The Second Test
ALANA
William’s grip of my hand tightened with warm confidence.
“It’s not like I am deflecting the questions, father. I just want to protect Alana at all costs from people who are going to use her for her weaknesses.”
He threw me a smile and shrugged off. “Whether this is a test or not, I know that Alana has a pure heart and she can never hurt my dear mother.”
I returned the smile shyly as my cheeks blushed. William never failed to make me feel seen and assured.
“Alpha king, that was just a test? For real?!” Sophia exclaimed in disbelief. “But I swear that we really found wolfsbane in Alana’s room! Are you just going to ignore that?”
The alpha king looked at his wife to explain everything.
“The rooms of the three of you have been purposely put wolfsbane into so you would accuse one another. The rest of the suspects were just used as decoys to prevent the three of you from knowing that it’s a test.” The queen luna gazed at me proudly. “I just did not expect Alana to be so selfless to think more about my safety rather than hers. If she ever won this contest, then I am confident that she will take care of the future alpha king of this pack.”
She walked up to me with a small bouquet of flowers in her hands. “For this round, it goes to Alana.”
She handed me the bouquet and kissed my cheeks. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, queen luna. I only want nothing but to know that you are well and healthy.”
My hands are shaking so William has to put his hand on my back to balance my body before addressing his parents.
“Alpha king, queen luna, there is no point in continuing this contest. Alana is my mate, the one I have been waiting and looking for in my whole lifetime so please, I am asking the two of you to stop all this and let me marry Alana as soon as possible.”
Georgia gasped and bent her knees before the alpha king.
“With all due respect, queen luna and alpha king, but I think that the very point of this contest is to determine who’s the most qualified as the alpha prince’s mate. Mates can easily be rejected and replaced these days.”
“Say one more word and I am going to cut your tongue,” William growled with a warning. “I would never reject Alana! No one can replace her as my mate.”
Georgia just looked down and bit her lower lip in embarrassment.
“William…” I grasped his hand to calm him down.
“There is a point to all of this, William,” the alpha king finally spoke. “There is a fast-growing disobedience and argument among the alphas in the pack because of your refusal to address their questions. I am just preparing a smoother path for you to follow!”
He walked up to us and looked intently at his son’s eyes. “You hid the fact that Alana is your mate while you actively went to those dinner dates organized by your mother. Whatever your reason is, I can only interpret it as betrayal to your mate and a form of deception to us your parents.”
My clasp loosened against his hand remembering the times when I saw him dining with women and being late when coming to Ronan. Is it because of the dates he needed to go to?
William must have sensed my doubts because he quickly saved my hand from going astray as the room grew thick with tension as we waited in bated breath for his response.
“I acknowledge my mistakes but it was never made to deceive all of you or to betray Alana. That’s all I could say for now.”
The alpha king narrowed his eyes on him. “But it’s not for you to set the limits. Mistakes are not just to be acknowledged, William. You have to learn from them and this is your learning ground now. If you come clean and answer all the questions from the alphas, then the competition would be immediately stopped but if you still refused, then we would continue.”
“Why do I have to do that when I already found my mate, father? This test is just a way for you to appease those alphas who are only finding ways to oppose you!”
“It’s okay, William. I can do this,” I interfered when I sensed that it’s going to escalate if they keep on arguing. “I can win. Do you trust me?”
He sighed and immediately went relaxed when he looked at me. “Of course, I do but this is all just useless, Alana. You are my mate. There is no need to prove yourself to them! You are fated to me already and no one can change that!”
“Once I win this, no one will question us anymore. I am fated and bound to you and I won the contest. They will be left with nothing to criticize you. We will get married right away just like how you want us too.”
While saying that, I saw how Lucas clenched his hands on his sides and looked away in jealousy. I also felt a pang of pain in my heart coming from him. These days, the more I try to get away from him, the more I feel my physical connection with him.
William sighed and drew me closer into his body and kissed my head. “But that won’t deter me from doing something when I see that they are ganging up on you again, Alana.”
“I won’t let them,” I guaranteed him.
“Very well,” the queen luna said taking back all the attention of everyone. “Now that it’s settled, I would announce the next test and it will be a test of your capability to bear the children of the alpha prince.”
Heat flushed through my face when I heard that.
The queen luna scanned the three of us. “And you will need your wolves by then.”
My jaw literally fell open as I worriedly bit my tongue. How could I even do that when I only had the urge to shift when I am with Lucas?