The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 148: Certain of my feelings

"I went to Zenna to learn more about you," Nina admitted with a steady gaze. "But so far, I still don’t understand you. Aria, however, told me that you’re a great man—not like your father, who betrayed the Luna Queen."

Leon’s expression remained unreadable as he crossed his arms. "So, you think I’ll cheat on you?" he asked in a calm voice.

"I never said that," Nina countered, shaking her head. "Princess Aria said those words to me." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I want to find a home here with you. We’re engaged, yet every conversation we’ve had so far makes it clear that you resent me."

She met his gaze, searching for any trace of emotion. "I may not fully understand you, but I can feel it, Leon, you don’t want me here, do you?"

"Do you have the strength to hear the truth?" Leon asked.

"Of course. I don’t like being kept in the dark," Nina replied without hesitation.

Leon’s gaze didn’t waver. "Then I’ll be honest. I never wanted you here." He revealed, but before she could react, he continued, "However, we are engaged now, and I want to look forward to this relationship."

Nina studied him carefully, searching for any sincerity in his words. "Are you serious? Then why do I still feel like someone else is in your heart?" she asked, staring deep into his eyes.

Leon didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his thoughts spiraled into the chaos he had been trying to suppress.

’Yes, I have someone in my heart... but she can never be mine unless I kill Radulf. But will that be easy? Father has promised to make me the next Alpha King only if I take Radulf’s life. If I stay in this position, I can never tell the world that I’m not the biological son of the King and Queen. Leaving this place isn’t an option. And Zenna... I’ve already hurt her. She only sees me as a brother, nothing more. I’m trapped in a fate I can’t escape.’

"So this relationship will always be at stake," Nina said, her tone firm. "We don’t even know when, or if you’ll ever be ready to acknowledge me. Leon, I suggest you refuse this marriage. I don’t think we should go through with it."

She spoke without hesitation, uncaring of the consequences. If he couldn’t even be honest with himself, there was no point in forcing a bond that would only bring them both misery.

Leon’s eyes darkened slightly. "I thought you wanted to understand me."

"I did," Nina replied. "But you refuse to cooperate. You love speaking in circles, avoiding the truth instead of just saying what needs to be said." She exhaled sharply. "I came here hoping to build something real between us, but how can I do that when you won’t even let me in?"

"We’re not getting married tomorrow," Leon said. "Let’s give each other a month."

He needed time, not just to figure out his feelings, but to understand what he truly wanted from his life. The palace felt like a gilded cage, and even if the chance was small, he still hoped to find a way to escape. If no path revealed itself, then at the very least, he needed to know if Nina could truly be a part of his future.

Nina narrowed her eyes. "Don’t ruin me, Leon," she warned. "If you’re truly a man, keep that in mind. Once you mark me, you know what it means."

Leon held her gaze. "Don’t worry," he said. "I won’t mark you unless I’m certain of my feelings," Leon reaffirmed. "And even then, the marking won’t happen unless we’re married. There’s no chance I’ll mark you before that."

Nina exhaled softly, feeling a sense of relief. At least now, everything was clear between them. She nodded. "Alright." Having voiced her thoughts, she felt lighter. She resumed eating, her heart finally at peace, at least for now.

Leon watched her for a moment before speaking again. "One more thing. Be careful in the palace. You can’t afford to be naive here. And I know you’re not a naive woman."

Nina met his gaze, recognizing the weight behind his words. "I understand," she said. "I’ll be careful."

~~~~~

"What did the High Priestess tell you?" Radulf asked as he removed his boots, his gaze fixed on Zenna.

They were finally back in their room at the guest house, away from prying eyes.

Zenna, seated before the mirror, paused as she held a small earring between her fingers. She met his gaze through the reflection, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

"Umm... that’s a secret," she said lightly.

Radulf narrowed his eyes, clearly hurt by her response. "Seriously?" He arched an eyebrow, not expecting her to hide anything from him.

"We had women’s talk, nothing more," Zenna replied smoothly. She decided it was best to keep her conversation with Selina to herself for now.

Radulf studied her for a moment before simply responding, "Oh."

Zenna stood from the chair and approached him. "Now that we know the truth, what should we do?"

Radulf’s lips curled into a dark smirk. "I feel like poisoning Phillipe. But that would be too easy of a death for him, wouldn’t it?" He met her gaze, his eyes gleaming with something far more sinister.

"Indeed," Zenna agreed. "And we need to bring the truth to the world—from the Alpha King’s own mouth. We can’t let him die easily. Your father was always innocent and died wrongfully."

She sat beside Radulf.

Radulf exhaled sharply. "That witch is no longer alive. So, the only way to expose the truth is by making Phillipe confess his crimes." He turned to her, his gaze remained fix on her. "Zenna, there’s one thing Selina said that I can’t ignore. If anyone can fight Phillipe, it’s you. I mean, only you can find out his weakness because he needs you for his own ambitions."

Zenna held his stare. "I will do everything to bring the justice, Radulf. That man doesn’t deserve to stay alive after what he did to you and your parents. I’ll uncover everything," she vowed.

Radulf gave her a firm nod. "I’ll go downstairs and see what’s for dinner," he said, standing up.

Zenna reached for his wrist, stopping him. "Let’s head outside for dinner instead," she suggested. "Since we’re here, we might as well explore the market more. I haven’t even done any shopping yet."

A small, amused smile tugged at Radulf’s lips. "Alright. I’ll ask Victor to join as well. We can’t let him be here all by himself."

"Sure." Zenna watched Radulf wearing shoes this time and he walked out of the room.

~~~~~~

"Thank you, Leon, for inviting me to dinner. I enjoyed it," Nina said as she prepared to leave.

"I’m glad we came to some consensus," Leon replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Nina nodded. "Hmm. If you ever have any troubles, you can share them with me. I may not be able to help much, but at least you’ll feel less burdened. The position you’re in comes with heavy responsibilities."

Leon studied her for a moment before shaking his head. "Thank you, but there’s nothing I need to share with you regarding my position."

Nina hummed in response and gave him a polite bow before turning to leave. As she disappeared down the corridor, Leon let out a quiet sigh and leaned against the doorframe.

’What could I even tell her? That my title is nothing more than a ceremonial rank with limited power? That my so-called authority is just an illusion?’ He clenched his fists. ’Mother has forbidden me from revealing the truth—that I’m not their biological son. So, for now, I have no choice but to keep Nina in the dark.’

His jaw tightened as he pushed off the frame and stepped back into his chamber. ’But for how long am I supposed to do that?’

As Leon walked toward the window, he paused, his gaze locking onto the vast, dark sky. The stars twinkled faintly, distant and unreachable, much like the answers he sought about himself.

’I wonder what my true origins are. If I weren’t here, what kind of life would I be living?’

Lost in his own thoughts, his mind unexpectedly drifted to Zenna. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

’Nina and Zenna are close. What if Zenna tells her the truth about me?’

His fingers curled against the windowsill as unease settled in his chest. He needed to speak with Zenna, soon. But there was one major obstacle and his name was Radulf

That bastard had made it clear he wouldn’t let him near Zenna.

’She must have told him about my intentions. That’s why he looks at me like that, as if he already knows what’s in my heart.’

Leon exhaled sharply, his golden eyes flickering with frustration.

’I need to see her. But it has to be when Radulf isn’t around. If Zenna tells Nina about me, then everything will go against the flow. Mother may punish Zenna. And I don’t want her to be punished.’