Chapter 42: Not the Role Model

"Do you think you'd ever reconsider?" I asked with a thoughtful expression. "I mean, do you think you might change your mind and wake up one day thinking, 'Shit, I feel this big hole in my life because I didn't fulfill the task I was made for'?" I clarified, my gaze set on him with curiosity.

"That sounds like an issue for future Ryder. Right now, I'm happy with my decision," he stated firmly, his conviction unwavering. "I'm not the leader. I'm not the role model. I'm a fucking write-off and I would never deserve the title of Alpha anyway. Tyler was made for it, and I'm okay with that," he finished, seeming to resign himself to these self-proclaimed facts.

"You aren't a write-off," I asserted with a scoff, giving him a stern look.

He shrugged, uninterested in arguing the point.

I shook my head and sighed, seeing that he was shutting down and becoming apathetic. Deciding not to push him any further, I leaned in closer to him, resting my head against his shoulder in a gesture of support