Page 76 of Alpha's Exiled Mate

Anna clung to me, her voice trembling. “Mommy, I don’t want to go!”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I said, kissing her forehead. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Go with the guard. I’ll be with you soon.”

Orin suddenly burst into a chilling laugh. “What a touching scene! But I’m afraid you’ll all be parted forever very soon.”

Taking advantage of the moment Perock was distracted by his words, Orin moved with lightning speed, drawing a longsword that gleamed with an eerie black light from behind his back. “Today, you will all die!” he declared, his voice filled with venom.

Perock’s tone turned cautious as he gestured for me to step back. “His sword is infused with dark magic. Leave, now.”

I didn’t budge. “I won’t abandon you.”

Orin’s eyes narrowed, a flash of frustration crossing his face as he stared at us. “Why? Why do you always choose him, no matter how much he’s hurt you?”

“Because love isn’t about keeping score, Orin.” I replied, readying myself for a fight. “And besides, you don’t truly know Perock at all.”

“I know him better than anyone!” Orin roared, lunging at us with his black sword tracing an unnatural, sinister arc through the air.

Perock blocked the strike just in time, but we quickly realized that ordinary weapons corroded rapidly upon contact with the dark blade. Perock was forced to switch weapons repeatedly to keep up.

“I liked the old Lilia better,” Orin muttered after parrying one of Perock’s blows, his voice low and bitter. “The fragile, helpless princess who needed my protection, the woman who looked at me with gratitude…”

“That Lilia is gone,” I shot back coldly. “She grew up, got stronger, and learned to fight against her fate.”

A flicker of fear passed through Orin’s eyes. “Then I’ll make sure you never go back to being her!”

The battle intensified. Orin’s swordsmanship was excellent, and Perock was beginning to lose patience and stamina. I could sense something was wrong with him—his movements were growing sluggish.

I grabbed a sword from one of the nearby soldiers, silently thanking my mother for the grueling combat training she’d put me through over the past five years. She had taught me that I wasn’t just meant to be a kingdom’s heir—I needed to be a warrior, whether in wolf form or human form. Perock glanced at me with a mix of surprise and admiration as I joined the fight.

Together, Perock and I started to gain the upper hand against Orin. But I noticed Perock’s movements slowing even more, his face growing paler by the second. Something was definitely off.

“Perock?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.

“I’m fine,” he gritted out, though I could tell he was pushing himself too hard.

Orin seized the moment of distraction, thrusting his black sword toward Perock’s chest. I leapt in front of him, deflectingthe blow with my own blade, but the impact shattered my sword. Orin took the opportunity to kick me hard in the stomach, sending me crashing to the ground.

“Lilia!” Perock shouted, charging at Orin with renewed fury.

Despite his condition, Perock’s attacks remained fierce. Their swords clashed in a blur of motion, each strike faster than the last. I struggled to my feet, grabbing a new sword, determined to rejoin the fight.

Perock seemed to sense my intent and subtly shifted his position, guiding Orin toward a specific spot. I caught on to his plan immediately, circling around to position myself behind Orin, waiting for the right moment.

“Why?” Orin gasped between blocking Perock’s strikes, his eyes filled with confusion as he glanced at me. “Why does she still fight for you? After all the ways you’ve hurt her!”

I didn’t answer. I knew that someone like Orin, who couldn’t truly love, would never understand. He accused Perock of hurting me, yet failed to see his own actions—endangering my child, trying to destroy me because he couldn’t have me. Meanwhile, Perock was risking everything to protect us, even if it meant sacrificing his life.

My sword aimed for Orin’s back, the blade cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. He seemed to sense the danger and started to turn, but Perock seized the moment, driving his sword through Orin’s chest. Orin froze, staring in disbelief at the blade protruding from his body. At the same time, my sword pierced him from behind, the two weapons meeting in a fatal strike that ended his life.

“This… isn’t fair…” he muttered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

I stepped in front of him, looking directly into his fading eyes. “I’m sorry, Orin. You’ll never understand what real love is.”

A final spark flickered in his eyes, a fleeting trace of something—regret, perhaps, or resignation—then vanished as he collapsed, his body crumpling to the blood-soaked earth, lifeless, the ground darkening beneath him.

The fight was over, the clearing silent save for the distant clash of steel and the rustle of leaves in the night breeze. But there was no time to breathe, no moment to process the victory. I turned to Perock, my heart lurching as I saw him sway, his face ashen, his body trembling as if the strength that had carried him through the battle was unraveling.

“Perock!” I cried, dropping my sword and rushing to him, my arms catching him as he stumbled, his weight heavy against me.