Alpha alec's redemption (Sadie) novel Chapter 260

His chin rests atop my head as he rocks me gently, his fingers stroking slow, comforting lines down my spine.

“You’re okay,” he says, his voice a low rumble against my ear.

I rest my head against his shoulder with my eyes closed. We don’t stay outside for long because within minutes I’m drained and all I want to do is sleep.

“Can we go back inside?” I whisper. “I’m exhausted.”

“Absolutely,” he answers, picking me up bridal style.

I’m surprised, but at the same time, I’m too tired to dive into the whole thing.

Inside, Alec wraps a soft blanket around me and pulls me onto his lap on the couch. His hand rests on my back, his thumb rubbing soothing circles as he rocks us both.

“I feel like this is my fault. Like you are going through this because of me,” he mutters, his eyes closing briefly. “If I had just…”

“If you had just what?” I ask, my brow furrowing.

He doesn’t answer, but the haunted look in his eyes is enough.

The ache inside me flares up again, this time for an entirely different reason. “Alec…”

“Don’t,” he says, his voice suddenly harsh. He pulls back, creating distance between us. “If you say my name like that, I’m going to forget myself.”

I swallow, my throat tight. “Forget yourself?”

“Yeah,” he rasps, his gaze dropping to my lips. “Forget that you’re not ready. Forget that you still don’t trust me. Forget that if I give in, you might hate me when the heat passes.”

His words punch through me, sharp and unyielding, and my chest tightens. The pain of his rejection from last night stings, but hearing how much it cost him to hold back — makes my heart ache even more.

I try to speak, to say something, anything, but no words leave my mouth.

Alec’s hand moves to cup the back of my neck, his thumb tracing along my jaw. “You don’t know how hard it was to stop last night,” he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly. “You were in my arms, writhing against me, begging me to take you. And all I wanted — all I wanted was to give you everything.”

His forehead presses against mine, his breathing heavy. “You’re my mate, Sadie. I want you so bad it’s killing me. Even now, your scent is driving me nuts. But I can’t—I can’t let it happen when you’re not ready.”

The emotion in his voice cracks something open inside me. I lift my hand, cradling his cheek. I don’t understand my action. Maybe it’s the moon’s heat influence, but all I know is I can’t let him continue thinking that this is his fault.

“It’s not your fault, Alec,” I finally say. “You shouldn’t be blaming yourself. This is a natural process.”

He nods his head, but I can tell that he still blames himself for something that is completely out of his control.