Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 153: Of Old Worthy Times & Habits

[INCAYON]

"Rani... What is eating you up? You can talk to me," Paloma said to Rani as the fire slowly burned out.

Chang Wook and Oshita had left a few hours ago for their insane mission, while Dalrae, Paloma, and Odelia had stayed behind.

Right now, Dalrae and Odelia were fast asleep, which was expected given how much fun they all had in the night. However, even then, Rani had stayed awake, like she was thinking about what the future held. She always was, anyway.

"Nothing. You worry too much," Rani said dismissively to Paloma who just sighed sadly. She knew that coming back to Incayon hadn’t been easy for the girl and she also knew that there was a lot that Rania would have to come face to face with.

So many things had been skillfully hidden from Rania by the people around her, and if she had managed to come back home even after her banishment, then it meant that she was so close to uncovering everything.

Paloma was right to be worried for her, because despite the anger and hate that Rani had in her heart, Paloma chose to believe in Rani’s good side.

The goodness in Rani’s heart had led her to love Dalrae unconditionally despite the fact that they had known each other and weren’t even siblings.

"The festival clock is running out. Will you go back to the humans with Chang Wook?" Paloma asked even though she knew that Rani hadn’t come this far just to go back. But she needed to be sure of it herself.

"You’re prodding again, Paloma. Let’s get some rest. We both need sleep alright? I’ll wake you up when the sun comes up," Rani said even though dawn was already here. She didn’t know what else to say, though she had a lot in mind at the moment.

She had been thinking of Jihoon for a while now and while she would never admit it, Rania felt the kind of emptiness that came with having no mate. She was avoiding the subject, but sadly her wolf was slowly weakening and she needed her mate to survive.

But she would die first before she went to Park Jihoon willingly.

Sure, she knew Jihoon was her mate, and if she wanted to, she could go forth and talk to him, but that wouldn’t make up for the energy she had spent over the years. It would beat the purpose of her mission back home.

"Fine. let’s sleep then," Paloma said and Rania just gave her a thumbs up. It didn’t take long before she heard Paloma snoring.

Rani could tell that her friends were tired and she wondered what the day would be like for them, especially when all of this was done and dusted. What kind of normal was waiting for them out there?

They had been hidden from the main festival and were safe out here but Rani couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Yanna went on and told her parents that she was back in the realm.

She wasn’t ready to face her parents, no matter how strong she felt.

She knew she was never going to be ready to face them, not like this anyway.

Unable to get some sleep, Ramia decided to walk towards the festival podium. She knew it was a huge risk, given the circumstances, but she needed to see for herself if the Incayon wolves were doing okay.

She didn’t doubt Dalrae’s powers and abilities, she just didn’t want Dalrae to be pressured.

So carefully, she took the potion that Han Seong had given her.

"Let’s spend the rest of our lives together."

"You’ll always be my always."

"I will love you forever."

"If it comes to war, I will go to war for you and only you my love."

"I’m so happy I belong to you."

Those were the endless whispers that Rania heard as she walked between the sleeping wolves on the ground. She could tell how happy they were and how determined they were to make their new mate bonds work.

However, Rani was a woman on a mission for her people, and frankly, she hoped that most of them were happy.

Everyone deserved to be happy at the end of the day.

In her quest, Rani found herself staring at the festival podium. It was easy being there because of the invisibility potion but damn, being this close with the royals was disheartening and made her want to run them over.

She could see the king, and the queen awake, unlike most of the wolves right now. They looked worried, bothered even and Rani was curious. She had always prayed for days when King Seojoon looked miserable, but she had never gotten that chance.

However right now, she could see them, and boy was she loving the idea of it all.

"Calm down. I doubt he is here for you right now," Queen Eunbi said.

Her voice was shaking and it was obvious that she didn’t believe what she was saying, and that it itself got Rani curious more than the question of what was taking Chang Wook and Oshita so long.

"He’ll kill me. You don’t understand," King Seojoon said, and Rani couldn’t help but want to meet the person who scared the king shitless.

"I could help them take you out honestly," Rania voiced and the two royals instantly turned to her direction. They couldn’t see anything, but she was standing there, smirking at them, daring them to see through the spell that Han Seong had cast on her.

However, before she could go on and creep the king out even more, someone covered her mouth from behind, something that didn’t even shock Rani.

"You shouldn’t be here, Rani."

"And you should be with Dong Moonbin. He was too excited when he found out the both of you were mates. One of us needs to be happy and not worry about what art of the world they’re going to burn, don’t you think?" Rani bit back and Jungwoo sighed.

Jungwoo, Rani, and Dalrae had once sworn to protect each other no matter what magic was before them, and that’s how Jungwoo was able to see his best friend. He could tell that Rani was about to give him a piece of her mind, so he gently dragged her to the side.

"He’s sleeping, like normal people unlike you. Anyway, you can’t sleep or is it that your dream of killing my father dearest is finally giving you the chance to make things right for yourself?" Jungwoo asked, talking about his father’s assassination like he was talking about breakfast.

"Well then, lucky you. I was doing great snooping and listening before you interrupted me."

"Yeah right, so you would scare them like ghosts?" Jungwoo asked and Rani just let out a knowing chuckle. So many years had passed and yet they still knew each other so well. If only they weren’t on opposite sides, but were they really on opposite sides?

"Of course imagine how pretty it would be to hear the great Seojoon squeal like a girl," Rania said and Jungwoo stayed silent for a while, before speaking again, only to leave Rani with more questions than answers.

"Kim Chang Wook," Jungwoo suddenly said as they sat on the ground.

"What?" Rania asked as she looked at Jungwoo like the man was playing some sick joke.

"The person father was talking about. He’s the only man that scares my father shitless and he’s here at the festival. If you had come earlier, you would have seen him. He looks like a Viking with so many scars and looks like he wants to squash Father with his hands.

"He’s the one person that scares my father, of course, after the endless secrets you know about them. But yeah, if you’re wondering who scares father dearest like that, then you have a name. Kim Chang Wook.

"Go sleep Rani, and no, I won’t answer any questions from you this time. The last time I asked, you sent me on a mission that jeopardized you and eventually ended up with you being banished.

"There’s only so much I can handle, especially since I know you didn’t tell the whole truth about the incident with Yanna. Careful on your way back, and stay safe," Jungwoo said, as he got up and walked back to where his mate was, leaving Kim Rania with so many questions.

Of the things she had been expecting, hearing that Chang Wook was the one that scared the king was so new, but nothing was scarier and raised more questions like the new fact that she had just gotten a hint of.

"Kim Chang Wook?" Rani sighed as she walked back to where her friends were sleeping. She had even changed her mind about going to scare the king, because this time, she had more questions about her friend than was possible.

Maybe Jungwoo was talking about another Chang Wook, right? But then what were the chances that Chang Wook made it known that he was using Rani’s last name as his own?

Oh, but Rani had so many questions and the first person who she could ask was Paloma.

When she got to their hidden spot, Rani was ready to ask Paloma what she knew about Chang Wook, but an excited Oshita and Chang Wook, along with what looked like a soldier’s ear, chatting happily, was certainly not what she had been expecting.

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Rani asked, postponing her questions about the Viking she had lived with for the past three months and the friend she had known for years on end.

Who was he though? And what had he done that got the king that scared of him?