NovelUpdateChapter 246 The wind bit into my skin as I tore through the forest, the soles of my feet pounding against the earth. I was running, not just because it's a routine but to escape the ache in my chest. Maybe if I could run far enough, fast enough, the weight pressing against my chest would finally loosen. But it didn't, and neither did it quell the heat that burned beneath my skin.
It's been a week since Sadie looked atwith those wide, doubtful eyes and asked if this if we meant anything beyond the bond.
She didn't believe me.
And the worst part? I understood why.
Her words haunted me. Scraped at my heart until I was left raw. It felt like sharp knives were being driven into my chest over and over again, leavingdestroyed.
I clenched my jaw, pushing myself harder through the trees. Sweat slid down my temples, but it wasn't the exertion that leftraw. It was her doubt- understandable, justified—and still, it shredded me.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe had every right to question me. I destroyed her once. Turned away when she neededmost. Let her walk away believing she was never enough. I had given her nothing but silence and rejection.
And now? Now I was begging for a chance, because, goddess help me, I wanted her. Craved her in a way I never had before. Not just because of the bond-though that pulled like a tide inside me-but because she was it. All of it. The fire, the storm, the light I never knew I needed. Watching her with Aspen had guttedin the most beautiful way. It madeache for something I'd never allowed myself to hope for.
A family. With her. With Aspen.
I ducked under a low branch, my breath ragged now, not from exertion, but from the storm brewing inside me. The full moon was two nights away, and I could already feel Knox clawing at the edges of my control. His need for Sadie was always sharp, but lately it has been unbearable.
The scent of her skin still lingered in my memory, taunting me. Her laughter from the zoo, the way she had looked at Aspen like she was her whole world—and the way Aspen had clung towithout hesitation, like I belonged to them too.
I skidded to a stop at the edge of the training grounds, bent over with my hands braced on my knees. The cold mist rising off the water kissed my face, a stark contrast to the fire and chaos raging inside.
"We are spiraling." Knox murmured, his voice rough and ever-present in the back of my mind.
"I know," I muttered aloud.
"I need her, Alec. We need our mate." Knox was pacing inside me. Anxious, edgy, unstable and restless.
I gritted my teeth. "She doesn't believe me, Knox. How the hell am I supposed to prove something I should have never made her question in the first place?" Knox was silent. He couldn't answerbecause he knew we screwed up. We messed things up so badly, I wondered if it was possible to fix what I carelessly broke.
I straightened, exhaling slowly, I entered the training arena, knowing Brian would be working with the warriors by now. I needed something-anything-to center me.
The clang of fists hitting pads and the dull thud of bodies slamming against mats echoed through the open-air training ring. I stepped in, and a few warriors nodded, givingrespectful space.
Brian was at the center, barking orders at the warriors, his stance precise and sharp as he demonstrated a hold. He glanced up when he sawand raised a br "Decided to finally get your hands dirty, Alpha?" He looked stronger. More grounded. The disheveled man from the dungeon was long gone.
I smirked, though it didn't reach my eyes. "Thought I'd remind them what real skill looks like." Brian met my gaze. He inclined his head, then smirked. "Let's see if you've still got it." A few of the younger warriors chuckled, but Brian just shook his head.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWe squared off. He was fast-strong-but I wasn't holding back. Not today.
The moment sparring began,
everything else faded. It started simple-jabs, counterstrikes, testing each other. He was calculated But I him. For every blow he could match landed, 1 returned one harder. The warriors gathered, forming a circle around us. I could hear Micah and Jason arrive, their voices blending with the hum of anticipation.
My fists flew, my body moving on instinct, but something was off. The bond was burning hotter than it should. My limbs trembled with restrained power. And Knox was too close to the surface. Brian landed a hit to my ribs, and then something shifted. The air changed. Or maybe it was me.
A snarl tore from my throat. My vision blurred, and Knox snapped.
"Alpha?" Brian asked, stepping back.
I didn't hear him.
I didn't see him.
I saw the past. Saw Sadie in the dungeon three years ago, tears streaking her face while I stood there, torturing her. I saw he Horoken body, her empty eyes burning hatred. I saw her in my office corridors as I plunged my hand inside her chest, ready to rip her heart out. I saw the pain I caused. The heartbreak in her eyes every tI ignored her and treated her as if she was nothing but a nuisance.
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