Chapter 26 Betrayal
“I guess I’m no longer needed,” Uriel remarked, rubbing his chin in that familiar, thoughtful way he always did. He hadn’t changed at all since the last time Gavriel saw him. “Still… just from her reaction, I could tell she went through something. A trauma. Maybe a nightmare?”
He wasn’t wrong. Earlier, Gavriel had been able to feel Althea’s emotions, raw and overwhelming. Fear. Sorrow. Grief so deep it nearly crushed him. She had been spiraling.
But now… there was nothing.
He frowned slightly. It wasn’t normal. Her emotional presence had vanished, like someone had slammed a wall around her soul. Something was off.
“You,” he said, pointing to Melva as she approached with a polite bow. “Go to Althea. Stay with her.”
Melva nodded sharply and rushed inside the tent without hesitation.
Uriel turned back to Gavriel, his tone more casual. “I thought it was just a rumor… but I guess it’s true. The daughter of the man who rebelled against your throne is your fated mate.”
Gavriel’s eyes darkened, his expression cold. “You can go now, Uriel.”
But Uriel didn’t budge. His voice softened, tinged with something unfamiliar, regret. “It’s been seven years, Gavriel. Can’t we just go back to the way things were?”
Seven years. Gavriel averted his eyes briefly, jaw clenched. The betrayal still lingered, deep and unforgotten. At last, he exhaled softly, quietly, and with control. “I won’t stop you from entering the royal estate,” he said. “But don’t expect me to treat you the same as before.”
He met Uriel’s gaze, his voice calm. “Once trust is broken… restoring it isn’t simple.”
“I understand,” Uriel murmured with a deep sigh. “I can’t turn back time, but I want you to know… I never meant to-”
"No need to explain, Uriel,” Gavriel interrupted, his tone calm but not harsh. "As you mentioned, years have gone by. It’s best if we all move forward." He paused, then added flatly, “You’re still my blood and that won’t change. But trusting you again… that’s a different matter.”
Without waiting for a response, Gavriel turned and walked away, heading toward Simon to give further instructions to his men.
Uriel stood silently, watching him go.
A calm voice reassured him from behind, saying, “Don’t worry.” Osman stepped closer, hands at his back, and replied, “He’ll come around eventually.”
Uriel shrugged slightly, still looking at Gavriel. “I understand. That man has never been good at expressing his feelings. But I see it... I know he’s been watching me all these years, making sure I’m still alive.”
Osman gave a faint smile. “Indeed. However, you must understand that the Alpha King was deeply hurt by what happened. That wound hasn’t healed.”
Uriel nodded slowly, his eyes thoughtful.
“But maybe things will change now,” Osman added. “Finding his fated mate, even by accident, is no small thing. Though… it is unfortunate that she’s the daughter of the man who’s hell-bent on killing His Majesty.”
Uriel’s expression darkened slightly. “Fate seems to have a cruel sense of irony.”
“Indeed,” Osman muttered, crossing his arms. “But still… something in His Majesty is changing. He’s getting softer, and honestly, I’m still baffled by it.”
Uriel frowned slightly. “You’ll understand once you meet your fated mate and feel the bond for yourself, Osman. It changes everything…”
Osman scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh. “I guess so. I should probably listen to people with more experience.”
Uriel’s expression darkened immediately. Osman’s eyes widened upon realising his words. “Ah… no offense! I didn’t mean-” he quickly covered his mouth, then let out a nervous laugh. “I should get back to work.” With an awkward wave, he hurried away, clearly eager to escape the situation.
Uriel exhaled deeply and looked toward the tent where Gavriel’s mate was resting. “Something still feels wrong,” he murmured quietly. His gaze stayed for a moment longer, expression thoughtful and worried.
Then, with a slight shake of his head, he raised his hand, opened a portal, and stepped through it. He understood he was not in a position to intervene, and he would avoid making the same mistake again, unlike before.
Meanwhile, Gavriel turned slightly, his eyes lingering on the space where Uriel’s portal had disappeared.
“He’s in pain too,” Osman said quietly, stepping beside him. “After all… Rizza is his fated mate.”
Gavriel’s jaw tensed. He knew that truth all too well.
Rizza… his first love. The woman who had once meant everything to him. They had been together for a year. She was his anchor, his peace… his future Luna. He had proposed. She had said yes. Everything felt perfect… until the day everything shattered.
Seven years ago, Rizza’s wolf awakened late… only when she turned twenty. By then, she and Gavriel were deeply in love, bound by shared promises and dreams.
But fate had other plans. Rizza and Uriel turned out to be fated mates. And they kept it from him.
His throat tightened as memories rushed back, sharp and vivid. That day... the day he entered and saw them together. Bodies intertwined. Betrayal ignited in his chest like wildfire.
His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, causing his knuckles to turn white. He almost killed Uriel that day. If not for his mother’s intervention… he would have.
“They say the mate pull is something you can’t resist…” Osman muttered with a heavy sigh.
Gavriel didn’t respond. He simply turned his gaze toward the tent where Althea was resting.
Now that he had experienced it himself, he couldn’t deny Osman’s words. The pull was undeniable… unshakable. And after marking her, after establishing the mate bond, there was no turning back.
“What did you find out about that man?” he suddenly asked, his voice low but firm.
Osman straightened. “Kael Moore, son of Alpha Muru Moore from the Ashborne Pack. From what I gathered, he and Lady Althea were childhood sweethearts. They practically grew up together. It was widely believed they’d end up mated, just waiting on Alpha Cain’s blessing and formal approval.”
Gavriel’s expression darkened.
“Kael had already asked for Lady Althea’s hand in marriage… before the rebellion happened,” Osman added carefully.
“Assign someone to keep a close watch on the Ashborne Pack,” Gavriel ordered coldly. “Especially Kael Moore.”
He was so focused on Althea that he had almost forgotten about the man who tried to take what belonged to him.
Osman hesitated. “Hmm… so you’re not killing him yet?” he asked, blinking rapidly. By now, Kael should’ve been dead, but Gavriel understood that Althea wouldn’t react well to the news.
“Not yet,” Gavriel muttered, clearly irritated.
But the promise was there in his voice, in his eyes. Not yet… but soon.