Chapter 48: Alpha Werewolf
"How? When? We barely even spent time together in the year I have been here! So when?" Belle exclaimed, startled, her voice tinged with disbelief. She wracked her brain, trying to piece together when Hezekiah could have possibly developed feelings for her. From what she remembered, they had only spoken twice, both times strictly about her coronation. There had been no personal conversations, no shared moments of intimacy. How had he fallen for her so quickly?
"It didn’t start when you came to the castle," he admitted, releasing her from his hold. "It started long before that."
She scoffed, her frustration boiling over. "And you didn’t think to tell me before I signed the contract?" She demanded, hands dropping to her waist in exasperation. She had trusted him, convinced that their arrangement was purely transactional. Now she felt blindsided.
"For the same reason you would have never signed it if you had known," he confessed, his voice steady but filled with regret.
"All of this was a lie?!" She snapped, her anger rising. "You let me beg you not to fall in love with me, knowing full well you already had? You made me look like a fool!"
He didn’t respond, his silence only infuriating her more. If he admitted the truth, it would enrage her further; if he denied it, it would sound like a lie. No words could diffuse the tension that hung heavy in the air.
"Belle," he finally said, taking a step closer to her. "If you tell me now, here, to stop loving you, I swear I will never bring it up again. I will adhere to the contract and keep my feelings buried. But if you don’t, I will pursue you as a man should pursue a woman and vow to treat you as you deserve."
His words left her stunned, but she couldn’t think clearly. Her emotions churned, leaving no room for reason.
"What are you even saying?" She cried, her voice trembling. "You think that’s fair to me? Knowing you are in love with me while forcing yourself not to be for my sake? That doesn’t make me better, it makes me look selfish! I wanted our deal to be fair and that was why I proposed to bear an heir in exchange for my revenge. How is this fair now?"