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Author: RJ Cross
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-06 19:02:07

AUTUMN:

"Hey? Are you okay, Eric? Did I say something wrong? You suddenly turned quiet," I asked. I wondered if it had something to do with what I replied earlier? Do you not like any surprises?

Silence stretched between us, until he finally replied, "It's nothing."

That was one of my pet peeves— saying it was nothing, but it was actually something for that person.

"O-Okay. But it looked like it was nothing. Something made you quiet, Eric. It's good to tell me about it."

He forced a smile. "It's nothing that you should be worried about, Autumn."

I gave him a half-shrug and stared right ahead. I had to let him do whatever he wanted. For now.

The image of that beautiful house resurfaced inside my head. I wish I could also have a house in the near future.

"So, what are you planning with that house? Will you do some buy and sell? You will buy and then you will sell it again for a reasonable price after some renovations? Or will you make it as yours I don't know. Maybe vacations? Is you
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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |128|

    AUTUMN:Eric had found his mate, something which we did not expect at all, especially him. His eyebrows met, and I could see the visible worry on his face. Worry for this woman.My heart sank, and I bit my lower lip. Dang it. Why did I finally become sad? "Let's bring him to the hospital," I said when he just stared at the woman, completely mesmerized. "Just to be sure. She might have unseen injuries which we did not know at all."His eyes never left the woman, and he did not respond to me right away. I shifted my eyes at the woman. Curly red hair. Oval face and breast that perfectly molded her body. Despite her dirty appearance, she was gorgeous.Eric cleared his throat. This must be the first time he saw his mate. "You're right. Let's bring her to the hospital."Just as he was about to scope her in his arms, the woman's eyes snapped open until her eyes landed on Eric. First, it was confusing. Followed by fear when she realized all eyes were on her. My heart sank.I knew what w

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |129|

    AUTUMN:That woman was definitely Eric's mate. But my question was, would his decision still be the same after claiming that he would still choose me even if he found his mate?"W-what's your next move?" I asked, clenching my fist. If he wanted to save her, I did not have any choice at all.We finally arrived at Hugh's house and pulled into the garage. "What else?" he asked. "I don't know any more about Autumn."He was confused and torn between me and that woman. "Hey. If you....if you're confused, don't choose me, okay?"He glanced at me using the rearview mirror. "What do you mean, Autumn?"I forced a smile. "You know what I mean, Eric. You know what I mean.”Before he could answer, I stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut. I heard the driver's seat door open until I heard him call me my name.Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Eric wearing a conflicted look on his face. I pitied him."I'm sorry, Autumn.""You don't have to say that. Like I said, you should think about cho

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |130|

    AUTUMN:Hugh loved me. He loved me? He loved me!The confession shocked me to the core and all I could do was watch him with wide eyes. When I did not say anything at all, he continued, "I loved you, Autumn and I am willing to risk everything to have you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I'm so sorry for taking this too long to say, but now, I am one hundred percent sure of my feelings for you."A confession coming from him was definitely not what I expected. "What about your mother? What about your family? What about your pack? What about Beta Maddox? What about the people around you?” I asked. His brows formed a straight line. "Just because I loved her does not mean I'm going to listen to her when it comes to relationships. You're my mate, Autumn and I will do my best to keep you in my life."A lump suddenly formed in my throat, and what happened earlier was temporarily forgotten.Hugh loved me. My mate loved me. Finally. "You're only confused, Hugh," I said after a

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |131|

    AUTUMN:I forced a smile even if my heart was breaking apart for some unknown reason.It must be the bond that we shared. This should be cut as soon as possible, to avoid things like this. To avoid getting hurt like this. Again. “Good. So…when will your wedding be?”“Next month,” he said and coughed. Next month. Next month would also be six months of working in this house. Six months of taking care of the alpha's son. “Alright. I will be there at your service, Beta Maddox. I will be happy to be there as long as the price is right,” I declared, forcing my voice to sound cheery as much as possible. The corner of his lips lifted. “Everything should have a price, huh?”I gave him a half-shrug. “It should be. After all, it’s not easy to face Sabrina. I know why she wanted me. She wanted to rub on my face that she’s one lucky woman when you marry her.” I scoffed. “I will never forget what she did to me. Never.”“It’s your right,” he said. I turned around and watched the door when I fe

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |132|

    AUTUMN:Maddox's reaction was far better than watching the newcomer. From the looks of it, it seemed that the beta did not like the woman at all. Good for him. I wanted him to squirm. I wanted him to be uncomfortable. Just because we had a truce did not mean I was all good to him. On the other hand, the interaction between the two was...how did I say it...interesting? I wondered what was the story between the two?"Autumn."My brows furrowed, realizing there was the alpha standing beside that woman. How come I didn't even notice him?Hugh’s expression darkened as if he was…mad? Again? For staying in the same room with the beta?‘Maddox and I did not do anything wrong,’ I said. ‘You think he has the time to fool around given his condition right now?’ I asked through our mind link, not hiding my annoyance. ‘Why am I even explaining to you? I do not owe you anything, Hugh. Please stop acting jealous because you're not being cute,’ I stated inside his head. ‘Could you blame me? My mate

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |133|

    AUTUMN:I felt weird all over because Mika shed tears for me. She did not know me. She did not know my past, so why was she overreacting?No female had ever hugged me like this. Back in my pack, all they did was either bully me or inflict pain on me. They hit me or kicked me whenever they wanted. Including Sabrina, Beta Maddox’s fiancee. But never like this.Now, as Mika continued crying, I couldn't help but feel…comforted. That someone knew my pain? That someone was able to empathize with me. This witch, hugging me was like giving me some kind of comfort, giving me butterflies on my stomach.I shook my head when I realized something. I should never get accustomed to this. This woman…she was a stranger. "There's no need to hug me," I said and pushed her away. There were tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry for the waterworks. I'm an empath. I could also feel what you are feeling right now. You're heartbroken. I wonder why. Have you perhaps broken up with your lover? Or your mate?"My

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |134|

    AUTUMN:With all eyes on Hugh, it seemed that his tongue had retreated. Then, a couple of minutes passed, and he answered, "Yes. I will be shouldering the expenses. Charge everything to me."Mika narrowed her eyes. "Why? Are you her second chance mate?"I coughed and said to change the conversation, "Now, now. It's not about me, but Beta Maddox. Why don't we return to our previous conversation and start healing the beta? So that he could return to the pack house? A lot of warriors might be missing him."Mika clapped her hands. "Alright. I agree. We lost so much time. Beta Maddox, can you handle the severing of your bond?"Secretly, I sighed in relief. "How will you do it?" I asked, plainly curious. Mika smiled. "It's not that simple. I will cast a spell. Others use a potion, but the chances of success are slim. If you want your money not to be wasted, let's go work on casting a spell. But I want to make it clear that there would always be a risk.""What kind of risk?" I asked, sudde

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  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |135|

    AUTUMN:Maddox’s changing his mind about me? That was the most ridiculous thing that I ever heard right now. Why would he change his mind? What happened that I did not know at all? Using the shoes of my heels, I pointed it on the floor. “Tell me. Did he bump his head or something?”“No.”“So that’s the answer, Hugh. Beta Maddox did not change his mind. Maybe…I did not know.”“Then how would you explain how he changed his mind? He did not want to sever his bond. Which might only meant one thing. He changed his mind. Maybe his feelings when we were children returned.”I threw back my head and laughed. “What the fuck, Hugh?” I asked if I was done laughing. “If you’re going to say something, at least you should anchor it to reality. Maddox never changed his mind.” Making my expression serious, I said, “Let’s forget about this and focus on his healing. Let's waste our energy on that. You needed Maddox on the pack while I don't want to continue visiting him anymore.”It would only give

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Latest chapter

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |156|

    AUTUMN:I chuckled softly to lessen the heavy feeling in the surroundings. "Who said Daddy and I are getting married?" Images of Hugh and I walking down the aisle resurfaced in my mind, bringing a smile to my face. Why not?Wasn’t marriage to be the last goal with this man? Maddox folded his arms in front of his chest while eyeing me. It looked like he was mad at me or something like that. Hugh, on the other hand, popped his eyes open and looked around.Good because I definitely wanted someone to help me right now."Uncle Cedric said so, Miss Autumn.” The child shrugged off his shoulders. "I don't know, Miss Autumn. I will ask him next time. Is it true, Miss Autumn?"Cedric? That man again. What was running on his mind when he said the alpha and I would get married? If my groom would be Hugh, the idea of getting married was no longer scary. “Why would he say that? You must not believe everything that he was going to say. Do you understand?”“Why, Miss Autumn?”“People lie somet

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |155|

    AUTUMN:"Autumn?" Hugh asked as if he was going to die from happiness. It looked like he was going to jump out of sheer happiness. Real happiness. I chuckled nervously. "Y-yes? What is it, Hugh?"Trisha giggled, loving how the event turned properly. She approved how I finally became true to myself and accepted this man. Perhaps this was the right time. Perhaps…I should now accept his love and see if we were meant to be each other or not. I will never know if I will not try. Hugh…this man was worth it, right? Was he worth the pain? Still…Why did I say that I loved him, too? I must have been sleepy at that time. Was it too soon to say it?‘What the…you're out of your mind. The alpha had been waiting for you for almost six months.”Was it six months? No. It was not six months. It was shorter than that. But…love could not be measured by time. If that was the case, I wondered what would be measured by love? How will we know if we already loved that person? How will we know if he was

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |154|

    AUTUMN:When I shifted my gaze to the woman, I found her leaning toward Eric and was already sleeping at his side.She looked like an innocent doll beside him. She looked so fragile that their protective instinct resurfaced. Maybe that was also the reason why Eric chose this woman over me. The need to protect this woman was the strongest. They deserved each other and it was only time that their paths would cross. I felt sorry for her.Until now, there were bruises all over her body.Whoever did this to her deserved to die over and over again. Men who hurt women were the worst. I wanted them to suffer until the last breath. "That settled it then. We need to inform Cedric about this new arrangement," Maddox stated. “This will not be permanent. Until we know the person behind this. However, Eric. If you believe you can handle the risk, you can have her as long as she will come with you.”"Cedric already knows as of the moment," Hugh informed. “I told him over the mind link.”That fas

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |153|

    AUTUMN:"Yes. May I know who she is?" I asked, seconding Maddox. No one wanted to answer. Hugh was glaring at me. Probably because he was mad that I only arrived now and Eric. He could not really meet my gaze. Maybe because he was guilty that once in his life, he was sure that he was going to take me as his mate, but now? He suddenly changed his tone. Was I hurting for his change of heart?No.It was more like the feeling of betrayal. Like how could he claim he was sure of me and then changed the next time?"Eric? Why? Are you guilty that you suddenly lose your tongue?”“Autumn …” he started but there were no words in his mouth to add. He looked so guilty. He should be. “I do not believe that the woman is not important; I don't think you will come here at this hour, wait for us until we get home and let us think that this is an ordinary scene."What I was curious about was why they did not let the woman retire for the night? Or let her go? Or whatever was needed to make her have

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |152|

    AUTUMN:My eyes widened. What the heck?This was the reason why he was mad? Sabrina was calling off the wedding? And Maddox allowed her? Why? I grabbed the coffee and forgot that it was hot. My tongue burned. But it was not enough to recover me from shock. "Oh, shit," I muttered out loud. "That's totally unexpected. Why would your beloved Sabrina let you go? You're a big fish under the sea, Maddox." “I may be a big fish, but there are other bigger fishes than me,” he responded, trying to act cool. Was he in pain right now? Or was it his ego that was in pain? “You mean… Does she like someone else? There are far better looking men than you on her standard? I thought you're the only one in her heart?”But nevertheless, a certain part of me was happy that they will not pursue the marriage. Not because I want to be the bride-to-be but because Maddox did not deserve that woman.Maddox laughed, and it was weird. I flinched. He rarely laughed. He was always serious unlike Hugh who was

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |151|

    AUTUMN:It took me a couple of minutes before I got over Maddox's statement. He was already near the entrance of the restaurant as if he was the owner himself. He strode with so much confidence. Until now, his words kept ringing in my head.Me flirting with him? How could I talk to him? Opening a conversation? Forgetting the past and moving on could be flirting?Since when did I do that? That was such a serious statement that I could not let it pass.I stepped out of the car, and ran after him as fast as I could—chasing him. The need to correct him persisted and I will not stand still without talking to him. The security guard opened the door right away when the beta entered. The atmosphere inside the restaurant suddenly shifted when he entered.A beta had entered. Maybe that was what was running in their mind right now. All werewolves would identify him right away. The hostess bowed and smiled at him. From the scent they gave off, most of them werewolves from the neighboring

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |150|

    AUTUMN:I was occasionally glancing at Beta Maddox from the rearview mirror. The tense atmosphere inside the car told me that he was not in the mood for any kind of conversation.The beta was not in the mood. The car was filled with nothing but silence.After he reached out using our mind link, he told me that he was going back to the mansion even if we will get there late at night. I was about to say that I will eat first, but sensing that he was not in the mood to hear anything, I kept my mouth shut.So here I was, in the rear passenger seat, occasionally watching him from the mirror.His hands held the steering wheel as if he was choking someone else. I badly wanted to know the unlucky person who got on his bad side. It was not me, right? I never accepted Alpha Dimitri’s invitation saying we could do it next time. When we have a lot of time.The alpha wanted to ask for my number, but told him I was not using any phone. I did not have one.To my surprise, he gave me his spare phone

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |149|

    BETA MADDOX:My gaze darted at Sabrina’s bare neck, not marred by any marks.Lifting my gaze, Sabrina and I had a staring contest. “Did you hear what I said, Maddox? I will not call off the wedding if you will give me the mark that I deserve. We both promised each other. We promised that we will choose each other regardless of what will happen. Give me my mark.”A mark that would ward off any males. A mark that was a silent sign that this woman was mine and no one would take her away from me. When we both chose each other, she demanded right away that I should make her. However, I kept on delaying it everytime.So it reached this point.A mark in exchange for marrying me.Extend your fangs and mark her, the other part of my mind said. Except that it was not that easy. My wolf refused to do it. It was set on choosing Autumn as its mate. No one else. Not even this beautiful woman in front of me. No matter how much I begged my wolf to mark Sabrina, it will never cooperate. According

  • THE ALPHA'S DOWNFALL   |148|

    BETA MADDOX:I was seated on the chair, while eyeing my fiancee on the table, scanning the photo album in front of her— our prenup photos. It was already a week since it arrived, but because I was sick that time, we were not able to look at it together. After the rehearsal, Sabrina informed me she would come inside my room and we would watch the photo album together. “Aw…you were so handsome with all these pictures, Maddox.” She grabbed her phone and took a picture of it. “Done. I will be sending this to my family's group chat and they will be envious of me.”A group chat with all her family. Where she openly bullied Autumn. The woman could not even defend herself against them.“You don't have to do that.”She clicked her tongue together and said, “Nonsense. We do a lot of this prenup and we will only make use of this if they will get jealous of me.”“You don't have to do that.”“No way! This is my wedding and I wanted them to be jealous. I will be the talk of the town, Maddox that

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