At Keen Manor, Silver Crescent Pack Territory


    Gs arrived at the mansion just in time for dinner. Likewise, Nasser also arrived not soon after and had dinner with the rest of them. Seated along the table, the air was tense despite the thin veneer of courtesy nketing the room.


    "I''m d that you and my son are getting along well, ra," Nasser noted with a smile.


    "He''s my mate," ra straightforwardly replied.


    Gs raised an eyebrow at what ra had just said. He was surprised to hear thating from her. He didn''t expect that she would just suddenly dere it like this, and while Nasser was already aware of the fact, the same couldn''t be said about his mother.


    "That''s great!" his mother burst out, her eyes welling up with happiness. "I''m so happy for both of you!"


    Gs didn''t know what to think. He could see the genuine bliss shining through his mother''s eyes.


    Nasser scoffed and pointed out, "If that''s the case, then why are you still participating in the tournament, Lady ra?"


    ? Turning to Nasser, ra shed a faint smile as she boldly dered, "I simply don''t fancy any of the other participants coveting the throne, notably your niece, Pinra."


    She held an inward scoff as she gave the man a level gaze. "I''m sure you''re well aware of that, Elder Nasser, of how I don''t want any undeserving people to hold important positions within our Kingdom."


    "So you''re saying that you''re simply participating because you don''t want Pinra to win?" Nasser questioned. "But in the same vein, you''ll be supporting the Princess?"


    ra didn''t answer. She kept herposure, allowing her silence to be her answer.


    "What if the Princess wouldn''t show up then?" Nasser further questioned with a frown. "Will you covet the crown to be Queen instead despite knowing that my son is your mate?"


    ra smiled at Nasser. This time, her expression was that of brightness and confidence as she stated, "I won''t. The Princess will show up without fail, I''m sure…"


    [Does she know? I think she already knows about the Princess''s angelic blood,] Ham noted from the back of Gs''s head. [Maybe Darius told her already?]


    Gs paid no attention to his wolf''s words. It didn''t matter to him whether or not ra knew the truth. Right now, he was more than satisfied with her answer. She said she wouldn''t covet the crown, and that was what mattered to him. Because of that, his lips unknowingly stretched themselves wide into a beautiful smile.


    "But what if she fails the trial inside the forest?" Nasser pressed, having no intention of letting this topic slide.


    "Why are you insisting on that to be the case, Elder Nasser? No matter what happens, the one thing that I can assure you is that Pinra will never be our Kingdom''s Queen," ra coolly answered. "I will not let a psycho killer like her rule this kingdom. I can consider some of the others, but not her…"


    "So are you saying that you won''t consider yourself for the crown?"


    ra shook her head at the Elder''s incessant questions and firmly stated, "As I''ve said, Gs is my mate, and I have no intentions of rejecting him thus far. So rest assured that I will be his official mate once this tournament is over."


    Nasser scoffed. "Words… Hah… It''s so hard to rely on words alone these days, mdy. Knowing your answer, I feel bad for my son for hisck of security. Don''t get me wrong, Lady ra, but-"


    "Then tell me what I can do to put you at ease, Elder Nasser," ra leveled out to the Elder, cutting the old man off without batting an eye.


    By the sidelines, Gs has finally had enough. "That''s enough, Father. Please don''t push ra too. I trust her, and-"


    "This is why you haven''t progressed at all!" Gs paused upon the sharp re Nasser threw at him, his father snapping at him with a pointed squint. "You never fail to hesitate. Just like during the Battle for the Throne against Darius! You hesitated, and you lost!!!"


    "Please… We''re here to have a meal, not to quarrel…" Gs heard his mother try to interrupt with a stutter. "And we have a guest…"


    Taking a nce to his side, Gs saw ra holding her mother''s hand on the table.


    ra smiled as she reassured the old woman. "Don''t worry about me, Lady Sh. I mean, it''s not like I don''t know of Elder Nasser''s nature," she let out a thinly veiled scoff as she added, "Besides, I don''t see the point of talking like none of us on this table knows of the other''s true nature."


    ra then looked at Nasser and said, "So tell me, what is it that you want from me? While I might like Lady Sh, and I can find myself epting Gs, that doesn''t mean that will change the way I look at you, Elder Nasser."


    She truthfully stated, "I still don''t trust you. And frankly speaking, I doubt that I will ever do so. However, I trust Gs. I am his mate, after all… And I also trust Lady Sh, knowing that she''s innocent from all of your wondrous works."


    "Hah! How vulgar of you to mock and nder me in my own house!" Nasser arrogantly barked aloud. "But since you''re eager to know what I want, then I might as well tell you! If you really won''t covet the crown to be Queen, then you must let Gs mark you. That way, you won''t ever be qualified to wear the crown!"


    There was a bout of silence, the tension rising with each passing second…


    Nasser scoffed, "Hah! I knew-"


    "Do it then…"


    ra''s voice interrupted Nasser''s words. Gs turned to her, and their eyes met as she repeated, "Do it. Mark me."


    "Nasser, please… Let''s stop this now," his mother pleaded. "Isn''t this enough? She''s already willing to get marked, so please let''s not push the issue and let them discuss these matters privately. Let''s not-"


    His mother flinched, her words failing her under Nasser''s re.


    Seeing the argument about to escte, Gs gritted his teeth as he stood up. "Let''s go. We''ve had enough!"


    Gs didn''t bother looking back as he grabbed ra''s hand and pulled her out with him out of the dining hall. Once they were outside, ra quickly shook her hand out of his grasp. Feeling ra free herself, Gs turned to her with knitted brows as he whispered, "I''ll bring you back to your manor."


    Despite his words, ra didn''t reply. Instead, her shoulders moved as she let out a mouthful of air. Staring at him, Gs shuddered at how intensely her eyes were currently boring into his.


    "I mean what I said, Gs. If you marking me is what it will take for Nasser to fully trust you, then I''ll let it happen," ra dered. "It''ll happen sooner orter anyway right after the tournament ends, so you might as mark me now and get it over with."


    "But…"


    He was speechless. He didn''t know exactly what to say at that point.


    [Just do it,] his wolf quickly supplied. [It''s already consensual, right?]


    "It isn''t like we''re going to mate just yet, Gs. It''s just a mark," ra shrugged, stepping closer to him while tilting her neck to the side. "Just do it. Sink your fangs into my neck."


    Seeing her neck being this exposed to him, Gs''s eyes sharpened as his instincts suddenly took over. In that instant, he circled his arm around ra''s waist and pulled her closer, boring his nose into her skin.


    "Once it''s done, there will be no more turning back, ra."