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HYPOCRITICAL FAITH

Alpha Enrique's face turned icy as he struggled to maintain his composure and asked, "What do you want from me?"

The old man replied, "We would like your permission to collect money from the townspeople so that we can rebuild the monastery. As servants of God, we should be able to sustain ourselves, shouldn't we, My Lord?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the air around them grew colder by a few degrees. Alpha Enrique's face grew dark, his eyes blazing with anger and contempt. With a swift motion, he drew his sword and slashed the old monk's cheek, leaving a gash. The man fell back, screaming in terror as blood gushed from his wound. Licia and the assistants were shocked by the Alpha's impulsive action, and the assistants hurried to check on the old monk.

The Alpha's bloodlust was still evident, and his voice was menacing as he spoke, "You had the audacity to suggest collecting money from these poor villagers who have been starving for the past three days, so that you can lead a comfortable life inside the monastery?"

He pointed his sword at the old monk's throat, causing the man to freeze in fear. "I have encountered many of your kind on the battlefield. You claim to serve God, yet you ignore the cries of the people and lock the doors of the monasteries that you built by leeching on their hard-earned money."

"You are aware of the suffering they endure, yet you seek to collect money from them instead of providing aid and offering prayers for their relief."

"What should I do with you, you filthy animals? Should I kill you here and now? Would it make any difference to anyone?"

The light in Licia's eyes dimmed as she watched the scene unfold. She had sought refuge in the monastery when she first fled, but they turned her away when they learned she had nothing to offer. Later, Anna had been welcomed with open arms and given the best accommodations.

Licia clenched her fists. What a hypocritical faith.

Children were starving in the streets, yet these monks only cared about their own comfort. How could they call themselves servants of God when they discriminated among His creations?

Alpha Enrique was right; they deserved to die, but...

She grabbed his arms and stopped him, saying, "My Lord, please calm down. Everyone has been starving because of this prolonged war. In such a bad time, people are bound to turn ungrateful under the strain of hunger and slim chances of survival. Killing them won't do anyone any good."

"The cardinal himself would interfere to seek out the culprit if a monk was hurt. If that were to happen, even the king himself would have to go in as he doesn't have the power to stop the investigation organized by the cardinal. This would cause a lot of backlash and a bad reputation for both of us. Please quit your anger, Alpha. They are servants to the Heavens."

Alpha Enrique looked into her eyes. He had a reputation for being uncontrollable and never listening to anyone, but for the first time, he was calmed down by his woman. He withdrew his sword and put it back in its sheath, surprising both himself and his wolf.

Enrique didn't say anything and strode directly into the monastery, leaving the monks shivering. Licia let out a sigh of relief. She didn't expect that making this man calm down would be this easy. Anyways...

She turned around to look at the monks who were looking at her with fright. Since Enrique had left, the atmosphere had become less murderous, but there was still a hint of oppression lingering there. Licia walked up to them and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes! Thank you for saving us, Luna," the old monk said.

Licia cast a sweet smile and said, "No need to thank me. Starting tomorrow, we will send you some goods and supplies. I trust the monastery will distribute the goods equally amongst the townspeople."

"We will do our best, Luna. I..." The old monk started to feel a little better when he saw Licia smiling, but she cut him off suddenly with an emotionless reply, "Sure!"

The sweet smile on her face disappeared somewhere amidst her cold expressions. "God will be watching over you all the time, but this time we will be monitoring you too. Please don't forget that the Alpha had withdrawn the sword from your throat just for now, but he won't hesitate to use it again."

Licia stared at them with frost emitting off her aura. "I saved you now, but I won't always be merciful."

"Licia, do you take Enrique Collins as your lawful husband and Alpha, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Alpha Enrique, do you take Licia as your lawful wife and Luna, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do."

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