Mated To The Alpha King (Raven and Ethan) novel Chapter 189

Chapter 189

Alpha Ethan’s Pov

“Who is that?” I asked, my voice rough as the knock on my door broke the silence.

“It’s me, Alpha. The meeting will soon commence,” a guard answered from outside.

I let out a long breath. The council again. They never stop asking for more, never stop reminding me of what I have lost.

“I’ll be there soon,” I said.

I pulled on my shirt, buttoning it slowly. My hands were steady, but my chest was heavy. I reached for the small bottle of perfume on the table and sprayed it once across my neck and wrist.

The sharp, clean scent filled the air, covering the dull smell of medicine that always seemed to follow me these days.

I moved toward my chair. My wheelchair. My legs had not carried me for a long time now, and I had stopped waiting for them to work again. At first, it had been anger, then shame, then sorrow.

Now, I had grown used to it. I wasn’t complaining anymore. I didn’t care what people thought when they saw me roll instead of walk.

As I wheeled myself out of the room, I told myself again that this was my life now. No use wishing for what I could not change.

The hallway was quiet, the air cold, as I made my way to the council room. My guards bowed their heads when I passed, their eyes soft with pity. I hated that look. But I kept my gaze forward and rolled on.

When I entered the council chamber, everyone was already seated. The long wooden table stretched across the room, the flames of the torches casting shadows on the walls. The elders, the betas, the advisors they were all waiting for me.

I rolled my chair into position at the head of the table. My place.

Even with broken legs, I was still their Alpha. That much, no one could take away.

“Let the meeting begin,” I said.

The first elder, an old man with silver hair and a bent back, stood up. His gaze lowered, his voice calm but tired.

“Alpha Ethan,” he began, “the pack has been holding strong, but there are things that need your attention.

The food supply has been dropping. Hunters say the forest is growing thin. The guards say more rogues have been spotted near the borders. The schoolhouse roof is leaking. We will need more men for repairs before the rain grows heavier.”

Chapter 189

He spoke on and on, naming every small and heavy weight the pack carried. I listened, my face still. I did not interrupt. I only nodded when he finally sat down.

The second elder stood up then, taller and prouder than the first. His voice carried more power, and I could already tell he was building toward something greater,

“Alpha Ethan,” he said, “you have led us with strength, and no one questions your rule. But…” His eyes. searched the room, then came back to me. “Since you no longer have a mate, and the chance of finding a second chance mate is very rare, I ask that you consider this: take the daughter of another Alpha and marry her.”

The room grew silent. My sharp gaze fixed on him.

“Did I ever complain about not having a mate?” I asked, my voice low but strong.

The elder shifted on his feet, his pride softening under my stare. “No, Alpha. But the women and the children need a Luna. A Luna to guide them, to bring warmth, to carry hope. You cannot give them that alone.”

The words hit me like stones. I felt my chest tighten, my throat burn.

“I said the meeting is over,” I growled. “I am not taking anyone. Not now.”

I wheeled myself back from the table. The legs of my chair scraped against the stone floor, the sound harsh in the silence.

I rolled toward the door, my face hard, but inside me something was breaking. My eyes burned. I blinked fast, but I couldn’t stop the heat that stung the corners of my eyes. Tears. I never cried in front of them. I would never give them that.

The hallway was empty as I left the chamber. My hands pushed hard on the wheels, moving faster and faster. My chest ached. I tried to reach out to my wolf, the other half of me, the voice that had once been my strength.

“Are you there?” I whispered inside.

But there was nothing. Only silence. Again.

It had been this way for so long. My wolf never answered me anymore. I felt hollow without him, like half of me was dead.

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