VIKTOR.
I watch in horror and despair as she walks away from me, not even turning once to look at me.
Jhnelle does.
She keeps turning to me with tears in her eyes, as if she is begging to not let her go.
Begging me to hold on to them.
But I don’t know how to.
How do I reach her when she never really opened her heart to me.
“By trying,” my wolf answers. “You keep trying.”
“You don’t understand. She-”
‘I don’t have to and I don’t want to. The only thing I know is that she is our mate and we will never be okay without her. Don’t let her go.`”
“You heard her. She doesn’t want to see me.”
“And? You are just going to give in? Like that? When did you get so weak?”
“I am not weak! I just… I have never been in a situation like this. In a place where the stakes are so high.”
“How high? What could be worse than losing her?”
“She could reject me,” I reply. “I’m case you haven’t noticed, she never actually did so. I don’t know why, maybe she forgot, maybe it hasn’t crossed her mind. Maybe… maybe, deep down she doesn’t want to buy if I pressed her now, exact any sort of pressure, she might actually do it. Let’s give her some time to calm down,” I tell him. “I am not giving you.”
“You better not.”
With him fading into the dark recesses of my mind, I turn around to see Dan standing there. He quickly ducks his head the moment my gaze falls on him.
“Alpha,” he begins, voice low. “I am sorry. I didn’t know…”
“It is fine. It is not your fault,” I continue with a sigh as I take a seat in one of the benches. “This is my fault, I will handle it. Now tell me why you are here.”
“Oh, um okay. Thank you.”
“You are welcome. So?”
“Oh, yeah. Beta Andre had me stationed here. He told me to watch the other wolves- the ones from the other packs- and repeat any strange behavior from them.”
“Strange behavior? Why?”
“I think it is because of that moron, Dominik. He believes something happens to the alphas and he is trying to mobilize a force to come attack the coalition. So, any strange gatherings or movements are to be reported back.”
“Why didn’t he tell me any of this,” idemand.
“I don’t know, Alpha.”
Dominik Valor.
That man has been a constant thorn in my side.
For some reason, he has decided that I should be his lifetime nemesia and he just hasn’t gotten it through his dense skull that fighting him holds no appeal for me.
Believe it or not, I don’t find delight in beating up those weaker than me.
And he is certainly weaker
A weak man.
A weak Alpha.
A weak wolf.
A pathetic leader.
I mean, what sort of person, if alpha, would kill or kick their wolves out because of weakness rather than train them.
His pack is renowned for that.
And then he wonders why no one welcomes him into the midst and even worse, he has the illusion that he would someday be a great Alpha.
Foolish.
Even more so than his father.
I don’t really know what had caused the conflict between his pack and mine, but a fight had occurred and his pack had the audacity to try and sneak into mine.
His father was killed in an honorable manner and yet, he has the audacity to say we cheated.
If you are going to start a warm, the very least us to be prepared to die for it
His father died and we are blamed.
And now, he wants to start another war.
Against a settlement that he has no clue about.
How is that man still leading that pack?
“Alpha?”
“Return back to the pack,” I tell him as I come back to the present. “Tell Andre to hold his peace and make no contact with any of the wolves.”
“Yes, Alpha,” he says with a nod. “Would you be returning?”
“Soon.”
I watch as he leaves before checking into a motel.
A quick shower and a light dinner later and I am on my way back to the settlement.
Hopefully, she has had time to calm down and us willing to hear me out.
I don’t even attempt to get into the settlement. Knowing her, she would have given the orders to stop me in sight.
Not kill
I still have at least an hour of sunlight before the time runs out.
“You can’t come in,” Gaines says. “Guia’s orders ”
“I know. I won’t. I just… I just need to talk to her. My phone has been disconnected, please. Just let her know I am here.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Gai-”
“Louis,” a familiar voice calls and I turn to see Alden walking up to us.
Oh great.
Just what I needed.
“Alden.”
“You are not allowed in.”
“I know that, I just need…”
“I know what you need but do understand, it is not our place to fulfill those needs. For whatever reasons best to known her, the Guia has called you a threat to us. But for the sake of the time you have spent with us, we will let you leave. Just this once. I ask you to respect that choice and our decision and leave.”
Why does he always have to talk like that?
It is weird
“I hear you and I understand you. Just… can you let her know that I was here? And tell her… tell her that I am so sorry.”
“I will let her know,” he answers in that same bland tone
“I guess that is all I can ask,” I say as I turn to leave.
I will leave for now, but know that I will be back for you,
Rowan.