My Alpha Begged Me Back

Chapter 5: Supposedly Dignified mate

Chapter 5: Supposedly Dignified mate

(Scarlett's POV)

"You should have seen the way Jenna's wolf scrambled after those rabbits!" Evelyn barely managed to get the words out between bursts of laughter, her auburn hair falling across her face. "She pounced... and then tripped... and rolled over herself! I thought she'd gone mad!"

I shook my head, trying not to laugh too much. "That's not fair. She managed to catch one in the end, didn’t she?"

Evelyn straightened, wiping a tear from her cheek. Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement. "Barely! That rabbit probably gave itself up out of pity."

The memory made me chuckle softly, the tension in my chest loosening for the first time today. We'd gone on a small hunt earlier, just a few of us to release some stress. Jenna's clumsy attempts had been the highlight.

"I needed that," I admitted, leaning back in my chair. The familiar warmth of my private healing den wrapped around me. The scent of lavender and sage lingered in the air, mingling with the faint golden glow still clinging to my skin from the moon-blessed healing ritual I'd completed earlier.

"Good. You’ve been tense lately," Evelyn said, her expression softening. She reached for a steaming cup of tea on the table. "Though I have a feeling it’s more to do with Steven than anything else."

The mention of his name felt like a blade twisting in my side. My smile vanished, replaced by the heavy weight of reality.

I traced the rim of my teacup absentmindedly. "There’s not much to talk about," I said, keeping my voice even. "We don’t really... talk."

Evelyn tilted her head quizzically, clearly not convinced.

"We barely cross paths at the pack grounds," I continued, setting my cup down. "And at the den? It’s like we’re strangers. The only time he notices me is when he’s issuing orders or giving me that cold, unimpressed look of his."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "You’re his mate, Scarlett. He should treat you better than that."

I let out a bitter laugh. "His mate. That hardly seems to matter to him. He made it clear that my ideas for the territory expansion were ‘unnecessary.’ Apparently, healers have no place in a warrior's world."

Evelyn frowned deeply, the humor in her face completely replaced by concern. "Is that why you’re holed up here?"

"I’m not hiding," I said quickly, though the words rang hollow even to my own ears. "I’m working." I gestured at the scrolls spread across the table. "Revised plans for the expansion."

Evelyn’s gaze swept over the carefully organized maps and notes. She plucked one up, scanning it briefly. "Aren’t these the same plans he dismissed?"

"They’re better now," I said sharply, defensively. "More detailed. I’ve included analyses of the northern vegetation and terrain hazards. If he’d listen to me—if he’d just give me a chance to explain—it could save lives."

Her shoulders rose in a slow breath. "And if he rejects them again?"

I clenched my fists. That was a question I didn’t have an answer to.

(Steven’s POV)

The clearing buzzed with nervous energy. Wolves gathered in clusters, their tense whispers carried on the summer breeze. Eyes darted toward me and my enforcers as we emerged from the dense forest.

I let my icy gaze sweep across the crowd, every movement deliberate. The presence of my six most trusted enforcers at my sides bolstered the tension. Their dominant auras rippled through the air, forcing all but the most defiant wolves to look away.

Several wolves dropped to their knees in submission the moment they laid eyes on me. Others, particularly those tied to the old guard, held their ground, glaring at me with barely concealed hostility.

I glanced to my right. "Keep them in line," I mindlinked to Asher, my Beta and the one wolf I trusted most.

He nodded, stepping slightly ahead of me as we approached the imposing stone entrance of the pack hall.

Beta Marcus’s scent reached me before I saw him. His sharp, polished attire betrayed no sign of the chaos I’d been unraveling in the past few days. He stepped forward to block my path, his face calm but his wolf trembling beneath his skin.

"Alpha Harold is unavailable at the moment," he began, his voice smooth as oil. "But as his trusted advisor, I’d be happy to handle any pack concerns you might have."

I met his gaze coolly, letting silence hang heavy in the air.

Asher stepped in smoothly, his tone polite but edged with steel. "Beta Marcus, Alpha Harold has already ceded his duties. Steven Greymark is now your Alpha, and all matters flow through him."

Marcus’s wolf bristled at the subtle rebuke, but he didn’t move. His jaw set in a hard line. "The transition is unusually swift—"

"By decree of the Alpha King," I cut him off icily, stepping past him into the hall. My dominant aura washed over him like a tidal wave, forcing his gaze down even as he fought to maintain his composure. "Unless, of course, you wish to question my father’s authority… or mine?"

Beta Marcus’s shoulders slumped, his resistance crumbling visibly under the weight of my words. Without another word, I gestured for him to follow as we entered the Alpha chambers.

The room felt stale, Harold’s lingering scent a reminder of the outdated leadership I was here to erase.

"Sit," I said simply, motioning to the chair across from mine as I took my place at the head of the table.

Marcus hesitated for just a second too long before complying.

"How is young Luke these days?" I asked casually, though my tone carried an edge that made his wolf flinch.

"My son is fine," Marcus answered tightly.

"Good," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Because his involvement in forbidden blood rituals in the Northern Territories is... worrying, to say the least."

Marcus stiffened, his polished mask slipping just slightly. "Luke is young. He made mistakes. You of all people should know—"

"Yes, I do," I interrupted. "Which is why his current containment is nothing more than a learning opportunity. For now."

Color drained from his face. "He’s my son," he said quietly, desperation creeping into his tone.

I slid a document across the table, not bothering to respond. The pack separation papers landed in front of him with an audible thud.

"There’s no need to drag this out," I said coldly. "Retirement will give you… more time to focus on proper parenting."

Marcus’s hand trembled as he picked up the pen. His gaze burned into mine, filled with resentment and defeat. "You mentored him," he said hoarsely. "He followed you like a shadow—"

"And now he can follow you," I countered, my voice leaving no room for argument.

For the briefest moment, I saw the cracks in Marcus’s carefully constructed facade. His shoulders sagged. His wolf’s tail drooped visibly as he signed the papers.

I rose to my feet, signaling the end of our discussion. "I’ve also arranged a final hunt for you and Luke as a parting gesture. Dismissed."

Marcus stared at me for a long moment before standing stiffly and leaving without another word.

"Asher," I said as soon as the doors closed behind him.

He stepped forward immediately. "Updates, Alpha?"

"Territory negotiations are?"

"Progressing well. The appointed delegates are on schedule, and all boundaries have been agreed upon."

"And Scarlett? Where is she?"

He hesitated but finally answered, "At her private healing den."

I left without another word, my mind suddenly preoccupied with thoughts of my mate.

The den was quiet from the outside, though I could sense her lingering energy within. It was unlike the emotions she usually emitted. I pushed the door open cautiously, uncertain of what I’d find.

What I found left me completely still.

Scarlett was in her wolf form, her sleek red coat glowing faintly in the dim light. She pranced around her small healing pool, her paws padding across the smooth stone floor with surprising nimbleness. The golden light her body emitted swirled in the pool, reflecting across the walls in mesmerizing patterns.

I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to look away. Through our mate bond, I heard faint bursts of sound—off-key howls.

"Magical healing wolf," her words echoed faintly, each one carrying pure joy.

I raised an eyebrow as her performance continued with more intensity.

She spun in a playful circle, then pounced near the edge of the water. Her wolf’s tail wagged as her voice rang out again, another triumphant and entirely undignified howl filling the room.

She froze mid-prance, her front paws still raised in the air when she turned and saw me standing in the doorway.

Her green eyes, wide in alarm, locked onto mine. Silence stretched thick as the glow from the water dimmed slightly.

I couldn’t stop the smirk from tugging at the corner of my mouth. Through the bond, I let a single thought drift to her: "And this is my supposedly dignified mate."