Alpha Alec's Redemption - Chapter 143: Chapter 143
You are reading Alpha Alec's Redemption, Chapter 143: Chapter 143. Read more chapters of Alpha Alec's Redemption.
Sadie.
I’d just come from a run. Sleep had been a distant thought, elusive and half-formed, slipping from my grasp every time I closed my eyes. My mind had been too full of everything and nothing. When day came, and I still couldn’t get any sleep, I decided to go for a run to clear my head before I started my day.
Aspen wasn’t in the room when I got back, and by the time on my phone, she had probably already had breakfast and was either with Martha or playing.
I padded to the bathroom, needing something to wash away the ache pressing against my chest. I turned the shower on hot and stepped under the stream, pressing my back against the cold tile as the water poured down my body. I stood there for what felt like forever, trying to sort through everything that had unraveled in the past twenty-four hours.
Nyx’s words echoed in my head.
Xena and Kaden are mated… but they’re not true mates.
How was that even possible? You couldn’t mark someone who wasn’t your fated mate. It went against every law we knew, every piece of biology and magic in our world. Unless… unless Kaden being a demigod changed the rules. How does being mated to a demigod even work?
I scrubbed a hand down my face, frustrated. No matter how I twisted the puzzle, the pieces didn’t fit.
Eventually, I got out, dried off, and pulled on a soft pair of gray leggings and a loose tank top. I went back into the room, put my shoes on and left.
But my thoughts wouldn’t settle, even as I settled in the kitchen for breakfast.
They drifted to Alec.
To the way he had stood there in my doorway last night, sheepish but gentle. His eyes had softened when they landed on Aspen. And when he’d kissed her forehead, his lips had lingered, as if he were grounding himself with her. And then… then there was that moment between us. That silent, tense moment when the air had grown thick with something unspoken. His scent had infiltrated my senses—earthy and warm, like cedar and smoke—and my body had responded in a way that made my skin burn.
I’d wanted him. Desperately. Shamefully.
The bond was getting stronger, and I hated it. Hated the way it pulled me to him, the way it twisted my emotions until I couldn’t tell what was real and what was the pull of the moon. But if I was honest with myself—which I rarely was—there was a part of me that wanted it. That wanted him.
And that scared me more than anything else.
Because I had buried those feelings for Alec a long time ago.
Or at least… I thought I had. I shouldn’t be feeling anything for him. I shouldn’t be wanting him despite the effects of the moon, so why was I desperate for him? I was sure the feelings I had for him died in the dungeons three years ago, so why were they bubbling to the surface all of a sudden?
Is it because of the bond or because they never really died? They were just buried under rubbles of hatred, anger and bitterness?
I was still tangled in that thought when my phone rang. I blinked at it for a second before picking it up.
“King,” I greeted softly.
“Hey, Sadie,” his voice was warm and familiar. Comforting. “Just checking in. How’s everything going over there?”
I let out a breath. “Busy. Complicated. Exhausting.”
He chuckled. “Sounds about right. The pack’s doing good, though. We’ve gotten a couple of new contracts signed, and a few packs from up north are considering merging with us.”
“That’s great news,” I said, allowing myself a small smile. “And the warriors?”
“Holding strong. They’ve been training hard, especially after the last hybrid hunt. Morale is decent. Everyone’s just… waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” I asked, already suspecting the answer.
“For the next move. The next strike. Something. But here’s the weird part, Sadie—there haven’t been any sightings. Nothing. No rogue movements. No werewolf attacks. It’s quiet. Too quiet.”
I frowned, my hand gripping the phone tighter. “That’s not good.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not. Something’s coming. I can feel it.”
We fell into silence for a moment before I began to fill him in on what we’d uncovered—Xena, Kaden, the hybrids, the memory wipe. Everything. By the time I finished, he was completely silent on the other end.
“Damn,” he finally breathed. “You weren’t kidding about complicated.”
“No,” I whispered. “I wasn’t.”
“And Alec?” he asked carefully.
I paused. “Things are… more complicated by the second.”
King sighed, but it wasn’t a frustrated sound. It was thoughtful. “Do you still feel something for him?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. The silence stretched until it felt like it would choke me.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “I’m not telling you to give him a chance, Sadie. That’s your choice. But I think… I think it’s time to stop hiding.”
“Hiding?” I repeated, my voice hollow.
“You think you healed from what happened, but you didn’t. You just got really good at pretending it didn’t hurt anymore. At locking it away. But burying your feelings isn’t the same as healing. Healing means letting go of the past—not just locking it in a box and pretending it doesn’t exist.”
His words landed like a weight on my chest.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.
“I’ll reach out to some of my contacts,” he continued when I didn’t speak. “See if I can dig up anything about Kaden or Xena. Before I forget, say hi to my favorite niece.”
“Thanks, King, I will.” I murmured.
“Anytime. And Sadie?”
“Yeah?”
“Be kind to yourself. Okay?”
He hung up before I could reply.
I stared at the screen for a long time, his words still echoing in my head. Burying your feelings isn’t the same as healing.
I hated that he was right.
I hated it even more because I didn’t know what to do about it.
I pushed the thoughts away and reached out through the mind-link. Meet me at the training ground in ten, I told my warriors. We’ve got work to do.
They arrived within minutes, forming a tight semi-circle around me. Familiar faces, familiar strengths. My pack.
“What’s up, boss?” one of them asked, stretching.
I smiled faintly. “We’ll be helping Alec’s warriors train. Starting today.”
A chorus of cheers and mutters of excitement followed.
“Finally,” someone groaned. “I was getting bored. I swear I’ve memorized every crack in this packhouse.”
I laughed; the sound surprised even me. “Well, you’re about to get a challenge, because training will be different given you’ll have a hybrid training you.”
Wide eyes stared back at me.
“You are not joking, are you?” one of them asked, shock written all over his face.
“No, I’m not.”
I expected them to be angry as I filled them in, but they weren’t. The shock in their faces soon turned into excitement.
“This will be interesting.” Miles, a warlock and one of my best warriors, said with a smirk. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like going head-to-head with one without worrying about being killed.”
I chuckled, feeling proud of my warriors. “Well, you are about to find out.”
I gave them a few instructions as we made our way to the field. But the second we stepped onto the training ground, I stopped in my tracks.
There, in the center of the field, was Alec.
And Aspen.
He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. His hand rested on her small back. Her tiny hands were cupped around his face as she grinned up at him like he was her entire universe. And when he kissed her forehead, I felt my heart splinter.
He looked… full. Content. Complete.
And I hated how much that made me ache.
They noticed me then. Aspen turned, her face lighting up.
“There she is!” she screamed, pointing at me. “I found him! I told you I’d find him, mommy!”
My legs felt like they were made of lead.
She ran over and wrapped her arms around my legs, babbling about how she knew Alec was somewhere nearby and that she was right. That she used her nose.
She had told me before I left for my run that she dreamed of him and that she could find him by smell. I honestly didn’t take her seriously, but maybe I should have.
I forced my legs to move, telling my warriors to go warm up. Their faces were filled with awe as they watched Brian, but my focus wasn’t on the excitement in their faces. My feet led me toward Alec, Micah, and Jason. I stopped beside them, heart still racing.
“You okay?” Alec asked quietly, his voice close to my ear.
I nodded, forcing a smile toward Aspen. “Yeah. Just tired.”
But it was a lie.
Because inside, I was crumbling.
King’s words still echoed in my chest, and the sight of Alec and Aspen had ripped something open in me.
No matter how much I tried to fight it, deny it, bury it…
I craved this.
I craved him.
I craved a family of my own.
Even if I wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.
I’d just come from a run. Sleep had been a distant thought, elusive and half-formed, slipping from my grasp every time I closed my eyes. My mind had been too full of everything and nothing. When day came, and I still couldn’t get any sleep, I decided to go for a run to clear my head before I started my day.
Aspen wasn’t in the room when I got back, and by the time on my phone, she had probably already had breakfast and was either with Martha or playing.
I padded to the bathroom, needing something to wash away the ache pressing against my chest. I turned the shower on hot and stepped under the stream, pressing my back against the cold tile as the water poured down my body. I stood there for what felt like forever, trying to sort through everything that had unraveled in the past twenty-four hours.
Nyx’s words echoed in my head.
Xena and Kaden are mated… but they’re not true mates.
How was that even possible? You couldn’t mark someone who wasn’t your fated mate. It went against every law we knew, every piece of biology and magic in our world. Unless… unless Kaden being a demigod changed the rules. How does being mated to a demigod even work?
I scrubbed a hand down my face, frustrated. No matter how I twisted the puzzle, the pieces didn’t fit.
Eventually, I got out, dried off, and pulled on a soft pair of gray leggings and a loose tank top. I went back into the room, put my shoes on and left.
But my thoughts wouldn’t settle, even as I settled in the kitchen for breakfast.
They drifted to Alec.
To the way he had stood there in my doorway last night, sheepish but gentle. His eyes had softened when they landed on Aspen. And when he’d kissed her forehead, his lips had lingered, as if he were grounding himself with her. And then… then there was that moment between us. That silent, tense moment when the air had grown thick with something unspoken. His scent had infiltrated my senses—earthy and warm, like cedar and smoke—and my body had responded in a way that made my skin burn.
I’d wanted him. Desperately. Shamefully.
The bond was getting stronger, and I hated it. Hated the way it pulled me to him, the way it twisted my emotions until I couldn’t tell what was real and what was the pull of the moon. But if I was honest with myself—which I rarely was—there was a part of me that wanted it. That wanted him.
And that scared me more than anything else.
Because I had buried those feelings for Alec a long time ago.
Or at least… I thought I had. I shouldn’t be feeling anything for him. I shouldn’t be wanting him despite the effects of the moon, so why was I desperate for him? I was sure the feelings I had for him died in the dungeons three years ago, so why were they bubbling to the surface all of a sudden?
Is it because of the bond or because they never really died? They were just buried under rubbles of hatred, anger and bitterness?
I was still tangled in that thought when my phone rang. I blinked at it for a second before picking it up.
“King,” I greeted softly.
“Hey, Sadie,” his voice was warm and familiar. Comforting. “Just checking in. How’s everything going over there?”
I let out a breath. “Busy. Complicated. Exhausting.”
He chuckled. “Sounds about right. The pack’s doing good, though. We’ve gotten a couple of new contracts signed, and a few packs from up north are considering merging with us.”
“That’s great news,” I said, allowing myself a small smile. “And the warriors?”
“Holding strong. They’ve been training hard, especially after the last hybrid hunt. Morale is decent. Everyone’s just… waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” I asked, already suspecting the answer.
“For the next move. The next strike. Something. But here’s the weird part, Sadie—there haven’t been any sightings. Nothing. No rogue movements. No werewolf attacks. It’s quiet. Too quiet.”
I frowned, my hand gripping the phone tighter. “That’s not good.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not. Something’s coming. I can feel it.”
We fell into silence for a moment before I began to fill him in on what we’d uncovered—Xena, Kaden, the hybrids, the memory wipe. Everything. By the time I finished, he was completely silent on the other end.
“Damn,” he finally breathed. “You weren’t kidding about complicated.”
“No,” I whispered. “I wasn’t.”
“And Alec?” he asked carefully.
I paused. “Things are… more complicated by the second.”
King sighed, but it wasn’t a frustrated sound. It was thoughtful. “Do you still feel something for him?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. The silence stretched until it felt like it would choke me.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he said gently. “I’m not telling you to give him a chance, Sadie. That’s your choice. But I think… I think it’s time to stop hiding.”
“Hiding?” I repeated, my voice hollow.
“You think you healed from what happened, but you didn’t. You just got really good at pretending it didn’t hurt anymore. At locking it away. But burying your feelings isn’t the same as healing. Healing means letting go of the past—not just locking it in a box and pretending it doesn’t exist.”
His words landed like a weight on my chest.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.
“I’ll reach out to some of my contacts,” he continued when I didn’t speak. “See if I can dig up anything about Kaden or Xena. Before I forget, say hi to my favorite niece.”
“Thanks, King, I will.” I murmured.
“Anytime. And Sadie?”
“Yeah?”
“Be kind to yourself. Okay?”
He hung up before I could reply.
I stared at the screen for a long time, his words still echoing in my head. Burying your feelings isn’t the same as healing.
I hated that he was right.
I hated it even more because I didn’t know what to do about it.
I pushed the thoughts away and reached out through the mind-link. Meet me at the training ground in ten, I told my warriors. We’ve got work to do.
They arrived within minutes, forming a tight semi-circle around me. Familiar faces, familiar strengths. My pack.
“What’s up, boss?” one of them asked, stretching.
I smiled faintly. “We’ll be helping Alec’s warriors train. Starting today.”
A chorus of cheers and mutters of excitement followed.
“Finally,” someone groaned. “I was getting bored. I swear I’ve memorized every crack in this packhouse.”
I laughed; the sound surprised even me. “Well, you’re about to get a challenge, because training will be different given you’ll have a hybrid training you.”
Wide eyes stared back at me.
“You are not joking, are you?” one of them asked, shock written all over his face.
“No, I’m not.”
I expected them to be angry as I filled them in, but they weren’t. The shock in their faces soon turned into excitement.
“This will be interesting.” Miles, a warlock and one of my best warriors, said with a smirk. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like going head-to-head with one without worrying about being killed.”
I chuckled, feeling proud of my warriors. “Well, you are about to find out.”
I gave them a few instructions as we made our way to the field. But the second we stepped onto the training ground, I stopped in my tracks.
There, in the center of the field, was Alec.
And Aspen.
He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. His hand rested on her small back. Her tiny hands were cupped around his face as she grinned up at him like he was her entire universe. And when he kissed her forehead, I felt my heart splinter.
He looked… full. Content. Complete.
And I hated how much that made me ache.
They noticed me then. Aspen turned, her face lighting up.
“There she is!” she screamed, pointing at me. “I found him! I told you I’d find him, mommy!”
My legs felt like they were made of lead.
She ran over and wrapped her arms around my legs, babbling about how she knew Alec was somewhere nearby and that she was right. That she used her nose.
She had told me before I left for my run that she dreamed of him and that she could find him by smell. I honestly didn’t take her seriously, but maybe I should have.
I forced my legs to move, telling my warriors to go warm up. Their faces were filled with awe as they watched Brian, but my focus wasn’t on the excitement in their faces. My feet led me toward Alec, Micah, and Jason. I stopped beside them, heart still racing.
“You okay?” Alec asked quietly, his voice close to my ear.
I nodded, forcing a smile toward Aspen. “Yeah. Just tired.”
But it was a lie.
Because inside, I was crumbling.
King’s words still echoed in my chest, and the sight of Alec and Aspen had ripped something open in me.
No matter how much I tried to fight it, deny it, bury it…
I craved this.
I craved him.
I craved a family of my own.
Even if I wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.
End of Alpha Alec's Redemption Chapter 143. Continue reading Chapter 144 or return to Alpha Alec's Redemption book page.