Sorry, My Mate is The King

Gwendoline Moore's world collapsed that day. Not because she wasn't ready, but because she never imagined she would be this devastated.

She stood in the living room, wearing a white dress, a simple dress she had deliberately chosen to celebrate their third wedding anniversary.

Ethan didn't come with flowers or gifts that made Gwen fall in love, but instead brought painful news.

Three years of struggle, three years she spent mending Alpha Ethan Black's broken heart. Yet, in front of her, Ethan no longer saw her as his wife or even his mate.

The light of the full moon seeped through the large window, illuminating the cold living room. It was here, right in front of the fireplace that had always warmed them, that Ethan uttered the words that shattered all of Gwendoline's hopes.

"Gwendoline Moore," Ethan's voice was heavy, "I, Alpha Ethan Black, reject you as my mate and the Luna Black Pack. I sever all ties that ever existed between us."

Gwendoline's heart felt as if it had been pierced by a thousand ice daggers. Every word that came out of Ethan's mouth felt like a blow that shattered her soul.

She knew this day would come, ever since Marian, Ethan's true mate, had returned, and the two of them had been meeting often.

However, hearing those words directly, spoken so firmly on their wedding anniversary, made Gwendoline unable to breathe.

Gwendoline's eyes trembled, "Ethan... why? Is it because you want to go back to Marian?"

The question sounded stupid, but she said it anyway. She needed certainty, needed a reason more than just 'destiny.'

Ethan looked at her, his gaze no longer reflecting love, only guilt.

"It's fate, Gwen. Marian is my soulmate. We... we are not the fate decreed by the Moon Goddess."

"Not the destiny that was written?" Gwendoline's voice trembled, full of bitterness. "The three years we spent together, and now the Moon Goddess has created a new bond between us? And you say we are not destiny?" Gwen retorted bitterly.

"Your own father forced me to marry you, after you became depressed because Marian left you! "

"Maybe I am an orphan, who was asked to repay Sabian Black by becoming your wife and part of the Luna pack. I restored you from the darkness that enveloped you. I sacrificed myself for you, rebuilding you piece by piece. After everything we've been through, you just forget it?"

Ethan turned his face away. He couldn't bear to look at Gwendoline. "I'm sorry, but Marian is now pregnant with my child. Meanwhile, in the past three years, we haven't been blessed with a child," he said softly.

The man's words struck Gwen like a bolt of lightning. She never expected Ethan's betrayal to go that far.

"You betrayed me? Even before you rejected me, you were already cheating on me?" Gwen's heart was completely shattered. She felt that all her loyalty meant nothing at all.

"I'm sorry, I was unconscious, I was drunk, but I am the Alpha of the Black Pack, so I have to take responsibility, especially since it's my own flesh and blood."

Gwendoline's anger peaked. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't bear all this pain. Without saying a word, she ran, leaving the living room full of bitter memories.

She ran through the darkness of the night, her destination unclear, as long as it was far away from there. Her body transformed into Dhena, the wolf she possessed.

"Just kill that bitch, Gwen! She's a slut who's standing in your way!"

"No, Dhena! I don't want to stay and become Luna of the Alpha who never loved me, especially since he keeps bringing up the fact that I haven't been able to give him children."

Gwendoline ran into a rarely visited part of the forest, feeling the pain in her heart burning her entire body, and occasionally falling down. But she didn't care, as long as she was far away.

When she reached the riverbank, her tears fell, along with a scream, but it wasn't the voice of someone she knew. Who was it?

But her pain far exceeded the scream she heard. She didn't care, she just wanted to wash away the wounds in her heart.

As she stood by the river, she suddenly heard someone approaching, but when she turned around, the person who was approaching had already covered her mouth with a handkerchief that had a strange smell. Gwendoline struggled, but her strength was weakening. Darkness... Everything was pitch black!

***

Gwendoline woke up with a dizzy head and a body that felt very stiff. She was no longer in the forest, but in a small room with dim lighting.

She was confused and began to panic. Who had brought her here? And why?

She tried to scan the entire room with her eyes, then she tried to communicate with the wolf inside her body.

"Dhena, what happened?"

"This is bad, Gwen. I think someone trapped you. This might be related to the rejection you just experienced."

"You mean this is Ethan's doing?" She wanted to disbelieve it, but the fact was that she was currently in a small, cramped room.

Was she going to be killed? But why? Hadn't she agreed to Ethan's rejection?

Suddenly, a groan was heard from the corner of the room. Gwendoline turned her head, and her eyes widened. There, lying on the floor, was Darren, Ethan's Beta. His body was stiff, his eyes closed.

The woman immediately approached Darren. Perhaps it was because of the effects of Ethan's rejection that she, as Luna of the Black Pack, could no longer feel the Pack link.

"Darren? Darren, wake up!" Gwendoline called out in panic. But Ethan's Beta didn't move.

Gwendoline tried to get closer to him, wanting to know what had happened to Ethan's Beta. When she reached Darren's side, she saw a small bottle lying in Darren's hand.

The word "wolfsbane" was written on the bottle. Her eyes widened. Poison? Had Darren committed suicide, since the bottle was in his own hand?

Gwendoline checked Darren's pulse, but there was none. This meant that the man was dead.

Her heart was pounding. She was in a locked room, next to the body of Beta, who had died from poison. This was a trap. Who did this?

Gwendoline's mind was racing. Why her? Why Darren? Before she could think any further, the door opened. A number of Alpha soldiers entered, led by Ethan. He stepped forward, his face filled with anger.

"Gwen," Ethan's voice trembled with burning rage. "What are you doing?"

Gwendoline shook her head, "I was set up! I don't know how I got here. Someone..."

Ethan wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on the bottle of wolfsbane in Darren's hand.

"You even had the heart to kill him," he hissed.

"No! It wasn't me!" Gwendoline insisted, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't know anything."

Ethan stared at her with eyes full of hatred.

"Darren was my right-hand man! And you killed him! What was going through your head! If you hated me, why did you kill my Beta?"

Gwendoline was shocked. The hatred in Ethan's eyes was so real. The man didn't even trust her anymore. And again, the man didn't believe her.

"I didn't do it, Ethan. I was framed!"

"Listen to me, Ethan! I was set up. I was in the forest because..."

"Take her away!" Ethan ordered coldly, his eyes flashing with anger.

The man didn't want to hear anything Gwen had to say. Not only did he refuse to listen to her defense, Ethan even continued to accuse Gwen of murdering Darren.

The Alpha soldier grabbed Gwendoline, clutching her arm.

"Wait! This is all a misunderstanding!"

Ethan just stared at her, as if Gwendoline was the most disgusting creature he had ever seen. The same look he gave to every enemy, he now gave to the woman he once called his wife.

"Take her to the cell. I will punish her."

Ethan never once thought that the woman who had helped him and restored his condition over the past three years was not a cruel woman, and had the desire to kill by poisoning Darren as he saw her now.

Gwendoline couldn't, she felt it was pointless to speak to Ethan, it was all in vain. The man would never believe her, would never listen to her words.

She had to escape. If she was taken to the cell, she wouldn't have a chance to prove her innocence. Even if she managed to clear her name, what was the point? Ethan no longer trusted her. He had rejected and betrayed her.

"Go, Gwen, we have to go. You're a strong fighter, don't let us get trapped without being able to overturn these accusations, Gwen."

Dhena's voice, her wolf, echoed in her mind. Dhena was right, she had to fight. She had to defend herself. She was not a weak woman, at least after the rejection, she didn't want her name to be ruined.

She might not be part of the Luna Black Pack anymore, but she grew up and was raised here. She deserved justice.

With her remaining strength, Gwendoline struggled, pushing the Alpha soldiers. They were caught off guard for a moment. Gwendoline took advantage of the opportunity, running out the door and through the corridor. She ran with all her might.

Behind her, Ethan's shout echoed, "Catch her! Don't let her get away!"

Gwendoline didn't know where to go. No one would believe her now. She was running away from her own pack, from the man she had once accompanied.

But did she really love him? Ethan never trusted her, not since Marian returned.

Gwendoline kept running, through the darkness of the night, far from all these lies and accusations. She had to find the culprit. She had to prove that she wasn't the killer.

"Who is Dhena? Who is the culprit?"

"We'll find out, Gwen, we can't give up! I think this is Ethan's doing. Didn't Darren always remind us to do good, as ordered by Sabian, Ethan's father? I'm sure he didn't approve of Ethan and Marian getting back together."

"So Ethan killed Darren?"

"It's possible. He didn't like being reminded by Darren. Don't you remember, he also brought up the fact that we couldn't have children, even though it was all because Ethan wasn't ready for that."

Was Ethan really capable of setting her up? The tears streaming down Gwendoline's cheeks were now mixed with a cold fear.

She didn't know what awaited her ahead, but she knew one thing: she couldn't go back. She couldn't go back to the place where she was rejected and betrayed, where she was accused of murder.

She was Luna, the rejected one, accused of murder. And now she was just a fugitive.

Gwendoline kept running aimlessly. Her legs felt numb, her lungs felt like they were burning. The howls of Ethan's pack of wolves were getting closer.

They were hunting her, as if she were the most dangerous prey. Her mind was blank, there was only one instinct she trusted: run!

"Gwen, we have to hide. There are too many of them."

Gwen followed Dhena's instinct, sneaking behind thick bushes, trying to cover her tracks. She smelled the river, and she knew it was her only way out.

She jumped into the cold water, letting the current carry her away, hoping the water would wash away her scent.

On the other side of the river, Ethan and Marian stood, looking frustrated.

"Damn it!" Ethan growled. "She got away. Quick, send more wolves. Find her, root her out."

Marian hugged Ethan, smiling cynically. "Calm down, dear. She can't run forever. She has nowhere to go. All the packs will know he's a killer."

"Hmm, you're right! Let's go home. You don't have to come with me to chase Gwen. I feel sorry for my child, whom you're dragging around."

"I just don't want you to feel sorry for him later and give him a chance to not kill him."

Marian's words made Ethan hug her and tell her to calm down.

"No, dear! I'm not weak towards her. I am a fair pack leader. She is guilty, so she must accept the consequences. Don't worry."

"Then I can rest easy, because I am protected by a strong, fair, and wise Alpha," she said as she kissed the Alpha's neck.

"Hmm, you can trust me to be fair."

In his heart, he actually felt something different, but he considered it a weakness because he still felt sorry for Gwen.

"Maybe we just feel sorry for Gwen, Ethan! It doesn't mean anything!" Max, Ethan's wolf, echoed in the man's mind.

He felt the same as Ethan, a different feeling when he looked at Gwen's face. Was he really guilty?

Unfortunately, Darren was dead, so he could no longer ask the man. He also couldn't hear the advice from his beta, who was very similar to his father who had died earlier.

***

Meanwhile, Gwendoline was tossed about by the current. The cold water froze her skin, but it was better than the anger and false accusations.

When she reached land, she was in a strange place. The forest here seemed older and darker. There was a different aura, an ancient and powerful aura.

"Finally, Gwen, we're safe!" Dhena's cheer echoed in her mind.

"Yes, at least I didn't become the target of those evil people. I never thought that after my loyalty and sacrifice, he wouldn't see any of it."

"Indeed, we should never have agreed to share our fate with Ethan from the start. That foolish Alpha is so easy to manipulate."

"Never mind, my heart still aches when I hear his name. But what I will make sure of now is that I must uncover who actually trapped me."

"Right, Gwen!"

She walked into the middle of the forest. Her legs hurt, she could barely walk. In front of her, she saw a large cave. She decided to take shelter there, at least until she regained her strength.

"For now, let's take shelter in that large cave. Hopefully, we can rest. My legs hurt so much, not to mention the wounds on my hands."

As she stepped inside, a rumbling sound startled her. Suddenly, from the darkness of the cave, a large black wolf appeared.

This was no ordinary wolf; it was a Lycan, a creature rarely seen. Its body was sturdy, with fur as black as night and eyes that glowed blue, so large and powerful.

Gwen knew immediately that this Lycan was an Alpha whose power far exceeded Ethan's. The aura he radiated was so strong that it made her bones tremble.

Gwen prepared to fight, even though she knew she would not win against this fierce and dangerous male Lycan.

"Dhena... this time, we won't make it!"

But the Lycan didn't attack. He sniffed the air, his eyes fixed on Gwendoline. The Lycan walked slowly towards her, his head bowed, as if recognizing something familiar.

"Gwen... she... she..." Dhena was transfixed, her voice filled with shock.

GROAR!!

The sound was deep and... terrifying.

Then the Lycan sniffed Gwendoline's hair and neck. Then, he growled again, this time deeply, not a threatening growl, but a growl of recognition.

His beautiful blue eyes lit up, now seeming to show relief and ownership.

"Fated mate," muttered the Lycan, his voice deep and heavy, "As soon as I smelled your scent... I knew. The Moon Goddess has chosen you for me."

Gwen was stunned. Soulmate? At first, Ethan and she were bound by the Moon Goddess, by destiny. Perhaps because Ethan had broken his bond of destiny, he found a new mate.

"He is our true mate, Gwen. He is the Beast, a pure descendant of the wolfmen. That's why he can transform at any time, without having to wait for the full moon."

Yes, the man in front of her was a Lycan, not a werewolf like Ethan. He was a large Lycan, handsome and powerful. His voice was strong and his aura was very dominant.

The Lycan slowly transformed back into his human form. He was a handsome man with black hair, captivating blue eyes, and a muscular body.

He was none other than Charlie 'the Beast' Night, the Lycan King of NightShade who ruled the entire region, even Ethan's territory.

"My name is Charlie 'the Beast' Night, Lycan King. And you are my mate."

Gwendoline couldn't process all of this. Last night, she was rejected, accused of murder, hunted, and now she met the Lycan King who claimed her as his mate. She felt like crying, she didn't know what to do.

"You're hurt," said Charlie, his eyes fixed on the scars on Gwendoline's arms and legs. Without warning, he touched the wounds, and instantly the pain disappeared, as if by magic.

"How...?"

Charlie just smiled.

"Our mate bond heals you. Don't be afraid, I won't let anyone hurt you again. Especially that stupid Alpha who threw away a diamond for a speck of dust."

Gwendoline was silent. Those words, spoken by a stranger, somehow felt more convincing than all the promises Ethan had ever made.

She could only stare into Charlie's blue eyes, eyes full of determination. In those eyes, she saw no doubt, only pure ownership. She saw no guilt, only unshakable strength.

She knew one thing: her life had just changed. And she was no longer alone.

***

The howling of wolves continued to echo through the forest, freezing the air around them. It was a howl full of rage and murderous intent. However, Ethan Black did not move from his spot.

His sharp eyes stared blankly at the river, where Gwendoline's trail had disappeared. Ethan, now empty without Darren's presence, clenched his fists tightly.

His order to capture Gwendoline still echoed in the soldiers' ears. He knew the hunt would be difficult, but he would not give up. In his mind, Gwen was a dangerous figure who had to be eliminated. She was a murderer who had poisoned his Beta.

"Damn it! Send more wolves! Find her, root her out," Ethan growled, his anger boiling over.

Marian, who had been silent until then, now approached and hugged him from behind. "Calm down, Ethan. She can't run forever. She has nowhere to go. All the packs will know she's a killer."

Ethan nodded, trying to calm himself. "You're right. I've spread the word. She's no longer Luna of the Black Pack. I've rejected the bond of destiny between us."

"Good," Marian whispered. She touched Ethan's neck, giving him a sensual touch that Ethan used to enjoy very much. "I just don't want you to feel sorry for him later and set him free."

"No! I'm not weak. I am a fair pack leader. He will receive his punishment," Ethan said firmly, convincing Marian and himself.

Marian smiled contentedly. "Our child will be proud of his father."

"Of course, dear!" Ethan replied with confidence.

However, deep down, something felt wrong. It was a feeling he couldn't define. This feeling arose when he saw Gwen's eyes, when the accusation was uttered. Was she really innocent?

"We mustn't feel sorry for Gwen, Ethan! This isn't a signal of anything!" Max, Ethan's wolf, echoed in the man's mind.

Ethan felt the same way as Max, a feeling that tended not to believe that Gwen had killed Darren.

Was she really guilty? Unfortunately, Darren was already dead, so he could no longer ask the man. He also couldn't hear the advice of his wise Beta.

Darren, who always reminded him not to be reckless and to act fairly, was now gone. Darren was the only one who dared to oppose Ethan, even when Ethan was depressed, Darren was the one who strengthened Ethan the most after his father.

"I'm going back to headquarters. I'll spread this news to all the packs in this area," said Ethan, walking away from Marian.

"Of course, dear! I'll wait for you. Don't come back too late."

Ethan didn't reply. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He quickened his pace, feeling restless. Had he done the right thing?

He didn't know. But one thing he was certain of was that he couldn't let a murderer live. He had to show everyone that he was a strong and wise Alpha. He had to hunt down and punish Gwen.

"Gwen... why did you do this?" Ethan whispered to himself.

He wanted to know her reason. He wanted to know why the woman he trusted with his life, whom he had allowed into his life, could be so cruel.

"Was it because I rejected you? But you could have been angry at me, not killed Darren!"

However, he could only guess, because he couldn't trust a woman who was even capable of killing her own right-hand man.

Inside the pack house, several Betas from other packs who had heard the news of Darren's death had gathered. Ethan entered with a cold and tense expression. He told them to sit in the meeting room.

"Friends, I have bad news. My Beta, Darren, has been killed."

The room fell silent. Several Betas were shocked.

"And the one who killed him was..." Ethan paused for a moment, his cold eyes staring at every Beta there.

"...Gwendoline Moore. Former Luna Black Pack."

Suddenly, all the Betas in the room whispered, not expecting that the woman they had known as a warm and wise figure could do such a cruel thing.

"No way, Alpha! Luna Gwen is a very good woman," one of the Betas dared to speak up, expressing his disbelief.

"Of course she's fine, in front of you! But she's a dangerous woman, she poisoned Darren with wolfsbane!"

Ethan explained firmly. He even showed the evidence in his hands.

"I saw her at the scene. She was next to Darren, who was already dead, with a bottle of wolfsbane in her hand."

"Then where is Luna Gwen now, Alpha?"

"She ran away, but don't worry, I've mobilized all the Pack's soldiers. I won't let a murderer roam free. I will punish her, in the name of justice."

The Betas nodded, agreeing with Ethan, unaware that they had only heard part of the story.

Ethan hid the fact that he had rejected Gwen on their third wedding anniversary because Marian had returned. He only presented a story that would make him look like a hero, a leader grieving the loss of his confidant.

Ethan knew that by spreading this news, Gwen would not be able to ask for help from any pack. She would become a fugitive wanted throughout the region. No one would believe Gwendoline. And that, according to Ethan, was a fitting punishment.