Chapter 58 Hurtful Truth
Bambi's POV
I didn't breathe at first.
I just stared at Luna Odessa as her words lingered in the room, thick and poisonous.
Stealing his power.
The sentence echoed again and again in my skull, like someone was knocking on my bones from the inside. Her green eyes stayed locked on mine, unblinking, too calm for what she had just suggested.
I swallowed, the sound too loud in the silence.
"You're… joking, right?" I asked quietly.
"No," she said. Her voice was soft, almost gentle. That was worse than if she had screamed. "I don't joke about power."
I took a small step back, my hand brushing against the edge of the desk behind me. "Odessa… I don't know what you think I can do, but I'm not interested in whatever you're planning."
"You haven't heard the plan yet."
"I don't need to," I muttered.
She sighed, an exhausted sound—as if I was the one being unreasonable.
"Bambi," she said, "you and I both know the Alpha uses people. He consumes them. He chews them up and discards them when he's done. I was no different. I thought I was special once." She let out a hollow laugh. "Turns out I was a placeholder."
Her eyes flicked to my neck—right where the mark sat. Her gaze tightened.
"You're the new placeholder," she added.
I crossed my arms, hugging myself instinctively. "That doesn't make any sense. He didn't discard me. If anything, he—"
I stopped myself, cheeks heating.
Her brows rose. "If anything, he what? Wants you?" she asked softly. "Yes. For now. Until the novelty wears off."
"That's not true," I whispered.
Her lips curved. "Is this you defending him? After everything he just admitted to you?"
I flinched.
She noticed.
"Thought so," she murmured. "You see, Bambi, I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here because you're the only person he actually cares about right now. And that means…" Her voice dropped. "You are the only one who can tear him down."
My stomach twisted. "I don't want to tear him down."
"Not even after finding out he manipulated your life? Controlled your fate? Lied to you from the beginning?"
"That doesn't mean I want him dead!"
"I never said anything about killing him."
"Then what—?"
"Removing his power," she interrupted. "Taking the Alpha title from him without shedding a drop of his blood."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
"Why me?" I finally whispered.
"Because he trusts you," she answered. "Because he listens to you. Because he would open a door for you that he would slam in my face. And because…" She inhaled slowly. "You have something I don't."
"What?"
She paused, then smiled bitterly.
"His weakness."
I didn't know what to say to that. My heart beat too fast. Too loud. Like it didn't know whether to feel flattered or terrified.
Probably both.
"Odessa," I said, rubbing my temples, "I barely even understand the bond I'm in. I don't know anything about stealing powers or Alpha titles—"
"That's why I'm here." Her voice softened again. "I don't need you to fight him. I don't need you to confront him. I only need… access."
I frowned. "What kind of access?"
"To him," she said simply. "To his energy. His bond with you. His trust."
I stiffened. "That sounds like betrayal."
She smiled sadly. "Every revolution starts with one."
I stepped away from her, shaking my head. "Stop. Please. I'm not helping you. I won't."
"You will," she said calmly.
"No, I—"
"Because he will destroy you eventually."
My throat closed.
She walked toward me slowly, her steps soft on the carpet. "You think he's obsessed now? You think he's controlling now? That's nothing compared to what he will become once he realizes how deeply the bond has tied you to his survival."
I swallowed. "You don't know that."
"Oh, I do," she said quietly. "Dawn Collins only knows one thing: power. And when he feels it slipping, even slightly, he clings harder. He suffocates. He destroys whatever threatens him—"
"I'm not a threat to him," I cut in weakly.
"You are his mate," she corrected. "That alone makes you dangerous."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. My heart thudded painfully in my chest.
Odessa took another step closer, lowering her voice.
"I am offering you freedom," she whispered. "A chance to step out of this bond alive. A chance to reclaim your life."
My breath shook.
Freedom.
The word pricked something inside me. Something buried. Something that had been quiet for too long.
She watched my reaction like a hawk.
"You can pretend you don't want it," she said softly. "But you do. It's written all over your face."
I looked away.
"Whatever happened between you and the Alpha today… it shook you. You're scared."
I didn't argue.
"You want answers," she whispered. "You want safety. You want control."
Her hand rose to touch my cheek, but I recoiled and she let her hand fall.
"I'm not your enemy, Bambi," she said. "He is."
"No," I muttered, shaking my head. "He… he saved me."
"He claimed you," she corrected sharply. "Do not mistake possession for care."
I bit down hard on my bottom lip.
"Let me help you," she whispered.
"I don't trust you."
"You don't need to," she said. "You just need to trust yourself."
I stared at the floor for a long moment, trying to steady my breathing.
"Just tell me," I finally whispered, "what your plan even is."
She smiled—that sharp, quiet smile that chilled me more than her anger ever had.
"Good," she said softly. "You're listening now."
I crossed my arms tightly. "Listening doesn't mean agreeing."
"Oh, of course." She waved her hand casually. "But you will."
"Stop assuming things!"
"Then stop proving me right," she countered.
I clenched my jaw. "Just say what you came to say."
"Fine." She stepped back, giving me a little space. "Plan B is simple. I steal his Alpha power. His command. His dominance. Everything that makes him untouchable. And I do it using the bond between you two."
My heartbeat stumbled. "How?"
"I'll teach you," she said. "You won't need to attack him. You won't even need to confront him. You'll only need to be near him."
"Sounds like a trap."
"It is," she admitted. "But not for you."
I rubbed a hand over my face. "Odessa… why now? Why tell me this today?"
"Because today," she said quietly, "I realized he will never choose me. No matter how long I pretend to be the perfect Luna. No matter how long I play the role I stole."
She swallowed hard.
"He picked you. He will always pick you. And I…"
She looked away, her voice wavering.
"…I refuse to be replaced again."
The room went silent.
Completely silent.
I didn't know what to feel—fear, pity, disgust, confusion. Maybe all at once.
After a moment, she sighed and walked toward the door.
"I'll give you time," she said. "But not much. Think about your future, Bambi. Think about what staying with him truly means."
She reached the door, paused, and looked back at me.
"And remember," she added, "the only reason Dawn hasn't destroyed me yet… is because I have something he wants."
"What?" I whispered.
Her smile curled, slow and secretive.
"Leverage."
She opened the door.
"Don't wait too long," she warned softly. "The longer you stay tied to him… the harder it will be to ever get free."
Then she slipped out, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
I stood there for a long time, alone with the bond pulsing at my neck and the sound of her words twisting through my chest.
Freedom.
Power.
Leverage.
And somewhere in the center of it all—
Dawn.
My mate.
I sat down slowly on the edge of my bed, burying my face in my hands.
I didn't know what terrified me more—
Odessa's plan…
or the part of me that feared she might be right.
I didn't even realize how long I sat there.
Maybe a minute… maybe longer. My hands were still pressed to my face, my breath shaking, my mind going in circles that kept getting smaller and tighter.
Odessa's voice wouldn't leave my head.
He will destroy you eventually.
You are the only one who can tear him down.
The only reason he hasn't killed me is because I have leverage.
My stomach clenched again.
Why did her words sound so believable?
Why did they feel like they were already happening?
"Stop," I whispered to myself. "Just… stop thinking."
I forced my hands down and stared at the floor. My chest felt heavy, too heavy. Like something was pressing against it from inside.
I tried to breathe.
I tried to think.
But everything just—
A sharp knock made me jump.
I froze.
The knock came again, this time harder. More urgent.
"Bambi."
The voice wasn't loud, but it cut right through me.
Alpha Dawn.
My heart flipped painfully. For a second I couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
Another knock. "Open the door."
I swallowed thickly and stood up on shaky legs. Before I even reached the door, he spoke again—quieter, but sharper.
"I can feel you panicking."
My hands trembled.
Of course he could. The bond pulsed like a second heartbeat at my neck. Everything I felt, he could feel—at least the edges of it.
"Bambi," he said, voice tightening. "Open it."
I slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open just enough to see him.
He looked… different.
Not angry. Not cold.
Just tense.
Like something was wrong.
His dark eyes scanned my face immediately. "What happened?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
He stepped closer, pushing the door wider with one hand. "Why are you shaking?"
"I'm fine," I lied.
His jaw flexed. "You are not fine. Let me in."
"No—"
He didn't wait.
He walked in, shut the door behind him, and turned to face me. The room suddenly felt smaller, warmer, and harder to breathe in.
He studied me slowly, eyes searching every inch of my face. "Something happened. Tell me what."
I crossed my arms. "I said I'm fine."
"You're a terrible liar," he muttered.
Silence settled in our midst.
His voice dropped a little. "Did someone hurt you?"
My breath hitched.
He took one step closer. "Who talked to you?"
"Why do you assume someone talked to me?"
"Because your emotions are all over the place." His voice was low, impatient, frustrated. "You're terrified, then angry, then… confused."
"I said I'm okay," I repeated.
"And I said stop lying."
He moved closer again, this time slowly, like he was approaching a frightened animal that might run.
"Bambi," he whispered, "look at me."
I did.
I shouldn't have.
His eyes softened immediately, but not in a sweet way, more like in a dangerous way. Like he was absorbing my fear and trying to figure out who deserved his anger for it.
"Who came here?" he asked again.
"No one."
"Try again."
I stepped back. "Dawn, stop."
He froze.
The way I said his name… it made him stare harder.
"Tell me," he said. "Now."
"I said nothing happened."
"And I said you're lying."
"I'm not!"
His voice dropped even lower. "Bambi. I can feel you."
My chest tightened.
He took another step toward me. Now he was close enough that his warmth brushed against my skin.
"Your heart is racing," he said quietly. "You smell like… fear."
I flinched.
He noticed.
"What did I do?" he asked, softer than before.
"What?"
"Did I scare you again?" His voice was almost a whisper. "Did I do something?"
"No," I muttered.
"Then why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like you don't know whether to run or cry."
I closed my eyes, trying to hold in the sudden sting that burned behind them.
He took another step.
"Bambi," he breathed, "talk to me."
A tiny, broken sound slipped from my throat.
I hated how he heard it.
He moved instantly, reaching out, but I stepped back, and his hand froze mid-air.
He stared at the empty space between us, something sharp flashing in his eyes.
"You're pulling away from me again."
"I'm allowed to," I muttered.
He inhaled slowly. "I don't like it."
"Well, you don't control everything."
He tilted his head. "Someone told you something."
I stayed silent.
His voice sharpened. "Who was here?"
Still nothing.
His eyes darkened. "Odessa."
My heart jumped.
He took one long step forward. "She came here."
I backed into the side of the bed. "Dawn—"
"What did she say to you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
"Why?"
"Because," he said, stepping closer again, "you are shaking, and I want to know who put that fear in you."
"It wasn't fear," I said quickly.
He gave me a flat look. "Then what was it?"
Silence.
He lowered himself a little, bringing his eyes level with mine. "Did she threaten you?"
"No."
"Did she insult you?"
"No."
His jaw ticked. "Did she mention me?"
I hesitated.
That was enough.
His nostrils flared. "She did."
"Dawn—"
"What lies did she feed you?"
"Stop," I said, voice cracking a little.
"Did she tell you I'm dangerous?" he asked.
I flinched.
He closed his eyes, a muscle in his jaw tightening. When he opened them again, they were darker.
"She did."
"Dawn—"
"What else?" he demanded. "Did she tell you I'll hurt you? That I'll use you? That I'll destroy you?"
I stepped back again. "Stop yelling."
"I'm not yelling," he snapped—before lowering his voice. "I'm trying to understand why my mate is looking at me like she's afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you," I whispered.
His eyes softened again. Just barely.
"Then what are you afraid of?" he asked.
My throat tightened.
He reached out slowly this time, giving me enough time to move away if I wanted.
I didn't.
He placed his hand on my cheek gently. Too gently.
"Tell me," he whispered.
My voice trembled. "I don't know what to believe."
His breath hitched, like my answer hurt him.
"I told you the truth."
"Did you?" I asked quietly. "Or did you tell me what I needed to hear so I wouldn't run?"
Silence.
His fingers brushed my jaw, careful, controlled. "Bambi…"
I shook my head. "Odessa said—"
He tensed instantly.
"I don't want to hear what she said," he muttered.
"I do," I shot back. "Because I need to know what's real."
He stared at me for a long second.
Then he said quietly, "Everything she said is designed to make you hate me."
"Why?"
"Because she wants my title." His voice hardened. "She always has."
"That's not what she said."
"Of course not," he muttered. "She's not stupid."
"She said she wants to help me."
His jaw clenched. "She wants to use you."
"She said you'll destroy me eventually."
His eyes snapped up to mine.
And for a moment… he didn't speak.
He just stared.
Then he exhaled very slowly, like he was trying to keep something inside from breaking loose.
"Bambi," he said quietly, "I will never destroy you."
I swallowed.
He took another step until our bodies were almost touching.
"You are the only thing keeping me sane," he whispered. "Why would I destroy the one thing that keeps me alive?"
My breath hitched.
His hand slid to the back of my neck, warm and steady.
"Don't believe her," he said. "Believe me."
I looked away. "I don't know how."
"Then let me prove it."
"How?"
His thumb brushed my skin. "Stay with me tonight."
My heart jumped. "Why?"
"So I can show you," he said softly, "that I'm not your enemy."
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
His voice dropped even lower. "Please, Bambi."
That word again.
Please.
I looked up at him.
His eyes weren't cold.
Or angry.
Or calculating.
They were… desperate.
Like if I said no, something inside him would crack.
And that scared me more than anything.
"I don't know," I whispered back.
He swallowed. "Then let me change that."
I stared at him, my heart beating too hard, too fast, too uneven.
"Just…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…don't pull away from me tonight."
I closed my eyes, trying to breathe.
He waited.
Silent.
Still.
Too close.
And all I could feel was the weight of his hand on my skin…
and the reminder of Odessa's warning in my skull.
The longer you stay tied to him, the harder it will be to ever get free.
I opened my eyes slowly.
And Dawn…
was still watching me like I was the only thing holding him together.