Chapter 5 - Something broken 

What was I doing? I thought as I ran around the corner breathing heavily. 

It wasn’t the distance or lack of physical training that had me lost for breath. It was everything else. 

Why was he with her? They were over and he had started trying. 

“Aiden! Aiden!!” I called out as I saw his hand resting on the small of Talia’s back. “Hold on.” 

He stopped walking and guided Talia behind him like he expected me to attack her. The way he defended her looked like the most natural thing in the world. 

“Aiden, please, can we talk? Just us?” I said, barely acknowledging Talia behind him. 

He froze for a second, like he was calculating his next line of action. His face tightened as he looked at the alleyway I had just come out of. 

“You work at this diner?” He asked, his voice flat. “This is your job now?” 

I swallowed the shame that was threatening to come out through my throat like vomit. “Yes.”

His mouth curled, he scowled. “You could have at least told me you work here, although this doesn’t befit an ex beta.” 

It felt like a slap but I took it anyway. 

“You’ve never asked me,” I said. “You’ve never asked me about my work since I left the army.” 

Dismissed, but I wasn’t going to say that to Talia’s hearing.

He looked at me like he wanted to throw more jabs, maybe something even more cruel, payback for what Jamie did, but then Talia touched his arm lightly, and that was it. 

Aiden turned around and left me standing there. 

No other words, he didn’t even look back. 

*** 

The rest of my shift passed in a blur, at first it was slow when I got back into the kitchen. 

Mika had asked a million questions that I couldn’t answer and Jamie had looked at me like she pitied me. 

I concentrated on working in the kitchen, not wanting to stand out front just in case a familiar face had seen me outside trying to beg my husband while he stood with his mistress. 

Orders came in, plates went out. It was like I was on autopilot, empty inside but working outside, I smiled when I needed to, scrubbing the same counter twice. Nodding at the customers orders as they were called out. Grabbing more plates, turning more broth. 

My mind was stuck on the image of Aiden, how he looked at me like I was an embarrassment, like I was someone to be pitied. 

While he enjoyed her company, I was busting my ass to pay his debts. 

Kira said nothing, her silence hurt because I knew she was disappointed in me. 

When I finally walked through the door after my shift, the scent of untouched leftovers and plastic plates on the table hit me first. Nothing had been done today, the house looked like how I’d left it, Infact worse because I didn’t use plastic plates and I had no money for takeout. 

Aiden lounged on the couch, scrolling through his phone, his socks off halfway like a lazy teenager. He didn’t even glance up when I came in. 

It was only when I passed by that he noticed me. “Someone’s back pretty late, where were you?” 

I didn’t answer, I just kept walking towards the kitchen. 

“Mara,” he said, “I asked you a question.” 

“I had to work.” 

He sat up slowly, like the word “work” was his cue to go deeper. “What work exactly? You know, I don’t even know the kind of jobs you’ve been doing lately.” 

I turned around. “That would have been easy if you’d spoken to me like your wife earlier. You know, if you cared about me at all, even for once, you’d know more about me. If you even gave me a fraction of the care you give her.” 

He looked shocked, like he hadn’t expected the comparison. Then annoyance crept in. “I was just helping her stand up to that bully, okay? I happened to be nearby, none of it was planned. We were just meant to get lunch.” 

Of course not. He never planned anything, everything just happened. What a spontaneous King. 

“You know I’m telling the truth!” he added, his voice rising. “There’s absolutely nothing physical between Talia and I. She’s innocent and you always act like I’m cheating but I’m not. The mate bond would tell you if I had done anything, right?” 

Right. 

But just because the mate bond hadn’t shattered and wrecked me with soul splitting pain didn’t mean that he wasn’t tethering the line. He may not have physically crossed the line, but his heart had. He hadn’t broken the rules directly but everyday he edged closer to doing it. 

I wondered if his wolf didn’t fight against what he was doing, maybe if there was no mate bond, he would have already been intimate with her. 

He stood up and walked toward me. His face softened, almost like it used to when we were still in love. “Look,” he said. “I was a total douchebag earlier. I know, I shouldn’t have left you like that.” 

There were so many things to say to that but I chose silence. 

His hands brushed my waist, “let me make it up to you,” he murmured as he leaned in. “We haven’t done it in a long time and I miss you.”

A few days ago, I’d have jumped into his arms but today I wasn’t feeling it. 

I couldn’t wipe the image of her hand in his, the way she touched him, the way he acted around her. Her scent was still on him. 

My body wasn’t interested. 

I pushed him away, hard enough that he stumbled. 

He stared at me, stunned. 

“Are you crazy?!” He snapped. “What the hell is wrong with you? You said we should try but look at you,” his eyes sized me from top to bottom. 

“You look like you’ve been to hell and back, you’re probably still wearing those cheap cotton drawers. Do you know how sad that is? You don’t even look like a wife, you look like someone’s tired mother—Forget about it. I was crazy to start this!” 

He didn’t even let me say a word.

He just grabbed his jacket and stormed out, slamming the front door behind him. 

I stood there, numb. 

I went into the kitchen and started to cook. 

Kira still didn’t say anything. I cleaned the counters, scrubbed the sink and straightened the rug. 

I hoped I hadn’t pushed him to finally break the bond, “He still hasn’t broken the bond, so that means, he’s still mine. Right? I just have to be more…attractive.” 

I looked down at my chipped nails and the plate of food I forced myself to eat. I had worn cheap cotton underwear. 

I would have done it but I was in a bad mood. 

Tomorrow. I’d try again. 

We’d be okay soon. 

Right?