Chapter 2: Betrayal

Sadie's POV

I felt like I was in a dream. Or more like a nightmare, really. Nothing felt real as Karter walked me to the pack house.

“Where is my father?” I asked as soon as we entered. One of the maids pointed towards his private study. I rushed forward. But Karter stayed fixed in place.

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.

“You should have some privacy,” he said, his voice warm and gentle. He came to me, kissed me on the forehead, and urged me to go in.

I braced myself and took a deep breath. As soon as I entered the study, I saw my father’s body. It felt like a knife in my heart, seeing him lying on the floor like that.

I ran to him and flung myself over his corpse, clinging to the collar of his shirt. I let out a long wail, unable to hold in my grief. It reverberated through the room.

He was dead. My father was really dead.

Guilt hit me like a bullet. I shouldn’t have argued with him. The last words I said to him were in disobedience. I’d been so angry with him.

I’d fought with him. I’d upset him.

And now?

Now he is dead.

“I love you,” I whispered into his chest. Then I noticed a small purple spot on his neck. Confused, I pulled back the collar of his shirt. There were three more. I looked at his arms. The dark purple spots were all over his body!

“What…what are these?” I asked, confused. They didn’t look right, all these spots.

The pack doctor emerged behind me.

“He was sick, Sadie,” he said in a solemn tone. “That’s what these spots are. It means he died of illness.”

“He was sick?” I asked. How had I not known that? “For how long?”

“A long time, I’m afraid,” the doctor replied.

Fresh tears spilled from my eyes. My heart clutched. I’d been so insensitive! I’d been selfish. My father had been sick and I didn’t even know?

I should have cared more about him. I should have been a better daughter. Grief washed over me again, in huge, suffocating waves. It hurt so bad I could hardly breathe.

“Come, child,” the doctor said. “Go back to your room and rest. The shock of your father’s death is too much for you to bear right now.”  

I nodded and stood on wobbly legs. The doctor was right. I needed to lie down. But as I walked back to my room, I passed by Delphine’s room, I heard a familiar voice.

I stopped. The door opened just a crack. I heard moaning coming from inside.

“Jesus Delphine. Look how hard you get me. I want you right here, right now.”

But…that was…

Karter’s voice!

“Then what are you waiting for?” Delphine said seductively. “You know I’m always ready for you.”

More moaning. 

More kissing sounds.

I threw the door open. And there they were, my mate and my half-sister! She was straddling him on the bed. They were both half naked!

“Karter? Delphine?” I said loudly. She scrambled off of him. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw me.

My emotions overtook me. I marched right up to Delphine.

Whack.

I slapped her hard across the face.

I stepped back. That was really out of character for me. I’d never slapped anyone before. My hand stung.

She brought her hand up to her cheek.

“How could you?” I asked, trying to control my anger. I didn’t want to hit her again. But I did want answers. “How could you betray me like this? And today? On the day our father died?”

“You slapped me?” Delphine asked, still holding her cheek. Then her face contorted into a look of rage. “You bitch!” She stood up and lunged at me but Karter stopped her.

“She’s not worth it,” Karter hissed in Delphine’s ear.

A sinister smile spread across Delphine’s face. I’d never seen that look on her face before. She was usually so innocent, so cute, so lovely.

But now? She looked downright vicious.

“Oh honey,” she smirked, fixing me with her eyes. “This didn’t just start today.”

“W..w..what do you m…mean?” I stammered. Was she insinuating what I thought she was?

“Us,” she mocked. “Karter and I. We’ve  been together for a….very…long…time.” She enunciated the last words, a proud smile on her face.

“Is this true?” I asked Karter.

No. It couldn’t be.

He was mine. He was my mate. We were going to get engaged. I loved him. Karter looked torn for a moment.

“Go on, tell her,” Delphine said, rolling her eyes.

“You’re very beautiful,” Karter said. “It’s just…well…you’re boring. I need something more. Delphine here, she’s sexy as hell. She satisfies my needs. She…”

I held up my hand.

“Stop,” I said. “I don’t want to hear any more.”

My heart cracked down in the middle. My father had been right all along. Karter was a liar and a scoundrel and he’d been deceiving me all along.

He never loved me. He loved Delphine.

It was a lot too process. I felt like my emotions were all over the place. Grief over my father’s death. Shock and despair over finding Karter with Delphine. Pain and hurt. Anger and resentment.

Sadness.

I didn’t know what to feel as I stood there, in front of Delphine in her bra and a shirtless Karter.

Delphine smiled smugly.

“Do it now,” she whispered in Karter’s ear.

Do what? I wondered. What more could they possibly do to hurt me?

Karter looked at me, an indignant expression on his face. Realization slowly sunk in.

“I, Karter Cromwell…”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. Not that. Anything but that. I begged him with my eyes. Pleaded with my face. But his expression didn’t change. I lowered my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks.          

I braced myself for the next words.

“Reject you, Sadie Ambrose, as my mate.”