Mark (Alpha Zachary)

"Alpha, Kari has been crying non-stop. She's threatening to leave if you don't let her into your room," Gamma Reid said, but anger surged through me.

Two things happened simultaneously, and the coincidence was too strange. Iris, whose body I still couldn't find to mourn, was the reason I wanted Annabelle dead.

With my inability to feel her through the mark, it could only mean one thing, especially after the warriors I sent over a week ago all returned with the same information.

"The rogues reached her before us."

As much as I hoped the rogues would do so, I still wanted to do it myself. "What about her corpse? I want it," I requested.

She didn't let me give one of my twin sisters a befitting burial, and Ivy had locked herself up in her room right after that. How can I ensure a proper burial for Iris?

"Alpha, we will search for it, but without any tracks to follow, we won't know where the rogues disposed of it," Gamma Reid said as I interrupted.

"Just find it."

"Alpha, the rogues may have used her for food," Beta Gaius reported, which made sense. The rogues were struggling to survive in the wild and meat is meat to them, but...

"Let them conduct one final search."

After they all departed, I turned my attention back to the pressing matters on my desk. My father had made me the sacrificial son. Not only did he side with my twin brother, Zion, when it was evident he had allowed she-wolves into my room despite my allergy, but he was also fixated on achieving eternal life.

He and Mom were in this together, and it took a long time for me to find Kari, the girl who rescued me from death during a war.

Mom said she had knelt in the witches' coven for seven days to obtain the elixir that cured me from the poison of a deadly snake bite eleven years ago.

She was just a kid at the time, while I was a teenager. I promised her that despite the five-year age difference, I would marry her as soon as she turned eighteen, whether she was my mate or not.

To solidify everything, I was cursed that if I didn't find and marry her before turning thirty, my entire tribe would be cursed with the unknown.

My father was aware of this, so he concealed Zion's wrongdoings to prevent me from taking over from him as the Alpha of the Luna Echoes tribe, in an attempt to avoid the curse affecting them.

Fortunately, the moon goddess showed me mercy, and I managed to build my own pack from scratch within seven years. Zion cheated to win the Alpha war when we turned eighteen, but once the second phase of my business plans takes off, I am determined to become the greatest Alpha among all the tribes.

I thought everything would be perfect when I found Kari, but it wasn't. Just like every she-wolf, I was allergic to her and she wasn't as tough as my mother described, being defenseless against that witch who stabbed her in the eye.

My dad insisted I wasn't allergic to her because she had saved my life and he was certain she was my mate. The red-haired girl had discovered me in my unconscious state and brought me to the witches' coven by dragging me by the legs before my father and the warriors, including Zion, arrived.

If I were allergic to her, the reaction would have occurred after I recovered, even though she was just seven at the time. Every she-wolf, from babies to adults, triggered my allergy, except her.

So how could it be that after years of searching for her, I suddenly developed an allergy to her?

Something didn't add up. On the night of our engagement, when I accidentally drank Reid's drink, I felt a strange passion overwhelming me.

Surprisingly, Kari's touch didn't trigger my allergies at that moment. I was content with my decision not to reveal that we weren't destined mates, and the fact that I didn't show my allergies didn't exempt her.

The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed, and even my wolf, Tubal, agreed that she was our mate. Before I left to shower, I kissed her red hair. The only difference was that before our lovemaking, her scent was strangely toxic.

However, that morning, she carried my scent, and because I had accidentally slept in one of the guest rooms, I was eager to return to mine after a comforting shower.

What I didn't expect was for my wolf to withdraw right after. It was the strangest thing I had experienced. When I touched her again, my allergies kicked in, and she happened to have my antiallergic elixir with her when it happened.

Secretly, I entrusted Gaius to investigate the matter to see if there was another woman, and Kari was not the little girl who saved my life. In the end, there was no trace of any other woman.

Tubal is distant whenever Kari is around, and when the witch was caught, I briefly thought she was the girl. However, she was blonde, and her scent was nothing toxic or anything close to mine when I smelled her.

Her innocent façade almost made me fall for her lies, but I was grateful I didn't in the end.

Strangely, Tubal seemed to like her, even though she had killed my sister. It made me wonder if he was in his right mind or if the potion I mistakenly drank when I slept with Kari had clouded his judgment.

Now, I was also hurting Kari because I'm honestly confused. If it wasn't Kari like I thought, then who was that damn she-wolf?

"Let me see her," I finally said. He smiled and went out, returning with Kari. My heart bled when I saw her one eye. That witch damaged her left eye, and none of the healers were capable of restoring it.

Her right eye was puffy as she embraced me. Discomfort swayed me, and I pulled away, cupping her face in the palm of my hands. Luckily, I had my gloves on.

"I'm so sorry, but there is just too much to do at the moment. Trust me, I'm still searching for the best healer to restore your sight," I assured her.

This whole thing was because of me. Kari was just trying to help but got entangled in this mess. Your love is all that matters, even if I don't regain my sight, unless it disgusts you," she said pitifully, her fingers circling my chest.

Even though I was clothed, unease washed over me. If I had been bare-chested, my allergies would have kicked in. Despite her not being my mate, she had saved my life, and for that, I vowed to take good care of her. I caught her fingers with my gloved hands, and disappointment shone in her eyes.

"Why? Don't you want me?" she asked.

There was no way to make her understand, especially when she confirmed that she was the woman I had slept with on our engagement night. Back then, she didn't repulse me, but she was doing so now.

"Of course, I want you. Why would you say that?" I replied.

"You keep pushing me away, Zach. Since that witch died, you haven't bothered to come check on me," she complained, and guilt welled up inside my heart.

I couldn't be there for her when she needed me the most because I was repulsed. "Iris means a lot to me. Just allow me some time to mourn her, okay? Be patient."

"Then do one thing, Zach. Mark me. Let's seal our bond," she requested, and something inside me died.