HANNAH
I step out of the room, my heart heavy and aching from the conversation I just had with Alex. The weight of our complicated relationship presses down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Why can’t things be simple between us? Why does every step forward feel like a battle, a constant push and pull that leaves me drained and raw? For the first time, a traitorous thought whispers through my mind – a desperate wish that someone else was my mate, someone who wouldn’t hurt me so deeply.
“Hannah?” A familiar voice calls out, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I lift my head to see Alpha Collins standing before me; his brow furrowed with concern. “Oh my goodness! Are you okay?” He closes the distance between us in a few long strides, his hands gently grasping my arms as he searches my face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just allergies,” I reply, the lie falling flat even to my own ears as I sniffle and wipe my face clean of the tears that stained my cheeks.
“Allergies?” He asks, disbelief coloring his tone. He reaches out, his fingers tenderly lifting my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You can do better than that.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I manage to whisper, dropping my gaze from his, unable to bear the concern I see shining in his eyes.
“No problem. Come with me then,” he says softly, his hand sliding down to grasp mine, his fingers intertwining with my own as he gently tugs me along with him.
We walk out of the hotel, the cool breeze caressing my skin as we head towards the surrounding forest. Alpha Collins’s hand remains firmly clasped around mine, and I don’t pull back; his hold is a silent anchor in the storm of my emotions. We trek up a winding path, the exertion burning in my legs, until we reach the top of a mountain overlooking the vast expanse of the sea. The view steals my breath, the beauty of it momentarily chasing away the ache in my heart.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, awe and wonder filling my voice as I take in the stunning vista before me.
“I know. I usually come here when I want to be alone or to think deeply,” Alpha Collins confesses, his own gaze fixed on the horizon.
I turn to face him, a small, grateful smile tugging at my lips. “Thank you,” I murmur, sinking down to sit on the edge of the cliff, my legs dangling over the side.
“Don’t mention it,” he replies, settling down beside me, our shoulders brushing as we sit in companionable silence for a moment.
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I find myself asking, “How did you find this place?” The question is a welcome distraction from the turmoil of my own thoughts.
Alpha Collins takes a deep breath, his eyes growing distant as he stares out at the sea. “I don’t usually tell people or even bring them here,” he begins, his voice low and thoughtful. He turns to face me then, his gaze locking with mine, intense and searching. “But you are different. You’re not just anyone, so I’m going to tell you.”
I feel a flutter in my chest at his words, a warmth spreading through me at the idea that he sees me as someone special, someone worthy of his trust. “You don’t have to,” I quickly assure him, not wanting to pressure him into sharing something he might not be ready to.
“It’s okay. I think it would also be good to share my story with someone else,” he says, a small, sad smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Alright, if you say so,” I acquiesce, settling in to listen to him.
“I used to come here whenever I was hurt,” Alpha Collins begins, his voice taking on a somber tone.
“Hurt?” I ask, confused.
“Yes, hurt. I will start from the beginning so everything will make sense.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “My mother died when I was very young. To maintain the strength of the pack, my father remarried. My stepmother seemed perfect. She assisted my father with pack duties and always appeared kind to me in front of him and others. My father genuinely believed she was a good person. However, behind his back, her treatment of me was far from kind. He didn’t know that his son was constantly covered in bruises. No matter how well-behaved I was, my stepmother would find reasons to punish me and lock me in our dungeon, always ensuring it happened when my father was away. I was just a child, trapped in a small space, deprived of food for days.”
My heart clenches painfully, tears stinging my eyes as I listen to him. I can’t even imagine the agony he must have endured as a child, facing such cruelty.
“When I tried to tell my father, he thought I was lying because I had been against his remarriage from the start. Plus, being a werewolf made it difficult for bruises to remain visible for long. My father questioned all the servants in the alpha house, but they were all too terrified of my stepmother to speak up against her.” He continues, each word like a dagger to my heart as I imagine the betrayal he must have felt as a child.
“But that was just the beginning of her manipulation. When she finally gave birth to her own child, a boy, she ensured my father’s attention was solely focused on him, completely neglecting me. My standing within the pack plummeted to lower than that of an omega. It even led to my mate rejecting me because of it.”
I gasp softly at this, tears slipping free to roll down my cheeks. The cruelty he faced is unimaginable.
”
“That’s when I made the decision to become stronger, to be able to protect myself. So, I dedicated myself to rigorous training and studying every day. I even challenged my younger brother for the alpha position, even though I shouldn’t need to since it was my birthright. But given my stepmother’s influence, I had to. I defeated him and claimed the alpha position and the company.
Whenever my stepmother hurt me or when I needed to train my body and mind, I would come here. It was the perfect escape, away from everyone.”
As he finishes his story, I find myself reaching for him, pulling him into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper against his shoulder. In that moment, I realize that while I thought my life was unbearable, it pales in comparison to his experiences. We’re more alike than I ever imagined. We both endured a harrowing childhood.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs, his arms coming up to wrap around me, holding me close.
I pull back slightly, a watery smile on my face as I try to lighten the mood. “Your ex-mate would be so full of regret right now seeing how powerful you’ve become,” I tease gently, sniffling.
“Yeah, she probably would,” he chuckles softly, his gaze intense as he stares at me, an emotion I can’t quite name swirling in the depths of his eyes.
I swallow hard, suddenly aware of how close we are, of the way his gaze seems to see straight into my soul. “Is something on my face?” I ask nervously, my hand coming up to touch my cheek.
“No, you’re just so beautiful,” he breathes, his words sending a shiver down my spine, my cheeks heating under the weight of his admiration.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my heart racing in my chest as he gently wets his lips, his hand reaching out to grasp mine once more.
He tugs me closer, our faces mere inches apart, his breath warm against my skin. “Be mine, Hannah,” he murmurs, his words a soft caress.
I freeze, my breath catching in my throat as the weight of his words sinks in. My mind reels, a thousand thoughts and emotions swirling through me at once. Did he really just say that?