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ANNABELLA'S POV

I didn't know how long I stayed in the park crying, but there was one thing I was sure of, and that was I was hurting. I never expected it nor did I want to believe it because he loved me.

What if he was forced by my father to do this? What if he didn't mean what he said? So many things ran inside my head as I found it difficult to believe he was getting married to Olivia. I knew Summer too well. He would never hurt me on purpose.

He might have said that, so I would stay in the pack. He promised me he would protect me no matter what, right? He told me he would never let anyone hurt me, including my father and Olivia. Maybe that was his way of fulfilling his promise.

I stared down at my palm, which had a small bleeding cut and my heart squeezed in my chest as I realized I was hurt because of him.

I felt my heart pulling apart at that instant just at the thought of the possibility of him telling the truth.

Hurt and broken, I stared up at the path they took. I didn't think for once that Summer would do this to me, to us, after everything we shared.

He told me he loved me. He promised me he would never neglect me or be ashamed of me like my parents did, but he eventually did. Just like everyone else, he also went for Olivia.

Everyone seemed to like Olivia more. First was my parents, and now Summer. Why couldn't I be the one? I have lived in her shadows since we were kids and still do. I was always compared to her because, in my parents' eyes, I wasn't good enough to be their daughter. Just like I had never been wealthy enough to be called their daughter.

Everyone in the pack, including my parents, thought of her as the better one. I was ignored throughout my whole life like I didn't exist. They never gave me a reason to see myself as good enough, as I have always blamed myself for the way the pack and my family treated me.

The special moment of my eighteenth birthday when his wolf recognized me as his mate greeted my memory and I felt like running after him.

We were both excited as he kept thanking the moon goddess and praying I wouldn't leave him.

The moment when he begged me to never leave him brought enough pain to my chest as I walked slowly toward the entrance of the park.

He told me I was the center of his life. I pushed my hair back and at that instant, I felt pain in my chest and a weird noise coming from behind one of the trees. I paused, cleaning my face with the back of my hand.

Curiously, I took my steps closer, and to my surprise, it was Summer and Olivia!

I didn't know if they did it on purpose, but I felt pain.

His face was buried deep in between her legs while his hands held tightly onto her naked thighs to push them apart. I gaped and trembled back in shock, feeling my feet numb. They were having a moment, and they seemed to be enjoying each other. ' Summer' I thought, as tears blurred my vision, and as if he heard my thoughts, he stared away from Olivia, who was busy moaning her throat out. His eyes turned black like his wolf was pushing forward. And I guess it recognized me, he shoved him away and went back to suck Olivia's pussy like he couldn't stay away from her. My lips parted in shock.

My face paled like a thousand times.

Summer and Olivia? My legs started shaking as if they couldn't take my weight. I shook my head in tears as I remembered what Olivia said to me earlier ‘Sumer and I would be having a date for our four-month anniversary’

How could he do this to me? Why did my life seem difficult? I turned back to run, feeling like a fool. Could it be that Dad knew Summer and Olivia were together and that was his reason for wanting to make him the alpha of the pack when he knew he was my mate?

So many years with him and he did this to me. He lied and deceived me. He treated me like a fool, just like everyone else.

Rain suddenly started pouring as I ran into the woods with tears and silent sobs leaving my mouth.

It hurt a lot. I could feel my chest wailing in pain.

After running for a few minutes, I stopped by the lake and fell on my knees as my sobs resounded in the quiet night.

What about me? Why was I always the one hurting?

Summer was mine but I was the one hurting.

Since when have they been fooling me? Was it their plan to hurt me? When did Summer change this much? I couldn't grab hold of my senses anymore. Nothing was making sense to me, the only thing that I understood was the pain in my chest.

" Why did it hurt this much?" I whispered to myself, touching my chest. Was it because we were fated mates? I could feel the heat of his fornication. I could feel unending tears in my eyes, but I couldn't cry anymore because I was tired and drained.

My hand climbed up to my chest and grabbed hold of the necklace around my neck. It was a gift from Summer for my eighteenth birthday, the night we discovered we were not only best friends but mates.

Back then, I thought nothing would ever separate us because I believed him when he told me fate had declared my position in his life.

How easy it was for him to forget all that. I smiled painfully, squeezing the necklace in my hand.

I let him do this to me.

I pulled the necklace from my neck and shoved it in the lake with a heavy heart. Summer has made a choice.

It should be over for me by now.

I turned to head back to the pack. There was no future for me anywhere, everything was gone.

The moment I pushed the door open, I came face to face with my father, Alpha Christopher. He seemed furious; beside him stood the disgusting Olivia." You dare try to run away. How dare you try to disobey me!" He growled as he pulled me by my hair and shoved me onto the cold floor." You planned to get us all killed, didn't you?" He asked furiously, and I shook my head immediately with tears running down my face. I was already exhausted." You ungrateful child, did you think Summer would need a useless she-wolf like you? Did you possibly think I would hand this pack to you?" He growled, and I covered my head with my hands in panic, curling myself on the floor." Why can't you be a little considerate towards your parents and this pack?" He scolded me and I felt like laughing. What was there to be considered? They never loved me, and now he wanted me to be considerate and sacrifice myself for them.

Wasn't he being selfish by asking me to do that for the pack?

Olivia was the one he wanted, but instead, he chose to protect her by using me and why was that? I parted my lips as I felt breathless. The pain in my heart was becoming unbearable. I was betrayed by my parents, my fate, my sister, and my pack.

How did I end up like this?

" Lock her up in the cell until she comes back to her senses,” Father ordered, and I felt myself being pulled up from the floor. I was dragged out of the living room in the dark and into one of the pack's cells.

I was hurt, broken, and betrayed by everyone I grew up knowing. I felt alone and abandoned and, at that moment, I felt there was nothing left to fight for. I realized there was no point fighting. I felt my eyes heavy as I drifted off to sleep.

I picked up the clicking sound of the opening cell and I flipped my eyes.

" Have you made up your mind?" He stepped inside the cell with his cold, nonchalant face, " Good morning, alpha Christopher", I said, pulling myself from the floor, and I saw a scowl on his face. " Does that answer my question?" He demanded, and I sniffed, pushing my hair back. I could feel my eyes swollen from the heavy tears I heard last night but does it matter?" Do I have a choice?" I asked, sitting up straight, and his silent gaze lingered on me, and for a second, I thought I saw something like regret in his eyes. It was as if he was having second thoughts, but that wasn't it. Just my imagination." Get inside your room; the pack will be waiting for you in the church," he said coldly, and I nodded with my back leaned against the wall.” I have a favor to ask, Alpha Christopher" He was about to walk out when I spoke.

" What do you want?" He turned back toward me and I smiled bitterly. He was indeed ready to use me as a bid for the peace of the pack, how unfortunate life could be. I wished he would protect me like he did with Olivia, but that would always be my dream." Can there not be a wedding?" I asked and he narrowed his eyes. I mean, what was the point? I was sure the pack members wouldn't even attend it, so why waste the money? " If that is what you want, then fine" he agreed, and a tear slipped down my eyes.

It's settled.