Chapter 5: Secrets Uncovered

​Cole's POV

​​​​"She's married, Alpha—and she ran away from her husband."

​I felt like I had been punched straight in the gut. The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp.

​"That can't be true. She's unmarked. She would have been marked by now if she was truly claimed."

​"Well, Alpha, the information came from a reliable source—Mason, the ex-police officer."

​"Yes, I know Mason," I muttered, expelling a heavy breath. I rubbed my temples, trying to clear the sudden fog of anger and confusion. "But I still want to hear the story from Serena herself. She will be the only one who can tell me the whole truth."

​"I understand, Alpha. But I need to tell you-she has been married for four years, and there is no record of a divorce. On paper, she's still married."

​I stared out over the ocean, my mind racing. I began to wonder, thinking back to the beach. I didn't scent her, or any other man on her. I hadn't really questioned her being completely unscented at the time, only because I had been so caught up in the overwhelming moment of finding her.

​​She couldn't be claimed by anyone else. She definitely didn't have a fated mate, because I am her fated mate.

​Maybe she was a chosen mate... I tried to make sense of the impossible puzzle in my head. But if she belonged to another male, why wouldn't he have marked her? What kind of male takes a wife and refuses to claim her?

​Go to her. Talk to her, Tanner reasoned in my mind, my inner wolf's voice low and urgent.

​"And pups?" I asked Henry, holding my breath as I waited for the answer. "Does she have any?"

​"No, Alpha. As far as we know, she has no pups."

​I let out a massive sigh of relief, the heavy weight lifting slightly off my chest. "Okay. Message me Serena's address and number."

​"Alpha, are you sure you want to continue with this?" Henry hesitated on the line. "I mean... you are sought after by a lot of the women in this town, even the ones further afield. There are many high-ranking females you could choose from. Hell, they were practically throwing themselves at you at the Dual Moon Prom."

​"I'm not interested in any of those women," I growled, my voice leaving no room for argument. "No one has made me feel the way Serena makes me feel. I've finally found my fated mate, Henry. I am not going to let her go."

​The second I ended the call, I grabbed my keys and I hurried down to the garage, got into the car, and turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life.

​"Alpha, are you sure you don't want the pack to come with you?"

​"There is no need," I said, gripping the steering wheel. "I'm going to get Serena. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

​"Okay, if you're sure about this. We'll be on standby."

​I nodded, shifting into gear, and drove off down the winding pack roads. The sun was just setting, casting a brilliant orange glare that lit up the entire interior of the car.

​A sudden wave of nostalgia hit me. The last time I had been in this specific car, I was driving Serena up to the main house. I shifted slightly and sniffed the air, but scented absolutely nothing.

​I had a remarkably strong sense of smell-I could easily scent if someone had been in my vehicle even a week or two ago. But from Serena? Nothing.

​Serena's POV

​I was just taking a fresh apple pie out of the oven, and it smelled absolutely heavenly.

​I had accidentally fallen asleep in the living room while watching TV, and it was lucky that I had set my alarm; otherwise, I would have completely burnt the pie.

​I carefully put it on the cooling rack. I was planning to share it tomorrow with Julia, a colleague I had just met. She had been so kind to me ever since I arrived in town.

​Deciding to retire to bed, I took the stairs two at a time. But just as I stood on the first landing, I heard a heavy knock at the door.

​I froze. Who could it be at this time of night? I asked myself. ​The hairs at the back of my neck stood on end. Malcolm. That was my immediate, terrifying thought.

​At that exact moment, my phone rang. I glanced down at the display screen, but I didn't recognize the number. I stood there, trapped between the knocking at the door and the ringing of the phone in my hand. The call was persistent.

​I cleared my throat and finally answered. "Hello?"

​"Serena? Hello, it's Cole. Please open your door, it's me."

​I went all weak at the knees the moment I heard his deep voice over the line.

​How did he find me? I wondered. Then again, I suppose he is the Alpha of this town; he could easily find out anything he wanted to.

​I was in two minds. Yes, I was incredibly happy that he was here, but at the same time, a heavy wave of apprehension washed over me.

​Taking a deep breath, I walked back down the stairs and opened the front door.

​Cole stood on the porch, his piercing green eyes looking at me intently.

​"Come in," I said softly, stepping aside.

​He didn't hesitate. He walked inside, his powerful presence immediately filling my small entryway.

I watched as his gaze swept slowly around the room, taking in my space.

​"Serena, I know it's a little late," he began, turning back to face me, "but we have to talk."

​"Yes, we do," I agreed.

​Over the last few hours, while I was alone, I had been thinking about exactly what I would say to him and what I truly wanted. I had already made the firm decision to tell him the truth. I just wasn't sure if he would still want me after I confessed that I was married, even though I was completely separated from Malcolm.

​But as I looked at Cole, a spark of determination lit up inside me. I deserved a chance with my true mate.

​I led him into the living room and asked him to take a seat. The moment he entered, he made the entire room look absolutely tiny. My furniture looked as though it had shrunk in his towering presence.

​He didn't sit. Instead, he turned to face me. "Serena, are you married?" he asked, his voice strong but laced with a tight, dangerous edge.

​I was completely taken aback. Even though I had just decided to tell him the truth, I never expected him to already know, let alone confront me so soon. How on earth had he found out? I knew he was a powerful man in this town, but I truly thought I had hidden my secret well.

​"How did you find out?" I whispered, my eyes widening.

​"I have my resources," he said.

​"Well, you certainly don't beat around the bush. You get straight to the point," I replied. I hesitated, trying to buy myself a few seconds to figure out the best way to break everything down to him.

"Can I get you something to drink before I begin?"

​"No, thanks. I had something before coming."

​I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "On paper, I'm married, but in reality, I'm not. I would say after the first year is when things started going downhill, and I just didn't see it at the time."

​I looked over at Cole. He was listening carefully, his green eyes locked onto mine without interruption. Seeing his undivided attention gave me the confidence to continue.

​"H-he treated me very badly," I whispered, the painful memory tightening in my chest. "He was very abusive."

​Cole gave a low, rumbling growl the moment I disclosed the information.

​"It was like I was in prison," I continued, the memories pouring out of me now. "He had to control everything, from my appearance to who I spoke to. I wasn't even allowed to work. Sometimes he'd get angry with me over such trivial things."

​I stopped for a moment, swallowing hard as the vivid images flashed in my mind.

​"Sometimes he'd be gone for days, out cheating, constantly stating to me that he was looking for his 'real' mate. There was once I hadn't seen him for almost three weeks, without any explanation. When he finally came through the door, his scent was strange. I could smell many she-wolves on him.

​He beat me that evening because he claimed I had rearranged everything in the lounge. I had only replaced the cushions and swapped a few chairs around, but he insisted I had to change the lounge back to exactly how it was. When I refused, he beat me to the point that I ended up in the hospital."

​I took a shaky breath, looking at my hands. "He told everyone I had taken a fall down a long flight of stairs. He played the doting husband, bringing food to me every day and giving me flowers. One of the nurses even said I was so lucky to have such a husband."

​I shuddered, thinking back and wondering why on earth I had stayed with him for so long.

​Cole's gaze looked absolutely fiery, but he seemed as though he was fiercely containing himself. His wolf had come forward slightly; his eyes were now a vivid, glowing emerald green with sharp, gold-lined pupils.

I wanted to get it all out now, so I forced myself to carry on. "He told me many times he wasn't going to impregnate me. He said that I shouldn't bring any pup into this world—not with my condition. He refused to mark me, just to punish me."

​I paused, becoming hesitant for the first time.

​"What is it, Serena?" Cole asked softly, his anger at Malcolm instantly melting into pure gentleness for me.

​"I... I don't know my wolf," I confessed, the words heavy on my tongue. "I can't shift. I've only shifted once as a child, which I think is the reason I can't be scented."

​The moment the truth left my lips, Cole took a step forward and reached out for me. He took my hand and pulled me tightly to him. I leaned into his chest, instantly feeling his powerful energy and support washing over me. He encircled my waist with his large hands, and his touch felt so incredibly good.

​"So for all these years, my wolf has been dormant," I whispered against him. "He told me before we got married that he didn't care about that-that he loved me, and that was all that mattered. But obviously, he was lying."

​The weight of my secret pressed down on me. Bracing myself, I gently freed myself from Cole's warm embrace and looked down at the floor. I didn't want to see or feel the rejection in his eyes when I uttered my next words.

​"I have an unusual ability that has kept me isolated and alienated... something that has kept me without any friends. No one wants to be around me. Everyone thinks I'm a freak." I took a shaky breath, finally forcing the truth out to him. "I can stay underwater for hours without coming up for air. I love the water. The water has been where I've spent some of my happiest moments, ever since Gran died."

​

​A tear slipped down my cheek at the memory. "Only my mom and gran accepted me. My mom died when I was fifteen, and then gran passed away a year before I met Malcolm. I never even got to know my dad, since he died when I was a baby."

​The tears came now, warm against my skin. I didn't dare look up at Cole.

​Will he reject me, too?