Mute Mate: The Alpha's Obsession

Days had passed, and Zavren was still not back. The worry Ariana felt kept increasing as each day went by. This was the longest he had ever been away, and it only showed her how busy he must be. Of course, tightening the borders wasn’t something that could be done in a day—it required extra caution and attention to avoid any flaw and to make it perfect.

Ariana sat in the royal garden. It was already past midnight, but she had decided to sit there anyway.

Leah had refused to go inside. She didn’t want to leave Ariana behind.

Ariana had told her to go countless times, yet she still didn’t agree. She was too worried about Ariana.

"Lady Leah, how about going inside? Jacky will be looking for you... What if he wakes up and doesn’t see his mother beside him?" Ariana signed.

Now, it was Ariana who was worried—for Leah’s sake. She didn’t want little Jacky to be scared or feel alone. But Leah shook her head respectfully.

"Queen Ariana, you don’t have to worry. He’s safe. He’s with... his father. And it is also my duty to make sure you are safe," she said gently.

Ariana knew this was more than just duty. Leah was truly trying her best to care for her, even though her shift was long over. She had noticed the queen’s uneasiness, even though Ariana tried to hide it. Leah had seen that look—that quiet longing. She was really missing His Highness. And Leah couldn’t help but silently pray that he returned soon.

She didn’t like the queen’s dim mood. Ariana had just been sitting there, almost distant, staring into thin air. If it weren’t for her occasional reminders to go inside, Leah might’ve thought something was truly wrong and gone into full panic. Ariana had tried not to think too deeply. That was why she’d been sleeping early these past few days—to avoid overthinking. But today... today was different. She felt uneasy. She wanted to see him, even though she knew he wouldn’t just appear. He had responsibilities. He was a king, after all.

She even put her mind to every task given to her these past few days and made sure to follow her physician’s instructions not to stress herself. But despite all that, she still couldn’t deny that she just wanted to see his face—even if it was just a glimpse. That would be fine. At least it would ease the worry.

She needed to remind herself to be understanding. Zavren had many duties, especially with the upcoming war. It could start at any moment.

She slowly rubbed her hands over her shoulders. The wrapper she had used to cover her chest and arms kept some of the cold away, but her thin nightwear still let the wind in. She raised her gaze and looked up.