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Valerie felt a lump in her throat. "What are you talking about, and why are you speaking like Alpha Denzel?"

Ryker’s lips thinned, and he pulled the wig off his head, his gaze not leaving Valerie’s as he dropped it on the floor. "That’s because Ryker does not exist. It’s been me all along." His voice was calm as he revealed the truth to her.

Though seeing, it was still unbelievable. "No. Alpha Denzel doesn’t have a tattoo," she said with certainty.

Ryker reached for a bottle on the nightstand with a cotton. Emptying a little bit of the content on the cotton, he began to wipe the tattoo from his shoulders. Valerie’s breath hitched, and she sat on the bed, as her knees could not carry her due to the weight of the shock.

It began to make sense the way Alpha Denzel rushed out of the bathroom to take the phone from her.

All other attachments, including the beard and contact lens, were all removed right in front of her. Alpha Denzel knew it was not going to be easy, but it was better for him to tell her than for her to find out some other way. When he saw the pool of tears in her eyes, he felt terrible.

Never did he imagine that the realization of Ryker’s non-existence would cause her so much pain. "I’m sorry. I did not want anyone to know that my rejection was fake. At the same time, I wanted to train you," he said honestly.

The training she always longed for, she was getting without knowing. Then she remembered all the conversations she had with Ryker. It was impossible to believe that he was the same Alpha who arose so much fear within her.

"Do you know what you have done?" Valerie questioned with a teary gaze. Alpha Denzel shook his head as he sat beside her on the bed. Being the same person, it was hard for him to know the extent of the damage he caused her.

"You have toyed with my emotions. You gave me hope which was only a mirage. You killed my wolf. I hate you. I hate you so much," Valerie said with so much pain in her eyes, Alpha Denzel could feel his wolf shrinking back from her.

However, recalling all the conversations he had with her in both forms, she never hated him. It was so much like her to mention hate whenever she was upset.

This time, his tone was soft, though it was not disguised. It was more like the tone he used when he spoke to Christabel. "I know you don’t mean that. Val, I never hated you. I did everything for your safety, and if you really hated me, then you would have chosen to leave."

Valerie felt like a fool. She feared so much whenever she had to mention Ryker’s name, only realizing that he was the same person. Her heart was embittered.

What did he think of her? If he cared just a little bit about her, how could he play a prank like that? It was absurd. "I stayed because you saved my life," she declared. Yes, she felt indebted to him but not anymore.

"Everything I do is for you," Alpha Denzel said honestly, but Valerie rose to her feet frustratedly.

"I need space to think. I want to go back to the cottage," she declared. Alpha Denzel’s gaze darkened as he responded solemnly.

"That would never happen. Now that you know the truth, we stay together. The only reason I kept you at the cottage was that I didn’t know the person after me. Now that he’s gone, you don’t have to stay there anymore."

A tear dropped from her eyes, and he rose to his feet, facing her. As his hand stretched to wipe the tear from her face, she took a step back as if fire was approaching her face.

"Don’t touch me."

Before Alpha Denzel could say Jack, she bent a little, picked up a pillow, and threw it at him. For something so fluffy, he did not dodge but rather caught it, unknowingly angering her.

The next moment, she opened the fridge, and whatever her hand touched, being canned food, drinks, pastries, or whatever, they went flying from all directions until the fridge was empty.

Alpha Denzel could not dodge all the food items, though he hated to get dirty, ended up covered in food but never tried to defend himself. Whatever handy thing she could find, she threw them at him.

She was raging like a madwoman, Alpha Denzel forcefully caged her in his arms, as she struggled to break free. "Val, please stop and let’s talk about this," he said in a pleading tone, his grip on her tightening.

She was grateful that her shoulder injury had healed if not, she would have given up already. "No. Set me free and let me go."

Alpha Denzel’s gaze darkened irritably. "That would never happen. I would rather endure your hate." Before Valerie found a suitable response, a knock was heard on the door.

Neither Alpha Denzel nor Valerie made a move to get the door, but he slowly released her, her clothes stained with food just like Alpha Denzel’s.

The door opened from outside, and at the entrance stood Alessia.

Her jaws dropped, her eyes widening at the level of mess in the neat room she left just a while ago.

Broken bottles and food with cans on the floor. "What the heck happened here? Denzel, how did you get in? I was..."

"He is Ryker, Alessia," Valerie rushed into her arms and embraced her, feeling ashamed. There were things she told Ryker that she would not have said if she had known he was Alpha Denzel.

"Your brother doesn’t respect me. He toyed with my emotions, and I can’t take it anymore," Valerie cried. Alessia was at a loss but rubbed her back comfortingly. Alpha Denzel felt helpless. It was not true that he did not respect her. He knew that he did and even more.

"Denzel. You mean you were the same person I saw in the room?" Alessia asked with a tinge of shock in her voice. Looking on the floor and seeing the wigs, beard, and all, she needn’t be told that it was so.

"It was for her own good, and if you want to help, then please get some maids to clean this place. I will pick a few clothes and go to the Luna’s chamber," Alpha Denzel said, but as he approached the closet to get clothes to change into when he showers in the Luna’s chamber, Valerie broke from Alessia’s arms and blocked the closet door.

"No. That is my room, and you are not sharing it with me," she said seriously. Alpha Denzel smiled a little as he stated his terms.

"I will grant that wish if you accept to be my Luna."