Chapter 3

THE RIVALING HEARTS; 003

He looked different now - older, more rugged, with a scruffy beard and lines etched around his eyes. But there was no mistaking those piercing blue eyes, which met mine with a mixture of surprise and guarded recognition.

Still oblivious of the tension between the couples, our alpha walked over to meet them halfway with a huge grin and walked them over to the table.

I tried to collect my feelings which were scattered all over the hall together. 

Control yourself Samantha. 

Control yourself. You can do this.

I was already in. There's no way out again.

I pulled myself together, straightened my spine and watched them with a fixed smile on my face as they sat around the table, hoping that my face doesn't in any way reflect how I felt at the moment.

Jackson sat beside me, his expression going back to cold and indifferent after he recovered from the shock of seeing me.

Oh well.

"They look so good together," Someone said from the crowd and my blood boiled in anger.

We all sat down, and the chatters and 'Oohs' in the hall all died down gradually as Our Alpha began to speak.

"It is with great pleasure and Joy, that I, on behalf of the silver moon pack, welcome the Crescent Pack to our humble abode. This means so much to us. Thank you for gracing us with your presence,"

The Alpha nodded but his wife smiled in Delight, "Thank you so much. You do have a lovely home." she responded touching her husband's shoulder, "We are honored too to be here "

"Of course. Today we are making an official, an alliance between two different packs. An alliance that will make us all stronger, and better in all ramifications. And we are doing this by a marriage between the two packs. So, our very best maiden has been chosen to marry the Alpha's son and strengthen our bond in the process. Cheers to growth,"

The whole crowd erupted in cheers and claps, but I sat very still, my head spinning as the reality of my situation dawned on me again. 

And I had no way out.

How was I supposed to adjust to marrying Jackson? The man who had crushed my heart to pieces with zero care years ago. Who had rendered me almost useless? Who has changed my life in many ways?

 My mind was still racing, struggling to comprehend the situation. Was this some cruel twist of fate, or was it just another test I had to endure for the sake of my pack?

I stared at Jackson, my heart aching with a mix of anger and sadness as memories of our past together came flooding back.

As if he could feel my gaze, he turned and caught my stare.

 His eyes searched mine, and I could see his indifferent expression slipping away, replaced by…pain?

Pain?

For what?

The Alpha was saying something, but I could not even hear him over the rage boiling in my head.

But suddenly everywhere grew silent and I realized that he must have addressed us, but we were so busy staring at each other that we did not realize anyone was talking to us.

I turned to see everyone watching us closely, their gazes flicking between Jackson and me, sensing the tension that hung heavy in the air. The birdsong seemed muted, as if even they knew to hold their breath in this critical moment.

Jackson cleared his throat, his voice shaky yet determined. "Samantha, I know that this is a shock for both of us. And I can see the hurt in your eyes, the questions you must have. I want to explain everything to you, to make you understand why I did it years ago."

His words washed over me, but I couldn't find it within myself to truly listen. The pain of his abandonment still lingered, a raw wound that had never fully healed. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to keep my composure.

"Jackson," I said through gritted teeth, "this isn't the time or place for explanations. We have a duty to our packs, and I will not let my personal feelings jeopardize that. We can discuss our past later, but for now, we must focus on what's best for our packs. We must focus on our duty"

Because I had made my decision to go through with this. I will be damned if I let whatever twisted past we have, change that.

For all I know, the man I loved in the past was dead. This is just a stranger who I will be getting married to in a few weeks.

He nodded, his eyes filled with regret and understanding. "You're right, Samantha. I just want you to know that I'm committed to this alliance, and I will do whatever it takes to protect our packs."

With my heart heavy and my thoughts in chaos, I turned away from him, and saw the Luna, his mother, staring at us with a suspicious look on her face. 

I looked away, pretending to focus on our Alpha who was now addressing the crowd saying something about the wedding arrangements.

I excused myself and left the hall through the side door, finding a secluded area behind the hall itself.

"Why did it have to be him?" I whispered to the empty air, feeling the crushing weight of betrayal and anger. My hands trembled as I tried to reconcile the Jackson I had once loved with the man he had become, and the role he would now play in my life.

As I sat there, lost in my emotions, I couldn't help but question whether I could truly move forward with this marriage. The pain of our past still lingered, a bitter taste that threatened to poison my resolve.

But then, as the sun's rays filtered through the canopy above, I was reminded of the importance of the alliance, and the responsibility I carried for my pack's future. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the bigger picture.

"I have to do this," I murmured, steeling myself against the doubts and fears that clawed at my heart. "For my pack. For our future. I can't let my feelings for Jackson stand in the way."

But I could not bring myself to spend another moment at all with Johnson. Not now.

Deciding that I would just come up with some other excuse later, beside I had somewhere important to be.

Michael……

My heart leaped in joy as I remembered him, suddenly forgetting about everything else going wrong in the world right now.

It has been five days since he went to stay with my sister and her family. I really missed him so much.

I walked through the familiar forest path towards the small, cozy house that my brother in law had built just months ago.

They had chosen a very quiet place and I really envied them for that.

Just a few neighbors, little noise and gossip.

When I got to the building, I saw Michael and his cousins kicking a small football around.

"Mom!" Michael called out, his eyes lighting up when he spotted me. He ran towards me, his dark hair tousled, and his green eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Hey big boy…” I smiled, spreading my arms and he ran into them with delight.

I embraced him very tightly, basking in the warmth for some minutes before I released him and peered into his brilliant eyes. Those eyes that look so much like Jackson’s.

What would happen if he finds out about my baby?