Too Late to Apologize, My Dear Alpha

Dane's voice, soft and laden with apology, broke the silence. “Celeste, you have to understand. Felicity's struggling to raise her child alone. You know that, right? Her mate cut their ties. She only has me now.”

His words struck me hard, like a hard slap. It seemed he forgot that I, too, only had him. Yet again, why would he care about me when his eyes were set on his first love from the very beginning?

“Of course, I understand,” I replied, striving to keep my tone even. “She must’ve been through a lot.”

But my mate's patience seemed to snap. “What’s that supposed to mean? What’s with your attitude?”

“I said I understand,” I repeated, my voice now tinged with an edge. “Is that a problem?”

“Do you have to talk to me like that?” he retorted, his frustration spilling over.

“What do you want me to say?” I shot back, feeling the tension escalated.

A heavy, suffocating silence settled between us. Finally, he muttered, “Do as you wish,” before abruptly ending the mind link.

It was funny, and it was ironic. Once, I was the “annoying” one for questioning his visits to Felicity. When I’d called to ask when he’d be back from her place, I was bothersome. Now, even trying to be understanding provoked his irritation.

With a sigh, I stared back at the book before me. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. I had more important matters to focus on, like the things I needed before going to Lotus Tower.

The days at the Silver Moon Pack's clinic had blurred together into an exhausting routine. But for me, each one grew heavier, like a weight I couldn’t shrug off. My body had started to betray me. What began as slight discomfort soon spiraled into frequent spells of dizziness, relentless nausea, and fatigue that seeped into my bones. Even the simplest tasks felt like climbing a mountain.

But not only the physician pain but my connection with Cassia... it became weaker.

"Cassia, please, talk to me," I begged.

Then, it came. While descending the stairs of the pack's clinic, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. I reached out, gripping the banister tightly, but my vision began to blur. The sounds around me became muffled as if I were submerged underwater. I clung to the railing, my breaths coming in shallow, trying desperately to steady myself.

“Are you okay, Luna?” Lily, a young Omega, noticed my struggle and hurried over, her eyes wide with concern.

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy,” I forced a smile, though every fiber of my being felt far from fine. I waved Lily off gently, not wanting to alarm anyone else.

Thankfully, one medicinal herb was enough to ease my headache. As the night shift came to an end, I found myself lingering at the clinic. The thought of returning home held no appeal.

However, when I finally arrived at the pack house, my mate had already left for work.

That was when I decided to take a long, hot shower, seeking solace in the warm water, and then collapsed into bed. But just as sleep began to claim me, the persistent sensation of mind link jolted me awake. It was Dane.

“Celeste,” he murmured, sounding pained. “My… my stomach hurts.”

Yet, I was too sleepy. I recalled mumbling something in response, but exhaustion quickly pulled me back into sleep. In my dreams, I thought I heard the Alpha calling my name, but the sound was distant and easy to ignore.

After what seemed like only moments, I was startled awake by the sound of the door opening. And there he was, Dane stood by the bed, his face contorted with pain.

“You didn't care anymore, did you? You used to worry when I was sick. You're the one who heals me every time! What happened now?"

His words stirred memories of a time when I would drop everything to take care of him. Once, when he had a stomachache, I left work early to use my still unstable ability to heal him.

There was also a time when I had gotten caught in the rain, arriving drenched and disheveled just to make sure I could ease his pain. Instead of gratitude, I was met with ridicule from the elders for showing up drenched, and my mate, the ever-prideful Alpha, had just stood there, doing nothing to stop them. Worse still, he told me afterward never to come to his office again, calling me an embarrassment.

“Are you feeling better now?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “We might be out of medicine, though. Maybe you can grab some yourself.”

Upon hearing that, Dane was momentarily speechless. Then, anger flared. He grabbed my arm and exclaimed, “How long are you going to keep fighting with me about Felicity? I’ve told you, there’s nothing between us!”

“Oh, okay,” I replied, my calm demeanor in stark contrast to his rage.

With a final, furious slam of the door, the Alpha stormed out. The ensuing silence was not oppressive but rather liberating, a welcome contrast to the turmoil that had filled the room moments before.