Alexander’s POV
“I think you are overreacting.” The familiar, husky voice of my father rang in my ears.
My gaze snapped at the cottage entrance, where he stood with his arms folded around his bare chest. He must have traveled in wolf form; water droplets were running down the side of his face, and his bare chest was gleaming in the sun.
My eyes met his; he appeared somewhat concerned but not irate or upset.
“How did you know where to find me?” I asked, feeling emotionally exhausted.
I left the hallway leading to the exit in ruins. I tore items from the walls, shattered them on the ground, and destroyed everything in my path until I was outside.
I was losing the battle against my temper, and I wasn’t sure what to do!
“I need to get out of here!” I muttered to myself when I reached the exit. I had never before become that uncontrollably agitated. This was not me!
In an attempt to release some steam, I shifted and shot, like an arrow, toward the forest.
Things were spiraling out of my control, and the main thing that was bringing me down was my anger.
What I would have done was unclear to me if I had not left the office at that moment. Would I have harmed Emily?
I pushed that thought aside- I would never hurt Emily!
I knew that going to my quarters was not an option. Emily’s intoxicated scent would make it impossible for me to think, and I was also afraid she would follow and confront me if I had gone there.
Emily’s beautiful face flashed through my mind, and I grunted. Her lips were parted, and her blue eyes were staring back at me in shock. The words that came out of my mouth surprised her.
“You always came to hide here when things went badly,” my father said. “When I was your age, I did the same thing.”
I huffed in response.
“Yeah, right,” I said, looking down at my hands. “You and Mom have always been the perfect Alpha and Luna.”
My father came closer and took a seat on the couch, while I sat on the hard, cold floor and reclined against the worn-out couch while watching the fire play in the fireplace. It wasn’t cold outside; rather, I felt cold within.
“It was never easy,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder for comfort.
I peeked from under my eyelashes to look at him, wondering if he was lying.
“Why would you say that?” I asked. “I have never witnessed any grievance between you two.”
“And you wouldn’t,” my father said, proudly.
That statement confused me, and my father sighed, getting to his feet.
“Your mother and I have an agreement between us,” he said. “If I have a problem, we discuss it.”
“I tried that,” I said, shaking my head, annoyed.
I just could not figure out why Emily enjoyed keeping so many secrets or why she wouldn’t tell me what was going on.
For heaven’s sake, I am her mate, and I want to share everything with her, even her most intimate secrets!
“Did you hold her hand and express your love and gratitude to her?” he asked. “Or did you insist on an explanation?
I glanced at him and furrowed my brows.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Oh, heavens,” he said. “Please don’t tell me you went as far as to tap into the bond and search for answers yourself.”
How in the world did he guess that?
I kept quiet.
It didn’t matter anymore. Emily made sure I wouldn’t be able to access anything except…
I sighed, feeling my heart race in my chest. The memories I could find made me feel alone as if they were happening then.
The bond showed me how much she loved me throughout the years.
I could see how much Lex resembled me from the glimpse she gave me.
As she raised our son, I heard her thoughts and felt my heart break, wishing I could have been there to share this special moment with them, and even though Emily dared not think about me, her thoughts would constantly stray toward me.
She had made up her mind to forget about me and hoped I had had a happy and fulfilling life, even when her heart yearned for me.
How kind of her to wish me well in life even if we were not together!
I could hear her fervent prayers to the Goddess, feel the pain of her broken heart pulsing through her body, and taste her silent tears at night over the bond.
“Give him what his heart desires,” she prayed. “Let him have a mate of his choosing and live a full life without me! He has always been a good person and one of your children; please, please, do not punish him for his choice.”
I balled my hands into fists and felt tears well up behind my eyelids, my nose tickling, and my throat constricted.
What the f*ck was wrong with me?
I have never been an overly sentimental Alpha!
“You screwed up,” Ghost said. “You have violated our mates’ privacy.”
“I said things,” I told my father.
“What kind of things?” he asked, carefully.
With tears streaming down my face, I uttered the words “bad and hurtful things.”
Upon wiping my face, I noticed tears that had spilled onto my fingertips-something I had never experienced before.
“Then apologize,” my father said.
“I just did it a day ago because of my temper,” I said, wiping my hand angrily on my pants.
My dad furrowed his brows and gave me a perplexed look in return.
“I know,” I said, reading his mind. “I have never been an aggressive or emotional Alpha, so what is wrong with me? It feels like my emotions have taken over my mind ever since Emily came back. I have no idea how to restrain my rage. I lose my temper without cause. I’m upset at the smallest things, and if anyone dares look at her, I want to rip them to pieces.”
“Have you marked each other?” he asked after a moment of silence.
“Last night,” I said. “It wasn’t planned. My irritation has increased since we have bonded.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said, surprised. “It’s supposed-”
“I know,” I snapped. “It’s as if everything that we know about being fully mated is wrong with us, me!”
I dropped my head in defeat.
Was there something wrong with me? Am I a cursed Alpha-an Alpha who isn’t supposed to be mated to his fated mate?
“It feels like we are not supposed to be together,” I said, feeling my heart scatter after saying those words out loud.
I love Emily, but something was off between us.
Wolf bonds are eternal. It is full of kindness, compassion, understanding, love, and passion. Our bond was the opposite; it was as if we didn’t belong together.
“As if our wolves are playing some sick trick on us,” I continued. “As if they are trying to force opposites together!”
“Our wolves don’t make mistakes,” my father said, seriously. “The Goddess created them to find the other part of their soul to make us whole.”
“Don’t you listen?” I growled. “Emily’s magic tried to kill me during our marking. If I didn’t submit to it, I would have…!”
My father stared at me in disbelief.
“Ask Emily if you don’t believe me,” I said. “I passed out, but I didn’t tell her what had happened. I did not tell her that her magic attacked me.”
“Why didn’t you tell her?” He asked.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of her thinking it was her fault,” I explained.
A smile followed on my father’s lips, and it angered me.
“What?” I glowed. “What’s so funny?”
“There is nothing funny about what you just said,” he said, crossing his arms around his chest defensively. “But you just admitted that you care for Emily.”
“I never said I didn’t care or didn’t love her,” I snapped.
“Yet, you told me you were not compatible,” he argued.
Was this one of my father’s mind games?
“It feels that way,” I admitted.
“Mm,” my father said after a moment.
“What are you thinking?” I asked, hoping he could help me.
“I think someone is trying to influence the bond you share,” he said.
That caught me by surprise. Was it even possible for anyone to influence the bond we share?
“How?” I asked, getting upset about the thought. “Is that the reason?”
“It might be,” he said. “And I have a feeling it has to do with the night you were found in the forest.”
****