Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle
Chapter 94: Marriage proposal

Chapter 94: Marriage proposal

"I see," Lupien murmured, leaning back in his ornate chair, his expression unreadable. Yet his eyes hadn’t strayed from Sorayah for even a second. "My uncle told me you were the woman who accompanied him to war. You catered to his every need, and now, you’ve returned with him. But what I don’t understand is why he brought you before my royal court this morning. Still, I’m glad he did because I have matters to discuss with you concerning your sister, Pearl. I’ve met her before."

"Your Highness," Dimitri interjected, stepping forward to stand beside Sorayah. His posture was firm, protective. "She was once my sex slave, a punishment for offending my official wife. But now that we’ve returned from the battlefield, I intend to promote her. I wish to make her my concubine."

"Concubine?!" Lupien repeated, his voice ringing with disbelief and barely concealed horror. His eyes widened, and his hands clenched the armrests. "Isn’t a sex slave supposed to get pregnant and miscarry before she can even be considered for such a rank? That’s the law, isn’t it...a twisted compensation after the loss of a child?"

"I understand, Your Highness," Dimitri replied, bowing slightly, though a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes. "But Sorayah doesn’t need to bear my child before earning that honor. She deserves this in her own right. That’s why I brought her to the total court today to seek your blessing and of course reward her for her service during the war if you want to."

"Impossible!" Lupien’s voice thundered across the grand hall, silencing even the shifting feet of the court officials. His tone held such authority and vehemence that even Dimitri, Sorayah, and the council members momentarily froze.

Though the court had always known Lupien to be an Alpha in name only while Dimitri bore the strength and command of a true Alpha, it was in moments like this that his hidden nature revealed itself. What many failed to realize was that Lupien’s supposed timidity was merely a mask. Only his eunuch and a handful of female servants knew the truth: Lupien was even more dangerous than Dimitri. He was the devil cloaked in angelic deception.

"And why is that, Your Highness?" Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, yet there was an unmistakable edge in his tone. "Is it because she’s a human?"

Lupien rose slowly from his throne, his regal robes trailing behind him. "If there truly exists a human woman like Sorayah...one who followed you into war, who served you so loyally and fearlessly then I believe she’s extraordinary. And as the Alpha Emperor, I will have her instead, Uncle."

Sorayah’s breath caught in her throat. The court fell into stunned silence.

Lupien’s voice softened slightly but grew heavier with emotion. "Besides, I’m already familiar with Sorayah’s twin sister, Pearl. She and I... we were close. She died during the war between humans and werewolves. I thought I’d lost her forever. But when I saw Sorayah, it was as if fate brought her back to me through her sister. A second chance."

Gasps rippled through the court. The notion of the Alpha Emperor forming bonds with a human was not only scandalous...it was forbidden.

"But that changes nothing, Your Highness," Dimitri said coldly, stepping protectively in front of Sorayah. "Pearl is dead. This is her twin, and she is not Pearl. You won’t stop my marriage to Sorayah simply because her sister reminds you of someone you lost. Is this truly about love? Or is it guilt, a misguided attempt to make amends?"

Dimitri’s voice cut deeper now, accusing, raw. "You dare to speak of taking her as yours. what for? To soothe your conscience? To replace the human you once claimed to care for but ultimately led to ruin? Werewolves are forbidden from loving humans. We all know how that ends. Pearl died because you let yourself fall in love, knowing full well that your power would bring devastation to her and her pack."

Sorayah stood still between them, her heart pounding as she swallowed hard.

"Uncle, please," Lupien voiced out, his tone edged with anger. "Pearl was just my friend, someone who once saved me, even though I didn’t need saving. She believed I was just a regular human like her. I want to repay her favor. But then, Father gave the order to destroy her kingdom and I had no choice. I hoped she would survive somehow. I even checked the palace maids that were brought here after the war, but she wasn’t among them. So I believed she had died. And now, her twin sister is here. I’m not planning to make her a lowly sex slave. I want to make her my concubine instead, to give her a life of luxury. That way, I can repay her sister’s kindness."

Dimitri let out a low, derisive laugh, folding his arms across his chest. "Since when did werewolves start repaying humans for their favors? You think she’ll want to be your concubine after finding out you’re responsible for her sister’s death? That’s not repayment, Your Highness. That’s just planting deeper hatred in her heart."

Sorayah swallowed hard as she listened to the banter between the two dangerous men.

Lupien stepped forward, his gaze intense but his voice calm. "Just let me do this, Uncle. I’ve never once defied you or challenged your wishes, but this time, I ask you to allow me. You don’t have to worry about managing the inner palace. I will take care of everything."

Dimitri clenched his jaw, a muscle twitching in his cheek. But he said nothing, merely stepping back, his face a mask of restrained fury.

Without further hesitation, Lupien turned toward his eunuch, who had been quietly waiting behind the curtains.

"Take Sorayah to the quarters beside my chamber," Lupien commanded. "Have the maids bathe her, dress her appropriately. Tonight, I will issue a royal edict to proclaim her my concubine."

"Yes, Your Highness. Congratulations on gaining a new concubine," the eunuch said reverently, falling to his knees and bowing his head until it touched the marble floor.

Sorayah stood frozen, utterly speechless. Becoming Lupien’s concubine? It was no honor...it was an insult. An unimaginable humiliation.

The officials, still standing in the royal court, remained stunned. None dared to speak. Even Dimitri, usually the dominant force in the room, stepped back in silence as he was bo longer interested in the conversation. Sorayah’s heart pounded wildly. Why wasn’t he stopping this? Wasn’t he the Beta Lord, the man who always took what he wanted?

Suddenly, the officials dropped to their knees in unison, their foreheads pressing to the ground.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, on your new concubine," they chorused.

"Please rise," Lupien said, waving a hand with regal ease.

The officials obeyed immediately, standing back up in solemn silence.

"Your Highness!" Sorayah cried suddenly, interrupting the ceremonial air. She knelt on the cold floor, stopping the eunuch who had reached out to escort her away.

Lupien tilted his head. "What is it?" he asked, a flicker of curiosity in his voice as he walked towards his throne and sat down back. "You don’t want to be my concubine because my pack destroyed your kingdom? If so, don’t waste your breath. You will still become my concubine. We can talk more later."

"That’s not the only reason," Sorayah said loudly, her voice ringing through the marble hall. She placed a hand firmly over her flat stomach. "I cannot become your concubine because I am already carrying the Beta Lord’s child."

Gasps rippled through the court like lightning in a thunderstorm. Even Lupien’s expression faltered, eyes narrowing with disbelief. Dimitri’s gaze snapped to Sorayah, stunned and unreadable.

"Since when?" Lupien asked, his voice low but laced with sharp intensity. He swallowed visibly, the muscles in his throat tightening. "How is it possible that the Beta Lord doesn’t know about this? Are you lying? Be careful. A false claim like that is a punishable offense."

"I’m not lying," Sorayah replied, meeting his gaze with unshaken resolve. "I found out during the war, but I didn’t think it was the right time to tell him. I would never dare to lie about something like this. And now that I’m carrying the Beta Lord’s child, a woman like me has no place becoming the Alpha Emperor’s concubine. It would be a disgrace to the throne."

A heavy silence followed her declaration, pressing down on everyone present. The court had been turned upside down by her words. And while the officials stood frozen and Lupien reeled in disbelief, Dimitri remained still, his eyes burning into Sorayah as something unreadable passed across his face.

"If you don’t believe me then you can invite the imperial physician to perform a check up on me and he’ll tell you that I’m with child. The beta lord already told me about becoming his concubine since last night and I know I have no choice than to accept." Sorayah voiced out, swallowing hard.

"Invite the imperial physician!" Lupien voiced out Witt seriousness etched in his tone and immediately his eunuch made way to carry out his orders.

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