Chapter 5: Mate

I was stunned upon seeing Valerian right at this moment. It really happened that I met him.

He was alive... and young... and looking arrogant. Oh, my... I rejected him in the past and yet, right now, my wolf had been able to recognize him as my mate. This was... truly fascinating.

"Do I know you? How did you know my name?"

I snapped back, hearing the suspicious tone of Valerian. I cleared my throat and unfolded my fan. "What do you mean?" I looked at him in disbelief. However, there was a smirk smearing on my lips. "How dare you raise your voice on a noble lady like me?"

The words I uttered were the same words I uttered in the past. However, unlike Valerian, his first response when we collided before was, "Are you blind?! Can't you see anything or what?"

I wished to see that furrowed eyebrows again. And I saw them right at this moment. Now that I remember. It was quite fascinating that I would see him again in this timeline where he was alive and breathing before me.

Valerian... I would make sure that you were going to be alive this time. I would show you that I loved you.

Valerian scoffed. "You claim yourself a noble lady? A noble lady must know how to remain silent if a gentleman is talking to her."

I secretly gritted my teeth. Ah... How could I forget that Valerian had such a venomous mouth during our first meeting? It was the reason that it made my blood boil.

And yes, even if I regressed to this timeline... I still found him annoying for my own good.

I gratingly folded my fan, trying to hold my annoyance. "Gentleman?" I huffed sardonically. "You claim yourself to be a gentleman when you do not even know how to talk to a lady." I arched my eyebrow. "Do not be absurd. You should return to attending some etiquette classes because clearly, you are a simpleton."

Valerian looked annoyed at my words. At that moment, I suddenly regretted saying them.

Oh, shit. I had thought this morning that I would start to gain his trust to begin my plans but I couldn't control my temper just by hearing his words.

And I did not wish to be the one to humble myself and ask for his forgiveness. It was clear as water that he was belittling me.

Forgive me, honeydew. But I needed to fight back. Your words were making me want to smack you right now.

We were both glaring at each other while I was silently admiring him when a familiar man came to arrive. "Alpha, I have finished the negotiation."

I clutched my fan since I knew that voice.

His name was...

"Peyton..." Valerian stepped backward after glancing at me. I could see that he looked bewildered when he saw me looking at that person.

He was the Beta of the Nocturnal Crest pack and the Marquis of Palor... Peyton Radger.

It was Valerian's most trusted person and the one who had big suspicion about me when Valerian invited me to live with him in his pack back in the past.

Peyton was about to say anything but then, his eyes darted to me. "Um... Is it your acquaintance, Alpha Valerian?"

"Acquaintance?" Valerian snorted bitterly. "No. She is just pestering me."

That snapped me back from the way he addressed me. "Pestering you? How dare..." Now, I knew why I was so irritated at you, honeydew. But soon enough, we would get along. "You are the one who has arrears on me, and you dare to speak at me that way?" I looked at him in disbelief.

Calm down, Domi. He was your mate. Be patient. You would get along with him soon.

Valerian looked offended. "And you also dare to speak at me that way? Don't you know who I am?"

I know you, dumbass! You are Valerian Leveaux, Duke of Alsfield and the Alpha of the Nocturnal Crest pack!

But, of course. I was not going to say that. I must pretend that I did not know him even though he heard earlier that I uttered his name. "Do I even have to know who you are? Is it indispensable to know such an arrogant man with no manners?" I couldn't control my temper since this man I must protect from now on was making my blood boil.

"You—"

"Alpha, we must head now. You need to settle things with Count Sorsogon."

I crossed my arms when he did not get to continue his words since Peyton chimed in about their next schedule for this day. His chartreuse-colored eyes squinted at me before he returned his gaze to Peyton.

"Let's go." Valerian turned his back and marched away.

Peyton glanced at me while I was crossing my arms over my chest. He bowed his head before me.

"Please condone my Alpha, my lady. He did not mean to lash out at you. He is not like that," Peyton said politely but stiffened when he felt a glare behind him which was Valerian. "Shit... Valerian is going to kill me," he muttered before he bowed one more time and scurried away.

I felt relieved when they were out of my sight but at the same time, I couldn't help but be emotional now that I had come to see Valerian again. It was a joyous moment since I would get to see him again.

I would certainly avoid him being killed by me this time.

"Wait for me, honeydew... I am going to save you soon..." I bit my lower lip, wanting to hug him earlier. But there was a sly smile stretched out on my lips since this encounter was so nostalgic and I would come to love it.

I remember Valerian told me that the moment he knew I was his mate on our first encounter, he said he wanted to follow me and had already kept me by his side.

However, at that time, I was not earnest about his words by that time and treated it as a trivial matter. I had come to regret that I did not cherish everything to him and show him how much I loved him.

"We will meet again, Valerian... This time, I am going to cherish every moment we have..." Those words I uttered before I continued strolling around until my feet gave up on me.