Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 144: Vikings On A Starry Night

[INCAYON]

"Good evening Obren. Once again it’s one of the most beautiful nights in the kingdom—" the werewolf King, began his speech as the wolves watched in silence and listened to him. They were attentive almost like they hadn’t always listened to his speech every year.

It always started the same way and nothing ever changed in the years that had passed anyway.

"—And with that, I would like to hand the floor over to the Incayo alpha Lim Dalrae," the king said as he looked at the spot where the alphas were.

He had noticed that all the alpha were there save for Dalrae, and was hoping to see whether the woman would also show up again this time. Everyone was looking around for Dalrae, but it seemed like no one knew where she was.

The king himself looked worried for some reason and the unsettling worry on his face made the wolves worry for Dalrae. Defying the king openly was something that could cost her a lot, but then it would have worked, if Dalrae had anything to lose at the moment.

"Oh, I’m sorry, your highness. The alpha has gone back to the pack house to get some wine for the guests. She told me to stand in for her while we waited.

"I know the alpha Kim should take over, but please let me do my duty, as an Obren wolf," a man in his mid-thirties suddenly said as he walked toward the king. He had taken advantage of the silence in the room when the king sought out Dalrae.

Instinctively the wolves made way for the man of the hour, who looked like a Viking warrior. He had extremely long hair that was curled up in a man bun, but even then, the bun didn’t seem to be holding all of his hair neatly at once.

He was dressed in a brown tank top, one that allowed everyone to see his scars and tattoos. He had violent claw marks on his chest, and had a rough beard that made him look like he had been living in a whole new reality than the one that everyone in Obren did.

"Please excuse me," the man said as the crown king took in his appearance.

He was muscular, way too muscular for a regular wolf as he claimed. His voice was deep and raspy and below his waist, he wore a baggy short, one that was rough on the edges, just like the man himself.

Every step he made, made the wolves feel like the ground was about to rumble in defiance. He looked like a ghost but then he wasn’t because everyone in Obren could see him.

As he made his way up, whispers were heard, about the man who had dared to interrupt the king’s speech.

They had all known that in times like these, the king only ever dealt with the alphas of the hosting pack, and yet right now, this man had dared to speak, when it wasn’t even his turn.

He had even ignored the fact that Alpha Kim and Luna Kim were present and could take over from the king himself. Oh, but he didn’t seem to care much about formalities.

"May I?" the man asked when he reached the king who seemed to be in shock for a moment there.

However, as fast as the king had been perplexed, so did he get back to his normal state, smiling at the man before him, despite the glares. He looked like someone’s nightmare and those who knew his story, knew that this was the werewolf king’s worst nightmare.

"Sure, go ahead," the king said and the man just smiled a little too brightly at the king, like he had practiced this very moment for years on end. It was creepy and yet sexy as hell, considering the men and women who were fawning over him.

There were already whispers of how his mate would be the luckiest wolf tonight, but then that wasn’t even an issue for the man. Because he had nothing like that on his mind. He had a lot of things to work through and frankly, a mate wasn’t one of them.

But if he got a mate, would he reject his mate? It was hard to tell that one, but maybe, just maybe there was some hope somewhere, right? For what though?

"Thank you, your highness," the man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm that even the alphas heard.

Of course, to everyone else, he sounded like a man who respected the king and was just doing his duty as a wolf in Obren, but then no alpha seemed to know him here, and that was something else. Who the hell was he?

"Hello Obren, as we wait for Alpha Dalrae, I would like to say it’s an honor to be here with you and more than anything, to be standing before our mighty and lovable king, Jeon Seojoon.

"I have idolized him for years and seeing him up close is a pleasure I will never take for granted, so I thank the alpha for giving me this rare opportunity. I don’t know what is supposed to be done here so I guess I’ll just say hello again, and introduce myself, yeah?

"Besides, this is my only chance to get the king to know me, even if I’m just another wolf in the thousands of wolves who have trusted him and loved him over the years," the man said and this time, he wasn’t even looking at the king.

He was looking at Alpha and Luna Kim, two people in the crowd who were dead silent. Hell, not even their heartbeats could be heard. It was almost like they were slowly hibernating or trying to get over the shock of what they were seeing right now.

The same was the face that most of the older wolves who had come to the festival wore. But as it was, many were oblivious to the interaction and just assumed that this was just another scenario with the wolves who wanted to be known.

But was that really it?

"Anyway, my nam—" the man began and the werewolf prince suddenly threw a fit of coughs.

It was almost like he was choking on something and the man who had the attention of everyone looked at the crown prince, with a smirk on his face, almost like he had expected this from Jeon Jungwoo, but had he?

"Oh, well, I guess we shall know my name later. Have fun everyone and please, physicians, come attend to our lovely prince. I’d hate to be remembered as the man who spoke and the prince coughed his guts out in the process.

"Thank you, your Highness for this chance, I guess I’ll find another chance to let Obren know me, right?" the man said loudly.

He then walked to the king, and stared the king in the eyes, holding the king’s stare, while the prince just kept on coughing, even when it was clear that he had started coughing to make sure that the man in front of them didn’t say a word about who he was.

"You look healthy, your Grace. I hope the crown prince is as careful as you. May the goddess grant you both good health," the man said as he bent and kissed the king’s hands, before disappearing into the crowd that had gone back to mingling.

*****

[A/N]

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