Chapter 44 Three Suitors
LISA'S POV
Having three men interested in me should have felt flattering but it was exhausting. Ryan with his desperate attempts at begging for my forgiveness that grew more annoying each day.
Nathan on the other hand, never demanded anything but he was always present. And Adrian with his consistent respect and genuine interest that felt refreshing after months of complicated pack dynamics.
I felt like I was being pulled in three different directions when all I wanted was to just breathe and exist without the weight of everyone's expectations crushing me. The mate bond with Ryan came up constantly in my body, reminding me that he was still my mate . Nathan's feelings were written plainly in every look and gesture he made towards me and Adrian's intentions were clear despite all his pack politics pretense and his frequent visits.
Emma, my best friend, was fully recovered now from her injuries, I sought her advice over coffee in my office one afternoon. She never failed to bring my head into the game when I was slipping and this was such time I needed that advice.
"You are overthinking this entire situation," Emma said, setting down her cup.
"Let me lay it out simply. Ryan is your mate but he has hurt you repeatedly through his poor choices. Nathan is safe and loves you genuinely but you have never felt that spark with him romantically. Adrian is new and exciting but you barely know him beyond surface level attraction." she almost laughed while saying the last part.
"That is not helpful, Emma," I said, rubbing my temples where a headache was building.
"I haven't finished," Emma continued. "Here is the real question you need to answer honestly. If the mate bond did not exist, if you could choose completely freely without destiny or obligation influencing you, who would you want?"
I realized I haven't bothered to ask myself that and right now I still did not have an answer. I had spent so much time reacting to circumstances and managing everyone else's feelings that I had not asked myself what I actually wanted independent of everything else.
"I do not know," I admitted quietly.
"Then maybe you need to figure that out before you make any decisions about any of them," Emma said gently. "You deserve to choose based on what makes you happy, not what makes everyone else comfortable."
That night, the pack held a celebration for my victory over Sophia's challenge. The event had been delayed while I recovered from injuries but the pack insisted on marking the occasion properly. The main hall was decorated and filled with pack members in festive mood, music playing and food laid out in abundance.
All three men were there and the pack watched the dynamics with barely concealed interest. The drama between Ryan, Nathan, and Adrian was obvious to anyone paying attention and apparently everyone was paying attention.
Ryan kept his distance, respecting the boundaries I had established but his eyes never left me. I felt his gaze tracking my movements around the room, the mate bond transmitting his longing and regret in waves that made my chest ache. He looked terrible, thinner and exhausted, and I wondered how he still handled his beta duties.
Nathan stayed close throughout the evening, protective and attentive without being overwhelming. He brought me drinks, made sure I ate something, and ran interference when pack members approached with questions that could wait until tomorrow.
Adrian was charming I won't lie, making me laugh with stories from Western Pack and treating me like a woman he was courting rather than an Alpha he was negotiating diplomatic agreements with. The distinction was subtle but important and it felt good to be seen as Lisa the person instead of just Alpha Lisa the leader.
As the evening progressed, Adrian asked me to dance when a slow song started playing. I accepted, allowing him to lead me onto the floor where other couples swayed to music. His hand was warm on my waist and he held me at respectful distance that somehow felt more intimate than closer contact would have.
"You are thinking too hard," Adrian observed quietly as we moved to the rhythm.
"That seems to be my constant state lately," I said with small smile.
Adrian was quiet for a moment, "I know about mate bonds, Lisa. I understand what you have with Ryan is supposed to be unbreakable, destined by forces beyond our control. But I also know that you are miserable trying to force something that keeps breaking no matter how hard you try to fix it."
"Adrian," I started but he continued gently.
"Come to Western Pack for a month," he said, his eyes searching mine. "No pressure, no expectations about us or our relationship. Just give yourself space to figure out what you actually want, away from all of this complicated history and pack politics and everyone's opinions about your choices."
The offer was tempting. A month away from Moonstone territory, from Ryan's constant presence and Nathan's patient devotion and the pack's curious scrutiny. Time to think without the mate bond pulling at me constantly or the weight of leadership demanding every moment of attention.
"I would need to ensure pack business was handled," I said slowly, not refusing but not accepting either.
"Of course," Adrian agreed. "Daniel and Nathan are more than capable of managing things temporarily, they did it the last time you visited. And it would only be for a month, long enough to gain perspective but not so long that your absence creates problems."
I opened my mouth to respond, to tell Adrian I would consider his offer seriously, when alarms suddenly sounded throughout the pack house. The loud sound cut through the music and our conversation, instantly transforming the celebration into chaos.
It was rogues, they were attacking the eastern border. I quickly got reports coming through mind link. The pack quickly mobilized for defense, warriors grabbing weapons and racing toward the threat while others moved to protect vulnerable pack members.
I ran toward the eastern border with Daniel and Nathan flanking me, my Alpha instincts overriding everything else. Ryan was already coordinating defensive positions through mind link and his commands were clear and effective despite his troubles.
As we reached the border where fighting had already begun, I saw the attacking rogues and my blood ran cold. These were not random attackers or disorganized criminals.
And among the attacking rogues, I saw a face that made my heart stop. Viktor stood at the edge of the battle, very much alive despite everyone believing he had died during the rescue mission. He was commanding the assault with hand signals and his eyes locked onto mine across the distance with hatred that promised violence.
Viktor had returned and he had brought a whole army.