Alpha's Ruin: He Betrayed Me, I'll Make Him Kneel

Adam had barely taken three steps toward the iron gates when Eli pulled away from Rhea’s arms. The little boy’s brows pulled into a tight knot.

"Uncle Adam," he called out. His voice was tiny and trembling in the cold air.

Adam stopped instantly. He did not hesitate. He stood perfectly still, his back stiff under his heavy furs, before he slowly turned to look at the boy.

"Where are you going?" Eli asked. His small chest heaved in ragged breaths as he stared up at the giant Alpha.

Adam swallowed hard. His throat bobbed visibly as he looked down at the child. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Suddenly, a bright, glossy film covered his amber eyes. He snapped his jaws shut and turned his face away.

"Adam!" Rhea called out. She took a step forward. "Wait."

Adam stopped again, but he refused to turn around this time. "My work is finished here, Rhea," he said. His deep baritone sounded rough and shaky, like a man fighting back a flood of tears.

Then, he started walking again.

Without wasting another breath, Eli broke away from Rhea. He sprinted across the stones, his small boots thumping loudly until he crashed against Adam’s leg. He wrapped his arms around the Alpha’s thigh, holding on with all his might.

"Don’t go," Eli begged. His face twisted as tears brimmed in his eyes.

Rhea felt her heart clench painfully inside her chest at the sight. Even River let out a low, sorrowful whimper in the back of her mind. Rhea did not want to admit it, but she could see the powerful bond between them.

She watched Eli cling to Adam’s leg. That wasn’t the embrace of a child thanking his rescuer. It was the embrace of a son saying goodbye to the man who had tucked him into bed every night.

Adam stopped. He looked down at the boy clutching his leg. He tilted his head back slightly, staring up at the grey sky as he fought to keep his tears from falling.

"When will you come back to get me?" Eli asked, his nose running as he looked up at Adam’s massive frame. "I already missed you so much."

Adam stared at him for a long moment. Then, he crouched down to Eli’s level. A soft smile broke through his sad expression. He reached out and touched the boy’s dark hair.

"We will see each other again soon, Eli. I promise," Adam whispered. He cast a quick look at Rhea, then turned his gaze back to the boy. "But your mother is here right now. She needs you. You must use everything I taught you to protect her. Remember, you are the man of the house now." He ruffled the boy’s hair.

Eli swallowed hard. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, his small chest puffing out as he nodded firmly. "I will take care of her, Uncle Adam," he said, his voice trying to sound brave.

"Good boy," Adam said softly. "I have to leave now."

Eli’s chest deflated. He watched as Adam straightened his massive body. The Alpha quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Rhea’s heart ached terribly as she watched the silent grief passing between them. Her pulse hammered against her ribs.

Adam bent down and pressed a firm kiss to the top of Eli’s head. Then, he stepped past him. Eli stood frozen, using his small fists to wipe his eyes as he watched the Alpha walk away.

Before Rhea could think, her feet moved.

She hurried past Eli, her boots clicking sharply on the stone. She closed the distance between herself and Adam. She reached out and wrapped her fingers tightly around his large, scarred hand, stopping him from going further.

"Don’t go," Rhea said softly, her silver eyes looking up into his. "Please."

Adam froze. He looked down at her, his amber eyes wild with a deep, painful conflict. His gaze dropped from her silver eyes down to her lips, then back up to her eyes. He let out a long, ragged sigh that smelled of pine and fresh snow.

"Why?" he whispered, his voice low. "Why should I stay, Rhea?"

Rhea stared at him. Her heart beat so fiercely it felt like it would crack her ribs. A sudden, deep warmth spread through her chest as she held his gaze. But the weight of the past weeks rushed back. Slowly, her fingers uncurled, falling away from his skin, dropping limply to her side.

Adam looked at her empty hand for a silent beat. Then, he turned his back and continued walking toward the exit.

Rhea pressed a hand against her chest, trying to steady the wild drumming beneath her skin. Eli quietly moved to her side. He leaned his small frame against her hip and rested his heavy head against her leg.

"Do you think he will come back soon, Mama?" Eli asked. His eyes were glued to the giant black-furred back walking towards the iron gates.

Rhea watched Adam’s rigid, unyielding shoulders. The sight made her throat tighten. She leaned down and pulled her son into a tight embrace. "Let us hope so, my child," she murmured into his hair.

As Adam walked away, his chest ached with a physical agony he had never felt before. His eyes burned fiercely. With every single step he took away from Rhea’s scent, his leather boots felt heavier, as if his feet were trapped in deep mud. But he forced his legs to keep moving.

Everything inside his primal nature screamed at him to stop. His instincts begged him to turn around and take just one more look at her silver eyes. But he kept his face toward the horizon.

"Turn around, Adam!" Axel, his wolf, roared angrily inside his skull. "We should not be walking away from her! Turn around right now, Adam!"

Adam’s jaw locked so tight his teeth gritted together. He kept his eyes fixed on the heavy iron gates ahead. "No, Axel," he murmured silently through his teeth, swallowing the bitter taste of grief. "It is not the right time yet."

He reached the threshold of the sanctuary and stepped out past the stone archway. He paused for one brief second. He tilted his chin up and took a deep breath, pulling the fading trail of Rhea’s scent into his lungs.

Then, he walked out into the wild forest.

Behind him, the small boy waved until the forest swallowed the Alpha whole. Still he did not look back.

But long after the gates disappeared behind the trees, he could still feel the weight of two pairs of eyes following him.

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