Chapter 4

Chapter 4

SERAPHINA

A few of the pack members coughed or cleared their throats, and I caught several exchanged glances in the crowd as they heard what I had said.

Elena's smile faltered a bit, but she recovered quickly.

"Well," Marcus said, his tone sounding a bit too cheery when trying to smooth over an awkward moment,

 "We were just celebrating Elena's return to town. She's been away for several years, and we wanted to make sure she felt welcome. I didn't want to bother you since you work so hard."

The dismissal in his words was small but it was there. The message was clear: this party was for pack members who mattered to him and were important and I was just the human wife who happened to live here.

"How thoughtful of you," I said, my voice filled with false sweetness as I looked around as well. "And what a lovely surprise to come home to."

Marcus shifted uncomfortably, and I saw Elena looking between us coming to the realization that something was off. Good. Let her sense the tension. 

Let her realize that walking into another woman's home and claiming her husband from her wasn't going to be as simple as she'd expected.

"Elena's had a long journey," Marcus continued, his hand touching her lower back in a gesture that was intimate and possessive.

 "She's exhausted from the long trip and is suffering from jet lag, and I thought she might be more comfortable spending the night in our room. Just for tonight. You know how it is, we wolves need familiar scents to feel better and recover quickly. Since you're human, I figured the guest room would be fine for tonight."

The room went dead silent. I could hear the tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway, I could hear the humming of the fridge in the next three rooms, the slow beeping of the AC. Marcus had just asked me to sleep in the guest room of my own home so that another woman could take my place in the bed I'd shared with him for five years.

The romantic side of me, yelled at me that this was the moment to make a scene. To throw things around and to demand explanations, to force him to choose between his wife and his lover in front of the entire pack.

 But the logical part of me that had survived five years of hiding my true nature, held me back.

"Of course," I said with a smile that felt fake but passable for them. "How considerate of you to think of her comfort."

Marcus blinked, clearly taken aback by my acceptance. Around the room, I could see pack members exchanging glances of surprise and confusion. They clearly had been expecting that I put up a show for them. They had expected drama, tears, the kind of emotional breakdown that would justify Marcus's decision to replace me.

Elena, who was now getting confident by both alcohol and my easy acceptance of the situation, stumbled a bit as she turned to face me.

  Whether the stumble was genuine or planned, I couldn't tell, but the result was the same, she fell against my husband kissing his lips for everyone to see before pulling away.

"Oops," she giggled, her hands fisting in the front of his shirt as she looked up at him with love and affection present in her eyes as she said.

 "Sorry, I'm just so clumsy when I'm tired."

Several pack members chuckled, and I saw a few of the women exchange knowing looks. 

"Oh my," I said, my voice filled with concern as I stepped closer to Elena. "Are you feeling alright? Losing coordination and balance for no reason at all can be a sign of epilepsy. Have you been experiencing any other symptoms? Confusion, memory loss, sudden mood changes?"

Elena's face turned red, and several of the pack members started to snicker amongst themselves. A few of the younger wolves actually laughed outright before being silenced by sharp looks from their elders.

"I'm fine," Elena said quickly, stepping back from Marcus, seeing that her plan hadn't worked and ended up being the one mocked.

 "Just tired from traveling."

"Of course," I said, looking very concerned as I tried to keep a passive face. "Well, if you experience any more episodes, you should definitely see a doctor. Brain damage can be quite serious if left untreated."

Marcus's jaw tightened, and I could see the anger that was building in his eyes. But what could he say? That his wife was wrong to be concerned about a guest health symptoms? That she shouldn't use her professional knowledge to help someone who clearly needs it.

"I think it's time for everyone to head home," I said, addressing the room at large. "It's getting late, and I'm sure you all have responsibilities tomorrow. Please make sure to clean up after yourselves before you leave."

The dismissal was polite but firm, and I had the satisfaction of seeing several pack members nod in agreement.

 I was, after all, still the Alpha's wife, and this was still my home, regardless of who Marcus planned to pick as his chosen mate.

"Sarah," Marcus said, his voice carrying a warning.

"Yes, darling?" I replied sweetly, meeting his eyes with innocent eyes.

He stared at me for a long moment, clearly trying to figure out what game I was playing. But he wasn't able to pick up anything from my face. And it was clear that the humiliation he planned for me wasn't working as I ended up embarrassing the both of them and shutting down this party without starting a fuss.

"Nothing," he said finally. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Of course we will," I agreed. "Sleep well, both of you. I'll be in the guest room if you need anything."

As I walked away, I brought out my phone that was in my bag and scrolled through the list of blocked contacts that I had in my list.

Can't believe I was doing this but desperate times call for desperate measures.