Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley) novel Chapter 533

Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Four 

The disappointment in his voice was even harder to bear than the betrayal I had suffered from people I once called friends. 

“I should have told you, but I knew you would’ve kept assuring me you were fine–even when we both knew you were dying inside. She said you were going to die, whether you stopped or continued with the doses. I just… couldn’t lose you.” 

“Who is this ‘she‘ you are referring to?” he asked, and I immediately realized my slip. 

“I… it doesn’t matter. You’re alive, and that’s what’s important.” 

Slowly, he let go of me, and I instantly missed his warmth. How does it feel?” 

“What?” 

“To be so close to achieving your dreams?” he asked. I wanted to tell him I didn’t care anymore about the goddamn title; all I wanted was to have him by my side. I wanted him, but before I could tell him just that, he spoke on. “I hope it was worth it.” 

Those final words had felt like some kind of goodbye. 

“I, Ethan Alexander Darkwood, reject you, Kaida Dawn, as my fated mate.” He said. 

Seeing Alexander with a dagger through his heart had been horrifying, but this… I couldn’t even put it into words. I could only stare at him. 

He didn’t look away. He watched me, a single tear slipping down his face–the only sign of his pain. 

He was hurting. And it was because of me. 

“No, please, I beg you, don’t do this. Don’t leave me. I have no one else–the rest, they are all traitors; you are all I have left.” 

“I am giving you what you’ve always wanted.” 

“I don’t want it! What I want is you.” 

“You know, I almost believe you mean what you say–I want to believe you, Kaida. But… I don’t know what to believe anymore.” 

“You will not leave me; you will remain in this pack and rule…” 

“You don’t get it!” he said, his voice rising. “I don’t have a wolf–I can’t be their king!” 

“Your mother was a demon; it didn’t stop her from being the queen…” 

His next words came out more like a plea “Set me free, Kaida. This is all I ask of you: accept the rejection and end our bond. Let me go.” 

“I can’t…. I love you, and you love me too.” 

“That is the problem. Loving you is my biggest weakness; I don’t want to love you anymore. That’s why you have to let me go.” 

“What we have, it’s beyond the mate bond, Alex. I would never love another man the way I love you.” 

“You would never know, not until you let me go.” 

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Chapter One Hundred and Fifty Rour