Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 165: And He Knew, Hers, Was His Fight

[RANIA]

"Even in your sleep you look so good," Rani whispered silently when she finally found Jihoon. He looked tired and like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. However, even then, he still managed to look handsome as hell, with his hair in a messy bun. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The alpha was lying on a heap of hay, ignoring the insects that were feasting on him. And that was a sight that made Rania feel like her heart was about to burst.

"I stayed away so you wouldn’t suffer, and yet it seems like each time you will always suffer because of me. I’m sorry," Rani whispered defeatedly.

She hated this man so much that she could kill him, and yet with the same intensity, she loved him and wanted him close.

She wanted to spend time with him, to know him better. She wanted to see him happy and be there for when he celebrated his achievements. She wanted to be with him but there were so many things that were between them.

Maybe there would come a day when Rani’s love for the man would outweigh the hate she had for him.

Maybe then, they would find ways to be together, but until then, she was her because he had crawled onto her indirectly.

"I need your help with carrying someone," Rani said when she walked out, and went to her brother who was waiting, the grim look on his face, enough to send anyone away.

But Kim Rania wasn’t just anyone, and the grim look never worked on her anyway.

"You want me to what?" Chang Wook asked disbelievingly.

His sister was a piece of work. It wasn’t enough that she had dragged him into Calindra to the horse stables, of all the places, but now he was here to help her carry someone? What the hell was he even supposed to say to that?

"Shhh... Keep it low, the warriors might hear us, and I don’t want anyone in Calindra knowing we are here," Rania said and Chang Wook just rolled his eyes at her.

If they want to be here then what in the goddess’s name were they even doing here? It wasn’t like this was the perfect hiding place for them and even the healthiest place.

"You little—" Chang Wook began when his sister dragged him into the stables, holding back her laugh as she watched her brother squirm at the sight of horses.

For someone who was good at horse racing. This man sure feared them a lot. It was a mystery that Kim Rania would work on solving some other day, just not today.

"The Calindra Alpha??? You dragged me through this madness to come for the man you hate more than life itself?

"Are you fucking nuts?" Chang Wook asked, clearly not believing that his sister, the same woman who had always prayed for Jihoon’s death, was the same one putting him in this position that made him feel like he was being used for other things.

It just didn’t make any sense to him.

"Help me carry him to the alpha’s house. I’ll lay him in bed and then we can leave. Come on, you huge man. His being here is bothering my wolf and I can’t be at ease until I am sure he is okay.

"I don’t know what is happening with him, and I don’t want to care, but my wolf is determined to see him safe. So the sooner we get him to a better position. The sooner we will be out of here.

"It’s that easy, right?" Rania said with an excited tone, but her brother could read through the worry and anger in her voice.

Chang Wook could sense the endless questions Kim Rania had about this man, and frankly, even a blind person could tell that it wasn’t just Rania’s wolf that wanted the man to be well.

It was Kim Rania herself.

Then again, Chang Wook had learned to never ask questions, especially when it came to Rania.

His sister would open up if she wanted to, and if she didn’t, then she would always manage to come up with ridiculous excuses about the situation and that is what was happening there.

He could tell, and he could tell that she had silent wishes that everything would be better.

Maybe someday his sister would be happy, but until then, he would do as she wanted, even if she wanted him to accompany her to chop off the king’s head.

"Fine, you’ll owe me a can of beer for this," Chang Wook said, and Rani smiled at him, making him know that he would surely be getting that can of beer.

Looking at the man on the haystack. Chang Wook could only hope that whatever it was that was with the two mates, they would be able to sort them out.

Because the mate bond wouldn’t have forced them to this point, if the two didn’t have feelings for each other, however miserable they made each other. Maybe that was their love language anyway.

"Hold on, I hear footsteps," Chang Wook said before he could pick up Jihoon.

Calindra was a strong pack and he knew that the warriors would have to be patrolling day and night to make sure that their pack was safe.

And right now, the warriors were about to meet two siblings doing the unexpected in the damn horse stable.

"I’ll go take them out. Just take that man to his chambers," Rani said, already pulling out his sword and her brother just chuckled.

Only Kim Rania would try to take out warriors who were doing their duties, while she was protecting their alpha from them. It didn’t even make any sense, given the relationship that Jihoon had with his warriors was very good.

"What are you waiting for? Carry him, I’ll be out there," Rani said but her brother stopped her.

"You can’t seriously think you will be protecting the alpha from his own people. The same people that love and adore him. You, on the other hand, are his sworn enemy, and the warriors will have every reason to ring the bells, Rani.

"I’ll carry him to his chambers, but you have to come along too. I’m not going alone. And don’t worry about the warriors, they will be gone after a few checks," Chang Wook said and Rani let out a sigh of relief.

She didn’t want to put Jihoon in a tough position but then she didn’t have so many options anyway. If anything, she was thinking with her heart and that, on many occasions, had proven to be lethal to many.

"Fine, let’s go. You can make us invisible so we don’t run into them," Rani said, finally agreeing with her brother.

It was going to be a long road ahead, but just this once, she would relish the moment. And so with the spell cast, Chang Wook portaled them to the front of Calindra’s pack house, after which they walked in with Jihoon.

The man was breathing slowly, and anyone could be sure that he was asleep, but was he?

"You can’t stay here, Rani, come along," Chang Wook reminded Rani once they put Jihoon on the bed.

"Just one minute, please. This could be the last time I see him this close without telling him how much I hate him," Rani said and her brother nodded in understanding.

"Fine. The clock’s ticking."

With her one-minute clock on the run, Kim Rania knew that this was truly her last chance.

She knew that there wasn’t much that she could do at the moment, but she was also sure that no matter what happened she would have said her goodbyes. So she looked at the sleeping alpha watching as his chest rose and fell rhythmically.

He looked so harmless and she was attracted to this ’innocence.’

He looked like he couldn’t have been duped by a psychotic vampire for her own benefit, but what else was there, right?

"Goodbye, nae Jun," Rani said, kissing the alpha’s forehead.

She could feel the sparks that erupted when her lips made contact with his dirty forehead, but she chose not to focus on them. She knew if she did, then she wouldn’t have the strength to leave, and she really needed to leave Calindra.

With one last look, Rani walked out of her mate’s room, hoping to the goddess that the universe would someday be fair to them.

As the door closed, Park Jihoon let out a strained sigh, as he fought back the urge to go after Kim Rania.

This time, he was sure that Yanna had been right; and he didn’t know how to feel about that.

*****

[A/N]

"Nae Jun" = "My Jun"

Jun = Rani’s endearing name for Jihoon