CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR
ALEX DAVALO
Not as easy as she makes it look!
That night, I walked over to my mother’s private chamber. The scent of lavender mixed with the faint aroma of herbs hung in the air like a shroud. Flickering candlelight danced across the stone walls, casting warm shadows that felt both comforting and haunting. The heavy oak door creaked open, and, even before I stepped inside, I sensed that familiar heaviness in my chest.
“Leave us alone,” she said to the healer the moment she saw me. The healer, a new one, an elderly woman with silver hair braided tightly, nodded solemnly and slipped out, closing the door behind her.
“Mom…” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes, though dimmed by pain, glittered with that same unwavering warmth that always melted my worries. But tonight, it just broke my heart even more. We all knew her condition wasn’t getting better. In fact, we all knew that it was just a matter of days before she finally kicked the bucket. Even my father, the usually indomitable leader of our pack, had almost given up all hope, even though he feigned strength.
“Alex,” she croaked, trying to prop herself up on her elbow, though her frail body betrayed her will. I rushed to her side, helping her adjust the pillows behind her head. The effort was evident on her face, but it slid into a gentle smile that I always cherished.
Why did she have to smile when I was feeling so lost?
I almost questioned if what I wanted to tell her was worth it, but I also knew if anyone could clear the doubts in my mind, it would be her. Silence draped over us like a heavy blanket until she turned to me, her expression softening.
“I have been expecting you to come back, Alex,” she said gently. “You look troubled. What worries the next alpha of our pack?”
I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek, feeling that little knot tighten in my stomach. “You were right about her, Mother,” I finally admitted.
“About who?” she asked, her brow furrowing, clearly confused.
“About the one I love,” I clarified, my heartbeat quickening even as I said the words.
“You found her?” she exclaimed, her eyes brightening as if a light had flickered back to life.
“Yes, but I’m worried,” I confessed, dropping my gaze to the floor, afraid to see any judgment in her expression.
“Come sit close to me,” she managed to say, her voice a hill of effort. I obeyed, shifting over to her side, where the warmth of her body enveloped me like a cloak. She held my hand in her fragile grip, her touch so light that it felt as if I might crush her.
“What’s your fear?” she asked, her gaze steady on mine, her face carved with concern.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Her name is Nadia,” I whispered. “She was… she was the girl Sandro and I always bullied. We hated her because she was… poor, you know? Because she had no class.”
I was rambling, fear flooding my heart as I spoke. But as I watched her, I noticed a subtle smile creeping across her lips, despite the heaviness of my words. My mother’s reaction intrigued me, and for a moment, I held back the urge to question her about it. Something about her smile was disarming.
“And now?” she urged gently.
“We are mated to her. We just found out that she’s a wolf, too, and… and her wolf scares me.” I looked into her eyes, searching for understanding. “She is nothing like what I have ever seen. She’s powerful, wild and it’s overwhelming!”
There was a brief silence, and I could feel my heart racing, each beat echoing louder than the last. I wanted to say more, to unload every worry I had, but I hesitated.
“Love doesn’t judge, Alex,” she said softly, her eyes locked onto mine as if trying to reach straight into my soul.
“But this is different!” I protested, my voice rising. “She’s from the wrong side of the pack, and everyone knows what we did to her!”
“It’s the same. Your heart has found in her a resting place. Follow it, and don’t worry about what others say,” she said firmly, her grip tightening just a bit. The wisdom in her words cut through my confusion, and yet, I couldn’t silence the doubt clawing at my insides.
“What if she rejects us?” I asked, almost as a whisper.
“Love will always win,” she assured me, a fragile smile gracing her face even as her illness shrouded her vitality.
As I left her presence, I felt a sense of reassurance that settled within me like a glimmering ember.
The next day dawned bright and bustling. Sandro was down with fever, so he couldn’t make it to school. As I arrived at school, it seemed like a circus of activity. Students lined the hallways, chatting, laughing, and exchanging the latest gossip. I strode down the corridor, my heart thumping loudly as I glanced around in search of her. We had a combined class with her class that morning so I hoped to find her there. When my eyes finally landed on Nadia, seated at her usual spot in the cafeteria, the world around me seemed to fade.
She was focused on a book, a curtain of dark hair cascading over her shoulder, and despite the way I used to view her as someone so different from me, I could now see her spirit shining through. Taking a deep breath, I felt a surge of longing course through my veins. My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, yearning to bridge the distance between us. Yet an unsettling doubt made me hesitate, leaving me stuck in my seat, wrestling with my thoughts.
What if she didn’t want to hear anything I had to say? Just the thought made my heart sink, but all day long, she remained in my mind, a constant pull I couldn’t shake off.
After class, I finally resolved to approach her. I stood up, adrenaline pumping as I was ready to take that leap. Just as I took my first step, something wild distracted me-the familiar laugh of Bethany, my ex-girlfriend. She sauntered over, her perfectly styled hair bouncing as she walked and confident smirk plastered across her face.
“Alex! Can we talk?” she said, her voice sweet but tainted with ulterior motives. I crossed my arms, letting irritation percolate within me.
“I’m done with you, Bethany,” I declared, feeling my wolf simmering beneath the surface. “Especially after what you did.”
Her expression twisted into one of faux innocence. “And what would that be? Attacking your new poor little girlfriend?”
“You don’t want to know,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. I caught a glimpse of Nadia’s table; she was still there, and that thought just intensified my anger.
I stormed off, shoving past Bethany and her laughter. But as I searched for Nadia, a heavy sense of dread filled the pit of my stomach. Just ahead, I spotted her-but there was another guy with her. He was leaning close, laughing, his hand resting comfortably on her shoulder.
The sight made my heart bleed. Jealousy and possessiveness sparked in me, in a way that felt foreign, yet primordial. My wolf was fuming, feeling the need to protect what should be ours. I dug my nails into my palms, fighting the urge to lash out, knowing full well I couldn’t. I was the person that rejected her.
With one last look, I turned away, each step heavier than the last. I fought the urge to yell or lash out at anyone; instead, I felt my heart sink further. I could already hear the internal dialogue echoing in my head, tossing reminders of how I had tormented her-now, here she was, laughing with someone else, and it felt like a betrayal of sorts.
I hurried to my car, earning strange looks from some ot my course mates. I wasn’t the me that they knew.
Inside, the world became mute as I slammed the door shut. I leaned back, gritting my teeth, trying to convince myself that I didn’t care, that she was still the girl I bullied, the girl who had no class.
But as I sat there, the truth dripped like poison through my mind-that was no longer the case. She wasn’t just “the girl.” She was Nadia, the one whose spirit called to me, challenging everything I thought I understood about love and acceptance.
Tearing out of the school parking lot, I fought the instinct to turn back, to throw caution to the wind, and chase after her, to demand she look my way. Instead, I found myself driving aimlessly, the engine’s roar echoing my chaotic thoughts. I needed to clear my head, to make sense of this rollercoaster of emotions that threatened to drown me.
But even as I drove, no matter how hard I tried to shake off what had happened, thoughts of her stayed darkly etched in my mind, and I knew I wouldn’t feel whole again until I resolved this-until I made her see that the boy who once tormented her was gone, and someone new was waiting to emerge.