Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I stripped us till we were both in our underwear, as the cold air was causing goosebumps on our skins. Ollie was shivering but trying to be brave, trusting me to keep him safe. The irony wasn't lost on me.

"Hold my hand," I said, leading him toward the waves as I added. "We'll go in together."

The water was cold as we waded deeper into it. Ollie gasped and clung to me, his small body shaking from the temperature.

"It's too cold, Lake," he said, his teeth chattering as he looked at me. "I want to go back."

"Just a little deeper," I said, my voice filled with unshed tears as I added.

 "I promise you it'll be okay."

But as we moved further into the water, something inside me began to crack, as I was beginning to have doubts about this. Killing myself was okay. But could I kill the only light I know? The way Ollie trusted me completely, the way he'd waited for me at school without question, the way he'd said he knew I'd come for him—it was breaking my heart in ways I hadn't expected.

"I'm scared," Ollie whispered, his grip on my hand tightening as he kept moving forward despite his fear because he trusted me, even though he couldn't swim. "The waves are getting bigger."

I looked down at his frightened face, at the way his lips were turning blue slowly, at the complete faith in his eyes despite his fear. He believed I would protect him no matter what. He believed I would never hurt him.

And I couldn't. I couldn't do this to him, I could not betray him. Not like this. Not when he was scared and cold and trusting me to keep him safe.

"You're right," I said, my voice breaking as I shook my head and said gently. "It's too cold. Let's go back."

But as I turned to head back to shore, a huge wave knocked us off our feet.

 The undertow was stronger than I'd expected, and it dragged us away from the beach. I fought to keep hold of Ollie, to keep our heads above water, but I was losing against the current.

"Lake!" Ollie screamed, his small hands reaching for me as another wave separated us.

I lunged for him, my heart stopping as I watched him go under. T

he water was so dark, so cold, and he was so small. I dove after him, my lungs burning, my broken body screaming in protest. But I couldn't find him. Couldn't reach him.

This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to hold him, to keep him safe, to make sure he wasn't afraid. Instead, I had lost him in the water and I had failed him in the most cruel way possible.

My vision was starting to blur as well from being too under and my strength was giving out, when strong arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind. I was pulled upward, breaking the surface with a gasp that sent seawater falling from my lungs.

"I've got you," a deep voice growled in my ear, the indication of a powerful alpha behind me. "Stop fighting."

But I couldn't stop fighting. Not when Ollie was still out there somewhere.

"My brother!" I choked out, trying to pull myself from his grip as I continued speaking. "I have to find my brother!"

"Already found," the alpha said, pulling me toward shore with powerful strokes, not budging from my hits. "He's safe."

I looked ahead and saw another figure on the beach—a tall man holding a small, coughing child. Ollie. He was alive. He was safe.

I felt relief coursing through my body with an intensity that I hadn't expected that I went limp in the alpha's arms, letting him drag me the rest of the way to shore.

 As soon as my feet hit the sand, I collapsed, coughing up seawater and shaking uncontrollably.

"Lake!" Ollie broke away from his rescuer and threw himself at me, his small body warm and solid against mine as he squeezed me tightly. Like he was scared to let go. That I was going to disappear again. "I was so scared! I thought you were gone!"

"I'm here," I gasped, holding him as tightly as I could. "I'm here, buddy. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Here." A dry coat was draped around both of us as I looked up to see the alpha who'd pulled me from the water, and my blood turned to ice.

Even soaked and windswept, there was no mistaking him. The man standing before me was no other person than Damien Ramon. The Alpha King. 

The most feared man in the city, if not the entire territory. Dark hair, darker eyes, and a presence that made other alphas bow their heads in submission.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice low enough to be barely heard even by me.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ramon replied with a neutral tone as he kept his eyes on me scanning me from head to toe. "Though I think I can guess."

He knew what I had tried to do. The thought made me sick with shame.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, pulling Ollie closer towards my body seeking comfort from him.

"Don't you?" Ramon's eyes were fixed on me, as he continued speaking. "Lake Sanders, nineteen years old, works—worked—as a dishwasher at three different restaurants before getting fired from each one, with no substantial reasons. Only a shitty goodbye and no pay. Also the legal guardian to his five-year-old brother Oliver after their father abandoned them three months ago. Currently behind on rent, utilities, and medical bills."

My mouth went dry hearing my life history from his mouth. "How do you know all that?"

"I make it my business to know about people who interest me," Ramon said simply. "And you, Lake Sanders, have been very interesting to me lately."

"I don't understand."

Ramon studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable before he spoke, his voice ringing out in the dark, not slipping up as he continued speaking.

"Your father owes me money. A considerable amount of money. Before he disappeared, he signed over collateral to cover his debt."

"Whatever he pawned, you can have it," I said quickly, trying not to piss him off. "I don't have any of his things."

"The collateral wasn't an object," Ramon said quietly. "It was you."