Alpha’s Black Furred Slave Mate
Chapter 97

"I don't understand," Deonna said, peering up from him. "A duchess?"

They sat on Marlon's bed; Deonna had her legs pressed against her chest and her head buried in her legs. Her body was trembling nearly uncontrollably, and she sobbed lightly into her legs. He didn't blame her for feeling this way; he knew this was going to be a lot for her to take in. Everything she thought she knew was being ripped out from under her.

"I can't be a duchess," she whispered, peering up at him with her tear-stained features. He wasn't sure how to comfort her.

He sighed and stared down at his hands as she continued crying.

"Why would my parents never tell me this?" She asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.

"I don't think they knew," he explained.

"What do you mean?" She asked, snapping him another look. "How would they not know something like that?"

"Well, you said they adopted you from an orphanage," Marlon reminded her. "I don't think the orphanage had that on record. At least, the guards didn't when they released you to us."

"Why would they hide something like that?" Deonna asked.

"Because they didn't want a dark-furred wolf to be a part of the duke's estate, probably," Marlon answered.

"So, they threw me in an orphanage to get me out of the way?" Deonna asked. "How did you even find out about this."

"I told you, it was in your birth mother's diary," he answered.

She shuddered when he said, "birth mother". He didn't blame her for feeling upset and betrayed, he just wished there was something he could do to make her feel better about it. "You're sure she was talking about me in the diary?" She asked. "Not someone else named Deonna?"

"Deonna..." Marlon said softly. "She was talking about you. I know it's hard to process but you have to accept the fact that your family, your real family, were the dukes and duchesses of North-Valley."

"I just don't understand though..." Deonna whispered.

"Your mother, Elianna, had an affair with a slave, Robert. She fell in love with him and from reading her entries, I believe Robert was her true mate. But she ended up getting pregnant and she hid it from her husband. She gave birth in the slave shack with Robert by her side. Frederick was also there. Once she gave birth, she ordered Frederick to leave and return to the castle. He isn't sure what happened after that and the diary entries end. But your father, Robert, disappeared and your mother left for a short time. She returned without you."

Deonna breathed heavily as she processed all that information. This wasn't something she ever expected to hear, and she wasn't sure how to process this. She buried her face in her hands and let out an exaggerated sigh.

"So, what now?" She asked. "I take over at duchess of North-Valley?"

She sounded like she wanted to laugh at that idea; it wasn't a bad idea, but Marlon was never going to suggest something like that. he just didn't want Alex to take over what was rightfully hers.

"It's not something we need to decide right now," Marlon answered, wrapping his arms around her. "Plus, we have a trial to prepare for and my son to defeat."

She buried her face in Marlon's chest and breathed him in for a long moment; for a bit, they sat in silence.

"I know," she whispered. "We are going to win. We have to. I need to get my son back..."

Deonna had mentioned that she gave Mateo to a couple in her village that whose adoptive parents were good friends. From Marlon's understanding, this couple wasn't a big fan of Deonna, to begin with, because she was a dark-furred wolf, but her adoptive parents seem to have trusted them a lot. She couldn't think of a better family to care for their son so she dropped him off with them.

Marlon was relieved that Mateo was somewhere safe, but he wasn't so sure they were the best couple to care for him considering they were racists. But if Deonna somehow trusted him, then Marlon couldn't go against her judgment.

But Deonna was right; they needed to win this trial and make it out alive so they can go and get their son back. They were having another child as well that they needed to think about. If they couldn't survive for one another, they at least needed to survive for their children.

The king didn't specify when the trial was going to take place but he had mentioned that Marlon would have some time to prepare before they were summoned to the king's palace.

They couldn't have any more distractions and they needed as many people on his side as possible. This meant, he also needed to find his servants and the rest of his guards to have them explain everything they saw.

He knew that Petra had driven them out of the manor, though he isn't sure what she said to them to make them do so. Especially Winston. He felt a small ping of disappointment at the fact that Winston was so easily up and left everything after all they'd been through. He knew that Winston wasn't a huge fan of everything Marlon was doing since Deonna came into the picture, but he didn't think of Winston as someone who would betray him.

Petra didn't specify exactly where everyone was or what she said to them to get them to leave. But he made a mental note to have her help him get them back in the morning. She was currently sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms. He had her cuffed to the bed in case she tried to double-cross them and escape.

In order for any of this to work, he needed Petra to be truly on their side. She was the one who witnessed almost everything. Even though she helped Alex with almost everything, she still knew more about what was going on than anybody.

"We are going to figure this out," Marlon said softly, kissing the top of Deonna's head. "Together."

She nodded in his chest and continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Marlon rose his eyebrows at her words; what did she have to be sorry about?

For what?" He asked, confused.

"If it wasn't for me, none of this would have happened. If I didn't pull that small straw back on the slave farm..." she whispered.

"Small straw?" He asked.

"Yes. None of the other slaves wanted to go to your manor because we heard what a racist you were and how scary you were. So, we pulled straws. The one who chose the smallest straw would have to come here. I pulled the small straw..." Marlon couldn't help but laugh; he shook his head and continued laughing. She peered up at him with a timid frown on her face.

"What?" She asked.

He kissed her forehead.

"I call that a happy accident," he told her gently. "Deonna, you're my mate. You were supposed to be here regardless. You couldn't have helped it."