04

Chapter Four: Meeting The Bitch

   Maurene’S POV

  

  The sunlight that pierced through the window flashed against my vision, disappearing and appearing again. It felt like someone was playing with the shade that covered the window and with the way my sleep was being interrupted, I could feel myself getting angry.

  

  Who was playing with the curtains?

  

  I flashed my eyes open and glared at the figure before the window. Liam stood, unbothered like he had not just disturbed my sleep.

  

  “The person who didn’t want to stay here could not even get up early.” He directed a straight look at me and I rolled my eyes, using the back of my palm to cover my mouth as I yawned.

  

  “What time is it?” I asked, scrambling down the bed.

  

  “8:17 AM.” He replied as he sipped the coffee in his hands. 

  

  I let out a groan as my feet touched the cold floor of the room, reminding me once again that I was at Nathaniel ’s place and I should act cautious.

  

  “I will leave you to dress so we can have breakfast with them before we leave.” He said and did not wait for me to speak as he went out through the door.

  

  I let out a deep breath and hurriedly fished out a nice gown before I went into the bathroom. Not long after, I was done and had done minimal makeup. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I caught the image of me from years back when I was still in this pack, looking broken and unwanted. The reminder of how I worked so hard for Nathaniel  to notice me again left a bitter taste on my tongue as I let out a sharp breath, shaking my head to erase off the haunting memories.

  

  I don't want to think about that now. I have managed to tell him that I did not know who he was. It should be left like that.

  

  I finally stepped out of the guest room and headed to where I knew the dining room would be. I could hear the masculine voices talking about the project and as soon as I stepped in, silence rang out and their heads turned towards me, making me hyper aware of myself. I avoided Nathaniel 's gaze and skipped over Grayson as I settled with Liam's gaze. There was something in his gaze that had me confused for a second. The emotion he stared at me with held so much weight that I was scared of confirming. 

  

  I managed to pull up a smile as I approached them. Offering them a smile, I greeted them. “Good morning.”

  

  “Good morning,  Miss Maurene.” Grayson's greeting came and I turned to Nathaniel  for his greeting as well.  His eyes hardened as he seemed to have remembered something,  probably the position he had met Liam and I yesterday replayed in his head. I didn't care, in fact, I liked it. I craned my head to the side, giving him a look of expectation.

  

  “We can start breakfast now.” He cut in, chasing the air in the room and making me want to roll my eyes.

  

  A maid walked in, carrying a tray of perfectly creamed doughnuts and my mouth turned watery at the sight. Wait, was this a test from Nathaniel ? He knew how I loved my doughnuts to be like that… could it be that… I dragged my gaze forcefully away from the tray and met Nathaniel 's eyes on me then Grayson's scrutinizing orbs bore deep into the side of my head. My heart did a skip as they both watched me closely. I looked away, ensuring the mask of indifference was still on even though all I wanted to do right now is consume those doughnuts. The maid dropped the tray and raised her head to look at me,  she blinked as shock registered on her face.

  

  “Luna—”

  

  “You can leave,” Came Nathaniel 's sharp order. She flinched before scurrying away, not even attempting to confirm.

  

  Of course, she would know me. Who wouldn't?

  

  I gulped hard and picked my spoon, slightly sending a quick glance at the doughnuts.

  

  “You know… we once had a Luna in this pack…” Nathaniel  said, reaching for the tray of doughnuts, trapping my attention alongside. “She liked fully creamed doughnuts a lot and do you want to know the ironic part of it?” He asked, raising his eyes to meet Liam's.

  

  “She looked a lot like Miss Maurene and also bore the same name as her. I don't know what this might be, I have been hearing of people having similar faces and almost the same names but this is the first time for me, seeing and feeling it myself.” He said, sending a directed look at me.

  

  Liam picked up the glass of juice before him and had a few gulps, then he said,  “ And what happened to this Luna of yours?” His question totally threw everyone, including me, off guard.

  

  Why was Liam asking this question?

  

  Nathaniel  flickered his gaze across to me, as if asking for permission to talk about us. I did not give him any reaction, the only one was my hands gripping the spoon in a death grasp.

  

  The silence stretched between us as I lifted the spoon to my mouth, trying to make sure my fingers were not shaking. Grayson broke the silence, something that was peculiar to his being. “She left.” 

  

  Those words made me halt the spoon mid air and send him a shocked look.

  

  I… left?

  

  Did he just say I left? Wait…

  

  How could he say that? How could he say I left when it was his Alpha that pushed me out by himself. Sent and banished me out of the pack. Yelled at me that I should never return to the pack and yet Grayson had the guts, the effrontery, the chest to say I left? Meaning I left because I wanted to. Meaning I left because I had found greener pastures. Meaning I was a gold digger and I was not satisfied so I left. He was fucking painting me as a bitch and the bitter part is that I could not defend myself so I let out a feigned and shocked gasp, dropping the spoon to the plate.

  

  Liam turned his attention to me and I reached quickly for the glass of water. 

  

  “Are you okay?” He questioned, patting me gently on my back and I nodded, using the serviette to clean my mouth.

  

  Liam relaxed as I lifted my head up, his hands still resting on the small of my back, just like yesterday. I could feel Nathaniel  watching us so I played along to whatever Liam was doing. 

  

  “Why did she leave though? If she loved those fully creamed doughnuts,  she could have stayed because of it.” Liam shrugged, appearing nonchalant about the whole thing even though an air of beeping bomb hovered over us.

  

  He was tapping the sleeping, quiet lion.

  

  “That is the business of our pack, please respect it.” Nathaniel  said, reaching for his glass of water. He never had juice during breakfast. It was always water. 

  

  “Then why did you offer to say it when you knew our interests would be piqued and ask questions?” Liam asked again, he was definitely not going to drop this and he was not even giving them a way out of the trap they had dug for me.

  

  “I—”

  

  Just like that, a shriek broke through the air and heels clicked against the tiled floor. The expensive feminine perfume scent came first, followed by a pair of long legs that seemed to skip some steps before throwing the full body on Nathaniel . I would know who those legs belonged to even without seeing the face. Those legs… they belonged to Amanda, Nathaniel 's best friend and the reason we both divorced.

  

  She was still busy grinning up at Nathaniel  when she turned her head to me and she stiffened immediately.  “Maurene?”