Escaping the Alpha, Claimed in the End novel Chapter 62

8:36 am PP

Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Amelia’s POV

O SP

For the next few days. Ryder kept waking before dawn. Every morning at five. I heard him slip out of bed, pull on his training clothes, and leave for the field without saying a word I pretended to be asleep each time. It was easier than trying to figure out which version of him I’d get that morning

But every night before he left, I felt him pull me close. His arm would slide around my waist like be couldn’t help it, his breath warm against my ear. He whispered sraall things he didn’t dare say when I was awake-soft apologies, quiet thoughts, little pieces of honesty: When he &nally slipped out of the room, his scent always stayed behind: smoke, coffee, and dark chocolate. Comforting. Painful Confusing.

I knew why he was like this. His jealousy wasn’t explosive-it was silent and sharp. He avoided my eyes, stiffened whenever I walked near him, treated me like I was glass he didn’t know how to hold. My past with Dane hung between us like a shadow, even though it was a mistake I regretted more than anything.

Then one morning, something shifted. Ryder came back from training, sweat still clinging to his skin, and froze when he saw me in the kitchen. His eyes narrowed-not in anger, but like he’d just realized something important. I watched the exact moment it hit him. His whole body went still.

He stepped aside and mind-linked his Beta immediately, his voice low and urgent. He wanted everything investigated-every detail since the night I’d been poisoned. Every person. Every second. That was the first moment in days where I saw doubt in him instead of blind anger.

My heart softened. Maybe something really was happening to him. His wolf had been quiet-too quiet. The night of the fire, Kieran hadn’t surfaced at all.

What if Ryder wasn’t avoiding me on purpose?

What if he couldn’t think clearly without his wolf?

The thought scared me, but it also made sense.

So I decided I would try to fix things. Try to reach him. Try to remind him of us. I called the bridal shop and made an appointment for the next afternoon. If Ryder was scared or confused, may be pushing our wedding forward would give him something solid to hold onto. Something that reminded him of the future we were supposed to have.

I also planned to cook him a romantic dinner afterward. Something simple but warm A way to break this awful tension between us.

The next day, when I arrived at the bridal shop, the place was bright and full of soft music. Racks of wedding dresses lined the walls, all shimmering white and lace. I tried to calm myself down and focus on the moment. I wanted to imagine the happiness we were supposed to have.

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3:36 am PPP

Chapter 62

But when I stepped in front of the mirror wearing the first dress, something inside me sn.

Just for a second.

A flash. A memory. Jasper’s hands on my arms. His voice in my ear. The pain. The helplessness. The way he smiled like my fear amused him. My breath caught, and my whole body tensed so hard my fists trembled.

I blinked rapidly, forcing myself back into the present. This wasn’t then. I wasn’t that girl anymore. I swallowed hard, fixed the dress, and made myself smile.

But I didn’t get to stay calm for long.

Delilah showed up during my fitting, and normally her presence alone made me relax. She was usually warm and calm, the kind of person who instantly soothed me just by being in the room.

But of late… something felt different.

I couldn’t explain it. Nothing looked off about her – it was clearly Delilah, same clothes, same face – but the feeling was there anyway. A small, uneasy tug inside my chest, like my instincts were rying to warn me of something I couldn’t see.

She didn’t smile the way she usually did. She didn’t call me moonchild. And she wouldn’t hold my gaze for more than a second or two, which was strange because Delilah always looked me in the eyes when she talked to me.

Maybe she was stressed. Maybe I was reading too much into things. With everything going on, it wouldn’t be surprising if both of us were a bit off.

Still… I couldn’t shake that tiny prickle of alertness in the back of my mind as she walked around ne, watching me try on dresses.

‘I haven’t seen Ryder around much,” she said casually. “He must be keeping himself busy.”

‘He’s been training a lot,” I said, trying to sound normal.

She hummed, adjusting her shawl. “Is that what he told you?”

Something in the way she said it made my heartbeat tighten. “What do you mean?”

“Well…” She leaned in slightly, pretending to examine the lace on my dress. “Men usually disappear when they’re… occupied.”

“Occupied with what?”

She lifted one shoulder in a soft, almost careless shrug. “Another woman, maybe. I mean-Ryder has a reputation. He’s passionate. Intense. Some women get addicted to that sort of thing.”

I let out a weak, confused laugh. “Delilah, seriously? That’s not-why would you even say that?”

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8:36 am PPP

Chapter 62

Tu not trying to upset you.” she said lightly. “I just didn’t want you to walk into marriage blind

I blinked at her, unsure how to evenvespond. Then she pulled her phone from her bag and held it

out.

“Here. Just watch for a second.”

I hesitated, but she was already tapping on a video. At first, I couldn’t understand what I was looking at. Then the angle shifted, and the familiar sound of Ryder’s voice hit me like a slap.

My breath stuttered.

No.

No, this couldn’t-

He was there. Clear as day. His back, his hair, his movements. With a woman. Their bodies way too close her mouth on his shoulder, his hand on her waist.

My throat closed. “No… that’s-Delilah, that… he couldn’t…”

She exhaled softly, almost like she pitied me. “I wish it wasn’t real. But I thought you deserved to know.”

I shook my head over and over because my brain couldn’t catch up. “He wouldn’t. He just—no.” She slipped a small card into my hand. “That’s the girl’s number, if you want to ask her yourself.”

My fingers shook so badly I almost dropped it. The whole room felt wrong. Too bright. Too tight. Like I couldn’t get any air.

“Amelia…” she said softly, but it didn’t comfort me. Not even a little.

I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t stand under those lights with a wedding dress hugging my rids and pretend like the floor wasn’t falling out beneath me.

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“I need to-” I couldn’t even finish the sentence. I just grabbed my things and moved, ignoring the assistant calling after me.

By the time I got into the car, my hands were shaking so hard I could barely turn the key. Tears came before I even reached the main road-hot, humiliating, nonstop. My heart felt like it was splitting open, and anger kept bubbling up between the cracks.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, I wasn’t sure if I was sad or furious or both. Everything telt messy and sharp inside me.

When I walked into the house, Ryder stood up from the couch so fast it startled me. His eyes widened the second he saw my face.

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