You Want Me Back? Too Bad, My Alpha—I'm Done Waiting

Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Nora's POV I sat there listening to Gideon pour his heart out, not saying a word until he was completely done. When he finally looked at me with those desperate eyes, I kept my voice steady. "I won't waste energy hating you anymore, but don't expect forgiveness either. I've got my own life to figure out now, and I'm done getting dragged into your pack drama." Gideon went quiet for a long time, then reached into his jacket and pulled out this beat-up notebook. My chest tightened the second I saw it.

I'd bought that thing for Declan with my first paycheck from working at the diner. We were broke back then, and he'd acted like I'd given him the world. Said he'd fill every page with memories of us, maybe even show our future kids someday. "After you left, he wrote in this thing obsessively," Gideon said, his voice cracking slightly. "Every damn day. Right before he came looking for you, he said he wanted to show you what he'd written. Since he can't do that now..." He set it on my lap and headed into Declan's room without another word. I stared at the notebook like it might bite me.

After about twenty minutes of just holding it, I finally cracked it open. [March 15, 2018. Made it official with Nora today. She got me this journal with her tip money. I'm gonna treasure this thing forever, just like I'll treasure her. I won't screw this up!] The next few years were page after page of pure happiness. Late-night study sessions, camping trips, stupid inside jokes-everything we'd built together was right there in his messy handwriting. Then it all stopped dead on June 8th, 2021. [The council's threatening to disband the pack if I don't comply.

They're talking about exile, about destroying everything my family built. Gideon looks like he's aged ten years in one week. I can't let everything fall apart because of me.] [Nora offered to break up with me to make this easier, but I can't lose her. Not after four years together. Maybe we can run away, start fresh somewhere else.] That was the day we'd tried to leave together. Obviously, that hadn't worked out. Several blank pages followed, then scattered entries that made my stomach churn. [I have to sleep with Celeste tonight. The council's watching everything now.

I keep thinking about Nora's face when I told her to wait for me. How do I come back from this?] 11:32 Too Bad My Alpha-I'm Done Waiting 4.79% Chapter 20 Two pages later, someone had pressed so hard with the pen that it tore right through the paper: [NORA, I'M SORRY. I'M SO FUCKING SORRY.] That must've been the night he finally went through with it. After that, the journal stayed empty for months. When the writing picked up again, it was different-desperate, guilt-ridden, all over the place. [Ayla was born today. She's so small.

Celeste keeps pushing for more time together 'for the baby's sake.' The council wants a son. I don't know how much more of this I can take.] [Nora's getting thinner every time I see her. She won't even look at me anymore. I'm killing her slowly, and I hate myself for it.] [Celeste's pregnant again. She says it'll be the last time, that after this we can both move on. I want to believe her, but I've heard that before.] The entries got more sporadic after that, mostly just apologies and promises he couldn't keep. The last entry was dated just a week ago. [I know Nora's gone for good this time.

Gideon found out where she went, but he won't tell me. Says I've done enough damage. Maybe he's right. Maybe the best thing I can do for her is stay away.] [But I can't. I know that makes me selfish, but I can't let her think I chose Celeste over her. I need her to know that every second with Celeste felt like betraying everything I believed in. I need to show her this journal, to prove that she was always the only one that mattered.] I closed the notebook as a team of nurses wheeled Declan past me on a gurney. Gideon was taking him back to the Vale where the medical facilities were better.

This was probably the last time I'd ever see him. I stood up and handed the journal back to Gideon. "If he wakes up, tell him I read it. Tell him I understand why he did what he did, but understanding doesn't change anything." Gideon looked like he wanted to say more, but I was already walking away. "Tell him goodbye for me," I called over my shoulder. "And tell him to be happy." I didn't look back as I headed for the exit. Whatever we'd had was over now, and it was time to stop looking backward.

The moment I stepped out of the hospital, the damp chill of early spring wind hit my face, finally washing away the smell of disinfectant. Gideon's words still echoed in my ears, and Declan's notebook was tucked safely in my hackpack-that journal filled with guilt and regret was my final goodbye to a relationship that had drained my youth dry. I reached up and touched the obsidian pendant at my neck. The cold stone pressed against my skin, giving me more comfort than the shattered moonstone necklace my mother had left me.

11:32 Too Bad My Alpha-l'in Done Waiting Chapter 20 A boy named Xander had given it to me twelve years ago. He said it could hold onto happiness. All these years, no matter where I ran-even when I hid in the neutral zone's children's home under the name Nora-it never left my neck. Nora. That name was a disguise I'd taken to escape Vale Pack and Declan's shadow. My real name is Elizabeth Crowe. They all called me Lizzy, or when I was younger, the softer nickname-Izzy. Now, it was time to drop the mask.

I wanted to go back to the pack where I was born, back to the place where memories of Nightcrowe Waterfall still lived, even if it meant facing the father I'd avoided for years and his new family. After two days on the road, the familiar scent of the forest hit me all at once. My wolf whimpered softly in my mind-it was the first time in years she'd felt the pull of our homeland. When I pushed open that familiar yet strange wooden door, the air inside was as suffocating as ever. "Lizzy! Where's the breakfast?!" Caroline's shrill voice shot up from downstairs. That woman.

My father's second wife. From the moment my father remarried when I was fifteen, she'd wanted nothing more than to kick me out of this house. I told myself just five more minutes. But the exhaustion from days of traveling dragged me under in an instant. Then-a sharp, bone-chilling cold jolted me awake. Ice water soaked through the blanket, trickling down my spine. I shot up from the bed, shivering violently, and looked toward the door. Standing there with a twisted grin was Vince, Caroline's son. "Hurry up and get dressed.

My mom wants breakfast." He tossed the words at me and turned to leave, not caring in the slightest that I was soaking wet in a freezing room. I stared at his retreating back, fingers brushing against the obsidian pendant at my neck. The stone still held my body heat-Xander said it could drive away sadness. But right now, all I felt was that wound starting to throb again. But this time, I wasn't going to run. I am Elizabeth Crowe. I'm Izzy. I'm Lizzy. And it's time I stood up and fought for myself. Yet before I could fight for the present, I had to face the past I'd buried for so long.

(0) 800 (0) Cedella Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella's storytelling style is immersive and addictive-perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.