Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 195

Chapter 195: At the rooftop
Hailee’s POV

My heart thudded as I walked beside him through the hallways, my mind still burning with the memory of my dream. Every time I glanced at him, my cheeks warmed, and I had to look away before he noticed.

We climbed a narrow set of stairs, higher and higher, until a door opened to the roof. Cool morning air rushed over my skin, carrying the faint scent of fresh morning dew.

Then I froze.

A table was waiting under the open sky, dressed in white linen, set with plates of steaming food—fresh fruit, warm bread, roasted meat, and a pot of tea.

“For you,” Callum said simply. “Breakfast. No guards, no whispers, no interruptions. Just us.”

My lips parted, but no words came. I hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected him to create a space where it felt like the world wasn’t pressing down on me. Just silence, sunlight, and the man I had spent years trying to forget.

He pulled a chair out for me. His eyes lingered on mine as he smiled brightly. I sat, my hands trembling slightly as I touched the edge of the tablecloth.

He poured me tea, his fingers brushing mine for the briefest moment. Sparks rushed up my skin, and I prayed he didn’t notice the way my chest rose too quickly.

“Eat,” he said softly, his stormy gaze holding mine. “Don’t let it get cold.”

I nodded, lifting a piece of bread with shaky fingers. I tried to eat, but every bite tasted heavy because of the way he watched me—not with hunger this time, but admiration.

I sipped my tea, setting the cup down carefully. My cheeks still burned.

“Why are you blushing?” Callum asked suddenly, his voice low, but laced with curiosity.

I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes away from his. “It’s nothing,” I whispered. “It’s the cold weather.”

But inside, I knew the truth.

It wasn’t nothing.

It was last night’s dream—his hands, his lips, his body claiming mine—that still lingered on my skin. And sitting across from him now, with the sun warming us both and his gaze steady on me, I wasn’t sure how long I could keep pretending it hadn’t happened.

For a while, the only sound was the wind brushing past us and the clink of cups as I set mine down. My chest was tight, my throat even tighter.

Callum leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving me. “Tell me,” he said finally, his voice low. “How has life been for you… all these years?”

I froze. The truth clawed at my chest, but I forced a smile, brittle and weak.

“I was fine,” I lied softly. “I… married my betrothed, just like I was supposed to. He died two years later. After that, I couldn’t stay in the house anymore. The memories were too heavy. So my mother sent me to live with her friend.”

I paused, my stomach twisting. “Frederick’s mother.”

Callum’s stormy eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “And all that time,” he rasped, “you never thought to reach out to me? Not once?”

I swallowed, my fingers knotting in my lap. “What would it have changed, Callum? I was married. You had your own life.”

His hand slammed softly against the table, not in anger, but in frustration. “I don’t care if you were married. Don’t you understand? I searched for you, Hailee. I never stopped. I don’t care about your betrothed, about you being a widow, or about the years that kept us apart. None of it matters to me.”

I blinked hard, my breath catching.

His voice dropped, rough, almost breaking. “I still love you. I never stopped. And Goddess knows I tried—tried to move on, tried to find someone else, tried to bury you. But no matter what I did, no matter who I looked at… it was always you. It’s only ever been you.”

The rawness in his tone hit me deep, tearing through the walls I had built. He leaned forward, his hand finally reaching across the table, not to grab but to brush his fingers over mine. The touch was gentle, almost fascinating.

His stormy eyes bored into me, full of pain and longing. “Tell me the truth, Hailee. Do you still love me?”

My lips trembled, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard I thought it might break free.

“At least…” His voice cracked, low and desperate. “…even a little?”

The words caught in my throat, trembling against my lips. I wanted to deny it, to lie, but the weight in Callum’s eyes broke something inside me.

“Yes,” I whispered at last, my voice raw. “I still love you. I never stopped.”

The storm in his eyes shifted instantly—flaring with hope, relief, a fierce joy that pulled the faintest smile to his lips. His fingers gripped mine tighter, like he was afraid I would vanish if he let go.

“You don’t know what that means to me, Hailee,” he said hoarsely. “After everything… hearing you say it now—”

“Callum,” I cut in gently, my voice trembling. “Please don’t… don’t think it’s that simple.”

His smile faltered, the light in his eyes dimming as I forced the rest out.

“I have feelings for you. But I can’t deny it—I still feel for Nathan. And for Dane. Even Frederick…” I swallowed hard, shame burning my chest. “It isn’t just you.”

The words struck him like a blow. His jaw tightened, his stormy eyes shadowed with hurt.

“Hailee…” His voice cracked, low and raw. “Even after what I just told you… you still—” He cut himself off, shaking his head, the pain written across his face.

I pulled my hand back, pressing it to my chest. “I just need time,” I whispered. “Time to understand myself. To know who I can truly settle with. I can’t rush this—Please, Callum… don’t force me.”

For a long moment, silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. His stormy eyes searched mine, fierce and wounded all at once.

At last, he leaned back slowly, dragging a shaky breath through clenched teeth. “Then I’ll wait,” he muttered, though his voice was tight with pain. “But, Hailee… I will not lose you again.”

I swallowed hard but didn’t know what to respond.

“Thank you,” he said softly, though his voice was rough. “For at least telling me the truth.”

I nodded, unable to speak. My throat was too tight, my emotions tangled in a knot I couldn’t undo.

We sat quietly for the rest of breakfast. The clink of silverware against plates was the only sound between us, but it wasn’t empty. The silence was tense, full of unspoken words, memories, and feelings.

When the meal was done, he stood and extended his hand to me. I hesitated only a moment before placing mine in his. Warmth rushed through me at the touch. He led me back down the stairs, our footsteps echoing softly.

“There is a festival happening tonight… I want you to be my date, please,” Callum pleaded.

I didn’t think twice. I smiled faintly and nodded.

But the moment we stepped into the sitting room, I froze.

A woman was already there.

She was beautiful, stunning in a way that stole the breath from the room. Her dark hair was tied neatly back, her skin flawless, glowing against the soft lavender gown she wore. Every inch of her screamed royalty—perfect posture, expensive jewelry, a confident poise that declared she belonged in places like this.

But her eyes… when they landed on me, they were sharp, and full of hate.

Her lips curved into a cold smile. “So, the rumors were true,” she drawled, her voice smooth but dripping with disdain. “You really did bring a whore into your pack house.”

My stomach dropped. My hands clenched at my sides, shame and anger clashing inside me.

Before I could find words, Callum’s entire aura shifted. His stormy eyes darkened, his jaw clenched, and his voice came out like thunder.

“Watch your tongue,” he snapped, his tone fierce, every word edged in steel. “She is my guest. You will show her respect.”

The woman’s smile widened cruelly, unbothered by his anger. Her eyes flicked back to me, narrowing like blades slicing through my skin. Slowly, deliberately, she raised her hand—and that was when I saw it.

A diamond ring. Large, bold, shimmering in the light, impossible to ignore.

“Respect?” she laughed harshly, tilting her hand so the ring caught the sun. “You want me to respect her?” Her gaze raked over me like filth. “You poor thing. Do you even know who you’re dealing with? I’m not just anyone.”

She leaned forward slightly, her lips curling into a sneer. “I’m his fiancée.”

My heart stopped.

The word burned like fire in my ears.

Her smile sharpened, and she spat the final word like poison. “Bitch.”

My knees went weak. The air thickened in my lungs. For a moment, all I could do was stare at the sparkling ring on her finger, the cruel satisfaction in her eyes, and the tension twisting Callum’s jaw.