Chapter 4 Giving In

Minutes turned into hours. They exchanged sentences, and with every keystroke he felt himself slipping further.

Her laugh was a melody that he wanted to drown in. Her scent wrapped around him like a drug; the wolf inside had simply given up the fight.

It had won.

And deep down inside of him, Alexander knew there was a truth.

No matter how hard he would have fought it, his destiny-Emma was his.

And he was hers.

Whether he liked it or not.

A Wolf's Struggle: Lucas's Warning to Alexander

Chapter One: A Bond That Shouldn't Be

Alexander had always prided himself on his discipline. He wasn't just any wolf; he was an Alpha-in-waiting, trained to control his instincts, suppress his emotions, and always put the pack first. But all of that was unraveling since Emma had come into his life.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Since that very day he had met her, his wolf had already claimed her as its mate. The bond was undeniable, like a kind of fire burning beneath his skin. Each second away from her was a battle; each breath without her scent was torture. But he knew-how could he not?-that she was human. If she was human, then she was a little too fragile even if she didn't know the world into which she had walked unknowingly.

And that made her dangerous.

Alexander sat in his dimly lit apartment, staring at the floor with racing thoughts swirling in his mind. He had spent the preceding weeks avoiding her, trying to put some distance between them. However, it was a failure. Farther he pushed her away; the more his wolf rebelled. Every time his eyes were closed, he saw her. Every time he inhaled, he swore that he could still smell her lavender-and-honey scent.

That was all driving him crazy.

An abrupt knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Alexander snapped his eye up, and narrowed his gaze. He never had to ask who it was; he already knew.

Lucas.

Taking a slow breath, Alexander steadied himself, then got up and opened the door.

Lucas stood on the threshold with unfolded arms; his piercing golden-brown eyes had an air of disapproval hanging in them. He was Alexander's longest-standing friend, his second-in-command, and the only person who dared challenge him without fear.

"We need to talk," said Lucas, stepping inside without an invitation.

As he sighed, Alexander closed the door behind him. "I know what you are going to say."

Lucas turned to him, jaw tense. "Then you know you are making a mistake."

Chapter Two: The Dangerous Distraction

Lucas had been watching Alexander closely for the past few weeks, and he didn't like what he saw. His Alpha, his friend, was losing his mind.

It wasn't just the way Alexander was acting; it was the way his wolf was responding. While a bonded mate could be anticipated, a human mate was something else.

"She's a distraction, Alexander," Lucas spoke firmly. "You cannot afford to be this reckless."

Alexander soured. "I'm not reckless."

"Really? Then why are you stalking her every night? Why did you almost lose control when a rogue came too close to her? And why do you look like you haven't slept in days?"

Alexander clenched his jaw but did not deny it. He could not.

Lucas exhaled, stepping closer. "You know that I'm right. She is dangerous for you, not because of what she is, but because of what she makes you."

Alexander gritted his teeth, his wolf growling in protest.

"A human makes me human," he said softly.

For a split second, Lucas's expression softened into a grimace, but his mind was set already. "She makes you weak."

Chapter Three: The Cost of Attachment

Alexander shied away from him, running his fingers through his dark hair. "You don't understand."

"I understand well enough." Lucas used his tough voice. "You have prepared for the rest of your life to lead this pack. You have given up everything-right from your freedom to your choices to your happiness. And now, you want to throw it all away after all these years for a human?"

Alexander's fists clenched. "You make it sound so simple."

"But this is," Lucas sidestepped, leaning almost closer. His voice dropped to an almost whispered tone. "What? You think I don't know how you feel? The pull? The bond? You have to fight it."

"I have been fighting it," Alexander snapped back, his eyes sparkling a blend of gold from within. The wolf in him was trying to push through. "And it is tearing me far apart."

Lucas was still in place; the guy was never scared. "Better you tear yourself apart than let the pack do it."

These words hit harder than a fist to the gut.

Alexander remained aware of the weight of the words; the pack came first; it always would. This was one of those lessons his father had burned into him from childhood. An Alpha who allowed his feelings to dominate him would ultimately lose control, and the pack would lose him too.

He sighed. "You think she's weak."

"Oh, she really is." Lucas nodded as he said this. "Not that she wants to be, but she makes you hesitate." He looked straight into Alexander's eyes with conviction. "If it came down to a choice-her life against the life of the pack, which way would you choose?"

He just stayed there, voicing not a word.

And that silence spoke volumes.

Chapter 4: A Grim Truth

Lucas's voice became even softer, but the intensity in his gaze never wavered. "You think you are protecting her with your closeness. But you are really exposing her by wanting her."

Alexander's chest tightened. He knew this; he had known it deep down from the start. His enemies would use her as a pawn. If they discovered just how much she meant to him, they would be targeting her.

And what scared him most was the possibility that he might not be able to protect her. Not when he himself was losing control.

Lucas sighed. "Let her go, Alexander."

Those words cut deeper than any wound.

Alexander turned his gaze away, feeling an ache in his throat. "I don't know if I can."

Lucas pressed his fingers on Alexander's shoulder. "You must."

A long duration passed in silence, fateful and heavy.

Finally, Alexander nodded, though it felt like he was lying.

Chapter 5: The Choice That Hurts

The next few days went by in a haze as Alexander tried to do what Lucas told him to do, what he knew was right. He rejoined the outside world. He tried to ignore her, to ignore that ache deep in his chest that felt worse with each tick of the clock.

It was like dying.

His wolf fought him hard, demanding him to howl for her every second, clawing at the walls of his mind, calling on him to go to her, but he denied it.

That was until Emma found him first.

She stood outside his apartment, confused and hurt.

"You have been avoiding me," she said softly.

Alexander could feel his fists clench. "It's better this way."

"For who?"

For you.

For the pack.

For everyone but me.

But he couldn't say that.

Emma stepped a little closer to him. "I don't understand. We were-"

He interrupted, his voice dripping with ice. "We were nothing." It was a lie, and the pain in her eyes almost broke him.

For a long moment, she stared blankly at him, trying to read something into his face-anything. But all he returned was granite.

Finally, she nodded and dropped her shoulders. "Okay."

She turned and walked away.

This time, Alexander let her go.

Chapter Six: The Hollow Victory

Lucas was waiting for him the next morning.

"She is gone?"

Alexander nodded once, his expression remote.

Lucas scrutinized him carefully. "You've done the right thing."

Alexander did not reply.

Because if this was the right thing-then why did it feel like he had just torn his heart out?