Kane

It’s no exaggeration to say I wanted to grab a gravy boat and dump all the gravy on Marcus’s giggling face.

His lifelong goal was to flirt with every woman on the planet, no matter who she was. And the way he could speak so beautifully and wave his smug grin just drove me crazy, especially when he did it with my mate.

I no longer had any rights to her, but I couldn’t imagine anyone flirting with her, especially her ex.

"Maybe focus on your food, Marcus... or you might spill something on your clothes," I said through clenched teeth, and Mom, who was cutting meat, stopped to look at me.

At first, she was skeptical, then smiled wickedly, as if she’d hit the jackpot.

"Oh my God! My son is actually jealous." She reached out and grabbed my hand. "You’re even jealous that Marcus is talking to your mate." Her sparkling eyes shifted from me to her.

"You truly turned his world upside down and achieved what no one else could. Today, I saw the depth of his love for you," my mother declared joyfully.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her so happy. My heart ached with the thought of the truth being revealed and her happiness being shattered.

I clearly never expected her to approve of our relationship or invest so heavily in it. Zara was smart, beautiful, and charming, and she knew how to captivate others with her charm.

In a way, she’d achieved what no one else had. She’d wormed her way into not only my heart, but my mother’s as well, and now we both couldn’t let her go.

I turned my head to look at Zara, and she gave my mother a tight smile. Her desperate eyes met mine, as if asking,

"How the hell are we going to get out of this?" Unfortunately, I didn’t have an answer.

"You see it too? Really?" Marcus chuckled, his eyes never leaving my mother’s, and nudged me with his elbow.

"You’re both just exaggerating, and Marcus always needs to be in the public eye," I shot him an irritated look, hoping he’d shut up, if he even knew how to shut up.

"I thought I’d never live to see this day. Jealousy suits you, Alpha. Now it’s only a matter of time until you achieve all your goals," she declared proudly, and I understood what she meant.

Having assumed the position of head of the Sterling family, my mother’s ancestral home, I became the Alpha King. The position had been left vacant by the death of my maternal uncle. Since he had no male heir, it passed to me.

But according to tradition, to fully assume this position, I needed to marry, and to earn the throne, I needed a strong mate by my side. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Someone with the courage to endure all the bloodshed and brutality that came with the job, someone who could make decisions and guide me, someone ruthless, someone who could do the work alongside me.

Zara was brave, no doubt. She was innocent and pure, almost spoiled by the love of her parents and family. And I couldn’t ruin her life by dragging her into a hellish world where I had to make daily decisions that affected people’s lives.

I busied myself with eating, even though I no longer had an appetite.

"We’ll have a special dance at their wedding. I’ll book you in advance," Marcus continued his antics with Mom. I knew he just wanted to make her smile, knowing the life she’d lived and that she adored him like a son.

"Of course, if only Kane would propose soon and get married. Then I’ll soon have grandchildren to play with," Mom blurted out enthusiastically.

Zara choked on her food and began coughing loudly. I jumped up from my seat, hearing her despair as she clutched her throat, choking.

"Zara!!!" Her name evoked a plea from me.

I quickly slapped her on the back, and Mom ran up to her and handed her a napkin. Marcus stopped eating, and his smile disappeared.

"Are you okay? Zara? What happened?" Mom asked with deep concern, and Zara finally stopped eating.

Her eyes were red, and beads of water were running from them. "Something’s gone... down the wrong... channel," she said.

She said slowly, wiping her eyes with a napkin. My hand slid slowly up and down her back.

"Here!" I handed her a glass of water, and she silently took a few sips.

"Thank you! I’m fine." Zara tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was worried, and I could feel how much this conversation was affecting her.

"Take a few more sips, everything will be fine," Marcus advised, and she smiled at him.

I decided to stay by her side to make sure she was okay. Mom returned to her seat, and Marcus said, "I need to go to the bathroom immediately. I’ll be right back for dessert." He stood up and disappeared up the stairs.

"Please! Sit down, I’m fine," Zara tried to reassure me, and I finally sat down.

Luckily, the conversation drifted to some random topics after that, and as soon as Marcus returned, we enjoyed our desserts and moved into the living room to sit by the fireplace and open the gifts Marcus had brought.

Mom received an exquisite brooch, I received a limited-edition Itachi figurine, and he gave Zara something like a chic hair clip, studded with gemstones.

"Thank you, this is very beautiful and unique." Zara smiled genuinely at him, which only irritated me.

Why did I have such a nervous breakdown?

"Here!" I handed him two boxes. One from me, one from Mom, and his face lit up like the Christmas tree in the corner.

"Thank you! You shouldn’t have done that."

He grabbed the boxes and opened the presents, and I grabbed some wine, hoping that my feelings would calm down and this terrible day would soon be over.