Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One

Hailee’s POV

I wanted to knock... really, I did. But something in me said, Girl, screw it. Just see if the door’s open. So I did. My fingers curled around the doorknob, my heart pounding in my ears. When I pushed it gently, it gave way with a soft click. Open.

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Cursing softly under my breath, I sucked in a deep breath and stepped inside. There he was. Nathan. Standing by the window, his broad back turned to me, hands resting on the frame as he stared out toward the bonfire—the place I was supposed to be. The place he had walked away from.

He didn’t hear me at first. But the moment he did, he swiveled around. Our eyes met. Surprise flickered across his face—real, raw surprise. Like he couldn’t believe I was standing in his room. Maybe he didn’t expect me to come after him. Maybe he thought I was too busy enjoying my night with Dane.

I swallowed hard, my hand still resting on the doorknob. Then, slowly, I shut the door behind me. But I didn’t move from it. I didn’t walk forward, and he didn’t step closer either.

He just stood there, still as ever, but holding my gaze with this calmness that didn’t match his eyes. Because his eyes? They weren’t calm at all. They were screaming. I saw the pain in them—the disappointment, the betrayal he didn’t want to admit he felt. And gods, it hurt to see it. It hurt more than I thought it would.

I looked down for a moment, just to catch my breath, before forcing my voice out. "You disappeared."

His jaw tightened. "You noticed?"

I nodded slowly. "I did."