Chapter 3

VENUS

“Finally, the Alpha has a strong mate by his side. I heard she’s more beautiful than Miss Venus.” The omega maid says in a hushed voice while she stands outside the guestroom.

“Of course she is. At least she won’t faint or lose her breath in the middle of the events. The Alpha won’t have to worry about taking care of a weak woman who has no merit except her family name,” another maid replies and chuckles.

I stand before the door, hearing them gossip. They don’t realize I’m in the guestroom, eavesdropping.

Well, there’s no point. Everyone knows that the Alpha has found his mate and refused to get engaged to me. It’s clear that they are happy about it.

No one here likes me because of my weak body. The pack members are unaware of the celestial wolf, so they believe I am destined to be without a wolf.

I never cared since Bronze always took my side. I can fight against the world if he’s beside me. He’s my strength.

My fingers clench the comb handle tighter than needed. But is he beside me now?

I get dressed, wearing a black top with flare-jeans and a belt. I keep my hair loose, styling it in light curls that fall over my shoulders and accessorize the look with a simple silver chain.

I head downstairs and walk over to the dining room. I stop in my tracks when I don’t see Bronze. It dampens my mood as I expected him to have breakfast with me like he did every morning. I also wanted to talk to him about last night, but he didn’t seem to have the same desire.

But I can’t let this go.

My heart thumps in my chest as I walk through the hallway and end up straight in front of his office door.

Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door and hear his deep voice from the other side. “Come in.”

I step into his office, the chill of the air conditioner biting into my tense muscles. The faint hum of the vents fills the silence as my eyes land on him, seated at his desk. His gaze lifts, and a flicker of surprise and anticipation flashes through his eyes. “You’re awake.”

I walk over to his desk. “We need to talk,” I say and cross my arms.

He looks at his screen. “About what?”

My brows raise at his indifference. “About last night.”

He types something on his keyboard, his tone flat. “There’s nothing to discuss. We talked last night—that was the end of it.”

I am about to answer him when I smell a scent on his skin. My brows furrow. This is not his scent. I know his scent well.

I step closer to him and sniff his neck. Bronze looks confused and asks, “What are you doing?”

I grab his wrist. “You have someone else’s scent on you.”

Something crosses his eyes. A look of shock? Fear?

He looks back at his screen. “It’s just cologne.”

I shake my head. “I know what kind of cologne you wear. It’s a feminine scent that does not belong to this pack. Bronze, were you physically close with a woman last night?” I ask, my heart thudding in my chest.

“Venus, stop this—”

“Was it…your mate?” I ask and let go of his hand. My chest feels like it’ll explode. A part of me wants to believe what he’s saying. But I know when there’s another woman’s scent on my mate. My mind conjures wild scenarios that make it all the more painful.

What were they doing last night? How close was she to him?

I take a step back and look down. Maybe I shouldn’t have hoped to save our relationship. He has his mate now. Why would he want me anymore?

“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” I mumble and turn around to leave his office.

“Venus, wait!” Bronze grabs my wrist, pulling me back and turning me toward him. He steps closer, his hands gently cupping my face. “Hey, I promise, it’s not what you think.”

My vision blurs with hot tears. “Then what is it?” I ask in a trembling voice.

“I went on a run last night and Mallory pounced on me. She wanted us to mate—”

“Mallory?” I ask.

He nods. “That’s her name. She was following me. But I refused to accept her as my mate.” He tells me and I stare at him in shock. A wave of relief washes over me.

He leans in, thumb brushing my cheek, and murmurs, “I only want you, Venus.”

“Why did you hide it, then? And why did you act so cold with me?” I ask, wiping my tears.

He sighs. “This has been a lot for me and I didn’t know how you’d react, so I kept it hidden. Venus, I am equally scared of losing you.”

My heart skips a beat at his words.

“Just trust me. I won’t let our relationship break over some stupid mate bond.” He steps closer and when I look into his eyes, I feel a little hopeful. He sounds sincere.

But a part of me fears for what lies next. Things aren’t the same anymore and I can feel it in my gut.

Bronze takes my hand and rubs my knuckles with the pad of his thumb. He knows this relaxes me. “Also, I have fixed your meeting with the pack elders.” He adds, and my brows shoot up.

“What?” I blink in disbelief.

He smiles. “They want your opinion on the annual training camp programs since you are a celestial wolf who’ll be participating in it.” He says and my lips part.

The elders of this pack have a tremendous influence on how the pack runs and getting their approval means they are accepting me as Bronze’s Luna.

I feel a wave of joy wash over me.

—--------

As Bronze said, I attend the annual training camp meeting with the elders in the pack community hall with high hopes, but as soon as I start the discussion with them, I regret it.

Most of the elders give me odd looks as I sit beside the Alpha and when I provide my input on certain parts of the program, they pretend to not hear it. Within half-an-hour of the meeting, I feel like I shouldn’t be here.

“Miss Venus, are you okay?” A woman’s voice catches me off guard during the meeting and I jerk my head up from my phone screen. The girl has straight dark blonde hair and pity in her light brown eyes as she stares at me. “This must be awkward for you.” She adds with a small smile, and I chuckle.

“Seems like I’m walking on thin ice here,” I say and we both look at the elders having a discussion with each other, not bothered by our conversation. Bronze is engaged with them, giving his input while I just sit beside him and play candy crush on my phone.

The woman nods. “The elders don’t like anything they do not understand. You, being a celestial wolf, are something they don’t understand, so they neglect it.” She looks at me again. “I’m Sydney.”

I smile at her in acknowledgement. She seems nice and the only one kind enough to acknowledge my presence.

“I heard what happened. I hope you are doing alright,” she says in a soft tone.

“It’s fine, actually. I’m not worried about it. Alpha and I have a strong bond, so I believe we’ll figure it out.” I say and watch her give me a sympathetic look. It makes my chest clench. Does our situation really look that bad?

“Venus, any ideas on what other facilities we can add for the celestial wolves?” Bronze asks me and I shift my attention towards the meeting. All the elders are now staring at me, waiting for my answer.

I raise my head and answer with full confidence, providing my opinion with clarity. “The celestial wolves who will be joining the camp will include the kind who haven’t shifted, so it is necessary to create specific programs that will allow those individuals to train and become strong without relying on their wolves.”

“I get your point, Miss Venus,” Elder Gonalz says, “But don’t you think it’s pointless to let those unshifted individuals join the camp? It’s a camp for werewolves, and if we provide them with specific courses, then it will hold back the ones who have shifted.”

I smile at him. “Celestial wolves don’t shift like other wolves do, but it does not mean they are not physically strong. Focusing on better combat skills, instead, will enable them to fight any battle without relying on their wolf. So when they shift, they will have the strength of their wolf and human body combined.”

The elders seem shocked, and a few impressed by what I have to say.

They have made me feel less, but my parents didn’t teach me to give up. I know how to fight for my place.

“I hope there’s room for one more,” a woman’s voice calls out as the doors to the community hall swing open. A chill runs down my spine when I see her step inside. Mallory.

She strides into the hall, and Bronze gets up from his seat. “What are you doing here?” he demands in a raised voice.

“We invited her to this meeting,” Elder Gonalz says in a calm voice. “She’s going to participate in the annual training camp.”

“What?” My voice echoes through the hall, drawing every eye toward me. Mallory’s lips curl into a dry smile.

“Excuse me for interrupting,” Sydney speaks up. “But on what grounds? This training camp is for special wolves.”

“Yes, and aren’t royal wolves considered being a part of that, Miss Sydney?” Simon speaks up and throws a challenging stare at her.

My face turns pale. Mallory is a royal wolf? I look at her and realize that her aura is different. I didn’t pay attention to it during the party.

“I’m the one who decides who gets to participate,” Bronze says in his Alpha tone. “And I do not accept Mallory to be a part of this program.”

“Alpha Bronze, should I remind you that this program requires the elder’s consent too? That’s the law here. Miss Mallory is accepted as a member by most of the elders, so she will participate.” Elder Gonalz declares.

Bronze’s jaw tenses in anger, but he can’t go against the law. He sits back and Mallory takes the chair on his left. I feel dreadful as I look at her. She’s a royal wolf, so I don’t stand a chance against her.

“Alpha Bronze,” Mallory turns towards him and I bite my cheek as I see the way she stares at him. “Since I’d be joining, I want to stay in your packhouse.”

Bronze looks at her. “There are plenty of other places to stay. We have enough hotels.”

“That’s not how we treat a royal guest, Alpha.” Elder Gonalz says. “The packhouse is a better place for her.”

“Alpha, it will be easier for me to participate in the camp if I stay in the packhouse,” Mallory says and touches his arm. “It will be useful for you, too.”

I feel my gut twist in knots at the way she makes eye contact with him. Bronze yanks her hand away from his arm and stares ahead in thought.

“Alpha, you better make a decision that serves the entire council,” Simon speaks in a calm tone, but he’s staring hard at Bronze. “Having a royal wolf who’s also your mate is going to be of great help to us.”

“Fine,” Bronze replies, and it feels like a punch to the gut. Simon’s words make me realize the truth and I stare at Bronze and Mallory. Bronze’s mate is a beautiful royal she-wolf and now she’s going to stay with us. They look perfect for each other.

I get up from my seat and rush out of the community hall, feeling like my world is slowly crumbling down.