Alexandra
My supposed mate and the omega were tangled in a passionate embrace, oblivious to the fury building inside me. Rage and heartbreak warred within me, threatening to burst forth in a torrent of violence at that moment, but confronting them right then and there didn't seem to be the perfect way to deal with the situation. In the end, I simply walked away to clear my thoughts.
Moments later, I stood at the threshold of our home, heart racing, mind racing, and still reeling from what Nancy and I had witnessed earlier. Aidan was already home and inside, cooking, his presence filling the space with warmth, and I could smell the herbs and spices mingling in the air.
This was our routine whenever something good happened for the day, but I wasn't in a celebratory mood. Even so, I had to keep cool and pretend that nothing was wrong, so I slowly entered the house and watched Aidan move about in the kitchen.
He always had a way of wrapping me in his charm. I loved him, but ever since we agreed to be together, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I only agreed to be with him hoping love would grow strong enough to fill that void I've always had since I lost my entire family and pack.
As I stepped further into the kitchen, I plastered a smile on my face. I chose to act as if everything was fine. Confrontation wasn’t my style, so I needed to continue the way things were, to understand what was really happening. When Aidan sensed my presence, he looked up from the stove, and his face lit up when he saw me.
"Babe! You’re home! I made your favorite."
His words should have melted my heart, but they didn’t. Instead, they felt like a distraction. I watched him move, the way he flipped the pan, the way he smiled at me. And the more I watched, the more my heart ached. Was this just a mask the entire time?
After turning the stove off, he set the table, pouring wine with a flourish. This all seemed grand, and I suddenly found it funny as werewolves such as ourselves, never got drunk no matter how much alcohol we consumed. It just seemed odd that he had to pretend that wine was needed for whatever occasion this was.
"I can’t tell you how grateful I am," he said. "You chose me, even though you could've searched for your real mate."
His eyes searched mine, looking for reassurance. I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Was he confessing? Or was this just another layer of his charm?
"Of course, Aidan," I replied, my voice steady. But inside, I was a storm. The truth I uncovered earlier weighed on me like a lead blanket. Hearing stories about him and Brooke, and the way they acted around each other when they thought no one was looking felt too intimate.
During dinner, Aidan talked about his day, about plans for the future of the pack, and us. He also talked about trust, loyalty, and how much they mean to him. He told me that I was going to be the perfect Luna to help him put every plan into motion, but his eyes told a different story.
I nodded, sipped my wine, and forced down the lump in my throat. I felt like a joke. When the last bite was gone, silence fell, taking a deep breath, I said, "I need to ask you something."
"Sure, babe. What’s on your mind?"
"Why did you ask Brooke to play the role of my right handmaid in our mating ceremony?"
His face suddenly changed when I mentioned Brooke's name. I could see the guilt and surprise written all over him.
"I... I don't see why we couldn't. She's part of the pack now, so I figured it would be a good introduction," he finally said.
The tone was casual, but I knew him better than that. I felt a mix of anger and sadness. Brooke wasn't as important to the pack as he was championing her to be. She was pretty, yes, but not the kind who would have a massive impact on our society.
"I just think that she doesn't need to have a special role. Besides, I wanted Nancy to do that," I told him.
He stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. "Alexandra, there's no time to make changes. We have less than a month. We're keeping her. Nancy has another role anyway."
He then stood in front of me and bent down to kiss my forehead, and there it was, the scent I had been noticing for days now. It was subtle at first, like a whisper in the night. But now, it’s distinct. The warmth of his familiar musk is laced with something foreign, and it all started when Brooke came.
"Alexandra," he called, pulling me from my thoughts. "You have to understand…"
His voice trailed off as he looked out the window as if someone had called his name from a distance. I felt my stomach twist. The more he spoke, the more I realized that I was just a placeholder. I may be the wife, but we didn't have the connection that real mates of our kind had, and I couldn't help but wonder if Brooke was.
"Why do you seem so distracted lately? You don't finish what you want to say all the time," I pointed out, clearly irritated.
"I'm sorry, Alexandra. It’s everything happening within the pack. You know how important this is for us," he says. "I promise I’m here for you."
I could see the lie swirling in his eyes. His words rang hollow. The price of betrayal was steep. If Aidan had crossed a line, I don’t know if I could forgive him. I thought about the bond we shared—our wolf forms, the moonlit nights we spent running through the woods, the promises we made. But now, it felt tainted. I couldn't ignore the signs.
I couldn't turn a blind eye. I had to find out the truth, but how? Where do I even start?
