THE OTHER WOMAN

NORA’S POV 

My heart stomped against my chest as I made my way to the lavish waiting area that led to Alpha Aiden’s office. I grabbed my clutch in one hand, my other hand trembled lightly. 

His secretary walked out of his office, her expression inscrutable. “He’s busy…” Her voice came out indifferent. 

A sad smile etched over my lips. ‘He’s busy,’  which meant only one thing; my goddess fated mate was in the arms of another woman. 

Invisible metallic blades slashed through my chest. My knuckles turned white, as I tightened my grip on my clutch. My insides churned, as if it was going to collapse any moment from now. 

With each promise of our mate bond, Alpha Aiden broke, I got punished. 

The mate bond was a sacred promise of the moon goddess to two souls. To Aiden, it was another distraction that didn’t matter to him. 

“You’re too ugly to be loved by me,” he'd said, on the night he’d scented me out. “This is just for formalities, Nora. I don’t love you, never will.” He said, a minute before he’d marked me as his mate. 

Two years ago, on the night of my eighteenth birthday, I’d caught a whiff of a special scent. The scent of my fated mate, every she-wolf looked forward to that day. 

The moon goddess had mated me to Alpha Aiden Reynolds, Alpha of Riverstone pack. I guess she was trying to punish me for the death of my family. She’d mated me with a man that swore to live each day ripping my dignity apart. 

I was the scarred, and ugly wolfless Omega. I wasn’t born an Omega, neither was I always wolfless. 

On the night of my seventeenth birthday, I’d shifted for the first time to my wolf’s form.  It was sudden, but not a surprise for Alpha, and Beta bloods. 

My parents had been ecstatic about it, and wanted to help ease the exhaustion I was feeling. We went out on a drive that night. The dark stretch of clouds intensified, coloured with trinkets of lightning.

A few minutes later, the clouds gave way, and the sky bled with a heavy downpour. Vision became almost impossible that night, even with their wolves ability. Since it was my first time shifting, I didn’t know what my special abilities were, or how to use it. 

Suddenly, a sportscar driving at a breakneck rammed into us. My father lost control, swerving, and struggling for control. We crashed into a wall with a fatal impact. 

After that moment, I couldn’t remember anything else. I woke up fourteen days later, without my family. And, I couldn’t feel my wolf anymore. 

The impact of the crash shook your wolf’s core. I lost her, and became wolfless.  

From that instant, my life went downhill. The entire pack said curse words, when they walked past me. The then Alpha— Aiden’s father, demoted me to an Omega. 

It was a punishment for bringing ill luck to my parents, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of a werewolf. The scar that covered half my face was a constant reminder of my pain. 

One minute I was the doting daughter of the packs Beta. The next minute, I was tagged; ‘Ugly, and cursed,’ 

The rusty sound of someone clearing his throat, snagged me out of my thoughts. I tipped my chin up, and came face to face with Aiden Reynolds. 

Brown, well trimmed hair. A good case of beards, added to his masculinity. Lean muscles, and a frown etched on his face. 

A shadow crossed his face. He dipped his hands into his pocket, and tilted his head slightly. “I’m sure I told you not to come to my office again,” 

My blood froze when I caught a whiff of soft female cologne lingering all over him. Another round of pain slammed through my core. 

A woman was right behind the huge oak door that led to his office. 

My lips thinned. Slowly, my lips parted open, but no words came out. 

“Rose, excuse us,” He referred to his secretary, with his gaze fixed on me. 

Alpha Aiden let out a growl. “What the hell do you want from me!” 

“Tomorrow’s our anniversary, sweetheart,” my voice was shaky. “I-I-I—” 

Aiden cut me off with a rueful laugh. “Anniversary, huh?” 

I nodded slowly. 

“Nora, let me make something clear to you, for the one thousandth time.” he said in one rushed breath. “I only marked you out of duty to the pack,” 

Same words everytime. 

Yet, they hurt me like a hot copper knife, stabbing through the delicate parts of my heart. My chest squeezed, as I tried to register his words in my head. 

“But I’m your goddess fated mate.” 

A growl escaped the corner of his lips. “For goodness sake! How dumb can you be?” He demanded. “It’s obvious the accident didn’t only make you ugly, it messed with your brain.” 

Tears pooled at the corner of my eyes. His words tasted like bile on my tongue. 

He continued. “You know my heart belongs to someone else,” he began. “Someone better, more beautiful, and capable of being Riverstone Luna. Not you, Nora. Not you.”  

I pressed my lips tighter. It was getting almost impossible to fight back the tears. The oak door leading to his office creaked open, and a tall slender beautiful lady walked out. 

Her aura filled the area, before she even uttered a word. 

“What’s going on here?”  Celeste Rodriguez said,  breaking the heavy silence.

No response. 

Because speaking would only put me deeper in Aiden’s bad book. I wasn’t ready for another round of torture displayed as intense pleasure. 

Relief washed through me when I saw it was my best friend.

Celeste's father had assumed the Beta’s position after my father’s death, until Aiden became Alpha. Her brother who was also Aiden’s best friend was the pack’s Beta now. 

Celeste was the only person who treated me like a human. She stood up for me against Aiden, even subtly. “Get out of my office, Nora. I’ll see you at home.” 

I bowed, and was about to turn around, when Celeste draped her hands over my shoulders, keeping me in place. “Aiden, you’re acting  silly right now,” She said lightly. “I won’t tolerate you talking to my best friend in this manner.” 

Aiden’s eyebrows arched in irritation. “Maybe if she was a little bit like you, I’ll consider her,” When he spoke again, his voice was softer. He gave me a death glare, and walked away. 

“Come on, don’t take his words to heart. Let me drive you home,” Celeste said. She took me to her car, “How’d the doctor’s appointment go?” 

I stiffened on my seat. I’ve never told anyone Aiden and I were trying for a child. 

How’d she know? 

Celeste tightened her grip around the steering. “I-ugh. You know Aiden’s also my best friend, and he’s worried sick about getting a pup that’ll take over him.” Her voice came out steady. Yet, her tone was all over the place.

“I’m not pregnant,” my voice seethed with resignation. 

“Too bad,” She said almost immediately. Then, she reached for my palms, and gave me a small squeeze. “Alpha Aiden will get his heir…eventually,” she muttered under her breath.