Chapter 3 - What If She's Innocent?

NATHAN'S POV

"She's not in the Pack, Alpha," the messenger said while bowing his head.

"She's not in the Pack?" I asked as if I hadn't heard him the first time.

"Yes, Alpha. Some people said she moved out of the Pack after you banished her," he said, stating a fact that I had forgotten. I had acted irrationally, and now I think I regret it.

"Alright. You may leave," I dismissed him, and he left with a bow.

She left, I said to myself.

"Of course, she'll leave. You used your Alpha voice on her and told her never to return," my wolf said, blaming me for the umpteenth time since that fateful day.

I know; it’s my fault. I should have at least heard her out. I should have listened, just once, instead of acting in the heat of the moment. But… What if it’s true? What if she really did sleep with that person?

I could feel my wolf ignoring me, silent again, leaving me stranded in my own tangled thoughts. Since the incident, he had hardly spoken to me without reminding me of my mistake. He came out just long enough to blame me for letting our mate go, for not fighting for her, for shattering the bond we shared.

I felt trapped between two truths—one that Sophia was innocent and the other that she’d betrayed me. Victoria had shown me the photos: Sophia with a strange man on a bed. The picture was blurred, but I recognized Sophia’s short black hair, her fair skin, and that red dress she wore, the one I’d loved seeing her in. Rage had clouded everything else, and even though she denied it, Victoria insisted she saw her with her own eyes.

Victoria is the Beta’s daughter, someone I’ve trusted since childhood. Why would she lie to me? Could she even have a reason to?

I never knew Sophia would leave immediately. Yes, I banished her, but I thought she would stick around a little more, to at least prove her innocence. But she left, leaving me confused about whether to believe she did it or not.

I miss her. I miss her so much. I miss her smile; I miss her sweet scent. Why did she leave? Can't she be stubborn and stay back? But what if she's guilty? What if Victoria actually saw her with someone else? What if she cheated on me just days before her coronation as Luna?

"Nathan?" I heard a voice call. It was Victoria. She cat-walked towards me, swinging her waist in different directions. Victoria has always walked like a model; at one point, I thought she'd be one, but she said she had no plans of going down that line. Her dress was short and a little revealing. I wonder why she decided to dress like that today.

"Victoria? Why..." I was about to ask her reason for dressing this way when she cut me short.

"You look worried. What's the matter?" she asked with a concerned voice.

"Nothing. I'm fine," I said, but she shook her head vehemently.

"No, you're not," she said.

"I'm fine, Victoria. I'm just tired," I insisted.

"You're not fine, Nathan. I know you well, and I know when you're truly fine," she pushed further. Knowing Victoria, she would not stop asking until she got her answers. So I decided to confide in her.

"Sophia's gone," I simply said.

"To where?" she asked.

"I don't know, Victoria. She left after I banished her," I said in a low tone.

"Oh, great!” She said, sounding a little too pleased.

"What do you mean by 'Oh, great'?" I asked, not understanding why she was happy.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, Victoria?"

"When you banished her, you indirectly told her to leave the Pack, which she did. Do I need to explain to you what it means for an Alpha to banish a pack member?" she said with irritation in her voice.

"I just didn't know she'd leave so quickly," I said, and Victoria rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Don't tell me you still have feelings for that shameless woman."

"She’s still my mate, Victoria," I said, my voice coming out a bit sharper than I’d intended.

“No, Nathan. She stopped being your mate the moment you rejected her. You did reject her, right?” She looked at me, waiting for confirmation. I remained silent, feeling the weight of my hesitation. No one knew that I hadn’t rejected Sophia. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

"You rejected her, right, Nathan?" she asked again, but I remained silent. The whole place was quiet like no one was there. If a pin had dropped, someone would have heard.

"Nathan, I'm asking you a question. Don't tell me you didn't. Nathan?"

“I didn’t, Victoria. I didn’t reject her. I couldn’t bring myself to do such a thing. The banishment was enough punishment. I wasn’t even sure if she was truly guilty; I was just filled with rage when I saw the pictures,” I said as I got to my feet and began to pace. Victoria cleared her throat and started again.

"You can still reject her now. You know her full name; just say the words, and it will be over between you two. Simple," she said, but I ignored her.

"Nathan, are you even listening to me?" she asked.

"I can't."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I never even gave her a chance to defend herself. What if she’s innocent?" My voice dropped, the quiet confession slipping out before I could stop it.

"Are you in any way trying to call me a liar?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm not. I'm only saying I can't do what you're asking," I replied.

"She cheated on you, and you saw the evidence, didn't you? I only tried to save you from a cheating partner, and you're making me look like a bad person here," Victoria said in a low voice, making me feel bad for making it seem like she lied.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. All I'm saying is that Sophia might have wronged me, but I can't bring myself to reject her," I said and left her standing alone there. I could hear her groan. It made me wonder why she was so bent on me rejecting Sophia.