The lies and cracks in out mate bond

RENNA'S POV 

I felt the tension ripple through Nicholas's body beside me. His normally warm presence turned cold, his muscles rigid like a predator cornered. I knew I had crossed an invisible line. The question was, how would the Alpha in him respond? 

“Oh, I think I might have stood next to another female wolf accidentally,” He spoke up after a while, trying to sound nonchalant but his tone was too casual to be believable.

A searing pain shot through my chest, not from anger but from the bond we shared. Mates could sense deception, and the bitter taste of his lie stung more than I could handle. Vanilla. The scent clung to him, but it wasn’t mine. My scent was lavender. That fragrance belonged to someone else—Sofia, he probably got it when she leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Is something wrong, Renna?” His deep voice was softer now, laced with a calm that belied his true emotions.

What could I say? What could I possibly say to the Alpha of the pack without shattering everything? What was left for us to say? I could almost hear his voice in my mind if I dared to ask him. The soft pleading, the reasoned excuse-anything but the truth. I was so tired of his "good friend" routine. Tired of the endless dance we did around everything, pretending there wasn't a gulf between us that non amount of words could fill.

The truth lay heavy between us, unspoken but suffocating. Days of avoiding this rift had left it raw and unhealed. I was exhausted from it.

Was this what it was like for mates in love  after years of silence? Just helpless understanding? It felt disgusting.

“No. Goodnight,” I said, keeping my voice cold, shutting him out before he could charm me into submission again. I showed it that I didn't want to talk to him anymore.

He leaned down, brushing a soft kiss against my cheek. “Goodnight, my mate.”

I turned away, unwilling to face the man I loved but no longer trusted.

The morning light brought no comfort but I was rather awakened up by the sound of movement. It was from Nicholas and l found him emerging from the bathroom, already dressed. His presence filled the room like an unspoken promise, commanding and magnetic.

“Good morning,” he greeted, his smile as disarming as ever.

“Morning,” I replied, though my voice carried none of the warmth it once did. “Why are you up so early?”,  I furrowed my brows.

Nicholas chuckled, his deep laugh sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “Early? It’s past seven, love. I guess you don't intend to go to monitor the pack duties because if you do, you should get off the bed, or you'll be late."

Panic replaced my anger. I bolted upright. “Oh, Moon, I forgot! Today’s my first day back at the packhouse!”, I  shot out of the bed quickly.

He smirked, his wolfish charm impossible to ignore. “Then you’d better hurry.”

I sprinted to the bathroom and had a quick bath.

By the time I was ready, Nicholas stood by the door, every inch the picture of power and control. He was the Alpha, and no one could ignore his commanding aura. 

I hurriedly got dressed in a blouse and skirt, packed my hair neatly in a bun, slipped my legs into my flats, and grabbed my handbag. A quick spray of my perfume, and I was done. There was no need for makeup, I was running late.

"Are you ready?" He asked, picking up his briefcase.

"After you," I responded, and we walked out the room.

As we descended the stairs, Sofia’s scent hit me before she appeared. Her vanilla perfume was stronger now, almost suffocating.

 Just as we reached the bottom, Sofia appeared with a smile on her face. The smile quickly disappeared when she saw I and Nicholas.

"Good morning, Renna. Good morning, Nicholas." she chimed, but I knew she was merely greeting me was for formality's sake. Her eyes were fixed on Nicholas.

“Morning,” he replied curtly, his tone more formal than usual, and I also mumbled my response too.

"Are you leaving already?" Sofia asked, taking in his appearance. There was a hint of admiration in her eyes, and I wanted to slap it off.

“Yes, I have to drop Renna off,” He answered, glancing at me briefly.

Sofia's face fell, and she pouted. "I made breakfast for you, and I was hoping you'd eat before leaving." Her voice grated on me, the false sweetness setting my wolf on edge.

I snapped my head sharply to look at her, my eyes narrowing. She made breakfast for Nicholas? Was I non- existent? Why only Nicholas, if she was keen on showing off her culinary skill?

"I'm sorry, Sofia, but I have to go," Nicholas reiterated. " Besides, I have to drop Renna at the pack’s dining hall, and she's running late too." He said, his tone firm.

Sofia sneered. "Didn't you say you were running late? Why do you have to drop her first before you go to work? You’re the Alpha. You shouldn’t be wasting your time....."

"It's my responsibility to drive her to work, and I'm not complaining." He immediately cut her off in mid sentence. 

The power in his words stunned Sofia, her face pale as she shrank back. I saw anger flashing in her eyes, while I watched the exchange in amusement. "On the contrary, I think Renna is selfish. Letting you drive her to work even when you're running late, and also coming to pick her up after work every day. She's stressing you out, and she should stop and learn to drive herself."

I lost my cool at this point, and snapped. "Oh, shut up, Sofia! You're a stranger here, and should have no say in how we run our home."

"That's right, Sofia," Nicholas concurred, his voice lacking the usual tenderness it carried whenever he spoke to her. And was it just me? I think Nicholas was avoiding eye contact with her.

Sofia's face went more pale, like she didn't expect Nicholas to take sides with me.

I tugged at Nicholas's arm softly. "We're late, we should leave."

He nodded. "Have a nice day, Sofia. I'll call you at noon to check how you're doing."

With that, he walked on, and I followed suit. I looked back for a fleeting moment to see Sofia rooted to the spot, her expression that of anger and shock.

I stifled a laugh and turned back around, walking alongside Nicholas as we made our way outside. We got to the parking lot, and he opened the car door for me and I slid in. He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side, getting in behind the wheel.

"Ready?" he asked, starting the engine.

I nodded, and he drove out of the compound, soon speeding down the highway.

In the car, I couldn’t stop stealing glances at Nicholas. His hands gripped the wheel tightly, his jaw clenched. The Alpha was a picture of control, but I could feel the storm brewing beneath his surface.

He was becoming increasingly unpredictable, and I couldn't understand why.

One minute, he was doting on Sofia, sneaking around with her, and doing her bidding; the next, he was back to his old self, being sweet to me. I wished he would just be his old usual self, without the sudden changes.

As we approached the pack’s dining hall, he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car's engine. He alighted and opened the door for me, offering his hand to help me out.

"Have a nice day at work today," he said, pecking me on the cheek. "I'll come pick you up at your closing time."

“Thank you, Nicholas.” I hesitated, then added, “Be careful today and have a nice day.”

He gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable, before driving off into the distance.

As I walked into the pack’s dining hall, the scent of wolves and freshly cooked food filled the air. M junior chef-in-training, Rebecca, greeted me enthusiastically.

A huge smile broke out on her face the instant she saw me, and she hurried towards me.

“Luna! It’s so good to have you back!” she said, her excitement infectious and she spread her arms for a hug.

I forced a smile, pushing aside the lingering bitterness from this morning. “It’s good to be back, Rebecca. I have missed you.” I  hugged her back.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get to visit you in the infirmary," Rebecca said, looking apologetic. "The workload was crazy while you were away, but I'm glad you're back now."

"Don't worry about it, I completely understand," I replied. "I got your get-well card, thank you so much for that."

With the pleasantries exchanged, a mischievous glint appeared in Rebecca's eyes.

"Alpha Nicholas dropped you off, didn’t he? I saw his car.” Rebecca’s eyes sparkled. “You two are such couple goals! The Alpha is always so attentive and sweet to you.”

I blushed and tried to brush it off. "It's too early for gossip, let's go inside."

Rebecca agreed, but as we walked into the restaurant, she wouldn't stop rambling about how I was lucky to be fated to one of the few best men in the world. "I mean, seriously, luna, your mate is wonderful. Alpha is do loving. He's always dropping you off and picking you up, and he looks so handsome while doing it."

I laughed and tried to change the subject, but Rebecca was persistent. "I swear, you two are couple goals. I hope my future mate is half as good as yours."

I smiled and shook my head. If only she knew the truth. The lies, the cracks in our bond, and the constant battle for dominance in my heart. But I said nothing. My problems weren’t hers to carry.

For now, I would play my role as Luna. But I knew this wasn’t the end. A storm was brewing, and it would test the strength of every bond in the pack especially ours.