Four

Livia

I left without saying a goodbye to the host and left the hall, before closing my eyes and cursing in my head.

I had forgotten the Cresent Pack was close to the region as well. Was Bella here too? I began to panic briefly, and took in deep breaths.

I could handle this. I just had to avoid Zach and anything to do with him for the event duration right? That was all I needed to do.

That was the start of a very anxious event for me. I deliberately avoided Zach’s eyes, which I felt on me whenever I came in the room. I couldn’t let this meeting between us happen, or let Zach find out that Emerald was his daughter. I had managed to keep it from him when I left his pack and I would keep it secret until I died.

I moved through the room again, finding Hayden looking around for me.

“I’m here,” I guiltily said, trying to mask my anxiousness with a smile.

“What’s going on?” Hayden was confused. “You’ve been darting in and out of the room since we arrived, Liv.”

I felt guilty; how do I explain this to Hayden?

I placed my hand against his cheek.

“I’m sorry, love. It’s Emerald. She’s a little antsy. You know how she can get,” I explained: a little white lie didn’t hurt anyone, I reasoned.

Hayden didn’t have to know the full truth, not yet anyways.

“Alright, just be careful. And let me know if you need a hand with our daughter, okay?” He winked as he said that and my heart warmed.

Here was an Alpha who protected me and even thought of Emerald as his own, never minding I had met him when I was six months pregnant and working in a hotel as a housekeeper to make a living. He saw me for me, and I loved him for that, I wanted to perform the duties of a good wife, a good mate and a Luna for him.

Exiting the hall once more, I was glad to not spot Zach in the crowd when suddenly I turned around and was face to face with him.

Silence. He cocked a brow at me, and I realized he had come after me, or perhaps had noticed my avoidance of him.

“Nothing to say? How about, ‘I’m glad to see you, my dear mate?’” He began to speak. I had to admit, his handsomeness hadn’t faded one bit, he only looked better and better. But that all went away when he talked.

“You aren’t my mate, Hayden is. And he’s my fiancée. So watch it,” i warned.

“Who is that girl with you? Don’t tell me you decided to take the role of a stepmother to Hayden’s child. You should return to me, Livia. Your place is with me. And I can actually give you children, not play house.”

“Leave me alone, Zach. You’re married, remember? Stay away,” I insisted. But I was cornered and his hand brushed my cheek.

I looked up at his eyes peering into mine. My heart skipped.

“Come on, baby. You’re just as beautiful as I expected you’d be. You don’t have anything to fear. You’ll come home with me, won’t you, mate?”

I had enough, and disgust filled me. I aimed my palm at his cheek and delivered the blow.

The slap rang out in the hall, and Zach’s face barely moved but I noticed his expression shift from shock to disbelief.

My hands stung and I knew I had acted rashly, but I couldn’t control it.

“Who do you think you are? I mean nothing to you, remember? And you now mean NOTHING to me. Hayden is my fiancé and my mate, and you’re just a nightmare from my past. Stay away from me, Zayn. You won’t like me if you dare come close again,” I warned, and grabbed my daughter’s hand, fleeing from Zach’s speechless expression and his sick sense of entitlement.

I had to go. I had to leave this place.

My fury filled my body and I didn’t know if I had made the right move slapping Zach like that.

He was just so… damn annoying! So frustrating to deal with! How was it that he had gotten worse in the two years I had stayed away? I had made sure to live my life apart from him and THIS chance meeting somehow gave him the hope that I’d return to him?!

Moon Goddess, he needed therapy or meds, OR BOTH!

“Livia, is that you?”

I turned around, shock filling my features. What was Perry doing here?

He was the Beta to the Crescent Pack, and Zach’s best friend. But in truth, even though I had only seen him a handful of times, he was the only one that had been kind to me during my time as Zach’s wife.

“Perry, hey,” I couldn’t help the warmth that filled my voice and flooded my body as I hugged him. He chuckled and patted me on the head.

“You look good. How are you? Wow, it’s been so long. Where have you been?”

The questions reminded me of what I had been trying to avoid: Zach, and Hayden’s questions on Zach. I didn’t want to cause any chaos today but it seemed my presence was going to cause it somehow.

I sighed and shrugged.

“You know, I’m doing okay… I am here with my fiancée actually. His name’s Hayden. He’s the Alpha of—“

“Ah, the Nightwing Pack. Of course,” he clapped his hands. “I have heard quite a bit about him. And I handled a bit of communications between our pack and the Nightwing Pack previously so…” he trailed off. “Who’s the little girl with you?”

His confusion hurt my heart. How could I tell him the truth, everything? That I was pregnant when I left Zach and that Emerald, my beautiful Emerald was the result?

I wasn’t planning on saying a thing but then Perry commented, “Speaking of, she does have Zach’s eyes doesn’t she? It’s peculiar…”

I was done for. There was no point in hiding it. Making up my mind I decided to tell Perry everything and to hear his advice. I could trust him, I knew, so I blurted out everything in less than 10 sentences.

When Perry had heard it all, I could see his brows raise.

“I hadn’t expected all of that,” he finally said.

“What do you think I should do, Perry? I need to know if I’m making the right choice.”

“You are, Livia. Focus on yourself for once. You’ve spent enough time worrying about what would happen. You have Hayden, and your daughter. And Zach has Bella. Although I heard they’re having issues getting pregnant.”