Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Early Morning Baits

SERAPHINA 

I was cutting my first bite into my pancakes when Elena showed up at the doorway, and the sight of her made my skin crawl.

  She wore one of Marcus's shirts and nothing else, the cloth stopping at her thighs showing her legs.

"Good morning," she said, sounding smug. 

I didn't respond to her greeting, focusing instead on my breakfast. The pancakes were fluffy and sweet, exactly the way I liked them, and I ate slowly while Elena moved around making coffee.

"I hope you slept well," she continued, glancing at me over her shoulder. "I know it must be difficult, being removed from your own bedroom, but Marcus wanted me to be comfortable. He's always been so thoughtful that way."

I took a sip of milk, and savored it before swallowing it. Elena was fishing for a reaction, trying to establish dominance on who was the more important woman to my husband.

"Of course, Marcus and I have so much history together," Elena continued, as she sat down on the chair across from me with her coffee. "We understand each other in ways that... well, I suppose you wouldn't understand, being human and all. We werewolves have a much deeper connection than you and him do."

I chewed another bite of pancake, keeping my expression neutral as Elena took this as a sign to keep on going.

"He told me all about how you saved his life," she said, her tone filled with false sympathy. "How grateful he was, how he felt obligated to take care of you. It's really quite sweet, in a way. Like adopting a stray."

"But obligations can become burdens, can't they? Last night, he told me how relieved he was to finally have his real mate back. How he'd been waiting for me all this time."

I finished my pancakes and drained my glass of milk, then stood to rinse my dishes in the sink. Elena watched me, getting more frustrated each passing minute, clearly disappointed by my lack of response to her provocations.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly out of anger. "Don't you care that your husband spent the night with another woman? That he's planning to replace you?"

 I dried my hands on a dish towel, before hanging it back on its hook. "Would you like some pancakes?" I asked pleasantly. "I made extra."

Elena's face turned red and I could see her struggling to maintain her composure from acting like a mental woman.

 She'd expected tears, anger, maybe even a physical confrontation from me.

Clearly it was showing that me being indifferent to her taunts was clearly not part of her plan.

"You're pathetic," she hissed, standing up so abruptly that her chair scraped against the tile floor. 

"No wonder Marcus wants a real woman. You're nothing but a—"

"Ladies," Marcus's voice cut through the growing tension as he entered the kitchen, fully dressed and looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. "Is everything alright in here?"

Elena immediately changed her expression from venomous to concerned. 

"Oh, Marcus, I was just trying to have a friendly conversation with Sarah, but she seems... distant this morning."

Marcus eyes moved between us and I could see that he was trying to read the situation as my attitude last night had thrown him off guard.

"Sarah," he said, sounding like he was speaking to a subordinate rather than his wife. "I need to talk to you about today. My car has a loose tire, and I need to take Elena to... well, she has some errands to run. I'll need to borrow your car."

I leaned against the counter, crossing my arms as I waited for him to continue. The request seemed reasonable but I knew that there was more to it..

"The thing is," Marcus continued, "I can't take both of you. Elena's nose is particularly sensitive to human scents and ... well, it might trigger some discomfort for her. You'll need to take the bus to work today."

Elena smirked crossing her hands across her chest as she watched for my reaction. She'd probably suggested this little power play, another way to establish her dominance and put me in my place.

I shrugged, feeling unconcerned about their whole act.

"Actually, I think I'll call in sick today. I'm feeling a bit under the weather."

Marcus frowned, clearly not expecting this response. "You never call in sick."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," I said pleasantly, satisfied with this idea."I think I'll sleep in, maybe do my nails, catch up on some N*****x shows. You know, all those lazy human things I never have time for."

I paused, tapping my fingers against my lips as if I had just remembered something important. 

"Oh, that reminds me. There are two patients in the ICU who are supposed to have surgery today. They're related to the Morrison family, aren't they? James Morrison's elderly parents, I believe. Such a shame they won't have their regular surgical nurse available."

Marcus's face went pale. The Morrison family were prominent pack members, whose funding helped a great deal in his business. If something happened to his parents because I refused to oversee their surgery myself...

"I'm sure Elena would be happy to fill in for me," I continued sweetly beaming at them as I added with mock concern. "After all, she'll be the Luna soon, won't she? What a wonderful opportunity for her to prove herself to the pack, that she is capable than some weak, pathetic human."

I turned to Elena with a sweet smile, clasping my hands together as I beamed at her.

"I do hope you'll be able to impress everyone, dear. Though I have to say, you do know what they say about blondes being dumb naturally. And your hair color isn't doing you any favors in that department."

Elena's face flushed red, and I saw her hands clench into fists. The comment I made about her intelligence was subtle but not obvious alone that she could accuse me of insulting her.

"Sarah," Marcus said, his voice filled with anger. "You cannot skip work. What will people think when they see their, Luna abandoning her responsibilities?"

The irony of him calling me Luna while planning to replace me with another woman wasn't lost on me. 

"Their Luna?" I repeated, sounding astonished and shocked.

" That's an interesting choice of words , considering Elena's dreams of taking that position. You do need to be careful about that. Claiming me as your Luna in front of her might trigger another one of her episodes."

Marcus grabbed my hand, his grip was hard enough to bruise. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Elena's medical condition. The coordination problems, the loss of balance, the sudden mood swings that make her look like a mentally unstable woman in front of people. You saw it yourself last night."

I pulled free from his grip with more force than a human should have been able to manage, causing him to stumble slightly. 

"People don't want to see their supposed strong Luna suffering from brain damage. Think about the future children, Marcus.

Do you really want weak, brain damaged Alphas running your pack?"