Page 9 of Sweet on the Alpha

“Hey, sunshine,” he greets me, pulling me in for a kiss. But I turn my face at the last moment, his lips grazing my cheek instead. He pulls back, confusion and hurt flickering in his eyes. “Grace? What’s wrong?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “What aren’t you telling me, Aiden?”

He blinks, taken aback by my bluntness. “What do you mean?”

I cross my arms over my chest in a defensive posture. “I heard you and Victor talking earlier. He said… he said lives were lost because of you. Because of something that happened with your old pack.”

Aiden’s face drains of color, his expression shuttering. “Grace, I…”

“Don’t lie to me.” I cut him off, my voice trembling. “Please, Aiden. I need the truth.”

He’s silent for a long moment, his jaw working. When he finally speaks, his voice is heavy with resignation and old pain. “You’re right. There are things I haven’t told you, things I’m not proud of.” He takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself. “It was a challenge for leadership. In our world, when a wolf wants to become alpha, they can issue a challenge to the current leader—a fight to the death or until one wolf submits.”

I listen, my heart in my throat, as he continues.

“I was young, brash. I thought I knew better than our alpha, that I could lead the pack better than he could. I challenged him.” Aiden’s eyes are distant, haunted by memories. “It was a brutal fight. We were evenly matched, and neither of us was willing to back down. The pack… they got caught in the middle. In the chaos, in the violence… lives were lost. Wolves I’d known my whole life, dead because of my arrogance, my pride.”

His voice breaks, and I feel tears stinging my eyes. The pain radiating from him is palpable.

“In the end, I won. But at what cost? I couldn’t lead them, not with that blood on my hands. So, I left, went rogue. I’ve been running ever since.”

Silence falls between us, heavy and suffocating. I’m reeling, trying to reconcile this revelation with the man I thought I knew.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “Didn’t you trust me?”

Aiden’s eyes snap to mine, anguish etched into every line of his face. “Of course I trust you, Grace. More than anyone. I just… I couldn’t bear for you to look at me the way you are now. With horror, with… with disgust. I thought if you knew, if you saw that darkness in me… you’d run. And I wouldn’t blame you.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. “I… I don’t know what to say. This is… it’s a lot, Aiden. I need time to process, to think.”

He nods, his expression bleak. “I understand. Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, if… when you’re ready to talk.”

I step back, my heart clenching at the devastation on his face. But I can’t think clearly, not when I’m this close to him. Not when every instinct is screaming at me to comfort him, even as my mind whirls with doubts and fears. “I have to go,” I choke out. “I’m sorry, I just… I need some space.”

With that, I turn and walk away, my vision blurred with tears. I can feel Aiden’s gaze on my back, heavy with sorrow and regret. But I don’t turn around.

The walk to the back stairway of the bakery that leads to my apartment is a blur, my thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and heartache. When I finally let myself into the dark, silent space above the bakery, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

Staring back at me is a woman I hardly recognize. Eyes red-rimmed and puffy, face pale and drawn. But the lost, shattered look in my eyes makes my breath catch.

How did we get here? How did something that felt so right, so destined, become so complicated?

I press my forehead against the cool glass, trying to calm my racing thoughts. But it’s no use. Every time I close my eyes, I see Aiden’s face, etched with pain and regret. I hear Victor’s taunting words, echoing in my mind. “The truth comes out… the monster you really are…”

Is that what Aiden is? A monster, hiding behind a mask of gentleness and charm?

The thought makes my stomach turn, even as my heart rebels against the idea.

No. The Aiden I know, the Aiden I love… he’s not a monster. He’s a man who’s made mistakes, who carries the weight of hispast like a physical burden. A man who’s fought every day to be better, to find peace.

But can I look past this revelation? Can I accept the darkness in his history, the blood on his hands? The very thought sends a shiver down my spine.

I don’t know. I just… I don’t know.

With a heavy sigh, I push away from the mirror.

As I get ready for bed, going through the motions of my nightly routine, my mind continues to churn. Snippets of conversations, of moments shared with Aiden, flicker through my thoughts like a disjointed movie.

The way he looked at me the first time he saw me, like I was a miracle he couldn’t quite believe in. The gentleness of his hands, even when passion overtook us. The way he made me feel cherished, adored… safe.

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