The Alpha's Scorned

Not A Goodbye

...Wynter's POV...

After Alpha Xander left, I was left standing there alone. I crumbled to my knees, not able to keep my tears locked away any longer. It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. I had to decide between Darius and my pack. It was a decision I never thought I would ever have to make. But I knew their fates rested in my hands. I had no choice but to accept Alpha Xander's command. As much as I hated myself for it, I couldn't risk the lives of my pack members. They each had helped me in so many ways. The least I could do is protect them.

This was something I could control. If anything happened to them, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Regardless of what happened, I would know that they died because of me. Their deaths would be on my hands. If there was any way to prevent it, then it meant that I had no other option. I had to stay away from Darius.

I hated what I was about to do, but I had no choice. There was no other option. As Alpha Xander stated, he had me exactly where he wanted me. I was nothing but a pawn in his game, and he had singlehandedly backed me up against a wall, forcing my hand.

Whether I listened to him or not, he would win. As it would be the challenge he had been waiting for. To kill a bunch of rogues mercilessly. Like Darius had told me, his father is a kill now, think later type of person. He wouldn't hesitate to have them killed.

I lay back on the grass in a fetal position, calming myself down before I did the one thing I thought I would never have to do...

...Darius POV...

It was a few days before Wynter's birthday, and I wanted to surprise her. Normally around this time, she likes to visit a nearby lake. So I wanted to surprise her with an early birthday present. From what she had told me, she never celebrated her birthday.

That made me want to give her the birthday she truly deserved. I had gone to a local jeweller and had them handcraft a necklace for her. It was a simple white gold necklace. The pendant was shaped like a snowflake, as it reminded me of her. On the back, I had it engraved with a special quote. It said, 'True friends are never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart.' I felt it fit perfectly with our lives. While we couldn't be together, I knew she would always be my future. I couldn't see a future without her in it. Regardless of what role she played in it. Whether it was as a best friend or mate, I knew we were fated to be together.

Once school was over, I ran to my locker, grabbed the present, and placed it in my bag. I then ran outside to where I had parked my motorcycle. For my thirteenth birthday, my dad bought me a motorcycle. It wasn't an actual motorcycle and rather more of a dirt bike. But I loved it all the same. It gave me the independence I craved. It also garnered me a lot of unwanted female attention. I never paid any attention to any of their advances. For me, it would only ever be Wynter. None of these girls would ever be able to hold a candle to her, which made me only more sure that Wynter must be my mate.

I smiled to myself as I got on my bike and made my way to the lakeside, hoping to see her. It was about a thirty-minute trek, but I managed to get there in good time. 

However, nothing could've prepared me for what I found when I got there.

Leaning my bike along a tree, I rushed to the lake, hoping to catch her before she left. At first, I thought I had missed her, as I didn't see any sign of her. Out of the corner of my eye, I managed to see a small ball-like thing. I looked towards it, trying to figure out what it was when I realized that it was Wynter.

"Oh, my goddess! Wynter!" I shouted, rushing to her side. 

I picked her up in my arms and held her close to me.

"Wynter! Talk to me! What's going on? What happened?" I ask.

I begin to wonder what could've happened for her to be like this right now. However, nothing seemed to come to mind.

I continued to hold her in my embrace as she cried herself out. I was desperate to know who or what had hurt her like this. I was absolutely livid. I hated seeing her like this. She was such a strong girl. She didn't deserve to be hurt like this.

"I can't..." She said, after a while, once she had calmed down.

"Can't what?" I ask, egging her on.

"I.. can't.." She said, this time in between sobs.

I continued to hold her tight in my arms. I smiled, knowing that my touch was helping to calm her.

"I... can't.. see..." She began to state once more, however, once again stopping herself mid-sentence.

"Can't see what?" I ask once more.

I notice how she suddenly looks away from me. She stands up in front of me, avoiding my gaze. She turns away from me as if it's too difficult to look at me right now.

"I can't see you anymore." She manages to get out on the fourth attempt.

"What?" I gasp, caught by surprise.

"What do you mean you can't see me anymore?" I ask, not expecting her to say that.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask, pleading with her. If I did something wrong, I would do anything to get back in her good graces.

"No. We can't see each other anymore." She reiterates.

"What do you mean? Why are you saying this?" I ask her.

She spins to look at me. The strong girl I once knew is now replaced by the shell of the one that stands before me.

"If we continue to see each other, your father will kill my pack members." She states.

The sudden dawning of what happened makes me absolutely furious. I could feel my blood boiling in my veins. Of course, this was because of my father. I should've known that he would do something like this.

I walk closer to her, holding her in my arms. Hoping that the contact will help to relax her.  I kneel down, getting closer to her height so that way she can feel more comfortable with me. 

Over the past few weeks, we had found out that she's an empath, which means that she can feel the emotions of others. So when I hold her close to me, I think of all the times we've shared, focusing on all of the good things, hoping it will erase the bad.

Wynter spins around in my embrace and rests one of her tiny hands on my stomach as she buries her face in my chest. Her arm wraps around me tightly, holding me flush to her. I know she needs me just as much as I need her. In such a short amount of time, she has become my calm to my storm, my yin to my yang. I know she feels the same from our bond, which is why this must be killing her right now.

"It'll be ok. We'll figure this out." I say to her, trying to stay positive.

However, my words only begin to trigger her as she steps away from me.

"There's nothing to figure out. He won. Your father won this time. We don't have any other option. He'll kill my friends if I don't stay away from you. If anything, we both know he hopes that I'll stay with you to give him a reason to kill some rogues." She states, walking away from me and closer to the lake.

I know she's right. As much as I want to be her knight in shining armour, I know when to raise the white flag in defeat. There really isn't anything we can do. As much as I love my father, I know he's cold and calculated. Traits I used to admire until I became a victim in one of his plans. 

'There had to be some sort of loophole. This couldn't be the end for us. I needed to find a way for us to be together.' I thought to myself.

All of a sudden, Wynter turns around to face me. I watch as her eyes glaze over. At first, I thought it was because of the tears, but soon images began to flash in my mind. I was caught off guard when I saw my father's warriors ripping through her pack. Killing everyone in their sight. It was a bloody m******e. Bodies were lying everywhere as Wynter kneeled in the middle, sobbing. 

I knew exactly what this was. It was an image my father had given her. It was this image that was plaguing her mind right now. I had to find a way to stop this. To stop the unnecessary bloodshed. 

"There's no solution." She says, bringing my attention back to her.

"There has to be. I can't let you go." I say, almost coming to tears myself.

"I don't want that either, but we don't have another choice. If we don't stay away from each other, he'll come after my pack. If they die, their deaths will be on my hands. It will be my fault that they died. I wouldn't be able to survive that." She states, crumbling to her knees.

I pick her up, wrapping my arms around her once more. As much as I hate the idea of it, I know she's right. At least for now. Until I can find a way to keep her pack safe so that we can be together again.

I wipe her tears away from her face and turn her head to face mine.

"This isn't a goodbye." I state.

She looks up at me curiously, tilting her head towards her shoulder.

"This is 'until I see you again'." I state, with a smile on my face.

"I need you to believe that as well. Believe in me. Believe in us." I say, running my thumb along her eyelids, wiping the tears from her face.

"I need you to believe that I'll find a way out of this." I state, placing her head in the crook of my neck as I run my hand along the back of her head.

"It's not a goodbye." She says after a moment, making me smile.

"It's not a goodbye." I repeat.

I place a gentle kiss on her forehead as she continues to calm down in my arms.

Suddenly I remember the reason why I came here in the first place. I reach over and grab the bag that I had dropped on the ground when I saw her circled up into a ball.

I rummage through it trying to find the box. My hand finally comes in contact with it. 

I pull Wynter away from me slightly, so she can see what I'm doing. I smile as she looks up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers. I smile as I hand her the gift in my hand.

"I wanted to surprise you for your birthday. Now that we can't be together, I think it's only fitting that I give this to you now." I say, handing her the box.

"What is it?" She asks, making me laugh.

"Silly, I can't tell you that. You'll have to open it to find out." I say, placing another kiss on her forehead.

She timidly grabs the box from my hand and opens it. I smile as she looks at the necklace in awe. I reach down a take it out of the box, securing it to her neck.

"Darius..." She says, speechless.

"It's beautiful." She says, turning her gaze to meet mine.

"Just like you." I say to her.

I watch as her finger runs over the inscription on the back of the necklace.

"What does it say?" She asks.

"True friends are never apart. Perhaps in distance, but never in heart." I repeat the quote to her.

It's amazing how fitting that transcription has come to be.

"You'll always be in my heart, regardless of where you are." I say to her. 

She gives me a side smile, then wraps her arms around my neck. I don't know how long we sit like that, but before we know it, the sun begins to set. We continue to hold onto each other as we watch the sunset over the lake. 

After a while, I stand up and carefully pull her up with me. 

"I'll take you back home." I say, leading her to my bike.