Her Alpha’s Choice by Lily Pen

Chapter 16

Luca s’s POV

Since my wedding to Irene, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. I knew she was beautiful and intelligent but after marrying her everything.

I had been so taken aback by the slap, I had almost forgotten what we had been arguing about. I had been trying to explain to her that she needed to treat the pack members with more respect, that they deserved to be treated like people, not serv ants. She had scoffed at me, telling me that I was too soft, too naïve.

And then she had slapped me. I had stood there, my mind reeling. I had never been. treated like that before, never been so disrespected. It had been a turning point for me, a moment when I realized that maybe I didn’t know everything.

I stammered, trying to find the words to respond.”You can’t just hit me because you don’t agree with me!” I exclaimed, my voice rising in anger. “That’s not right, it’s not

fair!”

She rolled her eyes, her expression dismissive. “You’re a child,” she said, her tone haughty and condescending. “You have so much to learn about the world, about how it really works.”

I clenched my fists, my whole b*dy trembling with rage.

“What I did?” I asked, my voice shaking with emotion. “What I did was stand up for the people you’re supposed to be leading! What you did was abuse your power and disrespect the people you’re supposed to protect!”

“They’re ser vants,” she said, her tone icy. “They are beneath us. It doesn’t matter how we treat them.”

I felt my temper rising, my blood boiling. I wanted to shout, to tell her just how wrong she was. But I bit my tongue, knowing that it would only make things worse.

As I looked up, I saw a group of my guards watching us from the other side of the garden, their eyes wide. I felt my stomach clench, knowing that they had seen. everything. I knew I had to assert my authority, to show them that I was still in control. Furthermore, I drew myself up, my voice ringing out with the power of the Alpha.

“Enough,” I said, my voice loud and commanding. “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from anyone, including you. If you cannot treat your subjects with respect, you have no place in my court.” I watched as Irene’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red. She realized that she had gone too far, and that I was serious about my warning. I could see there was regret in her eyes, the realization that the guards had seen this was the only reason she apologized.

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“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice quiet and contrite. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you, or the pack. I just got carried away.”

I looked at her, my heart still pounding in my chest. I could feel the anger ebbing away, but I still needed to make sure she understood my position.

She knew that I had seen the guards watching us, and I could tell by the look on her face that she knew the damage had already been done. She had shown weakness in front of the pack, and it would be hard to undo the damage that had been done. But I wasn’t going to let it go without addressing it.

“I’m going to give you a chance to fix this,” I said, my voice stern. “You need to apologize to the pack, and you have to show them that you’re capable of leading them. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to replace you.”

I walked over to her, towering over her small frame. I placed my hand on her n*eck, my grip gentle but firm. I looked into her eyes, my voice low and threatening. “This is your one and only warning.” I said, my voice cold and hard. “Cross me again, and you’ll face the consequences. Do you understand?”

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear. I could tell she was afraid, and I knew she wouldn’t make the same mistake again. I released my grip on her n*eck, stepping back.

As I left the chambers, I couldn’t help but think about my mate, the woman who had been taken from me. I had no idea where she was, or if I would ever see her again. But I knew I had to try to find her. She was the only thing that mattered to me, and I would do whatever it took to bring her home.

I headed to the gardens, the place where I felt closest to her. The scent of the flowers and the sound of the water soothed my soul, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my thoughts.

A thought suddenly struck me, and I realized that I had been overlooking the obvious. solution. The only person who could help me find

my mate was the Alpha King. He had more resources than anyone else, and he was the most powerful person in the kingdom. If anyone could find Gabriella, it was him.

I quickened my pace, heading towards the palace. I needed to see the Alpha King, and I needed to see him now. I wouldn’t rest until I found my mate, regardless of what it

took.

I burst into the Beta’s chambers, startling him out of his thoughts. “We must leave,” I said, my voice urgent. “We have to see the Alpha King. Gabriella’s safety depends on it.”

The Beta jumped to his feet, understanding the seriousness of my tone. “I’ll have the carriages ready immediately,” he said. “What do you need me to do?”

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Chapter 16

“Get the guards ready, and make sure everything is in order,” I said.

The Beta nodded and ran out of the room, barking orders to the serv ants. I watched him for a moment, then turned and walked to my chambers. I needed to prepare for the journey, and I needed to find out everything I could about the Alpha King. Not only that, but I had a feeling this was going to be a long and difficult journey, but I was determined to see it through.

I went to my desk, pulling out a map of the kingdom. I traced my finger along the roads, thinking about the best route to take. But I knew the journey would be long, regardless of which way we went.

The palace loomed before us, its massive stone walls a stark contrast to the lush green. forest that surrounded it. As we approached the gates, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. The Alpha King was not someone to be trifled with, and I knew that I was risking a lot by coming here. But I had to do it for Gabriella.

To my surprise, it was Alpha Matthew who greeted us at the gates. “What are you doing here?” he asked, his brow furrowed confused.

“I need to speak with the Alpha King.” I said, my voice steady. “It’s a matter of the utmost importance.”

Alpha Matthew narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to assess the situation. “You know the Alpha King is a busy man,” he said, his tone firm. “He won’t see you unless you have a good reason.”

I took a deep breath, knowing that I had to convince him. “The safety of my pack is at stake,” I said, my voice urgent.

After talking about different things with Alpha Matthew, I decided to inform him of my situation with rejecting my mate. I watched as Alpha Matthew’s expression shifted from stern to confused, and then finally to alarmed. “You rejected your mate?” he asked, his voice incredulous. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Rejecting a mate is a

serious matter.”

I nodded, knowing that I had made a terrible mistake. “I know,” I said, my voice heavy regretfully. “But I didn’t know she was my mate until it was too late.”

“I have an idea,” Matthew said, his expression thoughtful. “I’ll ask the king if we can begin a search across the packs, starting with mine. We’ll send scouts to look for her, and we’ll do everything we can to find her. It’s the least we can do.”

I felt a surge of hope, knowing that at least someone was willing to help me. “Thank you,” I said, my voice choked with emotion.

“There’s one more thing,” Alpha Matthew said, his expression solemn. “My Luna’s

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coronation is in a few days, and I would like you to be there. It would mean a lot to me if you could come.”

I was surprised by his request, but I understood the importance of such an event. “Of course I’ll be there,” I said, offering him a small smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

We exchanged a few more words before we parted ways, and I headed back to my pack..

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