She Eyed My Spot, My Alpha Let Her

Chapter 18: The Decision

Pete’s POV

I knew I had already lost ground the moment Leia said she was leaving. It was not just the words. It was the way she said them. There was no hesitation, no desperation, no plea for me to stop her.

I knew she meant it and I didn’t blame her at all. I had caused all that, and it terrified me more than anything that had happened tonight. I stood there, looking at her, trying to find something to hold onto. Some sign that this could still be turned around. But all I saw was distance, not physical distance.

It was something deeper and something I had created. Derek and Zadok’s voices faded into the background as their suggestion settled in my mind. “Send her away,” they said. “Train her and let her come back stronger.” At first, it sounded like a solution until it started to sound like an excuse.

My jaw tightened as I ran through it again. If she left, the tension in the pack would ease. Sharon would no longer have a direct rival. The business would stabilize. The constant conflict would disappear. Everything would become simpler.

Tamer stirred inside me, he was restless and irritated. ‘You are thinking like a leader, not like a mate and that irritates me,’ he berated me. I exhaled slowly. That was exactly what I feared. Every decision I had made had been for the pack and every one of those decisions had pushed Leia further away.

I looked at her again. She was no longer watching me. She had turned slightly, her arms wrapped around herself as if she was already bracing for what came next, for rejection. The realization hit me harder than it should have.

Her eyes misted. The look in her eyes said it all, like she was expecting me to agree to her leaving not because it was best for her but because she believed I wanted her gone. Something twisted in my chest as Tamer stirred.

Leia’s head turned slightly, but she did not step closer. She did not soften.

She stood there, waiting for my decision. But what hurt me more was the lack of hope in her posture. It was almost like she had given up on our relationship. She stood there with resignation.

I swallowed hot saliva. I needed to assure her. I cleared my throat, forcing my voice not to show emotion. “If you go,” I continued, choosing my words carefully, “it will not be because I am sending you away.”

Her expression did not change. That hurt more than anger would have. Derek crossed his arms, watching me closely. “Then say what it is, Alpha Pete.” I forced myself to continue. “It will be because you need more than what this place is giving you right now.” She remained silent.

Zadok nodded slightly, as if he understood what I was trying to say. My mate did not seem like she caught up with it. Her gaze dropped briefly before returning to mine. “Sounds to me like I’ve been the problem here,” she said quietly.

The words were not loud, but they landed with weight. “That is not what I said.” I tried to counter. “It is what your heart meant,” she replied. There was no accusation in her tone and that made it worse.

I stepped forward instinctively, but she did not move. “I am just trying to fix this,” I said. “And sending me away is how you fix it?” she asked. I hesitated, and that hesitation sent the wrong message. Her lips pressed together slightly as she nodded, as if something had just been confirmed. “I understand.”

No! She did not just… Oh boy, she didn’t just take me out of context now, did she? But I could see that she believed what she understood. This was spiraling out of control. It seemed as if every time I tried to fix it, I would tear even further away.

Derek let out a quiet breath. “You are explaining this wrong,” he said. “I am explaining it the only way I can,” I snapped. “Then you are failing terribly,” Zadok said, his voice intentionally low, but we all heard it, given our werewolf hearing ability. His words hit harder than I expected, because they were true. I was realizing that if I didn't handle this well, I just might lose my mate, and my best friends. I hardly hung out with them as it is these days and I knew they didn't approve of my decisions but wouldn't say because I was their Alpha.

I turned away for a moment, dragging a hand through my hair. This was slipping out of my control. When did I, the outspoken and charismatic Alpha get to this point where I am easily misunderstood?

No matter how I framed it, it sounded like rejection to her, no matter what I intended, she heard abandonment. And yet… I could not ignore the logic behind it. If she stayed, Sharon would continue to use her weaknesses to get the pack to settle with the idea that Leia couldn’t be a fitting Luna but herself.

If she stayed, the tension would grow. If she stayed, I would keep choosing the pack over her because I couldn’t risk losing control of the pack. This would give them a reason to disperse to other packs. What kind of Alpha would I be?

If only she saw things from my side, she would understand that at least this way… She would have space and a chance to come back on her own terms.

I turned back to her. “You should go to college,” I said finally. The moment the words left my mouth, I knew how they sounded. Leia went completely still. Something in her eyes dimmed, just slightly. But it was enough for me to know how she felt. “Alright,” she said.

Even though I expected her to agree, the fact that there was no argument, no resistance, and just acceptance made my heart constrict, like I had just lost a precious thing. That was when I realized I had said it too late, or perhaps too poorly, because instead of hearing opportunity… She heard dismissal.

Later that night, I remained in my office, staring at nothing. The decision had been made, but it did not feel like the right one. I stood alone for a long time after that. The silence pressing in around me. Tamer was angry and agitated. He didn’t want to talk to me and that made things worse.

I had made the decision. I had chosen what I believed was the best path forward. And yet… It felt like I had just handed something important away. A soft knock came at the door before it opened. Sharon stepped in.