The Alpha's fall

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Several hours had passed since we welcomed Ralf home.

I found myself outside the mansion, standing in the pavilion at the center of the vast garden — a spot sheltered from the wind, and far enough away to be out of everyone’s sight.

I needed time to think through what lay ahead for me now that Ralf had refused to take the position of Alpha. I had spent so long preparing myself to be a good Luna, studying and learning everything I needed to know. But now, it seemed all of it would amount to nothing.

“But just because I won’t be Luna, that doesn’t mean I won’t still be Ralf’s mate… right?” I asked myself, trying desperately to soften the harsh, undeniable truth.

“Because if I am neither his Luna nor his mate… then what purpose do I even have anymore?”

From where I stood in the garden, I could still hear the guests laughing and the pack members mingling and talking among themselves.

As much as I wanted to join in the celebration, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I simply could not accept the reality Ralf had so bluntly thrown in my face.

“Eloise?”

I lifted my head quickly, searching for the source of the voice, and spotted my mother not far away. She waved her hand, signaling for me to come to her at once.

I followed her immediately. We walked together until we reached the back entrance leading to the pack’s kitchen. There, standing waiting, was Luna Luella — who turned around the moment she saw me arrive.

I frowned slightly. There was something unspoken in the way my mother and Luna looked at me — something they clearly wanted to say, but could not bring themselves to speak aloud.

“Is there something I can do for you?” I asked softly.

“We need to find a way to make this work,” Luna said, her gaze fixed intently and seriously upon me.

She gave me so many instructions and explained so many things, yet in my state of mind, I hardly remembered a single word she said.

Carrying a silver tray with a teacup filled with ginger lemon tea, I made my way toward the second floor of the mansion.

“I just need to bring this drink to Ralf… and after that, everything will be alright.”

I whispered the words to myself, letting out a long, deep breath as I finally stood before the door of his room.

As I stared at the wooden panel, memories flooded back — all those times I had only dreamed of the day he would be here inside this room, with nothing but this door standing between us. I had lost count of how many times I had wished for this moment, and now it had finally come true. He was really here, just on the other side.

The corners of my lips lifted into a faint, fragile smile.

A strange, twisting sensation churned in my stomach, perhaps from all the thoughts and worries swirling endlessly through my mind. I steadied myself, pushed all my doubts aside, and reached for the doorknob to open the door.

The room was dim, but the soft glow of the half-moon shining through the large window fell right upon the figure of a man seated in a swivel chair. His back was turned to me, facing the window as if gazing at the beauty of the moon hanging in the sky. The silky curtains at the sides of the window frame swayed gently, dancing in the breeze.

Even though I could not see his face clearly in the dim light, I knew exactly who it was I was looking at in the darkness — for I would recognize his scent anywhere.

I swallowed hard and stepped further into the room.

“Ah— Ralf… I brought you some ginger tea. Luna prepared it to help you settle down and feel better.”

I walked slowly toward the desk where he sat with his back to me, and carefully set down the silver tray I had been carrying.

Seconds passed after I placed the cup on the table, yet I received no reply, no response at all.

“Is he asleep?” I whispered to myself.

I was about to step closer when I heard a sound — a low groan, or perhaps a stifled sob. But no… it wasn’t a groan, nor was it a sob. It was the sound of him desperately holding something back, fighting to suppress some overwhelming feeling.

I quickly moved around to face him, and that was when I truly saw his condition.

He was clutching his chest so tightly his fingers looked as though they would dig right through his skin. Sweat poured down his face, and his skin was flushed bright red.

He was conscious, but his sharp eyes were only half-open, catching the faint glow of the moon shining from behind me. His teeth were clenched hard, and the veins in his neck stood out, swollen and strained as if they might burst.

I dropped to my knees before him, overcome with worry.

“Ralf! What’s happening? Does something hurt? Are you sick?” I cried out anxiously.

When I reached out to touch his arm, I instantly pulled my hand back — his skin was burning hot, feverish to the touch.

“Y—You!” He stammered out the word.

I flinched back sharply as his eyes suddenly flew wide open, blazing with pure, unbridled rage.

I pressed one hand flat against the floor behind me to steady my weight, while my wrist was suddenly seized and yanked upward by his grip. He held me so tightly it felt as if he did not care at all if he broke my bones.

Tears immediately welled up in my eyes from the excruciating pain of his grip around my wrist.

He leaned his face closer to mine, his teeth still clenched tight in fury. I could hear low, menacing growls rumbling deep in his throat as he stared straight through me. If his eyes had been blades, I would have been cut into tiny pieces right then and there, just like raw meat.

I could feel the scorching heat radiating from his breath and his entire body. His scent was overwhelming, suffocating me so much that I almost forgot the sharp pain where his hand held me. My heart pounded wildly and fast, the sound echoing through every part of my being. Little by little, it felt as though I was being consumed by the heat coming from him — my own body seemed to catch fire, burning right along with his.

“Already aroused, are you?”

He sneered, a cruel smirk curling his lips.

He stood up abruptly, dragging me forcefully to my feet along with him. I was like a helpless little rabbit, lifted and held firmly by the scruff of its neck. I couldn’t speak a single word. Instead, my own body betrayed me — it ached, yearning for even more of the pain he was inflicting.

He hurled me onto the thick wooden surface of his desk, then pressed down hard on my throat with his other hand, pinning me in place.

My legs kicked and thrashed instinctively, desperate for air as it slowly began to fade from my lungs.

“How dare you plot tricks against me!”

He hissed the words sharply right beside my cheek, lowering his face so close that his breath burned against my skin.

As he stared down at me with eyes sharp and blazing with rage, I realized — this was not the face of the man I had loved for so long.

The man I loved was gentle and kind, nothing like the one standing before me now. His eyes held nothing but fury and loathing, all directed straight at me.

“P—p—please, Ralf…” I struggled to say, my voice breaking and trembling, for I could barely breathe.

I kept fighting and writhing to break free, yet all I saw was that terrifying, twisted smirk on his face. It was as if a demon had taken hold of him. Cold dread crawled over my skin, freezing me with the fear that my life might very well end right here, by his own hands.

“What’s the problem? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” he snapped.

I had no idea what he was talking about, and there was no time left to understand — all I cared about was escaping his grip. I gathered every last bit of strength left in my body and kicked him hard. My foot struck his left thigh, throwing him off balance for just a moment.

It was enough time. I pulled free and ran straight for the door, stumbling and nearly falling in my rush to get away.

But that tiny spark of hope vanished the instant I realized — the door was locked.

I twisted the doorknob again and again, pounding hard against the wood, screaming for help.

“Please, let me out of here!”

“Mother! Luna! Help me, please — let me out!!!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs, beating my fists against the door over and over.

From behind me, I heard a cold, mocking laugh… and then the heavy, steady sound of Ralf’s footsteps approaching.

“Can’t you see what’s happening here?” he said.

In the blink of an eye, I felt the scorching heat of his body pressed against my back. There was no space left between us. Once again, his hand closed tight around my throat, but this time he held me pinned facing the door.

Tears spilled freely down my cheeks.

This was never what I expected from Ralf. I thought I would receive love — the same boundless, unmatched love I had always given him.

“They sent you here as bait,” he hissed, his lips brushing right against the back of my ear. “You were used just to trap me inside this pack forever!”

I squeezed my eyes shut. His words shattered me completely, tearing me apart inside.

He hurled me onto the bed like I was nothing more than a sack of rice. In the next heartbeat, he was already on top of me, trapping me between his legs as he roughly tore off his own clothes.

All the strength drained out of my body. I went limp, just waiting for whatever was about to happen.

I can endure this. I will endure it.

It makes no difference now… whether he loves me or not.