No Take Backs, My Dear Alpha

Chapter 3: A Painful Reunion

The room was deafeningly silent. Calypso had so much to ask, but she knew she would not receive any answers, so she did not even try to inquire, no matter how much the suspense was killing her.

“What? Got nothing to say?” he asked.

“I do, but I doubt you’ll hear me out.”

Rather than making him upset, her response made him chuckle instead. He sounded like an evil villain.

“You’re a smart cookie.”

His cheesy response made her roll her eyes.

“Just for today, though, I’ll be nice. You get to ask one question.”

Calypso was stunned by her captor's kind gesture; he wouldn’t usually behave in such a manner, which meant he was in a really good mood.

One question, however, was not enough to quench her burning curiosity. There was so much that she needed to know; how could she possibly compress it all into one question?

“t****k, time is wasting”, he pushed.

“You didn’t say it would be a limited-time offer.”

Irritated by her response, he squinted his eyes.

“Don’t make me regret it”, he warned.

Calypso swallowed hard.

“Sorry...”

Taking a deep breath, she collected her thoughts and made her decision on what her one question would be.

“How did this happen?”

A crooked smile appeared on her captor’s lips; it was fear-inducing.

“You’re smarter than I thought.” Shifting his gaze from her to the corners of the room, his eyes landed on a chair. Calypso already knew what she had to do.

Following his silent order, she took the chair from the far corner of the room and presented it to him. Satisfied, he took a seat, and she returned to her spot.

“How did this happen, you ask? Well, it started about a week ago, after the warrior wolves returned from the North, where they were beaten to a bloody pulp.”

Calypso’s eyes widened.

“Shocking, I know. The North has been on a roll lately. First, it was the South, then it was the East; it was only a matter of time before they got to us.”

The information shocked Calypso, but she was more shocked that her captor was sharing so much with her. Since she did not know how much he was willing to tell her, she silently listened and hoped to get the full story.

“Anyway, the battle with the North ended in a tie; the Alphas had no other choice but to come to an agreement, and that, my dear, is where you come in.”

Calypso was taken aback by the sudden reveal.

“The agreement that the two Alphas settled on was an exchange; we get something from the North, and in return, they get something from us.”

The story slowly started to make sense, but as it did, Calypso grew more and more uneasy.

“Do you now see what’s going on? Or do I have to dumb it down some more?”

“I-I understand... but, why-?”

“Ah”, her question was cut off before she could even finish it, “you only get one question, remember?”

“Yes, but-“

“But nothing, if you want to know so badly, you can take it up with Alpha.”

The response was given so lightheartedly that one would believe it was as simple as it sounded, when in reality, it wasn’t.

“I can’t just... speak to the Alpha”

“Sure, you can, because he’s the one summoning you to talk.”

Calypso froze in horror; she stared at her captor in disbelief for several seconds before speaking.

“The Alpha wants to see me?”

“Yes, and as soon as possible.”

Having delivered the message, he rose from the chair and headed towards the stairs. Calypso remained behind, looking at his back and wondering what to do next.

“Don’t keep the Alpha waiting”, he warned as he continued up the steps.

With not much of a choice, Calypso dropped the blanket from her shoulders and anxiously made her way up the stairs.

~*~

The walk to the Alpha’s cabin was one filled with dread. Calypso’s heart and mind raced every step of the way.

It had been 10 years since she last saw the alpha, and though it was so long ago, she could still remember how their last encounter went; it was too painful to forget.

Calypso was so caught up in the memories of her past that she did not realize she was standing right at the front door of the cabin.

When she finally came to, her heart felt like it was going to explode because of how quickly it was beating.

“Why are you just standing there? Get a move on!” Her captors demanded, but Calypso was too scared to take another step.

Since she had unintentionally worn out their patience, she had to pay the price for it. With great force, they pulled her into the cabin by both of her hands.

Everything was just the way she remembered: the room was still dimly lit, the air was still stale, and most importantly, the aura was still frightening. It was like she had been dragged into the pits of hell, and at his throne was the ‘devil’ she once called her beloved.

Seated in a leather chair that faced the door was Alpha Hadeon. He silently watched as they dragged Calypso into his home and forced her onto her knees before him.

Calypso’s gaze immediately fell to the ground, for she could not bear to look him in the eyes. But though she could not see him, she could still feel his heavy stare on her back.

The room was deathly silent, which made her stomach churn in discomfort. As frightened as she was in that moment, Calypso was still curious as to why she was in such a situation; that alone kept her standing, even if it meant facing her painful past.

“Have you been well?” Alpha Hadeon finally spoke; his sonorous voice shattered the silence in the room and startled Calypso.

It was unclear if the question was genuine or mocking her. Therefore, she did not answer, but her silence was not accepted.

“I asked you a question, look up and answer me!”

The cold authority in his voice made Calypso follow his orders like a puppet, but she soon regretted it. Under the intense gaze of his frightening blue eyes, she could see only disgust in them. She expected no less, but it hurt regardless, considering where they came from.

“I can’t say I’ve been well...”, she answered with a trembling voice

“Good, it means the punishment was effective.”

A sharp stinging sensation spread through Calypso’s chest. Alpha Hadeon’s words still affected her greatly, even after so many years.

“That’s not why I called you here. I assume someone has already briefed you on what’s happening.

“Just barely”

“There’s not much that you need to know anyway, except that you’re finally leaving this place.”

Calypso swallowed; her throat was itching from all the questions she wanted to ask, but she feared stepping out of line.

“Can I... may I please ask one question? Just one”

Alpha Hadeon’s eyes were cold and unmoved by her pleas, but strangely, he listened to her.

“Speak”

Straightening her back so she could properly look at him, Calypso took a deep breath, then asked the question weighing heavily on her mind and heart.

"You're just...going to let me go? After all these years and... like I mean nothing to you?"

Calypso's question was bold, but she deserved the right to know. After all, it wasn't a stranger whom she was asking, it was Hadeon, her Hadeon.

With a simple gesture of his finger, the men who delivered Calypso were sent out of the room, leaving only them.

Leaning forward in his seat, Alpha Hadeon took Calypso's face in his hand and stared directly into her soul. The closeness of their faces caused her temperature to rise; it had been too long since she felt a tender touch, and she couldn't help but naively lean into it.

"Yes", he whispered, and completely shattered Calypso's heart.

"What...?"

Still keeping her face close to his, Alpha Hadeon's grip on her face slowly tightened, causing her pain.

"I can let you go, after all these years, and like you mean absolutely nothing to me."

The pain she felt from his grip was harsh, but the pain she felt from his words was unbearable.

"How? How can you do this to me?"

"Because...", his fingernails began to leave marks on her cheeks, making her shriek with pain, "You ruined my life."