Without Miranda

Darren's POV

Miranda was different.

The mean look on her face had me stunned, to say I was surprised was going to be an understatement.

Never have I seen this part of her before.

It seemed like she had snapped and if I were to think of how I had treated her all these while, it was justified that she felt that way.

I had let my rage and love for Vivian push her against the wall.

It then hit me that I had wronged her and needed to make up for my wrongs.

As I moved to follow her.

Vivian stopped me, “What the hell do you think you are doing, Darren?”.

“She made her decision clear to you and remember you chose me, so what are you doing?” She added before falling to her knees.

She burst into tears, although she could melt the resentment I was feeling towards her now, “I am sorry Darren, but I don't regret anything I did last night”

“It's been three years and I had no idea of what had been happening here, so I panicked and did what, I thought, was right”

“I didn't know you were going to be sent back home to her, I wanted you in my bed just like you told me you did too”

She began sobbing before adding, “I was afraid Darren, afraid that you'd love her while I was away, I did what I did not to lose you”

She knelt sobbing while I faced forward with a cold look on my face, Vivian did surprise me.

Never would I have thought that she was capable of what she had done now, she had always seemed so innocent and lovable.

She stood up at her call and moved to hug me, but I wiggled out of her hold, “I'm surprised that you'd do something like this, Vivian”

“You knew you had been the one to drug me when I called you this morning, but you chose to blame her for being so desperate rather than to tell the truth”.

“Most of what I had said to her this morning were your words, not mine.”

My head ached so badly the more I thought about it, I left her and walked towards the patio.

I needed to think, who knew that so much could change upon Vivian's arrival?

My wolf wasn't even letting me off as he blamed me for letting Emerald go, he complained that she was gone and had even blocked him off before Miranda rejected me.

He had spent all morning shouting and complaining to him that it was all my fault that he let him lose his mate, lost both Miranda and Emerald.

It wasn't the first time he had pestered me concerning this, but also every time I didn't treat her well, and this always made us quarrel.

On most days, he wouldn't speak to me, but back then it was something I stood up for, I showed Miranda that I hated her.

For three years, we bantered back and forth whenever it was about Miranda's case, maybe that was also why I hated her that much.

“Baby” she cooed

“Darren, say something please” she pleaded, drawing me back to the present.

“My key” I choked out, staring at her with pain strike eyes.

I knew Vivian had forced my Beta to give her his key to the villa.

“Why?” She yelled, but my gaze made her soften her voice and ask again, “I already said I was sorry, and I mean it, Darren”

“My keys Vivian” I persisted, ignoring her pleas, they didn't matter to me now.

“But we had plans, plans for our future together, plans here at the Villa, so why are you asking me for this key, Darren?”

The desperation in her voice made me question the girl I fell in love with six years ago.

The girl I defiled my family because of countless times, As much as Miranda had changed…it took me long enough to see the change in Vivian too.

“Vivian!”

She knelt and crawled to my feet pleading, it was quite obvious that she wasn't willing, but at the end of it all; after her pleas and wails couldn't change my mind, and seeing how serious I was she gave the key to me.

I mind-linked the driver to come to pick her up and the moment he entered she began crying.

“Darren, you can't just throw me out like I didn't devote six years of my life to you”

My guilty conscience pricked me hard, I had made her promise to remain loyal to only me and promised when she returned she'd be my Luna, but then I didn't even know what changed.

After persisting, I managed to convince her that I just needed time to think before she agreed to let the driver take her back to the packed hotel.

After she left, I mind-linked my Beta, Carl, to come over.

“You gave Vivian the keys to this Villa,” I said the moment he entered the room.

His presence had pulled me out of the lonely and sinking feeling I had in this house.

Without Mira, it was like I was empty… as empty as the house as before my thoughts could drive me mad, luckily he interrupted them.

“You said Vivian should be treated like the Luna” he replied, entering the house warily.

“Miranda?" He called out.

“She is gone” I shouted before scolding him about giving the key to Vivian.

I excused myself and walked outdoors, the house was choking me with so many emotions I couldn't concur.

It almost seemed like I was unhappy and regretted agreeing to her talk on divorce.

Looking at the empty house, I felt more empty, too.

I laughed at my emotions, I ought to feel happy, shouldn't the fact that she was finally out of my hair to be enough for me?

At last, I had finally gotten rid of this forced marriage between us…I couldn't hide my contempt for her ever since then, I treated her with hatred because she never objected to our union.

The more I thought, the more I felt more and more uncomfortable.

“Carl”

“Alpha” he answered as he walked to where I stood.

“Put the Villa in Miranda's name, I owe her that”.