Alpha Asks For My Forgiveness, Refuse and Never!

"Happy birthday, Rose!"

"Thanks." I smiled at my parents, but deep inside, my heart was crying. Peter, or should I say Alpha Peter, should also be present here in my birthday celebration. But the seat I saved for him remained empty.

We had been anticipating this day—when we would formally reveal our relationship as mates.

He was the first one to recognize our bond three years ago. And just last year, when I turned nineteen, we had marked each other. But now, as I blew out the candles on my cake, Zelda was howling, longing for Peter's presence.

"Have you met your mate yet?"

I almost choked on my food when my father asked me that question. When I turned to face them, both my parents were staring at me.

"No, not yet." I hated lying to them, but I couldn't tell them the truth just yet. I promised Peter we'd expose our relationship jointly, and I wanted to honor his intentions. He had just taken over as the new Alpha of Cerulean Peak Pack when his father died, and although he was still grieving, he was responsible for the entire pack, so revealing our relationship would only increase his stress. So I've decided to keep it a secret for now.

It was 1 a.m., and I still couldn't sleep. I wished Alpha Peter was conversing with me, yet despite my efforts to mind-link him, he didn't respond, and his phone remained switched off. What if the hunting excursion put him in danger? What if the rogues ambushed him on the way back?

'Why don't we visit the packhouse so we can check in on him? ' Zelda, my wolf, suggested. She was as restless as I was.

"But showing unannounced might cause more than good." I tossed and turned in bed. "What if he gets upset at us for intervening without permission?

Zelda, being more stubborn than I, argued back, "But what if something really did happen to him? We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Fine!" I sat up, raising my hands as though surrendering. "Let's go."

After all, I badly wanted to know why he didn't show up earlier at my private birthday dinner.

I jumped out of my window, and Zelda surfaced as soon as I fell. Our house was only a few trees away from the mansion, so we made our way there swiftly. But, in order to dodge the pack guards, I dashed through the tree branch that connected to his room's balcony.

My heart was racing when I shifted back to human form and took a peek at the glass door. Peter was surely in there, as I could hear the shower running.

'Don't knock anymore. Just walk in,' Zelda said, and I slowly turned the knob. My hand was shaking as I pushed the door open.

But then I froze when I saw a blonde woman emerge from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

I could see my own shocked expression on her face, but when the main door opened, she quickly composed herself and greeted Peter himself. On the other hand, I stayed frozen, gazing intently at the woman as she wrapped her arms around Peter.

"Peter, there's an intruder!"

My mate clenched his jaw as he approached me. I stepped back, but he grabbed my arm tightly and said, "Let us talk. Now."

Before I realized it, I was following Peter to the balcony. My chest felt heavy, like something solid was bearing down on it. I was annoyed, but I couldn't do anything about it.

The way Peter turned around and glared at me made it seem like he was accusing me of something. "Did you just sneak out like a freak in the middle of the night?"

His sharp words made me grasp the metal railing hard. "I was calling you, Peter. But you seemed to be ignoring me." I looked behind his shoulder, and the sight of the blonde woman sitting on the edge of his bed made me ball my fists. "You were absent from my birthday party, but it's obvious now why you weren't available."

"Suzie is a family friend, okay? Peter explained, pointing at the woman, "She was the daughter of Alpha Felix, my father's best friend." She arrived this afternoon, devastated and distraught over her parents' deaths following their pack's attack by rogues. I had to comfort her."

My shoulders stiffened as I analyzed Peter's explanation. Was he saying the truth? Taking a glimpse back at the woman, I said, "I can take care of her for you. I have clothes that fit her size and a spare bedroom where she can stay for the night."

"No need." Peter waved his hand dismissively. "I've already made a call to the department store, and they will deliver some essentials for her later, any time soon."

"A-alright." I nodded. Despite his story, my gut still felt unsettled.

"You must return home, Rose. Beta Noel will worry if he finds out you're missing," Peter said, dragging me out of the room. "Remember, no one knows about our relationship just yet. So it's best if you keep your distance for now."

Was that the real reason he wanted me to return home?

I walked out of the mansion, this time through the front door. Giving the packhouse one last glance, I shifted to Zelda form, and instead of returning to my place, I ran into the forest so my head could clear.