Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ana quickly made her way up the stairs, she was desperate to run into the arms of her beloved husband after the terrible day she had endured.

Jake had never failed to reassure her of his love and he would always tell her to ignore his mother. He was the perfect husband.

Ana reached the top of the stairs, in a few seconds, but as she approached the door to her husband's study, she was surprised to hear the sound of Jake’s voice, murmuring in low tones from within. It’s like he was talking to someone else in their private bedroom.

Confusion clouded Ana's mind as she gripped the door handle and slowly pushed the door open.

Suddenly she froze as every hair on the back of her neck rose. Was she seeing correctly? There, in their dimly lit bedroom, Jake was sitting on the couch….. but his arms were wrapped around another woman, and their bodies were pressed close in an intimate embrace as Jake continued murmuring to the woman.

She couldn’t hear what he was saying to the woman, but the woman buried her face into Jake’s neck and hugged him closer.

The sight caused a gasp to escape from Ana's lips as she stumbled back in horror. Jake was cheating on her? In their bedroom?!

Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the cry of disbelief that threatened to escape when she finally spoke. "Jake..." she whispered, her voice choked with tears.

Jake's head snapped up in surprise at the sound of her voice, and his eyes widened in shock as he registered Ana's presence in the room.

"Ana, you’re back! I.. I ..." he began, but his voice trailed off as he struggled to find the words to explain.

But Ana's attention was drawn to the woman in Jake's arms, the woman looked familiar. Ana looked closer and suddenly jerked back as she recognized the familiar features of her long-lost step-sister, Katie.

The same Katie who had disappeared without a trace two years ago, leaving behind a trail of heartache and betrayal in her wake.

But that wasn’t even what hit her like a punch in her chest. The biggest problem now was that KATIE WAS JAKE’S FATED MATE! She had run away before, and now she was back?! Why?!

The realization hit Ana like a punch to the gut. This was what Lorraine was talking about? This was their solution to Ana’s childlessness.

Katie was Jake's true fated mate, the one he had been destined to be with all along. And here she was, back from wherever, and tightly wrapped in Jake's arms as if she had never left.

"Jake How could you?" she choked out, her voice trembling with anguish.

Jake's expression winced with pain as he reached out to her, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "Ana, please, let me explain..."

But Ana recoiled from his touch, as she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

"What do you want to explain?! There's nothing left to explain," her voice broke into sobs. "You brought her back to replace me, didn’t you?! You’re choosing her over me."

“No! That’s not true! I swear it didn’t happen like that.”

"Then what is happening, Jake?! Didn’t you bring her back to our home?" she demanded, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "Didn’t you go and get your ex back, even though you're married to me now?"

Jake's eyes widened in shock at the accusation, and his hands instinctively reached out to her in a futile attempt to calm her down.

"Ana, no, I swear I didn't intentionally bring her back," he protested, and it almost sounded like his voice was filled with desperation. "We just happened to rescue her a few weeks ago from a rogue attack. She was very sick and had nowhere else to go, so we brought her back here."

Ana paused for a moment, feeling unsure of whether to believe him or not. Was he lying to her? Or was she simply overreacting?

“Ok…. Ok if what you’re saying is true, then take her back to our parents' house," she insisted desperately. "Our parents haven’t seen her in 2 years, they will be very happy to see her and she can make a full recovery there."

But to her utter horror, Jake shook his head, refusing her request and crushing her heart in the process.

"I’m sorry Ana, I can’t do that. You don't understand how sick your sister is," he explained gently. "Katie was badly injured and is very fragile right now. She needs to be close to her mate for her healing to be amplified or else she might get worse."

Ana's eyes immediately narrowed at his words, Did he just say his mate?

"Her mate?! But she’s no longer your mate! She already rejected you or have you forgotten?!," she yelled, surprised that she had to be the one to remind him. "You're not mates anymore, you owe her nothing!”

It was then that Jake's expression suddenly changed, he looked away as if he was scared of meeting her gaze, like he was guilty of a secret crime.

“Ana, I’m so sorry… I should have told you earlier… I didn't accept her rejection, Ana. We're still mates."

Ana felt like the world around her had turned black and disappeared.

“W-what?”

“I – I and Katie are still mates. I’m so sorry Ana.” He confessed.

The revelation hit Ana like a blow to the chest. He never accepted Katie’s rejection? He didn’t break their bond? And he married Ana without telling her?!. Ana felt like she was about to explode.

"Why?! Why didn't you accept her rejection, Jake? She already told you that she wanted someone more powerful than you! Why didn’t you break the bond before marrying me?!” she demanded, her voice shaking with fury and pure humiliation.

“I- I’m sorry Ana.” Was the only feeble response he could give.

Ana felt her heart start to ring painfully. “Reject her.”

Jake blinked at her stupidly. “What?”

“Reject her now! If you love me and want to keep me as your wife, reject her and break the bond!” Ana screeched as her hands balled into fists.

But before Jake could respond, Katie's high-pitched voice cut through the tension. "Please, Ana wait," she begged, her eyes pleading. "Don't make him reject me now. Breaking the bond can kill me. I’m too weak and injured to accept his rejection. Please, my sister !”

Ana almost snorted sarcastically. Sister? Had Katie just called her sister? The same Katie that had humiliated, abused and locked her up in their father's house?!

Katie had always been an evil, materialistic, gold-digging, selfish b*itch and that was why Ana was not surprised when her step-sister rejected her fated mate Alpha and ran away with a richer, more powerful alpha.

How could Jake accept her back after all that she had done? Had he forgotten so soon? But amidst her confusing thoughts, a sudden realization dawned on her, a horrifying truth that she had been too angry to see.

"Wait… You said you found her weeks ago right? Then Why are you just bringing her home now if you found her weeks ago?" Ana asked, her voice filled with accusation.

Jake's expression froze for a second before it suddenly turned even guiltier than before.

"I... I didn't want to upset you," he stammered for an answer, his voice barely audible over the pounding of Ana's heart. "I thought... I thought it was best to keep it quiet for now until she was better.”

That was the most stupid excuse that Ana had ever heard and they both knew it!

There could only be one reason why Jake had been hiding Katie from her.

"Jake? Have you been having an affair with her?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own thundering heart.

‘Please say no Jake.’ She thought. ‘Please tell me I’m wrong and you didn’t sleep with my sister.’

But to her horror, Jake's face paled at the accusation, then his eyes filled with remorse and he reached out to her, his hands trembling with guilt.

But he didn’t deny it.

"Ana, I'm so sorry," he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. "It only happened once, I swear. I never meant to hurt you."

But Ana was too busy feeling her heart grind to pieces to listen to his stupid apology, she was too consumed by the pain of his betrayal to find it in her heart to forgive him.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned and fled from the room, with her heart pounding in her chest and tears blurring her vision.

But through it all, she could hear Jake pursuing her, desperate to stop her from running away. "Ana, wait!" he called out, his voice thick with worry as he reached out to grab her arm.

“Ana please wait!”

But Ana wrenched herself free from his grasp, her eyes blazing with hurt and betrayal. "Tell me something, Jake. Do you still love her?" she demanded in a hoarse voice.

Jake hesitated again and he still couldn’t look her in the eyes.

"Ana, you're too emotional right now," he deflected, his voice strained. "Let's talk about this when you've calmed down."

But Ana refused to be silenced, "Do you still love her Jake?" she yelled in his face.

Jake sighed heavily, his shoulders finally slumping in defeat. "It's... complicated Ana," he reluctantly admitted.

The words hit Ana like a dagger to the heart. That was all she needed to hear. He was still in love with her sister all these years.

With a choked sob, she turned and ran, her tears blinding her as she fled from the pain and betrayal that threatened to consume her.

She didn’t know where she was going and she didn’t care. She didn’t even bother to look at the roads as she crossed them. She just wanted the pain to end.