Chapter 99 Adrian's Goodbye

Chapter 99 Adrian's Goodbye
ADRIAN'S POV

I packed my things at the Western Pack guest quarters where I had been staying for weeks now and every item I folded felt like closing a door I would never open again. My condition was worsening and I could feel it in my bones. The fatigue that made simple tasks exhausting. The pain that woke me at night. The knowledge that without a mate bond I had maybe three months left before my body gave up completely.

My Beta Marcus helped me fold clothes into my suitcase and his face was tight with concern. "You could stay. Fight for her one more time. She has not officially chosen Ryan forever and there is still a chance."

"She is pregnant with his twins. She chose him." I folded a shirt carefully and kept my voice steady even though my chest ached. "And I am genuinely happy for them. Doesn’t mean it does not hurt like hell but I am happy she found what she needed."

"What will you do then? Just go home and wait to die alone?" Marcus asked and his frustration bled through every word.

"Actually," I pulled out papers from my jacket pocket, "I am going to live. There is a woman named Alpha Catherine from the Northern Pack. We were engaged years ago and broke it off because I could not commit to anyone back then. I called her yesterday. Explained everything about Lisa and my condition and what I needed. She is willing to try again and form a mate bond that could heal us both."

Marcus raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Do you love her?"

"I respect her. I like her. Maybe love will grow from that foundation." I closed my suitcase with a final click. "It is not what I wanted but it is better than dying alone and feeling sorry for myself. Besides, Catherine deserves a chance. I was an idiot to let her go the first time when she would have been good for me."

A knock at the door interrupted us and Emma entered looking nervous and uncomfortable. "Can we talk privately?"

Marcus left discreetly and closed the door behind him. Emma sat across from me on the bed and twisted her hands together like she did not know where to start.

"I heard you are leaving today. Going back to Catherine and the Northern Pack," she said quietly.

"It is for the best. You and Lisa need space to rebuild your friendship without me in the middle. I need to heal my body before it is too late. We all need fresh starts after everything that happened."

Emma was quiet for a long moment and tears started falling down her cheeks before she could stop them. "That night when we were coordinating the rescue mission for Lisa. You held me while I cried about everything. You were so kind and so steady when I needed someone. I want you to know something."

She paused and wiped her face with shaking hands. "Nothing happened between us that night but if things were different, if you were not in love with Lisa, if I was not pregnant with Marcus's baby right now, I think I could have fallen for you. Really fallen."

I was surprised and reached across to wipe her tears gently. "In another life maybe we would have been perfect for each other. But Emma, Marcus Krane loves you. Really loves you with everything he has. Give him a chance to prove it. Let him show you he is more than the Alpha who made terrible choices."

"What if I cannot forgive him for trying to trap Lisa with that contract?" Her voice broke on the question.

"Then do not forgive him for Lisa's sake. Forgive him for your baby's sake. For your own sake because holding onto anger will only poison you." I stood up and kissed her forehead gently like a brother would. "Be happy. You deserve that more than anyone I know."

I left before she could respond because staying would only make it harder. In the parking lot Lisa was waiting by my car with her arms wrapped around herself against the cold. My heart stopped when I saw her standing there.

"I heard you were leaving without saying goodbye to me," she said and her voice was small.

"I did not want to make things harder than they already are for both of us."

"Adrian." Lisa moved forward and hugged me fiercely with her face buried in my chest. "Thank you for everything. For being patient when I was confused. For being honest when I needed truth. For loving me when I did not know how to love myself properly."

I held her and memorized this moment because I knew it would be the last time. The way she fit against me. The smell of her hair. The sound of her heartbeat. "Be happy with Ryan. Love those babies with everything you have. Build the life you have earned after all the pain."

I pulled back and cupped her face in my hands and looked into her eyes one final time. "And Lisa, if it does not work out, if he hurts you, if you ever need me for anything at all, I will be here. Always. That is a promise I will keep until I die."

I drove away and watched her in the rearview mirror until she disappeared. She stood there crying for the man she could have loved if timing had been different and fate had been kinder.

The drive back to my territory took hours and I spent them thinking about Catherine. About second chances and making peace with different futures than the ones we imagined. About choosing life over heartbreak.

My phone rang when I crossed into Northern Pack lands. Catherine's name lit up the screen.

"I am almost there," I said when I answered.

"Good. I have been preparing for your arrival." Her voice was warm and familiar. "