Chapter 3

An Alpha's Duty

“Hadin Pov~

I made my way into the gathering, maneuvering through the crowd. Seraphina was behind me, flexing her elegance and boldness like she owned the place.

We had barely stepped a foot into the gathering when I felt a cold liquid splash all over me, the sound of glass shattering in my ear.

“What the–!” I exclaimed furiously, looking up to see the person who had caused this mess. I was boiling with rage, my head snapping up with a deadly swiftness.

And then I saw her—the same girl whom I had seen in the forests earlier.

Eleanor.

The moment my eyes met hers, my anger faded instantly, replaced with a confused look.

But before I could react, Seraphina dashed forward and delivered a stinging slap to her face.

“You should be more careful next time! Do you realize who you just splashed a drink on?” She blurted out, her tone nothing but aggressive.

To my surprise, Eleanor didn't react. She only nodded and crouched to the ground level, picking up the shards of glass scattered all over the floor.

I couldn't stand the sight of her anymore. I turned around, pivoting on my heel and heading for the packhouse. Anger stirred just beneath my skin, ripping me from the inside out.

By the time I reached my room, I yanked the door closed, hard enough that it rattled the walls. Seraphina’s voice rang out at the other end of the closed door, but I paid her no attention. 

“I want to be left alone!” I seethed, my voice cold as ice.

I leaned against the door for a minute, taking a long, deep breath before reaching for the hem of my shirt to pull it over my head.

The mirror opposite me now on the wall reflected a body with broad shoulders, clearly outlined muscles, and a latticework of scars that spoke volumes about those countless battles of yesteryears in defense of my pack. My hand traced an incised jigsaw above my side, a keepsake of some long-ago battle.

I'd earned these marks, earned every single one. A reminder of my duty as an Alpha: of the strength and sacrifice that came with leadership.

Which was why I had to make hard choices.

I flung my shirt to the floor and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Hot water hit my skin, washing sweat and grime off me, but did absolutely nothing to alleviate the tension in my chest.

Her face flashed into my mind.

Eleanor.

I swore under my breath, scrubbing at my hair as if I could wash the memory of her away. But it was no use. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I felt the mate pull. That moment our eyes met, I knew she was mine. The pull between us had been undeniable, magnetic, and impossible to ignore.

And that night…

I bit my teeth as memories came tumbling back.

The weight of her body under me, the soft gasps and low moans while I'd touched her, the way she looked at me with these large, wide-set hazel eyes all wide with trusting and longing, so innocently wanting. She had been younger then, more innocent, so naive, and I'd been her first. The quake of her body underneath at my hands and fingers while she latched on as if to the rest of her whole world's end.

For one flickering moment, I had been allowed to believe that maybe this was what I had searched for.

But then came the morning.

And when I had asked her who she was, and she had told me the truth, my anger had been instant and overwhelming.

The daughter of my enemy.

She had tried to explain, but all that came across was this was some sort of ploy, a trick to ensnare me. Then when she spoke about who she was, The weak and disgraced Omega everyone whispered about.

I couldn't let her stay.

It wasn't a question of my pride, though there was that, too. But it was one of my duties, the one who stand by my side as Luna could not become a weakness my enemies might use against me, which meant she could not be fragile and timid or a liability in any way.

But no matter how hard the mate bond had pulled on me, no matter how much hurting me it had been to see the sadness in her eyes as I'd sent her away, I'd known I'd done right.

And yet, why was I incapable of clearing her from my head?

I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist as I moved back into the bedroom. The cool air hit my damp skin, but it did little to soothe the simmering heat beneath my surface.

Just as I reached for a pair of pants, there came a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called without turning around.

The door opened and a voice that sounded way too familiar uttered the word, "Hadin."

I turned and locked eyes with Seraphina.

She was the beauty standing at my doorway, her lips slightly pursed into a gentle smile while her dark eyes traveled all over my bare chest. In that black dress of hers, the fabric looked shimmering to a certain degree by the light.

"What are you doing here?" I rasped out without charm or gentleness.

Her hips swayed, and her body sidled into the room, the door closing gently behind her. "I wanted to see you," she told me in a gentle, teasing manner.

As her gaze passed over me, running her tongue against the breadth of her lips, she again smiled, "It's been days since, Hadin, that I have concluded it could be you avoiding me.".

I frowned, knowing she was right. It had been many days since I'd seen her, since I'd been consumed by my thoughts of Eleanor, and distracted by all the anger and confusion surrounding her. 

"I was busy," I said finally, gruffly.

She didn't blink, only moved to close the space between us until her hands trailed up over my chest. "Too busy for me?" she purred, rubbing herself against me.

My immediate feeling was one of irritation, but it got muffled out by her heat. Seraphina was a woman who'd never minced words and now seemed no different- unrelenting, audacious, confident, getting whatever she wanted, whenever the whim hit her.

She was only the kind of woman an Alpha needed by his side.

"You suit me," I once told her, and that had been the truth. Strong, capable, and afraid of nothing.

She leaned her head up, her lips grazing along my jaw. "I missed you," she whispered.

Longer than a moment, my hands made it to her waist, pulling her against me. Her lips kissed me persistently, determined until I let myself get taken by them.

All the weight in my mind, the thought of Eleanor, the mating bond pulling on my spirit all just faded to the calmness of letting Seraphina down upon the bed and making room for the only thing inside my brain that can silence the tumult.