Chapter 3

The moment Lucas saw me, he got up sharply and walked over to me.

"My mother did not invite you, why did you come? Are you here to cause a scene?" He asked and it was my turn to be shocked.

He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out. His hard tug oulled on my wounds, making me wince. But he did not seem to care that i had been injured and is just recovering.

When I heard his words, I could not believe my ears.

"I brought her a gift," I said. I could people looking at me.

Lucas frowned at me.

"If you are here to make a scene because Shane is in the spotlight, you are not welcome. No one invited you today or informed you, yet you still appeared here, what are you trying to do?" He asked.

My heart dropped. Was he really saying that?

"You invited me. You told me to come," I said and he paused.

A flash of guilt crossed his face before he quickly denied it

"I don't remember inviting you, Charlotte. Are you making things up now?" He asked.

Seeing that people were looking, Shane's mother stepped out.

"Charlotte, Shane is not feeling well so I asked Lucas to bring her to my birthday to eat. It is best if we don't upset her for now, so can you leave?" She asked me and I stared at her.

These were the people who once cared about me, but today I was an outsider.

I realized it was wrong if me to come today. I was not welcome here.

I turned to leave when Shane stepped out.

"Why is everyone acting like I am so fragile. I am not so petty. She can come in," Shane said, "Charlotte came despite her injury, how can we just ask her to leave? Let's all eat together."

Her face was full of mockery, but I had not interest.

"No thank you. I will leave now," I said and continued to leave, but Lucas blocked my path.

"You should stay. Since Shane does not mind you showing up invited and even invited you inside, why are you trying to embarrass her?" He asked with a dark look on his face.

"If you leave, the marking ceremony is cancelled. You have already left the temple and can't assist the Oracle again. I am all you have now, do you want to loose everything?" He asked.

I froze. Lucas had pursued me for ten years. In those years, I had not interest in him until he saved my life from wild wolf attacks. He held my hand all the way to a hospital. I was touched.

"Saving you so saving my life. As long as you are willing to give me a chance, I promise you my entire life," he had promised.

I had been moved and left the temple to be with him. Was he just trying to get me to leave the temple all these while? Did he want to manipulate me to stay with him? Was the love I gave a tool to chain me?

I steadied by breath.

"Alright. Cancel the Marking," I sand and walked out without hesitation. .as a left, I missed the confusion that flickered in Lucas's eyes.

I spent that night packing up.The flight I booked was leaving tomorrow and I was healed enough.

I had been busy packing when Lucas appeared by my door. I was shocked to find him here.

He caught the house that I had stripped and cleared halfway and then paused by the wall.

"The photo wall of our trips, what have you done to the wall?" He asked.

"They are broken. I have thrown them out," I answered softly and turned to go back to packing but he hugged me from behind.

"Why won't you look at me? Are you still angry about my mum's birthday? Why are you so stubborn? I had relatives there and I had always introduced Shane before you showed up. Coming at that time made things awkward. Why did you not leave the gift and leave before anyone noticed?"

He took my hand and slipped a ring on my finger.

It was a beautiful ring for a woman, but not the one I designed.

He tried to kiss me but I leaned away, causing his face to darken.

The next moment, Shane called. I caught her name on the screen of his phone.

"I need to go. But be at the ceremony Hall tomorrow for our Ritual, don't forget," he said and hurried away to answer the call, slamming the door behind him.

Attend the Marking Ceremony?

No way.

I had not even recovered from the injuries front the first one.

My flight was tomorrow. On second thought I should go and officially break things off and return his ring.

I packed my bags and went to the venue, asking the cab driver to wait for me.

When I got the venue, I paused. Shane stood there dressed as the Mate to be. The decorations had Shane and Lucas' names on there. She greatest guests with a smile. It was clear it was her Marking Ceremony and not mine.

Oddly I was not shocked anymore.

Shane spotted me, smiled and walked over.

"Charlotte, did you actually think the Marking Ceremony was for you? Lucas agreed to make me his mate. I just wanted you to witness it yourself, so he invited you. If I did not ask him t invite you, you wouldn’t have even been allowed in." She said smugly, a look of victory seizing her face.

"Well, I guess congratulations are in order," I said and she smirked in return. It was clear after everything, she won.

Looking at her ceremonial dress, I let loose a bitter smile, which she seemed to love.

She paused as though she noticed someone and then in the next second, a small smile crept up her face. I had a bad feeling when I saw this smile.

She suddenly sung her bouquet of roses at me and then at her self, causing the thorns to scratch us both, spilling blood.

The next moment, Lucas dashed over.

The moment I saw him I understood Shane's plot. From his angle it looked like I had hit Shane with the flowers. He held Shane and looked at me in anger. He obviously thought I hit Shane.

"I invited you to our wedding and this is how you behave as a guest? Did I not give you a ring? I even planned to have you marked as my mate later after I have consoled her with a Ceremony, but this is how you behave?"

He immediately took Shane away with a dark expression.

As they left, I saw the smug look on Shane's face through my bloodlines vision.

The blood had gotten in my eyes yet he did not care, yet he talked about making me his mate while giving Shane a ceremony?

I took a deep breath to steady my shaking hands. It took a second, but my hands finally stopped shaking.

I steeled my heart. I was done.There was no use waiting to break up in person.

The next moment, I requested for a paper, wrote him a letter and left it at the door of the venue with the ring he had given me.

I was done with this farce.

As I left, Shane and Lucas's ritual had just begun. He led her up to the stage and his family formed a circle around them.

But the next moment,one of his pack barged into the halls in a hurry and shouted towards Lucas.

"Lucas, There is no time. Charlotte left a letter and her ring. What is gone. The taxi looks to be an airport taxi! There is no time for this ceremony, she is leaving!"