#Chapter 2 - Guilty Conscience

Mira

This was wrong. It was all so, so wrong. I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing, but as Ash paced inside of me and the man’s woody scent made my head feel light, I knew it was true.

This man was my fated mate. This stranger, not my husband. Oh no – my husband!

He’d be destroyed if he saw me like this, pinned under another male, like a desperate wife who couldn’t control herself while her husband worked.

I had to leave before anyone saw us. If I ever ran into this man again, I’d reject the mating bond and run back to Tyler. I would be loyal to my husband, and I would never be so impatient to get his attention again.

“I said,” the man spoke again, voice harder this time, “who are you?” His hands firmly held my wrists next to my head, his grip tightening when I didn’t answer.

I swallowed, trying to find my voice. I felt so small under that intense stare, and the words wouldn’t come out to respond to him.

Ash was no help. She pawed against my mind, begging me to accept our mate.

Tell him who you are, she commanded. Make him ours now!

“Please,” I finally whimpered, “let me go.”

He took in a sharp breath as I spoke, and his body tensed, pushing his manhood into my pelvis. I bit my lip to hide a soft moan.

My breaths were shallow, and the room suddenly felt hot. My skin burned where his body pressed into me, and where he touched my wrists…it was absolutely electric.

I whined, accidentally pushing my pelvis further into his as I tried to squirm away. Wetness pooled between my legs as our bodies ground into each other. The man groaned.

He lowered his head to my neck, tracing the line of my throat with his nose and taking in my scent, breath hot against my skin. My mouth went dry, and I was sure all the moisture had left it and gone between my legs instead.

“Please!” I said again between my teeth. The scent of my fated mate in heat was impossibly distracting. My head spun, and I wasn’t really sure what I was asking him for anymore.

He chuckled darkly, and I shivered as I felt the rumble in his chest.

“My mate,” he said slowly, speaking each word as though they were deliciously dirty. “You’re so pretty when you beg like that.”

He released one of my wrists, tracing rough fingers down my inner arm with sinful slowness before lightly wrapping them into my hair.

“Beg for me again,” he demanded, voice dark and rich as black coffee. Ash panted inside of me – or was that me panting?

“Please!” I gasped again, louder this time. My voice brimmed with want and need, and my mind was tangled around his intoxicating scent, his sculpted body…

“Good girl,” he praised, and the tingling between my legs grew from how good that praise sounded coming from his lips.

He released my other wrist, trailing his fingers down the side of my body. I couldn’t hide the moan that escaped my lips this time as he traced my ribs, my hips, and then touched the skin of my thigh that the high-slitted dress exposed.

But then, just as his hand began to sneak further up my leg, Tyler’s face flashed in my eyes. I gasped as though a bucket of freezing water had been splashed on me. With a burst of strength, I used my newly freed wrists to shove the man off of me and jump off the bed, racing out of the room before he could tempt me any more.

I slammed the door behind me and ran, turning down several hallways before stopping to catch my breath. My legs still quivered and tingled, and the shame hit me like a battering ram.

What a terrible, disloyal wife I was. I’d been tempted by another man while hunting for my own husband.

I felt dirty. Tears welled in my eyes, and I looked up towards the ceiling to try and keep them from falling.

I never wanted to betray Tyler. I loved Tyler, and no man, fated mate or not, would change that.

It took me a few moments of long breaths to calm down and stop shaking. I sighed, straightening my dress.

I had never wanted this to happen, so it would be best if I pretended it never had. At least for tonight – and if I ever saw that man again, I would politely explain that I was a married woman and that would not change.

It would be fine. Everything would be fine.

I finally regained the courage to return to the party. I walked down the stairs to the ballroom, only to see Tyler making his way towards me with a sweet smile on his face. It was like a knife in my gut seeing that smile, and it was hard to smile back at him.

“Mira darling!” he said as he came up to me. “You look beautiful!”

“Thank you,” I said weakly, not looking him in the eye.

“I’m so sorry I left,” he continued. “I had an emergency meeting.”

I couldn’t find the words to say. I’d be so selfish, dressing like this and going hunting for him. My eyes started to water again as I realized this whole ordeal could’ve been avoided if I’d just been a good, patient wife for my husband.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked. When I didn’t respond, he pulled me into a warm embrace. “I’m sorry for leaving, I know I promised this night would be just us.”

“No, please, don’t apologize!” I said, pulling back. His embrace only made me feel dirtier. “I…I just stained my dress, I have to go clean it up.”

I pushed away without another word to go back up to my room. Tyler didn’t follow me.

I showered for hours that night. The water was burning hot, and I scrubbed my skin until it was raw. Over and over again, I tried to scrub away the touch of my fated mate.

And when his face appeared in my mind after I got out of the shower, I got back in again and started scrubbing even harder.

I can’t believe you just left like that! Ash scolded. Our mate was right there, ready to claim you, and you ran away like a scared pup!

I have a husband, I thought back bitterly.

Our mate is much better looking than our husband, she said. Those eyes…and his scent…if we’d met him when we were younger, Tyler wouldn’t even matter.

Shut up! I finally snapped at her. She whimpered – I never spoke to her like that. For a moment, I felt bad, but I couldn’t listen to her talk about this anymore.

When I finally left the bathroom, I half hoped to see Tyler waiting for me on my bed. However, for the first time since we’d been married, I was relieved he wasn’t there – I just wanted this night to end.

I crawled into bed to sleep, but I laid there for hours, staring at the wall. I wanted to forget this had ever happened, but my mind refused to let me as it reminded me of that man’s face over and over again.

I hadn’t slept at all by the time the sun peaked through my windows. I had, however, made an important decision: I had to tell Tyler.

I couldn’t live with this guilt. He deserved to know that my fated mate was here. More importantly, I needed to stress to him that I would choose him over any man, no matter what.

And there were no secrets between husband and wife after all, right? This was the only way to make things right.

I dragged myself out of bed and to my vanity. I brushed my hair long after I’d de-tangled it, trying to think of the right words to explain this all to Tyler. Nothing seemed to be right.

I was so lost in thought, I didn’t even hear the door open as a maid strode in with my breakfast tray.

“M’am,” she finally said, standing next to me. I jumped in surprise, looking up at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“That’s alright,” she said, setting down the tray. “I’m a bit late anyways – your father had an urgent matter for us to attend to.”

“Oh?” I asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, of course!” she said, pouring some milk into my coffee before handing it to me. “He was just looking for information.”

“Information?” I repeated, bringing the coffee cup to my lips.

“Apparently,” she said, “the Lycan King found his second chance mate last night in Room 14, and she’s disappeared. He’s called for a search until she’s found!”

I didn’t realize I’d dropped my cup until I heard it shatter on the floor.