Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 172: The Luna-In-Hiding

[RANIA]

The only way Daehyun would wield his weapons here in Incayon, was if he had to protect his Luna from all dangers, since that was the responsibility of every beta— to protect their beloved Lunas, but goddamn.

Incayon was included in that list of things that had proven harmful to Kim Rania.

This was crazy.

"Nothing, he’s just blabbering. Don’t take his words to heart. Anyway, now that everyone knows I’m the reigning alpha of Incayon and Dalrae is my beta, we need to get ready to f—" Rani tried, as she hopelessly attempted to change the subject.

However, with Daehyun here, it was hard to change it. She would eventually have to come clean and face her truth, but then what was she supposed to explain then?

That she had killed Yanna because the woman had taken her mate?

That she had hated Jihoon because the man was weak and had been an easy target?

That she hated Jihoon for sending other wolves to pretend to be her mates and her parents knew about it and did nothing? Which of those would she have to admit this time with her brother looking at her skeptically and angrily?

"He is the Calindra beta, and the realm is currently heating up, which means that he should be protecting his people and the most important people in his pack. The alpha and their Luna.

"Yanna is with them but she is in the dungeons, so it doesn’t make any sense why he would be sent to follow you here. He was careful and we hadn’t heard him, and that is something that only comes when a beta fully accepts his role and responsibilities to his Luna.

"If his alpha sent him here like this, and unarmed, it means my suspicions were true, weren’t they? That bastard Park Jihoon is your mate, isn’t he? He is the one that broke you the most when he should have stepped up, isn’t he?

"And you somewhat fucking care about him, no? That’s why you forced me to Calindra last night to check on him even though it was hours past midnight. What the fuck? Why didn’t you tell me? Or were you afraid I’d snap his neck like the little weakling that he is?

"What does that make this bunch of ungrateful wolves then?" Chang Wook asked angrily, interrupting Rania’s little speech, while the Incayon wolves had still stared dead silent, trying to make sense of all this madness.

None of them had expected that Rania was the Calindra alpha’s Luna. That could explain why Rania had attacked Yanna. Oh, the bits and pieces that were coming together weren’t pleasing to the mind and sight at all.

"Ah fuck it. It’s true, alright? Get up Daehyun and grab the weapons from the Incayon storage. And please for the love of the goddess, don’t call me your Luna," Rani said as she looked at the man who was still bowing before her.

She had never expected this from Daehyun of all the people, seeing how Lee Daehyun was always loyal to Jihoon. His being here was dangerous on so many fronts and honestly, that was creeping Rania out.

"What should I call you then?" Daehyun asked, even though he could tell that Rania was uncomfortable with the name.

He had come here for her and if they were going to the battlefield in a few minutes, they would have to communicate, though that didn’t exactly seem like what Rania was gunning for right now.

Then again, as Daehyun had said, the troops were coming their way and they needed to be ready before they were all doomed to fight a hopeless battle.

Maybe if they started early, they would be able to find their way out of this and figure out a means to winning the war against the whole realm. It sure did seem unfair to some extent but what else was he supposed to do then?

He had come for Rania, but he couldn’t call her by her name now, would he?

"Call me Alpha Rania. That works for me at the moment. And I can tell that you won’t drop the formalities, so I guess I’m stuck with you," Rania said to Daehyun who just nodded in understanding. If the circumstances were different, maybe they would have gotten along, right?

"I know I held the truth from you, Chang Wook, but that doesn’t change the fact that I hate him. Trust me, nothing has changed between me and him. The moon goddess can shove that mate bond up her ass.

"I still want to kill that bastard mate of mine for all the shit that has happened," Rani said to Daehyun who instantly got up and went to wait beside the warriors. He could tell that this pack had no idea of the relationship between Jihoon and Rania.

Then again, no one had known that yet until the universe started making things happen. It was something that they had never imagined. Hell, even Dalrae herself had managed to get the truth out of Rania in the most unpleasant of times and circumstances.

"As for everyone, yes, Jihoon is my mate. Yes, he was my only mate from the very beginning. And that makes me the Calindra Luna. Yes, I still want to kill him for what he did to me.

"I don’t feel shit for him other than hatred," Rania said though Dalrae didn’t believe her, hell even Chang Wook didn’t believe him. It was a long game and the sooner they got all the cards on the table, the sooner everything would make sense to them.

This wasn’t just about Rania being forced to admit that she was abandoned once again.

This was a reminder to the Incayon wolves that even with the pain of knowing that her mate had claimed another and even gone to war for another woman, she had still maintained her cool and had never once tried to ruin things.

She had been a good person in her pain, up until now. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"I hate him because he was the reason all of those mates that showed up rejected me. Because he didn’t want me to be with anyone else, while he was pining for Yanna who wasn’t even his mate.

"And while you want to know the truth, do remember that I am only telling you this, because I’ll be commanding us to war, and we don’t want any secrets dividing us.

"Park Jihoon with the help of my parents, or rather the Kims who graciously disowned me, which is nothing new at this point, they both managed to get in touch and send me people who weren’t my mates.

"Yanna went to a warlock to concoct a potion that dampened our mate bond, and I had to stab her with the blade to break her magic bond with Jihoon so my mate would be free. Goddess I hate saying this, but what choice do I have?

"So yes, I am technically the Calindra Luna, and by law, the beta is always to protect a pack’s alpha or Luna. Hence Daehyun is here. Anyone who has questions can ask me later, but for now, as your reigning alpha, this is my command.

"Protect the Incayon borders and make sure no warrior who doesn’t belong to Incayon crosses into our home. I trained you better for that. I know you don’t have to go to war for me, and you don’t need to, but for Incayon, the borders must be protected.

"And I’m sorry for rushing you with the truth like this. Maybe someday I will be able to give you better versions, but until then, we fight to protect our home," Rania said and the wolves nodded in understanding before dispersing to take up arms.

It was strange that everything had taken this turn, but Rania knew that they were doing it just because she had commanded them as their alpha. All the years Incayon spent despising her were way too long for them to come again and pretend that they were suddenly on the same page.

"You knew?" Chang Wook asked as he looked at Dalrae.

"If it helps, just know that it wasn’t easy getting it out of her. I had to give her conditions, a lot of them," Dalrae shrugged softly, as she looked at two delinquents who had woken her up. Then again, she could tell that Incayon was about to be fun again.