The Alpha Who Stole My Christmas

16

KADE

By the time I returned to her room, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My wolf was restless, my heart pounding in my chest with a mix of frustration and worry. But when I stepped inside her room, I saw her. She had finished the meal I had left for her and she looked different. More composed and calmer. She even let me in.

That alone felt like a victory.

But as I shut the door behind me, the silence that followed pressed down like a heavy weight. I sat across from her, the chair scraping lightly against the wooden floor. I wasn’t sure what to say to her without sounding controlling or scaring her further. My usual confidence felt useless here, completely absent.

Finally, I broke the silence. “Did you…enjoy the meal?” I asked, my voice quieter than usual.

She looked at me, her expression guarded. “It was okay,” she said. Then, after a pause, she added, “Great coffee, by the way.”

I didn’t smile but inwardly, I couldn’t help it. Coffee. She had noticed the coffee and she liked it. That meant something. My chest tightened. Perhaps I was making some gradual progress.

I decided to press a little further, to see if I could reach her. “Are you…happy?” I asked.

Her eyes changed instantly, a spike of tension suddenly filling the room. She lifted her head slightly, her lips pressed together, and then she said. “Do I look happy to you?”

Her tone, was it sarcasm? Anger? Frustration? I couldn’t tell. My wolf stirred inside me, restless and tense.

“I…I need to be alone,” she said, her words sharp and final.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked, my tone softer this time, trying to mask the frustration in my voice.

“I just want to be alone!” she repeated, sharper and louder now.

I clenched my fists under the table. My heart raced, not from fear but from the surge of anger I couldn’t control. I had tried. I tried to speak to her, tried to show care, tried to reach out to her. And still, still she pushed me away. What more did she want from me?

I stood, keeping my voice low but firm. ‘I’ll leave you be then.”

I stepped out into the hallway, trying to calm my wolf. My mind was spinning. I had given her space like she wanted, followed my crazy brother's advice and still…still she rejected me.

I was walking out of the courtyard when I saw my brothers. They were lounging near the training grounds, sparring sticks in hand, watching me approach. Their expression shifted as they read the tension in my stance.

“How did it go, brother?” Rafe asked casually, but I could feel the smirk behind his tone.

I grunted, walking past them without answering.

“Hmmm, I think he messed up big time,” Dain muttered under his breath, clearly enjoying himself.

I turned to them, my eyes glowing faintly, my jaw tight. “I didn’t mess up,” I growled. “I did exactly what you told me to do, but it was a waste of my fvcking time!”

They all stepped back, giving me room. My fists clenched and unclenched as I paced around, trying to control the rage coiling inside me.

“Calm down, Alpha,” Dain said cautiously, raising his hands. “Remember, you’re dealing with a human girl. She doesn’t understand our ways.”

I let out a low growl of frustration. “I don’t know what punishment I deserve from the Moon Goddess for being sent a human mate. A fvcking human! Do you know what it’s like to be this angry at someone you’re supposed to protect? Someone you’re supposed to care for?”

Leon leaned against the wall, watching me with a a smirk. “You would have broken the bond the second you found out she was human,” he said. “But you didn’t. That counts for something.”

I exhaled slowly, but anger didn’t fade. “I’m not doing this s**t again,” I said in a firm tone. “I’ve already given her everything I can. I’ve been patient, I’ve tried. I’ve followed your advice, and she still pushes me away. I’m done.”

“You’re not done yet,” Rafe said, stepping closer, his eyes serious now. ‘You don’t get to be done with this. You’re her Alpha. You can’t give up on her because she’s human. Humans are fragile and complicated, yes. But she’s your mate. She’s the one the moon chose for you.”

I ground my teeth. “She doesn’t see it that way.”

“She will,” Leon said. “You need consistency, Kade. Patience. And attention. She’s not a wolf. She needs human things, little things like time, presence, words, and gestures. That’s what she understands. That’s what makes her trust you.”

I ran a hand over my face, my fingers pressing over my temples. “I’ve tried everything.”

“No, you haven’t,” Dain said. “You’ve tried bring the Alpha. That’s not enough. She’s human. She needs you. Not the Alpha. Not the power. you.”

I stopped pacing. The words hit me hard. Not because they were new, but because they were true. I had been trying to fight her with authority, with my presence, with control. But she didn’t need all that, she needed me in the way a human needed someone to see them, acknowledge them and stay beside them even when they push back.

Rafe shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Take her out for a walk. She’ll appreciate that. She loves moving, being outside. She’s human. Human like that. You give her the freedom she craves and she’ll start letting her guard down.”

I frowned. “Walk? Alone?”

“Yes,” Leon said. “Alone with her. Not protective. Not a display of power. Just you with her. Talk, laugh. Be present. You’ll get her attention back, mark my words.”

I growled in frustration and sank onto the bench. “I feel like I’m failing already.”

“You’re not failing,” Dain said. “You just don’t know the language yet. Humans speak differently than wolves. And that’s okay. You’re learning.”

I buried my face in my hands. “Learning? I hate this. I hate that I have to learn to take care of her. It should come naturally. Besides, I have a pack to run.”

“It is natural,” Rafe said, his tone serious. “But you have been trying to care for her in wolf ways. That doesn’t work with a human mate. She’s not a wolf. She’s human and she needs you to show her that you can be there, be consistent. Don’t expect her to understand the bond just because it exist. She has to feel it too. Physically, emotionally. Do you understand?”

I nodded, my fists still clenched. “I think….I understand.”

“Yes you do,” Leon said. “Now go. Take her for a walk. Show her the man behind the Alpha. She’ll come around if you do this right. Don’t try to dominate, just exist with her. That’s all humans need.”

I rose from the bench, my jaw tight as I let out a long sigh. “Fine. A walk, but what if she refuses, if she keeps pushing me away again.”

“You’ll keep going,” Dain said. “Humans are stubborn. So are wolves. But she’s your mate, Kade. You don’t quit.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to remain calm despite the storm brewing inside me. Maybe my brothers were right. I couldn’t quit. No matter how frustrating it was going to be, no matter the silence. She was mine. The Moon Goddess had chosen her for a reason for me, no rival, no human, no argument could take her away.