice sharp with indignation. “You think I was attentive to Orin? I ran into him in the garden by chance and found it odd that your deputy—a seasoned commander—is managing flowerbeds. That’s all it was, Perock.” I paused, my eyes narrowing as a new suspicion took hold. “Are you spying on me?”
“Spying?” he said, recoiling slightly, his expression shifting to defensiveness. “No, Lilia, it’s not spying. I just… I need to know what you’re doing, who you’re spending time with. You’re here, in my kingdom, and I can’t help but notice.”
I wearily rubbed my temples, deciding to sidestep this issue. “You’re a king, Perock,” I said, my voice low but firm, “and you’re reassigning key officers like Orin to trivial tasks out of petty jealousy? That’s not leadership—it’s childish.”
“Childish?” His voice dropped, dark and resonant, his eyes flashing with that familiar spark—jealousy, the same possessive intensity that had haunted our interactions five years ago, when he’d glared at Orin for daring to speak to me with kindness. “You call it childish when I’m trying to protect what’s ours, to show you I’ve changed?”
“Whatever you think about Orin or what happened years ago,” I said, standing my ground, my voice steady despite the tension crackling between us, “it has nothing to do with me. I’m here to negotiate a treaty for Fellinger.”
Perock’s gaze softened, the fire in his eyes fading to a smoldering warmth, and he reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek with a gentleness that stole my breath. The sudden intimacy froze me, my body tensing as the bond between us surged, a warm, electric pulse that made my wolf stir, yearning for him despite my every effort to resist. My skin tingled where he touched, a traitor to my resolve, and I hated how easily he could unravel me.
“For five years,” his voice soft yet heavy with conviction, “I’ve woken up every day consumed by regret, haunted by the pain I caused you. I sent Sophia and her husband to the farthest territory on the border, making sure they’d never cross my path again. My marriage to Viossi has been nothing more than a formality—I’ve never touched her. I made Lord Thornfield and his family pay for what they did, and I had him executed. Through all these five years, there’s been only one person in my heart, only you, Lilia.”
Lord Thornfield… dead?
I had always dreamed of taking revenge for Martha with my own hands, of making Lord Thornfield pay for what he did. But now, he’s already dead. It feels like the ground has been pulled out from under me, leaving me with a hollow sense of unfinished business.
And then there’s his confession—it’s thrown me completely off balance, leaving me at a total loss for words or clarity. I don’t know how to process it. Five years ago, I was broken by his cold, distant demeanor and his obsessive fixation on Sophia. The pain of that rejection cut so deep, it felt like I’d never recover. Yet now, hearing the depth of his feelings, the raw emotion in his voice as he swears his loyalty and devotion to me—it’s overwhelming. I’m caught between the scars of the past and this unexpected outpouring of affection, unsure of how to reconcile the two or what to feel in this moment.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said, my voice strained, trembling as I fought to quell the storm of emotions within, to hold fast to the mission that anchored me.
“We’re diplomats now, Perock, representatives of our kingdoms. Personal feelings can’t interfere with our nations’ interests, no matter what happened in the past.”
“Lilia,” he said, his voice gentling, almost pleading, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made my heart ache, “do you truly believe that? The connection between us, the bond of destined mates—can you honestly say you don’t feel it, that it’s gone?”
I couldn’t deny it, not entirely. Since our reunion at the welcome ceremony, my wolf had been restless, stirring at his presence, urging me toward him with a force that grew stronger each day. The bond was alive, vibrant, a living thread that tied us together despite the years, despite the pain. But I steadied my voice, drawing on every ounce of discipline I’d learned asFellinger’s heir, and kept my composure intact, a shield against the vulnerability he stirred.
“Your Majesty,” I said, my tone cool and controlled, carefully formal to reassert the distance between us, “Fellinger has shown ample goodwill in this visit. If we can’t move forward with the treaty, it risks damaging the trust between our kingdoms, a consequence neither of us can afford.”
Perock’s eyes dimmed, a shadow of disappointment crossing his face, his shoulders tensing as he absorbed my words. He stepped back, visibly reining in his emotions, his hands clenching briefly before relaxing at his sides. For a moment, silence hung between us, heavy with unspoken truths.
Then, a smile curved his lips, a spark of warmth returning to his expression, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’ll sign the treaty,” he said, his tone lighter, almost conciliatory.
“I promise we’ll get to it. But before that, would you join me for a horseback ride?”
Chapter 18
Lilia
The spring sunlight spilled over the forest path, a gentle breeze brushing through the treetops, carrying the faint scent of flowers.
I rode on a docile white horse, following Perock through the edges of the royal estate, heading toward the more secluded woodlands.
“This forest was my sanctuary when I was young,” Perock said, his voice cutting through the silence, laced with a nostalgia that felt unexpectedly intimate. “Whenever my father’s expectations weighed too heavily—his endless lectures on duty and strength—I’d escape here. I’d let my wolf run for hours, free from the pressure of being his heir.”
I couldn’t help but glance at his profile, the sunlight outlining his resolute features. It was difficult to imagine the commanding king, so assured in his authority, as a child seeking refuge in these woods, running from the shadow of a crown not yet his.
“Was your father very strict with you?” I asked casually, then quickly realized my tone was too personal and added, “I mean,his methods were well-known even in Fellinger, renowned for their… rigor.
