Alec’s

My vision tinted red, and then I struck Brian hard enough to send him flying across the arena. He hit the ground.

I moved. Faster than I meant to. The next thing I knew, I had Brian pinned, claws out, teeth bared. A growl thundered from my throat, and Brian's eyes widened— just before I lunged.

"Alec!"

Micah's voice.

Then Jason.

Their hands gripped my arms, straining as they pulled me back. My breath came in pants. My hands shook. I blinked down and realized I'd torn Brian's shirt, his shoulder bleeding. He wasn't fighting back—just staring at me with a strange mix of caution and understanding.

I blinked. My breathing was ragged. My vision sharp and red-edged.

"What the hell?" Micah grabbed my arm, yanking me back. "You almost took his head off!"

I staggered back as if waking from a dream.

Brian sat up slowly, dazed.

"Shit," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't mean-Knox, he-he got too close."

Jason grabbed my shoulder. They herded me back to my office. I didn't speak. I couldn't. I was too shaken by what almost happened.

When the door shut behind us, Micah rounded on me.

"You want to tell us what the hell that was?"

I paced the room, anxiety clawing at me from the inside. "I lost control."

"Obviously," Jason said, crossing his arms. "But why?"

I pinned him with a pissed-off gaze. "Because I'm drowning and Knox is too close to the surface."

"The full moon," Micah said knowingly.

"It's not just that." I finally stopped pacing and looked at them. "It's Sadie."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You two have another fight?"

"No. Not exactly." I rubbed my face with both hands. "She doesn't believe me. She thinks everything I'm feeling now is just the bond. That I want her now only

because fate decided she should be mine."

"And that bothers you because...?"

"Because it's not true," I snapped. "I want her. Not because of a bond. Not because of Aspen. Because it's her. I want her. And I don't know how to make her believe that when all I've done for years is prove the opposite."

I was trained not to let my emotions get in my way. To block them. Suppress them because they make you weak. Now, though, they are on the surface. They have a death grip on me. One I can't seem to shake.

"I get it." I continued, "I hurt her so badly. I made her believe she was unwanted.

She doesn't owe me anything-not trust, not a second chance. And yet..."

Micah sat on the edge of my desk. "And yet you still want one."

"I do," I whispered. "More than anything. But I'm fucking terrified it's too late. That

nothing I do will ever be enough."

Silence settled between us. Heavy and thick.noveldrama

Micah leaned back against the wall. "So, prove her wrong."

"I don't know how," I muttered.

Jason spoke up, arms crossed. "Then let's figure it out. What does she need from you? What would show her that this isn't some temporary bond reaction?"

"She needs consistency," Micah added. "Loyalty. Time."

Jason nodded. "And probably something not wolf-related. Something personal. Something she'd never expect from you."

My mind spun. "You think that's enough?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "You'll never know unless you try. You can't sit around and do nothing if you want to have a shot at a relationship with her."

It's funny honestly, for the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to handle things. For the first time in my life, I had self-doubt. For the first time in my life, was vulnerable enough to admit I couldn't do it alone and that I needed help.

Micah stepped forward, his hand on my shoulder. "You're never going to erase what happened, Alec. But you can write something new. You just have to want it badly enough to do the work."

Jason nodded. “Exactly. Show her you want her. Not because of the bond. Not

because it's expected-but because you choose her. Every day."

I blinked. Damn, the bastard actually made sense.

I exhaled, the storm in my chest calming just slightly.

"Alright," I said. "How do I do that?"

Jason grinned. "We'll figure it out."

Micah clapped me on the back. "We've got a whole list of ideas. Trust us."

For the first time in days, a small breath of hope curled in my chest.

Maybe I couldn't undo the past.

But maybe just maybe I could help her see the future, with me in it.