Page 71 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
She stands abruptly and moves back to the window. “Is that why you came? Because you thought they might target me?”
The question stings more than it should. “Is that what you think? That it makes more sense than me chasing you down in a weird fit of regret?”
She turns to face me. “Doesn’t it?” Her voice is hard, but her eyes betray uncertainty. “Did you even leave your position as commander, or was that a lie, too?”
“I didn’t lie,” I reply stiffly. “I am still commander of the army, but I’ve taken a leave of absence. Neither Maya nor Griffin would help me find you—they respected your choice to disappear. So, I did it on my own.”
“Why?” The simple question hangs between us, heavy with unspoken meaning.
I stand, moving closer to her. “Because I’ve sacrificed everything for this kingdom, Fiona. My youth, my freedom, my happiness—it’s all I know how to do. I’m a warrior. I’m good at fighting.” I swallow hard, forcing myself to continue. “When my brother disappeared, I was forced to become king—a role I never wanted, never trained for. I did it because it was necessary.”
Her expression softens slightly. “And what about now? What necessity drove you to find me?”
“I’ve always wanted a fated mate,” I admit quietly. “I fell for someone once, but she was meant for someone else.”
“Elina?” she asks, her tone skeptical.
I laugh—actually laugh—at the absurdity. “Elina is nothing to me. I used to care for her as if she were my sister, because she was my fallen comrade’s sibling. But after how she behaved with you?” I shake my head, disgust evident in my tone. “I turned my back on her completely.”
“Then, who?” Genuine curiosity colors her voice.
“The current queen of the Northern Wolf Kingdom,” I reply honestly. “Leanna.”
Her brow furrows. “Queen Leanna? I’ve read about her, but—”
“I was drawn to her courage,” I explain, moving to stand beside Fiona at the window. “She escaped from the North, protected her child alone, rebuilt herself from nothing.” I turn to look at Fiona directly. “When I saw that same courage in your eyes, I recognized it. But I also knew that if I mated you, I would have wanted to protect you above all else. You were the one person I would not have been willing to sacrifice for the greater good.”
She stares at me, seemingly struggling to comprehend. “So, you pushed me away to protect the kingdom?”
“To protect my ability to make the hard choices,” I explain. “But I was wrong, Fiona. So wrong. I’ve made mistakes—terrible ones—and I’m willing to spend as much time as it takes to rectify them. But I can’t lose you. Not to my own stubbornness, and certainly not to these people who see you as a tool rather than a person.”
For a moment, vulnerability flashes in her eyes, a longing that matches my own. Then it’s gone, buried beneath the walls she has built to protect herself.
“I have no place in my heart for anyone,” she says, her voice flat. “I don’t feel the same attraction to you that you do to me. The fated mate bond is alive on your end, but not on mine.”
It’s a lie. I can smell it on her, see it in the way her pulse jumps at her throat, hear it in the slight tremor of her voice. But I don’t call her out on it. She needs this distance, this illusion of control. After everything she’s been through, I won’t take that from her.
“I understand,” I say instead. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re in danger. Whatever you feel or don’t feel for me, I can help protect you.”
She wraps her arms around herself, suddenly looking small and vulnerable in a way I have rarely seen. “What am I supposed to do? Abandon everything I’ve built here? Go back to being someone’s experiment or political pawn?”
“No,” I say firmly. “You stay right here, living the life you’ve created. But you let me help secure it.” I pause, gauging her reaction. “I can stay nearby, keep watch without interfering. Train your employees in basic security protocols. Install better systems in your café as well as your apartment.”
“And in return?” she asks warily.
“Nothing.” I hold her gaze steadily. “This isn’t a negotiation, Fiona. I’m not offering protection in exchange for your affection. I’m offering it because it’s the right thing to do, and becauseI care about what happens to you—whether you return those feelings or not.”
The silence between us stretches, filled with unspoken words and complicated emotions. It feels like we’re suspended in a moment outside of time—just the two of us, surrounded by her present world, facing threats from a past that refuses to stay buried.
Finally, she sighs, a soft sound of resignation. “I’ll think about it.”
It’s not agreement, but it’s not rejection, either. For now, it’s enough. “Thank you,” I say, and I slowly move toward the door. “That’s all I ask.”
As I reach for the handle, she speaks again. “Erik?”
I turn to find her watching me with an expression I can’t quite read.
“Did you really search for a year? For me?”
