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Lara’s wolfish eyes flickered open, her senses sharpened by the scent of blood and the familiar presence of Caroline. She saw her mother’s tear-filled eyes and felt a pang of distress within her. “I’ve been so worried for you, Lara!” Caroline’s voice echoed in the dimly lit ward.
Lara, still weakened from her recent ordeal, struggled to open her eyes fully. The mention of Alpha Kilian, the powerful Alpha of their pack, brought a mixture of emotions. “I seemed to have heard Alpha Kilian’s voice when I was still unconscious, Mom,” she whispered breathlessly.
Caroline’s expression soured at the mention of Alpha Kilian. “That man doesn’t love you at all, Lara,” she spat.
A single tear rolled down Lara’s cheek, trailing a path of betrayal and heartache. Caroline’s heart softened at the sight. “Don’t cry, Lara. There are plenty of men in the world. Alpha Kilian is not the only one.”
Lara’s voice trembled with a weak protest. “I don’t care how many men there are in the world. He is the only one I want.”
Caroline furrowed her brows, knowing her daughter’s stubbornness all too well. Once Lara set her sight on something, there was no changing her mind.
“I don’t know what to do without Alpha Kilian, Mom. I can’t imagine a world without him. What should I do?” Lara’s tears turned into a torrent, her voice filled with anguish.
Caroline felt a pang of distress as she looked upon her broken daughter. “All right, my dear. Hush now.”
“I miss him so much, Mom!” Lara’s pain echoed through the ward, filling the air with a mournful howl.
“Good girl. He’s outside right now.” Caroline couldn’t hold back the truth any longer, a hint of hope twinkling in her eyes.
Stunned by the revelation, Lara looked at Caroline in disbelief. “Really?”
Caroline nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of her daughter’s infatuation. “Yes. He was the one who sent you to the hospital.”
A glimmer of hope ignited within Lara’s chest, breathing life into a fading flame. “I knew it was him. I heard his voice. He still cares about me!”
Caroline couldn’t bear to shatter her daughter’s fragile hope. Instead, she mustered a weak smile. “I want to see him, Mom. Could you take me out to meet him?” Lara attempted to rise, but weakness and hunger overwhelmed her, causing dizziness to engulf her before she could even stand.
Caroline caught her swaying daughter, reproach heavy in her voice. “What are you doing trying to get up on your own? I’ll get him. Go lie down!”
Lara meekly obeyed, her frail body sinking back onto the hospital bed.
Caroline cast one last worried gaze at her daughter before turning to leave the room.
Outside in the dimly lit corridor, Alpha Kilian stood on the phone, his powerful aura filling the space. The door creaked open, revealing Caroline’s presence. As he hung up, his gaze met Caroline’s curious eyes. “Lara is awake, and she wants to see you,” she informed him.
A flicker of hesitation danced across his handsome features, but Alpha Kilian nodded and made his way towards the ward.
Lara lay on the bed, her eyes misty as she watched Alpha Kilian approach. She tried to sit up, but he swiftly halted her. “The doctor said you need to rest. Don’t get up.”
A warmth spread through Lara’s heart at his words. He still cared about her!
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she choked out, “Oh, Alpha Kilian…”
Caroline, coughing pointedly, diverted Lara’s attention to her presence.
“I’m going out to buy something. I’ll be back soon.” Caroline didn’t utter another word as she walked away.
Left alone in the ward, Lara’s tender eyes fixated on Alpha Kilian. They glistened with unshed tears as she whispered, “Did you send me to the hospital, Alpha Kilian?”
He nodded, his eyes filled with intensity.
“I knew that you wouldn’t leave me.” Lara forced a weak smile through her pain.
After a moment of contemplation, Alpha Kilian met Lara’s eyes. “There are some things I need to clarify with you, Lara.”
Her smile faltered, a tremor of fear coursing through her. “What do you want to say?”
Alpha Kilian’s gaze dimmed, his voice weighed down by regret. “I haven’t forgotten that you’ve been by my side since I took over the pack. You’ve been invaluable to me and the pack. But, Lara, I only see you as a friend and co-worker. I apologize if I’ve done anything to make you misunderstand.”
Lara’s tears fell freely, her heart breaking with every word. “Don’t you have even a bit of affection for me?”
Alpha Kilian didn’t deny it. “Yes, I did. But it wasn’t love, per se. You were simply a good fit for me. You had a lot to offer without demanding much. It was a passing idea I entertained.”
A sob escaped Lara’s lips as she gazed at him with hopeless despair.
“I’m sorry for having such thoughts of you.” Alpha Kilian’s apology was genuine and heavy with remorse. “If you need to vent your hatred or have any requests, please tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy.”
Trembling, Lara cried and pleaded with all her might. “I don’t want anything else, Alpha Kilian. I’m still the same girl who you thought was a good match for you all those years ago. I can still be the woman of your dreams.”
His voice firm, Alpha Kilian replied, “We’re not young anymore, Lara. We need to be responsible in our relationships. If I were to act on these fleeting thoughts or impulses, what kind of man would I be?”
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“But I do,” he asserted. “I was young, foolish, and arrogant. But now, I know better.” His gaze locked with Lara’s, unwavering.
Lara met his eyes, her tears cascading down her cheeks.
Without averting his gaze, Alpha Kilian concluded, “That’s all I have to say. Rest well. If you decide to return to your parents’ pack after recovering, I will respect your decision.” With a final nod, he turned to leave the ward.
“Is this because of Nelly?” Lara’s sudden question froze him in his tracks.
Surprise flashed across his face, but he didn’t respond.
“You told me all this not because you don’t love me, but because you can’t let her go. But it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll wait.” Lara’s tearful gaze bore into his retreating back. “I’ll wait for you, Alpha Kilian, forever, if you’ll only say the word.”
Slowly, tiredly, Alpha Kilian turned around. “I won’t deny that Nelly has left a mark on my heart, but my lack of love for you has nothing to do with her. Please, don’t hold onto hope with me anymore. Find someone who deserves you.” With those words, he walked away, leaving Lara with her heart shattered.
Clutching her fists to her chest, Lara tried to fight back the overwhelming urge to cry. But her wolfish spirit couldn’t contain the pain, and tears streamed down her face.
Caroline, waiting in the corridor, returned to the ward upon seeing Alpha Kilian’s departure. She hurried over to her weeping daughter, whispering soothingly, “Lara, Lara.”
“What should I do, Mom? He doesn’t want me anymore.”
“Silly girl,” Caroline consoled, her voice laced with sympathy. “We’ll find someone better than him!”
“No! He’s the only one I want.” Lara’s bitter cry echoed through the room. “Help me, Mom. I can’t live without him!”
Caroline watched her daughter sadly, her heart aching for the pain Lara endured. “My girl, there is no such thing as an irreparable heart. Time heals all wounds. You can’t let go now, just because you’re in this situation. Give it time, and you’ll find the strength to overcome it.”
Lara shook her head, despair drowning her. “I can’t, Mom! I’m losing my mind. I don’t know who I’ll become without him.”
Caroline was shocked from her daughter’s reactions because it was obvious that Alpha Kilian wasn’t Lara’s true mate! Never was and Never will.