Tainted Loyalty

Chapter Three.

Frida's POV.

It was the rain that first caught my attention. The cold drops hit my skin like tiny daggers, but it wasn't the rain that had me frozen in place.

It was the man who stood before me. Beyond those golden eyes I couldn't see anything else.

"Frida, what are you doing out here alone?" He asked me, causing me to gasp.

Alpha Leonard!

I took a step back, quickly trying to collect myself, but the moment my feet met the slippery ground beneath me, I slipped, falling forward into his chest. Again.

I gasped, trying to pull away, but his arms shot out and caught me before I could. I could feel the heat of his body through my drenched clothes, and I swallowed hard, my heart racing in my chest.

"Are you alright?" His words were gentle, unlike his firm hold. With a start, I realized why he was here in the first place.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, pushing against his chest with the force I could muster. My limbs were heavy, and with everything that had happened, I couldn't think straight.

But Leonard didn't even budge.

"You're soaking wet." He said softly, his gaze dropping to my clothes, which clung to me in the rain. His hands were still on me, his touch both warm and disconcerting.

"What happened to you?"

I yanked myself free from his grasp, taking a step back, but his golden eyes never left me.

"Why do you care?" I spat out before I could stop myself. The frustration, the hurt, the anger, all of it was spilling out of me in that moment.

"Are you here to mock me too?"

I knew it was unfair to say. I knew Leonard didn't deserve the venom in my voice. But after what Mark had done, I couldn't help myself. The world had become a cruel joke, and I was its punchline. And he was the closest thing I could find to Mark.

Leonard didn't flinch. Not even a little. Instead, he let go of me and pulled off his cloak, holding it out to me.

"Take this, and let's go." He said. "You're going to freeze if you stay out here like this."

For a moment, I stared at the cloak in his hands, the fabric still warm from his body. He was offering it to me, without hesitation, without mocking. Getting that kind of treatment felt like a luxury.

I wanted to scream, to demand why I mattered at all, but my mouth wouldn't obey, and instead, I simply reached out and grabbed the cloak.

"Thank you." I muttered, wrapping it tightly around my shoulders.

He said nothing in return, only nodded.

The rain showed no sign of letting up, and I was suddenly aware of how cold and numb I felt.

"We can't walk back in this rain." He muttered, turning around. "Follow me."

I stood there, wondering if I should follow him or not. I chose the reasonable option.

"If you keep running, you'll only hurt yourself more." He said as we walked. "You can't outrun what happened, but you can make a better future for yourself."

I didn't respond, didn't know what to say.

We soon reached the mouth of a cave, and Leonard went in, turning back to look at me without saying a word.

I paused at the entrance, hesitating.

"You can stay here, or you can head back." Leonard said.

I didn't answer right away, but I saw hum kindling a fire inside. The warmth was tempting, and so I could almost feel the comfort it promised.

I took a deep breath, then nodded and walked inside, not bothering to look at him. I felt ashamed of all I had said before.

Leonard stoked the fire, making the cave warmer and brighter. The shadows seemed to dance around us as the fire crackled, and I stood there in silence, still wrapped in his cloak.

Leonard finally spoke again.

"You think I don't understand, how you feel, don't you? Maybe I don't, but I can relate to some things."

I just stared at him.

"I've been an Alpha for a long time, Frida. I've seen pain. I've seen loss. I've had to make impossible choices. Every leader does."

He managed to sound so commanding, yet compassionate. If only everyone else could be like this.

"But it doesn't make it easier. Nothing makes it easier. You just have to keep going."

"Is that what you do?" I asked softly. "Keep going, no matter what?"

His golden eyes softened, and for a moment, he looked vulnerable.

"It's all I can do." He sighed. "But for you, that doesn't mean you have to carry it all on your own, especially if you have family and friends."

He patted the spot next to him, and I went to sit, burying my face in his arms as I cried for the one millionth time.

I wasn't sure what to say. My emotions were all over the place, and he was so strong, so kind. But before I could think it through, I pressed my body into his, taking a big whiff of his scent. He pulled me closer.

The heat of his touch burned me through the cloak, and I felt a sudden pull between us, something wonderful.

Then, in a moment of weakness, of longing, of wanting to feel something, anything, I let myself lean into him, and I raised my head, my lips stopping just a few millimetres from his.

His lips brushed against mine, like he was asking for permission. I pressed my lips to his, closing my eyes. Leonard held me like I was fragile, and holding on to him felt like free healing. We must have been kissing for about a minute before I realized what we were doing.

I pushed him away, my breathing erratic.

"No!" I whispered, shaking my head. "This is a mistake."

I ran from the cave, leaving him behind, my heart pounding in my chest. But I couldn't look back.

What had I done?