Rachel’s POV
The weight pressing down on me suddenly vanished. My wrists, tender from being held, were abruptly released.
Almost simultaneously, I felt something g soft cascade across my body–a blanket, gently covering
g my exposed skin.
I opened my eyes in disbelief, shocked to find Nathan had stopped. My gaze settled on his face as he sat perched on the edge of the bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip.
His expression was distant, perhaps even troubled, though I couldn’t be certain in the dim light.
I’d failed. The realization hit like a physical blow–I’d ruined everything. My mind raced to the consequences: my pack, my own fate if I didn’t complete this assignment.
Аш
father,
Before he could even begin to stir, a sudden, almost primal urgency surged through me. In that split second, lunged forward with a desperation I could barely contain, my hand shooting out to firmly grab the hem of his garment.
“Please… don’t leave,” 1 begged, my voice laced with unmistakable fear.
The thought of him leaving–turning executioner for my pack–was unbearable. It sent a shock of pain through my chest, sharp enough to tear me apart.
Too many innocents were on the line, defenseless. That knowledge pressed down, heavy as stone. Each potential loss felt like a dagger twisting inside. Letting him walk away was condemning them all. I couldn’t do it!
Nathan turned slowly to face me. Under his scrutiny, I became painfully aware of my thin nightgown. I no longer felt like an Alphas daughter, but rather a slave attempting to negotiate with her master.
Still, I had to try, had to find courage from somewhere.
“Please… can L…” I whispered, words failing me.
He towered over me, his tall frame backlit by candlelight, casting his face in shadow. I couldn’t read his Expression, but I imagined nothing good.
My hands were ice cold as I sat back on the bed, feeling utterly defenceless before him..
“No,” Nathan said firmly.
My heart plummeted. What had I done? I’d ruined everything! All strength seemed to drain from my body as I released his shirt, my hands falling back to the hed to support my weight.
It was over… we were all finished–my father, my pack, myself.
Several seconds of silence passed between us, though it felt like centuries.
“Gain some weight.”
His voice drifted down, still utterly devoid of warmth, chillingly detached
My breath
caught. What? Did I hear that right?
The words seemed to hang there, allen and nonsensical for a beat. Then, the meaning crashed into me, hitting with the force of a
1/2
Chapter 12
physical blow after agonizing Seconds of Incomprehension.
Gain weight. Not death. Not the end.
Oh God. He was giving me a chance!
Hope, sharp and dizzying, surged through me, chasing away the icy dead. As Nathan turned and walked toward the door, his back to me, a wave of raw, staggering gratitude washed over me, so poterit almost buckled my knees.
My eyes followed his retreating form, unable to voice the overwhelming thanks welling up inside.
“Alpha… I…”
“You’re too thin. Gain some weight,” he repeat unexpectedly, then disappeared through the doorway.
Somehow, I detected a slight note of frustration in his tone.
Finally, the dam inside me broke, and all the emotions flooded back–a dizzying wave of relief tangled with sharp disappointment. stinging shame, and a deep, aching sadness.
The pain in my chest squeezed tight around my heart. I surrendered to the tears, letting them flow freely as I curled into the thin blanket on the bed, clutching it like a lifeline.
It wasn’t my
y fear that s
tstopped him.
would my feelings matter to the cold, ruthless Alpha? A breeder was replaceable.
And yet… he hadn’t replaced me. He hadn’t thrown me out. Beneath the weight of my failure, a strange, desperate gratitude flickered–relief that he hadn’t simply discarded me.
Through tear–blurred vision, I watched the nickering candles slowly burn down, their light sputtering out until the room fell back into suffocating darkness. Exhaustion dragged at me, heavy as stone
My last conscious thought was a confusing mix of self–blame and that desperate thankfulness: I’m not healthy enough, not strong enough for him. I’ve disappointed him… but he didn’t abandon me,
Nathan’s 1
POV
After leaving her room, I strade down the corridor, frustration churning inside me.
Chapter Comments
LIKE
POST COMMENT NOW
<SHARE
