The Wolf's Queen Vows

Chapter 36: The Decision

The sun hadn’t fully risen yet over the MoonVeil Pack. A pale light filtered through the tall windows of the Alpha’s study, falling across the wide oak desk where several scrolls and reports were laid out. The room smelled of paper and ink; the scent lingered in places where lengthy discussions about territory, alliances, and threats often happened.

Theron sat at the head of the desk, his posture straight but his eyes weary. He had been awake since dawn, reviewing reports about border patrols and trade routes. Veylor, his younger brother, and Beta stood nearby, leaning against one of the chairs with a tired smile.

"Those wanderers have been getting bolder," Veylor said, rubbing his jaw as he looked over one of the documents. "If they keep pressing from the east border, we’ll have to double the patrols."

Theron gave a short nod. "I’ve already sent word to the commanders. The east is vulnerable now that half the warriors were sent to aid the Lycanthrian convoy."

"Still helping the kingdom, huh?" Veylor said, folding his arms. "You always take the bigger burden."

Theron ignored the teasing. "It’s my responsibility. The pack needs stability."

Veylor grinned. "And here I thought you only cared about control."

Theron gave him a sharp look, but Veylor only chuckled. Despite their differences, they understood each other. Veylor had always been the lighter between them, easygoing and talkative, while Theron bore the weight of leadership like armor.

Before Veylor could continue, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Theron said without looking up.

The door creaked open, and a woman stepped inside. Her scent filled the room first, warm vanilla mixed with something floral and intoxicating. Korrin.

Veylor’s teasing grin faded immediately. He straightened, glancing between his brother and the woman. "I’ll...go check on the patrol roster," he muttered.

Theron nodded slightly, and Veylor left, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Korrin took a few steps forward. She wore a fitted maroon dress that showed more than it concealed, her black hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Her painted lips trembled slightly, but her eyes were steady, sharp, calculating even when pain-filled.

"You’ve been avoiding me," she said quietly, her voice breaking the silence.

Theron leaned back in his chair, his face calm but his eyes cautious. "I’ve been busy with pack matters."

"Busy?" she repeated, her tone rising. "Busy for three weeks, Theron? You think I haven’t noticed how you’ve been distant since your return from Lycanthria?"

He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he folded the parchment before him and placed it aside, his hands steady but his jaw tight. "What do you want to talk about, Korrin?"

She frowned deeply, stepping closer until she stood just across the desk. "You know what I want to talk about. Us."

He sighed softly. "Korrin—"

She cut him off. "Don’t you dare say it’s over again. Not after everything I’ve given you." Her voice cracked, and the polished confidence slipped away for a second, revealing a woman desperate to be seen.

Theron stood slowly, towering over her. "We both knew this would end someday."

Her chest heaved. "You think I didn’t know that? I knew it, Theron. I didn’t think it would happen like this because of her."

He looked away briefly, his hands behind his back. "Aveloria is my mate. You know what that means."

Korrin gave a bitter laugh. "Your mate," she said through clenched teeth. "Do you even know her? You’ve known me for over a decade, Theron. You’ve shared your life with me. You’ve let me in when no one else could reach you. And now, you want to throw it all away because the moon goddess decided to bind you to someone else?"

Theron’s expression hardened. "You’re making it sound like a choice I want to make. I don’t get to choose who she is."

"But you get to choose whether you accept her!" Korrin snapped. "You could reject her. Stay with me. We could still have what we always had."

Theron shook his head. "I can’t do that."

"Why not?" Her voice dropped to a near whisper. "Does she even want you? She has four mates, Theron. Four! You’ll be nothing more than another bond among them. You think she’ll look at you the way I do?"

Her words were sharp, filled with jealousy and pain, but he stayed silent for a long time.

Finally, he said, "It’s not about what she wants. It’s about what’s right. You and I had an understanding, Korrin. We both knew that when either of us found our true mate, this would end."

Korrin’s eyes filled with tears. "You think I care about that stupid agreement? I love you, Theron. I’ve loved you since the first day I stepped into this pack. I gave up everything for you, every chance, every man who looked my way. You can’t just walk away."

Theron’s voice softened, though his expression didn’t. "You deserve better than being the woman who fills the void. I can’t keep doing this."

Korrin took another step forward. "You don’t mean that."

"I do," he said firmly.

She gave a shaky laugh. "So, what? You’ll go running to her? Pretend the last ten years didn’t happen? Pretend I didn’t happen?"

"I’ll never forget what we shared," he said quietly. "But I won’t betray my mate."

Korrin’s eyes darkened, her sadness twisting into anger. "You mean you won’t betray your precious Queen?"

Theron remained silent.

Korrin suddenly reached for him, placing her hand on his chest. "Theron, please." Her tone shifted again, low and pleading. "You don’t have to end this. We can still be together. Your mate doesn’t have to know." She leaned in slightly, her voice trembling. "You don’t have to stop wanting me just because of her."

He caught her wrist before she could move closer. "Korrin, stop."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?" freёwebnovel.com

"Because it’s the right thing to do," he said. "You and I both knew it couldn’t last forever. You deserve the chance to find your mate. To have the life you were meant to have."

"I don’t want anyone else! You’re the only one I ever wanted!" She cried.

Theron took a deep breath, fighting the heaviness in his chest. He had never doubted that Korrin cared for him, but love wasn’t always enough to make something right. He had used her company to fill the loneliness of leadership, to ease the burden he carried as Alpha. He’d known it was wrong to let it go on this long.

"I’ll make sure you’re compensated," he said quietly. "For your service to the pack. For your time."

The moment the words left his mouth, Korrin froze.

Her expression changed, pain replaced by disbelief, then humiliation. "Compensated?" she repeated. "Is that what you think I was doing all these years? Serving you with my body?"

He opened his mouth to explain, but she cut him off.

"You bastard!" She slapped him, her voice trembling. "I gave you everything, my loyalty, love, my body, and you think you can pay me off?"

"Korrin—"

"Don’t!" she shouted. "Don’t you dare say my name like you care."

The air in the room felt heavy. She stood there for a long moment, shaking, her fists clenched. Then she turned sharply toward the door.

She paused as she reached for the handle, her back still to him. "You’ll regret this, Theron," she said softly. "You’ll see what it feels like to lose something you thought you could control."

He didn’t respond, and she walked out, slamming the door behind her. The sound echoed through the study.

Theron stood there for a while, staring at the door. His chest felt tight, though his expression remained calm. He wasn’t heartless; a sense of duty bound him, and he couldn’t ignore it. Aveloria’s bond had changed everything. He knew it was real even if he didn’t fully understand it. He couldn’t live a lie anymore, not when the moon itself had chosen for him.

Moments later, Veylor returned, hesitating at the doorway. He looked at his brother’s face, then at the disordered papers on the desk. "That didn’t sound peaceful," he said quietly.

Theron sighed and sat back down. "It’s done."

Veylor stepped in and closed the door behind him. "She’s not going to take it well."

"I know," Theron said.

Veylor sat opposite him, studying him for a moment. "You’re sure about this? About the heiress?"

Theron nodded. "I can’t deny the bond."

"You’re really letting go of Korrin?"

"I already did," Theron said.

Veylor leaned back in his chair. "She’s loved you a long time. This might not end quietly."

Theron looked out the window. "I don’t expect it to. But it’s the only way forward."

There was silence between them for a moment before Veylor spoke again. "You ever think about what it’ll be like? Sharing a mate with three others?"

Theron gave a small, tired exhale. "It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I do what’s right by her. If she’s meant to have four mates, that’s the goddess’s will."

Veylor studied him carefully. "You sound like a man trying to convince himself."

Theron gave a faint smirk. "Maybe I am."

They both fell silent again, the morning’s weight settling over the room. Theron finally stood, walking to the window. His reflection looked back at him, strong, stern, and lonely.

Veylor watched him quietly. "You always said the Alpha doesn’t get to have peace. Guess you were right."

Theron didn’t answer, but his expression said enough.

He thought of Korrin, the years they had shared, the nights she had laughed in his arms, the way she’d made him forget the weight of leadership for a while. It wasn’t easy to walk away from that, but he knew he had to.

The bond with Aveloria had already begun to change him in ways he couldn’t explain. For the first time in years, he felt something close to hope, something real, something worth being faithful to.

He returned to his desk and picked up the first scroll on the pile. "We have work to do," he said quietly.

Veylor nodded, though his gaze lingered on his brother. "Yeah," he said softly. "We do."

And though Theron’s hands moved over the parchment again, his mind wasn’t on the words. It lingered on the sound of Korrin’s voice as she walked away, and the cold certainty that some wounds, no matter how justified, would leave a mark that time alone couldn’t heal.

But he had made his choice. And he wasn’t the kind of man who looked back once he did.