Chapter 6:Five Days, Alpha
1091 Words
Candice.
“Sara…?” he whispered, voice breaking. “You’re alive?”
The words slammed into me like a physical blow. For a second, the entire room tilted. I couldn’t breathe. Killian Blackwood stood right there, older, broader, more dangerous, his blue eyes wide with shock as they searched my face.
He looked every bit the Alpha now — sharper jaw, wider shoulders, shorter dark hair, and that cold power rolling off him. But all I saw was the monster who rejected me, who told me to kill our babies, who threw money at me like I was nothing.
My fingers curled into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. My wolf, silent for six long years, suddenly stirred violently inside me.
Mate.
No. Not now. Not ever.
I forced my voice steady and cold. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Alpha Blackwood. My name is Candace Miller. Sara died six years ago, remember? You made sure of that when you rejected me in front of the entire pack and told me I was worthless.”
Killian took one step closer, then another, until there was barely any space between us. His scent wrapped around me and made my wolf whine louder.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
“Shut up,” I snapped at her inside my head. She had abandoned me when I needed her most. Now she wanted to wake up just because he was near? I hated her for it.
Killian frowned, studying me. “You seem… uncomfortable, Ms. Miller. Your heart is racing. I can hear it. Why are you so tense? Have we met before? Tell me the truth.”
“I’m perfectly fine,” I replied sharply, crossing my arms. “Now, if you have business, state it. Otherwise, leave my office. I don’t have time for ghosts from the past who suddenly remember they need something.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why are you refusing to help my pack? My people are dying. Rogues are breaching our borders every week. Warriors are being slaughtered. I need your expertise, Candace. Tell me what it will take. Money? Power? Name it.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Your people are dying? How tragic. Tell me, Alpha, why exactly should I care about your pack? What have any of you ever done for me except humiliate and discard me like trash? You rejected me publicly. You called me pathetic. You told me to get rid of the babies so I wouldn’t ruin your perfect life. And now you stand here asking for my help? The audacity.”
Killian’s jaw tightened. He stepped even closer, his Alpha aura pressing down on the room. “Because you are the best at what you do. And because I lost someone once. My mate… she died in a rogue attack six years ago. I couldn’t save her. I won’t let more of my people suffer the same fate. Please, help us. I’ll pay whatever you want. Just tell me your conditions.”
The lie burned. My chest tightened so hard I thought it would crack. He dared stand here and talk about losing his mate? About not being able to save her?
I wanted to scream the truth in his face. Instead, I smiled coldly and walked around my desk, putting space between us.
“Kind of you to care so much now,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “But I built this empire without kindness. Look around, Alpha Blackwood. The cars outside? Mine. This building? Mine. This company? Mine. I did not get here by being soft or helpful to people who once threw me away like garbage. So don’t stand there and talk to me about loss and saving people. You don’t know what real loss is.”
Killian’s eyes flashed with anger, but there was something else there — confusion, maybe even pain. “There is something about you,” he said quietly. “Your voice… the way you look at me… it feels familiar. Have we met before? Why do you hate my pack so much? What did we do to earn this level of hatred from you? Tell me. I deserve to know.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. I forced myself to stay calm. “You’re wasting your time with these games. If you want my help, come back in five days with a better reason than stories about your dead mate. Otherwise, watch your pack crumble. I don’t care either way. Your people can keep dying for all I care. Maybe then you’ll understand what it feels like to lose everything you thought you had.”
He stared at me for a long moment, jaw clenched. “Five days? You’re giving me conditions? After I came here personally like you demanded? After I swallowed my pride to ask for help?”
“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “Five days to come back here with a reason good enough to make me care. If you can’t do that, then your people can keep dying. It’s not my problem. Maybe the great Alpha Blackwood will finally learn what it feels like to be powerless.”
Killian’s voice dropped lower. “You speak boldly for someone who doesn’t understand how serious this is. My pack is bleeding. Children are losing parents. I won’t beg, but I will ask — help us. Please. Name your price. Anything. Just help me protect what’s left of my people. I can’t lose anyone else. Not again.”
The word “please” from his mouth almost made me laugh. Almost.
I pointed toward the door. “Leave. Five days, Alpha Blackwood. That’s all I’m offering. Use it wisely or don’t come back at all. And don’t waste my time with more lies about your lost mate. I have no interest in your guilt.”
He turned toward the door, but stopped just before leaving. Without turning around he said softly, “There is something about you. Something that feels… like her. The woman I lost. The mate I failed. If you are her… if there’s any chance… tell me now.”
The door clicked shut behind him.
I collapsed into my chair, my entire body trembling. My wolf howled inside me.
Mate.
“No,” I whispered, clenching my fists until my nails drew blood. “He is not my mate anymore. He never was.”
But deep down, for the first time in six years, I wasn’t sure I believed that.
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