Hybrid Alpha’s Prettiest Obsession

beastly love

Mina

Unspoken words lodged within our throats as we walked in awkward silence. The only sound that filled the air was the crunch of gravel beneath our feet. It helped to fill the void in my heart. I had so many things to ask him.

I was so glad he came at the right time. If only Tito was a little bit accepting… I would have asked him why he bloody signed my name in blood. I dared not glance in Malakai’s direction, and he kept his eyes focused ahead. He was like a robot now, always focused and strict. That was the new him. And I wasn't sure I liked it. The many years of being in service made him ‘stoic’ and unbendable. Who could blame him? He was an Alpha, someone who had to shut his heart for his people to survive. The more I looked at him…

The more I pitied myself. It was almost eerie how the tension had built up between us like a dam about to break. My mind was racing, replaying the events over and over, and yet…nothing felt real. Not the blood still caked under my nails or the throbbing pain in my back that I tried so hard to ignore. That was why I didn't see the loose stone on the floor and I nearly went sprawling face-first into the dirt. A half-muttered curse escaped my lips before I could stop it.

"s**t—!"

Malakai was beside me in a heartbeat, and his large hand wrapped around my arm. His other hand held Tito carefully. I wavered slightly, trying to find my balance. But his grip was firm enough, sending an unwanted jolt of awareness through me.

“You alright?” he asked, in a low and out of place voice. It was infused with something I couldn’t quite place. Therefore, I swallowed, forcing myself to straighten up and pull away from his touch.

“I’m fine,” I muttered quickly, brushing imaginary dirt from my clothes. Unfortunately, the awkwardness between us thickened even more, and the silence returned with a vengeance.

Why was I uncomfortable?

Why did it feel like this? Why did he have to stand so close, his scent so overpowering, so… overwhelming? I could feel his eyes on me again… that familiar heat I tried so hard to pretend didn’t exist made my heart pound in my chest, and I cursed myself for being so weak. He must think me a fool, tripping over my own feet and stumbling around like some naïve girl who didn’t know how to keep herself together.

I was still wondering when his voice cut through the silence, sharp and cold. “Don’t fall in love with a beast like me, Mina.”

I froze just as the words hung in the air like a noose tightening around my throat. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore what he just said. But he continued in a much darker tone, almost bitter.

“You’ve made enough mistakes, haven’t you? Or are you planning to repeat them, like a fool?”

But he was the one that offered his help... I stumbled back, my breath catching in my throat. "What are you talking about?" I whispered, confused and hurt all at once. Why was he saying this now? Why did he always have to twist the knife when I was already bleeding inside me?

He laughed, but it was a cold, humorless sound that made the hair on my arms stand on end. “You humans and halflings are all the same,” he said, his inky eyes narrowing as they bore holes into me. “Weak. Foolish. Always thinking you can change the world with your hope, your love.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. My mind was spinning, trying to grasp at something substantial, but all I could feel was his words cutting deeper and deeper. "That's why you hate us, isn't it?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "You hate humans and halflings because we're weak? Because we want more?"

“Halflings lean more on the weaker side.” His expression darkened. “I don’t hate you. I despise the fact that you can never be fully part of our kind. The lots of you are so desperate for something more, so eager to believe you can fix what’s broken. You can't fix blood. I am no different, mina. Nothing can be done. There is no correlation between the three kinds. So don't fall in love with me again.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare at him. He was spewing bullshit because I didn't ask him to come down here to save me. Why was he doing this? He was just terrified of himself. I could see it which prompted me to ask about…

"Malakai..." I started, surprised at how shaky I sounded. "Why did you make the blood contract with me? You didn’t have to. I never asked for this—any of this. You could have left me. You could have let me die. Less work for you, right?"

He looked at me, narrowing those wicked eyes, but he said nothing. The silence stretched on. There were so many things I couldn’t understand.

"Why did you do it?" I demanded, increasing my voice to sound louder, and more desperate. "Why tie yourself to me like that? Was it a mistake? Did you regret it the moment you signed your name in blood?"

He scoffed, turning away from me, his back rigid with tension. “Mistake? Is that what this is? You think I’d bind myself to someone like you by accident?”

I took a shaky breath, stepping forward. Everyone was afraid of his muscly and intimidating aura, but I wasn't. This supernatural being could snap me into two… yet I didn't care. Those sharp protruded sexily from his lips as he glared at me…

“Then why? Why did you do it? I need to understand. If this is some sick game to you—”

He turned on me suddenly, his inky abnormal eyes flashing with something fierce, and something dangerous. He licked like fangs relentlessly. s**t. I had pissed him off.

"You want to know why? Do you really want to know?"

I nodded vigorously. I wanted to know why he was doing this to me. He would help me and tell.me.not.to fall in love. How was I supposed to manage that? I was both frightened and frustrated.

“I did it because you were the only one foolish enough to ask,” he growled. “You were the only one weak enough to believe that you could act pathetic in front of me so I would take you home.”

Huh? Okay, he wasn't making any sense and that gave me strength. I didn’t back down. Not this time. “Is that what you think? That I’m weak because I came to you? I didn't plan our meeting—I was forced! And I am not asking you to take me home as my master, owner or whatever rubbish you call it. It was to save my brother…”

“You’ll never save anyone, Mina,” he said quietly, making me pause. The anger had faded from his voice, leaving only cold resignation. “Not me. Not yourself. And certainly not your brother. My world will break you, just like it breaks everyone who tries to stand against it.”

I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to let him see how much his words reminded me of my reality. "Then why do you stay with me? If I’m so weak, why bother at all? Why tie yourself to someone who can’t be allowed to do anything in this wicked world?”

“I can't even hate you for killing my parents…” I didn't add this last part. Because it wasn't his fault entirely. Yet…

His expression softened for just a moment, and something unreadable flickered in his eyes before he turned away. “I don’t know,” he muttered, almost to himself. Silence settled between us once again.

I wanted to demand answers, shake him at least twice, and make him understand that I wasn’t weak, that I wasn’t the fool he thought I was. But the truth was, I wasn’t sure anymore.

“I didn’t choose this either, you know,” I said quietly. “I didn’t ask for any of it.”

He didn’t respond, only settling his gaze on the vast field ahead of us. And for the first time since we’d met, I felt truly alone. The awkward silence stretched on, and the tension between us grew thicker over and over with each passing second. I wanted to break it, to say anything that would make this easier.

But no words came.

Instead, we continued walking slowly. And I wondered, not for the first time, if I had made the worst mistake of my life by accepting his help.

“Rogues.” Malakai suddenly sniffed the air. He nodded at his guards and they all surrounded us—defense formation. He handed Tito back to me like he was a sack of potatoes in his hands. “I'll be right back.”

No. He won't be back.

The wind felt colder now that Malakai was gone, and his warmth no longer added layers of security over me and Tito. I stood there, rooted in place, as he bounced confidently away. Now, Tito’s weight was even more heavy against me, and the ache in my back and legs scorched with each passing second.

It was nothing compared to the last conversation we just had. I had barely held it together while Malakai was here and now that he was gone, the silence between me and Tito was unbearable.

You see, the moment he was dropped, he opened his eyes. It meant he heard all our conversation. Dread filled my chest. The field was emptying as the rogues rushed after Malakai to take him out before facing us. A strange hush followed their departure, and the distant sounds of wolves gnawing and growling echoed faintly through the field beyond. It was just the two of us now, standing in the middle of this godforsaken place with blood on our clothes and bitterness in the air.

And yes, I could feel Tito’s eyes on me, burning holes into my skin. I didn't want to look at him, but his gaze was too sharp to ignore. I finally turned, and what I saw made the ground shift beneath me.