Belong to you?

Amara's POV

Alex’s words were soft, laced with the kind of comfort I hadn’t felt in what seemed like years. His hands reached out hesitantly, brushing against my cheek, wiping away the tears I couldn’t seem to stop. There was something gentle about him, something I desperately needed right now.

“Amara, you don’t have to go through this alone,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. His thumb lingered on my cheek, and I felt the warmth of his touch. “You’re stronger than this... stronger than him.”

I opened my mouth to respond, to tell him how much I appreciated him being here, but before the words could escape, a sound pierced through the fragile bubble of calm we’d created.

“Amara.”

My heart stopped. The way my name rolled off his tongue – sharp and commanding – was enough to make me freeze. I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was. I knew that voice better than my own. Ryder.

A chill ran down my spine as I heard his footsteps, each one deliberate, echoing in the silence between us. I turned slowly, my heart pounding, and there he was, storming toward us with an intensity that set every nerve in my body on edge.

His eyes locked on Alex, burning with a fury I’d never seen before. “What the hell is this?” Ryder’s voice was low, but it carried a dangerous edge.

Alex stepped in front of me, his stance protective, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. “I’m comforting her, Ryder,” he said calmly, though I could hear the slight tremor in his voice. “Something you should’ve been doing.”

Ryder’s lips curled into a mocking smirk, but his eyes remained hard as steel. “Comforting her? Is that what you call it? Touching what doesn’t belong to you?”

“Belong to you?” I snapped, stepping around Alex to face Ryder head-on. My voice shook, but not from fear. I was angry. “I’m not a thing, Ryder. You don’t own me.”

His gaze flicked to mine, the smirk falling away. For a moment, just a moment, I thought I saw something there—regret? Pain? But it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“You don’t get to dictate this,” Ryder growled, his focus shifting back to Alex. He took another step forward, his towering frame casting a shadow over us. “If you think you can come in and play hero, think again. She’s mine.”

“No,” I said, my voice louder this time, stronger. “I was never yours, Ryder. Not in the way that matters.”

The air was thick with tension, Ryder’s anger practically tangible, but Alex didn’t back down. “You lost her the moment you treated her like she was disposable,” Alex said, his voice steady now.

Ryder’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening. “You don’t know anything about us, Alex.”

“And I don’t need to,” Alex shot back. “Because right now, all I see is a man who’s trying to control her instead of supporting her.”

Ryder’s eyes blazed, and for a second, I thought he might lash out. But then his gaze fell on me, and the anger in his expression shifted into something darker, something almost vulnerable.

“Is that how you see me, Amara?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. “A man who doesn’t care? A man who can’t... love you?”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t sure how to respond, or if I even wanted to. My throat tightened, and the weight of his stare was suffocating.

Before I could find the words, Alex reached for my hand, his touch grounding me. “You don’t owe him an answer, Amara,” he said gently.

But the truth was, I did. And as much as I wanted to stay silent, to walk away, I knew I couldn’t avoid this forever. Ryder wasn’t just my mate; he was the storm I hadn’t been able to escape. And now, standing here between him and Alex, I realized I was the one who had to choose whether to face it—or finally let it go.

Ryder's lips twisted into a sneer, his fists clenching at his sides as he took another step toward Alex. The tension between them was electric, crackling in the air like a live wire.

"You think you can just swoop in and take what's mine?" Ryder spat, his voice low and dangerous.

Alex didn’t back down, meeting Ryder's glare head-on. "Maybe if you treated her like she mattered, I wouldn’t have to," he shot back.

That did it. Ryder lunged forward, his hand shooting out to grab Alex by the collar. "You don’t know anything about us!"

Alex shoved him back, his voice rising. "I know enough to see she deserves better than you!"

They were inches away from each other now, their anger radiating off them like heat. My heart slammed against my ribs as Ryder’s hand curled into a fist, ready to strike.

"Stop it!" I shouted, stepping between them before things could spiral out of control. I pressed my hands against Ryder’s chest, pushing him back with all the strength I could muster. "Both of you, stop!"

"Amara, move," Ryder growled, his eyes locked on Alex like a predator sizing up its prey.

"No!" I said firmly, my voice trembling but resolute. I turned to Alex, who looked like he was ready to fight back just as hard. "Alex, please," I pleaded, my hands shaking. "Just leave. I’m fine. I can handle this."

Alex’s expression softened as he looked at me, concern etched into every line of his face. "Amara, you don’t have to deal with him alone. I’m not leaving you here."

"You have to," I said, my voice breaking. "Please. I’ll be okay."

He hesitated, his jaw tightening as his eyes darted between me and Ryder. "If he hurts you—"

"He won’t," I interrupted, though I wasn’t sure I even believed it myself. "I can take care of myself. Just go."

For a moment, it looked like he was going to argue, but then he exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "But I’m only leaving because you asked me to."

He shot Ryder one last warning glare before turning and walking away, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence that followed.

As soon as Alex was out of sight, I turned back to Ryder, my chest heaving with a mix of anger and frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

Ryder didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lingered on where Alex had disappeared, his jaw tight, his fists still clenched. When he finally looked at me, his eyes were a storm of emotions—anger, pain, something else I couldn’t quite place.

"You think I’m just going to stand by and let someone else—"

"Let someone else what, Ryder?" I cut him off, my voice rising. "Care about me? Treat me like I matter? Because you sure as hell haven’t!"

He flinched, the words hitting him harder than I expected. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, to argue, but then he just stood there, silent.

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "You don’t get to act like you care now. Not after everything."

His silence was deafening, and I didn’t wait for a response. Turning away, I walked off, leaving him standing there alone. For once, I didn’t look back.