Chapter 4 Father Gossep's Wish

• Awestrucked, I couldn’t even move when the man was just a closer distance to me. His hand gripped mine as I tried to absorb his words.
• Mate? Bearing his child? Me?
• “How could that be?” Father Gossep intervened. “We, the Hatiists, have been shunned in the eyes of the Moon goddess! Only those who had left the church can find their mates,” he said as he glanced in my direction. “Rosaria continued serving the church therefore, she isn’t supposed to receive her mate!”
• “But not ordained, I assumed?”
• Father was ready to refute but stopped as the thoughts started to sink in.
• “N-No, n-not yet…”
• His hand hadn't released mine. A large, firm hand that could easily break mine like a piece of wood, and I…all I ever wanted was to get away from him.
• “I d-don’t understand.” After recovering from my shock I stared him in the eye. “I am going to be ordained tonight. I am going to be an official nun and y-yet, the moon goddess suddenly deemed me as your mate?”
• “But you are not an official of this…” His expression darkened. “...this abomination you cultists called a church.”
• That struck me as my brows furrowed. I abruptly pulled my hand from his while he wasn’t using his brute strength as I tried to compose myself. “Perhaps the seer misunderstood, my lord. You are aware that you and I have different views.”
• The mating system chosen by the moon goddess is often accurate in terms of compatibility. Why would she have chosen me, a Hatiist believer, to be the Alpha leader’s mate?
• Varick, who detested the Hatiist teachings since day one?
• “Are you saying that you defy the moon goddess’s judgment?”
• “No! Of course not!” I shook my head. “It’s j-just that, I was stating it logically that I—”
• The Alpha Leader gave a loud scoff and I flinched. He gave me the “look” that frightened me to the core.
• He didn’t say anything as his eyes scanned until they stopped what was behind us.
• He walked passed by until he was in front of the image of Hati.
• Usually, the ones who entered looked at his image with high regard…
• ...but he showed an expression of disgust.
• “I see that you still have the picture of the devil,” he growled as he continued to glare daggers at the painting.
• “This is just a guise to fool all of you to think that he had saved us all.”
• With those words, I was about to snap, but a hand was placed on my shoulder and my fierce expression softened as Father Gossep reassured me with a smile.
• Then, he turned his attention to the Alpha Leader.
• “I understand your anger and the survival of our pack relies on your raw strength and leadership. You have seen more things—questionable things, even at your age than I could imagine. And now this is an opportunity for me to give my gratitude for protecting our pack, Alpha Leader.”
• “If you do this to flatter me, it is futile, priest,” he said. And for the first time, I’d seen him in this room, his lips curved into a wide grin.
• A grin while his onyx blue eyes flickered bright and his disheveled dark hair made my hair strands stand.
• I had never seen a face of a devil.
• “I’d rather see you grovel while licking the dark blood stains off my foot.”
• This made Anette cry. “Our king, how could you say that to our—”
• “Sister Anette, please!” Father Gossep cut her off. I have never heard him raise his tone like that.
• “Lord Varick, if it means to keep you happy and change your mind, so be it.” And without any hesitation, Father dropped to his knees as he reached for the leader’s sollerets.
• “Father!” I gasped, rushing to his aid, and kneeled on the ground next to him. “Please, if anything! I should be the one to do it!”
• “No, Rosaria! His resentment is directed at me!” He exclaimed and I recoiled back.
• “I didn’t expect you to stoop so low, Wise Gossep.” Without warning, Lord Varick raised his leg and stomped on Father’s back, pushing him onto the floor.
• The strength he pulled made Father spit out saliva as he started coughing.
• “FATHER!” I shrieked. Anette stood there, mortified as she covered her scream.
• I kneeled before Varick. “Please, my lord! Don’t hurt our priest!” Tears kept falling from my eyes as I wailed.
• His icy, cold cobalt blue eyes darted in my direction but he didn’t say a word before releasing his leg.
• “My father didn’t destroy this church because you were friends with my grandfather. So we allowed this wasted space for all of you.” He kneeled and grabbed his hair and pulled him up.
• “But now, your ungrateful self won’t dare provide us any in return?”
• Flinching from the pain, Father Gossep pleaded. “I’ll do anything for Rosaria’s happiness. Please don’t take it away from her.”
• “I’m in a foul mood.” He threw Father aside and he fell on the floor. Sister Anette shrieked as she aided next to Father. She pulled him up as he groaned in pain.
• My eyes widened, tears streaming endlessly as I was stricken with grief. I didn’t get the chance to speak as my guimpe was forcibly pulled, dragging me off my knees.
• At that moment when I was in the air, mortified as the lord I now deemed a monster continued to glare at me. His grip tightened so I won’t fall and I wouldn’t dare to resist as I finally witnessed his brute strength.
• “Church maid, I will give you a choice. Continue with your laughable church, be content living the rest of your life with your followers… but we would burn this place down and all of you shall be exiled away from the pack.”
• My eyes widened. No, he wouldn’t DARE such a thing! Deeming us rogues would put us more in danger for other packs to slaughter us at sight!
• “Or be my mate, just bear me a child, inheriting my lineage and your church is free to stay.”
• He lowered his arm, finally placing me back on my floor like a marionette without resistance, and released me.
• “You have to answer now.”