Page 14 of My Possessive Alpha

After meandering around the cabin for a while, offering Lydia as much space as she required, I eventually made my way back inside and settled on the couch with a book while dusk set in.

To my surprise, she emerged from the bedroom not long after, looking torn yet somewhat more adjusted than before. I wasn’t sure if I had imagined it, but her eyes also showed curiosity as she sat down on one of the armchairs.

As much as I wanted to pick up where we left off, I reminded myself to be patient. I needed to let her come to me and initiate if that was what she wanted. There was no point in pushing her further away from me.

I acknowledged her briefly before I continued reading, allowing a gentle silence to fill the space between us.

She remained quiet, only letting go of the occasional contemplative breath.

It was perfectly fine. Perfectly normal. But as it stretched on and I found myself too focused on what her parents had twisted about me to digest what I was reading properly, I knew I couldn’t take much more of it.

With resolve, I put the book down and met her gaze, catching it as she looked at me at the same time. It almost seemed like a nod to our past as the faintest blush filled her cheeks. That new but welcomed sensation pulsed within my chest at the thought.

At that moment, I knew I couldn’t let her go on, assuming I was something I wasn’t.

“It might be hard for you to believe right now, but I can assure you I never killed anyone to get my title. I never even contemplated it,” I began, hoping to set the record straight before her mind could go too wild with assumptions. “I could never hurt someone so coldly, especially not an alpha I respected, and certainly not you, Lydia. I know I can’t show you that within a day, but I hope I can prove it over time if you allow me to.”

In contrast to her previous demeanor, Lydia maintained eye contact with me, not wavering as she took it all in. “How did you become an alpha then?”

With a nod, I easily recalled the memories. “Even though I was more than willing to follow the old alpha, I couldn’t ignore my own urge to lead. But rather than challenging him, I decided to leave and start a pack of my own. It was the best way to fulfill that need and keep the peace with the others,” I explained,watching Lydia visibly relax. “Some of the others decided to follow me, but many stayed because they thought I was too young and inexperienced to lead. So, I went off with those who believed in me and started something of my own. I’ve been supporting the pack with the tech firm I co-founded with a few of my buddies ever since.”

The visible softening in her features, while minute, was enough for me to pick up on. Regardless of what she wanted to believe I had done, it seemed she couldn’t ignore the truth in my words after all.

“Oh,” she began, pulling her legs in as she sat there, mauling over the details I laid out. “That’s…a lot more respectable than I was led to believe.”

I nodded, understanding how deep that indoctrination likely went, not pressing much further. “I know there isn’t much I can do to prove that to you, but you’ll have to take my word for it. I don’t have it in me to senselessly kill like that.”

As she considered it more, Lydia let go of a deep sigh as she scrubbed a hand down her face. “Honestly, I never wanted to believe what my parents were telling me, but they had been so persistent. They…they really made me think you’d do something nasty.”

“It’s not your fault for believing them,” I reassured her, keeping my tone light and free of judgment for her sake.

“I know, but…I did notice a shift in them when they suddenly brought up wanting to join Jack’s pack,” she confessed, meeting my eyes with regret in hers. “I was too young to understand what was happening, and I trusted them to keep our best interest in mind. At the time, I hoped I was just overreacting, but now…I can’t just ignore it anymore.” Her courage to confront the truth, despite the fear, was truly inspiring.

“I’m glad you got out when you did, at least. Even if you’ve found yourself in a tough situation.”

Lydia nodded absently as she looked down at the floor, allowing those anxious thoughts to pass through her eyes. Almost bitterly, she scoffed and shook her head. Her voice was just above a whisper as she murmured, “I have no idea what I’m going to do. You were right before—I can’t go back right now. I can only imagine the discipline that would be waiting for me. But regardless of the punishment that might be ahead of me, it beats being Jack’s Luna.”

The reminder instilled in me a sense of duty I couldn’t shake. I looked at her with unwavering sincerity. “I won’t let you face any kind of punishment for choosing to follow what you felt was right, Lydia. Even if it puts me in the middle of everything, I’ll do it to keep you away from that creep.” My promise was as solid as the ground beneath us, offering her the reassurance she needed.

Her features softened even more at my words, and she even let a small smile slip. “As much as I don’t want to admit it right now, I had the time to think about it, and I feel safer here than back with him.” Her relief was palpable, bringing a sense of comfort to the room.

In response to her acceptance, I mirrored that gentle grin and felt as my emotions settled. My heart even squeezed at the thought. “I understand. You can stay here for as long as you need. There’s no rush.”

While we didn’t exactly start on the right foot, it seemed Lydia was beginning to come around to me after all, and it certainly felt like a step in the right direction.

Chapter 9 - Lydia

I never imagined those old feelings could linger within me for quite so long, especially after I completely threw away any lingering hope of ever being something to Sebastian. But it seemed the goddess worked in strange ways, and she was offering me the chance to understand everything from his perspective.

Struggling with the thought of my parents lying to me burned more than I could truly comprehend, but at that moment, it felt like only the two of us existed.

Even if I could still feel the remnants of my resistance around me, there was no questioning how Sebastian completely shook the foundation of my previous beliefs. He was reshaping the image I had of him in my mind, formed by the baseless stories my parents told me.

On one hand, something in me was still guarded and suspicious about what Sebastian had told me. But on the other, I always thought it was difficult to imagine him killing anyone.

He may have been charming and persuasive since we were younger, but he never struck me as someone who would commit such heinous acts just to get what he wanted.

Even if I only ever saw him through glimpses and whatever Zoe would share with me, he always seemed to have integrity, and he didn’t act like the other shifters we grew up around.

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