The Alpha's Runaway Queen

Chapter 26 - I'm engaged

Jasmine POV

I woke up abruptly, my body still wracked with pain. My mind was foggy, but one thought cut through the haze: I had to call Sean. He must be worried sick about me. I looked around the room, disoriented, before spotting my bag on a nearby chair. Every movement was agonizing, but I managed to drag myself over to it, feeling a wave of relief as I fished out my phone.

My heart raced when I saw a few missed calls and messages from Sean. My mind was already thinking of excuses to tell him. Panic rose as scanned through the messages. At first, he was reminding me to call him when I needed him to pick me up. However, upon reading the last message, my panic turned to a sigh of relief.

“Sorry, Jas, a client called. I had to leave for an urgent trip. I won’t be back until after two days. Take care of yourself. I love you.”

I tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. I left a message, trying to keep my voice steady despite the pain. “Hey, Sean, I got your message. Don’t worry about me. Take care of yourself, too. I’ll see you when you get back. I love you, too.”

My immediate concern then was to get home and take my potion. Reagan would have to understand. My heat was unbearable, and the potion was my only recourse. Before seeing him, I dragged myself again inside the bathroom to freshen up. The cool water on my face offered a momentary reprieve, and I was tempted to take a bath to ease the heat. However, the potion would be far more effective.

I was about to see Reagan when he entered the room with a food trolley. The smell of the food should have made my stomach growl, but my senses were all filled with Reagan’s essence, and my body was too consumed with the effects of my heat.

“I need to go home for the potion,” I said quietly. “I’ll make myself available for us to talk at a later date, after my heat and after I clear my work schedule.” I didn’t know how to get out of my work at the hospital, but I was sure I could come up with a good excuse soon.

Reagan’s eyes hardened. “You’re not going anywhere, Jasmine.”

I took a step back. “Reagan, please. I need the potion to get through my heat.”

He shook his head, stepping closer. “There’s another way to get through your heat.”

I understood what he was implying, and my body yearned for him. The bond we shared pulled me towards him, my heart aching with the desire I had suppressed for so long. But my mind screamed in protest. I would be cheating on Sam. He didn’t deserve to be cheated.

“Reagan, no,” I said with my voice trembling. “I can’t.”

His eyes softened slightly. “Why Jasmine? We are mates. This should be natural for us.”

“I’ll tell you another time. Right now, what I need is my potion. Please,” I begged.

“No. You can’t get to run away again, Jas. Not on my watch,” he replied.

“I’m not going to run away. I will see you in a few days.” I stood my ground. There was no way I would spill any details as our discussion would go on forever, not when I was in a state I couldn’t think properly.

“When I said no, it’s a no.” Reagan was determined not to let me go.

I sat on the bed as tears escaped from my eyes. “I’m engaged,” I said. “It’s not fair to Sean. I can’t do this to him.”

“Engaged? What the f**k, Jasmine!” Reagan’s face was twisted in anger and pain. “Who is this Sean? A human? Damn you, Jas! You belong to me. You’re my mate.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. But what can I do now? I’m sorry, Reagan, but we cannot be with each other anymore. I am already committed to Sean. I can’t betray that.” I covered my face with my hands as I sobbed.

“Can you hear yourself? What do you know about commitment and betrayal?” My used-to-be best friend spat out the words with bitterness. He took a step closer, as I wiped away my tears. His hand reached out around my throat, not tight enough to choke me, but enough to make me feel the threat. “I want you to remember who you are. I wanted you to remember what we had.”

I took courage and breathed in. “I never forgot. But things are different now. I thought you had a family already, Reagan. And I’ve built a life here. I have responsibilities.”

His eyes were intense. “And what about your responsibilities to me? To the pack?”

“Reject me then,” I said courageously.

He pulled away and then said, “No one will reject or will be rejected. This is just another challenge for us. We can get through this, Jasmine. Together.” He knelt in front of me and reached out to touch my face. The warmth of his touch sent shivers down my spine, but I pulled away.

“I can’t,” I whispered. “Please, Reagan. Let’s have this talk another day. I’m getting weaker by the second. The pain is killing me. I need to go home.”

Before Reagan could respond, a loud knock echoed through the room, startling us both. He turned towards the door with his body tensed. “Stay here,” he ordered.

I watched as he walked to the door. He opened it, and the figure standing there made my blood boil in anger. He was the man I saw last night, taking me to the black car. His face was pale and eyes wide with urgency.

“Alpha,” he said in a trembling voice. “There’s been an incident. You need to come quickly.”

Reagan glanced back at me, his expression conflicted. “Give me five minutes. We’ll get your potion then.” He then followed the pack member out of the room.

I sat there, my mind reeling. What kind of urgency could have caused such urgency? And what would happen now that Reagan knew I was engaged to Sam?

Grabbing a pillow, I covered my face with it and then screamed with the energy left in my body. The pain of my heat was nothing compared to the turmoil in my heart. How had everything spiraled out of control so quickly?

I knew one thing for certain: there would be chaos in my life again. The bond between me and Reagan was too strong, the connection too deep. However, with Sean in the picture, things were more complicated than ever. Would I also want to go back to Reagan’s queen? The thought made me want to faint.

The weight of my choices pressed down on me as I continued to cry. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was only the beginning. The real test was yet to come, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it.