The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 36: Don’t come crying

"Aren’t you here to see me?" Radulf asked.

Zenna didn’t respond, instead she fidgeted with the edges of her gown.

"Come inside," Radulf said and walked in. She followed him in and saw him pouring a glass of wine for himself. "Do you want to drink?" He shifted his gaze at her.

"No, thank you," Zenna replied.

"Hmm. Have a seat then," he said, gesturing toward the armchair. She settled into it, watching as he sat on the main sofa, casually swirling the wine in his glass, his eyes never leaving her.

"May I know what your wolf is called?" Zenna asked cautiously, breaking the silence.

Radulf met her gaze, taking a slow sip of his wine before smirking. "You’ll have to figure that out," he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Zenna demanded, her hands clasping tightly in frustration. "You can’t be so secretive about something like that. Just tell me your wolf’s name," she added, her tone firm.

"Black," Radulf finally said.

Zenna’s lips curved into a soft smile. "That’s a beautiful name," she murmured. Rising to her feet, she added, "I’ll be going now."

Radulf’s voice stopped her mid-step. "Was finding out about my wolf the only reason you came here?" he probed.

"Yes," Zenna replied sharply. "You’ve already refused to tell me anything about yourself, so I shouldn’t even bother asking," she added sharply.

He could see the resentment simmering in her eyes, and it struck a chord of guilt deep within him. He knew exactly where that hatred stemmed from. He was the one who had pushed her to harm herself, the one who had broken her spirit and left her scarred.

"My father, Alpha Zarath, was a great man," he said suddenly. "I don’t understand why no one has told you about him in the last four years. Or perhaps," he added, his gaze fixed on her, "you never cared to know what happened in the past. But as far as I know my father, he never would scheme against the Alpha King. I was furious at you because you thought..." His voice faltered and he paused.

"Forgive me," Zenna apologized promptly. "I should have been careful with my words. I never asked anyone because I felt they might feel angry and upset. Also, they believed your father committed treason as far as I’ve heard the gossips. It was wrong of me to believe them," she stated.

"Why are you like this?" Radulf suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Zenna blinked at him in confusion.

"You apologized too easily, and you trusted my words despite everything I’ve done to hurt you," he muttered as he brought the glass to his lips and finished the last remnants of wine.

Zenna stared at him, bewildered. ’Why is he talking like this?’ she wondered.

"Don’t go to the tea session tomorrow, even if your sister has summoned you," Radulf advised.

"I’ve already told you, it’s impossible for me to refuse," Zenna replied. ’Why can’t he understand the simple reality that you can’t say no to royalty? Their commands are supreme, and disobedience only invites trouble for everyone.’

Radulf leaned back as he rested the glass on the side table. "Alright, then. Have fun. But don’t come crying to me if something bad happens," he said with a mockery.

Zenna’s eyes narrowed at his taunt. "What worse could possibly happen to me when I’ve already endured more pain than most?" she retorted, reminding him how much she had endured living with him.

"So, you think I’ve inflicted more pain on you than anyone else?" Radulf asked.

"Yes," Zenna replied without hesitation.

Radulf flinched at her blunt response, the words hitting harder than he expected. "I never asked you to take that step," he said defensively.

"You didn’t have to," Zenna countered sharply. "I did it because of you. You blame me for everything. Even earlier after arguing a little with me, you chose Nina over me. How would you feel if I chose another man over you for a run?"

Radulf’s expression darkened, his frustration boiling to the surface. "I was upset with you. You called my father a traitor!" he snapped.

Zenna didn’t flinch at his outburst. Instead, she rose gracefully from her seat. "Tell Black that I like him," she said coldly, "But I hate you."

With that, Zenna walked out of the chamber, her presence, and her scent, fading with her absence now.

In the silence that followed, a laugh echoed in the back of Radulf’s mind.

"She likes me, Radulf, but she hates you," Black whispered smugly, amusement clear in his voice. "I’m so delighted she finally noticed my efforts," he added, almost gloating.

Radulf chuckled bitterly, pouring himself another glass of wine. "Aren’t you and I the same, Black? What exactly is she implying with her statement?" he mused, shaking his head as the wine swirled in the glass.

"She clearly meant she wants to see me more than you," Black said.

"Then I’m not shifting for a while," Radulf muttered. He downed the wine in one swift gulp. "Let’s see how much hate she can truly hold in her heart for me."

"No! Don’t do that. I want to—" Black’s protest was abruptly silenced, his voice cut off mid-sentence.

"Don’t upset me further," Radulf warned. He leaned back in the sofa, his grip tightening on the empty glass. "And stop worshipping Zenna like she’s some kind of Goddess," he added bitterly, placing the glass on the table. Standing up, he headed to the washroom to have a shower to cool down himself.

However, in the shower he kept bothering where he was wrong so far. His conscience would hit him again and again to apologize to Zenna in a way that she would feel it, but at the same time, he would feel reluctant to do anything about that.

Stepping out of the washroom after a cold shower, he ran his fingers through his damp hair. "Well, this is what I wanted. To keep Zenna away from me even if she’s my mate," he murmured, turning his head to look at the large round mirror a few feet away from him.