Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER 59

HANNAH

I sit at the edge of my bed, dressed and ready, waiting for Alex with a mixture of excitement and trepidation fluttering in my stomach. Last night, I went back to my old pack to retrieve my outfit for our date and ended up staying the night because it took me the entire night to decide what to wear. In the end, I settled on a chic ensemble - a white crop top with delicate, thin straps paired with a long, flowing brown skirt adorned with ruffled layers that danced around my legs with every movement. Gold necklaces and earrings caught the light, adding a touch of elegance, while nude-colored high-heel sandals with transparent straps elongated my legs. A white quilted purse completed the look. I kept my makeup mild and natural, a soft pink lipstick the only pop of color on my face. I felt beautiful, but the nerves still twisted in my gut as I waited for Alex to arrive.

Glancing at my phone, I note the time - 9:50am. He should have left the Sky Pack by now, making his way to me. The thought sends a fresh wave of butterflies through my stomach, a giddy anticipation for our first real date. Suddenly, my phone pings with a message, and I eagerly check, hoping it's Alex letting me know he's on his way. Instead, it's Bea asking for a picture of my outfit. The smile on my face falters slightly, disappointment tugging at my heart. I try to shake it off, moving to my full-length mirror to snap a few photos for her. I take about ten, scrutinizing each one, before finally sending the two I deem acceptable.

"You look beautiful. Alex will be left speechless when he lays eyes on you." Bea texts back, accompanied by a string of smiling faces with hearty eyes.

"Thank you," I reply, a genuine smile curving my lips. Her words bolster my confidence, and I return to my perch on the bed to wait.

Minutes tick by, then an hour, and the worry begins to creep in, insidious tendrils of fear wrapping around my heart. Something must have happened to Alex for him not to show up. I try calling him, but the phone rings and rings before clicking over to voicemail. I try again and again, each unanswered call ratcheting up my anxiety. Finally, I dial Jason's number, desperate for answers. He picks up on the second ring, as if he was expecting my call, and asks me to come over without a preamble. I don't question it, simply grabbing my purse and rushing out the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I arrive at the Sky Pack, I can feel eyes on me, a palpable tension in the air. Everyone seems to be staring at their phones, then at me, a mixture of pity and curiosity on their faces. I try to ignore it, hurrying to Jason's room, but the unease grows with every step. When I finally reach him, I waste no time in asking what's going on.

"That's why I called you over. Did you and Alex fight?" Jason asks, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Fight? No! Why would you think we fought?" I ask, confusion swirling in my mind as I sink down onto the couch in his room.

"Because this was shared around the pack this morning," he says, holding out his phone to me. My heart stops, then shatters in my chest as I stare at the image on the screen. It's a photo of Alex and Alice tangled together on a bed, barely clothed.

"This is fake, right?" I whisper, tears burning in my eyes. I don't want to believe it, but I recognize those sheets, that table lamp. They're from Alex's room.

Jason looks at me, pity etched into every line of his face. "I'm so sorry, Hannah. I didn't want to believe it either, but..." He trails off, shaking his head.

"No, no, this can't be real," I insist, even as the evidence stares me in the face. "Alex wouldn't do this to me." The tears spill over, tracking hot paths down my cheeks.

With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and dial Alex's number. It rings and rings, each unanswered tone a knife in my heart. I try again and again, desperation clawing at my throat. On the fourth attempt, someone picks up, but it's not Alex's voice that greets me.

"Hannah, darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Alice purrs, her voice like poison honey.

My blood turns to ice in my veins. "Where's Alex? Put him on the phone," I demand, trying to keep my voice steady even as it trembles with barely contained emotion.

She laughs, the sound cruel and mocking, twisting the knife in my heart. I swallow hard, fighting back the bile rising in my throat.

"I'm afraid he's a bit... indisposed at the moment. We had quite the night if you catch my drift," she says, a smug satisfaction dripping from every word.

"You're lying. Alex would never--" I start, but she cuts me off.

"Oh, but he did," she says gleefully. "Guess he finally realized what he was missing. Don't worry, though; I'll take good care of him."

The line goes dead, and the phone slips from my numb fingers, clattering to the floor. This can't be happening. Alex promised me; he swore he was done with her. We were supposed to go on a date this morning. How could he suddenly cheat on me overnight?

Jason reaches out to comfort me, but I flinch away from his touch, wrapping my arms around myself as if to physically hold the pieces of my shattered heart together. The tears come in waves, great heaving sobs that wrack my body. Jason sits beside me, a silent presence as I cry my heart out.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally rise from the couch and leave the room without a word. Jason follows, but I spin around, ready to tell him I need to be alone, when the words choke in my throat. I hear Alice's unmistakable voice, and my heart stops.

I turn back around, and there they are. Alex, his hair mussed and shirt askew, with Alice on his arm, a smug smile playing about her lips.

"Hannah," Alex says, looking shocked to see me. We stare at each other, my heart clenching in my chest. It's like the phone call with Alice wasn't enough, and I just had to walk in on them right now.

I move to walk away, too heartbroken to even confront him, when a hand comes out of nowhere and punches Alex square in the face.

"That's little compared to the pain she's fucking feeling right now," Jason roars, panting as he glares at Alex.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Alice shouts, pushing at Jason's shoulders, but he doesn't even move an inch.

"How could you do this to her? After everything she's been through," Jason continues, his voice raw with anger.

"He didn't do anything to her. Being in love isn't a crime," Alice says, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"In love?" The words fall from my lips, a broken whisper.

"Yes, we're in love, and if you had any atom of goodness in you, you would let us be together in peace," she says, grabbing Alex's arm once again and wrapping her hand tight around it.

I look to Alex, silently begging him to deny it, to tell me this is all some horrible misunderstanding. But he won't meet my gaze. My heart clenches. This can't be happening. This can't be fucking happening.

"I'm so sorry, Hannah. I thought... I thought I was over Alice. But I'm not." He finally looks up at me, regret etched on his face. "I still love her." He turns to face her, and before I can even blink, Alice smashes her lips against Alex's.

I freeze, the knife in my heart twisting deeper. I hear gasps and realize people have gathered in the hallway, staring and watching everything unfold.

A broken sob tears itself from my throat, and I flee the room, vision blurred with tears. I can hear Jason calling after me, but I don't stop. I can't.

I run until my lungs burn and my legs give out, collapsing in a heap on the forest floor. Sobs wrack my body as the full weight of Alex's betrayal crashes over me.

He promised. He promised he was mine, that Alice was in the past. But it was all a lie.

I curl in on myself, arms wrapped around my knees as I rock back and forth, crying until no more tears will come.

I'm alone. Again. And this time, I don't think my heart will ever recover.