4

Alpha Cassian’s POV

I was with my Beta, Kael, discussing tense issues when I perceived a familiar scent.

I thought my nose was fucking with me. It had done that quite too many times to recount. When I realized Lila was no longer present in the pack two years ago, I felt regret. I knew I had broken her too much.

My wolf refused to talk to me to date. He blamed me for rejecting our mate despite his warning. I employed my men to find her but they couldn’t. And I didn’t want to believe she would ever head into rogue’s territory. So a part of me believed she might have died.

I hated myself for making such a bad decision. When I was walking towards her that night, I suddenly thought she, as a weak Omega, couldn’t handle the responsibilities of being Luna. She didn’t look like she could even command a fly say less of my pack members. I listened to one of the pack elders who warned that my firstborn could be an omega like her.

In addition to that, he stressed that if I accepted her, I would become a laughing stock to other Alphas and I feared Lila would always be targeted.

I foolishly reasoned that rejecting her right there and then was the right choice. I planned to elect the Gamma’s daughter, Carrissa, as my Luna in the future; that way, I could protect Lila’s life and also keep the royal bloodline unblemished.

But the reality of my bad choice dawned on me the day after she left. I saw her face on every female I met; even in my dreams, she haunted me. Many times, I would find myself being misled by my nose, thinking she was back in the pack.

I would get even more and more depressed every time I realized my nose was fucking with me, like always.

Tonight, I was skeptical too, but with Kael’s discovery of an intruder, I dared to have my hopes raised. To my surprise, this female intruder used smoke bombs to escape.

Whether it was Lila or not, I couldn’t let her escape, so I used the howl, which was only meant for life-threatening situations on the pack.

And I’m glad I used it, otherwise, I would have lost the chance to hug her like this.

My wolf, Viston, who had been resentful towards me, also stirred and urged me to win her back.

His encouragement aligned with my resolve.

Now that I had found her, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight again.

She was resisting my embrace; that was to be expected; after all, she despised me. I deserve all of her hate, I have no complaints.

I just want to apologize, spend the rest of my life making amends, and piece back her broken heart.

“Lila,” I said after ending the hug she so didn’t want, “It’s alright that you hate me. But please know that I will never hurt you again. I hate myself for making such a terrible decision back then, I regret it,”

“I don’t care,” she deadpanned and turned her back to face me, arms crossed in front of her chest.

The meek and timid Lila of the past was no more. The one before me was a curvaceous and feisty warrior whose eyes barely contained the fire in them.

I walked towards her front and dropped to my knees, “Lila, I know I don’t deserve it but please… find a place in your heart to forgive my sins towards you,” I implored, teary-eyed, and fingers interlaced. “I’m truly sorry,”

“You think kneeling and apologizing will wipe the slate clean? No matter what you do, my hate towards you will never diminish,” she exploded.

I felt a bitter taste in my throat; for the first time, I wanted to throw away whatever salvaged dignity I had left and just break into sobs.

I leaned forward, gently grasping her right leg, a tear cascaded down my cheek, “I know I’ve hurt you so bad, Lila. Please give me a chance to spend my entire life trying to earn your forgiveness,”

“Get your filthy hands off me, Cassian, you make me want to barf!” she glowered at me, already struggling to free her leg from my hold.

I let go, not wanting her to get hurt.

The moment she was free, she started walking away.

Panicked, I rose to my feet and interposed myself in her path.

She tried to go around me but I didn’t let her, “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Where are you going? This is your home,” I softly reminded.

“Home?” she lifted a brow, looking at me as if I was a clown, “This place was never my home. I am a rogue’s daughter. That’s what your people think of me. That’s what you also thought of me, didn’t you?”

“We were all wrong. I’ll summon everyone tomorrow and make them give you an apology,” I offered quickly.

“Get out of my way, do not force me to poison you,” she warned.

Whether she was bluffing or not, I didn’t care. If she wanted me poisoned, she could have done it much earlier.

“Your pack will soon be destroyed by the very rogues you look down on. I can’t wait to see you in chains of slavery,”

Rather than being hurt, I was intrigued by her words.

I knew war was coming, the rogues were planning to attack. But I didn’t have the timeframe and with the situation of my pack members and their morale right now, I could only hope the attack was months away. That way, our healer might be able to create a cure.

But hearing these words from her just now, I realized that she might be deeply associated with the rogues.

And with her hatred towards me, I knew she wouldn’t be willing to reveal the exact timeframe, the scale of the war, or even the kind of poison my people were afflicted with.

Beta Kael’s POV

I was disappointed when I found out that Lila turned out to be the Alpha’s mate. I have always loved her; she was a kind, honest, and caring omega female. The night of their mating ceremony, I drank myself into a stupor, wanting to forget my sorrow. I hated myself for not making a move sooner. Maybe if I had claimed her, even if she was his mate, he would reject her for me and leave her to be with me forever.

I imagined them kissing amidst the applause of the pack members after taking their vows and that made me want to puke.

I eventually found myself at the gathering, only to see Lila running away in tears.

My Alpha had rejected her after raising her hopes so high. And he had left her to be bullied by others, alone.

At that, my drunkenness receded, and anger took over me.

I went to find the Alpha who was downing bottles of alcohol so fast as if the world would end in a few minutes.

“You’re here drinking? Huh, you son of a gun!” I cursed at him, my eyes shooting flames.

“And what’s it to you?” that was his reply to me back them. Feeling he had rattled my cage way too much, I decided to stop holding back.

That night, we both had a fight and his residence suffered the brunt of it.

He didn’t punish me as I feared the next day. He simply told me he had rejected Lila because he felt it was the best for both of them.

But when I broke the news of Lila’s disappearance to him, he became shattered. Though I felt pity for him as the days without Lila morphed into years, with him seeming like he was slowly losing his sanity, I also felt that he deserved this outcome.

He needed to suffer for the rest of his life like this.

Even if he married someone eventually, he wouldn’t be able to show affection towards the unlucky female.

But tonight, my hope was shattered when he revealed the intruder to be Lila and he even hugged her. How dare he?

How dare he be so thick-skinned after everything he put her through?

It was good to see Lila’s hate toward him and that made me somewhat comforted. Because, for one, they were no longer bound by the mate bond, and that also meant I had the right to pursue Lila.

And this time, I’m not letting her get snagged and broken again by this bastard Alpha that I serve!