Alpha Zaelah | Book One: Realities Demise

TWENTY-THREE

Z A E L A H

"So, you didn't kill the citizens?" I pressed with curiosity.

"Only the ones who were hellbent on fighting us, fortunately, most of them came willingly." He explained allowing the cloud of confusion to disperse, but I still had a conflict with myself about the continuation of our relationship because of the children he probably killed.

"The children—" I began only for him to speak over me.

"I would never hurt a child, Zaelah. They're all fine." He interjected and his response had relief spreading throughout my body as my conflict followed the confusion that left earlier.

"Aren't you scared they'll rebel?"

He shook his head, not missing a single beat.

"I have people on guard 24/7 watching everyone so no, not to mention they all have supernatural hearing," Malik reminded me, showing me wasn't worried at all.

"Where are they now?" I inquired as we began walking again.

"Quite a few of them are in Loyen village," Malik revealed while leading me through the crowd of people who all made way for him the second they saw him coming.

I couldn't overlook the stares I got from everyone, the hatred in their eyes pierced my skin like lava running down a hill. I knew this was exactly what Malik experienced whenever he visited my kingdom, but the fact that he became so accustomed to it, made it fairly easy for him to disregard them.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you'd do something like that." I expressed and he presented a gentle smile on his lips as he brought me closer to him.

"No, it's understandable. I know where you grew up and who you grew up with, I cannot blame you for seeing me the way you do." He stated and I shook my head, showing him I didn't agree with his words.

"That's no excuse. I'm older now, I should have done my own research, I should have tried to understand you and everyone here better before I decided to just go along with the same story that the werewolves were always the problem...always the villains." I declared and my words seemed to place his heart in a water of pride as his smile brightened.

"Not many people would own up to their mistakes like that."

"I guess I'm a bit different, also I forgot to ask, how old are you?" I questioned him and he chuckled with obvious amusement.

"I have lost count." He confessed, causing my brows to shoot up in surprise.

"Oh."

"Shocked?" He asked me after letting out a light laugh at my reaction.

"A little, by the way, is your beta Zemerah a Lycan?"

Malik nodded in response as he rubbed his thumb against our intertwined hands.

"So you waited more than a thousand years for me?" I inquired and he met my eyes for a split second before replying.

"Something like that."

My brows scrunched up at his vagueness as my mind couldn't help but drift to the possibilities that seemed to be hidden in his tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll explain later." He replied, brushing off my question as we stopped the movements of our feet when we arrived in front of a market stand that a male vendor was positioned behind.

"Hupen, Alpha." He greeted Malik while bowing his head in a show of respect.

I wasn't very familiar with the language the werewolves spoke, but it was very obvious 'Hupen' meant hello.