Chapter 90
Alaric's POV
In that moment, the air almost falls completely silent.
All sound fades from my ears, and I am stunned by Colin’s words, unsure of what to say. My mind is overwhelmed with a swirl of thoughts, the shock of what was just said leaving me dazed and almost lost.
Aidan and Ryan are equally speechless, mouths hanging open in shock, unable to find their voices.
But Colin—who has always been the quiet one, trailing behind Eamon and Cara like a shadow—looks at his brothers with a mixture of disbelief and disappointment, as if he’s watching children bicker. Then, with a sigh, he turns away.
We see him shift his gaze toward Cara’s house and shout.
“Cara—!”
Colin calls out in a voice loud enough that she’s sure to hear from inside. “Are you awake?”
Ryan: “…”
Aidan: “…”
Naturally, no response comes from inside the house.
“Wait, Colin, why are you calling for Cara?” Aidan finally breaks his silence. “You just told us not to interfere with them, but now you’re…”
It’s clear that Colin is speechless, with no words for his brothers. So he turns back and continues shouting at the house:
“Aidan just gave Alaric a few punches. Alaric probably has something to say to you too. I’ve already scolded them, and I’m going to drag the idiot twins away. You can talk to Alaric alone.”
Aidan, still not understanding, says, “Wait, I still don’t get—”
Colin cuts him off , “Then you’ll never get it. We’re leaving now.”
“…No wonder Dad never paid attention to you when you were younger and forced you to study. Those girls who adore you are so pathetic, actually wanting to date a thick-headed fool like you.”
Ryan, who had been silent up until now, finally speaks, giving Aidan a punch. “Alright, we should go. You’re a racing champion idiot with only that in your head.”
Aidan: “Hey, twins! Why are you even saying this? If I’m the idiot, then what about you?!”
But Ryan ignores him. He turns back to Colin with an apologetic look. “...Sorry, bro, I was wrong. You’re right. You’re definitely the most mature one of us.”
“You should apologize to Cara later,” Colin says, before turning around and dragging Aidan away.
“…I will,” Ryan mutters.
The three red-headed Arbuns, bickering away, are finally ready to leave.
Meanwhile, I stand in front of Cara’s house, watching them leave without sparing me a glance.
I bite my lip, clenching my fist. After a deep breath, I finally call out to them.
“...Wait, please.”
All three red heads turn back to look at me.
“…I’m sorry. What I said earlier, I meant every word of it. I… I don’t know how to prove it, but I truly love Cara.”
I take another deep breath. “You were right. I admit everything you said. I’ve been selfish. I never considered Cara’s feelings. I was just wrapped up in my own emotions, trying to move myself without thinking of her.”
—Wake up, everything he said is the truth.
I think back to everything I’ve done to Cara.
I disrespected her. I used her. Because of me, the orphan she was at the time had no choice but to flee the pack.
She was in a car accident because of me. I saw it all—the one time I promised I’d never see her again, my beloved woman pale in a hospital bed, miscarrying, losing our child.
Then, after we reunited, I think back to what I did.
So what if she’s married to Aylon Arbun now? What does it matter that she has a husband? These are not excuses for delaying my apology.
She loves me, but that doesn’t mean she should respond to my proposal. I’ve hurt her so much. Even if she once loved me, who would want to get back together with a bastard who’s hurt them—let alone marry them?
“…” I.
“I know, I was wrong. I’ve done so much wrong,” I say bitterly. “But at least, please believe me when I say, I truly love her.”
This is the first time in my life I’ve clearly understood that I love her.
That woman, once my beta, who willingly spent years by my side, giving me endless love.
When we were still office lovers, I should have realized it. But now, it’s too late… Too late. I can feel it, if I don’t do something now, I will really lose her.
I am the Alpha King of DarkWood, and in my life, I rarely lower my head.
But now, I lower it.
Just to… have a chance to keep her.
“...Please, teach me. How can I phurse her back?”
“Please, tell me. Teach me.”
“…” Colin.
He looks at me for a moment, then quietly averts his gaze. “Save those words for Cara. Maybe you can ask her.”
Ryan and Aidan remain silent, exchanging a knowing glance. The bond between the two twins is unspoken but unmistakable.
After Colin’s words, the three Arbuns leave without another word.
I watch their backs disappear, then turn back to face Cara’s house.
It’s a beautiful two-story house, with two small bicycles parked in the yard. They belong to her children. In the six years I’ve missed, she has become someone else’s wife, someone else’s mother.
Now, how can I supposed to face Cara…?
Cara's POV
My home is finally quiet again.
I’ve driven my brothers and Alaric out of my room, and now I collapse onto my sofa, too drained to return to my bed.
I don’t want to go back to the bed—it’ll remind me of last night. Of the way Alaric touched me, the way we made love after I drunkenly gave in. Of the mistake that started it all.
Leaning back into the cushions, I grab a large, soft pillow and hug it tightly to my chest. I reach for the remote, hoping a mindless soap opera might distract me.
The room fills with noise once more, the sound of young actors playing out a melodramatic campus romance.
[“Oh, Nina, my darling, I can’t live without you!”
“Oh, Enzo, me too! Even if my father forbids it, I’ll stay by your side forever!”]
The aroma of food wafts over from the table, where a lunch box sits. It’s a gift from my brothers, a peace offering to make up for earlier. Inside, I find warm pizza, burgers, fries, and fried chicken—exactly what I need right now.
I feel a pang of guilt for yelling at my brothers earlier, but I’m too tired to deal with that right now. I need to be alone.
Just for a little while.
Let me have some quiet. Let me have some think.
I don’t drink, and I don’t want to start again. The soap opera continues in the background, its overly cheerful couple glued together in an exaggerated kiss.
[“I love you, Nina…”]
The male lead delivers his lines with a passion that feels almost convincing. I stare at the screen but find myself zoning out.
I think of Alaric.
“I love you, Cara.”
He kneels before me, velvet box in hand, his voice steady, his gaze unwavering.
“I love you, Cara.”
He kisses me with fervor, his usual cold exterior melting into something unrecognizably warm, as if he’s truly captivated by me.
But how can I believe any of it?
It took me so long to pull myself out of the naive infatuation I once had for him. I’ve already let go of that love. I’ve tried—over and over again—but every time, he rejected me. He hurt me.
I gave him countless chances. I gave us countless chances. I believed in fated mates, in destiny. But then came the car accident. Then came five long years on a hospital bed.
Five years of nightmares.
In those dreams, I saw DarkWood’s rose garden—the one I painstakingly cultivated as his beta.
And in that garden, I watched him kneel before Lilia, proposing to her. My hands trembled as I held out the velvet box with the ring for him. And then their lips met, right in front of me.
My fated mate, cold and cruel, ignored me, humiliated me, and called me a gold-digger as if I had schemed for something I never wanted.
I dreamed of driving away from DarkWood, of the accident, of losing my babies—my Mia and Ethan. Almost losing everything.
I dreamed of my lost wolf. Lucy.
The nightmares replayed, again and again.
And Alaric — the source of them all. The man I once loved with all my heart, and the man I now hate just as deeply... And love at the same time.
On the screen, the campus lovers are still tangled in each other, reciting sweet lines that feel too far removed from my reality.
[“I’m so glad you came back for me. I’m so glad we made up. This time, we’ll never be apart again…”]
But that’s just a TV show.
My reality is different.
I’m no longer young, no longer naïve like a schoolgirl. I have two children to care for, one of whom is still sick. I have a demanding job, and I’m no longer the orphaned beta of DarkWood.
I still have passion — for my kids, for my family, for my career. But not for that bastard, Alaric.
Maybe I'm still loving him, but I’m moving forward.
“Cara—!”
Suddenly, I hear Colin’s voice coming from the house.
Aren’t they leaving yet…?
“— Aidan just gave Alaric a few punches. Alaric probably has something to say to you too."
" I’ve already scolded them, and I’m going to drag the idiot twins away. You can talk to Alaric alone.”
He’s outside my house, delivering his message to me this way.
I can hear the encouragement in his voice, and it brings a sense of warmth and gratitude.
I take a deep breath and turn off the TV. I sit quietly on the couch for a few minutes, the past between Alaric and me replaying in my mind, reaffirming my decision.
Then, I hear hesitant footsteps outside my door.
But I’m ready.
I stand up and open the door. Alaric is standing there, his expression a mix of emotions as he looks at me.
And I take one last deep breath—
“…We need to talk.”
I say.
