Rebirth - To love or Hate the Alpha

Ronan POV

I could see it in his eyes—uncertainty mixed with something deeper, something fragile. It was enough to make me stay, ignoring Idris's glare that burned into the side of my face like a brand.

"Elian," I said, stepping closer. My voice lowered, but the urgency was there. "What's wrong? Tell me."

He glanced down at the ground, his brow furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. "It's nothing," he muttered, but I could see through the lie. His hands trembled at his sides, fingers curling into fists as though he was holding something back.

"It doesn't look like nothing," I pushed gently. "You can tell me."

For a moment, he seemed to wrestle with himself. Then, with a hesitant breath, he looked up, his eyes locking onto mine. "I've been... seeing things," he admitted quietly. "Hearing things. At night. In my dreams—or maybe it's not just dreams."

The weight of his words pressed into my chest. "What kind of things?"

"Flashes of faces I don't know," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "A voice calling my name. It feels... real. Too real. And when I wake up, I feel like I've forgotten something important." He hesitated before adding, "It's like déjà vu, but worse. And I don't understand why."

I swallowed hard, forcing my expression to remain neutral. I knew exactly why this was happening, but I couldn't tell him. Not yet. Not when everything felt so fragile.

"It's just nightmares," I said quickly, too quickly. His head tilted, and I saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"Nightmares?" he repeated, his voice flat.

"Yeah," I insisted, keeping my voice even. "You've been through a lot, Elian. It's your mind trying to process everything. That's all it is."

Behind him, Idris shifted, and I caught the glint of suspicion in his eyes. His jaw tightened, his stance full with barely contained aggression. He didn't say anything, but I knew he had heard every word.

Elian nodded slowly, but the confusion didn't leave his face. "If you say so," he murmured, though it was clear he wasn't convinced.

Elian POV

I couldn't shake the feeling that Ronan wasn't telling me the whole truth. The way his eyes flicked away from mine, the tension in his shoulders—it all screamed that there was more he wasn't saying.

But I let it go. For now.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked instead, my voice quiet but steady.

His brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You're... protective," I said, searching his face for answers. "Possessive, even. Why? You barely know me."

His jaw tightened, and for a long moment, he didn't say anything. Just stood there, his gaze flickering with something I couldn't quite name.

"I'm not," he said finally, his voice gruff.

I took a step closer, the space between us shrinking. "Yes, you are. You act like I belong to you, like you have some kind of claim over me. Why?"

His lips parted as if to argue, but no words came out. Instead, he took a step back, his movements stiff and controlled. "You're imagining things," he muttered.

I reached out, grabbing his wrist before he could retreat further. "I don't think I am."

His eyes snapped to mine, and for a moment, we just stood there, the tension between us crackling like lightning.

"Let go, Elian," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

But I didn't. I couldn't. Something inside me wouldn't let him walk away. "Tell me the truth," I whispered.

His gaze softened, just for a second, and I saw something raw and unguarded in his eyes. "I can't," he said, his voice breaking.

I didn't know what came over me, but before I could second-guess myself, I stepped closer, closing the distance between us. My hand moved to his chest, feeling the steady, rapid beat of his heart beneath my palm.

"Why?" I asked again, my voice barely audible.

His hand came up, brushing against mine for the briefest moment before pulling away. "Because it doesn't matter," he said, but the crack in his voice betrayed him.

"It matters to me," I whispered.

And then, before I could think, before I could stop myself, I leaned up and pressed my lips to his.

Ronan POV

The world seemed to stop.

His lips were soft against mine, hesitant but insistent. For a second, I froze, my body locked in place as my mind raced to catch up.

Then something inside me gave way, and I kissed him back.

It wasn't gentle. It was desperate, hungry, like I'd been holding this back for far too long. My hands moved to his waist, pulling him closer, needing him nearer, needing him in a way I couldn't explain.

Elian made a soft sound, and it sent a jolt through me, something primal roaring to life.

But then reality crashed down like a wave, and I pulled back, breathing hard.

Elian's eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.

"I... I shouldn't have—" I started, but the words felt hollow even as I said them.

He shook his head, his cheeks flushed. "Why did you stop?"

I didn't have an answer, not one I could give. Instead, I stepped back, putting space between us even though every part of me screamed to do the opposite.

"This was a mistake," I said, my voice rough.

He flinched, and guilt stabbed through me, but I couldn't let this continue. Not when I didn't even understand it myself.

Without another word, I turned and walked away, each step heavier than the last. But the taste of him lingered on my lips, a reminder of what I couldn't let myself have.