The Alpha's Forsaken Feisty Mate-Chapter 171: As mysterious as her birth

"Your Majesty, Radulf is a beast. He killed everyone. We couldn’t stand before him!" one of the warrior wolves who had managed to escape cried out in a trembling voice. The horrific sight was still fresh in his mind as he remained on his knees.

Alfred glanced at the Alpha King, realizing just how wrong his actions had been.

"Then, did you all run away like cowards?" Phillipe bellowed at them.

At that moment, Leon entered the hall and overheard the conversation. ’Father thought he could kill Radulf with such petty tactics,’ he mused.

"Your Majesty, I urge you not to act until after the council meeting," Alfred advised. "It could damage your reputation. The packs may believe the Alpha King is punishing his son-in-law without reason. And Lady Zenna’s innocence has not yet been proven. Please, wait until tomorrow," he insisted.

Alfred had been stunned when Tristan informed him that Phillipe had sent a hundred warrior wolves to weaken Radulf. Fear gripped him, thinking Radulf’s life could be in danger if the mad Alpha King wasn’t stopped.

"I want everyone to leave, now!" Phillipe commanded sternly, gripping the armrest of his throne, his body taut with restlessness.

Alfred gestured for the injured warriors to leave, and after briefly glancing at Leon, exited the hall himself.

As Leon turned to follow, Phillipe stopped him.

"Kill Radulf tonight, and I’ll make you the next Alpha King," he declared.

Leon curled his fingers into fists and turned to face his father.

"What about your long-awaited ambition, Father?" he asked coldly.

"There’s no point in ambition anymore. Radulf must die before dawn. Leon, prove your true strength to me. He must be lying weak in his mansion. Go there and kill him," Phillipe stated.

"Are you out of your mind?" Loretta’s voice thundered from the doorway as she stormed into the hall, having heard her husband’s outrageous command. She walked up to stand beside her son.

"The one who should be punished is Zenna, not Radulf. You made a foolish mistake by keeping him alive four years ago. I warned you not to, but you said Radulf would always remain loyal to you. Do you finally see what he did today?" Loretta questioned her husband’s foolish decision.

Leon couldn’t believe his ears. Both of his adoptive parents seemed completely deranged. Instead of searching for a real solution, they wanted to kill both Radulf and Zenna.

"Loretta, return to your manor," Phillipe ordered coldly.

"I’m not going anywhere until you give the command for Zenna’s execution!" Loretta snapped.

"Could you both just be quiet for a moment?" Leon finally interjected, his voice laced with frustration. He stepped forward. "Father, stick to your original decision. Wait until morning and hear what the council has to say. No one will go against you. Zenna did try to kill you," he stated, forcing the words out.

They didn’t come from his heart. But it was the only way to save Zenna’s life.

He cared little for Radulf’s fate, but when it came to Zenna... he couldn’t ignore the risk she was in.

"Father, the packs may find it wrong if you suddenly give out an order to kill them both. Let their crimes be proven tomorrow morning in the council," Leon advised. He doubted Phillipe would listen, but he had to try to delay the bloodshed that Phillipe had in his mind.

’I can no longer be the Crown Prince they molded,’ he thought bitterly. ’I’ll stick to my original plan, and help Radulf. Together, we’ll uncover the truth about Zenna’s mother. Once we find her, the Alpha King’s true crimes will finally come to light. Zenna’s wolf... it’s as mysterious as her birth itself.’

Plotting against Phillipe took more courage than he thought he had. But Leon was done living in the shadows of manipulation and control. It was time to sever the chains his so-called father had bound him with, once and for all.

"Mother," Leon turned to Loretta, his tone firm yet composed, "it’s not right to kill Zenna unless her crime is proven. Trust me, when the entire council declares her guilty tomorrow, it will give us the perfect justification to punish her in the right way. And of course, Radulf won’t escape judgment either. He broke his loyalty to the Alpha King. He’ll face severe consequences."

He paused, meeting both their gazes. "I’ll do anything for you both, but I ask that you think with a calm mind tonight."

Loretta studied her son for a moment. But then she nodded, slowly turning to Phillipe.

"Leon is right," she said. "Listen to him. Stop plotting anything reckless tonight. Once Zenna is proven guilty, we can punish both her and Radulf in the most merciless way, without backlash."

Phillipe’s grip on the throne loosened. The fire in his eyes dimmed, just slightly, as Loretta’s words and Leon’s reasoning reached him.

"Fine," Phillipe finally muttered

"Leon, you should leave now. Take some rest. You’ve been running around since early morning," Loretta said, a rare softness in her voice as she offered him a small smile.

"Yes, Mother," Leon replied, bowing respectfully to both of them before exiting the grand hall.

As soon as he returned to his chamber, his composed expression shifted into something far more calculated. He turned to his beta, who stood waiting silently in the corner.

"Clear the secret passage," Leon ordered. "Bring Radulf to me before the clock strikes midnight."

The beta nodded once and disappeared, careful not to attract any attention, just as Leon had instructed.

Left alone in the quiet of his room, Leon moved to the window, staring out into the night sky.

’I need to make my plan succeed tonight, at all costs,’ he thought, his brows furrowing. ’That’s the only way to bring the Alpha King off that throne before more blood is spilled.’

~~~~

Zenna gently dabbed the last of the ointment onto Radulf’s wound. Once done, she wiped her hands clean with a cloth, her gaze lingering on the fading bruises across his skin.

Radulf slipped on his shirt and watched her in silence for a moment. "You’ve barely said a word since I came out of the washroom. Finding out that your mother is alive... it must have shaken you."

Zenna slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "Yes," she admitted. "I keep thinking—why would he lock her away in some secret dungeon inside the palace? Was that why he never allowed me to step foot inside? Did he fear I’d uncover the truth? That I’d find her?"

Her voice cracked at the end, and unshed tears shimmered in her eyes.

"Whatever secrets he’s tried to bury, Zenna... we’ll uncover them," Radulf said, his voice resolute yet gentle. "Leon and I have a plan. Tonight, we’re going to infiltrate the secret dungeon. As soon as he sends word, I’ll head for the palace."

Zenna’s eyes widened in alarm. She grabbed his wrist, her voice trembling. "What? You’re going to the palace? Are you out of your mind?" Her breath hitched as fear crept into her features. "My father already tried to kill you once. What if he captures you this time? What if you don’t make it back?"

Her grip tightened, and her lower lip quivered as she searched his eyes.

"That won’t happen," Radulf said firmly, gently cupping her cheek. "Trust me. You want your mother out of that place, don’t you? And once we find her, once the truth is exposed, Phillipe’s entire game will fall apart. The world will finally see the monster behind the crown. They’ll know what kind of madness he’s been hiding all along."

He looked deep into her eyes. "Zenna, you have to be strong now. That’s the only way we can fight him."

Zenna drew in a shaky breath, forcing herself to stay composed. Then she gave a small nod. "You’re right... I have to be strong." But the moment of resolve cracked slightly as her voice lowered. "Still... there’s no certainty my mother is even alive. What if Phillipe had already k—killed her?"

The word lodged in her throat yet she managed to say it because deep down, the fear was too real to ignore.

"I believe your mother is still alive," Radulf said with conviction, his gaze steady on hers. "I’ve always had this feeling that you weren’t an ordinary wolf. I’ve seen glimpses of your strength that no one could explain. You might not realize it yet, Zenna, but there’s something incredibly unique about you."

He paused, as if weighing his words. "Leon once heard a rumor when he was young... that the Alpha King was hiding dark secrets deep within the palace. We think your mother is one of them."

Zenna’s brows drew together, her heart pounding as she absorbed his words. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright... then I’m coming with you, Radulf."

He shook his head. "No. I can’t take you there. It’s too dangerous."

"What if I can feel my mother?" she countered. "A mother can sense her child from afar... and it works the other way around too. I was never allowed into the deeper part of the palace, maybe because he feared I’d find her. And now, with my abilities awakening... I believe they’ll protect us."

She looked down at her hands briefly before meeting his eyes again. "When my father tried to kill me... my eyes changed. They shielded me. I didn’t understand it then, but now I think my bloodline, my bond with my mother, is trying to guide me toward her."

Radulf couldn’t ignore those words as they did hold a weight. "Then, you should come."