CHAPTER 3

My steps were brisk and soon I found myself before a cottage.

"Rhea, Get out here!" I yelled loudly, my hands wrapped tightly around the doorknob, it was locked.

I felt a pull from the inside and let go, my lips pursed in anger.

"Maya!" Mrs Landon seemed pleasantly surprised to see me and she let me in quickly.

"How did the mating ritual go?" She asked curiously, gesturing for me to sit, I didn't.

"Where's Rhea?" I ignored her question and asked, I couldn't be nice to her, not after what her daughter had just done to me.

"Rhea? I thought the both of you would be out together, she hasn't returned. Is something wrong?" It seemed she finally noticed something unusual about my look.

"I will take my leave now." I stood up to continue my search for the two wolves who had betrayed me.

That was a fancy way of describing the awful pain I was feeling right now.

I checked everywhere, everywhere I thought Rhea and Shawn could go.

The only place left was the Alpha's house, but I doubted they would go there.

Suddenly, a bulb seemed to light up in my brain, "Why didn't I think of that?" I questioned myself loudly.

Hurriedly, I retraced my steps back to a secluded part of the Pack, away from the busy streets.

The Alpha had a cottage built there, Shawn had only brought me over once, it was why I easily forgot all about it's existence.

Soon, I came before the house and I could not help but pause.

What if they both did not mean to? There must have been an underlying reason for Shawn to pick Rhea over me and Rhea was my best friend, she loved me and never ceased to support me.

Could I be mistaken about something?

A deep sigh escaped my lips and I pushed open the door.

When I got into the living room, it was empty and quiet until I heard it.

It wasn't a guttural moan like the one we usually let out whenever we changed forms, it sounded pleasurable.

My face paled and my gut churned with anxiety. Without even meaning to, I began to move.

The moan became louder and clearer, "Oh Shawn." I heard Rhea breathe out.

Quietly, I pushed open the door and clearly heard my own heart breaking at the sight that came before my eye.

There, right on the same bed we had laid when he had kissed me passionately for the first time ever was Shawn towering over Rhea with their lips pressed together tightly, they were both naked.

He trailed kisses over her jawline and down her neck and she let out a low moan again as he grabbed her breast and tweaked her nipples between his fingers.

His hands reached down and gripped her hips tightly as he rocked himself against her in the most intimate way possible.

A squelch sound filled the air as he pushed in and out of her and I felt bile rise up my throat.

"Shawn, don't stop." Rhea pleaded, her eyes rolling backwards in ecstasy, completely losing herself in the pleasure of the moment.

Shawn growled loudly, thrusting faster into her until they both came together.

I couldn't help but retch, drawing their attention to my presence.

Rhea gasped in surprise while Shawn didn't seem astonished to see me.

He pulled away from her calmly and gently helped her sit up before brushing off the loose strands of hair that stuck to her flushed cheeks from sweat.

She looked extremely satisfied.

"How could you do this to me?" I choked on a sob, wondering who to direct my question at.

"Do what? Make love to the woman I love?" Shawn asked mockingly.

His gaze was contemptful and made me feel so small I had to grab the door to calm my rushing heart.

"Why? I love you and you told me you loved me too." The light in my eyes dimmed to a flicker behind tears and it took me mustering all my resolve to keep them from falling.

"Did I? or did you assume it all on your own." As if just realizing he was naked, he grabbed his trousers from the side and calmly began to put it on, each word that followed stabbing deep into my heart.

"I never loved you, Rhea is the one I have always loved. Do you even think I would waste my breath on you if your Father weren't the Beta?"

"I don't blame you for clinging so distastefully to me, I blame our parents for arranging this marriage. Maya Sloan, I renounce our engagement. I will never get married to you." He declared.

"No, you are lying." I shook my head vehemently, "I don't believe you. It was her, This lying bitch seduced you."

I lunged at Rhea who was seated on the bed but did not even touch a wisp of her hair before Shawn flung me away.

My butt landed hard on the ground and I gasped in pain when my head hit the wall.

The tears I was trying to hold back fell rapidly and I cast a pained look at Shawn.

"Don't you ever dare try to lay your hands on my mate again." He growled fiercely at me.

"Your mate?" I repeated the words like a broken record player, a silent scream lodged in my throat.

"I never deserved this from you, Fuck! I trusted you. How could you do this to me?" I screamed angrily at Rhea.

"Did you think you could have it all?" She yelled back, "Shawn loves me and there's nothing you can do to change that fact."

"It was so pitiful, watching you running around, making a clown of yourself while trying to secure his heart that belongs to me." She said and got up.

"Shawn is mine." She said slowly, carefully enunciating each word as if scared I would not hear her.

Then, to assert her claim, she pulled him down and pressed her lips hard against his.

The speed of their kiss sped up, as did my heart rate and I closed my eyes as if that could vanquish what was happening before me.

When I opened them again, they had stopped kissing but Rhea still clung tightly to Shawn who held her tenderly, It was almost like she had no bones and had to be supported so she could stand firmly.

"I hate you, both of you." I muttered spitefully.

"I will never forgive you, not in this lifetime. You were both undeserving of my love and care.."

"Do you really have time to waste here?" Shawn interrupted with his lips curled upward in mockery, he stroked Rhea's waist leisurely.

"What do you mean?" I asked, a bad premonition emerging in my heart.

"You had better run along or you will not even get to see your Father before he dies. Telling you this is my last act of charity towards you." He added.

"My Father? What happened to him?" I felt a flood of worry flood over me.

"He should be dead any moment from now, that is what he deserves for going against my Father and trying to undermine his authority." He spat out angrily.

That was all I needed to hear before I hurried out, I ran with jelly legs, immobilised with terror.

I knew Shawn and he definitely was not lying.

My steps quickened and I rushed home but my Father was nowhere to be found, neither was Sam.

However, I found John, a young Omega who ran errands for my Father crying quietly in a corner, his face swollen as if he had been beaten.

"Where's my Father?" I shouted, grabbing him by his collar when he would not stop crying.

"The..t..the Be..ta was taken a..away." He sobbed incoherently.

My eyes widened with panic and I released my hold on him then ran out again.

In minutes, I got to the Alpha's house.

A small crowd was gathered at the entrance, I pushed my way through until I saw my Father being held down by one of the Pack warriors.

Alpha Blake was bent over him, gripping his jaw tightly.

"Father!" I cried out, attempting to run over but I was pushed back by another warrior.

"Get back!" He snarled at me.

"Lucas, you dare test my limits? How dare you attempt to overthrow me?" Alpha Blake questioned angrily, smashing his fist into my Father's face.

I screamed in fright, struggling to push past the warrior dettering me.

"So you had this planned all along, having your daughter engaged to my son so you could control him whilst turning my people against me." Alpha Blake let go abruptly then turned to the Pack wolves that were present.

"I have been too lax in my dealings, that is why this traitor had the effrontery to dare dream of taking my place." He growled loudly.

My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach, it didn't matter if my Father wasn't a traitor, as long as Alpha Blake said he was, the Pack would simply accept it.

No one questioned the Alpha, not even his own.

"No, that's not true. My Father would never do that." I yelled loudly.

Dad shot me a look, pleading with his eyes that I keep quiet.

"Alpha Blake, you know my Father. You are friends, he would never betray you."

"I see." He turned to me, his gaze piercing, "You raised your daughter right seeing as she is just as defiant as you are."

"Say that again young lady." He gestured to me.

I should have known, I should have just kept my mouth shut but I didn't.

"Alpha Blake, you are wrong. My Father would never betray you." No sooner had the words left my mouth when a sharp ring sounded painfully in my ears as Alpha Blake's hand landed on my cheek.

He was so fast, I didn't even see when he moved.

"Blake, No!" Dad yelled but that only infuriated him further.

His hands slapped repeatedly across my face until I couldn't bear it anymore.

Tears streamed down my face but he showed no signs of stopping.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw dad shrug off the wolf holding him down, heading our way.

Another slap made my eyes close and I expected another but nothing came.

Now trembling like a stray dog drenched by a stormy rain, I slowly opened my eyes.

"Dad." I gasped, fear suffocated me, making it impossible to breathe.

Alpha Blake was still standing in front of me and so was my Father who was gripping his hand tightly.

The hand that would have hit me again had he not stopped him.

"Oh my god." I mumbled, It was over, it was all over.

There was no way Alpha Blake would pardon my Father after this.

He was an authoritarian, one who hated threats to his authority the most and that was what my Father had just done.

Sure enough, he grabbed my Father's arm and in one swift move snapped it.

My Father's arm broke at the elbow and stuck out at a grotesque angle.

"No please." I begged but he swatted me away like a fly then grabbed my Father in a chokehold.

Dad groaned and strained while I cried, "Please spare her." I heard him say.

I knew he was referring to me, even while facing demise, he still tried to save me.

"Alpha, I beg you, spare my daughter." Dad coughed, his face red from the lack of oxygen.

A snap sound and synchronised gasps rang out and I screamed.

My Father's body dropped limply like a rag-doll, lifeless.

I stared blankly, awaiting some form of movement from him but nothing happened.

"No!" I scrambled on all four towards him, "Dad please don't die." Tears and snot mixed together as I cried, rocking my Father's breathless body.

"Dad please don't leave me, p...please get up."

A cold gaze turned on me and my skin crawled.

I looked up and my gaze met with Alpha Blake's terrifying own.