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Chapter: The Weight of His Rage
That morning, Ivy felt a strange sense of control. After collecting James number, she entered the class with her head held high. For once, things were going according to plan. There was progress. The seeds she had planted were beginning to take root.
But while Ivy pushed forward, believing her strategy was working, far away in the dark woods, J.D. was falling apart.
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Back to J.D.
He tore through the forest in his wolf form, rage and pain driving every wild movement. Trees splintered and bushes tore beneath his claws, but none of it was enough to dull the storm inside him.
When he could no longer run, he collapsed behind the pack house, his body covered in blood and gashes. With a growl of frustration, he shifted back into his human form, naked, bruised, and bleeding.
His brother and best friend, Brady, rushed out when they heard the commotion.
"J.D.!" Brady shouted. "What the hell happened?"
"It's nothing," J.D. snapped, brushing past them with a heavy limp.
He stomped through the back door, trailing blood, and slammed his bedroom door shut with a deafening bang.
Inside, his chest heaved with guilt, heartbreak, and fury. He punched the wall, leaving a crack in the drywall.
Why did I do this? he thought bitterly. Why didn't I let her explain?
The image of Ivy's face kept flashing in his mind. Her eyes. Her voice. Her scent.
She was his mate.
And he had pushed her away.
The bond was too strong now. It had already woven itself into his soul. There was no escaping it. He wanted her to be his miss, his everything. But how could he forgive her? If he did, wouldn't that mean betraying his sister's memory?
He was spiraling.
He was broken.
And it showed.
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Everyone in the pack house walked on eggshells around J.D. now. Gone was the confident, charming alpha. In his place stood someone volatile—someone dangerous.
He snapped at the smallest things. His moods were unpredictable. The tension in the house was thick enough to choke on.
Earlier that day, one of the Omega girls—a timid thing barely eighteen—had tried to bring him lunch. But the moment she caught his furious glare, her hands trembled, and she dropped the tray. Plates shattered loudly on the wooden floor.
The entire room froze.
J.D. growled, eyes glowing. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he roared.
The girl nearly cried, backing away. Everyone stood still, afraid of provoking him further.
That was when Brady stepped in, placing a firm hand on J.D.'s chest.
"J.D., calm down," Brady said quietly but with authority. "This isn't you."
J.D. blinked, and for a moment, guilt flickered across his face. He looked at the Omega girl—shaking, eyes wide with fear.
He put a hand over his face, exhausted and ashamed.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean to…" But he couldn't finish the sentence. He just turned and stormed off again, leaving a trail of silence behind him.
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This wasn't the J.D. anyone remembered. The once controlled and composed alpha was now unpredictable and always on edge. His wolves didn't know what to do.
Brady watched him leave, exhaling slowly.
"He's not just angry," he muttered to himself. "He's broken."
And deep down, J.D. knew the same.
No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he still loved Ivy. No matter that she was a hunter. No matter what she'd kept from him.
And that love was the most dangerous thing of all.
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