Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 196

Chapter 196: Not Engaged
Hailee’s POV

My eyes narrowed as I glared at Callum. “You never told me you were engaged,” I spat.

Callum responded swiftly. “Because I’m not,” he replied softly.

He reached for my hand, desperate to hold on, but I yanked it away before his fingers could touch mine.

The woman let out a cold laugh, stepping closer. “Leave my man alone,” she hissed, her eyes flashing with hate.

I turned to her sharply, my voice calm but filled with rage. “I’m not holding him.”

Her brows arched high, her smirk widening as if I’d just told a childish joke. “And who are you to speak so boldly to me?” she sneered, tilting her head. “Do you even know who I am?”

I scoffed lightly, folding my arms. “Enlighten me.”

Her chin lifted proudly, her diamond ring catching the light once more. “I am Alpha Maximum’s daughter,” she declared, her tone dripping with self-importance. “You should remember that name.”

Something inside me twisted, but instead of fear, a bitter laugh slipped from my lips. I scoffed again, this time louder, shaking my head. “Alpha Maximum? Never heard of him. Must be an irrelevant Alpha.”

Her face twisted in rage. The air thickened around us, her eyes blazing.

Inside, I thought bitterly, if my father had not disowned me… if I still held my place as daughter of the Lycan King, this girl would be bowing her head before she dared to open her mouth.

The sting of that truth made my blood boil hotter.

“You insolent—” she snapped, raising her hand, her palm swinging fast toward my cheek.

But I was faster.

My fingers shot up, catching her wrist. Her eyes widened in shock as I squeezed hard, holding her hand high between us. My voice came out sharp, icy. “Never.”

Her lips trembled with rage, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t break my hold. With a sharp tug, I yanked her hand down and away from me, releasing her so quickly she stumbled back a step.

“I will not tolerate this insult,” I told her coldly, my voice firm enough to echo through the hall. Then I turned to Callum, my heart pounding, my chest heaving. “And I will not stay here another second. I’m leaving—with my boys. Right now.”

Before either of them could answer, I spun on my heel, my gown swirling around me as I strode toward the doors. My only thought was to get to my boys and leave this cursed place.

But before I could take another step, Callum was suddenly in front of me. His tall frame blocked my way, his stormy eyes desperate, his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“Hailee,” he said, his voice rough, almost breaking. “Please—just listen.”

I stopped, glaring at him, my chest heaving. My anger was still raw, but the way he stood there, not as an Alpha, not as a man of power, but pleading—made me falter for only a heartbeat.

“Go on,” I said stiffly, my voice low. “I’m listening.”

He drew in a deep breath, his jaw tight as his words poured out. “I never engaged Montana. Never. That ring she flaunts—it wasn’t from me.”

My brows furrowed, but I said nothing. My silence gave him space, and he rushed on.

“It was my father. And the council,” he admitted bitterly, his frown deepening. “For years they’ve been pressuring me to marry. To settle. To tie myself to a strong alliance. But I refused, Hailee. Every time. Because I still love you. Because I always believed—” His voice cracked. “I believed you’d come back.”

My breath caught, my throat tightening.

He stepped closer, his voice fierce now. “But the Elders grew tired of waiting. My father went behind my back. They gave a marriage proposal to Montana, to Alpha Maximum’s family. And without my consent, they gave her that ring.” His jaw clenched, his stormy eyes blazing with anger. “Since then, she has been parading herself as my fiancée. Lying. Claiming me as hers when I never once gave her my word.”

I stared at him, my heart hammering. His voice was raw, filled with both rage and pain.

“Hailee,” he said again, softer this time, his hand lifting as if to reach for me but stopping midair, trembling. “I swear on my life, on my pack—I never promised her anything. The only woman I ever wanted, the only one I ever waited for… is you.”

The words struck deep, pulling at the walls I had tried so hard to hold up. My breath hitched, my body stiff, torn between the sting of anger and the ache of wanting him.

His hands, still clasped together in front of me, shook slightly. “Please… don’t leave. Not like this. Not believing her lies.”

I stood frozen, my heart at war. A part of me wanted to yell at him. Another part wanted to just let it slide.

“You should have told me,” I whispered, my voice sharp but trembling. “Not kept it away. Not let me find out like this.”

His face twisted with guilt, his jaw tightening as he took a step closer. “I know,” he said quickly, his voice rough, almost pleading. “You’re right, Hailee. I should have told you the moment you came. I should have told you everything.”

His eyes locked on mine, desperate, filled with regret. “I’m sorry. I swear to you, I’ll never keep a secret from you again. Never.”

The rawness in his voice made my chest ache. For a fleeting moment, my anger faltered, and guilt pricked me like sharp thorns. Because even as he stood there, vowing honesty, I knew I was hiding my own truths from him—truths that would shatter him if they ever came out.

My throat tightened painfully. I couldn’t bear it—not the way his eyes searched me like I was his entire world, not the weight of my own secrecy pressing down on me.

I turned my face away, my voice low and strained. “I… I need to be alone.”

His hand twitched, as if he wanted to stop me, to hold me back, but he didn’t move. He only stood there, shoulders tense, his stormy gaze following me like a shadow.

Without another word, I spun and walked away, my gown brushing the floor, my heart pounding with every step I took. I didn’t stop until I reached my chamber door. My hand shook as I gripped the handle, forcing myself not to look back.

I opened it, stepped inside, and shut it firmly behind me—sealing myself away from him.

And as the silence wrapped around me, I pressed my back to the door, my chest heaving.

Because no matter how much I wanted to believe him… no matter how much my heart still screamed for him… the secrets I carried made me feel like I didn’t deserve his love at all.