THE BILLIONAIRE ALPHA’S WOLFLESS MATE

***SERENA***

“How could you do this to me?” I lashed out, biting my upper lip. “Despite having to live as your shadow all this while, how could you still be here, all curled up in my fiancé’s arms?”

“Serena…” Shania said lightly, flipping her hair back as she leaned further into Stuart’s chest. “You look almost charming when you pretend to be angry. But this is unnecessary drama. Let it go.”

Stuart did not move. He did not pull away from her. He just kept staring at me like he'd not just betrayed all my trust in him.

That, more than anything else, told me all I needed to know.

He never loved me. The promises, the closure, the love that came from him. They were all lies.

“I've never met anyone as pathetic as you, Stuart.” I added, staring straight into his eyes. “You could've just chosen her right from the start instead of making me go through this.”

Only then, did he look at me. “And I've never met anyone as gullible as you are. Did you really think any reasonable person would be willing to marry a wolfless lady like yourself?”

Wolfless. The same name everyone in the pack secretly calls me without ever saying it to my face.

That statement broke me. But before I could respond, Shania scoffed, running her fingers through Stuart's hair.

Despite how hard my chest ached, I kept my gaze locked on her.

“Why… why must you take everything that belongs to me?”

Shania’s lips curved. “You’ve always known,” she said, in a low and condescending tone. “That I would never allow you to truly have anything. Just… stop trying.”

She bit her lower lip as she spoke, as if savoring the moment.

Before she could say something else worse than I had already heard, I stepped closer and threw my hand against her face as hard as I could.

“You fucking bitch!!!” The words spilled out with all the hatred building inside me for years.

She laughed softly, though it didn't reach her eyes. “Your wedding is in two days. The last thing I would do is damage your not so beautiful face or mess with your wedding.” Then her eyes flicked to Stuart. “At least not now.”

She finally moved away from him and sat down in a casual, unbothered pose as though nothing had just happened.

I stared at her, trying to think of a way to do something that hurts her too.

“You don’t get to tell me it isn’t what I think,” I said, moving towards her dressing table, positioned against the wall.

“What exactly are you doing?” She asked, raising a brow, her gaze tracking my every move.

I kept my expression still, refusing to show any fear.

Only then did Shania shift again. She rose from her seat and started walking toward me, a small smile tugging at her lips

I swallowed hard, as soon as I reached the table.

She stopped in front of me, her breath brushing against my face.

“You know I care about you right?” She whispered in a soft voice, despite the lies. “If only you started seeing for yourself, we could be better than this.”

My eyes burned. I blinked hard, forcing the tears back.

“Don’t you dare bring your fucking pretense here too.” I shot at her, jaws tightening. “It's not like father is here.”

Her smile grew wider as she started circling me. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I was sure she could hear it.

“You judge me,” she said simply.

“You've always been a pain in the ass to me,” I responded as I grabbed the porcelain pot lying on her table. “This is my way of paying you back.” Then I shoved it right in front of her face.

She raised both hands instinctively. “Don't…”

Before she could finish, I smashed the pot to the ground as hard as I could, and it shattered across the floor.

“You bitch…” Shania’s face grew in fury and she reached her hand towards my hair, but before she could get a hold, I pulled her closer, landing a perfect hit on her face.

“Never again.”

I barely had time to savor my payback before pain exploded at my neck. When I touched the spot where I was feeling the pain, I pulled out a tiny object. And when I brought it closer for my eyes to see—

My breath caught. I had just been injected by Stuart.

I couldn't say a word before my knees buckled.

The room tilted as darkness crept in slowly from the edges of my sight, swallowing everything I could hold onto.

✷⁠✷✷⁠✷

“Do whatever you want with her,” Shania’s voice crept into my ears, and my eyes snapped open immediately.

As light slowly crept into the corners of my vision, the figure of an unfamiliar man loomed before me in a room I didn't recognize.

I shot up instantly. “Who are you? And what am I doing here?”

His brows furrowed slightly. “What a pain… I was told that you wouldn't be up for another three hours.”

Just as he said those words, everything suddenly became clearer.

“Please,” I said, voice shaky. “Just let me go.”

He moved closer, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips. “I'm sure you wouldn't pass on this too if you were me.”

I swerved on my feet, darting towards the door. But before I could put up a fight, the man's hands pushed me back hard against the bed.

“You're not going anywhere,” he warned. “Not until I'm done with you.”

Then he started reaching his fingers towards my chest, while biting his lips.

At that moment, the corner of my eyes caught the metal flask sitting on the table beside the bed. I picked it up and before he could react, I smashed it against his head as hard as I could.

He fell off the bed with a loud cry. “Arhhh!”

That was all I needed to escape. I pushed myself off the bed and started running towards the door. But before I could reach the exit, I felt a strong pull on my hair, and I was flung hard against the bed.

The man's eyes darkened as he moved closer to me. “If you try that again… I'll kill you.”

I swallowed hard, as my heart slammed loudly against my chest. “Please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone about this.”

His dark expression faded quickly into a humorless laugh. “There's no way you're getting out of this situation, it'll be easier if you give up.”

And just like that, he pounced on me. And as I shut my eyes in fear, I heard the door creak open.

My eyes flew open instantly and I saw a young man with dark hair pooling across his face at the door. He closed the door gently behind him and brushed his hair back, revealing a pair of grey eyes.

“Get away from her now,” he muttered in a deep baritone voice.

“And who the fuck do you think you are?” My assailant shot back, getting off me as he darted towards the man at the door.

“Get the fuck…”

The man at the door didn't let him finish. He smashed his fist hard against my assaulter's jaw and he dropped unconscious to the ground immediately.

“You should leave now.”

His grey eyes met mine and for half a second, my chest ached like I’d lost him before. I shook it off. We didn’t even know each other.

I jumped off the bed and scurried on the floor as I searched for my footwear. By the time I raised my head to thank him, he was already gone.