Althea tried her best to enjoy the rest of the stroll despite the dilemma weighing on her mind. The sun was still up, but dusk was quickly approaching.
“Will the Alpha King return tonight?” she asked Alpha Abner as they walked back toward the carriage. Since she was exhausted from walking around, Althea agreed to ride the carriage with Luna Ruth and lva on their way back, along with Ash. The sun was dipping lower, and it was almost ti to head ho before nightfall.
“Hmm, he said he won’t be able to return tonight. He needs to check all the borders in every direction,” Alpha Abner replied.
“What is it?” Luna Ruth asked curiously.
“I just wanted to tell him sothing,” Althea murmured. “In person...” she added with a long sigh.
“Oh, I see. You can reach him through the mindlink,” Luna Ruth suggested.
Althea bit her lip and gave the Luna an awkward smile.
“Don’t tell —he didn’t teach you how to do that?!” Luna Ruth exclaid in disbelief, her palm covering her mouth.
“I’m his prisoner, after all,” Althea said softly. “I’m only a breeder. He marked by accident when he tried to save my life, thinking I’d be his greatest pawn against my father.”
Luna Ruth glanced at Alpha Abner, worry flickering in her eyes.
‘Oh, this poor child. But I believe Gavriel cares for her. It’s not just the mate bond... His eyes say so—’
Althea quickly looked away. She didn’t want to read Luna Ruth’s thoughts anymore—especially ones that could give her false hope.
She climbed into the carriage, and Ash, who had grown rather clingy, imdiately hopped onto her lap.
“I’m sure His Majesty will soon teach you how to use the mindlink,” Luna Ruth said as they settled inside. “That way, you can communicate with him directly, no matter the distance between you two. The mindlink connection is always stronger between bonded mates.”
The carriage began to move. Althea nodded, then turned to lva. “I hope you and Simon have already established the mindlink?”
lva swallowed hard, her face turning pale. Luna Ruth blinked rapidly in surprise. “You—you and the Gamma haven’t—?”
“Yes, Luna Ruth. We haven’t completed the bond yet,” lva admitted shyly. “He marked , but we haven’t... consummated it.”
Althea knew well that the mindlink only worked once the bond was fully consummated. In her case, it should already be functioning with Gavriel, but he needed to be the one to initiate it and properly teach her how to connect to him.
She sighed and shrugged. She no longer expected Gavriel to share sothing as sacred as that between two mates. After all, she was only a breeder. Once he found a rightful Luna to stand by his side, she was certain he would reject their bond.
Like many others, Althea couldn’t help but believe that Gavriel had marked her not just to save her but for a reason—to keep her from harming him. If he died, she would die with him.
She noticed how lva’s mood disheartened so she spoke.
“Hmm, that’s because Simon is always away,” Althea said with a teasing grin. “I’m sure you two will have your ti soon.”
lva cupped her cheeks, flustered. “Please, stop talking about already...”
Luna Ruth chuckled while Althea smiled and turned her gaze toward the window. Ash followed her line of sight, then suddenly let out a low howl.
“What is it?” lva asked quickly.
“Oh, nothing. Maybe just another wolf, Ash noticed,” Althea muttered, though unease crept through her chest. That strange, familiar feeling returned, the one she couldn’t explain.
Soone was out there, following them. She could sense it. That sa aura she’d felt before, the one that tried to probe into her inner energy.
Her hand moved to stroke Ash’s fur gently. The wolf stayed alert, its ears twitching. It seed Ash could sense that presence too—whoever, or whatever, it was.
They soon arrived at Reed Manor, and lva excitedly hurried inside, carrying all the things they had bought.
“Thank you so much for accompanying today,” Althea said to Alpha Abner and Luna Ruth with a genuine, sweet smile.
“Oh, if only the Alpha King allowed us to take you out at night, you’d probably enjoy it even more,” Luna Ruth said warmly. “There will be a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival starting at midnight.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as the Alpha King returns, I’ll try persuading him,” Alpha Abner added with a wink.
“Thank you so much,” Althea replied, giving them a polite nod before heading back to her bedchamber.
Inside, lva was busy arranging everything they had brought back.
“So many presents from the people! I’m so happy, my lady, that you’re finally being recognized as you deserve,” lva said cheerfully.
“It’s only here in the Nightcrawler Pack, lva,” Althea replied, sinking tiredly into a chair. “I’m just fortunate that the pack mbers don’t judge too quickly.”
“Who do you think spread those rumors about not being my father’s daughter?” Althea asked after a mont. The thought had been bothering her all day—along with whether she should et Rett and inform the Alpha King about it.
“I have no idea,” lva admitted, “but that rumor might actually work in your favor, my lady. People even cheered for you to beco Queen Luna, the Alpha’s Queen, if it turns out to be true. Cutting ties with Alpha Cain could help you survive and finally gain the freedom you deserve!”
Althea fell silent, her emotions tangled. She knew her father, Alpha Cain, had always loved her deeply. Never once had she sensed otherwise from him. In all the years she could rember, and even through her ability to read people, he had never seen her as anything less than his own daughter.
She needed her necklace back from Rett to learn more about herself—about her mother’s origin, and her own.
Turning to lva, Althea said, “I need to go out later to et Rett and get back the necklace my mother gave . The boy who bumped into earlier was sent by Rett with a ssage to et him.”
“What?! That’s dangerous, my lady!” lva burst out, frowning in worry.
“I know,” Althea replied calmly. “That’s why I need your help. Tell Rudy and the others about it so they can relay the ssage to the Alpha King. But I have to retrieve the necklace from Rett first, so inform them only after I’ve left.”
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