CHAPTER 113: BEING A JERK-ALPHA RENN.

It was hard for Alex to keep up with Renn’s pace. He was fast, almost like a cheetah, and Alex nearly lost him until he caught sight of him again. Renn had stopped by a giant tree, his back pressed against it as though he needed the strength to hold him up.

Alex slowed and came to a stop, watching him carefully. He had never seen Renn like this before. This wasn’t just anger. It was deeper, sharper, something that cut him from the inside. Alex could finally see how much it hurt him. The bond Renn thought he had with Angela wasn’t a game. To Renn, it had been real, and learning the truth this way was tearing him apart.

"Renn," Alex called softly as he walked closer, careful not to get too near too fast. He stopped a short distance away, his voice steady. "Come on, Alpha. This doesn’t suit you at all."

Renn did not move. He stood silent, fighting the ache in his chest. He wished he could push it away, but it stayed, heavy and unrelenting. Alex tried again. "I understand you, you shouldn’t have—" His words broke off when Renn laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. Alex knew it was meant to sting, but he held his ground, watching calmly.

"How do you understand me? Have you ever been in love?" Renn asked.

"No, Alpha."

"Good. Then you don’t know," Renn replied, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. His fists clenched hard against his palms as his thoughts consumed him. "I never wanted to share mates with anyone. Yet I had to... with my brothers. When things started with Angela, it felt like a joke at first, but I told her I couldn’t stand sharing her."

"You forced her into it. You didn’t give her a choice," Alex said, moving a little closer until he stood at his side. "I think you were already in love with Angela, and when you found out she was a girl, you wanted to her right away instead of really knowing her. You wanted her to fill the emptiness in your heart too quickly."

He stopped then, realizing his words were only adding to Renn’s pain. His tone softened. "Look, I’m not blaming you. You still cared for her, you still protected her. And Angela? She liked it, Renn. She truly enjoyed being your girlfriend. That much I know."

"I doubt it. I forced her into the relationship. You are right," Renn said with a slow nod, his eyes fixed on the ground. He knew he had no right to feel what he was feeling, no right to question Angela or the choices she made.

"No, don’t say that. I know Angela," Alex told him firmly. "She would have found a way out if she didn’t want to be with you. She does like you, Renn, but she—"

"She has three other Alphas in her life that I would have to share her with for the rest of our miserable lives," Renn cut in, his voice breaking as he clenched his teeth. He tried to hold back, but his eyes burned with tears. For a moment he fought them, then gave up, covering his face with both palms as the tears finally slipped free.

Alex stood quietly, not knowing what to say that could ease the weight pressing down on him. Renn’s pain was heavier than any of the others. After a few minutes Renn wiped his face and turned toward him, his expression raw. "I blame her. That makes it even worse," he whispered.

"You’re not in the wrong," Alex said, stepping closer and laying a hand on his shoulder. "This is your way of dealing with the pain. You didn’t destroy her, you didn’t crush her spirit. Trust me, she prefers your cold replies and even your anger over silence. At least it shows you care."

Renn gave a faint nod and started walking deeper into the woods, his steps heavy with confusion. He had no idea what to do next.

"Don’t tell me you’ve given up on your love just because you found out she is also your fated mate," Alex called after him, following close behind. "If you walk away now, it only proves you were never worthy of her or of her love. Do you even love her the way you claim?"

Renn stopped in his tracks. He turned slowly, his eyes hard and sharp as they locked onto Alex. "Are you doubting me?" he asked, his voice low with both anger and pain.

"You are not behaving like someone who is madly in love with a girl."

"What do you want me to do? Can’t you see the situation we are in?" Renn asked, his voice rough.

"So are you going to leave her alone?"

"What should I do?" Renn’s tone changed this time. It was no longer filled with annoyance but with the sound of someone who had already lost hope. "If I had known this from the start, I would have controlled myself before falling in love with her, but I didn’t. I acted like a child who just got a new toy and refused to let it go."

He lifted his eyes to Alex and asked quietly, "What would you do if you were in my position?" Renn had never been in love before, and the confusion of it all weighed heavily on him.

"Stop thinking about your brothers and the mating bond. Love her. Prove that you meant it when you said you loved her," Alex said firmly as he stepped closer. "Don’t hold back because of anyone else. Just love her."

"Will she want that?" Renn asked, his voice uncertain.

"Let her decide that. Your only task is to follow your heart and not hurt her," Alex told him gently. "Angela needs peace, not your coldness. She needs you to help her figure things out. She is still carrying the weight of not knowing who her father is, still broken from being cast aside by his family."

Renn pressed his hands over his face as the truth hit him. His voice cracked when he spoke again. "I have been so selfish." He thought of all the times she had lied to protect herself, all the pain she was already carrying. Instead of offering her comfort, he had given her anger. He should have listened to her, stood by her, and loved her instead of being the jerk who added more pain to her life.