"You're mine now," he says, his voice low, commanding. I shouldn't be thrilled by his words. I shouldn't even be standing here, in the cold shadows of a life I never chose. But here I am, torn between the man who shattered my heart and the one who calls me his, though I'm nothing like what he wants. When my chosen mate abandoned me for a woman who had once rejected him, I thought nothing could hurt worse. But I was wrong. He came back for her, leaving me with nothing but memories and a hollow ache. And just when I thought I had nothing left, Alpha Adeoye stepped into my life-a king without a throne, a man feared by all, including the wolves who once stood by my side. He's chilly. He is merciless. He's not my type, either. However, whenever he calls my name, I get a real and dangerous sensation. I ought to resist it. I ought to battle him. However, I see a darkness-an anguish similar to mine-when I look into his eyes. And the reality hit me harder than any betrayal just when I thought I had understood my place in this world and could move on from my past. The affection I assumed was long gone is still there. But there's one question I can't ignore: If I let myself fall for Adeoye, will it be the salvation I'm desperate for? Or will it destroy everything I thought I knew about love? As the final battle approaches, I'm left standing at a crossroads, knowing one wrong move could change everything. And then, he whispers, "You'll choose me... won't you?" But the truth is, I don't know if I can trust him.
Chapter 1 Lola's POV
"You're not my mate anymore, Lola," The forest's silence was broken by Declan's voice, which hit my heart like a hammer with every word. His eyes, which had previously been warm and full of hope for the future, now were icy and far away. "I've discovered another person. It's finished.
With strained gasps of breath, I stumbled backward. As though the earth itself were plotting to drag me down, the ground under me felt shaky. My mouth opened, but nothing came out. How is this possible? How could the man who had promised that we were destined to be together, the man I had dedicated my heart to, simply leave?
With a sour chuckle, he took a step forward, his eyes unblinking. "I apologize, but it's time. I no longer love you. I didn't.
The words hit me more forcefully than I could have ever imagined. Staring up at him as though I could will the reality to alter, my knees gave way and I fell to the chilly ground. This was not taking place. I couldn't be rejected by Declan. Not in this manner. Not after all that we had endured.
I said, "You're lying," with the words hardly coming out. "You can't be."
Declan did not recoil. He didn't appear guilty at all. He had a determined, set face, as though the choice had been made long before we were standing there.
"Do you think I wanted this?" His voice grew softer, but it was filled with the coldness of finality rather than regret. "Lola, it's over. I've moved on.
I felt like screaming. I wanted to destroy the forest and the entire earth, but I refrained from doing so. I was unable to. I sat there instead, broken, looking up at the man who had been my whole world.
The aroma of dirt and pine was carried by a chilly air that blew across the clearing. It should have been comforting, but instead it made my chest feel even more empty. Declan had been my soulmate, my partner, and my lifelong companion. He wasn't now, though. None of that applied to him.
My heart broke into fragments I couldn't even begin to gather. The fact that he had left me was not the worst part. He had done it so effortlessly, like though I were but a fleeting recollection.
I was no longer able to look at him. I turned aside, making my legs move so I could go somewhere other than here. But I was stopped by his voice.
He yelled, "Don't run, Lola," in a tone that I couldn't quite place-perhaps resentment? "You need to hear this."
Despite my refusal to turn around, I froze with my back to him. I was unable to. Not with the rawness of the agony.
"You think this was easy for me?" Declan went on, his footsteps becoming closer, but I remained motionless. "But I was at a loss. She is now my partner. And I'm unable to-" Then, as though his next words were sour, he stopped. "I can't keep living a lie."
We were silent, and I felt a burden pressing down on my chest. Despite my inability to breathe, my heart continued to beat brutally, each thump serving as a reminder that it was still attempting to cling on. I was unable to think.
At last, I said, "Who is she?" in a calm but tremulous voice.
He paused, and I briefly believed I saw a flash of shame in his eyes, but it vanished before I could fully notice it. "It doesn't matter," he was saying. "The important thing is that I'm finished. And you must come to terms with that. Proceed."
Proceed. Like a cruel joke, the words replayed in my head. How was I going to get over this? How was it possible for me to let go of the one person I had always imagined being with? The one person I had trusted through all of the difficulties, battles, and obstacles.
As Declan turned to walk away, his footfall became softer, but I was able to speak again before he could.
"Did you ever love me?" The question lingered between us like a slender thread. I had to know. Even though it would break my heart, I had to hear the truth.
He didn't respond immediately, and for a little, excruciating minute, I believed he would leave without answering. Then his voice came, dejected and low.
"No," he replied plainly. "Not in the way you needed me to."
The ground underneath me seemed to have broken apart. It was as though the universe itself was lamenting the loss of something valuable as the sky grew dimmer and the globe grew darker.
I wanted to yell and scream at him for his callousness, but instead I just stood there and gazed at the empty spot where Declan used to be. Without thinking twice, he had left. And I had trouble breathing for a while. I was unable to think. The only sensation I had was the excruciating pain in my chest, the void that now characterized who I was.
A figure suddenly appeared in the clearing, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew who it was without turning around. His cologne was clearly odorous as the air changed.
Adeoye Alpha.
Even though he hadn't said anything yet, I winced at the sound of his voice. Everything around me seemed to feel smaller because of his commanding presence. Despite his cool, collected tone, there was a hint of anxiety in it.
Adeoye said coolly, "I see you've been abandoned," his eyes darting momentarily to where Declan had recently been standing.
I didn't answer. What could be said? I was by myself. All by myself.
"I'm not here to comfort you," Adeoye added, his voice containing a hint of authority but also something deeper and more perilous. "But I will not let you wallow in your misery."
Slowly, I raised my eyes to meet his. "What do you want from me?" I hardly got a whisper out.
He said, "To remind you," his eyes meeting mine, "that occasionally, those who are supposed to leave you will do so for a cause. and that not every conclusion is final.
His meaning was not quite clear to me. But my heart was pounding from the intensity of his stare. Something flickered inside of me for the first time since Declan's treachery. I was unaware that I still possessed that spark.
However, Adeoye's face stiffened before I could respond. He said, "You'll come with me,"
"What?" I couldn't hide my bewilderment. "Why?"
"You'll understand soon enough," he stated in a quiet but decisive tone. He reached out and took hold of my arm, dragging me along behind him before I could object or raise any more concerns.
I had no idea what Alpha Adeoye would bring, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt a glimmer of optimism. I was already being pulled into something dangerous that was about to happen, whether I was prepared for it or not.
Then I realized that nothing in my life would ever be the same again as I took one last look at the vacant spot where Declan had left me.
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