chapter 20

I could feel the weight of the mansion pressing down on me. The walls, cold and uninviting, seemed to close in as I paced back and forth in my room. Every part of my body ached with the tension of being trapped. I had no idea what to do anymore. The plan to escape had failed, and now, I was stuck here, forced to live in this twisted nightmare where Alaric was my mate and Emma, his fiancée, wanted to tear me apart.

The truth had been hard to swallow. Alaric was a werewolf. No, not just any werewolf. He was the Alpha—the leader of the Bloodhound pack, a pack so feared that it was spoken about in whispers. And I, somehow, was his mate. I had no idea how this had happened, or why, but the bond was undeniable. Every time he looked at me, every time he was near me, I felt it—the pull, the electricity that coursed through me. And yet, I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to be a part of this world, this violent world where blood was spilled as easily as breath.

But it wasn’t just the pack that terrified me. It was Emma. The woman Alaric loved, or at least, the woman I thought he loved. I wasn’t sure anymore. Recently she had been pretending to be nice. I was surprised she was still around after what happened.But now, with each passing day, the coldness in her eyes was more pronounced. I could feel the way she watched me when Alaric wasn’t around, the jealousy and suspicion in her gaze. I wasn’t naive enough to ignore it. Emma was afraid of me. She was afraid of the mate bond.

And she had every right to be.

I had done nothing to deserve her animosity, but it didn’t matter. The mere fact that I existed was enough for her to feel threatened. It wasn’t long before her actions began to take a darker turn. Little things, at first. Subtle digs, passing comments, all aimed at making me feel smaller, less important.

But today... today, I knew something was different.

I was sitting on the couch in my room, trying to calm my racing thoughts, when I heard footsteps outside my door. I held my breath, my heart skipping a beat. I knew it was her. I didn’t even have to guess.

The door creaked open, and Emma stepped inside, her eyes sharp and calculating. She smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Vanessa,” she said in that sickly sweet tone. “Alaric asked me to check on you. He’s worried. I’m just here to make sure you’re comfortable.”

I nodded stiffly, not trusting myself to speak. I wasn’t sure what her game was, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down.

Emma stepped closer, her presence almost suffocating. “You know, it must be hard, being stuck here,” she said, her words dripping with mock sympathy. “I can’t imagine how lonely it must be, being so... separate from everything. From everyone. Alaric, especially.”

I swallowed hard, trying not to show how much those words hurt. “I’m fine,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

She smiled, but it was a cruel, tight-lipped smile. “Good,” she said, then took a step toward the window. “Alaric is very protective, you know. He doesn’t trust easily. He’s been hurt before. He’s had to fight for everything he has, everything he’s built. And he’ll do the same for me... and for the pack.”

My stomach twisted at the insinuation in her voice. I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but I didn’t like it. “I’m not trying to take anything from you,” I said, my voice shaking despite myself.

Emma didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she walked closer to me. Too close. I instinctively backed away, but she didn’t let me. Before I could react, she bumped into me, deliberately pushing me backward.

It happened in an instant.

I stumbled, my foot catching on the edge of the rug, and I reached out instinctively to catch myself. My hand brushed against her arm, and suddenly, she gasped, her face twisting into an exaggerated look of shock and pain.

“Oh!” she cried, staggering backward. She clutched her arm, looking at me with wide, horrified eyes. “Vanessa! You—You pushed me!”

I froze. My heart raced. Not this again I almost face palmed “What? No, I didn’t—”

But it was too late. She was already crying out, her voice thick with fake tears. “Alaric!” she screamed, her voice high-pitched and dramatic. “Alaric, help! Vanessa just pushed me! She’s trying to hurt me!”

I felt my blood run cold. I had no idea what was happening, but I knew one thing for sure: Emma had set me up...again. The girl was a psychopath seriously.

I didn’t even have time to react before Alaric appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of concern. His eyes darted from Emma, who was clutching her arm with exaggerated distress, to me.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice tense.

“Alaric, I—I was just talking to her, and she—she pushed me!” Emma gasped, her face flushed with fake outrage. “She’s trying to hurt me! She’s jealous of me, Alaric! She’s dangerous! You have to stop her!”

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but nothing came out. My throat tightened as I looked at Alaric. He was already looking at me, his gaze hardening. The disappointment was immediate, and I felt it like a physical blow.

“Is this true, Vanessa?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made my heart skip. “Did you push her?”

“No! Alaric, I swear—” I started, but he held up his hand, cutting me off.

“I don’t want to hear it right now. I can’t believe you’d do something like this, especially after everything that’s happened. you know she is not well,” he said, his eyes flashing with anger.

His words felt like a punch to my gut. I had never meant to hurt anyone. I was only trying to survive, trying to figure out what was going on. But now, in Alaric’s eyes, I was a threat. I was the one who had caused this.

Emma’s triumphant smile barely registered in my peripheral vision. She had won.

“Alaric, please,” I whispered, my voice shaking with the desperation I felt. “I didn’t push her. She... She’s lying. You have to believe me.”

I dont know why I hated seeing the disappointment in his eyes.But Alaric didn’t look at me. He was focused on Emma, his gaze softening.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently, his hand reaching out to touch her arm.

“I’m fine, Alaric. Just... Just hurt,” she said, her voice trembling as she wiped away a tear. It was all an act, but Alaric didn’t see it.

He turned back to me, his expression hardening. “You need to stay away from Emma or next time there will be consequences."

I stood frozen, unable to move, as Alaric turned and guided Emma out of the room. I wanted to scream, to tell him everything, but the words caught in my throat. The weight of what had just happened settled over me, crushing me.

As the door slammed shut behind them, I sank to my knees, feeling the overwhelming sting of betrayal. Emma had framed me, and Alaric believed her.