Chapter 74
The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate
Chapter 74
Tristan’s POV
45%
I watched Athena walk away from me, her shoulders rigid with hurt and ange, and I didn’t move a single inch to follow her.
Every fiber of my being screamed at me to chase after her, to fix this mess 1 created with my careless words, but I forced myself to stay rooted to that
hospital floor.
She needed space. She needed to be alone to process what had just happened between us.
More importantly, she needed to prove to herself that she could handle difficult situations without someone rushing in to rescue her.
It wasn’t because I saw her as weak far from it. I’d watched her transform over these past weeks, seen the strength building in her shoulders, the confidence returning to her voice.
The way she’d started taking charge of her own life instead of waiting for others to make decisions for her was remarkable. Admirable, even.
But she couldn’t see it. When Athena looked in the mirror, all she saw was the broken girl who’d returned after five years.
She saw someone who couldn’t stand on her own, who always needed protection, who crumbled under pressure.
She had no idea how much steel had grown in her spine, how fierce the fire her eyes had become when she was determined about something.
That was the impossible contradiction that was slowly driving me insane.
I wanted her to stand on her own because I knew she was capable of it. But also wanted her to lean on me, to let me be the person she turned to when
the world got too heavy.
I wanted her to protect herself, to never again be at the mercy of someone who would hurt her. But I also wanted to shield her from every possible danger, to be the wall between her and anything that might cause her pain.
The urge to protect her was an instinct I’d carried since the first day I’d laid eyes on her. She’d been maybe four years old, hiding behind Orion’s legs while our parents talked, peeking out at me with those enormous dark eyes that seemed to see straight through to my soul.
Even then, something in me had shifted, had whispered that this little girl was precious and needed to be kept safe.
For years, I’d told myself it was because she was like the sister I’d never had That my fierce protectiveness was purely familial, the natural response of an older boy looking out for a younger child who’d become part of his extended mily.
That’s what you keep telling yourself, my wolf said dryly, but I pushed his voice as e like I always did.
Believing that my protective instincts were brotherly had worked for years. had been the only way I could function around her, the only way I could sleep at night without hating myself.
Even five years ago, when she’d been desperate and had kissed me with all the passion and need I’d been trying so hard to ignore, when we had ended up crossing the line, it was that belief that had given me the strength to walk ou of my room that night.
When all I’d really wanted was to pin her down against those sheets and make her scream my name again until the sun came up,
I shouldn’t be thinking about this. Not here, not now, not when she’d just walked away from me in pain that I’d caused.
But the memories had a way of forcing themselves to the surface when my denses were down, and standing in this sterile hospital hallway, I felt more
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19:35 Tue, Jan 6
Chapter 74
vulnerable than I had in years.
THEA
ས 45%
I could still remember exactly how she’d felt beneath me that night. The way her skin had flushed pink under my touch, the sweet sounds she’d made when I’d kissed the sensitive spot just below her ear.
The way her body had responded to mine like we’d been made to fit together like every nerve ending had been designed specifically for this moment of
connection.
I’d barely slept for weeks afterward, my body aching with want and my mind tormented by guilt. When Orion had called to tell me she’d left for London, something in my chest had actually cracked. The pain had been so intense I’d thought I was having a heart attack.
I’d told myself it was for the best. She was young, and deserved to find someone her own age who could love her without the complications of family loyalty and conflicting responsibilities.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.