Alwyn didn't say a word. He felt the pain of Zoila's words. Imagine killing your own mate for the sake of your family. What he was feeling now was not as painful as Zoila's.
"Did Zion know about it?" He asked.
Zoila extended her hand as if trying to reach the sun.
"Yes. He saw me kill my mate. My brother was looking for me that night because he didn't see me at the party. The cliff was one of my favorite places in our territory, so he came to search for me." Zoila answered.
"But if he's an Alpha of a pack, his betas and the rest of their pack members would definitely feel that something happened to him. How did you manage to fix that?" Alwyn asked, curiosity piqued.
A wolf pack's strengths depend primarily on the Alpha's powers and its Luna. When an Alpha dies, the pack would feel weak because the connection broke immediately.
"After I killed him, I told Zion everything. I was a mess and didn't know what to do back then. My heart felt like it was being taken out of my chest while being stabbed a thousand times. I wanted to die with him. But Zion didn't let me. He attacked me before my mate's betas arrived. Then they told them he killed their Alpha because he tried to force himself on me. We're half wolves but harassing someone was unforgivable even as a pack leader. Everyone knew that my mate was a flirt and enjoyed sex with different women. I don't know how Zion found out about him raping the omegas of his pack." Zoila took a deep breath and continued.
"I didn't know he was like that. I thought he was like the other Alphas. His betas didn't argue as if they were thankful for what Zion did. But my cousin couldn't accept what had happened. She claimed that the Alpha was her mate and he wouldn't do something like that. She got mad and left our pack. Zion and I knew that she would get back to us someday. I told my brother to look for her, but he said to wait, so I obeyed him."
"Do you think your cousin felt a mate bond with that Alpha?" Alwyn asked.
"I don't know. As far as I know, only demons could have more than one mate, like Ari." Zoila answered.
He nodded in agreement. When he found out that his mate had more than one mate, he was confused and did some research. Amaris was half demon and half goddess, so he knew that the possibility of having more than one mate was high.
"Are you talking about the Eclipse Pack?" Alwyn guessed.
There was news about the Eclipse Pack decades ago. It was disbanded because its Alpha was killed, and no one wanted to ascend as the pack's new leader.
"Yes. After I killed my mate, no one ascended as its new Alpha. Most of their pack members, especially the omegas, joined our pack. Zion accepted them. Some were accepted by other packs when Zion asked them to ."
"How about the Alpha's family?" He asked.
"His parents went to Mirrikh along with his two brothers and sister. I don't have any news about them after the incident."
"Why didn't his parents choose one of his brothers to be the next Alpha?" Alwyn continued to ask.
Zoila sighed, then turned his gaze to the Elven Prince.
"They were afraid of Zion. I think some of his betas knew about their Alpha's plan to kill Zion and steal his powers. They didn't want to be Zion's enemy. My brother told them to rebuild their pack, but even the previous Alpha and Luna didn't want to. They decided to leave instead." She answered.
They were both quiet for a moment. He didn't feel the pain anymore, and it only meant one thing. The Alpha and Luna were done with whatever they were doing.
"I know how painful it is. It wasn't just emotionally painful; it was physically and mentally distressing as well. So I understand what you are going through. I'm sorry if I cannot do something about it. Zion also suffered a lot when he lost Ari, and not only him, our pack suffered."
"I understand, and I know my place. If only I could get rid of this pain." He mumbled.
Zoila frowned and looked at the prince with a serious face.
"You could actually do something about it. You didn't have to make it so complicated." Zoila said.
Alwyn turned to Zoila with confusion on his face.
"You can reject her, or she could reject you." Zoila suggested.
"But isn't it much more painful if your mate rejected you?" Alwyn asked.
Zoila shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know that the mate bond would be broken if you both rejected each other. Maybe you two have to talk about it."
Alwyn sighed but nodded in agreement. He didn't get a chance to talk to Amaris because he wanted to respect her relationship with Zion.
"Let's go inside. Our food will get cold." Zoila said before walking inside the tavern.
He followed her inside and saw Amaris laughing beside Zion. He took a deep breath and mustered the courage to ask her. He sat down across from her and looked directly into her eyes.
Amaris frowned. She knew Alwyn felt what she and Zion did in the toilet. She sighed.
"Can we talk?" Amaris asked.
Alwyn was surprised. He wanted to talk to her and planned on asking her already. He looked at Zion to see if he agreed.
"It's fine. Go." Zion whispered.
Alwyn nodded and followed Amaris outside the tavern. They talked at the same spot where he and Zoila chatted. They were quiet for a moment, and Amaris was pacing back and forth before she stopped and looked at him.
"Look, I'm sorry if I am hurting you. I did feel something towards you, but I know it wasn't love. If I consider your feelings, Zion will get hurt. I don't want to hurt him." Amaris started.
"I understand. You don't need to worry about me. I talked to Zoila, and she suggested that we could reject each other. It might solve our problem." Alwyn answered.
Amaris was surprised. She didn't know that they could do that. She was a Terran months ago and just recently became a hybrid. She didn't have enough knowledge about mythical creatures.
"Do you think it will work? I don't have any idea about this mating bond or how it works. But I do know that I love Zion." Amaris commented.
"Can you at least stop saying you love him right in my face? It's painful." He chuckled even though he felt like his heart was being pierced by something.
Amaris bit her lips and suddenly felt guilty. She took a deep breath and held Alwyn's hands.
"I can be your friend. That's all I can offer you. And about your doom, please don't risk your life for me. I don't want you to die because of me. We don't know if your death would be an accident or you would do something for me; I don't like both. Let's fight fate. Zion and I will help you. Your family is waiting for you, especially your sister. My father chose you, and he said you would be a great king, so I think there's a big chance that what will happen in the future would be different from your doom." She sincerely said.
The crown prince was once again mesmerized by the woman in front of him. His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt the urge to embrace her. And so he did.
Amaris didn't expect Alwyn to suddenly pull her arms and hug her. She wasn't able to move because she was off guard.
'I want to run outside and kill that guy.' It was Zion.
'Hey, let him be for now. I am already yours, and we decided to reject each other. What do you think?' She asked.
'That's a great idea. It would hurt him, but it would take just a few days for the mate bond to break completely. After that, he would feel nothing, and we don't need to consider his feelings anymore' Zion answered.
'Okay. Then I'll do it.'
'Do it now, and can you tell him to let you go. I'm losing my patience.' Zion warned.
Before Amaris could tell Alwyn, he already let her go.
"I'm sorry. It would be my first and last embrace to you." He said.
Amaris nodded and walked a few steps backward. She didn't want Zion to get mad again, so she needed to make sure that it was the last hug from Alwyn.
"Let's do it." She said.
The Elven Prince nodded and prepared himself for the pain again. He looked at Amaris' eyes and breathed deeply.
"I, Amaris Hadley, reject you, Prince Alwyn of Hiborane, as my mate.." She simply said.