Page 30 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

I swallowed hard. Each reminder of his death was like a dagger to the chest. The reality was before me, yet I wasn’t ready to accept it.

“Come here, Kaine. Sit with me.”

I did as he said, taking the seat beside his bed. He extended his arm, and I linked mine with his. His skin felt cold, almost lifeless.

“Fate’s a bitch, you know?” He chuckled dryly. “It has a twisted way of selling you dreams it knows you can’t embrace. Look what it did with my mate, Eva.” He turned his gaze to the ceiling, longing etched across his features. “The mate bond is a strong connection, son, as I’m sure you know. But withus, it’s always been our weakness. We’re always fated to the one we can never be with.” He mustered a painful smile and looked at me with tender affection. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything, father.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“I worked hard to build and to keep this alliance with the Moonshadow pack, and now it’s your turn. In a few years’ time, Juniper Greymont will be of age, and you’ll mate with her. Promise me you’ll keep your head down and finish what you’ve started. Promise me you’ll lead with your head, and not with your heart.”

“Father—”

“Promise me, Kaine,” his voice was firm this time. “Grant me this last wish before I join our ancestors.”

I tightened my grip around his hand. “I promise.”

A small smile spread across his lips, but I felt his grip loosen. “Never forget, Kaine, your duty, honor, and the pack come first.” And his hand slipped from mine and dropped to his side.

Your duty, honor, and the pack come first. Those were my father’s last words, words he’s expected me to live by. Guilt gnawed at me. I could feel the conflict tearing at me apart. Every fiber of my being wanted to be with Lyra. It felt like life had no meaning without her. But my promise to him haunted me. The weight of his legacy hung on every choice I faced. And the last thing I wanted to do was destroy that legacy.

I downed another shot of the whiskey, letting it burn its way down, but the process of numbing me was interrupted. Thefamiliar scent—a blend of wild jasmine and something uniquely hers—drifted through the bar, cutting through the haze of alcohol clouding my senses. I turned around, and the sight of her and Dominic together hit me like a jolt to the core.

He leaned in to whisper something that made her smile again, this time wider. Her eyes sparkled, and she covered her mouth, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her lips when she caught the scowl of one of the patrons, but whatever he said must have been too damn funny. A strand of hair fell across her face, and Dominic reached out, tucking it behind her ear like it was the most natural thing in the world.

My blood ran cold.

He was too close. Too comfortable. And the way she looked at him, the way she smiled, it twisted something dark inside of me. My grip tightened around the glass until it cracked beneath my fingers. Without thinking, I was on my feet. The room tilted for a second, the alcohol hitting harder than I expected, but I steadied myself. My eyes locked on Dominic, the anger boiling over. Before I knew it, I was in front of them.

“Enjoying yourself, Dominic?” I spat, my voice low, but laced with enough venom to wipe that smile off his face.

He looked up calmly, as if my presence didn’t bother him in the slightest. “Actually, yes.” His eyes flicked to Lyra, then back to me. “We had a pretty great day today, didn’t we?”

She had the guts to smile—wide and bright, like nothing about hanging out with Dominic was wrong. “It was nice to get away from everything for a while,” she answered. Then her gaze turned to me, concern etched on her face as she asked, “Are you okay, Kaine? How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to see you getting cozy with my cousin,” I snapped, the bitterness in my tone palpable.

Confusion flashed across her face as her smile faltered. “Excuse you?”

I turned my attention back to Dominic. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

Dominic squared his shoulders, leveling my glare. “I don’t have to be clever, Kaine. I just have to be here.”

His words hung in the air, unspoken but clear.

My fists clenched, trembling with the need to punch the smug look off his face. “Back off,” I said through gritted teeth.

“From what, Kaine?” His gaze flickered to Lyra, then back to me. “I can’t. I just—I can’t.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I like her,” his tone was ragged with frustration. “I enjoy spending time with her, I like being around her, so I simply cannot back off!”

My vision blurred with rage. “I’m warning you, Dominic. Back the fuck off.”

He didn’t budge. Instead, he took a step toward me, his eyes daring me to make a move. “Or what? You don’t own her, Kaine. And to be honest, I stand a better chance with her than you right now.”

That was it. The punch landed before I even realized I’d swung. Dominic staggered backward, crashing into a table as bloodtrickled from his nose. The bar went dead silent. All eyes turned to us, but I didn’t give a damn.

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