The music was turned off, and I suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention. They greeted me with laughter and directed their attention to the bouquet of flowers I was holding.
"Hey, don't call Tyler your boyfriend not to talk of mate! He finally got to fvck you. There was nothing else he needed from you. Don't think he has loved you all this while? Even if you are his mate, he will reject you." Someone jeered from behind me, and everyone burst into a scornful laugh, except Jaxon.
"He has dumped you for the Beta's daughter." Another voice chipped in, and my heart sank into my belly as fear engulfed me.
My legs gave out beneath me as tears welled up in my eyes. The shame and pain were almost too much to bear, and I couldn't bring myself to look at them.
This couldn't be happening. It had to be some kind of sick joke.
It started with Tyler's surprise birthday party that I hadn't been invited to. And then, when I referred to him as my "mate," Jaxon's expression was one of shock and pity, as if he couldn't believe I didn't know the truth.
I was completely lost.
As I stood there, bewildered and hurt, I overheard someone sneering at me, saying that I was foolish for ever thinking Tyler could be interested in me.
The whole situation was a nightmare.
"Keep that flower aside, or he will throw it in your face! " A lady said from behind with a mockery laugh and smack on my head.
I never cared to check on who it was or why she hit my head. I can't bear seeing those mockery looks again. I can't bear the berating worde and how they treat me like a fool.
With a frantic sprint, I bolted up the stairs, ascending each step with purpose towards Tyler's room. I needed to locate him and extract the truth from his lips. Despite the persistent echoes of his horrible friends' jeers that lingered in my mind and fractured my spirit, I refused to believe their taunts were genuine.
The mere indication that Tyler was hosting a birthday celebration without inviting me only served to strengthen their allegations. Could it be possible?
Oh, please, no!
I held back my tears, fervently hoping it was a lie. The thought of it alone sent vibrations through my body, even my wolf shared in the fear.
Finally, I arrived at his door, but inexplicably, I struggled to push it open. I naturally barged in without knocking, but now, I lacked the strength to turn the knob.
My eyes fell on the flower in my hand, and a cruel reminder of the words his cohorts had spoken about it crossed my mind.
The pain was so intense that I wept uncontrollably.
As I hesitantly tapped on the door, a strange voice flowed from the room, and I could no longer wait. I pushed the door wide open, desperate to divulge the truth.
In utter disbelief, I stood frozen, my eyes widening as I watched the shocking scene unfolding before me.
A lump formed in my throat and my heart skipped a beat as my mind struggled to comprehend what was happening.
Their bodies were entwined in a passionate embrace, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and her fingers tangled in his hair.
They were so close to each other that it seemed like they were one entity, and the sound of their moans and groans cut through me like a thousand knives.
Tears streamed down my face as I witnessed him exploring every inch of her body, his hand caressing her curves and her backside.
My heart felt like it was being crushed as I struggled to hold back a sob, biting down on my lip and clutching the bouquet of flowers tightly in my hand. I dropped the flowers right there.
With tears streaming down my face, I sprinted away as fast as I could, heedless of the noise my pounding footsteps might make. The stairs blurred in my vision, causing me to stub my toe repeatedly, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony I felt inside. I just wanted to escape to the safety of my own bed, where I could hide from the harsh reality that had slapped me in the face.
The girl with Tyler was a stranger to me, and I couldn't shake the nagging question of who she was and how she had stolen him from me so easily.
What had she done that I hadn't?
The sight of them kissing so passionately in that room confirmed my worst fears.
They were lost in each other, oblivious to my presence, and their moans echoed in my mind like a taunting reminder of what I had lost.
The urge to faint or disappear was overwhelming, and I wished more than anything that it was all just a bad dream.
At this moment, I deeply regretted my decision to surprise him with a visit.
Little did I know that the man I loved and had given my whole heart to was already entangled with another woman.
The shock of this realization cut into my soul like a knife.
As I made my way through the hallway and descended the stairs, the loud and rapid clack of my heels on the tiled floor caught the attention of Tyler's friends, who were in the mood for a lively party. Their eyes fixed on me, and some began to snicker and whisper to each other, their words dripping with sarcasm and amusement.
Holy shit!
What coerced me to come to this place? Despite my tears continually flowing, I ignored them and hastily made my way towards the exit. I need to depart immediately before I completely fall apart.
As I arrived at the door, Jaxon suddenly grabbed my hand, halting my movement and causing me to lose my footing. I twisted around and stumbled, falling into his arms.
"Tell me, what went down?" he asked, and I frantically disentangled myself from his grasp, struggling to release my hand.
I couldn't bring myself to look up, not at him or anyone else. They were all privy to the situation. Tyler, my mate, was upstairs with another woman.
Why bother asking what occurred?
"Jaxon, please release me! Let me go!" I screamed, tears clouding my sight.
"You saw him with her, didn't you? But I attempted to prevent you... I-"
"Let me go!" I shouted at him in a hoarse voice, and the rest cackled.
"I never knew she had such huge expectations for the handsome Alpha. I wonder what he did to her?" someone interjected, shattering my heart even more.
"Lily, please try to remain calm. I have an explanation for everything," Jaxon implored.
But I couldn't contain my frustration any longer. "Jaxon, why must you act so foolishly and provoke me? How could you have kept this from me all along?" My words faltered as my emotions ran high.
The memory of Tyler's betrayal replayed in my mind, causing an intense ache in my chest. I never would have expected this from him.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed on the staircase, and Jaxon released his grip on me and quickly retreated, leaving me standing there alone with my thoughts.
My eyes shot up to the staircase, where I caught sight of his hand in hand with her, descending the steps with slow and measured strides. My attention was fixated on him, and I couldn't budge as my heart pounded relentlessly in my chest.
As they descended to the sitting room, he approached me, closing the gap to just a few inches.
"Lily?" he exclaimed, flashing me one of those toothy grins that sent me reeling.
But his expression quickly soured as he demanded answers from me.
"What are you doing here? And when did you return? Why didn't you tell me?
His tone became frosty, and his smile vanished without a trace.
"So let me get this straight, you wanted me to give you a heads up before I arrived so that you could put on a fake act of innocence and deny any involvement with her, right? You needed that heads up so you could showcase your insincere demeanour!"
I exclaimed, struggling to maintain composure and not break down in front of the girl standing next to him. I couldn't bring myself to examine her appearance closely, and I doubted I ever would summon the courage to do so.
"What's the matter? What exactly are you trying to say?" He mocked with a derisive smirk, causing my gaze to waver.
My eyes were wet with tears as I shouted, "You can't fool me with your feeble excuses! I saw everything you were up to in that room of yours." You know exactly what I'm referring to, so don't even bother trying to deceive me.
He responded bluntly, devoid of any emotion, "Lily, she is my second mate."
My spine trembled with fear and my jaw dropped as a surge of shivers rippled through me, causing goosebumps to spread over my entire body. The overwhelming terror was so intense that my legs involuntarily dragged behind me. The thought of being rejected was unbearable, and I desperately hoped it was all just a prank. I waited for the punchline, but it never came. Trying to compose myself, I approached him and gently touched his face, hoping for some reassurance. With tears streaming down my face, I whispered, "This is just a joke, right?" But my hopes were dashed as he angrily pushed me away, shouting, "Don't touch me!"I nearly lost my balance but managed to stumble and regain my composure. The shove lacked full force, but was filled with a deep sense of revulsion and repugnance.Glancing up at his face, I regretted it instantly, as his countenance was consumed with animosity, for reasons unknown to me."I'm struggling to comprehend the lies you're spewing. You saw what we did i
Moving slowly, I made my way to the sitting room door and secured it before ascending to my room. After taking only a few steps up the staircase, a sharp pain shot through my head. Memories of Tyler's heartbreaking rejection flooded back, causing me to cry out in pain and hurry to my room to seek solace under my duvet.With frustration boiling inside me, I slammed the door shut and forcefully kicked off my boots before flinging myself onto the bed. That's when I heard a spine-chilling grunt coming from just outside my window. My eyebrows shot up in alarm, and my body filled with fear as the sun began to set and I realized I was completely alone in the house."What the heck was that?" I wondered, my heart pounding in my chest. But then I remembered that I was going to be a hunter soon and I couldn't let fear overtake me. With a deep breath, I pushed aside the fear and sprinted to the window, yanking open the curtain to peek outside. After scanning the area with no luck, I finally looke
I dashed across the corridor, desperate to reach my destination. The corridor appeared to be quite longer than it used to be, but I didn't let it deter me. I had to save the vampire's life.I paused for a second when I approached my father's room. What if he discovered what I was up to? What if he became enraged? I didn't want to deal with his rage.I took a deep breath and carefully turned the doorknob. As I opened the door, it made a creaking sound. I entered the room gently, looking for the medicine that my father had hidden.I saw a little box on a high shelf. It was made of wood and locked with a silver key. I knew my dad kept the key in his desk drawer. I quickly went to the desk, feeling very anxious.I felt my heart race as I looked through the drawer. I could hear someone coming towards the room. I started to panic as I searched for the key, my hands shaking nervously."Lily, what exactly are you doing in here?" My father's voice stunned me, and I hurriedly shut the drawer wh
He looked at me with eyes that held a depth I couldn't quite grasp. He paused briefly before speaking, his voice filled with regret. "I'm Adrian. Adrian DuMont."Adrian DuMont. The name struck a chord with me, eliciting a flash of remembrance. It was a name with weight, one that triggered something deep within my memories. But I couldn't remember where I'd heard it previously.He responded the query before I could delve more into the mystery surrounding his name. "What about you? Can you tell me your name?"I paused for a moment, unsure whether to reveal my true identity. But there was something about him, something in the way he looked at me, that made me want to believe him. "Lily, Lily McGregor."Adrian's face lit up with surprise, as if my name meant something. His eyes widened slightly as a flash of recognition passed through them. "Lily McGregor," he said quietly again, as if testing the name on his tongue. "The daughter of the renowned pack hunter, Robert McGregor?"I nodded, s
I was really exhausted when I left my room because I wanted to get away from the chaos and commotion. But when I unintentionally ran into Audrey, the girl who had caused me the pain, things only became worse. Tyler choosing her rather than me shocked me. My feelings of pain and rage intensified as a result of how misled and played I felt."Oh, how are you doing, Lily?" Audrey asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "I imagine you're heartbroken?"I attempted to ignore the hurt of her words and push past her. I needed to concentrate on finding Adrian and assuring his safety. Tyler's decision and Audrey's presence were unnecessary distractions.I wandered the corridors, lost in my thoughts, my head still reeling from the incident. Audrey's unexpected appearance in front of me puzzled me. What exactly was she doing here? Why is she bothering me right now? To rub salt into my fresh wounds?Audrey's sarcastic voice cut through my thoughts once more, "Have you become deaf because of heartbr
"What's happening here?" I asked, my voice trembling with confusion. The air in the room choked me with tension, and I could feel the weight of their gazes on me.Tyler's grip on Adrian tightened, his voice dripping with triumph. "Look who I found snooping around your chambers, Lily. He could be a thief, or worse, an assassin."My mind raced, searching for a way to salvage the situation. I had to think fast, to find the right words that would divert their attention. I wandered why Tyler was suddenly acting like the hero in all this.Summoning every ounce of composure I had left, I straightened my posture, meeting Tyler's gaze head-on. "Tyler, let him go," I commanded, my voice firm and unwavering. "He is not a threat. He's here under my protection."Tyler's expression hardened, "What? Are you commanding me, the Alpha-to-be? And why is he here under your protection? Who the hell is he to you?"My father stepped forward, his expression stern and questioning. "Lily, why are you showing s
Without looking at him, I replied, "No."I tried to move through the door, but he blocked the way again, "I won't beg you.""And I don't want you to.""Why are you being difficult?'"Just let me pass!" I jerked his hand off the door rail but he banged the door behind us, making me flinch back.I glanced at him, my gaze piercing. "What do you think you're doing?""Is this how you want things to be from now on between us? Weird? Awkward? Toxic? Shitty?" The words came out of his mouth like garbage."You made it this way…" My voice broke with every syllable.He sighed and looked the other side. I walked back more and folded my arms, eager to get this over with and get away from him. "Speak."He hesitated, "Lily, I understand that our breakup was difficult for both of us…""Oh gee, look who's just finding out.""You won't even let me speak.""Look, I don't even want to hear anything. You've said all I needed to hear already. We just need to find a way to move forward..."He scoffed, his e
Don swung a punch first but it barely reached Adrian. He let out a corny laugh that made me roll my eyes. "Was just warming my reflexes…I'm gonna pulverise you..."As Don continued swinging his fists in the air, Adrian remained still, observing his movements with careful attention. I couldn't help but wonder what Adrian was planning. What was his strategy? The anticipation built within me slowly.Jaxon took a seat beside me, breaking my focus on the fight. He leaned closer and asked, "Why do you trust that guy so much, Lily?"I paused for a moment, gathering my thoughts. "He saved me, Jaxon. There's something about him, something I can't quite explain," I replied shakily.Jaxon tilted his head at me, "Lily, you know you can't keep things from me right?""I'm not trying to.""We'll get back to that… I talked to Tyler." His voice faded."You didn't have to. You really shouldn't have.""I can see that it's been bothering you. You don't have to carry it all on your own," he said, his voic