Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 110: Be Careful of What You Hear

[JIHOON]

"I can’t breathe," Jihoon said before he fell unconscious, giving into the darkness that had been calling on him for days now.

Han Seong looked at his old friend and he wished that he could tell him what was really affecting him.

He wanted to explain to Jihoon like a little kid what was happening to him, but Han Seong knew he would be risking so much if he spoke now, especially since the kingdom was yet to heal from the fact that they had lost Yanna in the hands of Rania.

It was a hectic case and for that Han Seong knew that silence was the only way for him to counter all that was happening at the moment.

Maybe there would come a time when he would tell the truth about whatever he was thinking, but until then, he wasn’t going to even try it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alpha Jihoon asked a week later, when he noticed that Han Seong had been staring at him like he wanted to know something but at the same time, he didn’t.

In the course of the week, Jihoon had gotten better, much to Han Seong’s relief, given he knew very well what was causing the Calindra alpha so much pain. It wasn’t even his pain, to begin with, but a side effect of the mating bond.

Knowing that Jihoon was feeling better reminded Han Seong that the person on the other side was also better. That was all he ended up feeling like maybe, just maybe, the universe wasn’t as cruel as Han Seong had thought it to be.

"I’m just glad you’re okay. Anyway, as you will know, I must take my leave back to the Valley of the Whites. If I’m gone for too long, my people will think I abandoned them and that isn’t the case," Han Seong explained, just as the crown prince walked through the door to where they were currently sitting.

They were in the alpha’s office and were talking over some mid-morning tea. They had nothing more to worry about at the moment because Jihoon was doing well.

"Damn, bro, you look better than you were last week. Han should really come often, don’t you think?" Prince Jungwoo said and Han Seong just facepalmed.

These two friends were crazy but then at least it did help that in the time that he had been here, he hadn’t heard them talk about Rania or even say that they would seek her out. It was like Kim Rania had disappeared and so had the memories they had with her.

Maybe that was a good thing, because finally, Kim Rania could live her life, but was she really? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"You do realize that if I come often, that would mean that he is sick often, right?" Han Seong said as he pointed to a shrugging Jihoon, and the crown prince just let out a laugh while Han just stared.

The two friends were happy and they had every reason to be. For a moment there, Han wanted to share in their happiness, given he was a neutral figure, but thinking of everything that these two had cost Rania, made Han question the things he believed in.

he wondered whether his friendship wth Jihoon was enough to keep him sane and eep him worrying about rania form a safe distance, or if he could just let his inner self out and lash out at Jihoon for being the stpidest of the Obren wolves.

"Not really. You could come and hang out. Trust me, Calindra is way better than the palace and there are happier people here than back there. My parents are suddenly having a wedge between them and the tension is too much.

"Anyway, don’t worry, we just want you to come whenever you are free. We should only be seeing each other when one of us is sick, don’t you think?" the prince said and Han nodded in understanding.

He wasn’t sure what else he could say to them given they had so much hope and light in their eyes maybe if Han Seong came they would be fine and maybe then, Han Seong would be able to tell if his friend was hurting too, besides, it wasn’t too much a price to pay, no?

"Well that sounds like a plan," Han Seong said to the prince and the Calindra alpha who had grown a little too close with all that had already happened.

However, he couldn’t help but wonder whether Rania was the reason they were this close or if there was another reason. Then again, maybe it was just the misfortunes of Rania that had brought them together.

Besides, what were the chances that the crown prince would ever meet with the psycho and end up being really good friends?

"Anyway, both of you, be careful of the words you hear and choose to believe, or even the people you choose to trust. Words are easily manipulated and sometimes what they could not always be the truth.

"If you understand that so well, then you will be able to get over whatever is sent your way," Han said and they both looked at him.

At first, they were worried about him, but then they also knew that there was a truth to what Han Seong had said. With power came so many compromising situations and if they were not careful, they would both end up putting the kingdom in jeopardy, even if they did that too.

It was common for words to be manipulated, but hearing it from Han reminded them that they lived in a world that had selfish people. A world that relied on false truths if it would get them what they wanted.

Maybe that was not comforting to hear, but what else could they do given reality was sometimes a bitch?

"That makes sense. Thank you. We will be careful and will definitely scrutinize whatever we hear out there. It is for the good of everyone anyway, given we’re both leaders," Prince Jungwoo said to Han, certainty in his voice making Han feel like if the prince knew the truth, then maybe everything would have been different.

If he knew why Rania had murdered Yanna, he would have had to side with Rania. It was what every rational wolf would have done, irrespective of their class. And even if the moral system would have favored Rania, the Obren laws definitely would have.

It was just a pity that Rania chose to take the fall.

"Well, you both do that. Because it is for your own good and, like you said, for your people. So many people’s lives have already been ruined just because of the issue of misinterpreted and misdelivered words and messages.

"You two need to be more careful to avoid any similar occurrences in the future," Han said and the boys agreed. They had no other option though because they knew how it would affect their people.

Maybe this was just a reminder, but why did it feel like there was a hidden message in Han Seong’s words? Why did it feel like there was more that they needed to pay more attention to and that would change so many lives?

"I shall take my leave then. Remember what I said,’’ Han insisted, as he got up from the table and excused himself. The boys who were still sitting at the table lit up and followed him outside, to bid him farewell. They knew that it would be a while before the next time they saw each other.

"Go well, Han Seong. And remember to visit us even during happy times," Jungwoo said and Han just nodded before he hopped onto his horse and left Calindra.

With Han gone, the two friends went for a walk, checking on their people in calindra and even talking about the state of affairs of the pack.

However, in the distance back at the alpha’s office, Lee Daehyun, the Calindra pack’s beta, had heard the conversation between Han and Jihoon.

Lee Daehyun had seen Han Seong multiple times and he had also known that Han Song also knew Rania on a personal level.

He had seen Han interacting with Dalrae, and their conversations hadn’t even been that of two officials, but of friends who had known each other for long.

The fact that Han Seong came to Clindra and talked cryptically, reminded Daehyun of that one time at the Obren palace when he had heard Rania whispering in her sleep.

’He was definitely talking about Kim Rania,’ Daehyun sighed before he walked out to join his alpha.