True Alpha’s Chosen Mate - Chapter 227

“Have you always known I would… betray them?”

“No.”

“I see…”

“But I had always known things would turn out like this. That someone… was born to fill this promise.”

“Someone is born, huh?”

“Mhm… it’s cruel how one fate is sealed even before they were born.”

“It is.” Alice smiled wearily. “Why didn’t you stop me then? When you regained your memories, why didn’t you do anything to stop me?”

There was a long silence between us before my lips parted. “Because if it didn’t happen, things would change again and I wouldn’t be able to follow through.”

“Ha… haha…! That simple?” she looked at me with amusement in her eyes. “Rinnie, what’s your difference from the moon goddess who writes the fate of the werewolves? Are you sure you’re not her? I mean, you could’ve prevented this from happening. Wait. But I hated my kind years before you came.”

“Alice.”

“Rinnie.” She smiled, tilting her head a bit to the side. “Never mind what I said. But will you answer my one question?”

I looked at her, who was sitting across from me, before I nodded.

“Do you think I’m wrong? I mean, I might die later. Do you think what I am fighting for is wrong? Are we truly slaves of the moon?” she asked softly, eyes shimmering with anticipation. My heart… ached, while staring at the sadness beneath those beautiful pairs of eyes.

“No.” I shook my head, telling her the truth and nothing but the truth. “You were correct, Alice. The only way to freedom is death, and the real meaning of death is to live. That is the cycle of life and death; they come hand in hand. To exist means to die. We all had one ending.”

“A person’s path might be long or short, a straight line or full of curves, but the end never changed,” I added in the same calm and soothing voice. “Life only differed on how a person lives while they were holding onto it. It doesn’t matter if it was right or wrong. What only mattered was how you felt about the life you chose. Not what I or what others think.”

“I see.” She rocked her head in understanding. “Everyone had the same ending, and it all comes down to how satisfied we had been when we’re alive, huh? Then, that’s good to hear.”

“Don’t you have regrets?” I asked out of plain curiosity. She looked at me and flashed me a gentle smile.

“Not even a second till this moment.” She affirmed with clarity in her eyes. “Although I regret not hosting a slumber party with my sisters — that includes you. I’ll miss them, for sure.”

Once again, she set her eyes on me and stared at me for a long time. “Rinnie, just so you know, my love for my siblings, for father, for you… they’re real. It’s just that… I can’t continue pretending I was fine. I cannot forget it; the sorrow, the longing, and the hatred. It may not make sense, but I hope you understand that because… you’re the lamb. You understand things that even we cannot.”

*

I blinked ever so slowly, returning to the current lapse. Watching Daniel and Alice engage in a fierce battle of life and death, I couldn’t help but recall our last conversation before we parted ways earlier today.

“Alice!!” Daniel roared, still in his human form, while staring at the half-human half-wolf before him. Alice had assaulted a few members of the Black Mane pack, leaving no room for mercy as she killed them instantly. Her actions and unbending resolve forced Daniel to take down a few of her people as well.

“I am asking you for the last time, Alice.” He growled, his canine growing longer with his eyes bloodshot. “Surrender now. Let’s not resort to unnecessary bloodshed and unjustified deaths anymore!”

“Hah!” A ridiculing laugh escaped her mouth, giving him a sign she would never surrender. “Daniel, over my dead body. Your Highness, are you saying you will forgive me even after my onslaught? I’d rather die fighting for what I believed is right than die admitting I was wrong when I think I was right.”

“I will never surrender, Daniel. You should’ve known that I will never surrender when you ripped Jarom’s heart out of his chest!” she added with a shaking, angry voice echoing in the still air.

“You… know why I did that…”

“I know, but that changes nothing, Daniel.” She spat out, emanating a dark aura from her back. “You… who rejected your mate just because she is the wife of your brother… they honored your decision. Father listened to you. But what about me? Did anyone listen to me when I said I’d rather die than accept Han?! You forced me to live a miserable life!”

“Alice…” Daniel ground his teeth, watching her shift to a full wolf’s form slowly.

“If you don’t fight me to kill me, I will kill you, Daniel. Once you’re dead, I’ll march to the royal palace and slaughter everyone I see until Hugo comes and kills me.” She snickered before completing her form. “You should’ve sent my little brother to do this job. At the very least… Hugo won’t make me feel what I was doing is wrong. He will not insult me like that.”

Shortly, Alice morphed into a silver wolf, screaming danger with the little snarl she produced. Meanwhile, Daniel didn’t shift. Instead, he just stared at Alice motionlessly. But just as his lips parted, an angry and familiar voice rang in the air.

“Alicia!!” Alice froze as she turned her head in the voice’s source. “What the hell are you doing?!”

There, approaching Alice and Daniel, was a pack of wolves ambling up the dirt behind them with a colossal wolf leading them. Riding on the giant wolf’s back was none other than Cora.

Her eyes were bloodshot, grinding her teeth as her gaze was fixed on Alice. Anger and confusion welled up in her chest.

“Cora,” Alice whispered in her head, but I heard it loud and clear internally. “Why are you here…?”

“Alice! Stay right there and then. I will beat the crap out of you!”