Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
“I was shocked,” she began, “I wasn’t sure what to do. But as I began to think that Alexander might really have come back, I realized what I had done.”
She lowered her head and took a deep breath.
Landon furrowed his brow, confused by her reaction.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I gave up on him,” she said softly, looking up at Landon with tears. “And in doing so, I took everything away from him.”
“Fiona…”
Landon began to protest, but Fiona held her hand to stop him.
“I don’t want you to try and convince me that I have done nothing wrong,” she said. “I know it was reasonable to assume that there was no hope. To accept that Alexander was gone and move forward for the sake of the pack.”
Landon nodded.
“But,” Fiona continued, “I could have done that without sacrificing Alexander’s role as Alpha.”
Landon swallowed as he heard the pain and anger slowly moving into her voice.
“In fact, I planned to do exactly that,” she stated. “I was going to become Summer’s Alpha, holding his place for him until he returned.”
Fiona paused, clenching her jaw.
“I believed he would return,” she said quietly. “I was sure of it… until Galen convinced me otherwise.”
Landon lowered his head and closed his eyes.
“That was why you came here yesterday,” he said softly. “To confront Galen about convincing you to give up being Alpha.”
“Yes,” Fiona replied through gritted teeth.
She was angry and hurt. Nothing about the years that followed Alexander’s disappearance was easy, but giving up on his return had been one of the lowest points in her life. And knowing that it was Galen, of all people, who had convinced her when he still believed Alexander could return, it was a betrayal she had never expected.
“I have always considered him a son,” she said, her voice quiet and hurt. “I raised him, loved him, and trusted him. He was a brother to Alexander. The three of us… we survived so much together…”
She paused, taking a deep breath and clenching her fists.
“I don’t understand how he could stand there and lie to my face… how he could have looked me in the eye all these years.”
Landon looked up at Fiona. Her hands were balled into tight fists, and her jaw was clenched shut. She looked angry, but he knew that, more than anything else, she was hurting.
The joy she should have felt at Alexander’s return was overshadowed by the guilt of moving on with her life and not protecting his place in Summer. While she and Galen should have celebrated together, they were now at odds.
Growing up in Broken Crag, Landon had always known the value of family. Jonas had taken him in and guided him like a son. He taught him all that he knew and more than he could have ever thought to ask.
Landon had never considered the possibility of getting close to anyone outside of his pack. He had held feelings for Nessa when he was younger, but after meeting Fiona, after spending even a short amount of time with her, he had questioned whether he ever actually loved Nessa or simply wanted to remain a part of her family.
In these past five years, he had made many friends and alliances. But no relationship mattered more to him than the one he shared with Fiona. And through her, he had also gotten close to Galen, Bell, and their son Ren.
While he was very well aware that Fiona would likely never allow him to make it official, he considered them all a part of his family.
He knew what they all meant to her and how hard she had worked to get through her grief over losing Alexander.
Landon stood from his chair. Surprised by the sudden movement, Fiona looked up at him.
“Come with me,” he said, extending his hand to her.
Fiona furrowed her brows but stood and took his hand. Landon led her out of the room without another word. It wasn’t until they turned down the hall that led toward Galen’s office that she finally said something.
“Landon, stop. I don’t need you to be my hero,” she said, pulling back against him, “this isn’t something for you to get involved with. It is between Galen and I.”
Landon did not stop. Instead, he moved even more determinedly toward the door.
“Landon, I am serious!” Fiona shouted.
But it was too late. They had reached the door, and Landon didn’t bother to knock, shoving it open and moving them inside.
At his desk, Galen stood from his chair.
“Landon?” he called out, then seeing Fiona, he swallowed. “Fiona…”
Fiona pulled her hand out of Landon’s grip and softly growled at him.
“I told you to stop,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” Landon said, looking back at her, “but we need to talk, all of us.”
Landon looked back at Galen.
Galen furrowed his brows and stepped out from behind his desk.
“What is this?” he asked.
Fiona looked up at Galen.
“You and I have not finished our conversation,” she said coldly, then looked back at Landon. “But this has nothing to do with you.”
Landon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly and then looked at Fiona again.
“I’m afraid it does,” he said. “I know how much you love Galen, how much your relationship means to you. I cannot allow you to destroy that over something that was not his fault.”
Fiona looked at Landon with confusion and concern.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Landon looked back at Galen, who also stared at him confusedly. Then he turned back to Fiona.
“Galen may have been the one to convince you not to become Alpha,” he said. “But he only did so because I pushed him into it.”
762 It Should Really Be Me
Fiona’s eyes widened.
“What?” she asked.
“I approached him. I told him it was his responsibility to become Alpha of Summer,” Landon continued. “He had no interest in pursuing it on his own. Galen also wanted to do whatever it took to hold out until Alexander returned.”
“Hang on a minute,” Galen said, stepping toward Landon. “It was my responsibility, one that I should have taken up a lot sooner. I needed that push. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That might be true,” Landon replied, “but you would never have lied to Fiona if I had not attacked you.”
“Attacked him?” Fiona questioned, taking a step toward them both and turning toward Galen.
Galen shook his head.
“He didn’t,” he quickly said, “not physically. He just… reminded me of what I needed to do.”
“I used Alexander against you,” Landon said.
Fiona turned back to him.
“I knew how much it would hurt you if I said those things,” Landon continued. “I pushed until I was sure that you would make the decision that I felt was best.”
“No,” Galen shook his head, again moving closer to Landon. He turned to Fiona. “That’s not what happened.”
“It is,” Landon said, “I am the one that forced Galen to lie to you, Fiona. I am to blame, not him.”
Fiona looked between the two men as they argued. She was feeling frustrated and confused. It was Galen that had convinced her to give up on Alexander. But did he do it because of Landon? But why would the man who came running when he thought she might shed a tear do something that he knew would break her heart?
“Why are you doing this?” Galen asked, turning to Landon. “You never told me to lie to her. No matter what you said to me, I made that decision. It has nothing to do with you.”
“If I had not cornered you that night, you would never have felt the need to lie to her,” Landon replied.
She took a deep breath as they continued to go back and forth. Finally, she sighed and turned to Landon.
“Why?” she asked. “Why did you get involved at all? You were the one that even told me about how I could become Alpha, so why would you then turn around and push Galen into the role?”
Landon met her eyes but quickly lowered them and clenched his jaw tight.
“I have never cared for anyone the way that I care for you,” he said softly. “Even before you showed me any affection in return, I would have done anything to keep you safe.”
“I don’t understand,” Fiona sighed.
Landon met her eyes. She swallowed as she saw the seriousness in his gaze.
“When I told you about how you could become Alpha, I saw the fear in your eyes. I felt the warmth drain from your body,” Landon said. “And as you described the way each member of your family has sacrificed for Summer… how you already have…”
He paused, licking his lips and then swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat at the memory.
“I knew that as scared and as tired as you were… you were still going to sacrifice yourself to keep Alexander’s place,” he said. “And it would have killed you.”
Landon lifted his gaze to meet hers again.
“How could I not get involved?” he asked gently.
Fiona closed her eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest. She took a deep breath and then turned toward Galen.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?