Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Uncomfortable Truths
Leo
I stood in the empty hall for what felt like hours after Victoria left, her words echoing in my mind like physical blows.
Like property to be claimed and defended?
The accusation cut deeper than any blade. Was that really how I saw her? How I’d been treating her?
My wolf Ronan paced restlessly in my mind, equally agitated. She’s our mate. We protect what’s ours.But even as the thought formed, I winced. Ours. There it was again—that possessive language that had driven Victoria away.
I replayed the scene with Garrett, seeing it now through different eyes. Yes, the boy had been out of line. Yes, his interest in Victoria was inappropriate. But had my response been about protecting her authority as Alpha, or had it been about marking my territory like some primitive beast?
The answer made my stomach turn.
I’d undermined her in front of her own warriors. I’d reduced her to "mine" instead of recognizing her as the powerful leader she’d become. And worst of all, I’d done it while convincing myself it was for her own good.
Fuck.
I needed to think, but not here. Not where the scent of her anger and hurt still lingered in the air. I made my way back to Shadow Pack territory, my mind churning with uncomfortable realizations.
Tiny was waiting in my office, his expression carefully neutral as I entered. He took one look at my face and poured two glasses of whiskey without being asked.
"Rough day?" he asked, sliding a glass across the desk.
I drained half of it in one swallow. "Victoria’s angry with me."
"Can’t imagine why," Tiny said dryly, settling into the chair across from me. "It’s not like you stormed into her pack meeting and treated her like a wayward child in front of her warriors."
I shot him a sharp look. "You heard about that?"
"Word travels fast." Tiny’s expression grew serious. "Leo, what the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that punk was disrespecting her," I growled. "Did you see the way he looked at her? Like he had any right—"
"Any right to what?" Tiny interrupted. "To admire a strong, beautiful Alpha? To be attracted to an incredible woman?" He leaned forward. "Leo, attraction isn’t disrespect. Acting on inappropriate attraction is. And from what I heard, Garrett never crossed that line."
"He challenged me," I insisted. "In front of her pack."
"No," Tiny said firmly. "He offered to protect his Alpha. You made it about challenging you by storming in there like a jealous teenager instead of trusting Victoria to handle her own people."
The words hit like a slap. I wanted to argue, to defend my actions, but the fight had already gone out of me. Deep down, I knew Tiny was right.
"She called me possessive," I said quietly, staring into my glass. "Said I was treating her like property."
Tiny’s expression softened slightly. "And what did you say to that?"
"Nothing that made it better." I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bleeding into my voice. "God, Tiny, you should have seen the way she looked at me. Like I was the enemy."
"Maybe because in that moment, you were acting like one," Tiny said gently. "Leo, I’ve known you for fifteen years. I’ve seen you build an empire from nothing, command the respect of the most dangerous wolves in the territory. But when it comes to Victoria..."
"What?" I demanded when he trailed off.
"You’re terrified," Tiny said simply. "And terror makes you controlling."
I wanted to deny it, but the words stuck in my throat. Because he was right. I was terrified—of losing her, of failing to protect her, of not being enough for someone so extraordinary.
"She’s everything I never knew I wanted," I admitted, my voice rough. "Before her, I didn’t even believe in the mate bond. I thought it was just biological programming, an excuse for weakness. But Victoria..."
I took another drink, the whiskey burning as it went down.
"She makes me feel things I’ve never felt. Hope. Joy. A future that extends beyond just accumulating power." I looked up at Tiny. "And the thought of losing that, of losing her..."
"So you try to control everything around her to keep her safe," Tiny finished. "Leo, you can’t protect someone by diminishing them. And that’s what you’ve been doing."
The truth of it settled over me like a weight.
I closed my eyes, remembering Victoria’s face when she’d walked out. The hurt. The disappointment. The way she’d looked at me like I’d betrayed something precious between us.
"My father used to do that to my mother," I said suddenly, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Control every aspect of her life in the name of protection. Choose her friends, her activities, even her conversations. All while telling her it was because he loved her too much to let anything happen to her."
Tiny went very still. I rarely talked about my parents, about the toxic dynamic that had shaped my early years.
"She withered under it," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "This brilliant, vibrant woman became a shadow of herself. And when she finally couldn’t take it anymore..."
"She left," Tiny finished quietly.
I nodded. "One day she was just gone. Left a note saying she’d rather face whatever dangers were out there than suffocate under the weight of his ’protection’ one more day."
"Leo......"
"I swore I’d never be like him," I said, laughing bitterly. "I swore I’d never cage someone in the name of love. And here I am, doing exactly the same thing to the woman who means everything to me."
Tiny reached across the desk and gripped my shoulder. "The difference is, you recognize it. Your father never did. "
"But that doesn’t matter if Victoria leaves because I can’t stop myself from repeating those patterns," I said.
"Then don’t let that happen," Tiny said firmly. "Go to her. Apologize properly. Not just for today, but for all the times you’ve made her feel small when she deserves to feel powerful."
I drained the rest of my whiskey and stood up. "What if she doesn’t forgive me?"
"Victoria loves you," Tiny said with quiet confidence. "But love isn’t enough if you don’t respect the person you claim to love. Show her that you see her for who she really is—not just your mate, but an Alpha in her own right."