Page 155 of Her Destined Alpha
Seeing my matein so much pain hurt, yet at the same time, I was torn. Her stubbornness was blinding her…
She refused to listen, eat, or even speak. In the end, I resorted to calling Amir, her father. Knowing of his hatred, I wasn’t sure how he’d take it, but one thing I knew about the older man was that he was wise. Despite his strong opinions and traditional ways, he was fair and believed in reason. I just hoped he would see reason this time as well.
I opened the door to our bedroom, looking at my beautiful mate as she sat on the bed. Her long black hair was braided, and her white silk nightdress did little to hide the four large scars that ran across her back, making my chest squeeze painfully, scars that she kept hidden from all.
I walked over to her, knelt beside her, and took her hand in mine. She didn’t look at me. Her eyes held pain.
“Go away, Rafael,” she said softly, her chest heaving. I kissed her knuckles softly, reached up, and caressed her cheek.
“Please, my dove, don’t do this,” I whispered.
“I have taught my children love, I have tried… tried my best to shape Rayhan into a loving, caring young man who would never raise a hand to a woman or an innocent… but in the end, the Rossi blood runs deep. Endora’s blood runs deep… what of mine?” she asked me, her eyes pained. My heart ached seeing the agony she was in. I knew where her doubt came from, our past…
“Raihana and Rayhan are still your children that you raised. They love you, and they will never let you down,” I said softly.
“I can’t accept that Raihana is a witch. Don’t you understand the darkness that comes with that power, Rafael?” she whispered, staring down at me, her gorgeous grey eyes full of pain and anguish.
“A darkness she will fight. Not all witches are dark-”
“Endora was darkness! I don’t know about Delsanra, but Raihana has Endora’s blood running through her! My Raihana!”
“And she is still yours,” I reminded her. “This is my fault. After all, I’m the one who passed that lineage down to them. Then blame me, hate me, not them.” She looked at me, shaking her head, angrily pulling away as she brushed her tears aside.
“Blame you? All my life, all I hear from you is to blame you! Rafael! You are the only person who puts everyone else before yourself. That will be your downfall,” she said, standing up. “Just the way it almost was years ago…”
She walked away, and I closed my eyes. My chest tightened painfully as that fateful day flashed before my eyes. The day my mate suffered so greatly because of me…
NINETEEN YEARS AGO
Once again, Alejandro had lost control. His anger was raging free, but I refused to hurt him. Trying my best to calm him down, I was getting hurt in the process, but I’d heal like every other time. Although this time… he was angrier than ever.
Maria, stay away!I shouted through the link, watching her standing by the open window, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched Alejandro attack me again. I hated that I subjected her to it, but it had to be me. I couldn’t allow the others to know what he was. I had made sure no one was on the mansion grounds. There, it was just my family and me.
Almost every other day, she was forced to watch her mate get hurt. I hated seeing her in pain, but I was torn between the love I had for my brother, who needed support, and the love I had for my mate.
In the beginning, she would shout and scream at me to let him go, to stop allowing him to be around us when he was harming me, but I refused to. He needed someone, and I would always be that rock for him.
I vowed I’d always give her every other happiness in life and listen to her every wish because even though she’d begun to hate my brother for the way he treated me, over time, she’d learned to remain silent about it, becoming accustomed to it somewhat. After every beating, she rushed to my side to treat my injuries, crying quietly as she tended to me.
The pain we feel when our mates are hurt is no small feat, and my dove had been put through it, time and again. Sometimes she would just turn away, not able to bear watching me go through it. The pain she felt as she watched me struggle to contain Alejandro’s Lycan form cut through my heart every single time.
This time it was worse than before. The rain was pouring down, and Alejandro was on a rampage. I wasn’t able to control him, not this time. Some of the wolves had triggered him off so badly.
I told Maria to lock the doors and stay inside with Rayhan. We had just found out she was pregnant with our second pup too. But she didn’t listen.
Alejandro was ready to tear me apart. I was falling to the ground with Alejandro lunging at me for the finishing strike when Maria’s scream pierced the air as she rushed from the house. Falling to her knees, she wrapped her arms around me, shielding me from his attack, only for his claws to rip through her back.
Her fragile body trembled as she tried to protect me right before I fell unconscious, sensing her body falling on top of me, the smell of blood strong in the air…
That injury had been so deep that, although it healed, it left deep scars. After all, her pregnancy with Raihana had weakened her greatly. We never knew why, but the result was that she would always hold the reminder of that night on her back. One that she never liked to mention.
The night she saved my life was the night she also saved Alejandro from more guilt. He didn’t remember what happened that night, and we never told him because she said it wasn’t necessary as she was fine. But I also knew it was because of the fear I had that he would run away. For me, she did things without rubbing it in or stating she was doing it for me.
She was my rock, the one who had the patience to stand by my side through all my decisions, no matter how painful they were to her. She never told anyone, although I knew if she had told her father or brother, they would have been hell-bent on killing Alejandro and taking her from me.
I knew people said she’s aloof and closed off, but beneath that exterior is a woman who was forced to watch her mate being beaten time and time again. A woman who grew to fear Alejandro, and I didn’t blame her, but I also didn’t blame him. She was a woman who pretended everything was okay, showing the world that she was strong and able.
I knew her reaction was a way to protect herself from further pain by lashing out and trying to keep herself safe. To pray that it somehow went away. It was a defence mechanism, but I also needed to show her she wasn’t right about our little princess…
