Chapter 245 Desperate move

Chapter 245: Chapter 245 Desperate move

_Brielle’s POV_

The moment Alaric’s voice boomed through the office, my heart slammed against my ribs so hard I couldn’t breathe.

I instantly let go of Kyle’s doctor coat, snatching my hands back like his clothes were made of hot iron. I stumbled backward two steps until my back hit the edge of his desk.

My throat felt completely dry, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a lie to explain why I was literally grabbing the head physician by his collar.

"Alaric...." I stammered, my voice trembling as I looked at his huge, terrifying figure blocking the doorway. "It’s... it’s not what it looks like... I was just—"

"It’s quite alright, Alpha," Kyle cut in, stepping forward with total, disturbing composure.

He calmly smoothed down the front of his white coat, adjusting his collar as if nothing had happened at all. He looked at Alaric with that same fake, polite doctor smile, his eyes completely devoid of any fear or panic.

"Brielle is experiencing intense emotional distress this morning," Kyle explained, his tone full of sympathy. "Early pregnancy hormones can cause severe mood swings, anxiety, and sudden outbursts. She came in here feeling overwhelmed about the council’s news, and I was simply trying to calm her down."

My face twisted in absolute horror and disgust as I stared at him.

This complete psycho.

He was standing right next to me, spouting crazy lies about pregnancy hormones to cover up the fact that I had just caught him red handed. He was using my fake pregnancy against me, painting me as a crazy, hysterical woman so Alaric wouldn’t take anything I said seriously.

"If you’ll excuse me, Alpha King," Kyle added, giving a small, respectful bow. "I will leave you two to speak privately. Please ensure she doesn’t overexert herself."

Kyle grabbed his tablet off the desk and walked past Alaric into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

The silence left in the room was suffocating.

Alaric didn’t move from the doorway. His dark, storm-filled eyes were fixed entirely on me.

He walked over to the chair across from the desk, pulling it back and sitting down with a sigh. He crossed his arms over his dark dress shirt, looking at me like I was a complete stranger.

"The council elders met an hour ago," he said gruffly, his deep voice sounding flat and tired. "They are demanding that I announce a formal royal betrothal by Friday. They want us married before the baby is born."

My breath hitched in my throat. The betrothal. It was everything my mother had been pushing for, everything my family needed to regain our wealth and standing.

"Alaric..." I whispered, stepping toward him, putting on a soft, hopeful expression. "The elders are right. Our child deserves a proper home. We can rebuild our family....."

"No," he cut me off, his voice cold enough to freeze water.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes locking onto mine.

"You are going to decline the elders’ request, Brielle," Alaric commanded. "You will go before the council tomorrow morning and tell them you do not wish to marry me."

I froze, staring at him in complete disbelief. "What?"

"I am not going to marry you," He stated plainly, every word hitting me like a physical punch to the chest. "I am never going to make you my Luna. The only woman I want, the only woman I will ever place a crown on, is Rowena."

A violent burst of pain erupted in my chest, rapidly turning into hot, uncontrollable rage. Tears instantly flooded my eyes, blurring my vision as I clenched my hands into tight, shaking fists at my sides.

"Rowena?!" I sobbed out loudly, my voice cracking with pure misery. "You’re doing this because of her?! What does that cheap, common woman have that I don’t have, Alaric?! What makes her so special?!"

"Brielle—"

"I have been here!" I screamed, tears streaming down my cheeks as I took two frantic steps toward his chair. "I built things with you! I stood by your side through the pack wars! I loved you then, and I still love you now! Before Rowena showed up and ruined everything, we had a future!"

Alaric didn’t flinch, he didn’t look guilty, and he didn’t look soft. He just looked up at me with a cold stare that broke my heart into a thousand pieces.

"I never loved you, Brielle," Alaric said bluntly.

His words were so straightforward, so brutally honest, that my breath completely caught in my chest.

"What we had back then was a consensual, intimate relationship," Alaric explained coldly, his voice devoid of any affection. "Nothing more. I cared about you as a noble lady of this pack, but I never promised you my heart. And whatever connection we did have ended the exact moment you packed your bags, abandoned this territory, and left when things got hard."

He stood up from the chair, pulling his suit jacket back on, towering over me like an unreachable mountain.

"I am a man of my word," Alaric continued, looking down at me. "You are carrying a child that the lab says is mine. I will make sure you never lack a single thing for the rest of your life. You will have money, a safe house, and full protection. But a relationship between us? A marriage? That is never going to happen. I want nothing to do with you."

"Alaric, please!" I wept desperately, reaching out to grab his arm as he turned toward the door. "You can’t do this to me! You can’t leave me for her!"

Alaric pulled his arm out of my grip, stepping away from me without looking back. "The decision is made, Brielle. Tell the elders tomorrow."

He reached out and grabbed the handle of the door, turning his back on me.

Seeing him about to walk out of my life forever, seeing him discard me so easily for Rowena, something inside my brain completely snapped. Blind panic and desperate obsession overtook every single ounce of my dignity.

I lunged forward, grabbing his shoulders from behind, spinning him around before he could open the door. Before he could push me away, I threw my arms around his neck, stood on my tiptoes, and planted my lips fiercely onto his in a desperate wild kiss.

Alaric went completely rigid with shock, his hands coming up instantly to shove me off.

Right at that exact second, the office door swung wide open.

Ezekiel stepped into the doorway holding a stack of folders, a cheerful smile on his face that instantly froze dead in its tracks. His jaw dropped wide open, his eyes turning huge as he looked at me pressing my lips against the Alpha King’s mouth.

Ezekiel stood there paralyzed for two long seconds, blinked rapidly, and slowly took a step backward into the hallway.

"Oops..."