The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 81: When apologies don’t matter.

~Dahlia’s POV~

They say apologies were like late guests—always arriving after the damage has already been done. When Orion stepped into the room, I barely glanced up.

His scent, familiar and cold, filled my lungs like something half-remembered in a nightmare. Amara laid quietly on the bed beside me, a soft sigh escaping her tiny lips as she watched us, but never saying anything.

She looked like she was in a state of half sleep. And that was understandable.

"Firstly, Dahlia I wanted to apologize to you for not being there in times when you needed me the most. I’ve been experiencing a few major setbacks these past few weeks and it’s been the reason—"

"Beta, you don’t have to apologise to me and Amara. I totally understand how busy you’ve been and how stressed you’ve been lately!" I rushed out, interrupting him before he spewed out more lies.

He stopped, as if shocked that I had interrupted, and then he roved his eyes over my body, trailing his eyes sensuously over my skin until he arrived at my face. He muttered; "You don’t seem pleased with me."

"I have no problem with you Beta, I am only worried about my daughter."

"Dahlia, right now, I’m saying sorry," Beta Orion said, his voice low. "Not just sorry, I want you to know that I regret everything."

At the sound of his words, my eyes twitched in surprise. I still couldn’t quite believe that I was having this conversation with him so I tried not to say much.

I folded my arms across my chest and with my eyes piercing his gray ones, I said again; "There’s really nothing to talk about."

"But there is," he insisted, his eyes pleading. "You were punished by Jennifer for something no one was even sure you did. And I... I should’ve fought for you."

"I didn’t do it." I snapped, causing Beta Orion to gulp. His eyes met mine and held, and for a minute, I could swear that I saw something akin to regret flash across his features before he quickly composed himself and dropped his gaze.

"I should’ve done something."

"But you didn’t," I spat, my voice coming out sharper than I had intended. "So please, let’s not try to rewrite history."

He looked down at his hands like they’d betrayed him. Like the words I said hurt him. But they were probably nothing compared to how I’d felt when I looked up at him like he was my last hope... my only friend. And he’d acted like I was nothing.

He’d ignored me.

Stood by Jennifer. Held her hands. And watched her accuse me.

My heart clenched in my chest.

"Tiffany misses you," he whispered. "She asks about Amara every night. She even drew you both yesterday and said ’Mommy Dahlia used to smell like cinnamon’."

My chest tightened and a stray tear slipped out of my eye. I wasn’t hurt because of the words— I didn’t care about him right now— but it struck a nerve because I could hear Tiffany’s voice in my head. Her giggles. Her tiny arms wrapped around my leg when she begged me to stay back, to play with her and Amara until it was late.

I could even remember the first time she asked to call me mommy.

I wiped my face with the back of my hands and whispered; "Amara misses her too."

"I didn’t come here to make excuses," Beta Orion continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I came here because I wanted to tell you that I failed you, Dahlia. I was weak, and I let Jennifer and the Elders manipulate me into hurting you but I’ll make it up to you."

I wanted to laugh in his face because right now, he sounded stupid. And just like Alpha Zarek, he was nothing but a manipulative maniac who enjoyed putting strings and dishing out empty promises.

I shook my head. "You’re just lying. This is just another trick."

Beta Orion stepped closer and reached for my hand, and I knew that I should’ve pulled away, but I didn’t. He brought my fingers to his lips, trembling slightly as though afraid even that might burn me.

He peppered feverish kisses to each of my fingers before bringing them down to look me in the eye. "I swear it’s no trick, and this I promise you," he said, voice barely above a breath. "I’ve changed and I’ll always fight for you now. I’ll always stand for the truth. I’ll never let anyone hurt you when I’ve not heard the full story yet."

But you’ll allow them to when you ’hear the full story’ right?

This question plagued my mind but I refused to let it out. Instead, I nodded my head at him, watching as that action made his entire face lit up.

I whispered; "Okay."

"Oh, Dahlia, I’ve missed you so much!" He rushed out, pulling me into a hug. My eyes widened as I stumbled into his arms, not expecting the hug and I stood frozen as he continued to wrap his arms respectfully around my shoulders, whilst muttering more quiet soothing words in my ear.

I almost believed him. Almost. Until I felt it. That unmistakable tension in the air, like the room itself was holding its breath. Like it was squeezing air out of my lungs, suffocating me.

The heat curled up my spine, causing my wolf to stir awake.

The mate pull—scorching, magnetic, undeniable— gnawed at me just as an intoxicating scent hit my nostrils.

I felt him before I saw him.

Alpha Zarek.

He stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury and something else. Something that if I didn’t know better, I would’ve called it jealousy. But it couldn’t be— you only got jealous when it was someone you liked right?

Right?

Beta Orion didn’t notice him yet. But I did.

I mean, how could I not? When my pulse was betraying me, racing to be in sync with Alpha Zarek’s rhythm even after everything.

Alpha Zarek’s jaw was set, his stare zeroed in on Beta Orion’s hands still wrapped around my body, his fierce stare possessive. Furious.

Beta Orion coughed awkwardly, a weird glint shining in his eyes as he took a step back. "Alpha? I didn’t see you coming." He said, and then bowing slightly, he added; "Your Grace."

And I knew that that was supposed to be my cue to acknowledge him as well. To say hello or anything. Anything that should get me out of trouble; but I didn’t.

Instead I dropped my gaze and turned away.

But he wasn’t here for Beta Orion.

He took a step forward, his piercing green gaze shifting to me. "Dahlia."

I stiffened. "Alpha."

My body screamed at me to leave, the saner parts of my mind pleaded with me to flee the room. To leave both men alone and just leave. But I couldn’t.

I looked down at Amara, still sleeping, and deciding that I couldn’t leave her —Not with Alpha Zarek and Beta Orion in the same room. Or with any of them to say the least— I plopped into the chair beside her bed and sat, my eyes fixated on both men standing side by side by the door.

And then Beta Orion bowed once more before stepping out of the room.

I saw the looks he exchanged with Alpha Zarek before he stepped out. I noticed the subtle hostility that had hung between both of them like a cloak, my heart caught in my chest when Alpha Zarek moved to shut the door behind him, and then he turned to me, his eyes wild.

"I didn’t come here to cause any trouble," Alpha Zarek said, his voice softer now. "And I know how insane this might sound, but I won’t pretend I’m okay seeing you with him."

I swallowed hard, my voice almost a whisper. "Then maybe you shouldn’t have come."

His expression twisted—rage, guilt, and longing all battling on his face.

And me? I was stuck between throwing him out of the room and getting thrown out of the pack; Or letting him stay while my heart broke even more with each passing second.

Alpha Zarek opened his mouth just then to speak but before the words would slip out, another voice beat him to it.

"Zareeq?" The voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper; But I didn’t miss the excitement behind it. I gulped, my heart sinking as I realized who it was.

Amara!

She at once forgot all about our plans to keep her recovery hidden. Forgot all about her made up face and how she was meant to pretend to still be sickly.

My heart skipped a beat when she hopped off the bed and flung herself into Alpha Zarek’s open arms, the smile on her face as bright as the sky on a sunny morning. Her sleepy voice chuckled as she cried; "I missed you Zareeq!"

And while her reaction to him annoyed me just as it shocked me, I couldn’t help but feel a darker emotion curl up somewhere deep within my chest.

Jealousy.

Anger.

I was jealous, and I knew I shouldn’t be. But I hated how she seemed to like Alpha Zarek even more than she liked me.

And do you know what I hated even more? How Alpha Zarek seemed to enjoy every single moment.