Chapter 2: Just A Wife

**Elena**

The silent whispers from the crowd was enough to humiliate me. I stared intently at Xavier, searching for something..anything, that would indicate it was all a joke.

“It’s no secret that my wife, Helena, hides her face behind a mask, and I want it to stay that way”.

Why did he have to mention the mask again?. I could feel sweat dripping down my temple.

“There are certain things I do not wish to discuss in my marriage, so I made this choice”. He continued speaking, his voice echoing through the crowd.

I wanted to speak up, to remove the mask and run into his arms, to tell him I was his Elena and that his words were hurting me.

But I couldn’t. A lot was at stake at that moment.

“As I mentioned earlier, I do not yet accept my wife Helena as my mate, so she is not my Luna. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t my wife.”

What did he even mean by that? It’s either I’m your Luna, your mate, and your wife. Why is he separating them? Was this his plan all along? He had disappeared to avoid the ceremony just so he could achieve this.

I knew Xavier had doubted everything from the beginning, but why humiliate me?

“I’m your Luna, Alpha Xavier. You can’t just say I’m ‘just a wife.’ Why are you trying to embarrass us in public?” I said as I stepped closer to him.

He scoffed. “If I needed a suggestion or any input from you, Helena, I would have discussed it privately. Do not try to cross me and act defiant.”

He turned his gaze back to the crowd. “As the Alpha, I have the authority to make decisions that affect my relationship, as well as the future of this pack.”

“The coronation will be held another time. For now, I do not accept her as my Luna.”

“And please, there is no room for questioning my decisions. You all may now continue with the celebrations and enjoy yourselves.”

And with that, he was out of sight. The flickering lights and sounds from the cameras seemed to mock me even more.

I felt something forming at the back of my throat. I guessed my pup didn’t like the way his father treated me.

I sensed Nick’s palm on my shoulder as he tried to guide me past the crowd. But instead, my stepmother pulled me from his embrace and led me into my room.

I knew this act of kindness was merely an attempt to scold me.

“What did you do, Elena?” she asked in the calmest tone. I stared at her, wondering if she was just pretending to be nice because of the people gathered at the door.

She turned to the crowd. “Please, my daughter needs rest. Thank you for your concern, but please leave.” One by one, they filed out.

“Did you use the scent?” she said, trying to sniff me as if she could actually perceive her daughter’s scent.

“Can you stop?” I said, yanking her arms away from my body. “I told you before that deceiving Xavier won’t work, and now he’s gone as far as to embarrass me.”

“It’s your fault you couldn’t charm him, Elena. I warned you. If anything goes wrong, it’s all on you. I don’t understand why you keep acting so foolishly and can’t do anything right.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault? Xavier isn’t dumb. I suppose it's also my fault Helena ran away.”

“You know what? I think it’s better if I go out there and tell him the whole truth. Maybe he’ll forgive me. I can’t keep playing along with your lies, Mortina,” I shot back.

“I’ve always known you were foolish. And the audacity you have to talk back to me! Do whatever you want. Just know that you and your father will regret it, and I’ll kill you before you drag me out.” She said, slamming the door behind her.

I covered my mouth, trying to hold back whatever was coming as I sat in the restroom.

“How long do I have to keep this up?” I whispered to myself while rubbing my belly.

It seems my growing belly would reveal everything soon enough before I could get Xavier to be intimate with me.

Unfortunately, getting close to him has become more difficult than I thought, as he just rejected me and wants nothing to do with me.

But I can't just sit here and do nothing. I have no other option but to tell Xavier everything. I'll plead with him, and he'll have no other choice than to hear me out.

I made my way to the third floor of the mansion where his room was located. Something twisted inside me, maybe fear, maybe desperation,but I couldn't turn back now.

Xavier had clearly warned me to stay away from his room, but I couldn’t ignore the ache in my chest anymore.

“Our mate’s in there!” Lira pleaded again, her voice echoing in my mind.

I pushed the door open.

His scent hit me first—warm, masculine, painfully familiar. The golden paint on the walls glowed faintly in the dim light.

I had chosen that color, hoping we would be in here together after he chose me instead. But things don't go the way we plan.

Maybe I just missed him too much.

But my thoughts scattered when I heard his voice.

“What are you doing here?” Stern. Cold. No softness left.

I froze.. He switched on the light and I was able to see his face, but his expression was unreadable.

“I’m not going to repeat myself.” His voice stern. “What are you doing in here?”.