Ch.1- Fire

In a peaceful neighborhood, yellow flames flickered and danced as they devoured one of the pack mansions.

Two women, one standing in the dimly lit long corridor and the other struggling to break through the jammed bedroom door, stared at each other through the door's tiny cracks.

From behind them, you could think the one outside was helping the one inside escape the fire, but on closer look, a person will understand what was clearly going on there.

The one inside, a pale woman who looked like she was malnourished, trembled as she threw her weak body against the door to push it open. A look of horror covered her face, while tears welled her eyes, filled with pure terror.

Constantly, she would run her hands on her belly, mutter inaudible words, and go back into trying to break the door open.

The one outside had a smug smile spread across her face. Her eyes twinkled with evil, and she would smirk at the woman inside.

The woman inside was Wendy Queen, the Alpha billionaire's wife, who everyone knew was never loved. What was between Wendy Queen and her billionaire husband, Alpha Zach Hilton, was a forced marriage, even though they were fated mate's.

Alpha Zach, who never wanted to marry Wendy, was forced to do so with his grandfather because Wendy's parents saved his parents in a fire years ago, leaving her an orphan at the age of four.

Retired Alpha Steven had no way of repaying the kindness of Wendy's parents, so he married her off to his grandson so that she would get to experience parental love from Alpha Zach's parents.

Although Alpha Zach married her because he had no option, Wendy did it out of love. She was just eighteen years old when she was invited to the annual mate ball conducted in the Alpha's mansion.

Out of the million girls present there, hoping they would be Alpha Zach's fated mate, she, an orphan and an ordinary girl, turned out to be the one.

She fell in love with him at first sight and promised herself to make Zach fall in love with her when they finally settled together as husband and wife, so she decided to get married to him a few weeks after their first meeting.

Have you succeeded in doing that?

Her wolf, Andy, asked from the back of her head. Five years had passed since the marriage, but she never succeeded.

Alpha Zach had never spared her a glance or acknowledged her. He pushed her around, and all he could do was belittle her.

One time he told her cold in the face that her parents faked their deaths so that they could get her married into a rich family.

It had hurt so much, but there was nothing she could do. Most of the time, she had thought of running away, far away from the marriage, but she stopped herself.

She knew that if she were to do so, she would prove to the world that she was a gold digger, just like they called her in magazines and on television.

Her hope that Alpha Zach would one day love her and accept her as his fated Luna was shattered when his ex-girlfriend came from abroad.

She could get jealous over how gently and lovingly he would stare at his ex-girlfriend and how happy he always was when she was around.

Things got worse when the ex-girlfriend started framing her. It hurt her even more when her mate always chose to believe the ex but not her.

The girl standing outside the burning bedroom was the ex-girlfriend. She was Venessa Hawking.

Just four hours ago, she had come to Wendy to piss her off as usual, or so she thought. Only if she knew that she had come with plans of ambushing her in a house of fire would she have run away long ago.

Since Venessa's arrival, Wendy has only swallowed painfully and hard as Vanessa narrated to her how passionate she is about spending the night with Zach.

Every time she would do that, Wendy would try to act strong and tell her she was lying, but the cunning and wicked Venessa had every photo and video.

Yes, she had numerous videos of her and Zach making love, and she would send them to Wendy anytime she would want to piss her off.

What gave Venessa the audacity to do all this was the fact that she knew Wendy would never question Zach. She had succeeded in creating a huge gap between them, which she was sure would never be filled.

Of all, she had ruined Wendy's reputation, not only in Zach's but in the world as well. Now, even if Wendy wanted to leave, she couldn't because no one would think of employing her.

She was left with no choice but to witness as her mate cheated with his ex-girlfriend right in front of her eyes.

"Help me get out of here, Venessa." Wendy pleaded as she started coughing. The fire was spreading really fast, and as she begged Vanessa to help her out, she was surrounded by smoke.

"What makes you think I can help you out?" Venessa asked arrogantly, her lips twitching with disdain.

"I'll give you everything you want. Just let me out of here!" She begged, clutching her hands on her chest. Her lungs were squeezing painfully because she had started losing breath. "Or you can call for help if you don't want to help me."

Ignoring her last sentence, Venesssa sneered while responding to her first one," You'll give me what I want? You knew what I wanted, Wendy, but you never gave it to me. So, I am forced to take it."

"You have always wanted Alpha Zach, Venessa, and you always have him. I may be staying at his house, but he is never here. He spends all his time with you." She responded with a painful lump rising in her throat.

For the past three years, she has stayed home, waiting for him. Zach has always been out on vacation with Venessa. Even Venessa's visit was to tell her about the passionate moments she shared with Zach on their recent vacation.

"I know that, dimwit. But you still have his name. You are the one known as Luna Wendy. You are the one with his last name, not me. Can you give me that?" She asked from outside, pressing her ear against her door since Wendy's voice was breaking and was getting inaudible.

Wendy smiled bitterly, then dropped her hand to caress her belly. "Yes, just get me out of her, and I'll reject him even today if you want," she promised.

Vanessa smiled in satisfaction as she pulled a key from her pockets. The bitch made Wendy think the bedroom door was jammed, but she had actually locked it.

Wendy sighed in relief when she heard the lock click open, but before she could get out, sounds of an arriving car were heard.

They both stared out—Wendy through the bedroom and Vanessa through the corridor window—and saw the car driving in.

It was Alpha Zach's.

Suddenly, a wicked smile spread on Vanessa's face as a wicked idea came crushing down on her brain.

Quickly, she unlocked the door, dragged Wendy out of the room, and locked herself in.

“What are you doing, Vanessa? Get out of there. There is fire!“ She screamed at her.

What Wendy didn't know was that Vanesa wanted Zack to think that she had locked her in out of jealousy.

"Help! Help!" Venessa ignored her and started screaming when she saw Zack, through the window, coming out of the car.

Knowing whose voice that was, Zach dropped his briefcase and ran inside the house.

He ignored Wendy when he found her out there in the corridor. In fact, he elbowed her aside, not minding her painful groan since he had elbowed her breast, then rudely asked, "Why is there so much smoke coming from in there?“

Wendy swallowed her pain, then responded. “There is fire. I don't how it started.“

“Where is Venessa? I heard her screaming for help." He asked directly without beating around the bush.

I am also here. Are you not concerned about me? Wendy wanted to voice out that question but stopped herself; thus, she responded, "She is in there.“

“What?“ Painick washed over Zach's face already. “How the hell did the fire start? My Venessa?“ He called, pounding on the door with his fists.

“My Venessa?“ Wendy's hurt stung. If Venessa was his, then who was she?

She swallowed up her pain, preparing to answer his question, but a trembling, tiny voice responded from inside.

"Zach, Luna Wendy couldn't stand the fact that you take me on vacations and not her, so she tricked me in here and set the room on fire. Please help me; I don't want to die.“

She even called her Luna to pretend that she respected her as her leader!

Wendy gasped in shock. “What? Vanessa, it's you who started the fire! You asked me to get in there and douse it, but you ended up locking me in there.“

“Seriously?“ Zach turned to her with a sneer. "She locked you in there when, in reality, you are standing in the corridor while she is there fighting for her life."

“I…” Wendy trailed for a minute before getting her voice back. "I swear, I was the one who was in there. She pushed me out and locked herself in there when she saw your car coming in.“

“The audacity you have, Wendy Queen!“ Zach's deep voice rose, sending chills through her body.

“Please help me out of here. Ask her to unlock the door, please, Zach.“ Vanessa continued to whimper from inside.

“What?“ Wendy questioned Zach when he stared at her, his eyes clearly demanding, Open the damn door. “I haven't locked the door. It's jammed. She knows that!“

“Liar!“ Vanesssa screamed from inside, and then, sobbing, she said to Zach, “Look at her pockets. She has the key. I heard her locking the door.“

“No, you can't believe her. I would never do such a thing; you know that, Zach.“ Wendy responded.

“It's Alpha for you. A-L-P-H-A, now give them.“ He said this to her through gritted teeth. “Give. Me. the Damned. Keys.“ He stressed his words, veins of anger drawing on his face.

Great, now his wife has to call him Alpha, but his ex could get to call him by his name!

“I don't have them, see.“ Wendy agrily pulled her pocksts out, but something clanged on the floor. “I… I don't know how they got in here. I swear. I didn't do it, Alpha.“

She wanted to say that it was Vanessa who had shoved them in her pockets because she had felt something drop in her pocket when Vanessa grabbed her to take her out, but a slap on her cheeks made her swallow back her words.

Zack roughly pushed her on the floor before kicking her on the ribs.

He gritted his teeth in anger, then turned to open the bedroom door.

“Thank you, Zach. I knew you wouldn't let me die in there.“ Vanessa sniffed, squating on the floor and bawling like a baby.

Not minding the angry flames, Zach pushed his way in and kneeled beside her while she was busy shedding crocodile tears.

"Are you okay, Venessa?" He asked, carrying her in his arms; however, she never answered. “Don't worry, I'll avenge for you.“ He promised while a hard glare was pierced in Wendy's direction.

“Are you there, Venessa? Please stop crying; it's not good for the baby.“ Zach continued begging her, spilling out a secret that broke Wendy's heart once again.

“You two have a baby together? Zach, why would you betray me to this extent?“ In a breaking voice, Wendy asked, but Zach's attention was on Venessa, who wasn't responding to him.

Only if he knew she was pretending!

Panicking that his flower might wither in his arms, Alpha Zach rushed outside while barking an order to his men, whom he had arrived with. "What are you looking at? Call the fire engine to stop this fire. I'll be taking Luna Venessa to the hospital."

“What? Luna?!!“ Another shock for Wendy!

Not wanting to offend their boss, they responded in unison with their heads bowed on their feet when he walked past them, “Yes, Alpha."

A bitter smile spread across Wendy's face as she watched his disappearing back.

Again, Zach had decided to believe in his ex rather than her.

Was he so in love with his ex-girlfriend that he didn't think of believing her as well?

She was the one with burns since she had stayed in the fire longer than Venessa, but she was left all alone.

While taking Vanessa's side and choosing to believe her, didn't he see the burns on her skin?

But why would he see her when the only thing he wanted to be better at was his unborn baby and the love of his life?

Why have I been so stupid? Wendy questioned herself as she crushed on the cold floor.

Had he already forgotten that he has a wife, and that was why he impregnated his mistress?

Was she too gross for him?

Was that the reason why he never touched her but only two weeks ago, when he was drunk and mistaken her for Venessa?

Suddenly, a rough hand started pulling her to her feet. “Leave me alone.“ She said this to her husband's bodyguard.

“Alpha Zach said that since you wanted to kill Vanessa in the fire, the same should be done to you.“ The guard responded without letting go of her.

“What are you talking about?“ She asked in disbelief.

“I am sorry, Luna Wendy, but I'll be taking Alpha's order.“ The guard responded before roughly pushing her into the half-burnt room and locking the door from outside.

Wendy ran to the window, wanting to call for help.

While standing there, panicking and trying to see through her teary-filled eyes, she felt a gaze on her.

She blinked rapidly to get back her vision, only to meet Vanessa's gaze.

She was smirking, her eyes glaring with pure evilness.

"Why?" She mouthed a question. "Why, Venessa, why?" She breathed out the question, a painful lump that made her eyes water, chocking her.

"Rest in peace, loser!" She mouthed back before burring her head in Zach's chest, who docked his head to her and kissed her head.

Reality slowly started crushing on her. She had never mattered to Zach, and she was never going to, because if she did matter, even for a second, he would have looked behind and changed his mind about having her locked in there.

Zach's driver ran to the back seat and opened the door for him. The car's engine started the moment the driver walked into his seat.

Before Wendy could sit in the already half-burned room and accept her fate, she saw her husband turning his head in her direction.

Her heart leaped; help was finally on her way.

He had finally changed his mind!

Venessa's head followed, and then she whispered something to him. They then both smirked at her before rolling the window upward and zooming away.

Fucking. Pieces. Of. Shit.

They have made their plan. To kill her in the fire while they get to be together and enjoy their lives.

Couldn't they just divorce or reject her?

Had Zach actually despised her to that extent?

The next minute, Wendy ended up passing out due to the rising temperatures. The tongues of fire danced even higher, completely burying her underneath them.