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The Burden

ผู้เขียน: Author Falley
last update ปรับปรุงล่าสุด: 2025-04-28 05:51:55

Chapter Sicty FiveThe Burden of Leadership

Zarina’s Pov

I leaned against the window, the night air stinging cold against my skin, my fingers touching the stone sill lightly. The moonlight this evening was colder than usual, casting long shadows across the woods, making the familiar landscape into one that was almost alien. The air was tense, charged, and for all I could do, I couldn't shake it away.

Asher was fighting. I could see it, feel it in every line of his posture, every heavy step he took. The pack was closing in on them, their needs growing more and more desperate, their eyes full of fear, of anger. They hungered for blood. They hungered for sacrifice. And as their Alpha, Asher's responsibility was to make the decision, to lead them through this dark and dangerous time. But I could see it in his eyes—the fear, the uncertainty. It was there, lurking under his stoic facade, and it was destroying my heart.

I wasn't sure how long he could hold out.

The soft creak of the door warn
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  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Elder’s Demand

    Chapter: The Elders' DemandThe weight of being Alpha had never rested more heavily on me than it did today. Every step, every decision I took, came under such close inspection that the weight was suffocating. But what the elders were demanding—no, insisting upon—was something I could never possibly consent to.I stood in the center of the black hall, the air thick with the heaviness of unwritten words. The elders were seated, faces grim, eyes blazing with accusation. They had waited for me to decide, but this. this was something more than I had expected.We've waited long enough, Asher," Elder Rurik's voice was deep, but his words cut through the silence. "The pack demands a sacrifice. It's the only choice. You understand this."I clenched my fists at my sides, my heart pounding in my chest. This was the moment I'd feared. The moment when I would break or remain unbroken."I told you," I said, my tone steady even as my gut churned with queasiness, "there must be another way. The pack

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-28
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Idea

    .Chapter Sixty Seven : The IdeaZarina's POVThe pressure of the situation weighed heavily upon me like a boulder weighing a hundred tons. I sat silently in our bedroom, attempting to make sense of things, but it seemed the tempest within me was way too raucous to be silenced. The elders had come, demanding a sacrifice. A child. One of Asher's own. And my heart had shattered when I saw Asher stand firm, his voice unshakeable, his face set in determination as he denied their request.But that hadn't changed the fact that the elders wouldn't let go so easily. Their ultimatum hung over us like a cloud, dense with threat and conclusion. I knew Asher would never let harm befall his children. He couldn't—he loved them with every fiber of his being. He was their protector, their father, their Alpha. But the longer things dragged on, the more I began to fear what this stubbornness would ultimately cost us all.I could hear Asher's footsteps from the other side of our room. I did not look at

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-28
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Feelings

    Chapter Sixty Eight : The Feelings Asher's POVThe load of the day was a boulder on my chest. The pack, the elders, everybody was depending on me, and the pressure was suffocating. But this evening, I did not care to think about any of it. I simply wanted to spend time with my kids.I crept down the hall to the nursery, gentle sounds of my babies drifting from the doorway. Their coos, their tiny laughter, were like music.When I entered, to behold them nearly shattered my heart. They were so tiny, so innocent.Luca was lying on his belly, his small hands reaching for a teddy bear. His little legs kicked against the air as he struggled to grasp it, his face concentrated. He wasn't there yet with the words, but the way he looked at the toy, how hard he reached for it—my heart swelled to full.Freya rested in her crib, waving her small hands in the air as she looked up towards the mobile revolving over her head. Her large eyes followed each movement, and a soft little giggle formed on h

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-28
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   Her Decision

    Chapter: Zarina's DecisionThere was a sound of rain in sheets accompanied by sound of drumbeats thundering overhead as rain kept pounding ruthlessly at the roof. Asher had pulled back into the darkness of his own mind, his furrowed brows and concerned expression evident as the elders' expectations remained suspended in the air around us. I could feel the burden of the world weighing on him, as though he carried the future of our entire pack on his own shoulders. The elders were unforgiving, pushing him to make a choice—one that would destroy us. They wanted to take one of our children, one of my babies.I couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let them take one of my children.But I recognized that Asher felt trapped, stuck by his position as alpha, the need to protect everyone, even if it meant sacrificing the very people he cared about most. I saw it in his eyes—the torn look of a man who wanted to protect us but didn't know how.I walked around our quarters, pacing back and forth, ide

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-28
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Journey

    :Chapter Seventy : Zarina's Journey – The Quest for a SolutionI had my hand on the door handle, weighing the decision heavily in my mind. Asher stood but a step or two behind me, watching, waiting, but I couldn't turn around. I couldn't dawdle."Zarina…" Asher's voice was thick with concern, but I could feel the unspoken words hanging there. He didn't want me to leave, I could tell. But he had no idea of the burden of the pack and duty that lay on me at that time. I loved him, and I loved our children, but I had to do this for all of us.I couldn't allow them to take one of my children. I couldn't allow them to offer my flesh and blood for some ancient ritual."I'm doing this for us, Asher," I whispered, barely above a whisper so he could hear me. "I promise, I'll come back."I could not gaze at his face, but I felt the hurt in the silence that followed. I knew he was torn. He knew what the pack needed, but this? This was different. I opened the handle and stepped out, leaving behin

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-28
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   I Told her everything

    Chapter Title: I Told Her Everything(Zarina's POV)The forest was quiet. So quiet that I could hear my heartbeat. My feet hurt. My dress was dirty. My hair was messy. But I didn't mind. I just wanted to find someone—anyone—who would be able to help me.I walked and walked until I spotted a small wooden cottage. It seemed to be very old, as if it had been around for centuries. There was a puff of smoke from the chimney. There was warm soft light in the window.My legs were shaking. I didn't know what was inside. But I didn't stop.I slowly pushed the wooden door. It made a small creaking noise.There she was.Another old woman. Sitting by a fire. Her back was a bit bent. Her skin was creased like wrinkles on old paper. She wore long grey hair in a loose braid, and her eyes—her eyes were deep, as if she had lived through many lifetimes.She stared up at me and frowned."Child," she said gently, "why are you weeping?"That was when I saw.I was sobbing. My face was moist. My lips were s

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-29
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   Hope in Sillence

    LChapter Seventy Two: Hope in the SilenceZarina's POVIt was a cold night when I returned. My feet ached, my heart was weighed down, and my clothes reeked of the forest that I had walked through. But I did not care. I held the little bag of cloth from the old woman to my chest like it was a matter of life and death. Inside it was the powder. The book stayed in the other hand. The pages were yellowed and had the scent of time itself. I had read only one page, but it had all the answers that we were looking for.The moonlight guided the path to our home. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Not even the wolves had howled. It was like the night itself held its breath to see what I would do. My fingers shook a little as I opened the door very slowly, not wanting to wake anyone.I went inside.The air was somber, the candles low. I first saw them — my babies. My innocent, sweet babies. Sleeping soundly, nestled up against each other. Their quiet breathing the only noise in the room. My eyes

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-29
  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Shift Begins

    Chapter 73 : The Shift Begins – Asher's POVSunlight streamed into the room, bathing the room in warm, golden hues. I rubbed my eyes against the light, the warmth on my skin. For an instant, I believed I was still dreaming, the crushing weight of the past few days still lodged in my chest. But then I knew—no, it was real. The world outside was waking up, and so was I.I turned my head to the side and saw Zarina sleeping beside me. She was serene. Her brow was not furrowed in worry as it had been for days. She appeared. unencumbered by the tension and exhaustion that had weighed over her for so long. I looked at her for a moment, attempting to grasp how such a quiet moment could feel so meaningful. She'd done it—she'd gone and gotten something, some fix to everything, although I wasn't entirely sure how. I was grateful to her beyond measure for everything she'd done for me and our pack.I wished to stay there, beside her, for only a little while longer, but the weights of all of it sti

    ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2025-04-29

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  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Party Start

    Chapter 92: The Party StartsZarina's POVI stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair slowly. My hands were trembling slightly. I did not know why. Maybe it was the way Asher gazed at me when I told him that I was going to Cara's birthday party. His eyes were piercing, worried. He did not shout. He did not argue. But his silence said so much more than words could.She's up to something," he had told me earlier that day. "Zarina, I know she went to you as a friend. I know she apologized. But please… be careful. Don't trust her so easily."I had nodded, my hand over his. "I'll be careful. But I don't want to live in fear. Maybe she really means it this time. Maybe she's changing."He didn't complain, but I saw how his jaw clenched. I knew he didn't believe so.Still, I was already dressed. I wore a soft blue dress that flowed down to my ankles. There was something calming about it. Maybe because my mind had been anything but. I'd been fatigued lately. Weak. My head would spin somet

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Warning

    Chapter 91 : he WarningZarina's POVI was sitting in the pack living room, the soft hum of the house enveloping me, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. It had been a day or two since Cara came by, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Every time I thought about the way she'd looked at me, the way she'd apologized… it felt too good to be true. But maybe I was thinking too much. Maybe this was the start of something new. Maybe she was actually changing.Asher walked in through the door, his tired eyes scanning the room before they settled on me. I knew something was wrong — his jaw was tight, and his eyes had that glint, that edge, like he was hunting for something.“Zarina," he said, his voice low, warning already present in it. "I need to talk to you."I looked up from the book I had been pretending to read. My heart skipped a beat. "What is it?He crossed the room, his boots thudding on the wooden floor, and stood in front of me. He didn't sit down, just

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Invitation

    Chapter 89 – The InvitationZarina's POVI wasn't feeling well that morning.My head was dizzily spinning a bit when I stood up from bed, and my stomach was. wrong. Not how you're ill as in how you dash for the bathroom but how something inside you just does not feel quite right. I sat on the edge of the bed, hands in my head, and breathed deeply. I thought maybe it was stress. Too much thinking. Too much crying. Too much aching in my chest about it all.Asher left early. I never asked where he was going. I knew he was trying to fix it all again, try to keep the pack together, try to protect me and the kids. That's all he ever did. And I loved it.But love couldn't stop the way I felt that morning. Hollow. Lost. Weary.But still I rose. I went to check on the kids, then cleaned the little sitting area by the rear of the house. I needed to move. To breathe. To keep going.I didn't expect I'd be seeing her again so soon.But then, just shy of noon, the front door softly knocked. I stiff

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The apology

    Chapter 89 : The ApologyZarina's POVI did not anticipate having her at my door.It was a peaceful morning. Asher had departed early to meet the patrol leaders, and the house was quiet. The children were outdoors playing with the nanny, and I was ironing clothes in the cozy living room. I was drained, both physically and emotionally. Everything was too much to endure.Then there was a knock.Not the typical kind. Not loud, not persistent. Just… soft. Gentle. Almost like the person on the other side of the door didn't want to scare me.I opened it carefully.And there she was.Cara.Her face was altered—exhausted, melancholy, not angry as typical. Her dark hair was loose, and she had on a simple gray cloak. No trinkets. No cosmetics. She looked… human. Sort of harmless.My heart skipped in my chest, and I gripped the doorjamb tightly."What do you want?" I whispered."I just. I want to talk," she replied. She was talking low and trembling. "Please, Zarina. I'm not here to fight. I swe

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Weighr Of Leadership

    Chapter Title: The Weight of LeadershipThe moon was low in the sky, casting a pale light over the packhouse. Inside, the air buzzed with tension. I sat by myself in my study, the weight of what had occurred during the day oppressing me.The elders were gone, their words lingering within me. The Red Moon Pack was cutting all ties with us. No further supplies. No trade. It was all due to the choice I had made to be with Zarina. I drew a hand over my hair, irritation welling up within. Had I erred? Would I have done better with Cara? Would keeping the peace been better that way? The very thought plagued me.And yet I thought about Zarina's tear-streaked face, her silence, her unwaivering belief in me. She was my companion. She had given birth to our pups. She was the future of the pack.The elders, though, did not view it so. They saw her as danger, as a vulnerability. They saw her as the reason that the pack failed.I leapt up, pacing the room. The pressure in my chest was too much to

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Point

    Chapter 87: The Breaking PointZarina’s PovI sat in the quiet room of the pack house, my mind swirling with thoughts I couldn’t escape. The weight of everything happening around me—everything that had changed in our lives—was becoming unbearable. The constant tension, the constant pressure. I could feel myself unraveling.Asher and I had gotten this far, but with everything that had happened with Cara, the elders, and the pack… I didn't know how I could continue to live like this. I had tried to be strong for him, for the children, but my heart ached. The stress was more than I could manage.I knew Asher would do all he could to protect me and the children, but would it be enough in the end? I was torn between clinging to the life that I had with him and the fear that the chaos would never leave.And then the solution hit me, so forcefully it shook me to my foundations. If sex with Cara would harmonize the pack, then maybe Asher should just go and do it.I felt sick to my stomach jus

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The pack future

    Chapter 86: The pack future Asher's POVI was in my office, my hands clenched tightly around a tumbler of whiskey, my head spinning with all that was happening of late. It had been a long day, one full of tension, puzzlement, and the overpowering desire to protect what was mine. Zarina seethed, perplexed by everything, and I had not the least idea of what to tell her that would make it better. Every day was a battle, but the war had not yet begun properly.Then my phone rang, shattering my daydreaming. The screen lit up with my mother's name, and for an instant, my heart skipped a beat. I had not spoken to her for some time. I had no idea what this call would be about, but I didn't have to guess very hard to figure that it wouldn't be something straightforward.I sighed and answered the call, trying to conceal my emotions."Yes, Mother?" My voice was level, but the constriction in my chest betrayed me."Asher, I need to talk to you," my mother stated sternly, but I sensed a quiver of

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   Asher’s Choice

    Chapter 85: Asher's ChoiceI walked in the night, my brain foggy, and my heart heavy. The weight of the day, the pack's need, and the pain of it all happening around me had started to strangle me. I considered everything Cara and I had been through at that moment. Her family pressure, the needs of the pack, and my choices.But the more I dwelled on it, the more I couldn't get the image of Zarina and the babies out of my head. The way they regarded me, the way Zarina smiled, the way the children depended on me for everything. The idea of giving that up, of taking Cara, it didn't sit right. Each time I tried to envision it, the only thing that popped into my mind was Zarina's face, her warmth, and how everything felt complete when we were together.I stopped on the trail, where moonlight filtered through leaves at the edge of the woods. It was quiet. Too quiet.Cara.Her face seemed to flash through my mind, the soft, honeyed tone she always had, her elegant hands, yet even with all of

  • Alpha’s Deal: Be My Mate   The Battles

    Chapter 84 : The BattlesAsher's POVThe day had been long. Tension was thick in the packhouse, and my mind continued to spin with it all—Zarina's battle, Cara's machinations, the threats on the horizon. I had promised Zarina that I would always be there to protect her, and yet it felt like I was failing her. There was so much beyond my control, so much that I did not understand, and all I wanted to do was keep her and our children safe.I rested against the side of the bed, the weight of the day weighing on my shoulders. My eyes wandered to Zarina, who was lying there with our triplets. They were wrapped in warm blankets, their tiny bodies curled up against her. The peaceful sight of them all curled up together was the only solace in the midst of chaos.Zarina was exhausted too. She had been through so much recently, attempting to assist me, attempting to keep our family intact while the world around us seemed to crumble. I could see the characteristic signs of her fatigue—the faint

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