Chapter 606 Offering Rituals


    *Zander*


    "Zander, try this-I made it for you," Anne said as she ced a te of roasted beef in front of me. "Thank you, Anne, but you don''t have to go through the trouble," I murmured, trying to keep my tone neutral.


    "I know it''s your favorite," she said, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. For a moment, I was struck by her beauty, but there was something about her-something familiar. It was as if she reminded me of someone. I lowered my head, trying to force the memory to surface, but it eluded me.


    ''Zander, I don''t feel like she''s our mate. Don''t marry her,'' Lyon''s voice echoed in my mind, filled with


    unease.


    ''I know, Lyon,'' I replied silently, my gaze shifting to Austin, who was grinning as he yed nearby. ''We don''t feel the bond with her, but look at Austin,'' I added, watching my son as heughed. ''He''s happy whenever he''s with Anne.''


    "That''s true-he does look happy," Lyon acknowledged, though reluctance lingered in his voice. "But something about this still doesn''t feel right."


    I responded with a nomittal hum, slicing a small piece of the roasted beef and cing it in my mouth. It was, undeniably, my favorite dish-or at least it used to be. Yet, as I chewed, I realized something unsettling. The vor, while well-prepared, didn''t stir the usual satisfaction. In fact, it felt almost alien, as though the joy I once associated with it had vanished.


    Why was this? Why couldn''t I remember why it was my favorite in the first ce? And more disturbingly, why did I find it so unappetizing now, despite Anne''s effort?


    "I''m full," I said abruptly, standing up and pushing my te back with more force than intended.


    Anne''s concerned voice followed immediately. "What''s wrong?" Her eyes searched mine, her worry evident.


    "Nothing," I replied hastily, my tone clipped. "I just remembered I have some pending files to review." The excuse felt weak, but I didn''t wait for a response.


    I needed to get out of there. My legs carried me toward the sanctuary of my study though I could feel the weight of their gazes-Maddox, ire, my mother, and Austin-all lingering on my retreating figure. What was wrong with me? I couldn''t even articte it to myself, let alone to them.


    Maddox remained silent in front of our guests, Alpha Albert and Anne.


    Instead, his voice came through our mindlink. ''Are you okay?''


    ''Yes,'' I replied curtly, shutting the mindlink before he could press further. I wasn''t ready to talk. Not now. Not when I didn''t have answers.


    Maddox knew me too well, better than most, and I was certain he had sensed something was off. He always had a way of picking up on the things I tried to hide the reason he was my closest friend since childhood. But even he couldn''t help me if I couldn''t make sense of what was eating away at me.


    I went straight to my study and locked the door, craving solitude and silence. I needed to think. Settling into my chair, I opened myptop, diving into the reports on the Dark Alpha. Strangely, he had been inactivetely a fact that didn''tfort me but instead deepened my unease. Men like the Dark Alpha weren''t known for enjoying peace and harmony. They thrived in chaos, finding pleasure in the cries of the innocent.


    Though I had issued alerts across all borders and to every pack in the North, the absence of any activity from him felt ominous, not reassuring. My instincts screamed that this quiet wasn''t normal.


    After poring over a few more reports and finding nothing new, I shut theptop with a sigh of frustration. Rising from my desk, I walked to the window, sliding the curtain aside. The moon hung in the sky, but its light was muted, far less radiant than it should have been. Its dull glow stirred a fresh wave of unease in my chest, a gnawing feeling I couldn''t shake.


    Something was off-terribly so. I could feel it in my bones. I only hoped, for once, that my instincts were wrong.


    Suddenly, a mindlink broke through my thoughts, sharp and urgent. ''Alpha, we need you at the eastern border immediately!'' The voice of one of the guards was strained, tinged with panic.


    *Selena*


    ''What''s wrong with you, Selena?'' Arena''s voice echoed in my mind, attempting once again to provoke a response. I refused to acknowledge her. When I needed her the most, she was reluctant to help. Now, when I was willing to follow the process, she suddenly had a problem. Wow!


    ''Come on, Selena, talk to me,'' she pressed, her tone insistent.


    I could have blocked her mindlink


    entirely, but I didn''t. I wanted her to feel the sting of being ignored by her other half. She needed to


    understand what it felt like. But


    dismay only deepened as I


    continued to deny her the ability to shift. Without my permission, her powers were rendered useless. Hah. Tit for tat.


    Keep begging, ancient wolf.


    Her persistent voice continued to


    ring in my head, but I focused on the task at hand, ignoring her entirely. I carefully adjusted my ceremonial attire as was preparing for the offering session, an important ritual where the people of the Lunar Realm gathered around the castle. They would present their grievances and offer gifts-precious things like silk, pearls, honey, or rare lunar fruits they had cultivated themselves-as tokens of gratitude and respect.


    Though I disliked taking offerings from the innocent people seeking my help, Mother insisted it was necessary. She said epting their gratitude served as a reminder: everything in life came with a price, and this ritual reinforced the understanding that bad karma would also demand its due punishment. ''You can''t marry God Kaelvor,'' Arena rebuked sharply.


    I only snorted in response, silently thinking, Says who?


    But I forgot she could hear my thoughts.


    ''Okay, I''m sorry for being harsh,'' she backtracked, her tone softening. ''I wanted to save the realm, but I''ve never wanted us to marry someone who isn''t our mate."


    I rolled my eyes. ''Isn''t it a little toote for that, Arena?'' I retorted with mockery. ''The wedding is fixed. I''m doing this to save the Lunar Realm, not because I want to. Isn''t that what you always wanted to protect the realm at all costs?''


    "Selena," her voice wavered, tinged with panic, ''we can save the realm, but who will save our mate?'' I froze, my heart skipping a beat. ''What do you mean?''