Page 19 of The Alpha King’s Hidden Mute Mate

She stopped, looking at me, gasping for breath.

I looked back at her.

Three steps separated us. Her chest heaved violently, hair disheveled, tear tracks still on her cheeks. But she wasn't crying aloud—she couldn't, could she? She could only stand there, looking at me with those burning eyes, questioning me, like a misunderstood child, aggrieved, unwilling, yet stubbornly refusing to yield.

I opened my mouth.

Maybe... maybe I should hear her out. Maybe Leah hadn't told the whole story. Maybe she had another reason for lashing out.

But just then—

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Leah covered her struck face, tears streaming down. She looked at Mia, voice choking, looking fragile as glass. "Mia, I didn't mean to... I really didn't mean to compete for the Luna position... If you really mind, I can disappear... I can leave..."

She finished speaking, covered her face, and ran off crying.

I turned to look at Mia.

Her expression had shifted from anger to something more complex—shock? The pain of betrayal? She watched Leah's retreating figure, lips parted slightly, as if wanting to call her back, but she couldn't call out.

She could only stand there, like an abandoned puppet.

"You'd better know your place," I said, voice colder than I'd intended. "She can stand beside me as Luna of this nation, while you, you're—"

I stopped.

What are you?

Are you my fated mate? Are you the burden I'm forced to accept?

I couldn't finish the sentence.

But I looked at her. Watched her stand there stubbornly, chin slightly raised, eyes brimming with tears yet refusing to let a single one fall. That stubbornness—that damned, unyielding stubbornness—made something inside me stir.

Maybe... maybe she wasn't who I thought she was.

Maybe I'd trusted Leah's words too readily.

"Take her back to her room." I suppressed the irritation in my chest, speaking to the guard. "Also, find a servant who knows sign language and send her to attend to her."

She froze, looking up at me, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Don't misunderstand," I said coldly. "I just don't want to guess what you're gesturing every time. But remember—don't cause trouble again. Don't disturb me."

The guards led her away. She didn't look back as she left, spine straight, like a warrior refusing to bow.

I watched her figure disappear down the corridor, an inexplicable restlessness rising in my chest.

I realized I wasn't prepared at all.

Not prepared to face the truth. The fated mate I'd anticipated was mute, and I might never be able to communicate with her.

Even more terrifying: even though she was mute, that kiss still made me lose control.

Chapter Five

Mia