Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Decision

Nathan’s POV

Just like Hailee had wanted, I made my way back to the festival. The place was jam-packed with people, not just from our pack but from the neighboring pack. The celebration was in full swing, but my mind wasn’t in it. I was worried, anxious about what Father and Hailee might be discussing. I wished we were both called to talk. I was scared that he might scare her.

"Damn it. He better not make things harder for me," I muttered to myself.

"And who’s about to make things hard for my favorite cousin?" I heard the amused voice of Dane. For a moment, I had forgotten about him.

I turned and looked him straight in the face. He had that annoying smirk that always got on my nerves.

"I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I want you to stay away from Hailee," I demanded, my voice sharp with possessiveness.

Dane let out a scoff, clearly unbothered by my outburst. "Well, this is new... I’ve never seen you like this, Nat."

"That’s because I’m in love with her!" I snapped, the words leaving my mouth without a second thought.

I noticed Dane’s brow furrow in surprise, but my attention drifted away the second I spotted Hailee heading our way. "We’ll finish this later," I muttered and moved past him, heading straight for her.

As I approached, I sensed something was different. Something about her felt off, like the air around her had shifted. And when our eyes met, I saw it—pain, plain and raw.

My heart sank as I wondered what my father must have said to her. God, it better not be what I was thinking. She reached me just as I stepped out from the crowd, her eyes clinging to mine like she’d been looking for me too.

Her steps were slow... careful.

And that pain I’d seen?

It was still there—hiding behind her calm expression, but I knew her well enough to see right through it.

She stopped in front of me and drew in a shaky breath. "Can we talk?"

Just those three words. But the weight behind them was heavy. Heavier than anything I’d felt all night.

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, of course."

Without saying more, I gently reached for her hand—not holding it, just guiding her as we moved away from the noise, the lights, the music, and most importantly... the eyes.

Because there were so many.

Watching. Whispering. Wondering.

And I didn’t care.

We made our way toward the edge of the clearing, behind one of the stone arches near the gardens. A quieter spot where everything, and the sounds of the festival, faded into a distant hum.

I turned to face her fully.

"You okay?" I asked, my voice low, gentle.

She hesitated for a second, then gave me a soft, sad smile.

"I need to tell you something," she said.

My stomach clenched.

The way she was looking at me... it wasn’t how I wanted her to look at me.

It wasn’t warmth... or desire.

It was like she was about to rip something out of her chest and hand it to me... broken.

I stepped a little closer. "What did he say to you?" I asked carefully. "Was it my dad? Did he... did he threaten you or something?" freēwebnovel.com

She shook her head quickly. "No. He didn’t threaten me. He was actually... kind. In his own way."

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