Chapter 4. Do you hate me that much?"

Haiden's pov

"My Alpha, the Gammas had this sent to you."

My future in-laws did?

"Pour me a cup immediately," I told the omega and he instantly went to grab the cup on the comforter. Then he opened the wine pot and I was hit with the refreshing smell of the wine.

I felt a bit anxious. I hadn't officially introduced myself to Anna's parents. I just had her live here without consultation from the elders. That wasn't right. I had to go and pay them a proper visit later tonight.

The omega filled the cup with wine and I let the smell linger in my nose for a bit before grabbing the handle of the cup.

My ears twitched, picking up on the speed I heard in the hallway.

But then, I heard my Beta's panicked thoughts through the pack's mind link.

"DON'T DRINK THE WINE, ALPHA!"

I immediately let go of the cup's handle.

"Is anything the matter, Alpha?" The omega asked, "The elders made this, especially for you."

"Why shouldn't I drink the wine, Luke?"

The door busted open with Luke in his wolf form, and the moment he was in the room, he shifted to his human form. I didn't know if it was because of fatigue but his eyes looked as though they were filled with anguish and sadness.

"Alpha," Luke cried out to me in a desperate voice, "The wine is poisoned!"

"Impossible," the omega whispered.

I stood from the desk I was sitting on and walked over to Luke and placed a hand on his shoulder to keep his prancing at bay.

"My Alpha,"

"Speak, Luke," I ordered and he swallowed. My wolf was brimming to the surface, in an urge to show his authoritative assertive side. No offender shall escape my punishment.

"I just received news that the wine is poisoned. The coroner has confirmed it."

"The coroner?" I raised a brow.

"The former Alpha is dead,"

The moment I heard that I felt a sense of anguish gush through me.

"He died instantly after drinking the wine the Gammas sent."

"That's impossible… That must be a lie!" The Omega started prancing from the door but Luke stopped him before he got far. He then grabbed the pot of wine and said, "Let me prove it to you, Alpha." Luke forcefully opened the omega's mouth and forced the wine down his throat despite his futile attempts to free himself.

Moments later, the omega's mouth started foaming and he fell to the floor, dead.

Luke let out a shout and smashed the wine pot against the floor before getting on his knees directly on the glass shards.

I walked over to him and grabbed his hand to lift him up, "What are you doing?"

Luke resisted my grip and forced himself to the floor causing his knees to bleed out due to the broken shards.

I sighed and looked away, feeling overwhelmed by sadness. "Why, Luke?"

"I… have failed you." I could hear the distress in his voice.

I chuckled sadly, my heartbeat escalating.

It was a pity. It really was. I was going to be family with Anna and her parents, but now, after what they had done, I don't think we could go back.

Yes, Anna was my mate but her parents had committed a felony. I couldn't let this go unpunished.

I turned back to Luke and lifted him so he was standing, but even still, he kept his head bowed, refusing to look me in the eyes.

"You have not failed me, Luke. Thanks to you, the plan of the despicable ones fell through and I did not die. What Is there to blame you for?"

He hesitated for a second before saying, "Your father died, I could not protect him. It's even worse because I-i never saw any of this coming."

"Fear not, Luke." I told him, "You can report to me the investigation you found out about Anna and her family."

Even as I said this, my heart was breaking because I genuinely believed Anna would do nothing to harm me. But apparently, belief was the most fragile thing on the planet. Something I couldn't find within a sacred person such as my mate.

"My Alpha, Anna's parents were strong warriors in the pack for a long time before they retired as Gammas after Anna was born. They have been harboring ill intent since you became Alpha. They don't want you to lead because your method of ruling is direct and fresh, compared to your father who gave extra honor to them because of their position and influence in the pack."

"Don't tell me the ickies, Luke. Is Anna involved in this or not?!" I snapped.

"W-well—"

"—Tell me!" I bellowed, feeling my anger explode around me.

"Y-yes, my Alpha."

I felt completely shattered by this realization that I just went over to my desk and flipped it over.

"A-anna was to be a spy and a decoy while they carried out their plan. She may not know."

"Don't speak for her, Luke. I'm going to teach her what it means to mess with me even though she's my mate— No, especially because she's my mate." With that, I barged out of the room.

"Anna!" I yelled as I headed down to the second floor.

I pushed the door open only to see her struggling to put on a top. "Haiden why are you—"

I grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall, causing the top to fall to the floor.

"You traitor!" I yelled, not bothering to hide the despise in my tone.

She stared up at me, her hazel eyes pooling with tears but I could feel that she was fighting hard to not show it. But that was the thing with mates. When they're vulnerable, you'd know.

"Haiden, what have I done to you, what is going on?" She struggled to breathe.

I tightened my hold around her neck and this time, she didn't even try to hold in her emotions. She broke into a full sob with tears streaming down her face.

My heart throbbed and I released my hold around her neck and felt a guilty tug at my chest but I tried to dismiss it because what was happening right now was serious. I had to address it properly regardless of what this stupid gut feeling was telling me.

"I…" I froze. Normally, I was supposed to reject her for what she did but I couldn't bring myself to.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked away from Anna who was still finding it difficult to catch her breath.

"H-haiden…" Anna walked over in front of me, forcing me to look into her eyes, and I did. But my eyes trailed down to the lacy bra covering the heavy bulge on her chest but revealing a deep cleavage.

I swallowed and focused on her face. What the hell was I doing?

My father was killed by her parents and I was almost poisoned to death because of her… and her parents.

Anna grabbed the front of my chest and forced a glare at me in a bid to be intimidating but it didn't work. It never worked.

"I left my parents without a single hesitation to live with you here and this is the treatment I get?!" She yelled. Before I could counter her words, she said, "I've always had a crush on you, Haiden, so I watched you train every day for as long as I can remember. Thank heavens we're mates, but now that we're what we are, I'm not sure anymore. You haven't touched or marked me yet." She shook her head and chuckled to herself. "Touch? What a joke! I haven't even seen you in three days and when you finally come, you barge in on me half-naked and hold me by the neck like I'm some sort of livestock. Do you hate me that much?!"

I felt a ton of emotions hearing her words and I wanted to defend myself, like yell to her that I'd been preparing a huge ceremony for us, and to make her my Luna by the end of the week with many packs bearing witness of our honorable bond. I wanted to scream to her that I was heartbroken that she and her parents would do this to me and ruin the potential we had to be a family. I was the most pitiful person here. Despite my trust issues, I was willing to give her a chance. I was willing to give us a chance and this betrayal was what I got?

To top up matters, I wasn't even mad at her like I thought I would be when I saw her face. The urge to hit myself in the face when I saw the huge print marks I left on her neck made me unexplainably very guilty even though it was her fault I had to be a monster!

Was this what the mate bond was all about? Even though I knew that I was doing nothing wrong by being harsh with her, my heart was the one that was breaking, I was the one being tortured.

Anna's Pov

"...Do you hate me that much?!"

Haiden paused for a moment and I waited patiently, hoping for him to understand where I was coming from, and validate me, but what he said next broke my heart into pieces.

"Yes, I do, Anna."

Just four simple words yet the weight they held was like a punch to my gut.

"I'm not going to get into a petty discussion with you, Anna. Just know that you and your parents are banished from Blue Thunder from now on. Considering the weight of what you've done, still letting you and your parents live is already too generous!"

"W-what are you talking about?"

I didn't expect Haiden's words to go in the direction they went.

Banishment? It didn't make sense, but the deadpan look on his face made me realize his action wasn't as ordinary as I thought it was.

In a softer tone, I asked, "Haiden, what is going on?"

He scoffed and turned to me harshly, a glint of cruelty in his eyes. "You don't need to pretend to be oblivious, Anna. Your parents poisoned my father and he died instantly."

I froze up at that realization but knew it was bigger than that when Haiden leaned forward and said, "They were about to poison me too, Anna! I grabbed the cup handle and was about to drink it when my Beta interfered. If not for him I would've fucking died! Anna, would you not care if I died because of your parents' high-strung ambition?!"

My eyes widened and before I knew it, tears were rolling down my cheeks freely.

I reached forward and softly grabbed the side of Haiden's shirt.

"Of course, I would care, Haiden. Don't you believe me?"

His response was a single scoff as he turned away from me and walked out the door.