Leo’s POV
I handed the trophy to her, my fingers brushing hers again. That sa electric shock bolted through , but I forced my face to remain cold and unreadable.
"Join the high table for a al," I said, my voice leaving no room for a ’no.’ "A champion should eat with the Alphas."
She stood still for a second, then gave a quick, sharp nod of her head. She couldn’t refuse an invitation like that without insulting every Alpha in the arena. I turned and walked back to my seat, but my mind was already three steps ahead.
I was never supposed to be here. When the invitation first landed on my desk, requesting one of the triplet Alphas to honor the festival with their presence, I had been seconds away from tossing it into the trash. I was ready to ignore it entirely—until my eyes caught the country: Nigeria. My heart had stuttered as I rembered the bangle. That single piece of jewelry, linked to a past I couldn’t bury, was the only reason I had boarded a plane. Now, staring at this masked warrior, that impulsive decision felt less like chance... and more like fate playing a twisted ga with .
The festival continued with more noise and cheering, but I was focused on the table being set behind us. I signaled a maid, leaning in close so no one else could hear.
"Do you have strawberries and coconut juice?" I asked.
The maid looked surprised but bowed. "Yes, Alpha Leo. We have fresh fruit and milk from the coast."
"Good," I said, my voice dark. "Put them on the nu for the high table. Make sure the champion is served the strawberries for dessert and the coconut juice as her drink. Do not fail ."
The maid nodded quickly and hurried away. I sat back, my eyes fixed on her.
This was the ultimate test. Scarlett was deathly allergic to strawberries. When she was twelve, she had taken one tiny bite and almost died. Her throat had closed up instantly, and if my mother hadn’t been there with her healing ability, she would have been dead. As for coconut—it wasn’t deadly, but her body hated it. One sip of coconut juice and she would be vomiting within minutes.
If this woman was Scarlett, she wouldn’t go anywhere near those things. And if she wasn’t... then I was just a crazy man watching a stranger eat.
We were called to the al. The three Nigerian Alphas took their spots, and I sat directly across from Samantha. The food was brought out—rich ats, spicy rice, and then, the tray I had been waiting for. A bowl of bright red strawberries was placed right in front of her, along with a glass of creamy coconut juice.
I leaned on my hand, watching her through narrowed eyes. I didn’t eat. I didn’t breathe. I just waited for her to push the bowl away or show even a hint of fear. Through the tiny opening at the bottom of her helt—just enough for her to slip food inside—I watched her move.
She didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second.
Her gloved hand reached out, picked up a large, ripe strawberry, and slipped it beneath the edge of her helt. I heard the faint sound of her chewing. My heart sank into my stomach. Then, she reached for another. And another. She ate them calmly, as if they were her favorite treat in the world.
Then, she picked up the glass. She tilted her head back slightly and drank the coconut juice in long, steady gulps.
I waited. Five minutes. Ten.
There was no coughing. No gasping for air. No rushing to the bushes to vomit. She sat there perfectly fine, her breathing steady and calm behind the visor.
The disappointnt hit like a punch I didn’t see coming, knocking the air straight out of my lungs. It felt like I had lost her all over again. The scent was different, the moves were different, the body was different—and now, even her blood was different.
"She isn’t ours," my wolf whimpered, curling up into a ball of misery in the back of my mind. "We are chasing a ghost, Leo. She’s gone."
I gripped my glass of wine so hard the stem snapped, the red liquid staining my hand like blood. I didn’t even notice. I just stared at the warrior who was currently enjoying a dessert that would have killed the woman I loved.
I had been so sure... so damn sure. That spark... that feeling in my soul... it had to an sothing. But science and biology didn’t lie. Scarlett was dead, and I was just a broken man looking for her in every shadow.
"Alpha Leo?" Alpha Musa asked, looking at my blood-stained hand. "Is everything alright?"
I didn’t answer Alpha Musa. I didn’t even look at him. My eyes were locked on Samantha.
She noticed my stare and tilted her head, her hands moving in a slow, graceful sign.
Is sothing wrong? She asked through sign language.
I knew I had gathered every piece of evidence that proved she wasn’t my Scarlett, but I wasn’t backing out.
"Samantha," I said, my voice low but commanding, "co with ."
She paused, her armored shoulders tensing. She looked at the other Alphas, clearly confused and hesitant. The table went quiet as the local leaders exchanged looks.
Alpha Musa suddenly let out a low chuckle, a smirk spreading across his face. "So, this is it, Alpha Leo? You have an interest in her. This explains your strange reaction today—the sparring, the staring, the sudden questions. You could have just said so."
He leaned back, looking amused. "She is a champion, and you are a High Alpha. It is only natural for power to be drawn to power. If you want a private mont to talk to our warrior, we will not stop you."
I didn’t bother to correct him. Let them think I was just another Alpha looking for a woman to warm my bed. It was better than them knowing I was a man losing his mind over a dead mate.
"Now," I said, standing up and looking directly at her.
Alpha Musa waved his hand, signaling a nearby maid. "Take them to the private guest room. Give them the space they need."
The maid bowed and led the way. I followed, my boots loud against the stone floor, while the armored figure walked beside in a silence that felt like a scream. We reached a large guest room, and the second we were inside, I pushed the door shut and clicked the lock.
She spun around, her back hitting the far wall. Through the dark visor, I could tell she was looking for a way out. Her hands flew up, moving with a frantic energy I hadn’t seen on the field.
Please, Alpha, I don’t want to do this, she signed. I am a warrior, not a sex toy. Please let go.
I stood my ground, my heart a ss of anger and hope that refused to die. "I didn’t bring you here for that," I said, my voice low and pained. "I brought you here because my wolf won’t shut up. I brought you here because the universe is telling one thing, but your body is telling another."
I stepped closer, boxing her in against the wall. The room was quiet, save for the sound of our breathing.
"You ate the strawberries," I whispered, leaning in until my chest was almost touching her armor. "You drank the coconut juice. I watched you. I waited for you to die or get sick, but you just sat there. You acted like they were nothing."
I reached out, my hand trembling as I gripped the sides of her helt. She flinched, her hands coming up to stop , but I didn’t let go.
"The girl I loved... she would have been dead in minutes. So tell , Samantha. How is it that you look like a stranger, sll like a stranger, and eat poison like a stranger... but when I touch you, I feel like I’ve found my soul again?"
She didn’t sign. She didn’t move. She just leaned her head back against the wall, her breathing becoming panicked.
"Tell the truth," I growled, my Alpha aura filling the room until the very windows rattled. "Are you really her? Did you find a way to change your scent, your height, even your own blood? Or am I just so broken that I’m seeing my dead mate in every woman who knows how to hold a spear?"
For a long ti, the only sound was the ticking of a clock on the wall. Then, slowly, she raised her hands. Her fingers moved with a hesitation that broke my heart.
You should go ho, Alpha Leo, she signed. You are mistaken.
My patience snapped. "I’m not leaving until I see what’s behind this mask," I said, my fingers finding the latches of her helt. "I don’t care about your tribe. I don’t care about your religion. I must. See. Your. Face. And nothing or no one will stop "
My eyes locked onto hers through the visor.
"Not even the Moon Goddess herself."
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