Caught Between Two Alpha’s

3: Different

Life has moved on to a year now, and here I am, stuck with a man I once believed was my Prince Charming. I thought he would be my everything, my forever. Maybe he still could be my forever person, but he’s definitely not the best. It feels like I’m clinging to a dream that has faded, realizing that reality doesn’t match the fantasy I created. I keep wondering if I’m settling for less than I deserve or if there’s still hope for us to find that spark again. It's frustrating to feel torn between love and the reality of who he is now.

I glance at Dylan eating across the table, just like every day. We don’t talk; we just eat, and once we're done, we leave the table to tend to our other duties. It’s like an endless cycle—there’s really no excitement at all, just a sense of going through the motions: breathe, eat, sleep, and fulfill my wife's duties.

Life wasn’t like this before. He promised me something different, and he was genuinely good to me. But now, it feels like something has changed; he no longer sees me the way he used to. He doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore as if he doesn’t love me at all. Maybe he never did, because if he truly did, it wouldn’t have been so easy for him to act so differently.

As I kept stealing glances at him while eating, I suddenly choked on a piece of bacon. Panic set in as I coughed violently, reaching for a glass of water, but Dylan didn’t even glance my way or offer any help. It was such a stark contrast to how he used to be—before, he would have rushed to my side, concern etched on his face. Now, he just continued eating, completely unfazed by my struggle. I finally managed to pour myself a glass of water and at that moment it hit me, he didn’t care about me anymore.

I took a sip, trying to shake off the feeling, but it clung to me like a shadow. Feeling a bit better, I set the glass down and said, "You didn’t help me." He didn’t even bother to respond, not a single glance my way, so I pushed further, "Dylan, you didn’t help me!"

After what felt like an eternity, he finally looked up, his expression utterly nonchalant and completely stern. "We have a ceremony to attend today," he said, dismissing my concern with a wave of his hand. "It’s very important, so as usual, you will have to wear something pre-selected by me." His tone made it clear that my feelings didn’t matter in the face of his plans.

I couldn’t believe he was talking about some dumb ceremony ignoring the fact that I was choking and he didn’t help me. "You didn’t help me," I said, reminding him of how nonchalant he acted, my voice rising with frustration.

"I beg your pardon," he stated, feigning innocence.

"I said you didn’t help me! I was choking, and you just sat there. You didn’t even care," I shot back, my irritation boiling over.

"Just because I didn’t act doesn’t mean I didn’t care," he said, trying to defend himself.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "You’re just different now. You wouldn’t have acted like this before."

"Can we not have this conversation again? I’m already bored of it," he said dismissively as he took a sip of water. "Anyways, make sure you’re ready for the ceremony an hour beforehand." He stood up from the chair, stretching as if the whole situation was trivial.

As he walked toward the door, my words stopped him in his tracks. "I’m not going," I declared, my tone firm as I stood up to face him.

He hesitated for a moment before he spoke "You are going,"

I stared at him, my heart racing. "No, Dylan, that’s not how this works. I’m not just going to follow your orders today, I don’t want to go so I’m not going." I stood on my ground because I’m tired of being the girl who listens and gets nothing in return. If Dylan can’t care about me then I shouldn’t care enough to attend his ceremonies.

He stepped down closer, his frustration palpable. "You think you can just defy me? You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. "Well, maybe it needs to be harder. Maybe it’s time you realize that I’m not the same person who would just go along with everything. I deserve to be heard."

His face twisted in anger, and suddenly he raised his voice, shaking the air around us. "You are my wife, my voice is yours and I say that you are going! You don’t have the right to be unreasonable about this!"

I flinched at the volume of his voice, but I stood my ground. "I’m not being unreasonable, I’m standing up for myself!"

He stepped even closer, his eyes blazing. "You think you can just ignore what I said. I’ll make it clear: you’re going, whether you like it or not!"

The intensity of his anger was overwhelming, and I felt a knot in my stomach. I knew I had to be strong, but the forcefulness in his tone made me question if I could really hold my ground. I took a step back, trying to maintain my resolve. "You can’t force me, Dylan. I won’t let you."

His expression hardened, and for a moment, I saw the man I once loved slip away, replaced by someone I barely recognized. "We’ll see about that," he said, his voice low and menacing. The reality of the situation settled in; this wasn’t just a disagreement anymore— I just had to do as he said otherwise there would be massive consequences.

As his words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension, he turned to walk away. Just as he was about to step out, I blurted out, "Okay fine, I will go."

He scoffed, that familiar dismissive sound escaping his lips, but he didn’t bother to say anything else. He just continued to walk away, his back turned to me. This is the kind of conversation I have with him—if it’s not this then we don’t talk at all.