Page 120 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
Before I can write anything else, Erik steps forward and plucks the paper from my hands, tearing it cleanly in half.
“Hey!” I reach for the pieces, but he holds them out of reach.
“You’re not selling anything,” he says firmly.
“Excuse me? You can’t just—”
“I don’t want you working in this place anymore,” he interrupts, gesturing around us. “Not after everything that happened here. Too many bad memories, too much pain.”
My chest tightens. So, that’s it, then. He wants me away from anything that reminds him of how I was manipulated, how I failed to see the threats right under my nose.
“But,” he continues, his voice softening, “you’re a brilliant business owner, Fiona. You built something incredible here.”
I blink at him, thrown by the change in tone.
“Since we’re mates now,” he says, stepping closer, “you should know that I have access to extensive lands near the palace. Perfect location for a café—growing community, good foot traffic, plenty of room for expansion.” His eyes light up with enthusiasm. “You could build the place you always dreamed of. Make all those expansions you told me about.”
I find myself smiling at his eagerness. He’s already planning, already seeing possibilities I can’t even imagine.
“I don’t want to run a café anymore,” I say quietly.
The words stop him cold. “What? Why?”
I walk over to the counter to set down my pen, and then I turn to face him fully. “I thought I was independent. I thought I was finally free, finally in control of my own life. But the truth is, I was still a test subject. Still being manipulated, still being studied.” My voice cracks slightly. “I was never truly independent. Everything I built here was just another part of their experiment.”
Erik’s expression shifts to something fierce and protective. In two quick strides, he’s in front of me, pulling me into his arms before I can resist. The familiar warmth of his body, his scent, the solid reality of him—it all crashes over me at once.
The bond between us flares with heat, with longing, with a connection that goes deeper than just physical attraction. I can feel his wolf responding to mine, the two halves of ourselves that recognize each other completely.
“Do you trust me?” he asks, his voice rough against my ear.
The question should be complicated. After everything we’ve been through, all the misunderstandings and hurt feelings and time lost, it should require careful consideration.
Instead, the answer comes immediately. “Yes.”
“Then, listen to me.” His hands frame my face, forcing me to meet his intense gaze. “You are not going to be a royal consort. You are not going to have royal duties or obligations or any of the political nonsense that comes with my position.”
I start to protest, but he continues.
“What you are going to be is a business owner. A café owner. Because it doesn’t matter that they manipulated the situation; you still ran that business. You still built customer loyalty, created a space that people loved, developed skills that impressed everyone who met you.” His thumbs brush across my cheekbones. “Even if things didn’t go the way you planned, you made something incredible out of this place. I saw it, Fiona. I watched you work, watched you care for your employees, watched you create magic with coffee and pastries and simple human kindness.”
Tears prick at my eyes despite my efforts to stay composed.
“I don’t want you to give up your dream,” he says fiercely. “I don’t want you to let their manipulation take away something you’re genuinely gifted at. And I sure as hell don’t want you to be tied down because of my status.”
“Erik—”
“This is the only condition I gave Griffin when I agreed to return as commander,” he continues. “That my mate gets to live her life on her own terms. He agreed. The kingdom will adapt to us, not the other way around.”
I stare at him, stunned. “You negotiated with the king for me?”
“I negotiated with my brother for my mate,” he clarifies. “And I’m going to work alongside you. Flexible schedules, shared responsibilities. I want to spend time with the woman I love, not just see her when duty permits.”
These words stun me. “Why?” I whisper. “Why are you doing all this?”
His smile transforms his entire face. “Because I love you. Because I admire the hell out of you. Because you’re incredible, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving that I’ll never stand in your way again.”
It feels like my chest breaks open, releasing emotions I’ve been holding back for weeks. “Erik—”
