7. Hurt

RHEA’S POV

   I stretched out in bed, feeling a sense of happiness, I hadn’t felt in a long while. Miles’ scent still enveloped me, meaning he was still on the bed. I could still feel his warmth beside me, the solidity of his chest, and his strong arms around me. My eyes fluttered open, and I came face to face with Miles. We were still tangled up in the sheets.

But just then, he stirred. His eyes opened, and for a brief, fleeting second, he looked at me with a softness I hadn’t seen in ages. But then, clarity hit, and his gaze sharpened.

“Fuck!” he hissed, pushing himself up and away from me, his face twisted in horror. “What the heck are you doing in my bed?”

The warmth I had felt shattered in an instant. His reaction cut straight through me, leaving a hollow ache in its place. I had been foolish to think that one night could change anything between us. Now, our bond had only intensified, and anything from him would hurt me even more.

“I’m... I’m sorry, I—” I stammered, unsure of what to say. Didn’t he remember what happened?

Miles looked down, his eyes flashing with a mixture of regret and anger as he noticed his naked body beneath the sheets. He shut his eyes; his jaw clenched as if in pain.

“What have I done?” he whispered, his voice thick with regret, as if being with me was the ultimate mistake.

I just sat there, watching him in confusion and hurt, wondering why it had to be so terrible. Why did he look at me like I was his worst regret?

Then he turned his gaze back to me, a fiery accusation blazing in his eyes. I shrank back under his stare, the hatred there twisting the knife in my heart. “Satisfied?” he spat. “You knew I loved your sister, and yet… How could you do this to me? To her?”

Tears stung my eyes, his words striking deep. Why does everyone think I am a schemer? “Miles, I didn’t plan this. I swear, I didn’t do anything to make this happen. I—”

“Shut up!” he barked, cutting me off, his voice a thunderous echo in the room. “Do you even understand what we’ve done? I made a promise, Rhea. A promise to your sister. Why were you even in my room?”

“I only came here because… I needed to use the bathroom,” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.

“Out of all the rooms in this house, you ended up in mine?” he scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Get up and get out!”

“Miles, please—”

“Now!” he shouted, his tone final.

Tears spilled over as I hastily gathered the sheet around me, clutching it to cover my naked skin. Miles pulled on his boxers, moving as if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.

“I was a fucking virgin,” he gritted, his voice seething with bitterness.

I flinched, holding back a bitter laugh. “So was I,” I replied, picking up my bra from the floor. “Don’t make it sound like I orchestrated this whole thing. I was drunk, just like you.”

“And yet somehow, you ended up in my room,” he muttered, malice gleaming in his eyes. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you? Well, listen carefully, Rhea. This was a mistake—a huge mistake. No one, and I mean no one, can ever know about this. Not even Roxy. Do you understand me?”

The tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I had been foolish to hope for more, to think that, even for one night, I could be something to him. What was one of the best nights of my life was nothing but a nightmare for him.

“Do you understand?” he demanded, his voice harsh.

I swallowed back the hurt, forcing myself to nod. “Yes. I understand.”

He turned to leave, but then he stopped and looked back over his shoulder, his expression dark. “And if I hear even a whisper about this outside this room, I will have you banished from this pack. I’m the Alpha now. I can do whatever I want. Got it?"

I nodded again, lowering my gaze to my hands, trying to hide the shame and humiliation burning through me.

“Now,” Miles said coldly, his gaze cutting through me, “take your things and get out of my room before I call the guards. And you can accept my rejection right here and now, because I never planned to accept you anyway.”

I swallowed hard, nodding, my heart breaking into pieces I barely knew I had left to shatter. The rejection had been hanging over me, inevitable, and now it was finally here. I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway, coming closer, followed by a familiar voice calling Miles’ name.

We both froze, our heads snapping toward the door. It was Roxy.

Goddess, no. If Roxy found me here like this, naked in her boyfriend’s room, the fallout would be catastrophic. Miles’ face mirrored my own panic, his eyes darting around the room in search of a solution.

“Get in the closet,” he hissed urgently.

I scrambled to gather my things and started moving toward the closet, but he stopped me mid-step, his eyes wild with panic.

“No, wait!” he whispered fiercely. “She might look in there. Go... go to the bathroom. Lock the door.”

I nodded, clutching my belongings, and rushed to the bathroom, my heart pounding with shame and fear. Once inside, I locked the door, slid down to the cold tile floor, and buried my face in my hands, sobbing silently. I felt like a criminal hiding from my own sister, wrapped up in something that felt so wrong, so unfixable. Miles might be rightfully mine, but it didn’t stop me from feeling like the worst kind of person.

***

MILES' POV

I was a mess. This whole situation was a nightmare I couldn’t seem to wake up from. I had lost my virginity to Rhea, Rhea of all people—when it was Roxy who I had sworn myself to. I was furious and devastated, at myself, at Rhea, at the goddess for putting me in this impossible position.

As I straightened up the room, I spotted a small bloodstain on the sheets. I shot a look toward the bathroom where Rhea was hiding, realizing she had been telling the truth about being a virgin. The thought was jarring, especially when I had always believed she was involved with Yuri. Roxy had insisted they were together, but maybe that relationship wasn’t what everyone thought. Or perhaps Yuri was waiting for her to turn eighteen. I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t want to care.

I cracked open the window and quickly sprayed some air freshener to erase any lingering trace of her scent, trying to erase any evidence of what had happened. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. I threw a blanket over the bloodstain, lying on the bed as the door swung open and Roxy entered, looking a little worse for wear. Her hair was ruffled, mascara smudged around her eyes, and her makeup streaked as if she had been crying.

“Miles,” she said, her voice wavering as she approached the bed. “Why did you leave me all alone on the couch?”

The guilt clenched in my chest, pulling me deeper into my own pit of regret. I didn’t want to stand because of the evidence of my unfaithfulness on the bed, so I let her come to me, wrapping my arms around her and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

“I’m so sorry, Rox,” I murmured, meaning every word. I felt ashamed of what I had done, of betraying her like this. “I’m so sorry.”

“What if something had happened to me?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You know so many people are against us. They would do anything to keep us apart.”

“I know, my love,” I said softly, stroking her hair, trying to soothe her. “I promise, it won’t happen again.”

She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with vulnerable eyes. “Is it because I’m not your mate, Miles? Life has always been so cruel to me. Please, don’t you be cruel to me too.”

I shook my head, feeling the weight of her pain as she looked at me with pleading eyes. “I won’t. I’ll love you properly. I swear, Rox.”

She searched my face, a flicker of hope brightening her expression. “Really?”

I nodded, forcing myself to keep my expression steady. But her gaze hardened slightly as she looked at me more closely.

“Then why don’t you seem attracted to me?” she whispered, her voice filled with doubt. “If you really loved me, you would have shown it by now. I thought… last night, I thought maybe we would make love. But you left me alone and came back here.”

Guilt tightened its grip around me, pressing me down. I had left her there, expecting her to wait for me to come back down, but I had betrayed her in the worst way.

“I’m sorry, Rox,” I murmured, the words hollow with the weight of what I couldn’t tell her. “I’m really, truly sorry.”