~SELENA
“Isn’t the Alpha coming for dinner?” I asked the maid when I noticed there were no cutleries on the other side of the table where Hunter usually sits.
“Actually, he told me that you should go ahead and eat without him because he is quite busy tonight,” she replied, and I sighed in disappointment.
I've been getting this same excuse for over three weeks. I hadn't seen him since the morning after we had sex, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had done something to annoy him.
The feeling of him avoiding me made me sad and sick to my stomach. I could barely eat, though I don't think it was entirely because of his absence.
I have a strange feeling that I might be pregnant because I have missed my period for some time now, and I also noticed the old lady who always checked on me had been giving me some weird looks lately.
I shot a glance at the door, expecting to see Hunter as it opened, but instead, it was the maid I had sent to the convenience store.
“Did you get it?" I asked her, and she nodded.
Standing up, I took the small plastic bag containing the pregnancy test strip. “I will have my dinner later. You both can leave.”
They obeyed, and I headed for the bathroom. I nervously stared at the test strip after performing the necessary procedures.
“Oh my goodness," I gasped as two faint red lines appeared on the strip - I was pregnant. The discovery brought a big smile to my face, and I gently rubbed my stomach, picturing my baby inside me.
It was already dark, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to tell Hunter the news. I was certain he would be excited about being a father, and besides, I would finally get to see him after three long, draining weeks!
In high spirits, I hurried out of the bathroom and put on a sweater to keep warm before heading out of my room. Hunter's apartment was just a few blocks away. I got there within five minutes.
Since the day I arrived, I had never been to Hunter's room, so I was a bit lost about which room to enter when I arrived in the hallway. But then, I caught his scent and began locating his room.
By the time I reached his door, I hesitated to knock as I heard the sounds of groans emanating from a deep baritone voice, undoubtedly belonging to Hunter. It was accompanied by a feminine voice loudly moaning and cursing. Realizing what was actually going on inside the room, my heart shattered into pieces, tears gathering in my eyes.
“I could ride you all day and never get satisfied. I love you so much, Nadia,” I heard Hunter say, and the tears I had been trying to hold back came rolling down my cheeks.
"I doubt that,” the feminine voice replied.
"Oh, come on, Nadia. I have always loved you."
“You cheated on me with that little bitch you call a mate, and you expect me to believe you love me?”
“Now I feel like your plaything since you always end up fucking me for fun,” she added, sounding angry.
I sobbed harder as his words pierced through my chest like a spear. “Selena is my plaything and not you. I only had sex with her because I was carried away by the mating urge; I don't feel anything for her.”
“I still don't believe you until you prove it to me.”
“Okay… how can I prove it to you?”
“I want you to mark me.”
“Okay, fine.”
Feeling shocked to the core by her request, I gasped impulsively the moment Hunter gave in.
“Did you hear that?” Hunter hushedly asked Nadia. I quickly moved away from the door, fearing they might have noticed someone was behind it.
“Oh, come on, I'm sure no one is at the door. Just mark me now,” she demanded.
"Fine. Sit on me.”
Unable to bear the pain of listening to their conversation any longer, I turned on my heels and hurried out of the apartment in tears.
As I stepped into my room, a sharp pain gripped my chest. Tears blurred my vision as I sank to the floor, struggling to bear the pain. My wolf whimpered in distress, the thought of our mate marking another woman feeling like a stab to the heart.
***
Last night was the worst I've ever endured. It felt like I was in the depths of hell, crying until there were no tears left, all because of the pain Hunter inflicted by bonding with another woman. I used to believe he loved me, but now I realize I was just a toy to him.
I thought he was different, that he loved me like I loved him. But seeing him with that woman last night shattered my illusions. Now, I blame myself for ever believing an Alpha could care for an Omega like me.
"You're such a fool, Selena," I muttered bitterly, staring at my exhausted reflection in the mirror.
Why did he accept the mate bond if he only cares about her?
As I pondered this question, the sound of the door creaking snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned, expecting to see Hunter, but instead, a red-haired woman with a stern expression stood in the doorway. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under.
As she approached, I furrowed my brow and asked, "Who are you?"
"I see Hunter forgot to introduce me to his little plaything," she sneered. Her voice was familiar, and in an instant, I recognized her as the woman from Hunter's bed last night.
Her presence exuded authority and spelled nothing but trouble as she stood right before me.
~KILLIANKatrina sent her location, and I managed to get Laura to stick to the plan. She’s gone to Hunter’s pack with Liliana to get Megan.Meanwhile, I’m driving with my men toward Katrina’s location, unsure where the hell Hunter and his men are. We were supposed to come together, but it seems he wants to do things his own way. It’s laughable how he thinks he can win Laura back by playing the hero.Out of nowhere, something smashed into my windshield, shattering it into pieces. My car swerved dangerously and screeched to a halt.Goddess.“What was that?”I mind-linked Jared.“I think we’re being ambushed, Alpha!” he reported, making my eyes widen.I quickly grabbed my gun from the compartment and jumped out of the car when Jared shouted, “Get down, Alpha!”A bullet whizzed past me, missing by a hair’s breadth. I ducked and took cover behind the car.My men were already shooting at the ambushers, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.Loading my gun, I joined the fight and soo
~HUNTER My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I heard the doctor’s report about Olivia’s condition.“She was poisoned?!”I’d been sure she was just having one of her usual asthma attacks, not this!“Yes, Alpha. We discovered the juice she drank was poisoned.”What? Who brings poison to a kid’s party?Confused, I turned to Alpha Newton, who had been with me in the doctor’s office. Nadia was at Olivia’s bedside, sobbing uncontrollably.“Don’t you know anything about this?” I demanded, glaring at him, but he stayed silent. “If you’d let Olivia stay under my roof, this wouldn’t have happened,” I snapped.Newton narrowed his eyes at me, his expression challenging. “Even if Olivia makes it through this, you won’t be keeping her!”I growled in response. We locked eyes, our anger palpable, until the doctor interrupted. “Can we continue now?”“What’s the plan to fix her condition?” I asked urgently.“Miss Olivia’s blood is contaminated by the poison she ingested. She’ll need a tran
~THIRD POV"I'm so glad you could make it to my birthday!” Olivia beamed at Megan as they broke away from a tight embrace.“I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Besides, I’ve been missing you all holiday, so I figured this was the perfect chance to see you,” Megan replied, her smile growing as they walked into the grand living room where the party was in full swing.“Same here! I tried calling you, but you wouldn’t pick up!” Olivia said with a frown.“My mom confiscated my phone. I don’t know why, but she seems to be against our friendship,” Megan mused.Olivia's frown deepened. “Why would she be against it? Did I do something wrong?”Megan shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. If I had told her I was coming here, she wouldn’t have let me.”“You sneaked out?” Olivia gasped.“I told you I’d do anything to be here, didn’t I? So, here we are!”“You’re so brave, Megan. I wish I could be like you, but don’t you think your mom will be mad at you?” Olivia asked thoughtfully.“She will,
~KILLIANI'm devastated.It's been two weeks since Laura left the pack, and I haven't been myself. I've been panicking, worried about where she might have gone, especially with the kids and my baby.She hasn't been answering my calls or replying to any of my texts. I suspect she might have changed her number so I can't trace her location.Even with Liliana's relentless help, we're still short of clues about where she might be. I've also been to all the properties she owns, but none of the caretakers have seen her.She probably thinks I'd harm her if I found out where she is. She knew I'd look for her at her properties, so she played it safe by not going there.I wanted Laura all these years, and when I finally had her, I lost her in the blink of an eye.I wish I could turn back time and right my wrongs. At the very least, I wouldn't have scared her with that damn gun!SighThe guilt of my actions is eating me alive as the days go by, and I fear I might become even more devastated if I
~KILLIANI blinked, completely stunned at the sight of her, wondering if I was imagining things, but the truth kept staring back at me. It was all real.There she was, standing and looking back at me, just as shocked.My stepmom.Liliana.“Killian!” she whispered, taking a step closer, her eyes filling with tears.“Mom!”I rushed forward and hugged her, my heart pounding with joy as I felt the warmth of her skin against mine. She wasn't a ghost; she was real!Her tears soaked my shoulder as I held her tighter, savoring the familiar jade scent I thought I'd never smell again after that dreadful night.I couldn’t stop my tears. They fell as I remembered how unbearable life was when I finally accepted they were dead because I couldn’t find a trace of her and Laura.It took years for me to accept their absence and push through the pain to become who I am today.She finally pulled away, her eyes shining with tears and relief. She looked just as young and beautiful as I remembered, except h
I locked eyes with Katrina, then turned back to him, my gaze narrowing dangerously. Could he have been working with Katrina all this time to kill Laura?In a flash, I caught him as he tried to bolt from the room, grabbing him by the neck. I yanked the gun from his pocket and slammed him against the wall. He collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, blood trickling down his face.As Katrina stepped closer, trying to calm me down, I aimed the gun at her, a silent warning to stay back.“How long have you been working with her?” I demanded from Lionel.He swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Since you left for your last business trip. Forgive me, Alpha!”Anger darkened my eyes. This had been going on for so long, and I never knew!“What else did she pay you to do besides poisoning Laura?”From the corner of my eye, I saw Katrina shaking her head at him, signaling him to stay quiet as he glanced her way.His face turned pale as I cocked the gun. “What else?” “She paid me to plant a mo