Mated to A Rival Alpha-Chapter 253: Baby Steps, Or Ridden Steps

[At the mating Festival]

[RANIA]

Kim Rania had tried her best to cope with the human lands, but in that period, she had learned a thing or two about what her best friend thought of her sister.

She knew he had a thing for him and she knew he would deny it even if the world was ending right that moment. She never intended to push him to tell her the truth, but she hoped that there would come a day when they would both be free of their hurdles.

However as they made their way out of the human lands and back into the kingdom that had forsaken and broken the two of them, Rania knew that something was amiss.

She knew she would have to try and be the judge of the impossible.

This was also why when Chang Wook spoke, she wasn’t in the least bit surprised.

"Rani, I have an ask," Chang Wook said to Rania when they had just met Dalrae. She had come for them earlier and had managed to sneak them to the festival.

No one had seen them yet thanks to the spell that Chang Wook had cast, but it would wear out soon because they didn’t intend on being invisible for the whole of the festival.

They had come to make a statement and it was one they would do no matter what happened.

"Hold on, are you okay? You look tense and you are never tense. Did you see someone from your past? Do we need to go back? I can always postpone coming back.

"I’m sure Dalrae will understand too," Rania said worriedly as she looked at her best friend who was seemingly worried and stressed out.

In the time they had been in the human lands, Rania had only seen Chang Wook worried just once and that was the time when Rania had made herself a target of the werewolf hunters. After that, she had seen him go back to normal.

It was like a one-time thing but right now, the big ass man in a Viking body was freaked out and it was strange. Whatever had happened to the man who had been ready to break a few bones earlier??

"I am okay. It’s just... Do I Stink?" Chang Wok asked and Rania straight up snorted at him.

He couldn’t be serious, could he?

Well, another look at the hopeless man beside him, Rania saw a child in a man’s body. It was like he wanted to please someone but who could that be? Then again, maybe he is preparing for his mate since they are at the mating festival.

Maybe he would get a mate too, right?

"I don’t know what is going on in your head, but this is strange as fuck. And no, you don’t stink. Where did you even get that idea?" Rania asked with a laugh.

She hadn’t thought that the man could be nervous about the mating festival, but maybe he had come to expectations and a mate was part of his goals this time.

"Do you think she will look at me like a dumb giant? What if she tells me to leave? What if she comes and says that all of this is a nonissue and that we need to go back? What if she sells us out?

"What if she sacrifices me for your freedom? What i—" Chang Wook rambled on and Rania couldn’t just take it anymore.

She just didn’t see herself sitting through this for the whole two days of the festival. The fact that their friends hadn’t even arrived yet was making her feel like her ear was going to burst if she continued listening to the panicking man.

"Lim Lim, I need a favor. Can you take care of Chang Wook while I walk around before the spell wears out? He is new to Obren and we don’t want her burning people with his magic, pretty please?

"I won’t be gone for long, I will find you, or I will find me with the magic tracker that he put on me," Rania said and Dalrae just shrugged.

It wasn’t a big deal, so she figured that it would be nice to know someone else on Rania’s team right? Besides, this man here seemed to be very protective of Rania, and that gave her a reason to trust the man.

"Thank you. Don’t worry, he won’t do anything stupid," Rania said while Chang Wook looked at her like she had gone bonkers. Did she just indirectly pair him with the new woman who was making him panic endlessly? Oh, but Kim Rania was something else.

"Great! Just leave me with the woman who could snuff the life out of me. Just great, Rani. Why can’t I come with you?" Chang Wook said, as he slowed down and added the last bit slowly.

He didn’t want to go with Rania and Rania knew that too. She had him focus on Dalrae more than their conversation as they had come back to the realm. It wasn’t surprising anymore, but at least she understood him well and was rooting for him.

Besides the worst that could happen was her rejecting him, which would be obvious because she had her sister who had sworn off mates and their mate bonds were very dormant.

"Dude, relax. I don’t bite," Dalrae said as she continued walking towards the Incayon alpha’s office. She had nothing to do at the ceremony yet, because she needed to make sure that the burners were protected. So this was her trying to make sure all was well.

"Of course, they always say that all of them before they start biting. Who knows? You might be as wild as my sister and bite me too," Chang Wook said and Dalrae looked at him with a raised brow, and this time, it was his turn to shrug.

"You’re too smart and I know you figured it out the first few times you came to check on her," Chang Wook said before he realized just how that sounded.

He had just admitted that Rania was his sister, to the girl who had been determined to protect Rania from any, and all emotional attachments that she wasn’t sure of.

Chang Wook was an uncertain landline and she would be protecting her sister from him, even if he was adamant on asserting that they were siblings.

"Well then. I doubt you want me to tell her. So you are going to do me a favor, in exchange for keeping your secret," Dalrae said and Chang Wook just stared at her blankly.

"We literally met hours ago. The last few times you came to talk to Rania alone. How the fuck does that make me and you acquaintances or whatever the hell this is?" Chang Wook mused and Dalrae looked at him, and then the direction that Rania had gone in.

She made him think that she was about to tell Rania of the relationship the two had, but then maybe she wasn’t, right?

"Gee fine. What is it then?"

"Go represent me at the festival. I don’t feel like standing there with people that hurt my sister. I need to be with Rania and make sure she is alright. I know she is, but I just want to be there for her," Dalrae said and Chang Wook considered his options.

He wanted to spend more time with her, but he wasn’t sure she was ready to know about his attraction to her. Not when she was worried sick about Rania anyway.

"So you are a deserter?"

"More like someone who doesn’t want to interact with these annoying wolves today. Go on and I won’t tell her that you just confirmed a relationship that not even the oldest in Incayon know of.

"Your existence alone isn’t even in the books. Are you sure you and Rani are si—" Dalrae teased and Chang Wook rushed to her, covering her mouth with his hands, an action that shut the both of them up instantly.

"No. No. This can’t be. No," Dalrae said as she made steps away from Chang Wook.

"I’m sorry, Dalrae. I know of your pact, and I don’t intend to act on whatever we both just felt. Just pretend it didn’t happen. Whatever choice you make, I will be fine with it," Chang Wook said and Dalrae just stared at him in silence.

And Chang Wook took that as a rejection of sorts.

"I’ll go represent you. Take care of Rani. Please make sure she is alright. Excuse me."