Alpha's Fated Mate

Chapter 13

If one could see the face of calmness, what would it look like? No one truly knows, yet everyone does in their own way. For Selene, it was the sight of her mate, holding her hand, long fingers wrapped protectively around his own. It wasn't that Selene's hands were small; it was just that Sorin Aldric had a certain imposing presence that extended even to their physicality.

It had been years since Selene had been running.....running from the bond, from the longing that clawed at her chest, and from the deep ache of her wolf yearning for its mate. In trying to escape the bond, she had been slowly killing her own wolf, suppressing its needs, its cravings.

Selene had borne the pain alone, unwilling to let anyone else suffer because of her. She had already lost too much....her mother, her sense of belonging, hee will to live. If not for her best friend and her brother, she would have succumbed to the darkness long ago.

But something else had kept her going. A shadow, a presence, always urging her forward. At first, she hadn't understood it, but when she did, she ran. She ran far and fast, because it was the mate bond. The one thing she couldn't allow himself to have. She had no faith in it anymore. She had no faith in herself.

How could she love someone when she couldn't even look at herself without shame? How could she tell her mate what she had become? That she wasn't sane anymore? That she was a monster?

And yet, here she was, sitting beside the True Blood Alpha, the most powerful alpha in existence. Her mate. The one person moon goddess had fated as her other half.

Selene had planned to reject him, to save them both the pain of a doomed bond. But now, sitting beside Sorin, with the alpha's hand refusing to let go of her, she found herself hesitating.

Every time Selene tried to pull her hand away, Sorin would hold it tighter, as if letting go was simply not an option.

Selene was lost in his thoughts, her inner turmoil swirling like a storm, while Sorin's attention never wavered. The alpha's sharp senses had always been attuned to his mate. He had felt Selene's pain, her sorrow, even from afar and now, sitting this close, holding her hand, Sorin could feel every flicker of emotion coursing through her.

Sorin's s heart swelled with joy and relief. His mate was here, within reach. He vowed then and there that he would do whatever it took to make her happy. He would shield her from every sorrow, destroy anyone who dared to harm her.

But the soreness in the air snapped him out of his thoughts. His head whipped toward Sorin, concern etched across his face. Then came the sound that made his heart stop..... Sorin's voice, soft and trembling.

"Sorin…"

Sorin froze. His name. For the first time, his mate had spoken his name. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. But his elation was short-lived.

"What if I can't be the person you need?" Selene's voice cracked, her gaze fixed on their joined hands. "What if I ruin everything? What if I'm just… a destroyer? A curse? A burden...."

" Stop." Sorin's voice was firm, yet gentle. He placed a finger against Selene's lips, silencing her. "Don’t you dare say that about yourself. Don't ever repeat that."

Selene's wide eyes met Sorin's, startled by the intensity in the alpha's gaze. Sorin's voice softened, filled with a vulnerability that was rare for someone of his stature.

"If you are fire, I'd gladly ignite.

Let my existence burn in your light. Every flicker of pain, every searing flame,

I'd bear it all just to whisper your name."

Selene's breath hitched, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Before she could respond, Sorin pulled her into a firm embrace, burying his face into Selene's s neck. The warmth of her body against his own was overwhelming, yet comforting.

"You’re not a curse," Jungkook murmured against her skin. "You're my blessing. My everything. And I'll prove it to you, no matter how long it takes."

His gaze fixed on their joined hands. "What if… what if I'm not enough for you? What if I can't be the mate you deserve?”

Sorin's grip on her hand tightened, his gaze soft but unwavering. "If you are a wound, I'd tear myself wide, let my flesh cradle your scars inside. Your hurt would become the blood I bleed, for in your suffering, I find my creed."

Selene swallowed hard but the storm in her heart refused to calm. "But… what if I hurt you? What if I destroy everything we could have?"

" You think I'd crumble, collapse, and break, but darling, I breathe for the risks I take. You're the rhythm that keeps me alive, the only reason my soul survives," Sorin replied, his voice steady, a quiet intensity in his tone.

Sorin's way of giving answers without hesitation made Selene's tears flowed freely now, her walls crumbling completely.

"Why? Why would you do this for me?"

Sorin pressed his forehead against Selene's, his voice a soft yet powerful promise. "Because you are my forever, my always, my end. My greatest lover, my truest friend. And even if the heavens fall from the skies, I'll love you, my darling, until the universe dies."

In that moment, Selene felt the undeniable, unbreakable bond between them.

For the first time, she allowed herself to hope, to believe that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't alone anymore.

Her tears blurred her vision as she clung to Sorin, the warmth of the alpha's arms a stark contrast to the icy fear embedded in her chest. Her sobs echoed softly in the quiet place, each one a release of the pain she had buried for so long. Yet, even as her walls crumbled, doubt clung to her like a shadow.

"Why do you keep saying these things?" Selene's voice cracked as she pulled back slightly, hee tear-streaked face tilted toward Sorin. "How can you speak of love so easily when you don't even know the real me? The parts of me that are broken... ugly."

Sorin cupped Selene's face, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her cheek. "Because I do know you, mate. I know your pain, your fears, your doubts. I've felt them in my soul, even when you were far away. And I'll keep saying these things until you believe me because i know you more than you do "

Selene shook her head, her hands trembling as they gripped Sorin's shirt. "You don't understand. I've done things... terrible things. Things I can't take back. I've hurt people. I've hurt myself. How can you still want me after knowing that?"

Sorin's gaze softened, his dark eyes brimming with a tenderness that made Selene's heart ache. "Because those things don't define you. Your pain doesn't scare me, baby. Your mistakes don't make you unworthy. If anything, they make me want to hold you closer, to show you that you don't have to carry this burden alone."

Selene's lips quivered, her voice barely a whisper. "But I don't deserve that. I don't deserve you."

Sorin leaned in, his forehead resting against Selene's ."Then let me decide what you deserve. Let me show you what it means to be loved without conditions, without fear. Let me be the one to prove to you that you're not as broken as you think."

Selene's tears spilled over again, her chest heaving with the weight of her emotions. "I'm afraid. I'm so afraid of what I'll do to you. What if I hurt you? What if I push you away?"

Sorin's hands slid down to Selene's shoulders, grounding her. "You can push me as far as you want, but I'll always come back. I'll always find you. Because you're my mate. My destiny. And nothing you do could ever change that."

And Selena leaned against Sorin, letting her heart beat at peace.