Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 143: The Beautiful Festival??

[INCAYON]

"We need to talk," Jungwoo said and Jihoon agreed before following the prince a little farther from the venue of the festival. He knew that whatever it was, had to be very important, given that the king would probably start his speech soon.

"What’s going on? You look tense," Jihoon asked when they reached a considerable distance from the crowd that was chattery and shit. He could see the worry on the prince’s face and that didn’t spell any good news to him.

"She’s back," Jungwoo said and Jihoon stared at the prince in shock, almost like the man was telling him that he had seen Yanna too.

The Calindra alpha was convinced he wasn’t insane, but then on the list of people that could get the crown prince this worried, Yanna Park wasn’t one of them.

Jungwoo would have been excited if it had been Yanna that he had found, but then the creases on his face, the fisting and unfisting of his hands, not to mention he seemed more alert than even the guards at the festival, Jihoon knew that someone else was here.

"Who?" he forced out, like he was hoping that it wasn’t who he thought. But then only one woman could have both of them on their knees and gasping for air. And if she was back, if that woman he had in mind was back, then they were more than just fucked.

"The one we all betrayed," Jungwoo said and Jihoon didn’t need to even think beyond anyone else. There was only one person that the both of them had betrayed over the years and she was the girl whose anger and fury would never go down unless she dealt with them.

"Kim Rania?" Jihoon breathed out defeatedly, ignoring the excitement that he felt when he talked about her thinking of Rani back in Obren.

He had figured that in the nine years and nine months that had remained, he would figure out a way to make things right with Rani, so that by the time she came back to the realm, she wouldn’t be out for their blood.

Jungwoo had betrayed Rania because he hadn’t believed in her.

He had chosen to side with Jihoon from the onset and that was also why it had been easier for him to get angry with Rani when Rani sent him to Jihoon to get the Calindra alpha’s side of the ’Yanna murder story.’

If the prince hadn’t been prejudiced and compromised then, he would have seen beyond everything that Rnia was telling him. That was the best friend that Kim Rania had known. The one who always kept an open mind. And yet Jungwoo had not done that.

Instead, he had been long compromised from the moment he heard that he had a sister and that she was dead by Rania’s hands. He should have trusted Rani, given Rani never did things just because she could.

"Yeah. Kim Rania is back in Obren and here at the festival, booking like the angel of death," Jungwoo said and Jihoon began pacing.

If this was true, then even he wasn’t safe. And it wasn’t because he had worked tirelessly to get Rania punished for Yanna’s apparent murder. No.

When Rania had first been rejected by her mate, Reece on her sweet sixteen, Jihoon had worked tirelessly to make sure that random men and women showed up to Rania to tell her that she was their mate.

He had paid them in gold and silver to go on ahead and break Rania’s heart. He had done it because he didn’t want anyone with her, and he wanted her for himself, but that in itself had cost Rani a lot.

Her mental health had deteriorated, and her world had turned dark, despite the fact that she was the next leader.

Jihoon had taken advantage of that, and he knew Rania knew that too.

"That’s impossible. She is not allowed back in for another nine years and more," Jihoon said, like he wanted to convince himself that Kim Rania coming back was just a lie.

Surely it couldn’t be, right?

But then if Yanna could come back from the dead, then Kim Rania could definitely come back to the damned realm, the one place that had everyone she wanted dead, or punished.

"We both know rules don’t mean shit to the woman. And she has stronger allies who wouldn’t hesitate to go to war for her. She even has warriors in Incayon who would pick up arms for her," Jungwoo said as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Surely this wasn’t what he had thought he would be coming to when he had suggested the festival. But what if Jihoon was right and it was impossible?

"Who even told you she is back?" Jihpoon asked when he figured that they had to prepare themselves for the worst with the woman.

"No one has seen Dalrae since morning. Also, her people say she was happier in the past week than they had ever seen her since Rani left. We both know that only one person means the world to Lim Lim.

"Do I need to continue?" Jungwoo asked with a frustrated sigh and Jihoon just raised a hand to stop him. This wasn’t good for any of them, and the sooner they faced it, the sooner they would be able to find a way to counter this.

But then if Rani was back, why wasn’t she here at the podium? Why wasn’t she making her way back home?

"Where did she go when she was banished?" Jihoon asked suddenly and Jungwoo looked at him like he was bonkers. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Are you—"

"Just tell me. Where did she go when she left the realm? Surely you must know that as the prince, no?"

"The human lands. Why does it even matter?" Jungwoo asked, not getting where Jihoon was headed with this pointless interrogation. They had a death machine roaming around and yet they were worried about where she had gone when she had left the realm?

"The human realm?" Jihoon asked right as Daehyun showed up to them, painting like he had been through hell to get to this point. Then again, what was the worst that could happen?

"Yeah. Where the humans live?" Jungwoo said, like it wasn’t the commonest thing.

"Daehyun, why do you think Rani went to the human lands when she had everywhere else to go. Why choose that very realm with the weakest of the creatures?

"It’s not like there is anything fascinating about humans, no?" Jihoon said and Daehyun stared at his best friend like he was insane.

"She went to Chang Wook, the warrior healer," Daehyun responded nonchalantly before adding, "The king is about to start his speeches. Come on. Also, where is Dalrae?"

"Are you sure it was really Chang Wook?" Jungwoo asked worriedly. If that was true, then there was a storm coming for them, and it was one that they wouldn’t be able to shelter themselves from fast enough.

"Yeah. I even confirmed it with spies. What’s wrong?" Daehyun said as he looked at the palace prince’s face. He had never imagined that Jungwoo would ever be this pale but then it seemed like things did happen anyway.

"Because if she really went there, then we need to prepare our army for the longest war. War is coming to the realm and we can only start preparing bunkers because none of us is ever going to be safe from Chang Wook," Jungwoo said and Daehyun sighed, looking freaked out.

"Dude, tonight is supposed to be a happy night. Why are you ruining it with mentions of war when Obren hasn’t been to war for thousands of years anyway?" Daehyun asked, clearly not impressed by the subject.

"Oh, trust me. If Rani went to Chang Wook and came back home, then he’s also somewhere in this realm. Which means that everyone is potentially in danger," Jungwoo said and Jihoon just laughed humorlessly and defeatedly at the prince.

"He’s a warrior healer, what’s he going to do other than heal people?" Daehyun asked, though he had a feeling that shit would go down real soon.

"Because he is THE Chang Wook in the myths. The man everyone has always been warned about in the books," Jihoon said and Daehyun stared at them blankly.

"And Rani’s older brother," Jungwoo added quietly.

"What?" was all Jihoon could manage, before the festival bells rang, indicating that the king had already begun his speech and they all needed to be there to hear him.

"Let’s go, Father is waiting for all of us."

*****

[A/N]

* Someone send breathing masks to Jihoon lol.