C1

Rowan Everly POV

"Look at the fat human, she looks like a drowned rat," a pack courtier snickers loud.

"She is so shameless," another courtier says. "She wants to stay with Alpha Grayson just to climb the pack ladder."

"I heard she tried to drown Brielle Thorn in the garden pond because she is jealous," a third one whispers.

My heart hurts so bad. The wet blue dress sticks to my big body. Everyone is staring and laughing at me in the Crimson Moon Banquet Hall.

"You do not belong here, Rowan," Brielle told me in the garden just a few minutes ago. "You are just his human wife on paper. Grayson loves me. You should just give up and leave the pack."

"I am his legal wife," I told her.

"He does not want a big human girl," Brielle laughed. Then she grabbed my arm tight. "Help me, Grayson, help, she is pushing me."

She pulled me down into the cold water with her. Grayson jumped in fast. He did not look at me at all. He lifted Brielle up in his big arms. He kissed her head gentle.

"Are you okay, my sweet girl?" Grayson asked her.

"Rowan pushed me," Brielle cried. "She hates me."

Now, I stand alone in the hall. Water drops run down my face. I cannot see Grayson anymore because he carried her away.

"Get out of our hall," a courtier yells.

I run out into the dark night. I run all the way back to the Ashbourne Moonkeep.

"Welcome home, Rowan," Hazel the nanny says at the door. "Master Grayson is back. He wants to see you in his study right now."

"Is he angry with me?" I ask. My throat feels very dry.

"He brought a big bunch of blue roses," Hazel smiles sweet. "But oh dear, you are soaking wet. Go put on dry clothes first."

"Yes, I will," I say. I feel a little happy. Today is my birthday. Maybe he got the flowers for me.

I run upstairs and put on a clean blue dress with flowers on the waist. I walk to his study. My hands shake. The door opens before I can knock. Grayson stands there in his black suit. He looks so big and scary.

"Why did you take so long?" Grayson asks. His eyes are very cold.

"I was wet from the party," I say soft. "I had to take a shower."

He does not wait for me to finish. He turns around and walks into the room. I follow him inside. The room is dark brown. On the chair sits the huge bunch of bright blue roses.

"You remembered my birthday, Grayson," I say. I smile and try to help him fix his tie. "Thank you so much."

He shoves my hand away hard.

"Your birthday?" Grayson looks at my dress and laughs a mean laugh. "You really think these flowers are for a fat human like you?"

"You really think these flowers are for a fat human like you?" Grayson laughs, and his voice makes me feel so small.

I look at the floor. My stomach drops, and I want to run away. I really believed the nanny when she told me about the blue roses. Why am I so stupid? Why do I always hope he will love me?

"Then why did you call me here?" I ask him. My voice is very small and shaky.

Grayson walks to his big wood desk and pulls a drawer open. "I wanted you to behave like a proper pack member, but you broke the rules. Brielle said it is fine, but I do not want to see you hurt her ever again."

I look at him in the big mirror on the wall. His face looks sharp and hard. He looks like a scary Alpha wolf, not a husband. My heart hurts so much it makes me feel sick. He is always so far away from me.

I look at the blue roses again. They look so pretty and quiet, but this room feels like a big storm is coming.

"I did not do it," I say. I try to sound strong, but my body is shaking like I am freezing cold.

He does not even look up. He takes out a red velvet box shaped like a heart. He checks the watch on his arm. His face looks so bored and mad at the same time.

"Rowan, stop doing bad things to my woman," Grayson says. "You wanted to marry the Alpha, so I married you. What more do you want? I do not love you. If you want my heart, you will never get it."

"I told you I did not push Brielle Thorn into the water!" I yell at him. I squeeze my hands into tight fists.

My lips feel dry and cold. I feel like I am going to fall down on the floor.

Grayson makes a mean face. "Are you saying she is a liar? She cannot swim, Rowan! She almost died in that pond. If I did not jump in to save her, you would be in the pack jail right now!"

"Grayson, do you really think I am that mean?" I scream. All the sad feelings inside me come out at once. I look at him with big tears in my eyes. "I did not push her! She fell down on purpose! She came to me and told me to leave you because I am just a human, but I never tried to hurt her!"

My face feels hot and my eyes are wide and scared.

Grayson looks at me, and his eyes get even darker. He looks at me like I am a bad piece of trash. He is probably thinking about Brielle crying and shaking in his arms, telling him not to punish me. He gets so mad. He reaches out and pushes my shoulder hard.

"You are the worst woman I have ever seen!" he yells.

I fly backward and hit the wall. My shoes make a loud noise on the floor. My face goes totally white. I just stare at him because I cannot believe he hit me.

He looks at me with mean eyes. Then he grabs the blue roses off the chair and walks fast to the door.

I do not know why I am being brave right now. My arm hurts from the wall, but I run fast and stand right in front of the door so he cannot leave.

"Where are you going in the middle of the night?" I demand.

Grayson glares at me like he wants to bite me. "Get out of my way!" he growls.

My eyes fill up with water. I look down at the silver ring on my finger. It is just a cheap, plain band from a tiny shop in the pack village. He bought it for me a long time ago before he started hating me. I love this ring so much. He never bought me a big diamond, so this little ring is all I have.

"You are a married Alpha, Grayson!" I scream. I cannot keep the anger inside anymore. "What are you doing going to her?"

For two whole years, I see pictures of my husband holding other women every single day. I forgot how to be happy.

He hits my hand away from the door. He looks at me with dead eyes. "You knew what you were getting into when you married into the Ashbourne pack."

The heavy wood door slams shut loud. BANG!

I freeze right there. I cannot move my legs.

Hazel the nanny walks into the study after the big front door clicks open and shut downstairs. She looks at me with sad eyes. "Oh, Rowan, are you okay?"

I lift my head up. I put my hand on my cheeks to see if I am crying. But my skin is dry and hot. No tears come out. I shake my head like I am in a bad dream. I walk past her into the dark hallway and go straight to my bedroom.