Chapter 104 I WOULD KEEP HER SAFE

Chapter 104 I WOULD KEEP HER SAFE
 Desmond

“Spit it out.”

Graham’s voice cracked through the room like a whip, it was clear, stern and there was just no way that I was going to get out of this.

It had been a few hours since I had someone kick Andrea the fuck out like I should have a long time ago. And I just knew it that I could no longer just keep the entire things hidden… all I had done, all that was happening.

I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing like it would ease my restlessness…. It did not, only just made my beast more agitated.

“Where do I even begin, Graham?” I muttered. “So much shit has happened lately.”

He scoffed, and raised his eye brow at me like I was just chatting a whole lot of shit.

“That’s a cop out,” he said flatly. “And you know it.”

I did.

He leaned back against the desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp like a hawk. He was studying me like he wanted to see into my soul.

“How about we start from the very beginning?” he suggested.

“I… I just—”

“Desmond.” His voice was still hard, but this tie I could feel the worry laced in them. “You are not just my Alpha. You are my best friend. Whatever is tearing you apart right now, you don’t get to carry it alone.”

He stepped closer and placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “Whatever it is,” he said quietly, “I’m here.”

Suddenly, I just snapped.

“I fucking cheated, okay?!”

The words exploded out of me before I could stop them. Saying them outside, just made me feel even worse. Like I was sealing the deal.

To be honest, I don’t even know how I even exploded. It was juts I had kept all of this inside of me for so long that at this point it genuinely let like I was losing my mind. That the very last string of connection to my sanity was snapped up the moment Kennedie walked away from me.

Graham’s eyes widened and he slowly dropped his hand from my shoulder. His brows pulled together, confusion written on his face.

“What?” he asked carefully. “You need to explain that clearly, Desmond. You cheated on who?”

“Kennedie,” I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to hold it steady. “I cheated on Kennedie.”

His expression shifted from confusion to disbelief.

“No,” he said immediately, shaking his head. “No. That’s not possible. Not you. And not with—”

His jaw tightened.

“Not with Andrea of all people.”

I sank into the chair behind me.

“I didn’t mean to,” I said hoarsely. “She deceived me.”

My hands came up to cover my face. The pressure behind my eyes burned. The tears threatened to fall down no matter how much I tried to keep them at bay.

“I need you to be clearer,” Graham pressed. “What happened?”

I let my hands fall.

“It was during my rut,” I started.  “I don’t even know how she did it,” I continued. “I don’t know how she got it, but she had Kennedie’s shirt. Andrea was covered in her scent.”

Graham went still.

“My beast,” I swallowed hard, “couldn’t tell the difference. I couldn’t tell the difference. I lost control.”

Talking about it felt like I was reliving this painful fucking memory.

“Fucking hell,” Graham muttered under his breath.

“I know it’s not an excuse,” I rushed on, standing abruptly. “I know that. I should have had more control. I am the Alpha. I am supposed to be stronger than that.”

My chest heaved.

“But if I had known it was her,” I said, my voice breaking, “I would have never touched her. Never.”

The shame felt like claws digging into my ribs.

Graham ran a hand down his face.  “The situation is shit,” he admitted. “But I know you, Desmond. You would never betray her willingly.”

“You believe me?” I asked.

“Of course I do,” he said immediately. “You are in love with her.”

My eyes went large and my mouth was wide open. “What?”

He folded his arms again. “You heard me.”

“I—”

I opened my mouth to deny it.

Nothing came out.

I had long admitted that act to myself. I was absolutely smitten by Kennedie Marie Peterson… that woman owned every inch there was of my soul.

“You’re not even denying it,” Graham pointed out matter of factly.

I stared at the floor.

What was there to deny?

“She is pure perfection” I admitted quietly.

“What does it matter?” I muttered. “She hates me.”

Graham nodded slowly. “Yes. Right now, she probably does.”

That stung.

“It’s not the end of the world though, you can fix it”

“How?”

“You are going to have to grovel,” he said bluntly. “On your knees if necessary.”

I huffed a humorless laugh. “If only it were that simple.”

What I did was unforgivable.

“I should have told her about the precious mineral,” I said suddenly.

Graham’s brows furrowed. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Andrea talked about it first”

“Shit”

“I just did not think it would be such a problem”

“Don’t dwell on what you should have done,” Graham continued. “Think about what you can do now to fix this”

I glanced at him sideways. “You seem more eager for us to get back together than I am.”

“That’s because I have never seen you like this,” he said without hesitation. “Kennedie brings out the best in you in the way no one ever has”

“I don’t deserve her

And then something clicked.

My eyes widened.

“Fucking hell.”

Graham straightened instantly. “What now?”

“I was able to open the box” I said.

“What box…?” Then his eyes widened “you were able to open the box?!”

I nodded slowly, dread pooling in my stomach. “The precious mineral, I know what it is now…. That box, it was only able to respond to one thing”

Graham’s looked traumatized “don’t tell me….”

“Kennedie’s blood,” I finished.

“Fuck!”

“And I think Andrea knows that as well… Kennedie may be in danger”

“This is bad…. This is really bad”

I knew that more than anyone.

If the sage was right, this precious mineral, Kennedie was in danger. Everyone would want her because of what she could do and I could not have that.

Over my dead body.

I would protect her, with everything I had in me. Whether she hated me or not, whether she needed my protection or not. I would still give it, because that was how much I loved her.

“We have to tell the others”