Chapter 2:

DARLA

"What do you mean?" I asked with the frown still placed on my face.

She dismissed my question and walked away from the room. After she left, dad also told me to leave. He will talk about this matter later.

The whole day I kept thinking about what Ashlyn said. I couldn't understand her words. What did she mean? Dean was also gone. Jennie told me he had some important work to do.

The evening came soon. And by then I had a relative idea what Ashlyn might mean. I waited till she came back from her party. Ashlyn was about to enter her room when I confronted her.

"Ashlyn, wait."

She turned around. An irritated look on her placed on her face the moment she recognized my voice.

"What?"

"Are you….are you planning to kill myself."

She frowned.

"Did you go nuts?"

"What did you mean by Dean not loving me? He is my mate. He obviously loves me. He will never betray me. Either way you are planning to kill me to get him. Ain't I right?"

She laughed out loud while clutching her stomach.

"Darla, Darla, Darla. You are so funny. Why would I kill you?"

"To get Dean."

She smirked evilly.

"That's another matter. I can get Dean without even killing you. And did you just think I'll kill you? Even if I try to kill you, dad will save you. Do you know why?"

I waited. Waited for her to hurt me again with her answer.

"Because of your blood. Your blood is what makes you valuable in the pack, in our lives. If it wasn't for your blood then dad would have ousted you from the house long back. So as long as I need your blood, you are useful. And when I'll no longer need your blood, you will be as useful as a used tissue paper."

Ashlyn laughed and was about to open her door when she turned towards me once again.

"Oh and if you want to know back at dad's office why did I say so, you should come to my room at night. See ya. I'm really tired and I need to prepare myself for the night."

With that last sentence she entered her room and closed the door with a thud. I still could hear the thudding voice. But it's the thudding voice of my heart. My heart is beating fast.

Dean can never do this to me. He will never betray me. He loves me. He said that he likes me. He said that he is thankful to the Moon Goddess for making me his mate. He is thankful to the Moon Goddess for me. He said that he doesn't care that I have a weak wolf or that I am not in the heirline of this pack. He loves me for who I'm.

No, I can't distrust Dean. We are going to mark each other next month after he becomes the Head Warrior. I won't exchange my mate for anyone. I'll fight against it. For that I need Dean beside me. Tomorrow morning, I'll talk to him about this as soon as I meet him. He must be patrolling now.

After doing all the chores in the kitchen and helping Jennie with her work, I returned to my room. Jennie is an omega. Her parents died long back and since then she has been working as a maid in the pack house. As her rank is lower, no one really likes her around them.

Laying down on my bed, I couldn't get a wink of sleep. My mind wanders around thoughts and fears. My mind is forcing me to go to Ashlyn's room while my heart says go believe Dean. I twisted on my bed trying to sleep. But sleep is nowhere around me. Finding no other way I stood up from the bed to go to Ashlyn's room. My steps hesitated as I took a step forward and two steps backward. I don't  know what to do. Going to Ashlyn's room will mean I don't trust Dean. And not going will kill me inside.

After contemplating for a while, I finally decided to go. Not because I don't trust Dean. Because I want to prove that Ashlyn is wrong. Dean loves me and me only.

I took steady steps towards Ashlyn's room. Reaching in front of the room, I held the door handle and surprisingly it was open. I was about to enter when I heard a mixed sound of pants, sighs and joy. I slightly opened the door and the sight I saw made my ground shake.

Dean, naked on top of Ashlyn who is busy sucking on the junction of his jaw and shoulder where my mark would have been a month after. My head started spinning. Dean, he can't do this to me.

"You never fail to amaze me, love. The sexy lingerie you wore today made me want to eat you."

Such words from Dean's mouth seemed like an alien language. I never heard Dean using slang or dirty words.

"Didn't you do it? I don't even remember the counting now."

Ashlyn's fake laugh echoed in my ears. Tears lined my eyes, threatening to fall down. My heart's not beating anymore. It's broken into pieces, millions of small pieces which cannot be gathered together again.

I saw Ashlyn's eyes darting towards me. She did it deliberately. She pulled him down and sucked on his lower lips before sucking in a fake whining tone,

"Who do you like more, Dean? Me or Darla?"

"Obviously you. Who even likes Darla? If she wasn't the Alpha's daughter, I would have rejected her long back."

Dean's unhesitating voice shook me to my core. He without stuttering replaced me. Was his love always this fake?

Ashlyn's goal was accomplished. I could see that in her eyes. She won. Once again she won.

"I already talked to dad about this situation. You know I found my mate today and he is a rogue. And as I'm in the heirline of this pack, Dad told Darla to exchange her mate with me. That means we both will get to be with each other."

I never saw Dean so happy. He kissed Ashlyn all over her face and tried to do bed sports with her once again when Ashlyn called out my name in a fake panicked voice.

"Darla, what are you doing here?"

They both started panicking and searching for their clothes. Ashlyn was clearly acting and Dean looked half guilty and half I don't know what. Guilty? Guilty for what? For betraying me? For bedding someone else? For making fun of me? Or for agreeing to exchange his mate so easily? I guess I can't finish the list.

"Darla, what are you doing here?"

"I….I came to see you."

Ashlyn smirked.

"Well now you are here, Dean would like to say something to you. Dean?"

I saw Dean's Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He stepped forward. His face twisted in a different way. As if he doesn't want to do this.

Please don't do this.

I whispered to myself and he opened his mouth letting his words shatter me into crumbles.

"I, Dean Anderson, reject you, Darla Wilson as my mate."

I could feel the hesitation in his voice. Why is he doing this if he doesn't want to do? Thinking about him I didn't realize I was crying until my tears fell on my cheeks.

"Were you faking it all this time?"

Again that hesitation squeezed my heart in a painful manner.

Ashlyn kept her hand on his shoulder and he shuddered before saying,

"I have always liked Ashlyn more than you. You are useless and not even as beautiful as Ashlyn. Then why should I be with you?"

The last string of hope broke in me. Dean, my mate like my dad said I'm useless. For dad, I'm nothing but a body with blood which transfuses its blood to her precious daughter to keep her alive. Maybe that's the sole cause of my life.