Semua Bab After I Left the Pack, My Alpha Begged on His Knees: Bab 1 - Bab 10

I got home, and my phone rang.Madison chirped, "Aria! Thanks so much for the project thing. I'll buy you lunch sometime!"It was Madison's voice, and she was using Alex's phone.Before I could say anything, I heard Alex in the background. "Thank her for what? That's literally her job."I heard Alex laugh softly.That laugh. He had never laughed like that for me. Not once.My wolf clawed at my chest from the inside, ripping at my ribs until everything hurt. I forced it down and kept my face blank. I couldn't let them see.It used to be that if I got within three steps of Alex, he'd lose it. His eyes would flash that warning gold, and a growl would rumble in his throat. "Stay away from me, Aria."But now Madison was pressed right up against him, using his phone to call me, and he didn't even flinch.Wasn't that obvious enough?But I felt strangely calm.Things that used to feel like they'd kill me didn't seem like a big deal anymore.They flirted for a few more seconds and then seemed t

I froze for a second.Not just on the desk. Our photos were everywhere. They covered my phone wallpaper, filled my wallet, and lined my bedroom walls. Those photos were like good luck charms to me. They reminded me that no matter what Alex did, he loved me in the end.It was laughable now.Those photos only mocked how stupid I'd been."I accidentally broke it and put it away," I said flatly.Alex frowned and immediately looked down to check for glass shards on the floor. "Why are you always so clumsy?""Make sure you clean it up," he added. "Don't let anyone step on it."He walked out after that.I stared at his back and laughed bitterly. He wasn't worried about me. He was scared Madison might cut her feet.This was our home. I took care of everything in the pack house. A few months ago, I found Madison's hair tie on his office floor and noticed someone had moved the pillows in our bedroom. That was when I realized he'd been bringing her home all along.I confronted him about it. He tu

Alex's body went rigid.Madison's eyes lit up. For just a second, a smug smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away fast, but I caught it.Madison opened her mouth to speak. "Aria, don't you think you're being a little harsh? You two used to—"Alex cut her off. "Enough, Madison. Get out."Madison's words died in her throat. She put on a concerned face and told Alex not to get upset, saying they should talk things through calmly. Then she left, looking perfectly satisfied with herself.The second the door closed, Alex fixed me with an icy stare.He spoke with barely contained anger. "Aria, don't push your luck. I already agreed to complete the mate bond. What more do you want?"I met his eyes. "Take back what you said about breaking up. And this severance agreement? I'm not signing it. Tear it up right now and I'll pretend this never happened."I watched his confident expression and almost laughed out loud.The pathetic part was that I shared some of the blame for turnin

The video connected, and I almost didn't recognize the person on screen.Alex looked like he hadn't slept in a week. His usually perfect hair stuck out in every direction, and dark circles hung under his eyes. His Alpha presence had vanished completely, and he looked like a stray wolf that had lost every fight.Alex spoke in a hoarse voice. "Aria. Stop this, okay?"I stared at the screen and said nothing.He continued talking, and a hint of desperation flickered in his eyes. "It's been a month. Let's work this out. Please."Please.The Alpha of Shadow Ridge Pack was saying "please" to me.I almost laughed.Alex rubbed his face. "I know I messed up. I shouldn't have left you alone when you were sick to go on that trip. I shouldn't have let you suffer through all those cold, silent nights by yourself."He paused and took a deep breath."But I didn't stop you from leaving because I didn't care. I thought... you needed to cool off. We both needed space."Space.What a nice word.He didn't

Alex looked at me with desperate eyes. "I know you're still angry, but I was wrong, Aria. I'll deal with Madison, and we can start over."I stared at him and almost laughed out loud."Deal with her?" I said. "Or is Shadow Ridge already falling apart?"His expression shifted, and I knew I'd hit the mark.I hadn't paid attention to his mess in months, but people in the pack still sent me updates on the sly. Last week, a beta told me Madison had destroyed the territorial wards' maintenance.Those wards were my life's work. I'd spent three years building that system from the ground up. I used my own bloodline ability to anchor the entire pack's territory. I burned our scent marks permanently into the boundaries. Any rogue wolf or rival pack that tried to cross would hit a wall of Alpha bloodline pressure strong enough to send them running.Madison had managed to collapse the whole thing in two months.She didn't understand the first thing about maintaining that kind of energy balance. I'd