Chapter 6

Chapter 006

Reynaldo's Point Of View

I couldn’t believe it. Why was she here? Why now? Did Susana's plea reach the Moon Goddess? I scanned every corner of the room, but she remained hidden from view. Maybe she was outside, I thought. The room trembled with two thunderous growls before I managed to start moving again. The dreaded word mate reached my ears at that moment.

As I scanned the room, my eyes moved quickly before I saw Roberto with his mate. The two of them embraced tightly while their faces touched the skin of each other's necks. But what worried me wasn’t them. The older man standing behind them had to be Roberto’s father. His son would have died from his stare if looks killed. The visible disappointment on his face created intense tension in the room. A deep rumbling growl from him served as a warning, which made the couple separate. I rushed toward them with concern that the situation could worsen.

I looked at Emilio Montoya, who would become the Alpha of the Cascada Plateada Pack and who was the mate of Roberto. The reports showed their pack consisted of approximately 200 wolves. Their alliance held deep-rooted historical events. According to legends, these wolves descended from the original wolves whom the Moon Goddess blessed with supernatural powers surpassing those of typical werewolves.

“Apologies, your majesty. Emiliano’s Luna apologized to the monarch while bowing her head for her husband’s unintentional disturbance.

With a look of understanding and sympathy, I let her know that I felt nothing but compassion. She escorted Emiliano out of the ballroom holding his arm, yet I could not say a word before Emiliano stormed off toward the garden. Roberto attempted to follow after me, but I pulled his arm back.

You should give him some space to process everything. Let him process it all.”

Reynaldo couldn’t grasp what I was explaining because his voice quivered as he spoke. “He’s my mate. It hurts seeing him like this. Our shared connection creates an experience where we directly feel our partner’s emotions. I can’t just leave him alone.”

I understood what he was going through as I placed my hand on his shoulder. “But you have to give him time. Let him work through it.”

Roberto gave a nod, yet worry continued to fill his eyes. I watched him go after Emiliano.

Susana’s panicked voice immediately occupied my thoughts when he departed. My failure to wake her up caused Susana to become upset with me. I glanced at my watch—it was already 7. Our speech presentation was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. I responded to her request immediately and headed toward the master bedroom.

“Perhaps the Goddess listened to you,” I declared while opening the door and stepping into the room.

Susana dashed through the room, switching directions rapidly. She wore a pink silk robe and had her hair arranged in a perfectly twisted chignon. Her presence failed to bring me tranquility as it normally would. Instead, it made me feel... uneasy.

Susana asked about the situation while grabbing clothes and makeup from the counter without making eye contact.

I exclaimed about my true mate being here, although my words rushed out too quickly.

Susana paused briefly yet resumed her frantic movements almost immediately. “That’s nice,” she replied in a flat tone while avoiding eye contact.

I flinched at how she spoke. What had I just said to her? Did I reveal my true mate to Susana as if it was no big deal? What kind of idiot was I? I moved my head from side to side to regain mental clarity.

“I’m sorry, Susana... I didn’t mean it like that. I won’t leave you. I am responsible for both you and Carlos.” My arms wrapped around her body while my face rested deeply against her neck. Now I felt nausea as her familiar rose-scented perfume reached my nose. Something had changed.

“I’m not upset,” she responded, although her voice sounded far away. “I always knew this was possible, remember? But tell me… What’s her name? Does she belong to one of our ally groups?

I told her I still didn’t know her name. We sense her presence and catch her scent, but we haven’t seen her.

As she widened her eyes briefly, she asked about Roberto. “Isn’t he your cousin? Why is he acting like this?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe it. His mate is Emiliano Montoya. His father’s face would have been priceless to see. The conflict between Roberto and Emiliano Montoya almost escalated into a war inside the ballroom.

The sound of a small laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head. “Let’s get this over with,” she said. We need to speak with the guests first so we can search for your true match afterward. She needs to be aware of my... condition so that she doesn’t reject me. You can’t just reject her.”

I questioned her with confusion, "What made her think that I would reject her?"

“You forget, Reynaldo,” Susana said. “You’re married. You have a son. What do you think her reaction will be when she discovers the truth?” She paused briefly before revealing, “She's unaware that our marriage was politically motivated.

A chilling sensation twisted my gut. Was our marriage rust political? Susana's presence had become familiar to me while Carlos was our son. How was it possible to abandon them for an unknown person whom I hadn't met yet?

We finished getting ready after an hour had gone by. Together we descended the staircase and reached the ballroom. Susana had on a navy blue ballgown that complemented my tunic, while our son Carlos wore a small white uniform. Watching them laugh and play together stopped me in my tracks.

We stopped halfway down the stairs. The space was filled while the air maintained its subtle sweetness from the same fruity aroma. I took a deep breath. Álex stirred within me, purring in contentment. The air was thick with tension, yet it was my mate's scent that pushed me to the brink of madness.

I started my speech to the assembled people by saying, "Guests, family, friends." Alpha King Reynaldo Vargas and Queen Luna Susana Vargas extend their gratitude for joining our son’s first birthday celebration. Manantial de Luna Pack will have their new Alpha in the future.

A growl came from outside. The possessive and dangerous growl produced an intense shockwave through my chest. My heart started pounding as I paused abruptly while speaking. I couldn’t think. The scent was all I needed to follow and locate her.

The celebration we prepared for him should be enjoyable to you according to our wishes.

Susana tried to touch my arm, and I instinctively pulled it away. I couldn’t stay here. I rushed into the garden with my heart pounding loudly in my ears. Bruno, who Susana no doubt alerted, followed me to the greenhouse with two of our warriors. The scent was stronger now. The entire building stood motionless and cold at that moment.

The explosion appeared to originate from some point around the center of the building. And that’s when I saw him. I saw Santiago Montoya stretched out on the floor while blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. His Luna and Isabela joined Beta Mateo Ríos, attempting to pull him away from the slippery plants, but they struggled to succeed. Roberto stood on the opposite side while he embraced Emiliano, whose canines were exposed and fists were tightly clenched.

A growl erupted from Álex deep within me as my human form became insufficient. “What’s going on? Álex demanded with a sharp voice that carried his anger. The room was silent.

“ANSWER ME!” Álex shouted with such force that his voice shook the glass walls of the greenhouse.

A sharp pain penetrated my chest before anyone managed to utter a word. It felt like someone had plunged a knife straight into my heart. She was rejecting me. I could feel it, deep inside. I fell to my knees while struggling to breathe.

Everyone stood in stunned silence. As Álex detected our mate’s scent once more, my senses exploded into chaos. The fragrance originated from the back exit. The scent that reached me now included a note of mint mixed with the original fruity aroma.

I picked up the scent and moved through the back driveway until I found her. She waited by the road for our arrival. She started coming toward us when she saw me.

“Álex,” Susana’s voice called out. She tried to comfort me by touching my arm, but Álex moved away abruptly.

He barked, "No!" as his fingers dug into her wrist and twisted so forcefully she fell to the ground. “You’re not our mate!” He snarled with his teeth exposed.

The pain in my chest was unbearable. I experienced a sensation as though I was being ripped to pieces. We transformed into wolves while Álex assumed complete dominance. We ran into the woods while a long howl of pain burst from us because we needed to escape rejection's torment.