Page 75 of Alpha's Exiled Mate

A wave of reassurance washed over me.

“Let my daughter go,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady, though it trembled with the effort of caging my wolf’s rage, each word a battle against the urge to lunge. “This is between you and us, Orin. Anna’s just a child, innocent in all this.”

“A child?” Orin scoffed, his lips curling into a disdainful smirk, the dagger twitching closer to Anna’s throat, eliciting a small gasp from her that pierced my soul. “She’s your weakness, Lilia. The living proof of your pathetic, delusional life with Perock.” His tone shifted, softening into something unsettling, a disturbing glint in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on me, his expression twisting into something almost tender. “You know, Lilia, from the moment you stepped into the palace five years ago, I felt something for you. You were so gentle, so fragile, like a porcelain figure that needed someone to protect you from the world’s cruelty. Every time you smiled at me, my heart raced, my hands shook.”

His face darkened, a storm of longing and bitterness clouding his features, his voice taking on a bitter edge. “But after a while, it was like you became someone else entirely. You grew cold, distant, like you’d built a wall I couldn’t breach. When you returned for the alliance, I saw flashes of the old you—your gestures, the way you tilted your head, the cadence of your voice—and I started to suspect. Things didn’t add up.”

My stomach twisted.

“What’s more,” Orin continued, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness, “five years ago, shortly after you entered the palace, Perock asked me to look into your background. That’s when I uncovered too many inconsistencies. Your past, your habits, even the way you speak… When I thought back on it later, everything pointed to an impossible conclusion. And then, just a few days ago, when I happened to overhear your argument withPerock in the garden, it finally clicked. That sense of familiarity I felt about you—it wasn’t just my imagination.”

He stepped forward, his boots crunching on the gravel path, his eyes blazing with a volatile mix of pain and fury, the dagger still pressed to Anna’s throat, her small body stiff with fear. “Lilia, I waited for you for five years! I thought you’d walk away from the man who broke you, who didn’t deserve you! But instead, you…” His voice cracked, his grip tightening on Anna, who let out a soft cry, her eyes squeezing shut. “You had his child!”

“Orin, don’t hurt her!” I shouted, my voice breaking, my wolf snarling within me, its claws scraping at my restraint, ready to erupt. Anna’s eyes found mine, her lips silently forming the words I’m okay, a brave attempt to reassure me, but the tears shimmering in her gaze betrayed her terror. She was just a child, caught in a web of adult betrayals, her courage in the face of such fear a testament to her strength—and a knife to my heart.

I glanced at Perock, his eyes burning with the same worry tearing through me, but his nod was steady, urging me to keep Orin’s focus. Swallowing my rage, I softened my tone, letting a trace of vulnerability seep through, a calculated act to draw Orin’s attention, to buy Perock the seconds he needed.

“You’re right, Orin,” I said gently, my eyes locked on his, willing him to see the sincerity I forced into my words. “Five years ago, I was weak, lost, clinging to anyone who showed me kindness. Your support, the way you cared for me—I’ve never forgotten it. It meant more than you know.”

Orin’s eyes widened, a flicker of surprise melting into a desperate, almost childlike hope, his grip on the dagger loosening ever so slightly. “You mean that?” he asked, his voice trembling, as if grasping for a truth he’d long yearned to hear. “You actually remember?”

“Of course,” I said, taking a slow, deliberate step closer, my hands open at my sides, my posture non-threatening, though my heart raced, every nerve attuned to Perock’s silent movements. “I’ve always wondered… why? Why were you so kind to me, Orin? Why did you… care for me?”

His voice dropped, his gaze turning inward, lost in a memory that softened his features, a rare glimpse of the man he might have been before bitterness consumed him. “Because I saw the light in you, Lilia,” he said, his words fervent, almost reverent. “Even in your darkest moments, you held on to kindness, to hope, like a beacon in a storm. When Perock hurt you, when he cast you aside, I wanted to tell you there was someone who truly valued you, who saw your worth, who would’ve given anything to stand by your side…”

In that instant, Perock erupted from the underbrush, a blur of lethal grace, his movements swift as a striking hawk. He seized Orin’s wrist, wrenching the dagger away from Anna’s throat with a twist that made Orin cry out in pain, and drove an elbow into his ribs with a sickening crunch, the force sending Orin staggering.

“Dad!” Anna cried, her voice a piercing mix of relief and fear, her small body trembling as she broke free.

Orin’s dagger slipped from his grasp, clattering to the gravel, and Anna scrambled away, rolling to the side, her breaths coming in panicked gasps. Perock spun around in an instant, shielding Anna behind him while drawing his longsword and pointing it directly at Orin’s throat.

Seizing the moment, I rushed over and pulled Anna into my arms. Her small frame trembled against me, and I held her tight, trying to offer some comfort.

Orin quickly regained his footing, seemingly unfazed by the danger staring him in the face. A twisted, menacing grin spreadacross his lips as he sneered, “You really think this is enough to win?”

Perock’s grip on his sword tightened, and I could feel the raw anger radiating from him as he stood protectively in front of us. “You’ve betrayed the kingdom and broken your oath,” he said, his voice low and seething. “That’s something I can’t forgive. Orin”

“Oath? Loyalty?” Orin scoffed, his tone dripping with contempt. “Those are chains for the weak. The strong live by one rule alone—take what you want.”

“In this world, integrity only turns you into a sacrifice,” he continued, his voice growing colder. “Look at what my loyalty got me. I had to watch the woman I loved marry a man who didn’t even value her. I served a king who foolishly hurt her, only to pretend to regret it later with empty apologies!”

A flicker of genuine pain flashed in his eyes as he turned to me. “Five years ago, he wounded you so deeply. So why, after all this time, did you forgive him so easily? Five years, and you still chose him!”

I met his gaze calmly, carefully shifting my position to draw his attention while I replied, “It’s because of the bond of fated mates. That connection isn’t something I can choose.” I searched for a reason, a way to explain it that might avoid provoking his anger further.

“A bond?” Orin sneered, his voice laced with mockery. “That’s just an excuse! Do you even know what I’ve done for you? I was there to comfort you when you cried, to guide you when you were lost, to stand by your side when Perock ignored you! And what about him? He dismissed you, humiliated you for Sophia’s sake!”

“When you were in danger, I was the one who saved you! Me!” His voice cracked, his emotions spiraling out of control until all that remained was a burning hatred.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from the nearby woods. Several royal guards burst into the clearing, swiftly surrounding us. Orin’s expression shifted briefly, a flicker of unease crossing his face, but he quickly masked it with a cruel smile. “Perfect timing,” he said darkly. “You can all witness the downfall of this kingdom together.”

“Escort the princess and Anna to safety,” Perock ordered the soldiers behind him, his eyes never leaving Orin.

I shook my head firmly. “I’m not leaving.”

I was staying with Perock.

I gently handed Anna to one of the guards. “Keep her safe,” I instructed.