001_Shattered Vows

Elora's POV

Crossing my legs over his, I wrapped my arms around Zeke's neck as I leaned in, placing a kiss.

He responded, deepening the kiss.

In a few seconds, I broke free, gasping for breath. I placed his hands on my butt chicks and was about to continue from where I stopped when he evaded my lips, standing up.

It took all my strength to stop myself from falling.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked, confused.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry Elora, but I can't."

"Can't what?"

"I can't do it!" He snapped. Anger flickered across his face for a second. "I'm sorry, it's just that things have changed. I mean, you have changed."

I arched my brow. "I still don't get you, Zeke. What are you talking about?"

He chuckled slightly, racking his hair.

"I'm sure you know. I mean look at you—" He gestured towards my body. "You aren't the way you used to be. You are a lot chubbier now, and I feel weird touching you."

I snickered, blinking back the tears that threatened to leave my eyes.

"This is because of that Omega, right?" I said, pointing to a corner of our living room. But I'm sure he knew who I was talking about. "It's because of Charlotte, right?"

Zeke frowned, but I didn't care. I wasn't done.

"Because your so-called fated mate is a young, beautiful girl in her late twenties with a perfect and slender figure, while I'm an old hag in her mind thirties with an ugly, plump figure, right?"

Those words snapped something in him.

He took long strides towards me, his eyes holding nothing but anger.

"That's enough, Elora. Stop whining like a kid," He growled. "I don't have anything to do with Charlotte anymore, so leave her out of this and stop throwing tantrums." He smirked. "Or do you want us to talk about that night again?"

I couldn't believe it. He was making it look like it was all my fault.

Well, it was for trying to help him do his laundry after he said he had an event to attend and couldn't come home. But what I didn't see coming was an envelope in one of his jackets addressed to "The One I Love."

I was both shocked and moved. But then, it wasn't my birthday, and our anniversary was far gone.

That made me suspicious.

I opened the envelope, and what I saw inside tore my heart into two.

They were pictures of Zeke with a blonde girl inside and a note with words he had never said—or written—to me.

Zeke and I had been married for seven years, but yet the feelings expressed through the letter and pictures are ones our marriage has always been void of.

It made me both hurt and sick. So I did something I never imagined I would ever do. I dressed up and headed up to the place he had mentioned. And to make it all worse, there she was, sitting next to him.

She had her hand in his and that made my blood boil. I took a glass from a table in front of me, strolled over to theirs, and splashed it on her.

I still remember that day like it was just an hour ago. It's not like I was given a choice. A permanent reminder was imprinted right above my brow.

"What the f*ck?!" One of Zeke's friends had yelled.

He picked up a cup and slammed into my head.

But I have no right to blame him. He didn't know I was Zeke's wife. None of them knew.

Zeke had proposed we keep it a secret to avoid having awkward moments at work.

Suddenly, Zeke turned towards the stairs, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Where the heck are you headed to?" I asked, my gaze following him.

"My room, woman," He muttered without glancing back at me. "Since you would rather dwell in the past and argue than spend time with me, then I would rather head to my room and take a long, peaceful nap."

Before I could say anything else, his back was nowhere to be seen—disappearing into a corner.

I couldn't help but laugh as I headed for my room, slowly, recalling the rest of that night—especially the words he said to me.

He had pulled me out of the bar and had taken me to a corner.

"What are you doing here, Elora?"

I didn't know what to say. I just threw the letter and pictures at him. They fell to the ground, his eyes darting towards each of them.

"I can explain. It's not what you think," He said.

"Then who is she?" I asked, tears finally streaming down my eyes. "Why were the two of you together?" I picked up a picture, holding it for him to see. "And what do these mean?"

He was silent at first, before finally speaking up.

"She is my fated mate."

The words seemed to have sucked out the air in my lungs. I had to hold the wall next to me in order to keep myself from falling.

"So you want her?" The words escaped my lips before I could think.

He shook his head, reaching for my hands.

"No baby, but I don't know how to explain it all to you—" A smile tugged the corners of his lips. "What I have for her is something I have never felt for anyone before. It's something beyond the physical. But believe me, it's just something platonic, nothing more. I'm sure you know this. Our mate bond can testify."

I wasn't sure how I looked at that moment, but my insides felt sick. Though he was right. If he had slept with her, then our mate bond would have made me feel an unimaginable pain

My lips parted, but before I could say anything, Zeke closed the gap between us, kissing me.

When I pushed him away, he held my hand tightly.

"Let's go home, baby. That's what you want right?" He said, pulling me away. "You don't have to go in there and embarrass me again. I'll always be there for you from now on."

He did keep his words—at least a part of it. He stopped going for his usual events, and stayed at home more.

Yet, with both of us sleeping in different rooms and in the same house, I still can't help but feel heart-aching alone.