Chapter Five

Alexandru's Point of View

I feeling anger radiate all over me. I stare at her, and I see a stranger, I don't know who she is, I don't know who I'm staring at. The Adele I know is no longer here, she's gone, and it breaks my heart but there's nothing I can do.

"I am not your fucking mate Alexandru!" She yells, and the sting of rejection slams into me.

I stare at her, she looks furious. "I am tired and done with this, with you. I'm not your mate. I've never been, you need to get it out of your thick Lycan skull, I am not yours, and you're not mine, you've never been."

"Ah." I muse.

The party has stopped, everyone is looking at is, paying attention, everyone is looking at her.

I stretch my hand, urging her to take it "Let's talk, away from everything, just you and me."

"No." She yells, and I grit my teeth. "Don't you understand? Listen to me! There's no you and me. I don't want to speak with you. I don't want to be near you, be with you, I want nothing to do with you. I need to be left alone. I left for a reason and I'm not coming back. I hate this fucking place, always making me feel like the odd one out, I hate the way you make me feel, I hate it so much."

"This place is not my home. You are not my home. My home is in New York, there are my family." She turns to get parents "I am here because of you, but I'm never coming back. I won't. I don't have the capacity or energy to return to this place. Please, don't ask me to."

She looks at me "You're feeding yourself some delusions, trying to build me into who I'm not. I'm not yours. I'm not your mate, if something like that exists. Let me go. Leave me alone."

I stare at her, and I feel a piece of me break. She's breaking my heart.

"Adaline." Her mom says, sorrowfully, but Adele shakes her head.

I breath in, fisting my knuckles, about to say something when her phone rings.

I glance at it, and I see the name "Cyp🤍". I look at her, and she looks relieved to pick the call.

"Excuse me." She says, smiling as she picks the call. "Hey babe." I hear and I growl.

"Don't, Luc." Elena says, and only then do I realize that I started walking after Adele.

"Alex. Don't you dare. Leave the girl alone." Rick says, I have to obey the Alpha.

"Are you sure, Alex?" Camille asks, hopefully.

I hear what she doesn't ask. Are you sure she's your mate?

"I. . .I don't know." I blink.

"Aurora is a big girl. Let her make her decisions." Faye says "You can't force her to be yours. She's right."

"Alexandru, I believe you, perhaps she's indeed your mate, and she's in denial, there's nothing you can do about it. She's my daughter, but she's very stubborn and occasionally selfish. I had hopes, when she got here. I thought she'd stay, this time, but it's out of my hands." Pietro says, and I shrug.

"She has a boyfriend." I say, my voice hoarse. "She doesn't feel at home here. She's the odd one out. She. . . She needs to leave."

It's an harsh realization, finally and clearly seeing that I'm in love with Adele, but it's unrequited. Perhaps she's right and I've been living with certain notions, but it's time to face reality it's time to let her go.

"You'll find someone." Elena says, as I walk out.

___

Unrequited love is an experience that can be deeply painful and difficult. It feels deeply challenging due to cultural expectations and stereotypes about men being strong, assertive, and in control of their emotions. I feel a range of emotions - sadness, frustration, anger, and despair. I feel rejected and unworthy, questioning what he I wrong and why she doesn't feel the same way. It is isolating and really lonely, I'm struggling to find someone to confide in and share these feelings with, but nobody has to know. It's just feelings, it'll fade

"You have a boyfriend." I say, lighting the cigarette.

She's leaning on the wall, the remnants of a smile fading off her face. She stares at me, guarded, looking ready to fight.

I raise my hand in surrender, puffing out smoke.

"Yes. I have a boyfriend." She says, smiling.

I stare at her, titling my head. "Cool." I say, she nods

"Do you have a girlfriend?" She asks, and I stare at her.

I've had girlfriends, even dated one for two years, but I've never really really given the thought of being with someone else, guess I've joined the Mateless, now I can data anyone, but there's the pull to not give up on her, I don't want to give up on Adele.

"Do you want me to give up on you?" I blurt, crushing the cigarette beneath my boots.

She stares at me, and I see the confusion in her eyes. I try not to be hopeful. "Yes. You need to move on with your life. I have a complete life. I'm in love and I have an amazing best friend, a fabulous career, what more could I want?"

"You love your life?" I say, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but her defence is up.

"Yes, I love my life. I can't say the same about you." She snaps, and I still.

"Excuse me?"

"You feel fulfilled? Here? In New Orleans, when you could be across the world, and you're choosing to settle in this shit town. I know you're not happy here, but you have this odd thing with duty, family and community, all those stuff. You could be more."

I stare at her, and I laugh "I could be more?" I mimick.

"I'll give it to you, you've got some nerves, where do you get that audacity from?" I laugh, dryly. "This is my home, and it has Witches, Werewolves and Humans, I am everything I will be and I am happy. I do love my life. I do not keep up with any pretense or feed myself fallacies. I could die for family, duty, for this community, willingly. Don't talk about us, you're not part of us, remember?."

There's a fire in her eyes at my last sentence, and I relish in it.

I light another cigarette, puffing out smoke.

"You're killing yourself." She comments.

"I'm a Lycan." I say matter-of-factly.

"We are both happy in our life." I say, trying not to grimace.

She nods, her eyes lighting up, with my gaze sullen.

"This is me saying Goodbye, properly." She smiles, extending her hand. My face hardened as I took her hand, ignoring how soft it actually feels.

"Goodbye Aurora." I say, trying not to explode, but I do.

"You're running away!" I snap and her brows arched"You're impossible." She shakes her head in disappointment.

"Oh fuck you. You're the one running from yourself. How fast can you run from your shadow?" I sneer.

"Is it so impossible for you to believe I can be happy without you in my life? I am happy, Alex, I am so happy, I might get married soon, might be made Dean of the faculty soon, my best friend will be made Head Chef and my life will be complete." She says, passionately.

I stare at her, trying to understand her.