Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A surge of thrill washed over Ana at this strange man’s mystery, he was weird, dangerous, secretive and a welcome distraction from her own pain and betrayal.

"Ok, Nice to meet you, Lucas," she said, returning his charismatic smile with a shy one of her own.

Lucas gestured towards the door, with a hopeful expression. "Sarah, Would you like to go somewhere more quiet? We can talk without all this noise," he suggested.

Ana hesitated for only a moment. Her heart pounded in her chest as she considered his offer. But ultimately, the temptation of an escape from her problems was too tempting to resist. So With a nod, she took Lucas's hand, allowing him to lead her out of the crowded bar and into the unknown.

Beautiful morning light filtered through the curtains, and Ana slowly blinked her eyes open, her head was throbbing with the dull ache of a hangover, but her body hummed with delicious pleasure from last night’s activities.

At first, Ana couldn’t remember anything and Confusion washed over her as she took in her strange surroundings. The luxurious room was unfamiliar and it immediately sent a jolt of panic through her veins.

Where was she? Where was her husband? Why were her thighs sore?

Suddenly, Memories of the previous night came flooding back in a rush of embarrassment and horror.

And Ana's heart clenched with fear as she realized what had happened.

She had spent the night with a stranger last night.

She had slept with a man whose name she didn't even know! She had betrayed her vows to her husband Jake in her little moment of weakness and desperation. What the hell was wrong with her?!

She was about to jump out of bed and rush back home when she saw it. A note, left by Lucas— her mysterious one-night stand.

With a feeling of irritation, Ana reached for the note that lay on the bedside table. She expected that he was probably a random scumbag that didn’t want anything to do with her again.

But she was totally unprepared and her heart sped up as she read the words scrawled across the paper.

"Had an early meeting to attend to. Call me," it read, accompanied by a phone number.

He wanted to see her again! He wasn’t a scumbag after all! Did he really like her that much? Well… she won’t know till she calls him!

But that was the problem. Ana had no intention of calling the man, her shame and regret overwhelmed any desire for further contact.

She was a married woman for goddess's sake!

So with a shaky breath, she tore the paper into shreds, and let the pieces flutter to the floor like the shattered fragments of her own destroyed dignity.

She quickly hurried out of the room, but her mind was racing with thoughts of Jake and the mess she had made of her life.

She had just cheated on her husband! She slept with a man she did not know! Didn’t that make her the same with Jake now? Jake had cheated on her and she had cheated on him with someone too. Could she still be angry with him now? Or was that a case of the pot calling the kettle black?

No matter what the answer was, she had to get home before her husband realized she was missing, and before he also discovered what she had done.

In less than 30 minutes, Ana was rushing through the streets, and towards her home. But then out of nowhere, she suddenly came face to face with pale-faced Jake.

His expression was panicked and his eyes looked red as if he didn’t sleep at all.

He immediately reached out to grab her arm. "Ana, where the hell have you been?" he demanded, his voice thick with worry.

“Uhh.”

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where were you?!”

Ana's gaze flickered to Jake’s car which happened to be parked nearby, and she caught her step-sister's sight, Katie sitting in the passenger seat. 'So Jake was still parading her around?!' She thought to herself with anger running through her.

She felt the heat of yesterday’s anger bloom within her too. How dare he ask her anything when he was betraying her?

"Where I was…. is none of your business Jake," she hissed back at him coldly.

But Jake's expression immediately softened with remorse as if also suddenly remembered his crimes.

"Ana, I'm so so sorry," he whispered, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I know we have a lot we need to talk about but there are more urgent matters at hand now. So please, please, please, come home with me Ana. I really need you right now."

It was at that moment that Ana noticed exactly how tired Jake looked. From his red eyes, uncombed hair, and unshaven beard. He looked very worried. More worried than he should have been about her disappearance. Did something else happen?

"Jake? What's going on? Is something wrong with the pack?" Ana asked with genuine concern.

Jake hesitated for a moment, but Ana saw his grip clench and unclench nervously as he struggled to find the words. "We have an important meeting today," he admitted reluctantly. "With a very important guest."

Ana's brow furrowed in confusion. Why did a meeting worry him this much? "Jake Who is this guest?” she pressed.

Jake's gaze flickered to hers, and his expression turned very grim. "It’s— it's my older brother, Kane," he confessed quietly. "He's back!" his face squeezed with both anger and worry.

A chill ran down Ana's spine at the mention of Jake's older brother's name, and her mind flashed back to all the horror stories she had heard of his cruelty and ambition.

"Well, Why is he here?"

Jake's jaw clenched with tension as he looked straight at Ana.

“He says he has come to take back what rightfully belongs to him.”

“What? Is that all? That’s not a bad thing, right? We can just give him what he wants and he can go away.” She asked hopefully but Jake shook his head.

“It’s not that easy…. Ana! Every single thing in this pack belongs to him…. Even you!.”

“Wait… what?!”