Chapter 210
ALEXANDER
+25 Points
I had been buried in work all morning, the office humming with staff moving between meetings,
when Irene appeared at the door.
“Alex,” she said. “I’m here to officially request permission to take your mate out for some fresh air.
A little drive, maybe some snacks, just around the territory. Don’t worry, we’ll stay close.”
I blinked, surprised. Faye was back from work? I hadn’t even known. Usually, she’d come to see me
herself, stopping by the office to give me a quick update or just to be near. So why had she not
come? Was she avoiding me after our disagreement this morning? My brows knitted together, but
no–that morning’s argument had never been serious enough for her to pull something like this.
I kept my thoughts to myself, not letting Irene see the flicker of curiosity and concern that passed
over my features. Instead, I nodded calmly. “All right. Drive safe, and make sure you’re back before dark… please.”
Irene’s smile widened, a flash of victory in her expression, and she turned on her heel.
I watched her go, the door clicking softly behind her, leaving the office quiet again.
FAYE
I waited by the steps, letting the cool air brush past me as I tried not to fidget. My mind wandered, thinking about Alexander, wondering if he would notice I was avoiding him. Then Irene appeared.
“Permission granted!” she announced with a grin, as though she’d just declared a national holiday. We can go!”
I smiled. “Ok then.”
She added with a sly smile, “Although I can bet my brother will still have us followed. What a
control freak.”
I laughed at that, nodding in agreement. As we walked toward the car, curiosity got the better of me. “So… what was Alexander’s reaction when you asked him?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
Irene shrugged. “He looked a bit surprised at first. Maybe he was expecting you to come tell him yourself.”
I didn’t say anything, but somehow, Irene seemed to have caught something–a hint of curiosity crossing her face.
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< Chapter 210
“Wait,” she said, pausing for a moment. “Are you… avoiding him?”
I blinked at her in surprise, trying to cover up. “What? No. Why would you think that?”
+25 Ports
She smirked knowingly, shaking her head as we continued walking. “I’ll never understand either of
you,” she said lightly, the amusement in her voice impossible to miss.
When we got back into the house, it was already dinner time, and I could smell the faint aroma of something savory drifting from the kitchen, though my mind wasn’t on food.
As Irene and I stepped into the sitting room, Alexander was there, standing by the window with his phone pressed to his ear. His posture was relaxed, but I knew better.
The call ended almost immediately, and he pocketed the phone. “You two took your time,” he said,
voice even, teasing just a touch.
We both greeted him, and I leaned in briefly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. It was a gesture small enough to show I wasn’t upset. I didn’t want to send the wrong signal. “I’m going to the room to take a bath and rest,” I said, moving toward the hallway.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. “What about dinner?”
Irene answered for me. “We already had something outside.”
I had already started walking. Alexander followed me. Just as I reached the room, he entered too, his hand gently catching mine and pulling me back so I faced him. “Hey… let’s talk, okay?”
Just what I needed.
I tried to mask my excitement, pretending indifference. This was the opening I’d been waiting for all day. I had his attention now, and I intended to use it wisely. I wanted him to see my perspective, without pushing him into a corner.
“I know,” he started, looking straight at me, “that you’ve been… kind of avoiding me since this morning’s disagreement. But I need you to understand me. I wasn’t trying to shut you down. I just disagree with the idea of…”
I shook my head slightly, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. “I’m not going to make you go against your morals,” I said softly. “But I need to prepare myself… mentally. I need to accept what’s coming, so I can support you without fear clouding my judgment.”
He let out a long, slow sigh, the kind that seemed to carry the weight of his entire day. “You don’t understand.”
He took a seat on the couch, shoulders tense and rigid. I moved to sit beside him, careful to close the distance without overwhelming him. “Then make me,” I said gently. “What are you truly afraid
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< Chapter 210
of?”
+25 Points
For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Then he began, voice low, measured. He spoke about the
fight, about Marcus, and about Adrian–the feral, merciless part of him he hated to unleash. “I’ve been training myself to control it,” he admitted, “hoping I don’t lose control during the fight. I don’t
want the pack to see me like that. I don’t want you to see me become… that. Acting like a vicious
rogue.”
There it was. I wanted to scream that nobody really cared, and even if they did, it shouldn’t be the most important thing right now. But I chose a calmer approach.
I reached out, placing my hand softly over his. “I love you,” I whispered, leaning closer. “All of you… every part. That side of you–the part you resent so much–that’s the part that saved me when I was captured by Moon Claw… I saw him. That’s the part that defended us when Marcus’s wolves ambushed the pack. Those are the moments I’ve witnessed. I know there are more. Adrian doesn’t make you a beast, Alexander. He makes you a formidable weapon. And that is what will help you
survive this time. I saw it clearly.”
He stared at me for a long moment, searching my eyes, as though trying to measure the truth in my words. Then a flicker of doubt crossed his expression. “Do you know,” he said quietly, “that every time he takes over, I don’t have control? I can’t choose when he stops–or if he even will stop
at all.”
I nodded, squeezing his hand gently. “I think the problem isn’t Adrian himself. The problem is that you’ve tried to lock him away instead of mastering control over him. That’s the training you need to focus on. Embrace it, understand it, learn to command it, not suppress it. That’s how you win, Alexander. That’s how you survive and protect what matters to you.”
He exhaled, shoulders relaxing just slightly under my hand. I could feel the tension begin to ease, the walls he’d put up for himself softening just a little. “You really think I can do that?” he asked, voice low but curious.
“I know you can,” I said. “You’ve already mastered so much, controlled so much. This isn’t about losing who you are–it’s about becoming what you need to be to protect everything you love. And I’ll be right here with you. We’ll face this together. I don’t want to lose you, Alexander…you have to fight to win.”
For the first time that evening, I saw something I hadn’t seen in a while: trust. Absolute, unwavering trust. He didn’t speak, only let my words sink in, his hand tightening over mine in a silent
acknowledgment.
“I just… I just don’t want to let go,” he admitted after a pause, voice rough. “Even for a moment.”
< Chapter 210
“You won’t,” I assured him, tilting my head to rest against his shoulder.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
