Page 78 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
It’s not happiness; I don’t think I’ll ever feel that again. But it’s better than nothing. A tiny crack in the void that has been consuming me.
There’s a long silence. I focus on Luna’s warmth, her steady purr against my chest. Finally, I find the courage to ask what I’ve been dreading.
“What happened to Andrew and the others?”
“They’re all dead.” His voice is flat, impassive. “Except Andrew.”
This answer only raises more questions. “Maybe it would have been better if I had just gone to the other pack. Let them mate me, like Alpha Gareth wanted.”
Lucian’s expression turns absolutely glacial. The temperature around us seems to drop several degrees as a dangerous look flickers in his eyes.
“They would have killed you,” he says, his voice sharp with anger.
I’m quiet, continuing to pet Luna’s soft fur. The repetitive motion is the only thing keeping me grounded.
Suddenly, Lucian’s hand wraps around my wrist, urging me to look at him. His blue eyes are blazing with a fervor that takes my breath away.
“You should stay with me,” he says, and it’s not a suggestion or a plea. It’s a vow, spoken with the weight of absolute certainty. “I won’t betray you. Ever.”
His words take me by surprise. I stare at him, the shock rendering me speechless. Stay with him? This dangerous, complicated man who called me pathetic and annoying? Who made me believe I was nothing more than a burden?
“What?” I breathe.
“Stay with me,” he repeats, his voice firm with conviction. “I will never betray you.”
I try to snatch my hand back, but his fingers tighten around my wrist. His grip is firm but not painful. Unbreakable.
“Let go of me.”
“No.”
“Lucian—”
“There’s nothing I want from you,” he says, cutting me off. “I just want you.”
He’s making no sense. Nothing about this makes sense. “Why?” My voice cracks on the single word. “Why would you want someone like me?”
I see a glimmer in his eyes—it’s raw and desperate, and it makes his expression grow resolute, determined.
“I want a companion,” he says finally. “And I like you.”
The casual words feel like another slap. “There’s nothing likeable about me.” I manage to wrench my hand free, and I hug Luna closer. “I’m a burden. I was a burden to my pack, and I’ll be a burden to you, too.”
He leans closer, his voice dropping to a murmur. “You are not a burden to me.”
I stare at him, trying to understand what game he’s playing. Why he’s doing this. And then, it hits me.
Pity.
He feels sorry for me.
Broken laughter bubbles up from my chest—a miserable, hollow sound that makes Luna shift nervously in my arms.
“Oh,” I gasp between breaths. “So, that’s what this is.”
“Astra—”
“You feel sorry for me.” The laughter gets worse, more unhinged. “The pathetic little wolf girl who can’t even shift. Who was so desperate for love that she fell for the first human who said nice things to her.”
