THE ALPHA WHO HATED ME - Chapter 47: Chapter 47

***Evangeline's POV**
Chaos exploded around us. Ronan shifted mid-leap, his wolf form slamming into the nearest hollow wolf. They rolled across the forest floor in a tangle of claws and teeth. The creature's yellow eyes blazed as it snapped at his throat.
I scrambled to my feet, pushing down the green light that wanted to burst from my skin. I couldn't let him see. Couldn't let him know what I was becoming.
Six more hollow wolves circled us like vultures. Their leader bared its fangs, saliva dripping from its mouth.
"Two prizes for the master," it hissed. "How generous."
Ronan's fist connected with the wolf beneath him. Bones cracked. The creature yelped and released its grip. He rolled away and shifted back, gray fur rippling across his skin.
But the others were already moving.
Three of them rushed him at once. Ronan met them head-on, his wolf form larger than I remembered. Stronger. His Alpha power blazed through the clearing like a beacon. These weren't ordinary wolves he was fighting. They were monsters. But he was an Alpha.
And Alphas were born to fight monsters.
Power burned through my veins, desperate to break free. I clenched my fists, forcing it down. Ronan couldn't see. No one could see.
"Stay back!" I shouted, backing toward the trees.
Ronan's wolf tore through the first hollow wolf like it was made of paper. Black blood sprayed across the forest floor. The creature shrieked and dissolved into shadow.
The others hesitated. They'd expected easy prey. Instead, they'd found a predator.
A hollow wolf lunged at me from the side. I dodged, stumbling over a fallen branch. The creature's claws missed me by inches. Its breath was hot and rotting as it spun to attack again.
I grabbed a thick stick from the ground, holding it like a weapon. My hands shook as the wolf stalked closer.
Then Ronan was there. His massive wolf form slammed into the creature, sending it flying into the trees. It hit the trunk with a wet crack and didn't get up.
The bond between us flared to life.
It hit me like a physical blow. Heat rushed through my chest, spreading outward until my whole body felt like it was on fire. The connection I'd thought was broken suddenly blazed brighter than the sun.
I could feel everything. Ronan's battle fury as he fought. His relief that I was alive. His wolf's fierce joy at protecting me. And underneath it all, something deeper. Something that made my heart skip.
He still cared.
The realization nearly brought me to my knees. Through the bond, I felt how frantic he'd been when he couldn't find me. How he'd searched for four hours straight, following my scent through the woods. How his wolf had gone nearly mad with worry.
But I also felt something else. Shame. Regret so deep it felt like drowning.
Ronan's wolf grabbed another hollow wolf by the throat and shook it like a rag doll. The creature went limp. He dropped it and spun to face the remaining four.
They backed away, suddenly uncertain. Their leader snarled but kept its distance.
"The Alpha is stronger than expected," it hissed.
"Retreat," another one said. "We'll return with more."
"No," the leader snapped. "The master wants them both. Tonight."
But even as it spoke, I could smell their fear. Ronan was winning. His Alpha strength was too much for them.
The leader lunged forward with desperate fury. Ronan met it head-on. They rolled across the clearing, teeth and claws flashing. But the outcome was never in doubt.
Ronan's jaws closed around the creature's neck. There was a wet snap, and the hollow wolf went still.
Something glinted in the dirt where the leader had fallen. A piece of torn fabric with a symbol burned into it - a star dripping with what looked like blood. I picked it up, my fingers trembling as I studied the mark.
The Blood Star. The thing the hollow wolf had mentioned. This was a message. A warning that they would return.
Ronan shifted back to human form, breathing hard. Blood ran down his chest from several wounds, but he was alive. Victorious.
I wanted to run to him. To touch those wounds and make sure he was okay. But the bond pulsing between us held me back. I couldn't let him see how much I cared.
A strange tingling spread across my palm where I'd gripped the stick. When I looked down, a faint crescent shape had burned itself into the wood, still glowing green. I dropped it quickly, hoping Ronan hadn't noticed.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, not looking at me.
"No," I said quietly. "You saved me."
"I saved pack," he corrected. "Nothing more."
The words cut deep, but I forced myself not to react. The bond thrummed between us, carrying emotions he was trying to hide. Relief. Protectiveness. Something that felt almost like...
"We should go," I said. "Before they come back with more."
Ronan nodded. He started to shift back to wolf form, then stopped. The bond pulsed between us, stronger than ever.
"The bond," he said quietly. "I can feel it."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "I know."
"It's not supposed to be this strong."
"No," I agreed. "It's not."
He turned to look at me then. His eyes were confused. Hurt. "I rejected you. It should be gone."
"Maybe," I said carefully, "the moon goddess has other plans."
"The moon goddess doesn't make mistakes." But his voice shook as he said it.
"Then maybe we're destined to be together," I whispered.
The words hung in the air between us. Ronan's face went pale.
"No," he said firmly. "Destiny is just an excuse for weak wolves who can't make hard choices."
"Is that what you think this is?" I gestured to the space between us where the bond hummed with life. "Weakness?"
"Yes." But the word came out broken.
Through the bond, I felt his truth. He didn't think it was weakness. He thought it was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to him.
"Then reject me again," I said. "If it's just weakness, it should be easy."
He opened his mouth. Closed it. The bond pulsed with his internal struggle.
"I..." he started.
"Say it," I pressed. "Tell me you don't want me. Tell me the bond means nothing."
"I don't want you," he said. But his voice was hollow. Empty.
"Liar."
"I'm not lying."
"Then why did you search for me?" I took a step closer. "Why did you risk your life to save me?"
"Because you're pack..."
"Stop," I cut him off. "Just stop. We both know that's not true."
The bond flared between us. This time, I caught flashes of his memories. The panic when he realized I was gone. The way he'd followed my scent through the woods. How he'd nearly shifted and torn apart his own room when he couldn't find me.
"You were scared," I said softly. "When you couldn't find me, you were terrified."
"How do you..." He stopped. His eyes went wide. "The bond. It's showing you my memories."
I nodded. "Just like it's showing me your lies."
"They're not lies."
"Every time you say you don't want me, the bond burns," I said. "Every time you call it a mistake, it gets stronger."
He pressed his hand to his chest where the bond lived. "This isn't real. It can't be real."
"Why?" I asked. "Because I'm beneath you? Because I'm just an omega nobody?"
"Yes," he said. But the word came out like a sob.
"Then why won't it break?" I stepped closer. "Why does it keep getting stronger every time we're together?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe," I said quietly, "it's because we belong together. Maybe the moon goddess knows something you don't."
"The moon goddess paired me with Celeste," he said desperately. "I'm supposed to marry her. Lead the pack with her."
"Did she?" I asked. "Or did your father arrange that match because it was politically convenient?"
Ronan flinched. "It doesn't matter. I have duties. Responsibilities."
"To who? To a pack that treats people like me as disposable?"
"To everyone depending on me to make the right choice."
"And what if the right choice isn't the easy one?" I was close enough to touch him now. "What if the right choice is the one that scares you?"
"I'm not scared."
But through the bond, I could feel his terror. Not of me. Of himself. Of what he might do if he let himself feel what the bond was showing him.
"You are," I whispered. "You're terrified that if you let yourself love me, you'll never be able to stop."
"I don't love you."
The lie hit the bond like lightning. Pain shot through both of us. Ronan doubled over, gasping.
"Stop lying," I said through gritted teeth. "It's hurting both of us."
"I can't," he said. "I can't love you. I won't."
"Why?"
"Because you're not good enough!" The words exploded out of him. "Because you're weak and broken and beneath me in every way that matters!"
Each word was a dagger in my heart. But through the bond, I felt his truth. He didn't believe any of it. He was just desperate to make me go away before he lost control completely.
For a moment, doubt crept in. What if he was right? What if I was just an unwanted mistake, born to be rejected? The thought made my chest tight with fear.
"I am weak," I said quietly, pushing the doubt away. "I am broken. But I'm still your mate."
"You're nothing to me."
"Then prove it," I challenged. "Kiss me."
His eyes went wide. "What?"
"If I mean nothing to you, if this bond is just magic playing tricks, then kissing me should feel like nothing." I stepped closer. "So prove it."
"I won't."
"Because you're afraid," I said. "You're afraid that if you kiss me, you'll feel everything the bond is trying to show you."
"I'm not afraid of anything."
"Then do it."
We stared at each other in the moonlight. The bond pulsed between us, carrying all the emotions he was trying to deny.
Slowly, reluctantly, he reached out and touched my face. His hand was shaking.
"This proves nothing," he said.
"Then you have nothing to lose."
He leaned closer. I could feel his breath against my lips. The bond sang between us, electric and alive.
A memory flashed through my mind - the first night I'd seen him at school. How he'd looked like a god walking among mortals. How I'd thought someone like him could never notice someone like me. Now here we were, so close I could count his heartbeats.
Then he jerked away like I'd burned him.
"No," he said. "I won't do this."
"Because you know," I said softly. "You know that if you kiss me, you won't be able to pretend anymore."
"There's nothing to pretend about."
"Isn't there?"
He turned away from me. "We're going back to school. We're going to pretend this never happened. And you're going to stay away from me."
"What about the bond?"
"Will fade," he said. "Eventually."
"Will it?" I asked. "Or will it keep getting stronger until it drives us both insane?"
He didn't answer. But through the bond, I felt his fear that I was right.
"Stay away from me, Evangeline," he said without looking back. "I'm warning you."
"Or what?"
He finally turned to face me. His eyes were cold. Empty. The mask was back in place.
"Or I'll make you wish you had."
The words cut deeper than any blade. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold the pieces together.
"Understood," I whispered.
He shifted to wolf form and disappeared into the trees without another word.
I stood alone in the clearing, surrounded by the bodies of hollow wolves. The bond pulsed weakly in my chest, carrying the echo of his pain.
He could lie to himself all he wanted. He could threaten me and push me away and pretend I meant nothing.
But the bond knew the truth.
We were destined to be together.
And destiny, it seemed, was stronger than fear.
But as I turned to leave, a silver glint caught my eye in the darkness. A pair of eyes watched me from the trees. And unlike Ronan's, they weren't filled with amusement and loneliness.
They were filled with recognition.