ALEX
Seated in my room, a glass of brandy in hand, I reflect on the days that have passed since Hannah left me in that hotel room without forgiving me. I thought saying sorry, as Eden advised, would make things better between us again, but it didn’t work. Tonight, I texted her about our engagement ceremony tomorrow, but she hasn’t replied for hours.
I take another sip of my drink, a knot of worry tightens in my chest. The possibility of Hannah backing out of our engagement crosses my mind, though I know her well enough to believe she wouldn’t do such a thing. Still, the lack of response leaves me unsettled, my thoughts consumed by what might be keeping her from replying.
Before I can dwell on it further, a knock at the door interrupts my reverie. Inviting the person in, I find myself sighing as Alice enters the room. Since her rescue, Alice has been a constant presence, her belief that I chose her over Hannah in a moment of crisis persisting despite my explanations to the contrary. Despite my efforts to reassure her, she remains convinced that my actions were driven by a deeper realization of our connection.
“Alex, please,” Alice cries, dropping to my feet and grasping my empty hand.
“Alice, please don’t do this again. We’ve been over this already,” I respond, sighing and staring at her. She had already had two of my brothers, yet she still wasn’t satisfied. Did she really have to have all of us? I felt guilty for rejecting her, but that was before Hannah became my mate. Rejecting Hannah now and taking Alice back would mean giving her three mates while leaving Hannah with none. Was she really that selfish?
“Please don’t get engaged to her tomorrow. Please be with me,” she pleads.
“You already have my brothers. You don’t need me,” I counter.
“I do, Alex. You were my boyfriend before you became my mate. Our connection is nothing like theirs. Please break off the engagement and run away with me,” she implores as she grasps my hand.
I freeze, staring at her in disbelief, wondering if she just asked me to elope with her. I couldn’t believe she fucking did. Does she really expect me to call off my engagement to Hannah at the last moment and elope with her instead?
Gently, I unwind my hand from her grip and stand up. “Alice, I can’t do that.”
Tears shine in her eyes. “But we belong together.”
I shake my head sadly. “Not anymore. I care for you, but only as a sister now. I have chosen to stay with Hannah.”
Alice’s face hardens. “If you go through with this, you’ll regret it forever. You’re making a huge mistake.”
I feel a flare of anger at her words. “The only mistake would be abandoning my second chance mate. I know you’re upset, but this has to stop. You have to move on.”
She recoils as though slapped. “So, you won’t reconsider?”
“My mind is made up.”
Slowly, she rises, eyes blazing. “You’ll pay for this,” she hisses before turning on her heel and storming away.
I watch her go with a pang of sadness mixed with relief. As much as it pains me to hurt her, I know I’ve made the right choice. My future is with Hannah now. Alice will have to find a way to move on, as difficult as it may be.
HANNAH
I exhale heavily, staring into the mirror, my heart racing. Tonight’s the engagement ceremony, and it would be an understatement if I admit to feeling nervous. My entire body is practically trembling with jitters. I can’t wait for it to begin so we can call it a night.
As I give myself one final once-over in the mirror, the door creaks open, and Alice strides into the room without bothering to knock. Typical. I whirl around to face her, prepared to hear whatever she has to say.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Snatching your sister’s mate and marrying him,” she spits, her words laced with venom.
I let out a slow breath before responding, “We both know that’s not how it happened.”
“You’re wrong. That’s exactly what happened! How did you manage to be chosen over me to be Alex’s wife? And when he rejects me, you become his second chance mate. Explain to me how that’s fair, and you have no say in it!” she explodes, her anger boiling over.
“Alice…” I begin, closing the gap between us. She must be feeling really unlucky right now, and even though she doesn’t deserve my empathy, she looks too hurt for me to just stand by and do nothing “I’m…” My sentence is abruptly cut off as Alice delivers a vicious slap across my face, splitting my bottom lip and flooding my mouth with the taste of blood.
“Wow,” I breathe out, staring at Alice in disbelief. I was about to apologize to her for something that was totally not my fault, and she slapped me. I’m done being the nice bitch. My hand twitches, ready to retaliate, but it’s halted by another grip. I glance over to see Mom, her stern expression conveying both disappointment and admonishment.
“How dare you raise your hand against your sister?” Mom flings my hand aside as if it were a trivial inconvenience.
“She hit me first,” I protest, gesturing to my throbbing lip, but my words fall on deaf ears as Mom strides past me, her attention fixated on Alice, who now wears a mask of tears. I blink in disbelief at what’s unfolding before me, and then I catch sight of a shadow lingering outside the room’s doorway. For now, I push that observation aside and turn my attention back to my mother, who is now barking words at me.
Mom’s tirade continues, her words a torrent of reprimand, and I find myself at a loss for words. “And so what? Does that give you the right to hit her back?” she thunders, her anger palpable in the air.
“Are you fucking saying,” I begin, my voice trembling with a potent mix of indignation and disbelief, “My adopted sister has a damn right to hit me, but I don’t” Tears threaten to spill over as the sting of betrayal digs deep into my soul, exacerbated by the irrationality of Mom’s bias.
“That’s not what I meant, but your sister is going through a lot today,” Mom counters, her tone softer now, though no less infuriating. “She had to give up her mate for you. I’m just saying you should be more considerate of her feelings. That’s all.”
“Considerate of her feelings?” I explode, the dam of my restraint finally breaking under the weight of injustice. “What about my own fucking feelings? Were you considerate of mine when you forced me to marry Alex? And besides, this bitch-” My words are cut short as Mom delivers a slap of her own, the impact landing on the same cheek Alice had struck, intensifying the burning sting. I lift my gaze to meet my mother’s eyes, which are ablaze with fury.
“Don’t you dare look at me like that! How could you call your sister a bitch?” she seethes, her hand poised for another slap. I brace myself for the blow, but it never lands.
“If you lay a hand on her again, don’t blame me if you leave this room missing one,” Alex interjects, his voice deadly serious as he forcefully pushes my mother’s hand away. When did he get here?
“Alex…” Alice begins, looking taken aback, as is my mother.
“Get out!” Alex barks, and Alice, stunned by his abruptness, points to herself in disbelief. I, too, am taken aback by Alex’s tone but remain silent, simply observing the unfolding scene.
“I said, fucking get out,” Alex repeats with a chilling calmness that sends a shiver down my spine. Alice is about to protest, but a single raised eyebrow from Alex silences her, and she obediently escorts my mother out of the room.
Once they’re gone, Alex turns to face me, gently cupping my face in his palm, eliciting a wince from me as my lips and cheeks are still tender from the earlier blow.
“Sorry,” Alex murmurs, planting a tender kiss on my cheek, causing me to freeze against his touch.
“I’m also sorry for what just happened. I had no idea you were being treated so poorly by your own family. I’m sorry,” he continues, his gaze sincere as he meets my eyes. It dawns on me that he must have overheard the altercation from outside the door, explaining his sudden change in behavior.
“I promise, from today onwards, I’ll always protect you,” he vows, his eyes holding mine with unwavering sincerity. I swallow hard, feeling a lump form in my throat at his words.