The mating ceremony

~Cassandra’s Pov~

I was hurling all my clothes from the wardrobe into the luggage when I was done, I zipped them and pulled them up and everything else that I was gonna need and I sauntered out of the door shutting the door behind me.

I took them down the stairs, to the large living room downstairs and hopefully out through the front door.

But they were there, occupying the seats in the room. They weren’t there when I came in.

I shrugged my shoulders, I had no plan on talking with either of them, so I made my way to the door.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going!” Father's angry voice thundered across the room. I halted on my spot with a heavy sigh, slowly I spun around to face them.

“Cassy,” Stella called, her face had gone sticky with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy. She sniffed and held my gaze.

“I’m sorry,” her tongue went over her dry lips and she exhaled. I folded my hands and my eyes stared at her with contempt over her disheveled appearance.

“I went for an abortion, for the sake of your happiness. I don’t wanna be the one that’s gonna ruin your and Jason’s relationship.” Her hands reached out to me and she took them, I was still in shock.

“You, what?” I scoffed and slowly pulled her hands away from mine.

“You did an abortion!” The words finally sunk in and I stared at her, my skin prickled. That means it has happened more than once.

“You were pregnant for Jason!, you were fucking pregnant for him, for my mate!” I pushed her away from me. While I kept myself for the night of our mating ceremony, he already had his balls deep in some bitch and got her pregnant.

“How many times have you slept with him, every time I was away!” I was holding back from breaking down in tears, my throat was getting hoarse.

“Enough!” Father yelled, stepping in between us.

 “Let it go, Cassandra, the mating ceremony is more important like I said.” His voice was calm and did not sound more violent.

“She was pregnant for Austin, you heard her and you knew, but I should be the mature one and let it go, is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Yes.” His lips were pressed together in a frown. I shook my head in disbelief, how was Father not seeing through this pretense?

“Can’t you take my side for once, Dad!” My heart lurched painfully that I was completely adrift from my once-loving father, well, when my mother was still alive, he was all loving.

“Cassandra, I know Cheryl was wrong to be involved with your mate,” My stepmother, Bianca said from the side she was standing, her eyes filled with malice yet pretense. I tilted my head to the side and tried to keep my tears at bay. And turned to give a her look. She took a step closer to me.

“But you couldn’t keep your mate, you can’t blame Stella for doing that for you. She was being a sister.” My eyes widened at her, was she trying to blame me for what happened, that it was all my fault?

“She was being a sister? Which sister sleeps with her sister’s mate?”

“She did all that for you, you heard she got rid of the pregnancy.”

“That was before another one came in, Stella said she’s pregnant!” I yelled. It felt as if I was talking to myself and nobody was listening to me.

“Then, you probably lacked the charm to hold him, he was your mate but you couldn’t hold onto him...” She closed the distance between us. “You’re just like your mother, they blame everyone but themselves. Whatever is happening to you, you deserve it.”

My five fingers landed on her left cheek, I acted on a sudden instinct, not giving myself time to second-guess her words but leaving a red mark on my fingers on her face.

"Don't ever let me hear you mention my mother again!" I snarled.

I was holding it all for so long and had to make her shut the fuck up.

I heard gasping around me, I saw the prying eyes of my father’s guest on me. The small crowd that had gathered expressed themselves in shock.

I withdrew my hand from her face and wiped the tears that had streamed down my cheek.

I went back to the luggage and pulled them along with me.

I ignored the stares I was getting, I walked out of the house.

“Guards!” Father roared, I heard his voice though I was a bit far away, he was fuming.

“Seize her, and bring her back here now!”

The guards stepped in front of me preventing me from leaving the house, and my luggage was ripped out of my hands.

They were gonna take me back in there and I don’t want to.

"Miss, please."

I knew Father probably hated me now because I slapped his mate.

“Let me go” I tried to break free but there was no way I could pass through them, the pack soldiers were strong, abled men.

I need to leave, I won’t let them hold me down.

“Leave her alone.” I turned to the sound of the voice, and I saw Jason strolling in, and he was coming to me.

They immediately parted ways, stopped blocking my path, and retreated their steps.

While Jason made his way toward me and I glared at the soldiers who had blocked my path.

I took my gaze back to Jason, his eyes were on my luggage and he stared back at me.

“Cassandra, just go back.” He pleaded, giving me those sad faces, I wouldn’t have been able to resist them then but it only irritates me now. “Let’s put an end to all of this madness.”

‘I wish I could kick his balls,’ Jeema snarled in my head, she was a calm wolf and didn’t come up that often.

‘You wish.’ I chuckled at her.

“I was too blind to see who you truly are, Jason.”

“Just hear me out, please” I rolled my eyes, I knew the only thing that was gonna come out of his mouth were lies.

“It was just a one-time thing. That was the only time...I...we, she seduced me.” I scoffed, he had the nerves saying that to my face.

“Just stop...”I raised my hands to his face.

“She got pregnant. Even had an abortion for you. It was just a 'one-time thing'？” I spat out aloofly while staring at his face.

His eyes darkened and he hadn’t thought I would find out about it.

“Surprised that I’ve found out, go on and say another lie! Cassandra was eager to tell me all about it, it wasn’t the first time you slept with her.” I spat out angrily.

He frowned at me, getting annoyed again, and glanced over at my luggage.

“Where are you going?” He furrowed his brows at me.

I stared at him icily, what does he care?

“It has nothing to do with you.” I breathed out with a sigh, I want to be done with this.

So I pushed forward with my rejection.

“No, you can't leave!” His fingers were digging into my flesh, as his breath heaved and he looked at me with a withering glare.

“Guard get her back here, lock her up in her room if you have to!” My father ordered.

I was hauled back to my room outside no matter how hard I kicked and struggled with the soldier holding me, I couldn’t break free.

I was thrown back into my room and the door slammed shut.

“You’ll be there till the mating ceremony.” I heard my father’s voice outside the door.

I wasn’t let out of the room true to my father’s words. The next time I was out, I was walking down the aisle with my hand linked around my father’s arm.

Walking slowly towards the elder who was standing at the podium and Jason who was before him.

“Do you ruin this for us, look at everyone around. You are doing this for the family, for our pack, and your daughter as my daughter and our next Alpha.” He whispered to me with a smile on his face.

“What about me, what about what I want?”

“I know what’s best for you.”

His hand tightened around mine, I took that as a warning not to go against his words.

I was grateful for the veil, else everyone would have seen how awful I looked.

He handed me over to Jason and stepped back.

We stood before the elder who was going to join us together.

Why wasn’t he here?

He said he would come get me but it seems he won’t be able to make it. In the next minute, I would be married to Jason.

I sniffed and blinked my eyes a few times.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Alphas and Luna’s that have come to witness this glorious ceremony of our daughter...” The elder stopped talking when we heard a sound from outside. I turned and saw my father ordering some of the guards to check what was going on, he signaled the elder to continue.

“...I am honored to.”

There was another scream, and the guards who went outside didn’t return to the hall. My father was standing and ordered more of the guards outside.

“I may continue...”

A scream was heard and I turned towards the entrance of the hallway, and that was when I saw him walking in dragging a guard with a rope on his neck.

My contract fiancé.