My heartless Alpha

want to go

Zayra's POV

Three days have passed since the incident with Jarem. I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that clung to me like a second skin. I decided to check on Jake in the cell, half-hoping that the rumors were false. He didn't deserve to suffer, not for what happened between us. But I knew Jarem—he wouldn't let his pack members go hungry or thirsty. His job was to provide for us, to protect us, no matter the cost.

I was itching to go for a run, to feel the wind whip through my hair and the ground rush beneath my feet. But Mia was reluctant, her anxiety mirroring my own. Instead, I settled for a walk to the lake, seeking solace in its stillness. Sitting on the grassy bank, I let my thoughts swirl around me like the autumn leaves drifting in the breeze.

Should I leave him? The idea of going with Vicente, my long-time friend, teased the edges of my mind. But I couldn't abandon the pack; I was their Luna. I could never betray them like that. And what would I tell my family? How could I explain the bruises, the emotional scars? They would want to protect me, and I couldn't bear the thought of them knowing how Jarem had hurt me. Would they see me as weak? Would they hate him for what he did? I felt trapped, suffocated by choices I shouldn't have to make.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the snapping of branches behind me until it was too late. When I turned, my breath caught in my throat. A rogue stood there, his eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. I knew this territory was safe from rogues; they feared the Alpha's wrath. But here he was, watching me like I was his next meal, and I couldn't move.

Was it exhaustion from the emotional turmoil? The weight of everything suffocating me? I felt paralyzed as he lunged at me. I couldn't muster the energy to defend myself. I merely raised my hands to shield my face, feeling the chill of impending doom.

As he lunged for my neck, something inside me snapped. I felt a strange acceptance wash over me. I was ready to let him bite, to relinquish control. Perhaps it was an escape from the pain I had been living through.

But then, out of nowhere, Jarem appeared, a blur of fury and muscles. He tackled the rogue with ferocity, his movements swift and precise. I watched, wide-eyed, as Jarem took the rogue down with a lethal force, a growl rumbling deep in his chest. Blood splattered, and I flinched at the violent spectacle.

Jarem turned to me, his eyes blazing with anger, and my heart raced. "What the fuck are you doing?" His voice was a low growl, a tempest that left me trembling.

I opened my mouth, but the words tangled in my throat. "I...I panicked," I stammered, desperate to explain, but my voice was barely a whisper.

"You think I'm going to swallow that excuse?" he spat, rage rolling off him in waves. "Get the fuck in the house."

His beta appeared, quickly ushering me away as Jarem's gaze burned into my back. "Get her out of my sight before I do something I might regret," he growled, and the tension in the air was palpable.

I was taken home, my heart pounding in fear. Jarem's anger radiated like a storm, and I felt every bit of it prickling my skin. What would he do next? I couldn't shake the dread that had settled in my stomach.

In a moment of desperation, I grabbed my phone and called my mom. "Mom, please pick me up. Don't tell Dad."

"Are you okay, baby? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her voice was a lifeline, anchoring me to reality.

"Mom, he's abusing me. I can't take it anymore. Please, can you come for me?" The words rushed out, fueled by panic.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm on my way," she promised, and I felt a flicker of hope.

When Jarem finally came home, he was a storm of emotions, his anger palpable. He stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him as I sat frozen in the chair, paralyzed by fear.

"What the fuck were you thinking? You exposed yourself to him?" His voice was a thunderclap, shaking me from my daze. "You wanted to get hurt by that rogue?"

"I don't know, jarem!" I shouted back, frustration pouring out. "I'm tired! You treat me like I'm nothing. You abuse me! I'm sick of it! I grew up surrounded by love from my family, and now I'm stuck in this nightmare!"

His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "So I'm supposed to just let someone else hurt you? You're mine, and I can do whatever the fuck I want with you! Next time, think before you put yourself in danger!"

His mind link buzzed in my head. "Tell her to leave, okay? Take her to the office. Your mom is here. She said she's not leaving without seeing you. Did you call her?"

"I just want to go home," I whispered, my heart racing.

"It took you long enough," he sneered.

"From now on, it's going to get worse. Brace yourself. You'll know what I'm capable of after this," he warned, and a chill ran down my spine.

As he turned away, I felt the world around me tilt on its axis. I had to find a way out. I had to protect myself. I couldn't keep living in fear, not when the darkness threatened to swallow me whole.

But would I have the strength to fight back? Or would I remain trapped in this twisted fate, bound to a mate who had become my worst nightmare?