Fake Heiress True Luna (Irina) novel Chapter 43

Chapter 43: He Wants Me

Irina’s POV

Slave.

Claim

That’s what they were pushing for. I should have imagined it, considering how petty Julie is and how much she hates my existence.

She doesn’t want to see me dead; she wants to see me suffer for eternity for offending her.

I was now sitting behind a tree, my knees against my chest as I tried to figure out a way to win this stupid trial when an entire pack was against me.

“Irina?” Aiden called out softly.

I looked at the sky and noticed the sun was already setting.

How long was I here?

“I know you want to be alone right now, but…” Yep, I need a breather from everything. Since my eighteenth birthday, it has been one thing after another.

I’m tired.

“You need to eat. You didn’t have lunch, and if you don’t return, I’m sure you will skip dinner, so please…” His voice was soft, pleading. It was a tone I’d never heard from him before.

Full of genuine concern.

“Maybe we should return,” Theia suggested, her voice also soft; she didn’t want to startle me.

I heard the soft rustle of fabric and the gentle clink of a plate being set on the grass near the base of the tree. The scent of roasted meat and herbs wafted towards me, making my stomach clench with a hunger I’d been ignoring.

He was right. I hadn’t eaten. The sheer weight of the word “slave” had stolen my appetite.

I did everything to be free, and they were still trying to find a way to chain me.

“I’ll leave this here. I’m sure you don’t want to see me, but please, come inside as soon as you feel ready,” Aiden said before retreating.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t be able to find me, but it was wishful thinking; he is a wolf.

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< Chapter 43: He Wants Me

An Alpha

I heard him take a few steps back, giving me spac

didn’t leave.

Claim

So much for giving me space.

“At least he is trying,” Theia said. I could feel her cave in because of his recent actions, but I would take longer to accept him.

“Bringing me a plate is not enough. Remember how he acted as soon as he arrived?” I pointed

out.

Theia sighed and lowered her head. She understood where I was coming from.

“Are you going to stand there while I eat?” I asked, pushing myself to my feet and stepping out from behind the tree. The sight of him standing there, waiting patiently in the twilight, his hands shoved into his pockets, sent a confusing jolt through me. He looked less like a terrifying Alpha and more like a… man. A worried one.

He flinched slightly at my sharp tone, but didn’t retreat. “No. I just… I needed to be sure you were okay. That you were safe.” He gestured vaguely towards the dense forest surrounding us. “Rogues, remember?”

It was a flimsy excuse, and we both knew it. We weren’t near the border; it would take a while for rogues to come here, and before they did, Silver Fang warriors would stop them.

I looked down at the plate he’d brought. The food smelled divine, a stark contrast to the rot festering in my life.

I bent down, picked up the plate, and sat on a large, moss-covered root, my back to him. It was a petty, childish gesture, but it was all the boundary I could muster. I could feel his gaze on my back, but he remained silent.

I ate, even when I felt like I would throw up because my stomach was in knots. Each bite was a conscious effort, a fight against the despair that wanted to consume me.

When the plate was empty, I set it down carefully. The silence between us was heavy, but no longer hostile. It was the quiet of two people sharing a burden too immense for words.

“I’m not going back inside yet,” I said, my voice barely a whisper in the dark.

“Okay,” he replied, his own voice low. “Do you want me to leave?”

At least he was asking.

“No,” I breathed out. “You can stay. But don’t… don’t talk.”

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< Chapter 43: He Wants Me

I heard the soft rustle as he settled onto the grass behind me. He kept his distance,

respecting my wishes. We sat like that for a long t over the clearing. The only sounds were the crickets Derek’s patrols, no doubt.

Claim

noon rising to cast a silver glow the distant howl of a wolf-one of

And in that shared, wordless vigil, something shifted. The anger and resentment I clung to so fiercely began to feel like a heavy, unnecessary weight. A single, hot tear escaped and traced a path down my cheek, followed by another. I didn’t sob; I just let them fall silently, a quiet release after all the s**t I had to endure.

“Irina?” he called softly, but I knew if I opened my mouth, he would realize I was crying, and I couldn’t bear that. Not now. not when I was finally allowing myself to feel the full, crushing weight of it all. I kept my face turned away, my body rigid, hoping the darkness would hide my weakness.

But he knew.

I could feel his worry rolling out of him in waves.

I heard him shift behind me; he wasn’t sure if he should approach me or not.

“Just… just ignore me,” I managed to choke out, my voice thick and watery.

“I can’t,” he whispered, the words raw and strained. “I know this is my fault. If I had claimed you as my mate in Shadow Pack, you wouldn’t have to go through this trial.”

His words, laced with a guilt so profound it was a physical ache in the air, were the final crack in the dam. A broken sob tore from my throat, and I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably. He was right. The limbo state he left me in made things worse, but I can’t say he was the one responsible for everything.

“It’s not,” I gasped out between sobs, my voice muffled by my hands. “It’s not just your fault.”

I felt him go perfectly still behind me.

“The person who switched me when I was a baby is the one to blame. I want to think that they meant well, but that meant they let another person suffer.”

“I don’t think that’s what happened,” Aiden said, and my head turned to look at him.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “I also think the Elder exaggerated what Julie suffered, but I definitely took her place.”

Aiden clicked his tongue. “I’m investigating her, Irina. Just… don’t feel guilty for being raised as an Alpha’s daughter. Even if you are an omega, that doesn’t mean you deserve any of this.” His voice was firm, cutting through my spiraling guilt. “Being an omega doesn’t make you

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