Semua Bab Kneel for Love: Alpha's Plea: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I pressed my lips together and didn't answer.In the second year after we became mates, Hadrian's youngest son, whom he doted on the most, suddenly had convulsions. I remembered vividly how the foam spilled from his mouth.Constance insisted that I had mixed wolfsbane into the raw meat meant for the pups. Two highly respected female elders of the pack pinned me to the ground. They forced me to kneel in the execution grounds, where the ground was strewn with jagged gravel.I had shot Stellan a pleading look. He had been with me the entire time. He knew perfectly well that I hadn't done it.However, throughout the whole ordeal, he kept his head lowered and didn't say a single word. His silence hurt more than any accusation ever could.That day, I endured 20 lashes from a thorned whip soaked in saltwater. The skin on my back split open horrifically, and I bled profusely.When Stellan finally returned to our den, he handed me the finest healing herbs with guilt written all over his f

Nigella was the first to react. "20 fertile valleys? You've lost your damn mind! Stellan led the Nocturne pack to conquer that area. It protects all the people of the North. What does it have to do with you?"You've already taken advantage of the Luna position for ten years. That was more than generous. How dare you demand our land?"I ignored Nigella's shrill outburst and looked only at Stellan.I said evenly, "Alpha Stellan, you can make up for your regrets with 20 valleys. You'll get your glory and achievements. You'll get to marry the she-wolf you truly love. You'll lose nothing.""Judith." Stellan walked toward me. His steps were both urgent and cautious.I steadied my breathing and raised a hand to stop him with my palm facing forward like an impassable wall."Let's have a clean break. Our bond has always been transactional. Now, it's time for us to go our separate ways," I said.Before turning to leave, I glanced once more at the four of them.In a soft voice, I said, "T

When I woke up, I realized I was lying in an unfamiliar cave. The air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs.Frederick sat by the fire, focused on grinding something with a stone mortar."You're awake," he said without looking up. His voice was cool and aloof. "I brought you to a temporary outpost I keep in the wastelands."I shifted slightly. A tearing agony surged up from deep within my soul, causing a muffled groan to escape my lips."Don't move," Frederick said, setting the mortar aside as he came over. He handed me a bowl of warm medicine that he had brewed."Your condition is severe. This isn't a physical injury," he remarked while studying me with a probing look in his eyes.Then, he said, "It's due to the backlash from forcibly severing a mate bond."It wasn't a question. It was a statement.I didn't hide it from him. I nodded in confirmation."You don't seem surprised at all," I remarked.Frederick replied calmly, "I've dealt with several such cases in the Sout

"Judith, are you alright?" Frederick asked as he came in from outside.He understood my boundaries. During the time I'd been recovering here, he had been very respectful toward me and never interfered with my choices.I responded with a small smile."Your muddleheaded ex–mate probably won't be doing very well in the near future," Frederick said while handing me a packet of transcribed intelligence.Only then did I see that Nigella had been traveling through the major packs of the Northern Territories. Through wandering bards and storytellers, she spread a carefully woven tale across the entire region.In the stories, she smiled radiantly, showing no trace of being rejected by Stellan. She lovingly recounted the 22 years she had grown up alongside him.She had said, "Tell me. Can ten years of political struggle during adulthood really compare to the bond Stellan and I forged running through the snowy mountains together? When my parents brought Judith back, she disliked me in every

My bold move stunned the Elders' Council, but they had no grounds to refute it. My reasoning was flawless, and my achievements were undeniable.More importantly, many subordinate pack Alphas, who had once benefited from my help and support, began openly voicing their solidarity.The most decisive of them all was Frederick, the Alpha King of the South. He openly declared that he supported me.The balance of power flipped in an instant.Stellan attempted to influence me through the remnants of our mate bond. However, that bond, which I had forcibly torn apart, now delivered the same searing pain to him as it did to me.His body swayed, and he staggered backward. Only then did he realize that I had already cut off every possible retreat.In the end, the challenge was formally established with the Elders' Council witness.On the night of the full moon, we would duel atop the Sacred Mountain. The victor would be the Alpha King of the North.During this time, my parents knelt outside