Ruthless Alpha, and his Curvy Saint-Chapter 55

Alpha Terrell’s POV

I’d just reached my chambers, my mind still spinning from the conversation with Angel.

She chose me.

She wants me.

The knowledge sat warm and solid in my chest, even as guilt twisted in my gut.

Because she’d chosen Uriel. The kind warrior. The good man.

Not Alpha Terrell.

And when she found out the truth - and she would, the moment we reached Black Wolf territory and I couldn’t maintain the charade anymore - would she still want me?

Or would that choice evaporate like morning mist?

A knock at the door interrupted my spiraling thoughts.

"Come in."

Sheena entered, her expression serious.

"We need to talk," she said without preamble.

I gestured to the chairs by the fireplace. "About?"

"Your brother. The mate bond. And a journey we’ll need to make when we leave here."

My attention sharpened. "What kind of journey?"

Sheena settled into the chair across from me, her hands folded in her lap.

"Merrick will need to accompany us back to Black Wolf territory," she said carefully. "To consult the Moon Goddess."

My blood ran cold. "Consult her about what?"

"About the possibility that I was mistaken." She met my eyes steadily. "About Angel potentially having a connection to both of you. About whether the vision I received weeks ago was as clear as I believed."

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t process what she was saying.

Then rage exploded through me.

"Absolutely not," I snarled, standing so abruptly my chair scraped against the floor. "There will be no consultation. No journey with my brother. No questioning of bonds that have already been established."

"Terrell..."

"No!" The word came out as a roar. "You were the one who insisted the Moon Goddess was clear! You came to me and told me she’d finally chosen my mate. You begged me to go rescue Angel from Hawkins - even when I wanted to abandon her. You were certain - absolutely certain - that she belonged to me!"

"I was," Sheena said calmly. "I still am, mostly. But things have become complicated now that I know your brother shares your face and your name. The vision was fragmented in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until..."

"I don’t care about complications!" I was pacing now, unable to stand still. "You told me during our entire journey to find her that you’d consulted the Moon Goddess multiple times. That you were sure. That Angel was mine."

"I did say those things."

"So what changed?" I demanded. "What suddenly made you doubt divine certainty?"

Sheena was quiet for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"Your brother asked me to describe the vision in detail," she said finally. "And when I did, he pointed out several ambiguities I hadn’t considered. The way the name ’Terrell’ appeared separately from the image. The fact that you both carry that name, just use different parts of it. The possibility that the Moon Goddess was showing me options rather than a definitive pairing."

"Options?" I laughed bitterly. "The Moon Goddess doesn’t give options. She gives certainties. Fated pairs. Bonds that can’t be broken."

"Usually," Sheena agreed. "But there are rare cases - very rare - where she allows choice. Where she presents possibilities and lets the individuals involved determine their own path."

"And you think this is one of those cases?"

"I think it’s possible." She stood, facing me directly. "Which is why we need to consult her. Get clarification. Make absolutely certain before..."

"Before what? Before my brother tries to steal my mate?" I was getting frustrated now. "That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Merrick wants Angel, so he’s manipulating you into questioning an authentic vision."

"He’s not manipulating me," Sheena said firmly. "He’s asking legitimate questions that I should have asked myself. That I would have asked if I’d known about the naming situation."

I turned away, my hands clenched into fists.

She was right.

I knew she was right.

But I couldn’t - I couldn’t - risk losing Angel to my brother.

Not when she’d just chosen me.

Not when I’d finally found something worth more than power or reputation or centuries of accumulated glory.

"There’s no need to travel with Merrick," I said finally, forcing my voice to calm. "Angel doesn’t need two potential mates. She has one. Me. And I’m enough for her."

"Are you?" Sheena asked quietly. "Because from what I’ve observed, she doesn’t actually know you. She knows Uriel. The man you’re pretending to be."

"That’s different..."

Sheena moved closer. "You’re lying to her about your identity while simultaneously claiming she’s your fated mate. Your brother, meanwhile, is being completely honest about who he is and what he wants. Which one of you is actually giving her a real choice?"

"Merrick is trying to steal what’s mine!"

"Or," Sheena said gently, "he’s trying to claim what might actually be his. And you’re so terrified of losing her that you can’t see the difference."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to rage and throw things and demand she follow my orders without question.

But she was right.

About all of it.

And I was terrified.

Terrified of losing Angel.

Terrified of her learning the truth.

Terrified that when given a real choice between me and my brother, she’d choose him - once she knows I’m the devil.

"Don’t bring him to Black Wolf territory," I said quietly. "Please. Just... give me time to tell her the truth myself. Let me explain who I really am before you introduce more complications."

Sheena studied me for a long moment.

"I’ll wait," she said finally. "But Terrell? You need to tell her soon. Before she falls for Uriel so deeply that learning he’s actually you destroys her completely."

She left, closing the door softly behind her.

******

Lord Merrick’s POV

I was halfway to the west tower to check on Sera when a guard intercepted me.

"My lord, you have a visitor."

I stopped. "A visitor? In this storm?"

"Yes, my lord. He says his name is Lord Harland. He traveled alone."