Replacement Bride for the Alpha of the North - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: THE CEREMONY
FIRST LIFE

(((ZENITH’S POV)))

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This must be the first time, after such a long time for Zenith to meet with Dawn again, to talk to her during the day.

“Dawn,” Zenith called her and he liked the way his tongue rolled when he mentioned her name.

She just returned from her short walk in the greenhouse. Zenith knew she liked a few things. Greenhouse, learning about herbs, daggers and deer meat. He could tell a few things about her, though not all, but he knew her more than she knew him.

This time, whether she liked it or not, he was going to make her his mate.

The prophecy was fulfilled, right? He had mated and marked Alia. It was done. It wouldn’t affect Dawn now… right?

“Be ready for the ceremony, you can do whatever you please with the preparation,” Zenith said. He could see how surprise Dawn was when she saw him inside her bedroom, but it was hard to tell whether it was a good thing or not.

“Don’t you think it’s four years too late?

She was upset. Zenith wanted to reach her and hug her, but he didn’t do it. She hated him. That’s what he knew from the people that he put around her.

“You are my chosen mate in the first place, there is nothing too late about this.”

“Why now?”

Because he couldn’t risk her life. Because if he chose to mark and mate her, it would be her who was being attacked by the monsters and it would be her funeral weeks ago. Her life would be in danger, not only from his supporter, but also Zander’s.

The king would pressure him to kill Dawn right away because that was their original plan. Zenith knew if he delayed, Zander would take the matter to his own hand, once he knew Dawn had been mated and marked by Zenith.

Therefore, he took Alia and used her as the sacrifice. It was cruel, yes, but Alia was not that innocent too.

Things were too complicated for him to explain and he didn’t try to do so.

“Because the right time is now.” Zenith walked toward Dawn, he wanted to caress her cheek and brush her hair, but he kept the desire to himself. “Let’s have a breakfast together in the dining hall. This time, don’t refuse again.”

Zenith had asked Dawn to have breakfast, lunch or dinner with him, but Fern always said that she refused all the request.

The next day Zenith came to Dawn’s bedroom to fetch her, so she wouldn’t be able to refuse. He needed to introduce her to the whole pack member, though it was very late, but he would do her right this time.

“Zander is furious,” Axel said before Zenith left.

“Let him be furious.” This was not the first time Zander was furious with him, because his decision changed the whole plan.

“What are you going to do with this dozen of letters?” Axel asked.

“It must be hard on you, buddy,” Darius said, as he looked at the messenger hawk pitifully. Thankfully, the hawk couldn’t speak, or else, it would have cursed at Zander.

The king literally sent a letter every hour, because Zenith refused to reply.

“Tell him that I have secured the harbor in the Moonlight pack.” This would be enough to appease Zander and reassured his supporter into thinking that their dirty deals in the harbor was under Zenith’s control.

With the harbor was under Zenith’s control, he would know more about the illegal trades there and Zander would have more evidence to get rid of all the pests from his court.

“How did you do that?” Darius was surprise and then looked at Axel. “Did you know that?”

Axel shook his head. “No.”

Even his beta was not aware of that.

“Did you know that?” Darius asked Thean.

“I know. You helped too.” Thean looked at them casually and reminded them about the task that Zenith had assigned to them.

“How would we know the result is this?!” Darius was frustrated, because Zenith used to give them an assignment without explaining the whole thing, only when everything was done and they were able to see the bigger picture, they would realize what their alpha aimed all this time.

“I know,” Thean said innocently, which rewarded him a glare from the beta and gamma.

Meanwhile, Zenith wouldn’t stay to hear their bickering, he went to fetch Dawn and take her to the dining hall, where he introduced her to all the pack member, who were eating there. Most of them were the warriors.

“Eat more,” Zenith said when he noticed how little she was eating.

After that, they walked together near the forest, it was a safe area, or else, Zenith wouldn’t take Dawn here.

There was nothing much that they said, most of the time they just kept walking and somehow, this silence was very comforting.

They should talk more, he should find a topic to talk about, but Zenith thought they would have a lot of times to do so, a lifetime… or so he thought.

“Zen, Axel has been looking for you, you need to see him. There is something urgent from the capital city,” Aurel said hurriedly, disturbing the moment.

Zenith almost forgot about her existence. He was not even aware that she was still in the pack house.

“I will walk you back to your bedroom.” Zenith knew what kind of urgent matter from the capital city was, but he still wanted to spend a little bit more time with Dawn.

And with that, Zenith had to take care of his furious brother first, which caused him unable to see Dawn until the ceremony, where Zander insisted to come only to piss Zenith off, because the latter didn’t want him here.

Yet, for Zander this was a little bit payback for all the headache that Zenith had put him through.

Thankfully, aside from his annoying brother, the ceremony went smoothly. Zenith stared at Dawn the whole time, but she looked spacing out every now and then, he didn’t think much about it, assuming she was only nervous.

And once the ceremony was done, the only thing that left to mark their union was to mate and mark her.

He was not sure about this, he tried to look the hesitation in her eyes, but he couldn’t tell.

“You don’t need to talk to her if you didn’t want to,” Zenith said when he knew Aurel just came. He would have a stern talk with that healer to stay away from his mate.

“Okay.”

After that, Dawn went to clean herself, while Zenith thought about what he had to do. He didn’t want to hurt her, neither he wanted to force her to do something that she didn’t want to.

However, three hours passed when Dawn didn’t get out of the bathroom and this made Zenith worried and when he went inside, Dawn was still inside the bathup.

Did she do it because she didn’t want to go through the next procession? She was not willing to be marked by him?

“You don’t want to do it.”

“I want it.”

Zenith was not sure whether she was telling the truth or not.