Three Alphas, Fated To One, Played By One, But Mated To One-Chapter 53: Jerry’s Stand

I couldn’t believe that my own wolf was siding with Valerie now. Was he going to become her ally too?

I have noticed that in the pack over the last few days, some people had joined Valerie’s camp and become allies. Innocent no longer had the full support of everyone in the pack as the Luna.

What irritated me more was the fact that some people would even disobey me because my order went against Valerie’s.

I tore across the field, claws digging into dirt, lungs burning as I pushed harder than necessary and headed for the woods.

I needed exhaustion, something physical to drown out the pull in my chest.

As I ran, images began surfacing in my mind.

Valerie might not know, but I had heard her conversation with Innocent. The one she told Innocent she wasn’t interested in the position of Luna.

It was basically saying that she didn’t want me.

Another image surfaces of Valerie telling me I don’t own her when I confronted her about ignoring my orders two days ago during dinner.

"Valerie, I told you to come to dinner with me as my mate and you locked yourself in your room. I also asked Lilith to tell you to join the leaders’ meeting yesterday as Luna because you need to start taking care of your duties but again, you didn’t show up. Are you ignoring my orders on purpose?" I had asked during dinner because I knew that once she stepped out of the dining hall, I wouldn’t be able to talk to her again.

She had looked hard at me, then said, "Mike, you may be alpha. You may carry the identity of my mate, but you don’t own me. I can do whatever I want whenever I want. Don’t police me like a criminal."

I don’t even know where that came from, but I was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to reply to that.

She had then excused herself and left. Leaving me there with dozens of eyes trailed on me like the main character in a circus show.

I know she was right. I don’t own her, but as my mate, she has obligations and keeping my pride intact is one of those obligations. Yet, she had torn it down in public.

I was humiliated, but I couldn’t hit her like before.

In addition, the bond didn’t care about morality or pride. It tied us together whether I wanted it or not.

And I hated that part of me didn’t want to sever it, and it has nothing to do with Jerry.

I wanted Valerie. More than I have ever wanted anything, but I can’t let her get under my skin.

It is a conflicting feeling that has been eating at my insides.

I shifted back inside the forest. My breath was ragged with sweat cooling against my skin.

I needed control. I cannot lose control for a mate I didn’t even want.

I went back to my room to take a shower and sleep.

The next morning I felt better. More refreshed and clear headed. That late night run had helped a lot. Especially since I let Jerry out to run and blow some steam.

He wasn’t nagging me about mating with Valerie the moment he woke up.

I went to the dining hall to have breakfast with the rest of the pack.

The food was passable. Ever since Valerie left the kitchen, I realized just how much work she had been doing while she was working there.

The food tasted different. The cooks in the kitchen had always claimed that Valerie was lazy and did little work in the kitchen. All she did was slack off. She had been punished many times because of such reports, yet she never argued once.

Every time someone reported her and she was given more chores as punishment or sent to the dungeon for beatings with those barbed whips, she said nothing and went without even flinching.

But now, even if I wanted to turn a blind eye to those accusations, I couldn’t.

I had been so biased that I never investigated those claims. Believing that as the daughter of the pack’s traitor, it was normal for her to behave that way.

But now, every time I sit down to eat, the food on the plate seems to mock me.

The taste was completely different. Only then did I realize that all the food we have been eating for years was actually cooked by Valerie.

She was never lazy. She did all the work and yet got punished for it.

Every time I come back from the dining table, I want to smash my head on the wall in regret.

She is my mate. I should have protected her, yet I had been the first to torment her without evidence.

After breakfast I went to inspect the training grounds and see how the young pups were doing.

Ever since Mr. Jude, Valerie’s father died, there hadn’t been a skilled warrior who could train the young pups like he did.

But we have no choice. Wars between packs were getting more rampant and rogues weren’t letting us rest.

If not for the council being strict, packs would have slaughtered each other long ago to fight for territory and resources.

However, not knowing what would happen in the future, most packs started training the pups at a young age so that when they reach the age to shift, they have experience.

Thinking of shifting, my mind drifted back to Valerie. She was already turning eighteen yet still didn’t have a wolf.

Was she just an ordinary human or was there something else going on?

I don’t think my father is a muddled person who would force me to acknowledge a weak mate like Valerie.

I always felt like something was hidden from me, but I can’t figure out what.

Then, thinking of those documents I had glimpsed by accident, I wondered if my father’s insistence to acknowledge Valerie as my mate had something to do with them.