Alpha Prince's Obsession: After Rebirth, I Stopped Chasing My Mate

Today was the celebration of the Alpha princess’s birthday as I watched Michael, my mate, standing beside her again, his eyes lingering on her far longer than they ever did on me! I tried to ignore it, as always. And turned to take a glass of wine. One of the servants stumbled near the royal table, and before the tray could fall completely, I instinctively caught one of the crystal glasses and handed it to the princess with a polite smile. She thanked me softly before taking a sip. And seconds later— The glass slipped from her fingers and shattered across the marble floor as her body collapsed into Michael’s arms, in front of the entire hall. Screams erupted instantly as guards rushed forward. Michael caught her before her head could hit the floor, panic written all over his face as he shouted for the healers, but the moment his eyes lifted toward me, something cold settled inside my stomach. Because the broken wine glass still lay beside my feet. And then, his loud voice echoed in the banquet hall. “Colette, how dare you kill the Royal Princess?!” Within seconds, the entire palace’s hundreds of eyes slowly turned toward me, filled with disbelief and disgust. My breath caught painfully in my throat. The man standing in front of me was the one I loved so much that I spent years changing myself just to stay beside him. Now, he looked at me like I was something disgusting beneath his feet, and the hatred in his eyes made me forget how to breathe for a moment. “No…” My voice came out uneven and weak despite how desperately I tried to steady it. “No, I would never do that.” But even before I finished speaking, I could already feel the atmosphere in the room change. The nobles who once smiled at me now stared openly, and complimented me, now looked afraid to even stand near me. Even the servants near the pillars lowered their eyes the moment I looked at them, as if being seen with me would destroy them. Michael took another step forward. His movement was slow, deliberate, and terrifying. His jaw was clenched tight, the muscles in his neck tense, and even through his grief, the anger on his face was clear. “She drank from your hand, Colette.” His voice cracked at the end, and somehow that hurt more than his coldness toward me. “You were the one who handed her the wine,” he continued. “She took one sip… and collapsed right in front of everyone.” The hall stayed silent after that. No one defended me. No one even looked doubtful. And before anyone could say a verdict out loud, I realized I was already guilty in their eyes. My fingers tightened around my dress as panic filled my chest, but I still forced myself to look at him because a part of me believed the man I loved was still there beneath all that anger. “Michael…” My voice trembled despite my efforts. “Look at me and tell me you truly believe I would murder someone.” For a second, I waited for him to hesitate, to remember me, and say that he knew I could never hurt anyone. But his expression never changed. And something inside me quietly broke. “There’s poison in her system,” he said coldly. “And you were the last person near her.” His words hit harder than any slap. This wasn’t suspicion anymore. In his eyes, I was already guilty. Michael, my mate, had chosen the princess over me once again. “Guards!” The Alpha King’s voice echoed through the hall, and armored Beta guards immediately surrounded me as whispers spread through the crowd. “Murderer…” “I always knew something was wrong with her…” “The princess trusted her…” The voices filled my head until my head started ringing. My legs nearly gave out beneath me. Still, I looked around desperately, hoping at least one person would believe me. Anyone. Then I saw him. My father. Relief washed over me instantly because out of everyone in the kingdom, he was the one person I believed would stand beside me no matter what. “Father…” I muttered as I turned to him. But the moment our eyes met, my hope disappeared. There was no concern or anger on his face. Only cold disappointment that made my stomach twist. He stepped forward calmly. “Allow me to take her.” The Alpha King narrowed his eyes, his pheromones filling the hall. “And why should I trust you?” he asked coldly. “You are her father before you are my Commander.” My heart pounded against my ribs. Please. Please defend me. Just say you know I didn’t do this. But Father’s expression stayed calm and cold. “If my loyalty is being questioned,” he said evenly, “then place her inside the Spelled Cell.” My whole world seemed to stop as his words echoed through the hall, a sharp ringing filling my ears. No. Not there. Even powerful Alphas feared the Spelled Cell. Everyone knew the stories about that cursed place. The people thrown inside never came out alive. And my father suggested it without hesitation. My throat tightened painfully. He knew what that place would do to me. He knew I wouldn’t survive it. And he still chose it. “Dad…” My voice cracked this time. “Please… you know I didn’t do anything.” For the first time since the accusations started, anger rose inside me. “If you really think I’m guilty,” I shouted shakily, “then check the CCTV footage! It’ll prove I didn’t poison anyone!” The entire hall fell silent again. But Father didn’t even look at me. He was the strongest Alpha on the continent, yet he couldn’t defend his own daughter. “You’re coming with me.” The coldness in his voice hurt more than Michael’s hatred. Because Michael betrayed me as my husband. But this man was my father. The one who was supposed to protect me first. His hand gripped my wrist before I could react, and within seconds he was dragging me through the grand hall while everyone watched me like I was a criminal. The whispers followed me everywhere. “Murderer.” “Monster.” “Traitor.” I stumbled several times trying to keep up with Father’s pace, nearly falling on the marble stairs, but he never slowed down or even looked back. The palace doors slammed shut behind us, cutting me off from the warmth and light upstairs. The deeper we went underground, the colder the air became until even breathing hurt. Then I saw the Spelled Cell, and fear hit me instantly. My feet stopped on their own. The black iron door stood at the end of the corridor, covered in faint silver markings, and just looking at it filled me with fear. “Dad…” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Please don’t do this.” For a second, something flickered across his face. Hesitation. Regret. Maybe guilt. But it disappeared so fast that I thought I imagined it. He shoved me inside the cell and ripped the locket from my neck as he turned away, taking the last thing I had from my mother. Then he threw a small glass vial before walking away. It glowed a faint purple color. The deadliest kind of Wolf’s Bane Just a few drops were enough to kill even a powerful Alpha. My heart dropped. What was that supposed to mean? I was already broken. I knew I wouldn’t survive this cell, but I never thought my end would come so soon. Then footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the guards outside my cell straightened immediately. “The Second Prince is here.” The atmosphere changed instantly, and fear settled in my stomach before I even saw him. Second Prince Aurelian Dimitri Noctaire, the king's illegitimate son. The dead princess’s older brother, and my father’s most dangerous disciple. A man feared enough that soldiers avoided meeting his eyes directly. My breathing became uneven again. Of course, he came. Why wouldn’t he? To him, I was the woman who murdered his sister. I laughed weakly under my breath as the sound came closer, marking my life to end. How cruel! The two men I loved most had already abandoned me tonight. And now the third would finish what they started! The sound of boots striking stone echoed slowly closer through the cell until every step began feeling like a countdown toward my death. I looked down at the dagger in my hand again. Maybe this really was mercy after all. Because I knew what powerful men like Dimitri did to their enemies. They didn’t died quickly. He destroyed those people slowly. And I refused to let anyone see me break apart like that. My fingers shook violently as I clenched the dagger in my hand. The sharp scent of wolf’s bane burned my nose instantly. Footsteps stopped outside the cell. A tall shadow stretched across the floor beneath the bars. My trembling fingers opened the vial and brought it to my lips. The sharp smell burned my nose as my heart pounded wildly in my chest. I took one last breath and drank it. The liquid burned down my throat instantly. Just then, a deep voice filled with panic echoed through the hallway. “No! Stop!” The voice crashed through the cell with unexpected panic, and my eyes widened slightly in shock because that wasn’t rage in his voice. It sounded like fear. But by then it was already too late. I tilted my head back as I had already stabbed that dagger into my heart, and blood oozed from my body. The poison had already entered my system like a molten fire. Pain exploded through my body, and a scream escaped my mouth as the spelled knife slipped from my numb fingers and fell onto the stone floor. The last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me was hurried footsteps rushing toward my cell and a voice telling me not to die.