Chapter 5

Conrad

"This will probably be the last time you see me as your wife. The next time we will meet, even though I would rather eat broken glass than see you, it will be as strangers. You don't deserve me. Not your pack. Not your family and certainly not you, most of all. I hope that you find whatever you are looking for." Katherine said, her grey eyes cutting deep into me and for the very first time as she looked at me, I saw hatred. Intense hatred.

Not once in three years even after everything I had done to her had her eyes ever looked this cold.

But as her eyes looked like swirls of storm and as she turned her back on me, I knew that she would never beg me to love her again. That she was indeed done with the marriage.

It stunned me into silence and I did not even realize that I had started moving towards the stairs after her until someone held my hand and when I tried to pull away, Clara sobbed.

Angry, I dragged her out of the house towards where my car was as she kept crying.

"Stop it. Stop crying." I growled and she whimpered, shaking as she tried to take my hand again but I didn't allow her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was worried that you would fall in love with her and I needed to do something to stop it from happening. I didn't mean to make you upset. I love you. You know that."

Before, when Clara told me she loved me, there was always some sort of joy in my heart and immense satisfaction.

But now as I looked into her blue eyes as she continued to sob that she loved me, I felt nothing but anger. Nothing but absolute disgust at her and it was baffling.

She stepped forward and tried to hug me and immediately, I put out my hand stopping her.

Her eyes watered again and when she started to cry, I wanted to believe her. That was how innocent I believed Clara to be. That was how pure I thought her to be.

"I truly thought you were an innocent, kind, sweet young woman. Not capable of all these petty tricks." I said coldly, unable to believe that all this time, Clara was playing at being the victim when she never was.

"I am" she wailed and when she tried to touch me again, I took a step back, feeling a sudden headache as I could not even fathom how so much had happened just in the last twenty four hours since Clara returned.

My wolf whined and reminded us that we had finally succeeded in losing our mate and even though yet again, I ignored him exactly the same way I had been doing for those three years because I was not good to Katherine, I felt a deep hollow feeling, a deep sense of loss that made me wonder just how right he was this time.

My wolf had quarreled with me endlessly those three years but right now, he was silent after reminding me of exactly what I had just done.

"Please, Conrad. You know how much I love you and how much we have waited for a day like this, haven't we? Please forgive me. I'm sorry" Clara said as she sniffled and when I looked at her, I realized that I didn't want to deal with her right now.

What she had done, I didn't think I could get past it. I didn't even know what to believe anymore. I had no idea what was real.

Opening my hand, Clara smiled and I realized that she thought I was asking for her hand.

Shaking my head immediately, I spoke.

"Please return the key to my villa and don't tell me that you don't have it. Because I know you do." I told her plainly.

I knew that it was Frank, my beta who had given the key to her.

Her smile cracked and she hesitated, her eyes welling with tears again but when she saw that I would not budge, she dipped her hand into the front left pocket of her jeans and handed me the keys.

Just then, I saw my driver walk towards where we stood and I remembered that I was supposed to send him on an errand. Perfect timing.

"Please take Clara back to the pack hotel." I said to him and Clara shook her head, quickly holding on to my arm as she started to sob again.

"Please, Conrad. Please let me live here."

Maybe before today I might have been partial to her tears, but today I just wanted her our of my sight.

Taking a hold of her hand, I led her to the car as she protested and when she saw that I wasn't changing my mind, her tears turned quiet and she sniffled as she entered the car, watching me as my driver started the car before he drove off.

Minutes later, Frank arrived in front of the villa and when he saw my face, his facial expression changed to one of concern.

"What happened?"

I told him everything that happened and scolded him for giving the key to Clara. He frowned in response.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you would not mind because it's Clara. If there's anyone I should give, it would be her, would it not?"

He was right but I didn't even know how to tell him that things were no longer the same.

"Things have changed, Frank." I answered and just as I said that, I remembered that Katherine might still be in the house.

Rubbing my forehead as I felt the headache intensify, I entered the Villa and rushed upstairs to the room that I was supposed to be sharing with Katherine.

All of her things were gone and so was she. I thought I would be happy about finally succeeding in getting rid of this forced marriage that my father had all but pushed me into.

But as I looked at the empty house, as I stared at everywhere in the house that used to have her touch, as her scent lingered in the bedroom and hallways, I felt nothing but absolute emptiness.

I felt no form of joy at all.

I wondered when I had stopped actively hating Katherine and why instead of accomplishment, the only thing I was feeling now was guilt.

As I headed down the stairs, I looked at my Beta who was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs.

"Katherine's gone."

His eyes widened in shock.

"For good."

"Yes. For good." I answered, the burden of guilt and sorrow weighing heavily on me.

One thing I was certain of, was that I could not stay in this villa anymore. Not when everything reminded me of her. This was her home too and I had kicked her out of it.

Looking at my Beta, I came to a conclusion.

"Find Katherine and put this

villa in her name."

It was not enough to compensate her for all I had put her through but it was a start.