Page 14 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

But it doesn’t stop the ache.

After what feels like an eternity, I get out of the car and walk to the edge of the lake. The stillness of the water mocks me. I sit on a rock and press my hand to my chest, trying to steady the storm inside me.

I shouldn’t feel this way.

I can’t feel this way.

“Vittorio,” I whisper his name, bitterness coating my tongue. My jaw clenches as the memories surface, memories I’ve tried to bury but never could.

Vittorio. The man who destroyed my family. The man who killed my sister.

I close my eyes, the image of Alessia’s face flashing in my mind—her smile, her laughter, the light in her eyes before it was snuffed out. Vittorio had been her mate, but he rejected her like she was nothing. Like their bond meant nothing.

And Alessia… she couldn’t take it.

She had been too soft, too fragile for the cruelty of a man like him. She ended her life because of him. And now, every time I look at Aria, I see the same vulnerability, the same pain waiting to be unleashed.

I couldn’t let history repeat itself.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, dragging me from the spiral of my thoughts. I pull it out and see Rook’s name flashing on the screen. With a deep breath, I answer.

“Did you take her back?” My voice is hoarse, strained.

“Yes,” Rook replies, his tone cautious. “She’s at the hotel. Safe.”

I exhale, the tightness in my chest easing just a fraction. “Good. Make sure she doesn’t have any trouble checking out. I don’t want anyone from our side near her again.”

“You really think this is going to solve anything?” Rook asks, his voice sharp. “You think cutting her off like this is going to make her forget? She’s human, Bane. You rejected her bond. Do you have any idea how much pain that causes someone like her?”

“I know,” I snap, the guilt curling around my words like a noose. “You think I don’t know what this does to her? You think I don’t feel it too?”

Rook is silent for a moment, and then his tone softens. “Then why do it? Why push her away?”

“Because I don’t have a choice,” I say, my voice breaking. “She’s better off hating me. If Vittorio finds out about her, he’ll use her against me. The way he used Alessia.”

“Alessia’s gone, Bane,” Rook says quietly. “This isn’t the same.”

“It’s exactly the same!” I stand, my voice echoing over the lake. “Do you know what it’s like to watch someone you love fall apart? To watch them destroy themselves because of a bond that someone else didn’t want. I can’t—I won’t let that happen again.”

Rook doesn’t respond immediately, and I run a hand through my hair, trying to calm the rage boiling inside me.

“She’s stronger than you think,” Rook says finally. “And she deserves the truth, not this bullshit martyr act you’re pulling.”

I close my eyes, the weight of his words sinking in. “It’s done, Rook. Just… make sure she stays safe.”

“Fine,” Rook says, his tone clipped. “But don’t think for a second this is over. Bonds don’t just disappear, Bane. You can’t run from this forever.”

“I’m not running,” I say, my voice hollow. “I’m protecting her.”

Rook sighs, but he doesn’t argue. “I’ll keep an eye on her, make sure she’s okay.”

“Thanks,” I say, and then I hang up, not waiting for a response.

I stare at the water for a long time as Rook’s words replay in my head, but I shove them aside.

I made my choice.

And even if it breaks me, I’ll live with it.

---