As Azriel took the call from Markus, he immediately sensed the heaviness in his friend's tone. Concern etched across his face, he asked, "Why are you not okay, Markus? What's going on?"
Markus sighed deeply at the other end of the line. "Azriel, there's so much to tell. It all started when I visited the Back Forest Pack and found out that Alena, Lora's sister, was my fated mate."
Azriel's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he remained silent, letting Markus continue.
"She was...she was an opportunist," Markus explained, his voice filled with a mix of anger and sadness. "She discarded her mate bond with Alpha Alex without a second thought, hoping to secure her position with me and become the next Queen. It was disgusting. I rejected her, and the judgment in Elora's case was harsh. Alena a
