The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 267

**TITLE: Never Love 267**

**Chapter 267**

“And you truly think I would choose my duty over you time and again?” The words slip from his lips, sharp and laced with frustration. “After all that we’ve endured together?”

I take a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. “It’s not about choice or desire,” I respond, striving for clarity. “It’s about necessity. The heir to the throne bears a weight that doesn’t allow for personal whims to take precedence. I grasped this concept in theory before, but today, I felt it in my bones.”

Alexander begins to pace the confines of our small chamber, his Alpha energy palpable, filling the space with an intensity that feels almost electric. “So your answer is to create distance? To retreat back to your community instead of confronting these challenges side by side?”

I nod firmly, wanting him to understand. “Just a temporary separation,” I assert. “To assist those who truly need my skills, in the ways I’ve been trained. I need to find my footing before I can even think about navigating the complexities of court life in a lasting way.”

“With Kieran,” he interjects, the name dripping with jealousy, an undeniable edge to his voice.

“With my community,” I correct him, though I can’t ignore the fact that Kieran’s involvement complicates everything. “Alexander, please try to see my perspective. Today, I was dressed up, addressed like a mere accessory to your princely persona, assessed, and ultimately dismissed by those who view me as nothing more than an oddity attached to you. I was paraded before nobles who barely concealed their disdain, questioned by councilors who seemed to doubt every word I spoke. I felt like a nuisance rather than a person of worth.”

His anger begins to ebb, and the raw honesty of my words seems to penetrate his defenses. He stops pacing, turning to face me, and I can see the softness creeping into his expression.

“I let you down today,” he admits quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought that simply acknowledging your worth would be enough to ensure you were treated properly. I see now that I was mistaken.”

“You didn’t fail me,” I counter, stepping closer, attempting to bridge the emotional distance that has formed between us. “But I need to carve out my own place in this new reality. Not just as your mate, but as Lyra the healer, someone with skills and a purpose that extend beyond our bond.”

Alexander studies me intently, the conflict within him evident. I can feel the bond between us shifting, reflecting the emotional turmoil we both struggle to contain.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he finally states, his admission heavy with unspoken fears. “The idea of separation, even if it’s temporary or necessary… it feels fundamentally wrong, beyond any rational explanation.”

“I understand,” I whisper, my heart aching in response to his words. I feel it too—the instinctive repulsion at the thought of being apart, the deep-seated conviction that together is where we belong.

He reaches out, his hand gently cradling my face, his touch sending warmth flooding through me. “Just two days,” he proposes, his voice steadying. “Help your community for two days, and then come back to me. By then, I’ll have made progress on tracing Vega’s bloodline, and we can gather the moonflower essence during the alignment three nights from now.”

“Always more meetings to attend,” he replies with a wry smile, the hint of weariness evident in his eyes. “But I’ll see you before you leave.”

He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, the warmth of his lips sending a comforting pulse through our bond that lingers long after he has departed. As I sink into the too-soft bed, my thoughts whirl like a tempest. The impending separation from Alexander feels both necessary and deeply unsettling. The call to return to my community clashes with the mate bond’s persistent pull toward closeness. Kieran’s presence complicates matters further, leaving both Alexander and me grappling with feelings we can’t yet untangle.

Yet, amidst the swirling uncertainty, one truth stands firm—whether I am at court or within my healing community, whether I am navigating the treacherous waters of royal politics or rebuilding what has been lost, the journey continues.

Not just for Alexander and me, but for all those whose lives are entwined with ours through the intricate threads of fate, choice, and consequence.

**Cara Anderson**

**Author**

Thank you for reading!