Chapter Five: The Affair

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I was only weeks away from my delivery date.

The sharp pain around my abdomen told me the baby was kicking again.

“Be patient,” I whispered, placing my hands over my round stomach, “You’ll be out soon.”

Walking down the pack halls always felt like a walk of shame. I didn’t miss the judging looks from the pack member. By now, I’d gotten used to it. I’d rather endure their unconcealed judgement and my parents’ hatred, than marry a man on the basis of a lie.

My parents had tried sweeping away the scandal by marrying me off to General Martins, but he’d discovered the truth the night before our wedding—I’d told him. It was no surprise he’d broken off the wedding upon discovering I was pregnant.

My mother had sworn vengeance, but with the news out, my parents faced scrutiny from the whole pack. They couldn’t afford another mistake—their reputation was already in the mud as it was.

They were already being alienated from major parties and gatherings.

If they’d once hated me, now, they detested my very existence, and each day left me with the feeling that I was walking on egg shells.

I came to an abrupt halt before my room door.

It was unlocked—and I was quite sure I’d locked it before leaving.

I shrugged off my paranoia; it was most likely Audrey.

The smell of bodily fluid hit me first,

“Harder! Don’t stop… oh gods…” Rosalia’s moans filled the room.

I froze at the sight before me.

Rosalia was with a man—who clearly wasn’t Asher, and they were having sex right on ‘my’ couch.

“What. The. Hell. Is going on here?”

Her eyes widened at the sight of me. She shoved away from the blonde-haired guy.

“Have you gone mad?” I questioned, bewildered,

“You didn’t see anything,” she warned, straightening her hair, “It was just fun—nothing else,” 

“You are to marry the Alpha!” I snapped.

“And thanks to you, our marriage was postponed,” she spat with a sneer, “You were given one easy task, and you couldn’t even do as you were told.”

“How could you do this to Asher?”

I knew enough about him to tell he was a good person. He had girls throwing themselves at him ever since he was a boy, but he was never one to play around—he didn’t deserve this.

“Oh please, like you care,”

“Of course I do. You cannot do this to him—I will not allow it.”

“So, what are you going to do? go tell on me?” she asked, a sneer on her lips. “We aren’t married yet; he doesn’t have to be the only man I have sex with.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if Asher had even the slightest idea who the woman he was about to marry really was.

“Asher deserves better,” I gritted, unable to help the anger building in me.

“And I’m guessing ‘you’ are what’s better for him?” she questioned, and to that, I gave no response. “It’s bad enough that you so desperately want ‘my’ finance to yourself, but claiming to be better than me is simply laughable.”

Rosalia had always been the more beautiful and elegant one. She was the one everyone wanted to be around. Years ago, she’d broken the pack’s history for being one of the earliest female shifters—and so it was no surprise she’d turned out to be one of the strongest female werewolves.

I wasn’t exactly ugly, but my chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes made me completely invisible besides her. I was the ordinary one, the one who didn’t break any records—well, at least not the kind people were proud to announce.

“You never loved him, did you?”

It was a quiet realization. It was finally dawning on me that I’d been right all along—it was never about Asher. No, this was between us, and the fact that she wanted everything I did.

“Are you stupid? Of course I do,” she muttered as she got dressed. 

“Tell me then,” I began, meeting her gaze, “Would you have loved him if he wasn’t the Alpha? Would you have loved him if I didn’t love him first?”

“Tsk,” she sounded, giving me a pitiful glance, “You, my dear sister, have a lot to learn. When you know as much as I do, you’d know love means… nothing.”

I watched her put on her net-veiled hat, and walked right out of the door.

~*~

I paced my room.

Asher was about to marry a woman who didn’t care about him—a woman who’d cheat without a single thought.

It was about midnight. I threw on a coat from the few selections I had, and headed straight for Asher’s chamber.

I had no idea what exactly I was about to do, but I knew I had to do something.

Once there, I knocked on the door.

The sound of mechanism unlocking followed a few seconds later, and next, I was met with the sight of a shirtless Asher.

It had only been months since he’d been crowned Alpha of Iron-clan pack, yet, I couldn’t deny he’d changed… a lot. He was no longer the same boy I’d known.

His shoulders were broader, his face more refined—he stood tall, an inch or two over six feet, and his black hair had been cropped short.

His grey eyes found mine, and the involuntarily tightening in my chest told me I still wasn’t over my childish crush on him. The embarrassing memory of when I’d confessed my feelings to him, before the whole pack resurfaced, filling me with shame anew.

It had been a surprise he hadn’t said a word about it, even though everyone had been waiting eagerly for something from him, and without that, the incident had died a natural death.

“Bellatrix,” he called, seemingly surprised to see me. “Please come in.”

I’d felt the first wave of uncertainty right there. While I cared about Asher, Rosalia was still my sister, and I was about to share a truth that could bring to an end a two-year relationship.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was the right thing to do.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he offered,

“No—actually, I don’t intend on staying long.” I revealed. His searching gaze took me in and for a moment, I was lost in his eyes. I caught myself a moment too late, quickly looking away.

“I wanted to talk to you,” I said, my gaze darting anxiously for the door, “But before I do, I want you to know that I’m sorry for what you’re about to discover,”         

“What is it?” he questioned with a hint of concern in his cocked brows.

“It’s about my sister, Rosalia,” I took in another breath. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d imagined it'd be. “I found her… with a guy.”

It had taken him a moment to understand what I’d said, and I watched his eyes darkened with rage.  

“I think I know exactly what’s going on here,” he said, the softness in his eyes long gone. “You’re jealous that your sister is living a way better life than you are, and now you’re trying to sabotage it.”

The blood drained from my face. Like a fish out of water I spluttered for words.

“W-what?”

“It’s no secret, Bellatrix,” he went on, “Everyone knows you have feelings for me, in fact you admitted it to me. But I must say, I am highly disappointed. I thought you were better than this.”

“I am telling you the truth—”

“Enough!” he gritted, his grey eyes had shifted to gold and I instantly went silent. “I respected you, despite what everyone else had to say about you. I believed you were actually a good person.” He said, disappointment written all over his face.

Shame wrapped around me like some invisible cloak, tinging my skin with red and making my ear ring. I wanted to disappear; I needed the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

This was a mistake.

I should have known he wouldn’t believe me.

I was the girl everyone detested, the one who’d gotten knocked up by a stranger. I was the reason for my family’s humiliation. But Rosalia, she was the angel, incapable of doing wrong.

Yet, for some reason, a sick part of my mind had actually thought he’d believe me.

It seems I never do learn.

Stupid, stupid, Bella.

“Leave,” he said, “Now.”

Wordlessly, I turned around and fled his chambers.