My Alpha Mate Begged Me Not to Divorce

I stared at Caspian with a mix of disappointment and fury. The man who once appeared as flawless as a painting now only inspired revulsion in me. His eyes, which had once softened when he looked at me, were now cold and unyielding. I had always found solace in those eyes, but now, they felt like a reminder of how far we had drifted.

Before I could voice my thoughts, Ophelia’s voice cut through the tension. “Alpha, my foot hurts, and so does my face. Can you check if it’s swollen? I wonder if it will affect tomorrow’s Alpha gathering that we will attend.”

Caspian’s attention snapped to Ophelia, his concern for her evident in the way he gently cradled her in his arms. She had taken full advantage of his sudden shift in focus, leaning into him as if she were a fragile porcelain doll. The slap I had landed with all my might had left a red handprint on her fair cheek, and her eyes were now brimming with crocodile tears.

Seeing Caspian tenderly wiping her tears away was a painful reminder of what we once shared. I could still remember how he used to be kind to me when we were younger—how he would help me up if I fell and wipe away my tears with the same tenderness he now reserved for Ophelia. The realization that those moments were long gone, replaced by this cruel charade, was almost unbearable.

“Claire,” Caspian said, his voice cold and devoid of the warmth it used to hold. “Apologize to your sister.”

I lifted my chin defiantly, straightening my spine. “No!” I said firmly, not willing to give in. The audacity to defy him, to challenge him like this, seemed to surprise him. It was almost as if he couldn’t reconcile this version of me with the one he used to know.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. When I was falling for him, I was cautious, meticulous around him, always hoping to earn his approval. I had given him my genuine affection, fearful that he might turn away from me. But nothing I did was ever enough. I could never measure up to Ophelia in his eyes.

Caspian looked taken aback for a moment, but his surprise quickly hardened into resolve. He settled back on the couch with Ophelia nestled in his arms, his gaze fixed on me with an almost casual air. “Claire, don’t make me angry,” he warned.

His wolf guards, who had been silent witnesses to the scene, stepped forward, blocking my path. With a steely glare, they escorted me back in front of Caspian and Ophelia.

Caspian’s posture was relaxed, but the pressure in the room was suffocating. He sat there with his legs crossed, his eyes locked onto me with an unnerving calm. “Apologize to Ophelia,” he said again, his tone brooking no argument.

Ophelia flashed me a challenging smile, then turned to Caspian with a feigned sweetness. “It’s okay, Alpha. Claire didn’t mean it.”

Caspian’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her with a mixture of pity and affection. “Ophelia, you’re too soft-hearted. You treat her like a sister, but she’s never seen you that way.”

Then, turning his attention back to me, his eyes turned steely and harsh. “Anyone who hurts Ophelia will pay double.”

A memory flashed before my eyes—of being cornered by young wolves from a rival pack when I was just a child. Caspian had appeared like a guardian angel, fiercely defending me against my attackers. The person who had once stood as my protector was now standing by someone else, his loyalty and affection given away to another.

The realization hit me like a blow to the chest. The very man who had fought for me, who had once meant the world to me, was now determined to teach me a lesson in humiliation. His gaze was filled with anger, and his resolve was unwavering.

He signaled to the guards, who roughly forced me to kneel before him and Ophelia. As I bowed my head, my wolf howled in my mind, her pain and fury echoing my own. I could feel her struggling to break free, but I kept her restrained.

One of the guards stepped forward, his hand raised to strike me. Just as he was about to land the blow, Ophelia intervened, her voice filled with an affected concern. “Alpha, she’s still my sister. Men can be too harsh, and I’m afraid they might hurt her.”

Caspian looked at her with a hint of approval. “If she really needs to learn a lesson, I should do it,” Ophelia said, her tone dripping with false sweetness.