Perfect Illusions

ARI

“What a phony!”

“So delusional!”

“I don’t even feel sorry for her. Everyone knew Zade was choosing Olivia tonight.”

The students sneer and talk about me so openly, throwing me disgusted glances like I am the worst person in the whole world.

I do feel shitty but it has nothing to do with the way the students are all looking at me where I am still on the floor, tears running down my face, looking like a mess.

I try to stand up but trip on my dress and fall back down again and they snicker, before going back to the ballroom and closing the door behind them.

They can’t stand my sight.

I have always been alone and I never minded it, because I knew I had my mother. But in this moment I feel so alone in the world when I am left in the hallway. I knew that getting mated to Zade would not end well, but this was a catastrophe.

I am still feeling our shredded bond very fresh and I wonder if I will ever heal, or if the pain of being rejected tonight is going to add to the grave of pain that I carry in my heart.

***

I hate myself.

I curl in my bed, still dressed in this stupid gown crying my eyes out. What did I expect? That he would accept me as his mate and forget our past like we don’t have anything between us?

I start to feel him making love to Olivia and that makes me even cry harder. It's so painful and humiliating that I bury my face in the pillows. I hate that I feel this way because now he means so much to me and the still faint bond between us is making it unbearable for me to breathe.

I don’t know how long I am in bed or crying because a bang sounds at my door and I jump, wiping the tears down my eyes. My mascara is all smudged and I know I look like a bigger mess.

“Who is it?” I ask sniffling.

“Open the damn door!”

Zade! What is he doing here? Is what he has made me go through not enough for a night?

“What do you want?” I ask him as I get away from the door, scared.

“I will kick it down and make you stay without a door if you don’t open it in the next second,” he warns and I rush to open it.

He looks angry, looking at me as if he wants to strangle me.

“What did you do?”

His question throws me off. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t fucking talk like you are the victim here!” he shouts and I jump, getting away from him.

“I didn’t do anything! You rejected me and I have accepted it!” I cry out as I put more distance between us.

He is charging me slowly.

“My wolf has hidden, because of the damn mating, and the reason for that,” his tone is dangerously low as he advances me. “Is you. Fix it.”

“I- I don’t know how to! I only did what you asked of me,” I look towards my open bedroom door and back to Zade, who is following my every move.

“I am not asking, I am commanding you,” he is coming at me.

I run to the bedroom but I am not as fast because he tackles me on the bed and falls on top of me.

“Please don't hurt me,” I squeeze my heart shut and wait for whatever he is going to do to come next.

Then he jumps away from me as if I have stung him. “I can't believe it, he is back, but when I get away from you, he goes,” Zade muses and I can't help watching him.

Even if my life is in danger right now, I can't help noticing how beautiful he looks. Then he turns his gaze towards me and it's not kind.

“It seems like my wolf has not accepted the rejection.”

Yes!

“Don’t look so pleased, little trash. Because this might be even worse than the hell I was planning on giving you. You are never going to be my Luna, nor will you identify as my first choice. Simply because Zack favors you doesn’t mean I do.”

“I am sorry, I don’t mean-“

“Shut it. Olivia will always be my number one, and you are going to be around because Zack thinks it's good for him. You are going to regret every second of it. I am going to crush you every day and you are never going to leave me. Because if I am in distress because of you, I will kill your mother.”

“You wouldn’t!” I hiss

“Watch me,” he smirks and starts to walk away. “I didn’t mate Olivia. But remember, you are only a placeholder, she is my number one.”

Hearing this makes my heart bleed and I cry harder, falling on my knees.

He leaves me on the floor crying my heart out. Why does my life have to be this way?

***

Olivia is the perfect girl everyone wants to be. She is beautiful tall, elegant, and a legacy. She is all the things I am not, and I am forced to watch just how much they belong together.

They are seated at the legacy table in the cafeteria, talking and laughing; their world perfect and devoid of any darkness.

Not being able to stomach any more of the adoration and love Zade is showing her, I take the untouched tray of food and dump it in the trash getting out.

The desperate need for air leads me outside the building, towards the green fields.

“Hey, Ari, wait up!”

I turn around and there she is, Olivia running toward me her high ponytail swinging behind her. She is smiling at me as she catches up to me and I look behind her, expecting to see Zade with her.

“It’s just us two, I want to talk to you,” she chuckles and I nod.

She seems kind and okay with what went on yesterday night. Wow, I didn’t expect that, maybe things will be less harsh.

“Okay I am going to talk my piece and you will keep a smile on your face as you listen to me,” she tells me sweetly and starts to smile until I look at her eyes and see the malice directed at me.

“I don’t know where you came from, probably some dump because you smell like it. Anyway,” she flips her hair behind her shoulder. “zade and I have been together since we were born and nothing is going to change that, not even when a cockroach like you comes in our world and claims to be his mate.”

“I don’t-“

“You don’t speak unless I say so,” she grabs my hand and squeezes it so hard I feel my bones break. I pull away, wincing in pain but she makes me stand straight. “I told you to smile, and listen, you little shit.”

If anyone saw us, they would think we were friends catching up. “Why are you hurting me? I didn't exactly sign up to be his mate, I want nothing to do with him!”

“I don’t care, because now you are a stain I can't seem to get off. So here is how it will go. You will be there to appease his wolf, and I will be there for both of them. I am going to make sure you are gone,” she jeers still with the fake smile plastered on her face.

“I am going to make sure I am gone myself, it's not like I want to be mated to someone who rejected me!” I shout and pull away from her. But my strength is no match for her when her eyes shift, her wolf coming to the surface.

“zade is mine and will always be mine. You came in the wrong place and took the wrong guy. I am the princess of the future king alpha. And you are his play thing that will appease and be tossed out when your use is no longer needed.”

The truth hurts and she sees how much it affects me. I can't control my tears as they stream down my face.

When she slaps herself hard on the face I gasp looking at her in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you know just how little you mean to him,” she responds and then grabs her cheek, pushing herself on the ground hard.

When she starts to cry out, gasping and tears in her eyes, I can't help but stare in horror as she acts like the aggrieved girl who has just been assaulted.

“What did you do!” zade comes running and when he sees Olivia on the ground. He comes at me, pushing me so hard I fall, twisting my ankle.

“I didn’t touch her!” I try explaining but he doesn't believe me.

“You have gone too far. You shouldn’t have touched her, I don’t care if I need you but touching her? You will regret this!”

I can only stare in horror and disbelief at the reality of what my life now is.