Chapter 5

Wandering into her favourite dress shop Naomi was determined to put the weirdness of the afternoon behind her and have a little fun. As she picked up some dresses and started trying some on in the changing room, she overheard a conversation that she wished she had never, Someone in the next cubicle was talking on the phone in a low voice “No, well Naomi isn’t going to know until she gets on that stage. He’s forbidden anyone from saying anything even her own brother. He said its part of her punishment.” Naomi had no idea what this was referring to, but the speaker had gone quite while the other person spoke “No exactly, like yeah, I don’t know her well either, but I don’t think she deserves that kind of humiliation either, all she’s done is fall in love with someone else’s mate”

Naomi gripped the cubicle wall for support. She had no idea what had happened, but her mind reeled and she couldn’t take a deep enough breath. Silent tears began to slide down her cheeks and her legs gave way underneath her. Was the Alpha not bonding to her tomorrow but planning some sort of public humiliation instead? Had the last 6 weeks been a joke or a trick to lure her in so he could crush her? She just couldn’t understand. Feeling like the dress she was trying on was a binding shroud she practically tore it off and put her own clothes back on and fled out of the shop, practically running all the way home. The burning feeling in her legs and lungs were almost pleasant distractions from the crushing feeling in her heart and soul.

Sitting down at her kitchen table Naomi tried to make sense of what she just heard. She was being punished? Theon was someone else’s mate and everyone knew except her. Even her own brother was keeping this from her and was going to let whatever Theon had planned for tomorrow, happen to her? Naomi sat for a few hours just unable to move or cry or really even think of much but the same few things spinning in her brain. Then she heard her brother come home. He walked in the kitchen and took one look at Naomi and took in a sharp breath seeing how wrecked and pale she looked, her eyes looked lifeless and she looked small and broken.

“Nai, what’s the matter?” he asked cautiously praying she didn’t say what she did

“Who is his mate then if it isn’t me? Is his…. His plan to reject me publicly?” Naomi asked looking down. She couldn’t meet her brothers’ eyes she felt too ashamed and she didn’t want to see if he looked like he felt sorry for her seeing as he was going along with this charade.

“I can’t say anything Naomi. It’s punishable by prison” this made Naomi’s head snap up, anger now burning in her eyes.

“What have I done that is so bad that this is warranted?” she demanded “What kind of sick game is Theon playing with me?!” seeing her brother just slowly shake his head Naomi couldn’t be in the room with him anymore, pushing him aside she ran to her room and shut the door. Lying down on her bed after an hour she eventually cried herself to sleep.