Alpha Mate Chapter 19

Chapter 19

*POV–ARYA”

fil taken the time to let out steam whilt in the garden. With the afternoon sun blazing in the sky and my lunch settled in my stomach, I felt as happyras a bird, and something about that felt sold. Normally, I should’ve been teething with anger, I should’ve felt played. But here I was, als Lat cn my lord, completely related instrad Maylar it had something to do with the fact that I knew I really didn’t have the time to be mad at hien or

“So, what was that about you having a chosen mate?” I asked as Darion sauntered into my room. He was wearing a fresh pair of clothes, a gray waistonat paired with brown shors. His hair fell over his rychows in large, slark coils in their usual sexy slemeanor, looking like the finest specimen

“And here I was thinking I was the only mate you had.” I continued, pouting. Darbus laughed, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on my lips

“You’re clammingly jealous,” he traini, his voice warm and full of affection.

“Tim serious” i said, trying in suppress my dush. “Answer any question”

“I could show you instead.” Darius said, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against mine

Suddenly, memories of his time with Noraya flooded ing bad and I saw vivid images of their tirne together. It felt like watching lengthy episodes. of a pre–reconded movie at the cinema, laut all in one secondl

Once he was done flooding my mind with his memories, Darius pook his usual spot by the window.

“Not entirely” I smirked. Call me cheesy, but I loved the fact that he could literally open his mind to me, despite the fact I’d never d

“You did great today.” Harius sail, grinning prmally,

“Heally now! I was mire you’ll come over to give me an earful of advice on the importance of respect for one’s elders.” I teaserel

Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“This wasn’t some sort of orchestrated test between you and the elders, was it?” Lasked, glaring at Darius who choked out a laugh.

“Of course not.” He replied, sounding not so innocent

lone

the same.

“Lar,” Laccused, narrowing my eyes at him. But even as the word left my lips, I couldn’t hold back the laugh that followed. Somehow, I couldn’t picture lum testing me in that way, last that chudn’t mean he wasn’t hirling something,

“You don’t know how much I’ve been wanting to do what you did for years now” Darius started “But you just walized in there and put them in their plier on the first meet. Lalmost felt sorry for them.” Darius laughed and I joined in.

“Are you trying to encourage my ill manners?” I asked, arching my eyebrow at him mockingly.

“You didn’t actually insult them. That’s what’s so great about what you did. You were still being very respectful whilst calling

felt like a proud father watching you Darius said, a wide grin spreading across his lips and I laughed.

ng them out

out on their shit.

His words made me feel lighter, and for a moment, it was easy to forget the heaviness of everything else. It felt like I was talking to a friend, someone I could be myself with, no matter the circumstances. I’d never felt so carefree with anyone before, ever

That reminds me,” Darius said, his tone shifting. “We’ll need to go over some paperwork soon.”

“What sort of paperwork?” I asked, arching my eyebrow at him.

“Nothing special. Just need your signature for our marriage certificate” Darius replied, grinning

I was completely taken aback

“What? But the council—”

Darius leaned towards me, his lips hovering above mine.

“I don’t need anyone’s permission to marry my mate.” He whispered in a low, husky voice that sent shivers rippling down my spine.

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Chapter to

My bawah s

Tony eyes in response like an idiot. But recollecting myself, I withdrew from him.

ertainly do not remember saying yes.” I said.

Darisis let out a hearty langli.

“We can’t have that now, can we?” He askeil

The next thing I knew, he was going down on his koers and my breaths caught in my throat. I’d meant my comment as a joke, but was he really

The moment his knees kissed the ground, he pulled out a beautiful silver box from his pocket. When he opened it, I almost gasped at the beauty of the ring boside. The diamond inside qarkled like it held the essence of winter and ice in itself, it was breathtaking, and it reminded me of Darius Ind use, Fusibone Widups this was a family heirloomt

“Arya Blackmsod, mother of my child and the only woman I ever love, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife!” Darius asked, his voice deep and hooky as he gared at me with glistening blur eyes.

My brails & might in my throat as silence filled the room. My heart swelled with so many different emotions

This felt right–perfect, even–but it ab felt so impossibly wrong

His eyes searched mine, waiting for an answer and unddenly darkened as he read my expression.

“Darios. 1 –we slotilde –

“Don’t,” Darius sabed, cutting me of

“Don’t what? Lasked.

“Don’t give me a reason why I shouldn’t be with you.” He said, howing his head.

“Likon’t need a reminder, Arya Lalmadly have nighititures of waking up and never seeing you again.” His voice cracked, and the vulnerabilay in it twisted like a knife in my chest.

My fingershuushed lightly against the lines of his face, facing the familiar edges. Darius leaned into my touch and let out a shuddered breath, his eyes closing like he was saving every second.

g with the truth beband at.

“I don’t want to bairt you. Darius. My voice was a nice whisper trembling y

“Saying no to this will ne” he whispered back, his voice so raw and vulnerable that it shattered something inside me.

His gare bone intocanine, searching, wanting, and the walls around my heart tightened.

1 should have stopped there, I should have let the moment carry us forward, let it soothe the ache. Hut instead, I pulled my hand away, rose from the bed and took a step back. The distance between us felt like a canyon, and yer, I could still feel the pull toward him–toward everything that we were, everything that we could be.

“We should),” I repeated, clenching my fists. The works tore at my throat, but I needed to say them

I took a few deep breaths to steady myself.

“Darius, we can’t do this.” I said, my voice firmer this time, though it cost me everything in hold it steady.

“Don’t say that.” Darins stood, mirroring my movements, the softness in his eyes quickly hardening.

“I will, because it’s true.” I sapped, my heart pounding in my ears. “Durias, I can’t marry you.”

“Why?” His voice grew darker, frustration bleeding through. “Is it because of the council Soraya? What is it, Arya! I’m trying here, I’m fighting for us, and peni’re—”

“Slopi

p trying!” I shouted, my chest heaving as I cut him off. His eyes widened in shock, but I didn’t let that stop me. “Stop pretending like this is going to end any other way! We both know how this ends, Darius. I die, and you’re left all alone with nothing but a broken heart and-“My voice cracked as I struggled to keep it together.“–and a child that won’t even survive to meet you.”

This jaw clenched, and for a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but then his expression softened.

“Arya you think I haven’t already accepted that? You think I haven’t already made peace with the fact that we might lose everything?” He took another step forward, his eyes fierce with determination. “I’ve already faced that reality, Arya. And I’m still here, aren’t

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Chapter 19

“Then you’re a fool!” I spat, my emotions spilling out of me. “You’re a damn fool if you think you can just pretend like everything is alright, like I’m not dying with every passing second! Life isn’t a fairytale, Darius. You can’t bibadi babidi boo yourself from reality!!”

“Tin a fool for loving you aren’t I For wanting to make every moment count!!” His voice was rising now, the heat of his frustration matching my own. “Because if that makes me a fool, then I’m the biggest damn fool alive, Arya

My chest tightened, and I turned away from him trying to put more space between us

make

“Do you really think pushing me away is going to protect me?” Darius‘ voice cracked as he asked, his raw emotions bleeding through. “Because it won’t Arya It will only hurt me more. If you really cared about me, then you’d know that what you’re doing right now is only going everything worse, because I won’t stop loving you. I won’t stop wanting you. You can fight this for the rest of your life and kill us both, or you could let me in and let me love you”

His words cur through my wall and for a moment, I almost crumbled. I almost gave in to the desperate plea in his voice, the love that still lingered between us. My heart pounded in my chest, torn between the love I wanted to embrace and the pain I was so desperate to shield him from. But the weight of my impending death was too heavy to ignore.

I spun around, anger and fear twisting inside me

“For f*ck’s sake Darius! Life isn’t a f*cking bed of roses! How the hell do you intend to make me queen when I barely have a month left in me??? Are you even thinking about your duty as a king” I yelled.

Darius breath hitched, and for a moment, his confidence wavered. But it was only a flicker, quickly replaced by the same unyielding determination that had brought us to this point. He took a step closer, his gaze locked on mine, unflinching.

“You think I don’t know what’s at stake!” he said, his voice low bar filled with intensity. “My kingdom, my people, the future I’ve spent my entire life preparing for? I know, Arya. But none of it means anything without yout

“You’re a delusional piece of shi if you think love will solve this.” I said, desperate to end this as soon as possible, desperate to push him away, “It won’t change the fact that I’m dying. It won’t stop the Mallonix from killing me!“

“I don’t care”

“No!” I yelled, frustration swirling in my chest as unshed tears blurred my vision.

“You think you know what’s best, but you don’t. You’ve probably never experienced a single moment of hardship in your life, so you can’t possibly. understand because you keep expecting everything to go your way and I won’t let you do that! I won’t let you destroy yourself just because you’re too stubborn to let go!”

“Arya—”

“Just leave!” I yelled, pointing towards the door, my voice breaking under the strain of it all “Go, before 1- But before I could finish, Darbas s front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders, and in one swift motion, his lips crashed against mine.

I tried to push him away, my hands flat against his chest, but his grip on my y shoulders only tightened, pulling me closer. His kiss was rough and urgent, as if he was afraid I would vanish if he let go.

At first, I fought it. My mind screamed at me to resist, to be the reasonable one, to not get swept away by some fantasy. My hands fisted in the fabric of his shirt, ready to shove him away, to put the distance back between us. But the hear of his kiss, the fire behind it, began to melt my icy resolve.

And even if I’d wanted to continue to fight, the bond we shared made it almost impossible for me to do so.

Slowly, almost against my will, my body started to respond. The fight left my muscles, and instead of pushing him away, my hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. His lips softened just enough to make room for the hunger that had always simmered between us, now burning through the walls I’d tried so desperately to maintain.

Darius growled low in his throat, deepening the kiss as if trying to pour everything he couldn’t say into that one moment every lear, every plea every ounce of love. And goddess, did I feel it. It crashed over me like a wave, drowning out the doubt, the fear, until all that was left was him. Just

him.

Sunlight poured in from the windows and bathed us in its warm, ethereal glow as our lips parted slowly, delicately, a sharp contrast to how our kiss had begun. Darius used his thumb to wipe my checks. Up until that moment, I hadn’t realized I’d been crying.

“You know, you’re really good at pushing me away” Darius started, gazing into my eyes.

Tlet out a shaky laugh, tears still clinging to my lashes.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered.

Darius shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

3/4

Chapter 19

“Don’t be understand, and 1 forgive you, as long as you promise me you’ll be mine. No mour pinbing me away, no more walls, Just_us“Darius

My breath hitched in my throat as I found myself fearing fil never be able to keep such a promise. Llooked up into his closed eyes, a part of me still struggling to give into him. He must’ve felt it, because he quickly pulled me closer as die made a low, wounded sound..

“Arya, please” he whispered, his voice so low and vulnerable that it went straight to my soul. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt him again, couldn’t bring myself to deny the fact that I wanted thus as much as he did. He slowly opened his eyes to stare into mine and goddess, the look in his eyes the hope, the love – it broke through the law of my defenses.