Chapter 8

• Holden's POV
• I strode back and forth in my office, frustration boiling within me as I struggled to focus.
• The argument with Odessa lingered in my mind, her words echoing relentlessly.
• Was I truly so unlovable that no one would choose to spend their life with me?
• First, there was Laura, my first love and ex-mate. I had given her everything, ensuring she wanted for nothing, even at the cost of my own happiness.
• Yet, she betrayed me with a mere guard while she was pregnant with my child.
• My disdain for women grew; they all seemed to share the same trait—feeding off a man's weaknesses and offering hollow apologies when things went awry, all while expecting forgiveness.
• I had never let Odessa's words get to me; in fact, I relished our arguments, using them to assert my dominance.
• I wanted her to know she was bound to me for eternity, but seeing her in tears today stirred something deep within me, unsettling my wolf.
• I had never experienced this feeling with Odessa.
• I recognized she wasn’t my second chance mate; she was merely a stand-in for Laura, fitting the image of a queen perfectly.
• The only reason I wished for her to awaken from her coma was the pressure from the elder council, who were starting to raise eyebrows
• Strangely, I felt a twinge of guilt, even though punishing Odessa often brought me a twisted sense of satisfaction, mirroring the pain Laura had inflicted on me.
• The fear I saw in her eyes today made me feel like the worst person alive, utterly beyond redemption.
• When she threatened to reject me and ensure I die alone, I couldn't help but wonder what gave her the audacity to say that.
• I haven't even met my second chance mate since Laura, and honestly, I'm not ready to meet her yet because I still have a reputation to uphold.
• I plan to keep hurting women, to be the one who ends relationships rather than the other way around.
• That way, when I finally encounter my second chance mate, I’ll have had my revenge and can settle down without any games.
• I shook my head, trying to clear my mind and focus on work, when my Beta, Nicholas, walked in, his expression filled with concern.
• I knew he was here to check on Odessa, as he always did since her hospitalization.
• I had warned him countless times to stop bothering me about it, but he never listened.
• “What's bothering you, Holden? You seem off,” he remarked as he took a seat.
• I avoided his gaze, concentrating on my work instead, planning to throw him vague comments until he got the hint to leave.
• “It's nothing, Nicholas, just work,”
• I replied, attempting to sound calm, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Odessa, driving me to distraction.
• Frustrated, I dropped my pen and slammed my fist on the table. “And Odessa…she's just consuming my thoughts! We had a fight earlier.”
• “Odessa?” he echoed, disbelief evident in his voice. He didn’t know she had been discharged; he was away on a business trip when I left for the hospital this afternoon.
• “You mean Odessa is out of the hospital after being in a coma for months? How did that happen?”
• He asked, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. I rolled my eyes in frustration as I looked at him; this was the issue I had with him.
• He always behaved as if he were Odessa's husband, making me appear to be the villain in her eyes.
• We were best friends, and while I recognized that he was trying to compensate for my shortcomings, he didn’t grasp the reasons behind my treatment of Odessa.
• If he ever found out, he would likely persuade the elder council to send me to an asylum.
• “I’m not a doctor, Nicholas. The doctor called to say she woke up suddenly and was fine. I went to see her, but her parents were saying all sorts of things, refusing to let me in. I locked them up and asked Odessa to come home with me, but we ended up arguing because of her parents. She said she was going to reject me, and I got defensive and… hit her.”
• “You did what?” He exploded, his anger palpable. “Holden, can you even hear yourself? You locked your in-laws away because they were trying to protect their daughter—the same daughter you threw off a cliff in a fit of rage. And as if that wasn’t enough, you hit her? A woman who just woke up from a coma? What kind of person are you?”
• I shot him a glare, my annoyance boiling over.
• “I’m a king, and she needs to learn some respect. I don’t care that she just came out of a coma. Besides, I didn’t throw her off that cliff; she did that herself because she didn’t want to be with me anymore. How is that my fault?”
• “Well, if you treated her with kindness, do you really think she would try to harm herself in your presence? You treat this woman like garbage. I know she comes from a poor background and isn’t the typical woman you’d be with, but you need to realize she’s with you now, and you should treat her like the queen she is.”
• “I can't just let her keep disrespecting me in front of my people! You should have seen how she was talking back to me in front of my driver; that kind of behavior won't be tolerated”
• Nicholas let out a chuckle, then sighed, crossing his arms as he looked at me.
• “You’re pushing her away, Holden. This isn’t like you, and I can’t understand what’s changed. You need to reconsider your approach before it’s too late. Trying to force your mate into submission isn’t a sign of strength; it’s just cruel.”
• “Don’t tell me how to rule my kingdom, Nicholas! I built this place from scratch, and I’ll do as I please! Odessa is just another subject to me, and I can handle her however I want! She’s far from perfect!”
• I shouted, my voice escalating. “She’ll understand her role, one way or another, or I’ll make her life miserable! Even if she tries to end it all, she’ll always find her way back to me!”
• Nicholas shook his head, fury clear on his face as he stood up, ignoring any feedback about the meeting.
• “You’re going to regret this, Holden! The way you treat Odessa will come back to bite you! And just so you know, the woman you think is flawed is the center of another man’s universe.”
• With
• that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
• What on earth does that even mean?