Deceiving My Mate

Chapter 13

***Nova***

The heavy wooden door loomed before me, an obstacle I both dreaded and welcomed. Alpha Ceaser was staying in guest room here in the palace as were many other Alphas. Although it was my home for some reason the aura from hi room made it seem as if were his place of power, his domain where he commanded respect from all who crossed its threshold.

Today, however, my heart pounded not just with anticipation but with the weight of secrets I was bound to carry. I had been called to have a friendly meet with him, yet the air thickened with tension as I reached for the doorknob, knowing what was at stake.

Drawing in a steadying breath, I pushed the door open. The moment I stepped inside, I was enveloped by the warmth of the hearth and the powerful presence of Ceaser. He stood with his back to me, gazing out over the moonlit landscape that stretched beyond his window. The flickering shadows danced across his strong shoulders, casting an ethereal glow that seemed both inviting and daunting.

“King Noah,” he said without turning. His voice was deep and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine. “Thank you for coming.”

“Alpha Ceaser,” I responded, ensuring my voice was steady, masking the turmoil within me as I stepped deeper into the room.

Finally, Ceaser turned, revealing that rugged jawline I had always went to stare at and those captivating brown eyes that held depths of honor and loyalty. There was an undercurrent of something else in his gaze, something that sent my heart racing. “I wanted to congratulate you on your show of leadership as King Noah,” he said, a hint of admiration floating in his tone. It made my insides twist like a tightly wound coil.

“Thank you,” I replied, forcing a smile that felt more like a mask with every passing second. “But I can’t take all the credit. The hunt was a team effort, a warm up to the real tournament.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” he insisted, stepping closer. “You’ve proven yourself in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Despite your size for a king or Lycan for that matter, all the Alphas should agree to have an alliance with you.”

His words wrapped around me, warm like a cloak but heavy with the burden I bore. I wanted so much to share the truth, to reveal Noah as a cover for Nova. But, as I opened my mouth to speak, a sudden pang of hesitation struck me like a dagger. What if he rejected me? A fur-covered weight settled in my stomach, heavy and unyielding.

“There’s something we need to discuss,” Ceaser continued, and I could feel my muscles tense. “It’s about us.”

“I know we are mates,” I said flatly, though the reality of our situation danced painfully in my heart. “If that’s what you wanted to discuss?”

His expression shifted, eyes narrowing slightly as if weighing the significance of his next words. “I admire your resolve and leadership,” he began, his tone serious. “But I’ve been thinking about our bond. I want us to forge an alliance that’s beneficial to the packs, but I want to be honest with you, King Noah.”

I swallowed hard, the revelation thrumming against my skin like an electric charge. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve never been interested in men in that way,” he stated plainly. “I’ve always wanted a female partner by my side.”

My heart plummeted, and the room spun slightly as if the earth itself had shifted beneath my feet. Rejection. It was the simple truth wrapped in the complexity of our situation, and yet it felt like a blade cutting open a wound I had worked so hard to conceal. The wolf inside me howled in pain, furious and heartbroken.

For a fleeting second, the urge to scream—to finally reveal the truth of who I was—smashed against my resolve. But then I remembered the countless ways my deception had shaped not only my life but the lives of everyone around me. My brother’s disappearance had thrust me into a role I had not been raised to fulfill. I had struggled to navigate this new identity, and now here was Ceaser, standing before me, unaware of the struggle that raged within.

I managed to respond, my voice calm but detached. “Then bed females and I’ll do the same,” I said, a dangerous glimmer of defiance breaking through the pain. I felt bold and yet utterly broken as I turned on my heel and walked toward the door, relying on every ounce of strength not to crumble under the weight of my grief.

“Noah!” Ceaser’s voice cut through the air, strong and demanding, catching me before I could fully escape.

I paused, heart racing at the sound of my name—a name that wasn’t even mine. “Good night Alpha?” I walked out of the room before my emotions threatened to show.

“Wait,” he said, his expression shifting, softening the edges of his earlier rejection. “Your misunderstanding..” I didn’t hear what he had said as I slammed the door and walked as fast as I could to leave the floor he was roomed on.

I had made it into my own room before I locked the door and crumbled into a heap of mess. Salty liquid fell from eyes and the noise from my sobbing was sure to wake anyone who slept on my floor, which where Dante and chase. Thank goddess for the soundproof walls not a sound would have drifted out of my room.

I didn’t know how long I had cried for, but I had somehow managed to get up and climb into bed. First I lost my father, then my brother and now it seems like my mate. I couldn’t help but feel the sense that I was cursed to have anyone I loved or cared about.

I couldn’t sleep, no while knowing that I had basically told my mate to have s*x with other women. Of course, he sounded as if he was rejecting me. He didn’t need to say the words, if was obvious. He knew me as a male, as King Noah. Not as a female, not as Nova. I wanted so badly to get out of this bed walk to his room and tell him I’m a female.

However that thought was stoped at the fear I felt of how other Alphas would react if they found out. A female ruling over men, over Alphas who were not used to allowing their luna’s lead. There was also the thought that I was the only one holding the power to protect my family’s throne, my brother throne. Axel was the rightful king and I had to protect it until he had returned. I just hoped my brother was save and I hoped that Dante, Chase and I would find him before it’s too late.