HIS DESTINED ALPHA

REGRET IN SILENCE

💗CH-36💗

Magnus sits on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the wall. His fingers tremble as they trace the edges of a book, but he does not open it. His thoughts spiral in confusion and pain, the weight of betrayal too heavy to ignore.  The truth about Edom, the danger that had once lurked, creeping closer to his home, his kingdom, and Magnus feels the sting of it all.

The sun has long set, but Magnus doesn’t move. He feels numb, a hollow ache deep within him that seems to echo through his every breath. How could Alec keep this from him? How could the man he loves, the man who promised to protect him, hide something so dangerous, so critical?

He thinks back to the time they spent together, to the moments where Alec’s touch was all-consuming, where their bond seemed unbreakable. They had been so close, so in sync, as if the universe itself had woven them together. But now, all he feels is the growing chasm between them.

Magnus had sensed something was wrong when Alec became distant, his eyes haunted with secrets he wouldn't share. Magnus had tried to reach out, to pull Alec closer, but every attempt was met with silence, with avoidance. Now he understands why.

The danger to Edom, his home, was far greater than he realized. It wasn’t just a threat, it was a storm that Alec had known about. And yet, he said nothing. He let Magnus walk through each day, blissfully unaware, while the world they both knew was crumbling. He cannot shake the betrayal.

The tears start to burn at the back of his eyes, but Magnus swallows them down. He won't cry, not yet. He won’t let himself break in this way. Not when he is still trying to understand why Alec would do this to him. Why keep him in the dark? Why expose him to danger when Alec could have stopped it, could have warned him?

He pulls the sheets tighter around himself, curling inwards. His heart aches, a relentless pain that no amount of time or space can heal. He should confront Alec, demand answers, but he knows the truth already. Alec has failed him. And Magnus cannot look at him the same way anymore.

Every moment that passes, Magnus feels the weight of being alone. It suffocates him. He wonders if Alec even notices the distance growing between them. He wonders if Alec even cares.

But it’s not just Alec’s silence that hurts. It’s the thought of his own inability to protect himself, to see the danger that was coming. Magnus, once a strong being, an omega with vast knowledge of the world, is now reduced to a shadow of himself. He is just a man, fragile and broken, no longer able to trust the one person who was supposed to make him feel safe.

As the night stretches on, Magnus stares at the ceiling. He hears the faint sounds of the world outside—the rustling leaves, the soft whisper of the wind—but none of it comforts him. All he wants is to feel whole again, to feel the warmth of Alec’s touch, to know that the bond they share is still real.

But it isn’t. Not anymore.

With a shaky breath, Magnus rises from the bed and walks to the window, looking out into the darkness. He longs for the comfort of home, the familiar sounds of Edom, but it all feels so far away. He is alone now. Truly alone.

The wind blows gently against his skin, and for a moment, it feels as if the world is listening. But no one is coming to his rescue. No one except himself.

Alec’s betrayal will stay with him. The pain will stay with him. And as much as it hurts, as much as he wants to reach out and call out for his husband, Magnus knows deep down that he cannot allow himself to be swept back into Alec’s arms, not until the truth is spoken, not until everything is laid bare.

For now, Magnus suffers in silence, his heart aching with the weight of the love he still feels for Alec, despite everything. And yet, he knows this—there can be no healing until the lies are undone. Until Alec finally chooses to tell him everything.

Until then, Magnus will endure this quiet loneliness.

Alec sits in the dimly lit study, the weight of his own guilt crushing him. He has been pacing for hours, thoughts a jumbled mess of regret and longing.

His heart aches with the silence that fills the space around him, the same silence that has filled their home since Magnus withdrew. The silence that came after the truth about Edom’s danger finally broke through the cracks, and Alec was too late to protect the one person who mattered most to him.

He made a mistake. A terrible mistake. One he cannot undo.

Alec’s fingers tremble as he runs them through his hair, every inch of his body screaming to go to Magnus, to apologize, to explain. But something holds him back—shame, perhaps. Or fear. He doesn’t know. All he knows is that Magnus has every right to hate him now.

He had kept the truth from Magnus. The danger for Edom had been growing for months, and Alec had known. He had known, and he chose to keep it from him. At first, it had seemed like the right choice.

To protect Magnus from worry, to shield him from the fear that would come with knowing how close the danger was. But Alec had underestimated how much Magnus needed to be part of the fight, part of the solution. He had underestimated how much Magnus needed the truth.

And now, his silence has driven a wedge between them, a gap so vast that Alec doesn’t know if he can bridge it. He never meant to hurt Magnus. He never meant for the man he loves to feel betrayed, alone. But Alec's own fears, his own insecurities, had kept him from doing what was right.

Every time he had seen Magnus pulling away, the little touches fading, the warmth in his eyes dimming, Alec had felt the panic settle deep in his chest. But he ignored it. He convinced himself that things would get better, that Magnus would understand eventually. He was wrong. So wrong.

Alec's gaze shifts to the door, his thoughts flickering back to when they had last spoken. The look in Magnus’s eyes  had shattered him. It wasn’t anger or disappointment, but something far worse—sadness, confusion. Like he was losing the last piece of himself. Alec couldn’t bear it. He still can’t.

He had failed Magnus. He had failed as a husband, as a partner. And now, with each passing moment, the distance between them grows. Magnus suffers, alone, and Alec can do nothing but watch from the shadows of his own regrets.

Alec lets out a deep sigh, his heart heavy. He knows that Magnus needs time. Time to process, to heal. But every part of Alec aches to reach out, to hold him, to promise that he will never make this mistake again. But can he make such promises when he has already broken the most important one?

He thinks back to their early days, to when Alec was convinced that nothing could tear them apart. How wrong he had been. He had let his fear of losing Magnus cloud his judgment, and now he might have lost him for good.

Alec stands, pacing again, the walls closing in on him. He can feel the pressure building, the regret tightening around him, suffocating him. He wants to fix this. He wants to tell Magnus everything, to beg for forgiveness, but Alec knows that words alone won’t be enough. Magnus deserves so much more than just apologies. He deserves the truth, and Alec owes him that much.

His eyes linger on the door again, but this time, Alec doesn’t move. He knows it’s too soon. He knows he has to give Magnus the space he needs. But Alec is dying inside, every moment without his omega feels like an eternity.

The pain is unbearable. The regret is suffocating.

Alec falls to his knees, his hands gripping his hair as he closes his eyes, trying to hold himself together. He never wanted to hurt Magnus. But he has, and now, Alec has to face the consequences of his actions.

All he can do is wait. Wait for Magnus to be ready. Wait for the pain to ease, for the distance to shrink, even if it takes years.

But Alec knows one thing for certain—he will never stop loving Magnus. Even if it means suffering in silence, even if Magnus never forgives him, Alec will carry this regret with him for as long as he breathes. And he will spend every day proving, somehow, that he is worthy of the man he once had by his side.

TBC