3. Betrayal

Kathleen's POV

His words pierced right through my heart like wooden arrows.

"She is what?" I asked again.

"Haha, Drake. Maybe my paranoia has gotten to my head. You are calling her your maid, and I am hearing mate. We will discuss her salary later. Send her away. We have waited for seven years for this day," I said and was about to walk towards him when the girl beside him whimpered, and he brought her close to his chest, making my heart skip a beat.

"Your mind is not tricking you, Kathleen. You heard it right. She is my mate. My fated mate," He said, and Caris growled inside me.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Drake? You found your mate and now what?" I whispered, my eyes brimming with tears, and I clenched my fists to control my raging emotions.

"Calm down, Kathleen. We can talk this through," Drake's tone was still as calm as ever, but how can he expect me to call down in a situation like this?

For seven years. I waited for this day for seven years, and now that it is here, he brought his mate here and tells me everything is useless? How can he do this to me and expect me to calm down?

Was my love for so long a joke to him?

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes to control the hurt I was feeling before opening them again.

"Even if she is your fated mate, what is the use of bringing her to our wedding room? We have signed an agreement. You know what you need to do. What is this all ruckus for?" I asked, and he looked at me cautiously.

"I can't reject her, Kathleen," Drake gritted his teeth, and I looked at him, my heart beating at a fast pace now.

"What the hell are you talking about? We signed a contract! Reject her this instant!" I growled at him.

"Kathleen woods! Don't you dare raise your voice at me. I am still your husband and the rightful alpha of the pack," Drake growled back at me and my heart sank into the pit of my stomach.

"Darling, don't be mean to her. She is just being emotional," That girl placed her hand on Drake's chest in a provoking manner, and a few tears rolled down my eyes.

"Do you look at her, Kathleen? This is how a mate should act. She calms and soothes my anger. Something that you can't ever do because you are incapable," Drake scoffed, and every word he spoke was like a slap to my face for loving him.

"You will never understand what I am feeling right now. You don't have a mate after all," Drake scoffed, pulling that girl closer to himself and kissing her forehead, shattering my heart into tiny pieces.

"Y-you. How could you do this to me, Drake? Why now after all these days? Why now?" I broke down before turning away.

This man who has given me this pain doesn't deserve to see my tears.

"Everyone should be in the pack's hall in five minutes," I growled through the mind link, and noticed Drake wincing a bit before he looked at me with a hard gaze.

"Kathleen, this is a matter between us. You don't need to bring everyone into this," Drake said, and I can't believe that he still has the audacity to defend this matter.

"Everyone definitely needs to be a part of it. It has always been the rule of this pack. Besides, you are the alpha of the pack now, Drake. Don't think impulsively," I said before walking towards the hall.

Seeing the commotion in the hall, I gulped a bit.

Though I acted strong inside the room, I wasn't sure about it anymore. My legs felt like giving up as my body shook with pain. I don't know if this was what rejection felt like, but in my heart, it felt like someone was stabbing me again and again.

Wiping the rogue tears that flew from my eyes, I took a deep breath before walking ahead in the hall.

I don't know how humiliating this matter is going to become for the pack.

Their late Alpha's daughter just got married today, and they met a new alpha, and on the same night, they were about to hear such a piece of news about their wedding.

"Kathleen? Why did you call everyone in such a hurry? Are we under some kind of emergency? Is something wrong?" Drake's father asked me with a knowing look, and for some reason, it felt like he already knew about it.

"Your new alpha, Alpha Drake, has something to say. Alpha Drake," I said, and he looked at me with dark eyes as he gripped the girl's hand in a tighter protective grip.

"I am sorry. I know I should've informed everyone regarding this matter before the wedding, but I have no intention of leaving Luna woods, thus I didn't tell her beforehand. I didn't want to spoil our day. I thought she would understand the matter, but it looks like she is more interested in creating a fuss than having a peaceful night," Drake said.

I looked towards the ceiling, trying my best to control my tears that were wanting to fall.

Wow, according to him, I am fussing? 

He brings his mate that he can't reject, and I am fussing? 

"What is the matter, Alpha Drake?" Cody, who was also my Gama, said, and everyone nodded their heads.

"I found my mate. My fated mate," Drake sighed, and everyone gasped before looking at me as if waiting for some kind of reaction from me.

"I don't see why there is a problem with that. According to the agreement, ‌reject your mate. That’s what both of you had signed and vowed to each other. Why are you extending this thing and making it harder for yourself and the poor girl?" Sylvia asked, and Drake glared at her.

"I can't reject her," Drake said, and once again, everyone looked at me.

"Can I know the reason why you can't reject her? You didn't hesitate to sign the agreement. And it was signed in front of the pack, my late parents, and your parents. And before that, I want to know when you came to know she is your mate?" I asked, and he looked away.

"It's been a week since I found her. I met her when I went to the southern areas. I can't reject her because she has already suffered so much in her previous pack. You guys won't believe how pitiful she was when I found her,” Drake brought that girl closer to him.

“She had wounds all over her body. She was barely holding herself alive. I can't reject her and have her suffer the mate-rejection pain too. Her wolf won't be able to take it. She will die, and I don't want that. I am sure you are not too inhumane to want that either," Drake said, and I looked at him, a feeling of self-mockery settling in me.

"Her wolf would die because of the rejection. What about me? Were my seven years of love a joke to you? Why don't you think about my wolf?" I asked, feeling sad, and Drake looked away, not answering me.

"So, now what? You guys took your oaths today only. Are you going to reject our luna?" Cody asked, and it brought tears to my eyes.

"There is nothing like that. Luna woods will still be my rightful wife. What I am trying to say is, I can't reject my mate. My wolf wants her. If I reject my mate after meeting her, then he is going to be heartbroken and will never be as powerful as he is. Do you think an alpha with a broken wolf will be able to rule the pack?" Drake reasoned, and the more he was speaking, the more tears dropped on the floor as I looked down to hide my pain.

"Why? Why did you hide it from me? We could've stopped the wedding if you had mentioned this earlier! Why!" I screamed in pain, my wolf howling along with me.

"I am sorry, Kathleen. I know I wronged you," Drake said, and I snarled at him when he tried to walk toward me, making him step back.

"Luna woods, I know I have become a hindrance in your love life, but believe my mate, I mean Alpha drake. We really can't leave each other.

I can't live without him. Without him, I will die. I love him so much. I know you are a chosen mate, but can you give him the same love as a fated mate?" The omega said to me in her overly sweet voice, and I got on my knees, closing my eyes.

"So all your love and wolf's pleasure and power is worthy, but it doesn't matter when it comes to me?" I asked no one in particular.

"Kath," Sylvia said, looking at me with sympathy, and I growled at her, a warning to maintain her distance from me.

"If you can't reject her because you don't want to make your wolf weak, I guess we have nothing to talk about," I stood from my place, looking Drake in the eyes.

"Since you can't reject your mate and be loyal to me like the contract says, I guess there is no reason for me to follow the contract and let you have the Alpha's position, right?" I looked at him, and Drake widened his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare," Drake growled at me.

"Do you want to test me?" I snarled back at him.

"Stop it. You don't need to fight my mate for it. I thought Luna woods was a sensible person, but I can see that you can't let a weakling like me have happiness," the girl suddenly said, and I raised my brows at her.

However, what shocked me was that her words were changing the expression of my pack members too. Were they also blaming me? After everything I have done for them?

"I can't let it happen. I don't want my mate to be stripped of his position. My love for him is not the selfish kind. I won’t let him suffer for my love. If my mate rejected me, I am going to die anyway, but I don't want to die as a rejected wolf. It's better if I take my life myself. It will be much better," That girl said and before anyone could react, she took out a dagger from her dress and sliced her wrist, making everyone widen their eyes.

"Liv!!" Drake growled in anguish before picking her in his arms and running out of the pack mansion.