Chapter 8: The Unexpected Encounter

Adrian

I was busy in my office going through some of the Pack's reports when I suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside.

Frowning, I pushed my chair back and stood up. I was just about to head towards the door to find out what was going on when the door suddenly burst open.

My mother stormed into the office, an unmistakably angry expression written all over her face. Right behind her were the two guards stationed outside my office, both looking rather frightened.

"Your Highness, we tried to stop her from entering, but she refused to listen to us," one of the guards explained nervously.

"It's fine. You can both return to your posts," I instructed.

The two guards bowed respectfully before turning around and leaving the office.

The moment they were gone, my mother turned towards me.

"Wait just a minute, Adrian! So you really instructed your guards not to let me into your office?" she demanded angrily.

I completely ignored her question. Instead, I walked back towards my desk, pulled out my chair, and sat down as though she hadn't said a word.

"Adrian! Didn't you hear what I just asked you?" she yelled, her voice growing louder.

"Enough with all the screaming and shouting! You're giving me a headache!" I growled, slamming my fist against the desk.

The sudden sound made her flinch.

"Considering what you said to me the last time we spoke, you should be grateful that all I did was instruct my guards to keep you away from me," I continued, glaring at her. "If it had been someone else who dared to ask me to forgive Sarah after she had made a fool out of me for six whole years, I would have ordered his execution without a second thought."

I paused briefly, recalling the conversation we had after I discovered Sarah's affair with Leonard.

The way my mother had reacted back then had left me utterly speechless. It was almost as though she saw absolutely nothing wrong with Sarah cheating on me with my own Beta.

"Tell me something, Mum," I continued, fixing her with an inquisitive look. "Is what Sarah did to me the same thing you've been doing to Dad? Because, even now, I still can't understand how you could possibly support your son's mate cheating on him with his Beta."

My mother's expression immediately darkened.

"Mind your words, young man!" she growled angrily. "Just because I asked you to forgive your mate doesn't mean I supported what she did to you. And it certainly doesn't mean that I behave the same way she does!"

She paused, taking a breath before continuing.

"Besides, her cheating on you doesn't change the fact that she's still your fated mate."

"Well, that's where you're completely mistaken," I replied confidently.

I leaned back in my chair, keeping my gaze fixed on her.

"Sarah is no longer my mate. I've rejected her and stripped her of every responsibility she once held in this Pack. And there's absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do to make me forgive her, let alone take her back."

Before my mother could respond, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

"Come in," I instructed.

The door opened, and Tony, who had recently become my personal assistant following Leonard's imprisonment, stepped inside.

"Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Your Majesty," he said respectfully, bowing to both my mother and me.

"Yes, Tony. How did things go?" I asked, turning my attention towards him.

"Everything went according to plan, Your Highness. We've brought her in," he replied.

"Good," I said with a satisfied nod.

I pushed my chair back and stood up before turning towards my mother.

"Since you clearly didn't come here to discuss anything important, you're free to leave whenever you wish. As for me, I have something far more important to attend to—like saving the life of your mate, who you don't even care about."

I then turned towards the exit, intending to leave with Tony.

However, before I could take another step, my mother's voice stopped me.

"I only care about people who care about me," she said bitterly. "Perhaps if your father had cared about me when he was healthy instead of devoting his entire life to that throne of his, I might have cared more about him now that he's sick."

I stopped walking.

For a few moments, I simply stared at her, unable to find the right words to respond. Eventually, I shook my head in disbelief.

Deep down, I knew she wasn't entirely wrong.

Throughout his entire life, the only thing my father had ever truly cared about was the throne. It was the one thing that had always received his time, attention, and devotion. As for my mother and me, he had always treated us as though we were nothing more than liabilities.

And if I was going through all this trouble to save his life now, it wasn't necessarily because I loved him as a father.

I simply wanted to have a clear conscience, knowing that I had done everything within my power to save him, regardless of whether he survived or not.

Shaking off those thoughts, I turned towards Tony.

"Where is she?" I asked as we stepped out of my office.

"In the courtyard, Your Highness," he replied, immediately leading the way.

I followed him down the corridor, my mind already focused on the surgeon they had surely gone through so much trouble to bring here.

A few moments later, we arrived at the courtyard.

And the moment my eyes landed on the woman standing there with a sack covering her face, I froze.

A familiar scent suddenly filled my nostrils.

Vanilla and chocolate.

My heart skipped a beat.

No. It couldn't be.

I stood completely still, trying to make sense of the scent that had just awakened something deep inside me.

My wolf, who had remained silent ever since we discovered Sarah's affair with Leonard, suddenly stirred.

Then, without warning, he let out a powerful roar inside my head.

MATE!

"Your Highness, is everything alright?" Tony asked, noticing how I had stopped moving.

I didn't answer.

I couldn't.

My eyes remained fixed on the woman standing before me as I slowly began walking towards her.

She appeared to be trembling, and I could only imagine how frightened she must have been after everything she had been through to get here.

Without saying a word, I reached for the sack covering her head and carefully untied it.

Then, with a slow movement, I pulled it away.

The moment her face came into view, my entire world seemed to stop.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

There, standing right in front of me, wa

s the very woman I had spent the last six years searching for.

The woman I had convinced myself I would never see again.

Amelia.