Chapter 3: Already Gone

Azerbel had imagined Guerero's return a thousand times.

Never like this.

Never with her mate sitting beside another woman.

And never with him about to tell her why.

"This is Ruby," Guerero said quietly. "The woman I mentioned in my letter."

Azerbel's chest tightened.

That letter again.

She remembered every letter Guerero had sent her during the war. His promises. His stories. The words she had read over and over whenever she missed him.

There had been no Ruby.

Not once.

Guerero swallowed.

"I..."

His hands tightened together.

For several seconds, he couldn't continue.

Then he finally forced out the words.

"I will take her as my chosen mate."

Everything inside Azerbel went still.

Chosen mate?

She stared at him.

For an entire year, she had waited for this man.

Loved him.

Prayed for him.

Believed every promise he had written to her.

And now he was choosing someone else?

"What about me?"

Her voice came out weak.

Guerero flinched.

Azerbel saw it, but she didn't care.

"What am I to you now?"

Tears filled her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Guerero finally looked at her.

For one painful moment, their eyes met.

Azerbel barely recognized the man in front of her.

He looked exhausted and lost.

There was guilt in his eyes.

Shame.

Fear.

And something dangerously close to regret.

But Azerbel didn't want his regret.

She wanted the truth.

"What happened?"

Guerero's hands clenched until his knuckles turned white.

He opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Azerbel waited.

Still nothing.

Then Ruby spoke.

"You must be Azerbel."

Azerbel slowly turned toward her.

Ruby wasn't smiling.

There was no victory in her expression. No cruelty.

Only pity.

Azerbel hated that even more.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said softly. "Things didn't go the way we planned."

Azerbel frowned.

We.

That one word hurt.

Ruby glanced at Guerero.

"Right now, Guerero has to take responsibility."

"Responsibility for what?"

The room became painfully quiet.

Guerero lowered his eyes again.

Azerbel stared at him.

And suddenly, she understood something.

He wasn't silent because he didn't know how to explain.

He was silent because he didn't have the courage to tell her.

So Ruby did it for him.

"I'm pregnant with the Alpha's first child."

Azerbel forgot how to breathe.

Pregnant?

She stared at Ruby.

Then at Guerero.

No.

Her gaze slowly dropped to Ruby's stomach.

It was still flat.

The pregnancy was early.

And somehow, that made the truth even more painful.

Because Guerero had been with Ruby while Azerbel was still waiting for him.

While he was still writing to her.

The letters flashed through Azerbel's mind.

I miss you.

I love you.

I can't wait to come home.

Her eyes burned.

Had those words meant anything?

Had he loved her when he wrote them?

Or had she spent a year believing promises that meant nothing to him?

Azerbel looked at Guerero.

He still couldn't face her.

The man who had promised to come home to her had returned with another woman carrying his child.

And now he wanted to make Ruby his chosen mate.

Azerbel's pain slowly turned into something colder.

"How long?"

No one answered.

She looked at Guerero's parents.

"How long have you known?"

Luna Lorraine was crying now.

Alpha Dave's face hardened.

Azerbel's stomach dropped.

They knew.

"How long?" she repeated.

Alpha Dave finally answered.

"Two months."

Azerbel stopped breathing.

Two months.

Her gaze moved to Lorraine.

Then Alpha Dave.

Then Guerero.

They had known for two months.

While Azerbel waited for Guerero to come home, they had known he was returning with another woman.

While she dreamed about finally being with her mate again, they had known Ruby was carrying his child.

They had watched her hope.

Watched her wait.

And said nothing.

Azerbel slowly pulled her hand from Lorraine's.

"Azerbel..." Lorraine whispered.

She stood.

Lorraine reached for her, but Azerbel stepped away.

For the first time since Lorraine had told her to call her Mom, Azerbel didn't want her comfort.

Because this betrayal wasn't Guerero's alone.

"You knew."

Lorraine's face crumpled.

Azerbel looked at Alpha Dave.

"You both knew."

"Azerbel, please..."

"For two months?"

Her voice cracked.

"You let me wait for him for two months when you knew?"

Lorraine began to cry harder.

Azerbel couldn't bear to look at her.

She had once believed she finally had a family.

Now she wasn't sure what any of them were to her.

Her chest became too tight.

She needed to get out.

Azerbel turned and left the study.

"Azerbel!"

Guerero's voice followed her.

She kept walking.

His footsteps came quickly behind her.

Then his hand closed around her arm.

Azerbel immediately pulled away and turned on him.

Guerero looked desperate.

"We need to talk."

A bitter laugh escaped her.

"Talk?"

"Azerbel, please."

"What is there left to talk about?"

Her voice rose.

"You got another woman pregnant, Guerero!"

He flinched.

"You came home, refused to even touch me, and then told me you're choosing her as your mate. Your parents knew for two months, and everyone let me stand there waiting for you like a fool."

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand!"

Guerero went silent.

Azerbel stared at him.

"Tell me why."

His jaw tightened.

"It was a mistake."

"A mistake?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen."

"But it did."

Guerero dragged a hand over his face.

"You weren't there!"

Azerbel froze.

Guerero seemed to realize what he had said, but it was too late.

"I was lonely."

For a moment, Azerbel could only stare at him.

Lonely.

That was his reason.

She had spent a year sleeping without him.

A year wondering if he was alive.

A year praying to the Moon Goddess to return him safely to her.

She had been lonely too.

But she had remained faithful.

A bitter smile slowly touched her lips.

"Do you want me to go to war next time?"

Guerero stared at her.

"So you won't feel lonely?"

"Azerbel, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

He had no answer.

Azerbel shook her head.

"Was I not lonely too?"

His face changed.

She continued before he could speak.

"Do you think I didn't miss you? Do you think there weren't nights when I wanted you here?"

Her voice trembled.

"But I waited."

Guerero lowered his eyes.

"I waited because you were my mate."

"Azerbel..."

"No."

For once, she didn't want to hear her name from his mouth.

She looked at him carefully.

He still had Guerero's face.

The same eyes.

The same voice.

The same man she had prayed would return safely.

But he didn't feel like the man she had been waiting for.

He felt like a stranger.

Someone she no longer understood.

Someone she could no longer trust.

Azerbel pressed a hand against her chest.

And that was when she felt it.

The mate bond.

Still there.

Still tying her to him.

Still making her heart ache for the man who had just broken it.

For the first time since discovering Guerero was her mate, Azerbel wished she couldn't feel their bond at all.

Because losing him to the war would have destroyed her.

But this was worse.

Guerero had come home alive.

He had simply chosen someone else.