14

[Jade’s pov]



I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement upon Ragnar's arrival in the room. I had been avoiding him for days after he confessed his feelings for me and then left me. I was sure that Lily must have informed him about my pregnancy. After all, why would not she, the child’s father was her brother.

Though part of me was still drawn to him, I knew I couldn't let my heart rule over the reasoning. Ragnar was engaged to someone else now, and I couldn't be the reason for him to break that commitment. How could I when i knew everyone would blame me for every fucking thing?

When the door swung open, revealing Ragnar's shocked expression, I knew he was surprised to see me standing there with my guard up. He tried to approach me, but I instinctively took a step back, not letting him touch me. "Ragnar, we…we need to talk from a distance," I said firmly, my voice laced with determination.

"Why are you avoiding me, Jade?" Ragnar's eyes were filled with confusion and a hint of hurt. "I thought you understood that what we have is something special." he tried to reason out by bringing the mate bond which i could not deny. But at that moment I could not accept and embrace it too.

"We do, but you are engaged to someone else," I reminded him, trying to keep my emotions in check. "You can't just walk away from your commitment. It's not fair to your fiancée." i tried to make him recall that he had a fiancee now and my child was not his anymore. I was ready to bring my child all alone by staying in my brother’s pack.

Ragnar sighed, frustration evident in his voice. "I know, I know. But I can't help how I feel about you, Jade. You are driving me crazy the way you are avoiding me while carrying my child. How do you expect me to leave you all alone here?"

"I'm sorry, Ragnar, but we can't act on these feelings. It's not right anymore. You were not there when i needed you. You were the one who abandoned me and got engaged to Clara for the sake of power." I insisted, my resolve faltering a bit as I looked into his pleading eyes.

Before I could say anything else, Ragnar moved behind me and pulled me into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around me possessively, and I could feel his warmth against my back. "I'm sorry for leaving you, Jade," he whispered into my ear, his voice soft and apologetic. "I would not deny getting engaged to Clara but it was the dire need of the situation.”

“I…I had to secure my position as the alpha and it was only possible if I had a strong female wolf by my side. But I promise I won't let anyone or anything ruin everything now. I won't leave you or my child just like that. I have the position of alpha now and I am here to take you and my child back.”

Torn between wanting him to stay and wanting him to go back to his fiancée, I didn't know how to respond. My heart ached at the conflict of emotions inside me. "I'm just asking for you to take some time to figure things out," Ragnar continued, holding me close. "Please, don't shut me out completely. Let's find a way to solve this together."

I hesitated for a moment, torn between the fear of heartbreak and the allure of his embrace. Eventually, I relaxed into his arms, allowing myself to be vulnerable. In that moment, as we stood there entwined in each other's arms, I realised that no matter how hard I tried to resist, my heart was already falling for him again.

As Ragnar held me in his arms, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions swirling within me. Part of me longed for him to stay, to choose me over his engagement to Clara. But the other part knew that I couldn't let myself get hurt like this again. Whom should I have trusted?

"You left me, Ragnar," I whispered, my voice trembling with suppressed emotions. "You disappeared without a word, and now you expect me to just welcome you back into my life?" i could not hold back my tears knowing that now i had another life with me to take care off.

He tightened his grip on me, trying to soothe me. "I'm so sorry, Jade. I never meant to hurt you. I was confused and scared about how to protect you, and I made a terrible mistake by not telling you everything before. I know it was super stupid fo me to let you go."

"You toyed with my feelings," I continued, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "You made me believe that we had something special, that you cared about me. But then you left, and I was left here wondering what I did wrong."

Ragnar's expression softened with regret as he listened to my pain. "I know I messed up, Jade. I can't change what happened, but I promise you i will fix everything. I had been miserable without you. Clara was just a tool for me to secure my position, and I can't go through with the wedding with her knowing that it is you whom I need in my life."

Ragnar's grip on me tightened, and I could feel his guilt through the way his body stiffened. "Jade, I never meant to hurt you," he said, his voice laced with regret. "I thought I could handle my feelings for you, but they became too overwhelming and it was harder to live without you all these months. I got engaged to Clara but each day her presence made me realise how deeply I had fallen for you."

His words tugged at my heartstrings, and a part of me wanted to believe him. But the scars from our past were still fresh, and I couldn't forget how he had left me broken and confused. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked away, not wanting him to see the pain he had caused me. "You lied to me, Ragnar," I said, my voice quivering with emotion. "You toyed with my feelings, and then you went and got engaged to someone else. I thought what we had was special, but I was just a passing fancy to you.”

“And hah! You still claim to love and protect me when you did not even bother where i was and how i had been all these months! You can't just come back and expect everything to be okay," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "You broke my heart, Ragnar. You made me doubt myself and my worth. I can't let myself go through that again."
"No, Jade, you were never just a passing fancy," Ragnar protested, his voice desperate. "I cared about you deeply, and I still do. I never took my eyes off you. Who do you think informed Zilver to pick you up from the outksirts of the pack? Who told him your whereabouts and being captured by those hunters? How do you think he came as fast as he could to that brothel to get you out?”



He cupped my face gently, wiping away a tear that escaped despite my efforts to hold them back. "I'm truly sorry for leaving you but i never took my eyes off you, my men had been following you and my beta specifically was appointed to look after you, Jade. I never meant to hurt you. I was foolish and lost sight of what truly mattered. But you hae always been in my heart, and I can't let you go again."

As much as I wanted to believe him, fear gripped my heart. I couldn't bear the thought of being hurt again, of being second best to someone else. "How can I trust you, Ragnar?" I asked, my voice breaking. "How do I know you won't change your mind again and leave me all alone?"

Ragnar's eyes softened with sincerity as he held me close. "I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back, Jade. I know I don't deserve it after what I put you through, but I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that I'm committed to us."

His words were both comforting and terrifying. I knew that giving him a second chance meant taking a risk, but my heart couldn't deny the love I still felt for him. "I need time to process everything, Ragnar," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need to know that you won't hurt me again."

He nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. "I will wait for as long as it takes, Jade. I won't rush you into anything. Just know that I love you, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right.” As he held me, I felt torn between the past and the possibility of a future with him.

All I knew was that I needed to be careful with my heart, to protect it from any further pain. But deep down, I couldn't deny that a part of me still hoped that maybe, just maybe, love could conquer all. And perhaps alpha Ragnar was speaking the truth!