Alethea (Zoe)
My body feels heavy like I’m sinking deeper into the bed. But something inside me starts to fight.
I can feel it-this strange warmth spreading through my veins, igniting a fire I didn’t even know was there. My chest tightens, and suddenly, my lungs burn as though they’re desperate for air.
Everything hurts.
I try to cry out, but my voice is trapped somewhere in my throat. My fingers twitch, my body jerking involuntarily.
“She’s reacting,” Someone says, but it sounds far away like she’s speaking through a fog. “Her body is fighting back.”
I’m drowning in pain and heat mixed with something… else. It’s like I can feel him, He’s close. So close.
The pain coursing through my body right now feels unbearable, but somehow, it doesn’t compare to the agony I endured when I was in labor with Declan.
My Declan. Just the thought of him makes my heart ache. I miss him so much-his bright green eyes constantly remind me of that arrogant, infuriating man who is his father.
Right now, though, it feels like I’m floating like I’m suspended in this strange place. I don’t know where I am, but all I know is that I want to go back to Selena and to Declan.
Suddenly, a violent surge of pain rips through me. My body jerks, my chest heaving as I gasp for air. It feels like every nerve in my body is on fire, my blood boiling with emotions I don’t understand.
Everything blurs around me, yet somehow, I notice something.
I’m seated in a secluded place, and Alpha Asher’s overwhelming presence is like a shadow. Though my vision is hazy, I can feel the intensity of his gaze piercing through the veil clouding my mind.
What is happening to me? Why is he here? Why does it feel like my very soul is connected to his?
I take a moment to look around my surroundings. The gentle rustle of leaves and the faint chirping of birds.
I can see a lake stretching before us. We’re seated on a soft blanket spread across the grass, and my head rests on Asher’s lap.
He’s staring into the distance with a tight jaw. I can tell that his mind is occupied with thoughts.
From the tension in his shoulders, I can tell he’s carrying a weight far greater than he’s letting on. All I want to do is ease that burden, even just a little.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly, tilting my head to look up at him.
He slowly shifts his gaze downward, his eyes meeting mine. His lips curve into a small gentle smile-gentle, though it’s reluctant-but it’s enough to make my heart skip a beat.
In that moment, I see the warmth, the affection, the unspoken emotions swirling in his gaze.
But he rejected me yet the bond between us refuses to break, no matter how much he fights it. His wolf won’t allow it.
I can’t hold the question in my mind any longer. “Why don’t you want a mate?”
He looks away, his gaze returning to the lake. There’s a pause before he answers, his voice low and distant. “Because we’re cursed. In our lineage, being with our fated mate leads to ruin. So, Chosen mates are… safer.”
My brows knit together in confusion. “What kind of curse?”
Asher glances down at me, his lips quivering into a small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “It’s not something you need to trouble your small head about,” he says lightly with a teasing tone.
The way his eyes twinkle as he says it momentarily distracts me. He looks so effortlessly captivating, even in his casual jeans and T-shirt.
Alpha Asher is one of a kind, a species carved from perfection. Everything about him exudes strength, power, and an air of mystery that’s impossible to ignore. His piercing eyes draw me in. I find myself wanting to know more about what makes him tick, what makes him vulnerable.
“We once had a perfect family,” he begins, with a soft tone that I’ve never heard. “My mother, father, me, and… Kayla.”
“Kayla?” I ask, startled, I had no idea she was connected to him, much less part of his family.
He notices my confusion and slowly shakes his head with a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Kayla isn’t my sister by blood,” he explains. “She was taken in by my parents after she lost hers in a… fatal accident.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, the words coming out as I look at him, trying to gauge his emotions.
“It’s fine,” he says, though his voice carries a tinge of sadness. “Kayla became family. My parents treated her like their own, and so did I. But…” He pauses, his jaw tightening slightly. ”
There’s a flicker of something in his eyes-pain, maybe even regret-but it vanishes almost as quickly as it appears.
I stay quiet, sensing there’s more he wants to say but isn’t ready to share. I know there’s a depth to his story that I’ll uncover piece by piece.
“As I was saying, we were all living together as one big family-until my father went to a neighboring pack.” He pauses, his jaw tightening. “He never came back because he found his mate.”
My breath catches, but I stay silent, letting him continue.
“He left everything,” Asher says, his tone sharper now. “His Alpha duties, the pack he swore to protect, me, Kayla… everyone who depended on him. Can you imagine the cruelty? He abandoned us, all for the excuse that he couldn’t balance being an Alpha and being with his mate.”
I flinch as his aura comes like a wave. Kaidos, his wolf, is close to the surface, and the raw power he exudes makes my heart race.
“My grandfather lost his mind when his mate left him,” Asher continues. “And his father before him? He ran away with his mate, even though he already had his Luna.”
He looks out at the lake, his hands clenched into fists. “Enemies noticed this weakness in our bloodline. They’ve always tried to use it against us-waiting for the Alpha to bond with his mate, then striking when he’s at his most vulnerable. I won’t let that happen.”
My chest tightens at his words.
“I won’t put my mate’s life in jeopardy, I want her to live. To enjoy life, even if it’s not with me. Though it kills me to think of her with another man.”
My heart aches for him, for the burden he’s had to bear for so long. Without thinking, I lean forward and kiss his forehead.
He closes his eyes, his shoulders sagging slightly under my touch. “I was forced to take up the Alpha position far too young,” he says after a moment. “When my father left, I had no choice. The pack needed a leader, and I had to step up.”
The pain in his voice is raw, and I can feel the responsibilities pressing on him even now. The boy who was abandoned has grown into a powerful Alpha.
I see in his eyes an unwavering love not for a mate but for his pack. They are his priority, his everything, even at the cost of his happiness.
Should I be happy that his mate will survive, free to live her life without the constant threat that comes with being bound to him? Or should I pity him for the struggle he will endure-the loneliness, the battle to suppress his instincts and desires when he sees her?
Asher’s gaze locks onto mine, a storm of emotions flickering across his face, pain, regret, longing.
“I’m sorry,” he says, with a low raw voice. “I can’t give you the love you deserve. As my mate, you deserve better. But I… I am not worthy of being called your mate.”
My heart tightens, but I stay silent, afraid that if I speak, I might shatter into a million pieces.
“So, please,” he continues, his voice breaking slightly. “Just be happy. That’s all I want for you. Nothing less.”
Before I can respond, or process his words, he begins to fade, blurring into the distance.
“No!” I shout, panic rising in my chest. My hands reach out to grab him, but I grasp nothing. My voice feels strange, foreign like it’s coming from someone else-a raw, guttural sound that echoes with a force I don’t recognize.
“Alpha Asher!” I scream, with a trembling voice, but he’s gone. I feel empty, my chest tightens, and an unfamiliar energy courses through me, making me feel grounded.
It’s as if the air around me has shifted, taking me into another reality where nothing makes sense anymore.
I scream in horror the world stills around me.
I sit up quickly, my heart racing as I take in my surroundings, and I freeze when I see him there-Alpha Asher watching me with those intense eyes with something I can’t quite place.