Alpha's Fated Mate

Chapter 12

The heavy silence was broken by the sharp knock on the door of the head Alpha's office. Jake and Elia, who had been deep in thoughts about their next steps, froze. Their hearts skipped a beat as they recognized the urgency behind the knock.

"Alpha, it's urgent."

Jake moved first, his voice sharp and commanding. "Come in."

Dani stepped in, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a rare tension. His eyes flickered with a mix of relief and urgency as he bowed respectfully.

"Alpha, Luna," he began, his voice steady but hurried.

"Dani, what is it? Any clue about Jay?" Elia asked worriedly, desperate to get any information about her child.

"Alpha Sorin Aldric and his companions, Jiun and Sam have arrived... and they've brought young master."

Elia's breath caught, her trembling hand clutching Jake's arm for support. "Jay... they have Jay? But....why? What do they want?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, a mix of disbelief, hope and worry.

Jake's eyes narrowed, his sharp mind processing the information. The entire world knows about The True Blood Alpha and Jake's no difference. "Where are they now?"

Dani hesitated, his gaze dropping momentarily. "In the living room. But..." He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a cautious tone. "Alpha is there as well, alpha."

Elia's grip on Jake tightened as the Alpha's eyes grew double to their size. They both knew what this meant.

Jake didn't waste a second. "Elia, stay calm no matter what, we'll handle it together, nothing will go wrong now. Yeah? Jay also needs us. Be strong my love. Let's go." he said, his tone firm but laced with urgency.

They moved, their footsteps echoing through the hall as they made their way to the living room.

The moment Jake and Elia entered the living room, the tension in the air hit them like a physical force. The room was deathly silent, yet the weight of unspoken emotions was suffocating.

It felt as if the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for the storm to break.

Sorin stood frozen in the middle of the living room, his arms cradling the unconscious boy as if he were the most precious thing in the world. His usually steady and dominant demeanor was shattered, replaced by a mixture of awe, disbelief, and something deeper, primal that radiated from him like a pulse.

Sorin stood a few feet away, her body taut like a bowstring, chest heaving as if she'd been running for miles. Her glowing eyes, the mark of her Alpha blood, were locked onto The true blood's but not with the rage or dominance everyone had expected, but with something far more dangerous.

Confusion, recognition, and raw, unfiltered emotion simmered in her gaze, crackling in the air like static electricity.

The moment Sorin's eyes landed on Selene, it was as if the world stopped spinning. His mate was standing there, so close yet still feeling a lifetime away.

For so long years, he had dreamed of this moment, had longed for it with every fiber of his being, had spent countless sleepless nights but now that it was here, it wasn't the joy he'd imagined that consumed him.

It was fear.

The memories of his nightmare hit him like a tidal wave, drowning him in the shadows of his own mind. Every sleepless night, every hollow ache in his chest, every whispered thought of Why hasn't he come earlier?

Doesn't mate want us?

His wolf whispered in his mind.

The nightmares he had fought to suppress resurfaced, clawing at him with brutal intensity.

What if mate didn't want him?

What if the bond wasn't enough? What if he had been nothing more than a fleeting thought?

A burden mate had chosen to ignore?

Is that why mate decided to not to share his pain with me?

The fear of rejection wrapped around his heart like a vice, suffocating him.

His legs felt weak, his grip on the boy in his arms tightening instinctively as if the child was his only anchor. The thought of his other half leaving him, walking away without a second glance haunted him, taunting him with the possibility of being abandoned all over again.

Sorin's breath hitched, his throat tightening as his vision blurred with unshed tears. He wanted to run, to shield himself from the pain he feared was inevitable. But he couldn't move.

He was frozen, caught between the pull of the bond and the crushing weight of his insecurities.

Selene's glowing eyes locked onto his, and Sorin felt his chest tighten further. Those eyes, so fierce and commanding, weren't filled with anger or indifference like he had feared.

Instead, they were brimming with emotions Jungkook couldn't quite decipher confusion and recognition. But his mind, clouded by years of pain and doubt, refused to believe it.

Jake's sharp intake of breath echoed in the background, but Sorin barely registered it. His world had narrowed down to alpha, the girl who had haunted his dreams and nightmares alike.

The room was heavy with tension, the air charged with an energy that neither could ignore.

"Mate," Jungkook whispered again, the word catching in his throat. His voice was raw, trembling with a mix of disbelief and desperation. " Is it really you?"

Selene flinched, her glowing blue eyes flickering with emotions she couldn't hide. Her gaze dropped to the floor as if meeting Sorin's eyes would shatter the fragile wall she had built around herself. "It's me," she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

But those words, simple as they were, weren't enough for Sorin. Not after years of solitude. Years of aching, longing, and wondering if he would ever find the other half of his soul. His knees buckled slightly, and he leaned against the wall for support.

His wolf growled, the primal instinct to claim his mate surging within him. But he forced himself to stay still. He wouldn't...couldn't...scare his mate away.

"Don't run," Sorin pleaded, his voice trembling. "Please. I won't hurt you. I just… I need to know why. Why didn't you come for me?"

Selene's jaw tightened. Her expression was a storm of conflicting emotions, pain, guilt, and something deeper, darker. "I couldn't," she whispered, taking a step back.

Sorin's heart twisted at the sight. He could feel the bond thrumming between them, the unspoken connection that tied them together. But Selene's retreat felt like a knife to his chest.

"You couldn't?" Jungkook's voice cracked, his alpha strength momentarily faltering under the weight of his emotions. "Didn't you know what it was like? To feel the bond and not know if you'd ever find another part of our soul? To wonder every single day if I even mattered to you?"

Selene's eyes snapped up to meet his, glowing with a fiery blue intensity. "Don't you dare say that," she growled, her voice thick with emotion. She took a step forward, the air around her crackling with power. "You were always worth it. Always."

"Then why?" Sorin demanded, his voice rising. The tears he had been holding back spilled over, streaking his cheeks. "Why did you leave? Why didn't you fight for us? Why can't I find you?"

Selene's shoulders shook as she struggled to contain the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "I did fight," she said, her voice breaking. "Every single day. But there were things in my way. People in my way. And I couldn't...."

"Who?" Sorin's voice was sharp, his alpha aura flaring dangerously. His wolf growled in his chest, the thought of anyone keeping his mate from him igniting a fury he could barely contain. "Who dared to hurt you? Tell me, and I'll destroy them."

Selene shook her head, her expression crumbling, voice trembling. "You don't understand. I'm not what you think I am. I'm… I'm something else. You're better off without me."

Sorin's chest heaved, his wolf snarling in protest. "Don't say that," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't you dare say that. You're mine, mate. Do you hear me? Mine. And I don't care what you think you are. I'll protect you from anything. From anyone."

Selen's glowing blue eyes dimmed slightly, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of his words had drained him. "You don't know," she said softly. "If you knew what I've done, what I've become, you wouldn't want me."

Sorin closed the distance between them in an instant, his hands trembling as he reached out but stopped just short of touching Selene.

"I don't care what you've done," he said fiercely. "I don't care who you think you are. You're my mate. And nothing, nothing will ever change that."

Selene's breath hitched, glowing eyes meeting Sorin's. For a moment, the bond between them seemed to hum louder, the connection undeniable.

But then Selene stepped back, her expression hardening once more. "You don't understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There are things you don't know. Things I can't tell you."

Sorin's fists clenched at his sides, his wolf snarling in frustration. "Then let me in," he said, his voice pleading. "Let me help you. Let me fight for you. For us."

Selene shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't drag you into this."

Sorin took a step closer, his voice trembling with emotion. "You're not dragging me into anything," he said. "I'm already in it. I've been in it since the moment I felt the bond. And I'm not going anywhere."

The room fell silent, the tension thick between them. Selene's glowing blue eyes flickered, her resolve wavering.

Sorin took another step forward, his voice soft but firm. "I'll wait for you," he said. "As long as it takes. I'll wait. But don't push me away. Please."

Selene's breath hitched, his glowing eyes locking onto Sorin's. For a moment, it seemed as though she might break, might let the walls around her crumble.

But then she turned away, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

And with that, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Sorin standing alone, his heart aching with the weight of their unspoken bond.

The night was dark, but the moonlight illuminated the forest as Selene ran, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.

The bond between them thrummed painfully in her chest, pulling her back toward Sorin with every step she took. But she couldn't stop. She wouldn't.

The sound of rushing water grew louder as she neared the waterfall. She came to a halt at the edge of the clearing, her glowing blue eyes reflecting the silver shimmer of the cascading water. Her shoulders slumped, chest heaving as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Why can't he just let me go?"she whispered to herself, her voice breaking.

But she didn't have long to dwell on the thought.As a deep voice broke through the sound of the waterfall.

"Mate"

"Selene's entire body tensed. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The bond was screaming at her, demanding she acknowledge the presence of her mate.

"Leave, please" Selene said, her voice cold, though it trembled ever so slightly. "I don't want to talk."

But Sorin wasn't one to back down. He had handed Jay to Sam the moment Selene ran, his wolf instincts kicking in as he chased after his mate. He wouldn't let her slip away. Never.

"I'm not leaving" Sorin said firmly, stepping closer. His voice was low but steady, the strength of an alpha radiating from him. "Not until you talk to me. Not until you tell me the truth."

"There's nothing to say," Selene replied, her back still to Sorin. "Go back. This is for your own good.”

Sorin's jaw clenched, his fists trembling at his sides. "For my own good? Do you even hear yourself? You're my mate. My everything. How can you decide what's good for me?"

Selene turned her head slightly, just enough for Sorin to see the tears glistening in her glowing blue eyes. "Because I know what's out there," she said, her voice breaking. "I know what's waiting for you if you stay with me. And I can't let that happen. I won’t."

Sorin took another step forward, his alpha presence pressing against Selene's back. he growled. "I'm not afraid of whatever's out there. I'll face anything, anyone for you. Please believe me."

Selene shook her head, hands clenching into fists."You don't understand," she said, voice rising. " You don't know what I've done! what I've become! I'm not the person you think I am. I'm...."

" You're mine," Sorin interrupted, his voice sharp and commanding. "I don't care what you've done. I don't care what you think you are. All i care about is You're mine, and nothing will ever change that."

Selene spun around then, her glowing blue eyes blazing with frustration and pain. "You don't get it!" She shouted, her voice echoing against the rocks. "I'm dangerous,! I've hurt people. I've killed people. Do you think I want to hurt you too?!"

Sorin's heart twisted at the anguish in Selene's voice, but he didn't back down. Instead, he stepped closer, his dark eyes locked onto Selene's "You could never hurt me," he said softly, but with unwavering conviction. "Not in the way that matters. The only thing that hurts is seeing you like this,seeing you run from me when all I want is to love you."

Selene's breath hitched, her resolve cracking. "You don't know what you're saying," she whispered. " You don’t know what it's like to live with the things I've done."

"Then tell me," Sorin urged, his voice pleading now. "Tell me everything. Let me in. Let me help you carry it."

Selene's glowing eyes dimmed slightly, her shoulders sagging under the weight of emotions. "You can't," he whispered. "No one can. I've been alone for so long. I don't know how to let someone in anymore."

Sorin's hand trembled as he cupped Selene's cheek. The warmth of the touch sent a shiver down Selene's spine, the bond between them pulsing with renewed strength.

"You don't have to do this alone anymore," Sorin said softly, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped down Selene's cheek. "I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere. Not ever."

Selene closed her eyes, leaning into the touch despite herself. For a moment, she let himself feel the comfort, the safety, the love that radiated from Sorin. But then the fear crept back in, the memories of the darkness that had consumed him.

"I don't deserve you," she whispered, his voice breaking.

Sorin's grip on her cheek tightened ever so slightly, his dark eyes blazing with determination. "Don't you dare say that," he growled. " You deserve everything. You deserve to be loved, to be happy, to be free. And I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you if I have to."

Tears streamed down Selene’s face as she opened her eyes, glowing blue gaze meeting Sorin's. "I'm scared." She admitted, his voice trembling.

Sorin stepped closer, pulling Selene into his arms. "You don't have to be scared anymore. I'm here now. No one can hurt you while I'm alive." he said softly, his voice steady and reassuring.

For the first time in years, Selene let himself believe those words. She let herself lean into the alpha's embrace, the bond between them thrumming with a warmth that neither had felt in far too long.

But deep down, Selene knew the fight wasn't over. The darkness that had haunted her was still there, waiting. And she would do whatever it took to keep her mate away, even if it meant breaking her own heart all over again.