Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One - Chapter 261

Chapter 261: What Are You
Nathan’s POV

When I reached my room, I collapsed on the bed and shut my eyes. My whole body was consumed with pain from the poisoned injury that had been reopening, but none of that pain could compare to the pain inside my chest.

That one was worse.

Much worse.

It felt like something was tearing me apart from the inside.

And the worst part was knowing exactly why.

Here I was… letting go of the woman I loved more than anything.

Letting her walk out of my arms.

Letting her go to someone else because that was the only way she and her baby would live.

I rolled onto my back slowly.

The stitches pulled again, and I hissed, grabbing my side.

The room felt too quiet.

Too cold.

Too empty without her.

I covered my eyes with the back of my hand.

“I love you,” I whispered into the darkness.

The words shook.

She couldn’t hear me, but I needed to say it somewhere.

My throat burned as I sucked in a shaky breath.

“She loves me too,” I whispered bitterly.

“But it doesn’t matter.”

Not anymore.

She was carrying another man’s child.

She needed that man’s mark to stay alive.

She needed someone else to protect her and their baby.

And me?

I couldn’t be selfish.

Even if my soul ached.

Even if my heart felt like it was bleeding.

I wiped my face roughly, not even sure if it was tears or sweat.

Maybe both.

A sharp pain shot through my ribs.

The wound was bleeding again—I didn’t have to check to know.

But I didn’t care.

I didn’t care about my body or the poison or the stitches.

I didn’t care about anything except the way she had looked at me when she said she loved me.

The way her voice shook.

The way her eyes softened.

That memory alone almost brought me to my knees.

I dragged a hand down my face.

“I should’ve fought harder.”

But the truth stopped me.

Even if she stayed with me…

the baby still needed Callum.

Her life depended on him.

And I wasn’t going to be the reason she died.

I sat up slowly, elbows on my knees, staring at the floor like it could give me answers.

A quiet whisper left my lips.

“I’m letting you go because I love you… not because I want to.”

A single tear slid down my cheek, slow and warm.

I didn’t wipe it away.

I didn’t try to hide it.

I just let it fall.

A soft knock came at the door.

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t move.

I just sat there, staring at the floor with my hands hanging uselessly between my knees, trying to breathe through a pain no healer in this world could fix.

The door opened anyway.

My father stepped inside.

He didn’t speak at first.

He just looked at me—really looked—and something in his expression shifted.

Maybe he saw how broken I was.

Maybe he finally understood what Hailee meant to me.

He came closer and let out a quiet sigh.

“Nathan,” he said gently, “Hailee has always been your weakness.”

My jaw tightened.

Of all the things he could have said…

Of all the things I didn’t want to hear…

My weakness.

He kept going.

“Even when you were young… you followed her like she was the only star in your sky. And now…” His voice softened, almost sad. “Now you finally have her love — and you’re losing her at the same time.”

I swallowed hard and looked away.

“Father,” I muttered, my voice rough, “not now.”

But he didn’t listen.

“She’s carrying another man’s child,” he continued quietly. “You have to let her go.”

My breath shook.

He stepped closer, stopping right beside the bed.

My father sighed. “Son… fate has its own path. Sometimes—”

I snapped.

“Get out.”

He blinked, startled. “Nathan—”

“I said get out,” I repeated, louder this time, shaking with anger I barely controlled. “I don’t want advice. I don’t want pity. I don’t want to hear anything about fate.”

My hands curled into fists.

“I want to be alone.”

My father stood there for a moment — torn, searching my face for something he could fix.

He found nothing.

Slowly, he nodded and left.

After my father left, the room went silent again. Too silent.

I stared at the wall for a long time.

Minutes… hours… I wasn’t sure anymore.

All I knew was that the pain in my chest wasn’t easing.

Not even a little.

I tried closing my eyes, but every time I did, I saw her face.

Her tears.

Her shaking hands.

Her voice telling me she loved me.

And then the part that hurt the most—

the part where she begged me not to let her go.

I pressed my hand to my forehead and sighed.

It was past 11pm, and I still couldn’t sleep.

My body was exhausted, my wound kept throbbing, but my mind…

my mind was wide awake with worry.

Was she sleeping?

Was she scared?

Was she in pain again?

Did she need help?

I tried convincing myself to stay in bed.

To stay away.

To let Callum be the one she leaned on.

That was the whole point of letting her go.

But the thought of her suffering alone…

that thought burned.

Before I even realized it, I was standing.

My legs were shaking, my ribs screaming, but I walked anyway.

Down the hallway.

Toward her room.

Her scent was faint at first…

then it grew stronger as I approached.

Warm. Sweet. Familiar.

My heart tightened.

I pushed the door open slowly.

“Hailee?” I whispered.

What I saw made my whole world stop.

She was on the bed, curled up, rolling from side to side, both arms wrapped around her stomach.

Sweat covered her forehead.

Her breathing was sharp and fast.

Her face was twisted in pain.

I ran to her so fast it hurt my ribs.

“Hailee!” I dropped beside her and touched her shoulder gently. “What’s wrong? What’s happening? Is it the baby? Is it you?”

She gasped softly. “Nathan… it hurts.”

My heart dropped.

“Where?”

“My stomach… everything feels tight… sharp… I don’t know… it just… hurts…”

Panic shot through me.

“I’m calling the healer—”

Her hand shot out, grabbing my wrist.

“No… don’t…” she whispered.

“Just… stay with me.”

My breath caught.

“Hailee, this could be serious—”

“Please… I don’t want… anyone else right now.”

Her voice broke.

“Just you.”

Those words wrapped around my chest, pulling tight.

I swallowed hard, nodded, and moved closer.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

She shifted, still trembling, still gripping her stomach.

Instinct pushed me forward before thought did.

I slid onto the bed behind her and wrapped my arms around her gently.

Careful.

Soft.

Protective.

She let out a shaky breath, leaning back against my chest.

Slowly… slowly… her breathing changed.

The tightness in her body eased.

The trembles stopped.

Her hand relaxed over mine.

And then something strange happened.

Something I couldn’t explain if I tried.

The moment I held her…

her pain faded.

Completely.

She let out a soft, relieved sigh.

Her body melted into mine.

Her heartbeat steadied.

Even the air around us felt calmer.

It was like…

Just touching her soothed something deep inside her.

Inside the baby.

I stared down at her, stunned, confused, a little scared.

This wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t something I could understand.

She exhaled softly and whispered, almost dreaming:

“Nathan… what are you?”

Her words sent a chill through me.

What was I to her?

Why did my presence calm her?

Why did holding her stop the pain?

Why did it feel like something inside her recognized me?

I didn’t know.

But I held her tighter—very gently—as her breathing settled into a peaceful rhythm.

And in the dark, while she rested against me, one truth echoed in my mind:

I can’t let go of her.