Chapter Seventeen

Author's POV

Valerie stepped back, her heart racing faster than her thoughts could keep up. She couldn’t believe he thought he could just leave, as if everything they had built together could be discarded so easily. “You think you can walk away? Just like that? Go to her—my sister—and pretend none of this matters? That we don’t matter?” Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and desperation, her mind racing through all the moments they had shared, the dreams they had built together.

Devon’s expression hardened, a wall going up that she had seen too many times before. “You don’t understand. This is something I have to do. There are things at stake, things beyond—”

Valerie whipped around to face him, her anger igniting as fire consumed her. “What things, Devon? What could possibly matter more than what we’ve built? The connection we share? You’re throwing away everything—everything—for what?”

She caught the brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes, the way he fought to suppress his own frustration, but she couldn’t let him sidestep the truth any longer. She needed him to see the reality she had been desperately trying to convey.

“I’m not some passing whim for you, Devon,” she continued, her voice softening slightly but still edged with steel. “I’m not just another mistake you can erase. I’ve forgiven you—for everything you’ve done, each lie, every moment you chose to look the other way. And now you’re telling me this is just business?” The weight of her words hung heavy, and her breath hitched as she pressed on, “I won’t let you walk away to her. You won’t look at my sister again, not like that.”

Devon took a small step back, hands raised slightly as if he intended to explain, but Valerie was a whirlwind of emotions, a storm that refused to back down.

“I’m not just going to sit here and let you waltz into her arms, into the embrace of your so-called true mate.” Her voice shook, the intensity of her love and fear breaking through. “I love you, Devon. You’re mine, and I can’t stand the thought of you taking another step without knowing that.”

For a moment, they stood locked in a standoff, the atmosphere charged and thick with unresolved emotions. Devon’s expression wavered, confusion mingling with something deeper that Valerie couldn’t quite identify, and she held her breath, waiting for his next move.

Then, slowly, Devon stepped closer, his gaze piercing into hers with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. “Valerie…” He hesitated, his voice wavering between doubt and sincerity. “I don’t know what this is, or why you feel so... intense about it. But you need to understand—this isn’t just about us. It’s about my responsibility, my pack, the duty I’ve sworn to uphold to keep everything in balance.

His words hit her like a slap, the harsh reminder of his obligations and the duties that had always formed an invisible barrier between them. She felt her jaw clench, nails digging painfully into the palms of her hands. He’s always thinking about everyone else except me. The realization settled heavy in her heart, mingling with the raw anguish that threatened to consume her.

“I don’t care about your responsibilities!” Valerie's voice rang out, the emotions she'd been holding back finally breaking free. She stepped toward him, her eyes blazing with intensity. “I care about you—not your pack, not your territory. You.” Her words crackled like fire between them. “You need to understand this, Devon. I need you to see me—just me, not the Alpha, not the leader.”

Devon exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair as if trying to grasp her words. He turned away for a moment, his back to her, but the weight of his presence still filled the space.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his voice thick with something unspoken. “I didn't intend to hurt you, but I have to go. I need to...”

Before he could finish, Valerie crossed the distance in a heartbeat, grasping the front of his shirt and pulling him back toward her, her breath ragged as she met his gaze. “No. I won’t let you go. You think you owe some duty to the pack? That your responsibilities come before what we share?” Her voice trembled with urgency. “You owe me more than that, Devon. You owe me everything.”

The words hung heavily in the air, the silence thick with unspoken tension. Devon stood still, his chest rising and falling with deliberate breaths. Finally, his hands found her wrists, his grip firm but gentle.

“Valerie,” he said, his voice softer but saturated with resolve. “I have to go. But I'm not leaving you. I can’t explain everything right now, but please... don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

Valerie’s eyes sparked with a mix of defiance and hurt. She wanted to scream, to shake him into submission, but instead, she released his shirt and stepped back, inhaling sharply. “Go,” she said, her voice cutting through the air. “But don’t ever think I’ll make this easy for you. I will never let you go.”

Devon hesitated, his gaze lingering on her for just a moment longer before he turned to leave. As he stepped away, Valerie’s heart sank, but her

resolve only intensified. She wouldn’t give up. Not now. Not ever.

She would make him see.