Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 102: Hold On... Just A Little Longer

[RANIA]

For the few hours that remain before Rania was an Obren rogue, the two sisters chose to bond instead of cry over spilled milk. They spent the best of their time together, playing useless games that made them both smile, making each other promise of forever, and defending each other.

It was a hearty few hours, most of which they would both hold dear in their hearts. Granted, they were already used to each other and their bond, but with time making their choices a tad bit harder, they knew they had to hurry.

After all, there were some choices they would make.

"Stay a little longer, Rani. No one will know. I will protect you," a teary-eyed Dalrae said to Rania who was at a loss for words.

She had been preparing her sister for this day, for the day when she would eventually leave and yet as they looked at each other now, as Rania took in the messy face that Dalrae was wearing, she felt her heart break a little more.

She had been too lost in their bond to even think of how hard this was going to be. But then again it wasn’t like they had anything else to do. At the end of the day, there would be wolves hunting Rania, and Dalrae would always be waiting to fight those wolves to the death.

"I will see you in three months, my love. Don’t think about the time too much, because then you will feel empty—" Rania began but Dalrae didn’t need that reminder.

So she pulled Rani into a hug, one that would last a lifetime, a hug in which the sisters breathed each other in, like they both were scared of forgetting what their scents were like.

This had to be the hardest thing they had done in their lives, but then it wasn’t like fate was willing to compromise. They both knew the warriors would be alert and ready to try and fight Rania.

The supernatural realm was already made aware of the fact that Rania had murdered Yanna and Rani stood no chance against a horde of wolves. Well she did, but with the thoughts running through her mind, Rani didn’t even want to fight anymore.

At the end of the day, she was always going to be the hunted wolf.

"Please be careful out there. Don’t let yourself be in trouble. And if you go to the humans, trust no one, Rani.

"Everyone is a devil on their own, and while it may take me a while to avenge you, I would prefer you live a happy life and not have people trouble you," Dalrae said, having figured that they didn’t have the best of luck in the road as sisters.

Maybe in another time, they would be beside each other, helping each other fight the horrors of their world. Maybe when that time came they wouldn’t have to pretend to be okay with the current situation.

"I will, DalraeI swear it," Rania said, breaking away from the hug. Her time was up and she could tell by the way Dalrae was looking at her sadly. This was not fair, but when has anything ever been fair to Rania?

Her parents had disowned her, which meant that even if she came home, she would only be coming back for Dalrae. She didn’t have a home in the home she had, but that was her punishment for fighting for what was hers.

Maybe that was her fate for going against nature to try and protect herself. Maybe that was all she had to endure for being the ultimate alpha, the woman who never looked back when it meant saving her people. But wasn’t this too harsh a price to pay for a hybrid?

"I’ll miss you, Rani," Dalrae said as she sniffled. She wasn’t ready to lead a life without rain. The two weeks that Rai had been in Drarun had already messed with Dalrae enough, and yet the universe was in them apart again. It just wasn’t fair.

"I’ll miss you too, Dalrae. No Come along love, I need to walk you back home,’’ Rania said and Dalrae just stared at Rania.

Even when Rania’s life was in danger, she was looking out for Dalrae. She would probably be hunted when she came to Incayon and she knew it, but then there was a firmness in Rani’s voice, the kind that told Dalrae that the decision had been made and that she needed to follow it.

"If you insist," Dalrae said, wiping her tears as she began the walk with Rani back to Incayon.

It wasn’t a long road, since Rania had insisted they be in their wolf forms.

Dalrae had a grey wolf, but Rania’s white wolf was too beautiful, too perfect. Earlier, Dalrae had sent her horse back home and now all she had for her company was her heartbroken sister.

As they ran back to Incayon, side by side for one last time, Rania couldn’t help but feel like her world was always going to be void. She had done everything the wolves had wanted.

She had been the alpha that saved Incayon from anything and everything. She had loved them unconditionally and protected them and yet in the end, they chose to send her away. They chose to banish her.

The mistreatment of Rania by her own people had been witnessed by the Odelia troll, a creature that fed on blood and anything that lived. And yet for the first time, six years ago, when Rania had ran into the troll, in her defeated state, the troll had nursed her back to life.

The beats of the night had taken pity on the girl who had lost everything for loving too much. It was a harsh reality, and it was suddenly hitting Rania when she was running back home.

’Maybe it never really was home for me. Maybe I was never meant to stay, maybe they should have dumped me on the sidelines when they bore me,’ those were the thoughts that Rania had been sleeping with daily, even when she managed to smile and be happy alongside Dalrae every morning.

It was like she didn’t want Dalrae to see her broken, and defeated, but Rania was always broken. She was always going to be defeated by the same people who should have loved her. Because she loved them a little too much to walk away.

"We’re here, Dalrae. Remember our promise, and be careful of love," Rania said once they both shift into their human forms.

Dalrae was still in denial and more than anything, she was angry. She was mad at everyone who judged Rania without listening to her. She wanted to get justice for her sister and best friend, but then wasn’t she a little too late?

Maybe if Rania had been open and told Dalrae about the truth, they could have saved Rani. But what if Rani just never wanted to be saved in the first palace?

Incayon had given Kim Rania so many rejections. They had done to her the impossible and proved their inhumanity to her. They had ruined her and still expected her to show up for them, which she always did. Maybe Rania was the definition of cursed.

"Goodbye, sister. I will wait for you, always," Dalrae said before she was forced to wave at her sister who was waiting for her to go back in.

Even though Rania was the one in danger, she had made sure Dalrae was safe back home. It was a commitment Rania had made and even if this was her fate, she would never let anyone harm her sister.

As the gates of Incayon once again closed on Kim Rania, with her heartbroken sister watching painfully from the other side of the gates, Rania knew she was officially in her terrible version of hell.

She had put up a strong fight for Dalrae, she had made sure her sister was safe, and now when it came to her fighting for herself Rania felt like she was tired of fighting. That was all she had been doing since her sixteenth birthday.

She was fighting her demons and everyone’s demons and here and now, she didn’t have enough strength to fight for herself.

Or maybe she just did that too.

"I wanna sleep for an hour or two," Rania said, but right before she could lay her head on the ground, right before she could even shift into her white wolf which could give her warmth, someone showed up, someone Rania hadn’t expected, ever.

"You don’t get to give up after coming this far. Come on little warrior, I’ll walk you to the borders, Rani."