I had a feeling that Andro hadn’t been honest with me these past few weeks. But I had set all my doubts aside because I thought our history was enough reassurance. Now, everything we had built through the years crashed down on me as I heard a female’s voice inside his room.
It wasn’t just any voice. It belonged to the young woman that my father took in and adopted despite my mother’s disapproval. I took a shuddering breath, my fiance’s pants and groans nailing me on the floor.
“You can’t resist me, Andro,” Stella said. “I’m your mate. You will want me no matter how much you deny it.”
“Shut up,” Andro snapped. “I promised Melissa that I’d marry her. I promised to reject my mate if it wasn’t her.”
Andro’s words caused a pang in my chest. It was clear that he had given in to his urges and the mate bond’s pull. In the end, his promise was nothing against the mate bond.
“But you need me. You need this,” Stella purred. “Do you even love her? Or do you just need her to get rid of your brother and take his place as alpha of the pack?”
“My feelings aren’t important,” he grunted out. “Her family has made great contributions to the pack, if they side with me, the others will accept me faster when I become the new Alpha.”
I was hoping he’d at least say he loves me because that was the truth I knew, one he made me believe. But he chose to protect his mate’s feelings at my expense.
“Everyone thinks Alpha Desmond had lost his mind along with his heart when his mate died. I think they’d all agree to have you as Alpha instead. You don’t need Melissa,” Stella insisted.
“Who do you think killed his mate? It was Melissa’s parents. They did it to help me and make their daughter Luna.”
My jaw fell at the revelation. The reason why our Alpha had gone mad was because of my parents? I supported Andro’s goal to usurp Alpha Desmond’s position because I also believed that Desmond was no longer fit for the role due to his cruelty. But was it all because of us?
“Besides, Melissa and I had been together since childhood. I can’t just throw her away,” Andro added.
“But you can’t reject me too. You’re a greedy man, Andro.”
It was making me sick. The obscene sounds they made within that room made my stomach turn. My weak heart pounded against my chest. The pack's healers told me that my heart had a problem they couldn't decipher, but I should avoid doing anything that would strain it. I had to walk away because I could feel my heart condition acting up.
However, while I took refuge in the kitchen of our manor, Stella suddenly walked in. A familiar bracelet dangles from her finger.
“I saw this outside of Andro’s room. It’s yours, isn’t it?” Stella tauntingly asked. “You heard us.”
Stella didn’t look ashamed or even afraid of the fact that I knew. “Yeah, I heard how shameless you are.”
“Ha!” she scoffed. “Shameless? He’s my mate.”
“And I am his betrothed. By choice, I am who he wants. The mate bond is the only thing pushing him to you, and I know… he’ll choose me,” I said although I doubted it. Did I even want him to choose me despite what I learned? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I couldn’t let Andro go yet.
Deep down, I knew I couldn’t trust him anymore. But my heart was still too attached and held onto him like a lifeline.
“Do you wanna test that theory?” Stella asked as she took a step toward me.
Stella suddenly knocked a wine bottle and plates off the counter. I stared at her in shock and confusion. She plopped down on the floor, right into the mess, shards of glass digging into her skin.
“What are you doing!” I asked in panic as I tried to help her out.
“Help! Help me!” Her screams had taken me aback.
Andro came rushing in at the sound of Stella’s distress. He took one look at the scene and shot me an immediate glare. My lips parted at the realization of what Stella was doing.
“I didn’t do anything,” I said even though he hadn’t voiced his accusations yet.
However, Stella cried harder and wrapped her arms around Andro’s neck. “She knows I’m your mate. She said she’d kill me so she can have you back,” Stella said through her sobs.
“S-she’s lying!” I wanted to step forward and pull him away from her, but my chest suddenly felt tight.
“This isn’t right, Melissa,” Andro grounded out.
I crumpled to the floor, clutching my chest as the pain there exploded. My world spun, and I could barely breathe. But Andro didn’t come to my side. He chose to remain by Stella’s side despite knowing my heart condition. I was wrong, he wouldn’t choose me.
