The Alphas Last Chance

Adrianna, wake up! You’re going to be late for school!" The voice sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be possible. I sat up so fast my head spun. My fingers clutched the soft, familiar sheets of my bed. Not the cold, damp earth beneath a wooden execution stage. Not the suffocating grip of a noose around my throat. My breath came in sharp gasps as my gaze darted around the room. It was exactly as I remembered it—the soft lilac walls, the white vanity cluttered with perfume bottles, the dreamcatcher swaying gently by the open window. I scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet as I rushed to the mirror. My chest heaved, my heart hammering as I forced myself to look. A girl stared back at me. Eighteen years old. Long, dark waves cascaded over my shoulders, untouched by the years of stress and cruelty that had once defined me. My brown eyes were wide, filled with something I hadn’t seen in them for years—innocence. I touched my face, my hands trembling. "No," I whispered. "This isn’t real." "Adrianna!" The knock on the door was more urgent this time. That voice. My breath hitched. Slowly, I turned. There was only one person who could call me that with so much warmth. "Mom?" My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. The door swung open, and there she was. A lump formed in my throat as I took her in—healthy, whole, alive. My mother. Her long auburn hair was still streaked with hints of silver, her green eyes kind but firm, just like I remembered. She wore her usual silk robe, arms crossed as she gave me an exasperated look. "Honestly, Adrianna, how many times do I have to wake you up? Get dressed. You know how your father hates tardiness." My legs felt weak. My mother was alive. She wasn’t lying on a hospital bed, too frail to fight the sickness that had taken her from me too soon. She wasn’t a fading memory of the only person who had ever truly loved me. Without thinking, I ran to her and threw my arms around her. She stiffened. "Adrianna?" Tears burned my eyes. I inhaled her familiar scent—rose and vanilla. "Mom," I choked out. "I missed you." She pulled back slightly, giving me a puzzled look. "I just saw you last night. What’s gotten into you?" I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t tell her the truth—that I had been given a second chance. That I had died. That I had failed. That I had lost everything. And now, somehow, I was back. A sharp knock at the front door made me jolt. My stomach twisted as I realized what day this was. The day of my biggest mistake. The day I destroyed my future. I didn’t have time to process it before my mother sighed. "That must be Elias." My body locked up. My blood ran cold. Elias. My mate. The man who once held my heart in his hands—only to crush it. The one I had pushed away first. The one who had rejected me when I gave him no other choice. The one I had ruined everything for. I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay even. "Elias is here?" My mother gave me an odd look. "Of course. You two always walk to school together. Now hurry. You don’t want to keep him waiting." She left before I could stop her, her voice echoing down the hall as she called out a greeting. My hands clenched into fists. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my heart to stop pounding so hard. I had one year. One year before everything fell apart. One year to change everything. And it started with Elias. Taking a deep breath, I opened my door and stepped out. He was standing by the front door, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, looking exactly as I remembered. Tall. Dark-haired. Strong. His stormy gray eyes flicked up the moment he heard my footsteps, and my breath caught in my throat. For a second, I just stared. In my past life, I had barely noticed the way his eyes always searched for mine first. The way his lips twitched slightly, like he was fighting a smile. But now… now I saw everything. And it hurt. Because I knew how this story ended. "Morning, princess," Elias said, his voice smooth as ever. That old nickname. The one he used when he wanted to annoy me. It had once made me roll my eyes. Now, it made my chest ache. "Morning," I whispered. He frowned slightly. "You okay?" I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just a weird dream." He studied me for a second longer before shaking his head with a chuckle. "Come on, let’s go before your dad comes storming out here. You know how he is." I knew all too well. We walked in silence for a while, the crisp morning air nipping at my skin. My mind raced, replaying every memory from my past life, every mistake, every cruel word I had ever thrown at him. In that life, I had been cold. I had pushed him away at every turn, choosing power over love, choosing a future that ended in nothing but ruin. I had made him hate me. And then, I had died alone. Now, I was here. I had one year. One year to change my fate. To make him love me. To make everything right. I glanced up at him. "Elias?" He turned his head slightly. "Yeah?" I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. Say something different this time. Don’t push him away. Don’t be the girl you were before. I took a breath and smiled. "Thank you for always waiting for me." Elias blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Uh… sure?" His lips curled into a smirk. "What, did that weird dream of yours make you all soft this morning?" I laughed—a real, genuine laugh. For the first time in forever, I felt light. He raised an eyebrow, looking even more confused now. "Okay, seriously, what’s up with you?" I didn’t answer. Instead, I just looked at him. At the boy who once loved me. At the boy I had broken. And this time, I would do whatever it took to keep him.