Ari

Chapter 53: Punishing an Alpha

He flinched upon seeing my irritated reaction.

"No... I didn't mean it that way... I'm sorry... I... I will wait for you even if you decide not to return to our tribe. E-Even if it takes eternity." He responded while fidgeting his fingers.

To be honest, he looked more like a gangster to me, now that I can see him properly without my mask on. He has too many scars. He looked older than Lowell, despite the similarity of their age.

Even so, he looked pitiful with his drooping ears and tail. Also, his blushing face doesn't go well with his huge build, but it's kind of cute.

"Let's just be friends... That's all I can say..." I said without second thought.

"W-why? Am I not attractive enough? I am sure that I am stronger than your male guardians and even your brother." He asked anxiously.

"It's not about strength or being attractive, Dawon... I can't let you waste your time waiting for someone who might never come back to you. Even if you were sincere with your promises, I can't be with a person who doesn't have the same goal as mine." I answered bluntly.

The others sighed in relief upon hearing my answer.

"What if I quit being an alpha? I don't know how Lowell manages his tribe despite traveling with you, but as far as I know, he didn't quit as the alpha. However, if I don't quit and leave the tribe to go with you, there will be a chaos in the tribe that we've been hardly maintained. I will step down from my position. Please... Ari..." Dawon said desperately.

I was shocked when I heard him say that Lowell didn't step down from his position despite being away from the tribe.

"Lowell... Is that true?" I asked, trying to relax myself, despite being shocked.

"I... I'm sorry if I kept it from you... My father didn't allow me to step down, but he agreed to oversee the tribe while we are away. He said it is forbidden for us to suddenly quit unless we are dead or defeated from the duel." He answered nervously.

My head ached at the thought of having an irresponsible alpha in my group.

"*sigh* Dawon... Please... I can't let you sacrifice the authority you have right now. I don't want you to follow what Lowell did. I can't accept you no matter what you do. I need to talk to Lowell please give us some privacy." I said seriously while looking at Lowell with irritated face.

Lowell's tail and ears droop like a scolded puppy with guilty eyes while Dawon looked exasperated upon hearing my rejection.

"I understand..." Dawon responded with bitterness in his tone before rushing out of the door.

I wasn't sure what he felt, but he looked dejected.

My brother and Dillon tapped Lowell's shoulder as if consoling him. I suddenly realized how close the three of them are.

Lowell stepped towards me hesitantly and stopped beside the bed.

"Kneel! Raise your paws in the air! Do you know what I hate the most?!" I shouted in irritation.

He obediently followed my command, then shook his head in response to my question. He was trembling due to nervousness.

"I hate people who lie the most... How can you leave your tribe despite being the alpha? You know it will take us a few years before we can return to your tribe will automatically become my male once I reach adulthood. How will you manage your tribe? I haven't even had a plan to stay in your tribe after the journey, since I want to spend more time with my father. How can you be this selfish? I can't believe it, Lowell." I mumbled furiously in a low voice.

My headache worsened due to overthinking, so it felt like my head was going to break into pieces.

Guardianship is more powerful than the wedding, because in a wedding, if the parties weren't able to consummate even once, they have a freedom to free one another. On the other hand, in guardianship, the male will automatically become the female's official spouse and imprinting will automatically occur since an initial imprinting has already been made through the guardianship contract between both the male and the female involved.

Imprinting is a process wherein a male imprints his insignia to his female spouse through intimate intercourse or by guardianship contract.

He bowed down to my foot, trembling in fear. He kissed it while sobbing due to regret.

"I... I'm sorry, Ari... I k-know, I b-became selfish... P-Please forgive me... P-Please don't abandon me..." He pleaded desperately.

His words kept ringing in my ears, echoing his sadness and guilt. He looked pitiful, but I can't let him

"*sigh* Kneel properly. Let go of my foot. Raise your paws. Keep it high up until I said so." I said firmly yet calmly.

He kneeled down while raising his hands up in the air. He was crying silently, frightened of being abandoned.

I went out of the room and left him there, kneeling on the floor. I played with Gurion, while the others helped me with all the chores.

During lunchtime, Dillon gave Lowell's share inside my room while the rest of us ate ours in the dining area. I didn't go back until it was almost dinner time.

When I came back, Lowell's hands are still up in the air and he didn't touch his food. His eyes were swollen and he looked exhausted.

Why do I feel guilty all of the sudden? I felt like I was punishing a child not an alpha.

I took and checked the food if it was too cold or if it had already gone bad.

The soup was too cold, but it didn't go bad, so I went to the kitchen to heat his food for a little bit. Then, I brought it back to Lowell and placed it in front of him.

"*sigh* Put down your paws now... And eat your food." I said in a low and calm voice.

Lowell lowered down his hands and started eating his food slowly. He was too dejected and had no appetite to eat.

I squatted down in front of him and took the food from him. He was startled and puzzled.

"I'm not angry anymore, so please eat your food. Open..." I said, while pointing the spoon of soup.

He blushed and wagged his tail loosely while I was feeding him.

After finishing up, he suddenly hugged me tightly while crying silently. I dropped the bowl on the floor and the sound startled the others.

They all ran inside the room to check what was going on.

"Mommy... I wanch hug chu! (I want a hug too)" Gurion babbled when he saw Lowell hugging me on the floor.

"Let go of my sister, Lowell! You're hurting her." My brother said while pulling us apart.

Dillon picked up the bowl and instructed Blake to clean it up.

Lowell was still speechless as if he doesn't know what to say, but he was relieved that I was no longer angry at him.