1. Ex-Lover Is Back

ANGELICA IVANOV…..

“It was my compulsion to marry you. I can give you all the rights of a Luna and Wife. But don't expect love from me. My heart belongs to Charlotte and I can't love anyone else.” These were the lines Alexei told me on our first night. I was totally shaken. Because I didn't know he had someone in his life, he still made me his mate.

But he made it clear that there is no place in his heart for me. But I was adamant to make a place for me in his heart. It's been three years since we got married. Everything was normal between us like other married people. But there was no love between us. Even though I tried my best to win his heart with my love I failed. He never showed any interest in me.

We were together but he treated me as if I was some kind of call girl not his wife. He will have sex with me and sleep. I cried a lot. There was no night I didn't shed tears. My heart wept, yearning for his love. But that day never comes.

I saw Charlotte on our wedding day. But the next day she vanished from the pack. Alexei used all his resources to find her but couldn't find her. And he always blames me for her departure. His words always pained me when he said, “It's all your fault that she's not with me today. If you weren't born then we would be together. Why don't you just die.” Though he said these words in his drunken state, it still hurts. It hurts like hell.

Today was our third wedding anniversary but we never celebrate this day. As he doesn't like it. And I don't do what he doesn't like. But I had prepared his favorite dishes for dinner. He liked the food cooked by me. It was the only thing he liked in me. My cooking. Otherwise, he never looked at me properly. It was almost ten o'clock and there was no trace of him.

I didn't realise when I fell asleep while sitting in the hallroom waiting for him. I woke up to the sound of the closing door. My visions were blurry as I looked up at the main door. I saw someone clinging to Alexei. He was holding someone. I closed my eyes and opened them again to clear my visions only to see my mate holding another woman in his arms.

My heart tightened painfully as my gaze fell on the particular person’s face. The woman was none other than Charlotte Mathews. Her clothes were torn and her body was bruised badly. There was blood on the corner of her mouth. I rushed towards them.

“What happened to her?” I asked Alexei but he just sent me a death glare, shutting my mouth.

“Maria.”

“Maria.” He started calling our head maid and she immediately appeared in front of him.

“Yes, Alpha.” A gasp left her mouth as her gaze fell on Charlotte.

“Bring medicine for her in my room, immediately.” He ordered and she left nodding her head. “Yes, Alpha.”

I watched him take her upstairs to our room. I felt a lump in my throat. My whole body was turning cold in fear. “You can't let anyone snatch your Mate Angelica. You have to protect your marriage. Your relationship.” I ran behind them.

Alexei made her sit on our bed. “You wait here. I will bring a pair of clothes for you.” My heart stopped as I saw him flashing a smile at her as he patted her head before marching towards the closet. He never smiled at me. And now he was giving her my dress. I can share everything with her but not my mate. She can take anything from me I won't mind but she can't take my mate away from me. I won't allow it.

I kept standing beside her until Alexei came back with a pair of night suits for her. “Go and have a warm bath. I have prepared a warm bath for you. You will feel better after that.” Giving her the nightsuit he told her and she nodded with a small smile.

“I'm sorry for troubling you, Alex.” Standing up on her feets she said with a small face. She just called him by a nickname. Of course, they were childhood sweethearts. Going by nicknames were normal for them.

Alexei held her hands in his and looked at her tenderly. “It's nothing. I'm glad that I could save you from that hell. You have no idea how hard it was for me to live without you. Everyday was a torture. There was not a single day I didn't miss you.” Tears rolled down from her eyes. And my vision got blurry by unshed tears brimming in my eyes.

“I'm sorry.” She said and her voice cracked due to her crying.

“Now go.” He helped her to reach the bathroom and I kept watching them while tears were streaming down from my eyes. It was too painful to watch your mate with someone else. Whom he loves with all his heart.

Finally he looked at me and advanced towards me. “Let her stay in this room tonight.” I nodded quickly.

“And tell Maria to prepare a room for her tomorrow.” I again nodded with my head down to hide my tears from him.

“Wipe those tears. You look awful.” Saying that he turned away from me and more fresh tears rolled down from my eyes. It was too much for me to take. So I just ran out of the room.

I wanted to scream. My heart was aching so badly that I felt like dying. “Why do you hate me so much, Alexei? Can't you be a little tender with me? You were so nice with her just now but when you were talking to me you were so harsh. Even my tears disgust you. Why? I don't mean anything to you.”

“It's been three years since we have been together. Still, I couldn't make a soft spot for me in your heart. Even a pet becomes your attachment if it stays with you for a long time. Then why don't you feel anything for me? If you don't love me it's okay for me, but at least don't insult my love. Bringing her to our room, you insulted my love. None bring an outsider to their bedroom. You just proved to her that there is nothing between us. Maybe, you wanted to make sure she realised there is no one in his heart except her.”

I kept sitting on the swing of the terrace with the hope Alexei would come to see me. I didn't realize when I fell asleep. I woke up in the morning when a maid woke me up. And I found myself lying on the swing. My heart sank at the thought that he didn't even bother to know where I was all night.

“What are you doing here, Luna?” She stared at me confusedly.

“Umm…. I didn't realise when I fell asleep here. I will go downstairs.” Saying that I got up from the swing to leave the terrace but she stopped me.

“Charlotte is back, Luna. Miss. Maria has prepared a room for her and she went to her room already.” She informed me and I just walked away from there.

When I reached our room I found our room empty. So I looked at the clock to see if Alexei had already left for the office or not. There was still time for him to leave so I went to freshen up then went down to see where he was.

My heart broke to see him having breakfast with his lover. He didn't even bother to call me. “It's high time I had food made by you. It feels so nostalgic.” I frowned at Charlotte’s words.

I never knew Alexei could cook. “I never stepped into the kitchen after you left.” She looked up at him with amusement in her eyes.

“You didn't cook for your mate!” Astonishment was clear in her tone.

“I only cook for people who are close to my heart.” Two fat tears rolled down from my eyes as I felt his words slicing my heart slowly and painfully.

I couldn't stand their lovey-dovey conversation So I turned to leave but stopped suddenly thinking about something. “It's not wise to leave the battlefield. If I give her space to come between us then she will not take much time to snatch my mate from me.” So I marched towards the dining table.

“Good Morning, Alexei.”

“Good morning, Charlotte.” I greeted them with a wide smile on my face. Charlotte greeted me back with a smile on her face. “Good morning, Angelica.”

“Luna. Charlotte, I'm your Luna. So you can't call me by my name. It's disrespectful to me.” I corrected her while taking the seat beside Alexei.

Charlotte looked at Alexei who was looking at me. “Sorry, my mistake, Luna.” She corrected herself and I could feel Alexei’s gaze on me. But I just gave him my most happiest fake smile.

“How are you feeling now? I hope you are fine now?” I asked her and she flashed me a smile.

“Yeah, I'm feeling much better now. All thanks to Alex who took care of me last night.” She said looking at Alexei who was having his meal. Smile was not leaving his lips.

“Obviously, he will take care of you. You are his closest friend who is very close to his heart.” I said looking at Alexei who was having his meal.

“I'm glad that he was there for you. Now that you are perfectly fine now he doesn't have to stay awake the whole night to take care of you. And I don't have to spend the night under the open sky.”

Hearing my last sentence he looked at me but I just smiled at him. I knew he wouldn't be guilty because of him I had to spend the night under the open sky. And I'm sure he wouldn't bother even if I die in front of him. He would just walk away ordering someone to get rid of the trash.

He didn't say anything, just stood up from his seat and left for the office. I also got up and left for my room.

It was night time and I was combing my hair before going to bed. Suddenly someone opened the door. “Alex….”

I looked at Charlotte through the mirror. How can she just barge into someone's room like this. Doesn't she have any manners?

“Don’t you have any manners, Charlotte? How can you barge into someone's room like this? Don't you know the basic manners that before entering someone's room you have to knock on the door and take permission.” I turned around and yelled at her.

“I always do this. It's Alex’s room. And I never need permission to enter his room.” She said simply making me scoff at her.

“It was in the past. At that time he wasn't a married man. Now you can't barge into a married couple's room like this. It's the last time, next time you are going to knock and take permission before coming to this room. Got it?” I told her but she just laughed at me.

“Angelica, you better be in your limits. Just because Alex has married to you it doesn't mean you become his Mate. He loves me. And he will always love me. In these three years you couldn't even make a place in his heart. He doesn't even talk to you nicely. Leave it, he doesn't even look at you properly and you are saying that I can't come into his room because he's married to you. When there is no room for you in his heart then I don't think you have any place in this room. He will never consider you his wife. And to me you are not his wife, just a caretaker.”

Her malicious smirk was mocking me. My blood was boiling in rage. “I'm Alexei's mate. And this truth won't change if you don't want to believe it. And the sooner you accept this truth the better it will be for you.” She was seething but didn't say anything, just walked out of the room by slamming the door with a thud.