The past

Tamara's POV

He held the check higher as if I wasn't already seeing it.

“Let's not drag this on any longer.” He said dismissively.

When I still didn't take it from him he tossed the cheque on the floor.

“What's wrong with you?” He snapped, “both of us already know that there is nothing left for you in Crestwood. You might not know this since you have been rotting in your room for the past few days but even the servants have turned you into a laughingstock.”

I sighed, my chest falling so far it pressed into my ribs.

“My only crime was loving you…” I said quietly, “is it really worth punishing me this way?”

He crossed his legs.

“It was your fault, you allowed yourself to be deceived. Anyone could have seen that I only had eyes for your sister since when we were just pups playing in the mud…” he stood up, walking past the fireplace, towering over me.

“Tiana already told me everything, she said you were the one who dragged her to the border that day…” he grabbed at the back of my hair, yanking it with all buttons not forced to tear it from its roots. “You act as innocent and harmless as a fly and yet you are as vicious as a viper!” He tugged harder.

“Everything you did you still had the gull to come back with your crocodile tears..” he released me but before I could get a second of relief he grabbed my neck, “That day you pulled out the act of the century. But deep down inside you were happy she was gone…were glad to be the center of attention, and by the time Tiana returned you had already stolen her entire life you-”

I heard someone reel into a boisterous laughter.

Who would laugh in a situation like this? I asked before realizing it was my mouth thrown open sounds I didn't know I was capable of making.

Caden threw me to the floor with disgust.

“I don't want to see your face here by sunrise,” he said with a note of finality before stomping out.

I remained on the floor for the longest time just laughing.

My life was a joke.

What else was I supposed to call it?

Gradually I dragged myself up from the ground passing the check and looking towards the fireplace, a yearning to explore the flames suddenly rooted in me.

Who was going to stop me?

The man I had loved for all of my life who just choked me?

My darling sister who twisted the truth?

Or my parents that remain frustratingly passive to it all?

There was not one person who cared for me anymore.

If I ended it here, no one…would care…and all the pain would stop…it would…

“Nothing be to a cozy fire on a cold night,”

I freeze hearing that familiar syrupy voice, the muscles all over my body going stiff simultaneously.

Tiana had come up to the fireplaces well.

“Though I have to admit…” she continued hugging her shawl, “....the embrace of an Alpha lover comes close, I'm sure you'd agree.”

She was taunting me, intentionally pricking my broken pride with her pointed words.

The routine was always the same.

I'd fall for it,react then she would get to play her desired role as a victim.

But I was just too tired to reward her.

“Did you just come here to gloat?” I said my eyes on the fire.

If she didn't leave now I might lose the courage…

“I just thought that you should know that you're about to be an aunt.”

Her eyes crawled all over my face, aching for my reaction.

But something went numb inside me when she said that.

All of my love, the regret I felt losing it.

It was gone.

“Congrats then,” I said, clasping my hands together, “I hope you enjoy the rest of your life together with my leftovers.”

A vein appeared in her forehead and her brow furrowed.

“Acting haughty doesn't suit you, Tammy.”

She was still obsessively fixed on my face, waiting for me to crack them, her lips curled upwards.

“Now that I think about it I never give you my condolences for your pup that passed away,” She sighed, “though I think I have more than that to apologize for since I was the one who asked the doctor to perform an abortion.”

“You what?” I asked, voice shaking.

“I already knew through our twin Bond that you were pregnant, but you don't have a wolf so you couldn't have sensed my pup…” She rubbed her belly proudly, “Competition can be such a nasty thing, I'm sure you know better than most people. That's why I went out of my way to make sure that our kids would never be enemies.”

I staggered to my knees struggling to breath, she came over and crouched next to me.

“Caden told me you would be leaving the pack today, I would have given you sometime before telling you if not for that. But I didn't want to miss my last window for forgiveness…”

She interlocked her fingers in mine.

“Tell me you forgive me, Tammy, I won't be able to live with myself if you don't.” she said this while having the biggest smile on her face.

“Why?” I said through fresh sobs, “would you do this to me, I'm your sister, your twin!”

Her smile evaporated instantly.

“Anytime I look at you, I see the life I should have had if I wasn't kidnapped that day.” She squeezed on my fingers, “we came out from the same womb at the same time and all it took was one unfortunate incident for me to lose it all, yet you dared to live your life to the fullest without me. You dared to forget me…. I'm sure you wanted our parents to forget me too so you would be there one and only,”her wicked smile, “now the tables have turned, haven't they my precious sister?”