MATED TO THE ICY ALPHA KING

CHAPTER 003

Betrayal in the Shadows (Chapter 3)

I didn't know how I was going to make it without Viviana.

I spent five exhausting days sitting next to her. Her body did not twitch, move, or breathe. It was as dead and frigid as the marble mausoleum she would find herself in. I continued to wait, though. I'm hoping. observing. My hand, which had long since lost its warmth, curled around hers. She appeared serene, as if she had just fallen asleep, and as lovely as ever. A part of me kept expecting her to laugh and claim it was all a terrible joke and to open her eyes. She would never abandon me. That there was yet time.

However, it was only a dream. On top of everything, the sun was sinking.

I had to bury my friend today.

I felt like I was swallowing glass every time I breathed. I felt as though a mountain was crushing my chest. Viviana ought to be present. We should have been at the forefront of our group, nurturing our children. We had many unfulfilled dreams. However, we had been robbed by death, and now I was sitting by myself in a room full of people who didn't really get what I had lost.

The sound of Raffaele's voice echoed across the big auditorium: "Come forward and show off your gifts." He had a solid posture and stood erect next to me, yet his eyes were sad and lifeless. My uncle. My beta. The last person who still dared to talk to me.

The remarks were official, a bereavement offering to the King, according to some old custom. But in my ears, they sounded hollow. There was no one on the throne next to mine. None of them could ever match the volume of its scream. She sat there. Her place was there. She would also never again sit in it.

I had already bid my partner farewell, but I didn't care about these people—these wolves in fancy clothes and mourning cloaks. They didn't feel sorry for me. Viviana had not been able to rely on them during her darkest moments. They hadn't held her hand when she was scared or heard her laughter reverberate through the corridors. She was more than just a monarch. My home was her.

The leaders of the surrounding packs came forward one by one, each with a gift. The gifts included bars of gold, uncommon stones, and silks. Trinkets. All of it is meaningless to me. As I gazed at what they dared to offer in her place, my fists clenched in my lap.

Were they only interested in this?

"Viviana, is that how the system operates?" Rough and primal, my voice shattered through the atmosphere. Is this how it works? Is this fair retribution for what you lost?

The warriors and courtiers were startled when my voice roared through the hall. Their heads bowed, but I could smell the strong, bitter smell of their anxiety. I was disgusted, not humbled. Cowards. They wouldn't wash their hands, no matter how much they bowed. She had been killed by one of them. I had no doubt about it.

Raffaele approached and said in a foreboding tone. "Alessio, you need to relax. They are being frightened by you.

I gave them a low, menacing growl, saying, "They should be scared." "They ought to be afraid."

Softer now, he added, "They're here to honor her."

"Do you call this that?" I gave a hiss. "Honor?" On my tongue, the word tasted like rot. I was hardly able to look at him. I knew he was trying. However, nobody could comprehend what I had lost.

As the alphas began to line up, I turned my head aside and stared blankly. I didn't pay attention. didn't say anything. My mind whirled with anger, sorrow, and the slowly deepening need for retribution. The thought persisted: One of them did this. I lost her to one of them.

Then I heard a clear yet quiet voice.

"My King, please pardon us. We would want to offer our condolences, but nothing can take the place of our Queen.

Like a razor, it cut through the cacophony. A young man walked forward, and we locked eyes as I looked up sharply. Despite his nervousness and little trembling, his eyes remained fixed.

"Who are you?" Unimpressed by his civility, I snapped.

He lowered his head. "My King, Alpha Luca of the Lupi di Luna Crescenti Pack." We humbly offer our sympathies.

My wolf, Theo, stirred. "We need allies, Alessio. Who will be with us if we reject them all? Bianca? Enzo? Aria? If you continue to burn bridges, will they stand by themselves?

My gut twisted at the thought of my kids. Bianca is my strong little warrior. Too much of me for his own good, Enzo. Aria, meanwhile, was still adorable. only two months old. She wouldn't even recognize her mother's voice.

I tightened my jaw. I clenched my teeth and forced myself to speak. "Make your offering known."

Luca pointed over his shoulder. His warriors advanced with a string of young ladies in tow. They wore rags, their cheeks were pale, and their eyes were hollowed out in terror.

"What is this?" I stood up abruptly, my voice sharp and filled with anger. "Are these intended as presents? Slaves?

Luca's hands shook a little, and he went pale. Making sacrifices in life, King. To assist you—to take the place of—

"Cease." I stepped down from the dais, and my voice roared across the hall. "If you value your head, stop now."

Within me, Theo roared. I scratched big grooves in the marble floor with my claws. My fury nearly consumed me, causing me to exhale sharply. The gesture was not an homage. The event was a farce. Did they bring slaves to the funeral of my wife?

Then it took place.

A low shriek reverberated around the room. The cry of a child.

My heart stopped beating.

"Aria," I said in a whisper. She was the one. My daughter.

Panic engraved on her face, her nanny hurried forward. "My King, I've tried everything. She is crying uncontrollably—

A soft voice cut in. "Give it a shot."

Every muscle strained as I turned. A girl belonging to Luca moved forward, her hands out. Her tone was soothing, and her voice was soft. Something stopped me before I could snarl at her.

She walked gently up to the nanny, who gave her Aria after hesitating. I was about to step in, but—

The girl held the infant tenderly and whispered, "Shhh." "Don't worry, little one. You are now secure.

Aria's tears ceased.

The room fell silent. Every breath held, every eye on the girl. As Aria fell asleep, her small body relaxed, and she clung closer to her chest.

I was immobile.

The girl gave me a look. Her green, deep, and eerily familiar eyes met mine. They had an old-world quality. There was something that called* me.

My chest pounded with my heart. For an instant, my eyesight became blurry.

"Mate." Theo took a breath.

No. No, it is not possible. Not right now. Not when my garments still smelled like Viviana. Not with her body in the tomb below, cold.

My chest twisted with rage.

"What are you doing, in your opinion?" I stepped forward and barked. I sounded like thunder. "Slave—*respond to me!*"

I tore Aria from her arms and embraced her before she could say anything. My daughter did not cry, but she did moan lightly. I turned away from everything, including the girl and the crowd. I thought I was going to lose it.

What made the Moon Goddess so ruthless?

I had just laid my mate to rest. And now, with the eyes of a mate and the aroma of destiny, this stranger—this offering—was standing in front of me?

It was like being betrayed. It was insane.

It seemed like the start of something I wasn't prepared for.

Not quite yet.

Not right now.

Not while the remains of Viviana's tomb are still visible.

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