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because, for the entire time, he talked to the crowd, his eyes were on me. I wished he would just look away because my wolf was once again going crazy inside me. I felt that familiar pull like he was beckoning to me and despite my anger at him, my feet began to move of their own accord with him as my only focus only to be stopped when a hand fell on my arm.
I turned back swiftly ready to tell the person off only to be face-to- face with Ryder. I swore loudly and I could only imagine how red my face would’ve turned right then because at that point the amount of anger I was trying to keep at bay was definitely. unhealthy. First with my unexpected mate and now my cheating ex-boyfriend decided to show up as well. Probably realizing what was best for him, he retracted his hand but then the next second he was inching even closer to me and whispering into my ear.
“Please Bella, we really need to talk. Please, let’s just talk outside, hear me out.”
I bit my lip, briefly contemplating before I finally agreed. He didn’t have a chance of coming back into my life anyway so I may as well just hear whatever he had to say and then officially end things. I mean I really never wanted to be breathing the same air with either him or Chloe but who knows if he’d persist until our little
conversation began to draw more attention than I needed, so on that thought, I nodded and followed him out.
“What do you want?” I hissed immediately we got outside and out of earshot of everyone at the party.
“Bella, I understand how you feel and you have every right to feel that way. I’m sorry you had to feel that way. You really didn’t deserve that.”
I chuckled humorlessly, looking skyward and running my fingers
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through my hair, “You’re sorry I had to feel that way? Can you even hear yourself, Ryder? You called me here, not to tell me that you’re sorry you cheated on me with my best friend but you’re only sorry I caught you guys and felt your betrayal.”
Ryder winced, “It really isn’t like that…”
“Well, how is it, then?!”
“Bella, Chloe is my mate.”
I reeled back, “What?!” I took in a much-needed deep breath, “I don’ t believe you.”
“It’s true though and I’m sorry we didn’t come clean about it soon enough and you had to find out like that, Bella. Chloe feels so bad, she barely even eats anything. Even if you never wish to see me again, just have mercy on her, please. Finding our mates was inevitable I guess and you will find yours as well, sooner or later and I wouldn’t mean anything to you.”
I breathed heavily, trying to take everything in. I mean, I had found my mate and although he turned out to be a first-class jerk, Ryder obviously meant nothing to me anymore but what if I hadn’t? This was just all so difficult and still grossly unbelievable.
“You and Chloe met when we started dating. You were both of age then and should’ve found out that you were mates immediately you set your eyes on each other. Why’d you go ahead and date me? Was our entire relationship a lie then? Mate or not, that’s just plain wicked.” I said, a lump forming in my throat as I spoke the words into realization.
Whether I had found my mate or not, it was hard to get past the fact that you’ve been living a lie for a year plus and it hurt. It hurt because it was so unnecessary. Why didn’t they just come clean
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Ryder grabbed my hands, “We haven’t known for long. We would never do something like that to you, Bella. Chloe would never do something like that to you. Chloe’s wolf just suppressed it until recently automatically making my wolf not realize we’re mates. You know it yourself, Bells. You’re an amazing woman Bella, and you deserve the world. I’m not just the person meant to give it to you.”
I bit my lip, hating the fact that I was indeed feeling emotional right. at that moment when the air immediately filled with his scent and then he was standing beside me. His eyes darted from me to Ryder and then to our joined hands before his eyebrows rose in question.
Ryder looked confused but released my hands anyway and I decided it was because of the power radiating off Alexander. As for me, I’ve had enough of this night and all its drama and I didn’t care if Alexander meeting us like this made me seem more like a w h ore to him. He can think all he wants for all I care and I definitely wasn’t going to explain myself to a mate who wouldn’t. even acknowledge what we were. Besides I needed time to process everything Ryder had just said. So I took a step back from the two men and did a small mock bow,
“You guys have fun,” I said, before walking away.
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Five
I had barely gone far when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist before I was harshly pulled back, “Where are you going?”
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I yanked my hand away from him and looked him directly in the face, “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”
“Oh, but it is.”
I glared at him, “Why? Because I owe you? Well, I just may be looking for who I can sleep with to pay off my extravagant debt.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” He growled lowly and I smirked,
“And why do you care?”
His face hardened and his nose flared as he let out the deep breath he had inhaled, “I don’t. Pay up and don’t even think about telling anyone about what we are.” He said and stormed off before his words could even settle but I got one thing; he knew we were mates but he was going to keep acting oblivious to our bond because not only was he not going to act on it but he didn’t want anyone to find out about it as well.
I bit my lip as my fists clenched and unclenched beside me. He had managed to anger me and make my wolf feel hurt and rejected at the same time. Well if he doesn’t want me, I’m not going to cry about it. I’ve been surviving just fine without him in my life and I’m going back to living like he doesn’t exist…after I pay him his s tu pi d twenty grand.
“Bella, is he bothering you?”
I sighed, I forgot Ryder was still here.
“Because it doesn’t matter that he’s the Alpha if he’s bothering you…”
“Oh, cut it out, Ryder. I’m fine without you having to pretend like you care about me.” I said and he winced.
“Bella…”
“I’ve heard what you said about you and Chloe.” I said cutting him off, “Now give me some time to process it, will you? Imagine I hit you with something like that out of the blue. Would you take it all in in a couple of minutes like it was simply a matter of forgetting to get the groceries?”
He fell silent at that and I took that to be that my point had been made.
*
“Good night,” I told him before turning around and making my way back to the party but only to tell my parents I was leaving because I had just about had enough of this shi t ty night.
When I got home I peeled the clothes off my body before throwing on a robe I didn’t even bother to tie and going into the kitchen to my liquor cabinet to pour myself a glass of white wine. I downed a glass before carrying the wine and the glass with me to the bathroom where I had already left the tap running. I threw in a bath bomb and sipped wine as I watched it dissolve and kept watching the water even after it dissolved because I was too lost in my thoughts to notice.
When I finally lowered myself into the water, my wine was half- gone and my eyes were misty. With the help of the wine, the past days’ events finally started to eat at me.
It just had to be me who meets my mate for the first time on the same night I caught my boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend and I don’t even realize he was my mate because I had drowned myself in alcohol while trying to drown the hurt and betrayal I felt from my boyfriend and best friend and couldn’t
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recognize our bond.
When I finally do the next day, I also find out that he’s the Alpha of my pack and he wants nothing to do with me because he thinks I’ m a whore and can’t control my sexual urges.
I didn’t even know whether to blame myself or h a t e him so I was going to do both.
I used to imagine what it would be like to have a mate. The goddess would’ve picked him out specifically for me and we’d be the perfect match because the goddess is all-knowing and would know our personalities even before we were born and match us based on that.
But now, I wonder if the goddess is as all-knowing as all that. Because why on earth would she pair Alexander and I as people who were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together? Even the bond could not prevent him from loathing me!
They say mates are made for each other but I’m pretty sure I wasn’ t made for Alexander.
I wiped away the stupid tear that dared to escape my eyes before sinking deeper into the water. Pull yourself together! I yelled at my wolf because I refused to accept that it was me feeling like this over that man and then I was fine again until I remembered that this is the sort of thing I would’ve talked about with my best friend and I no longer had one.
I cried myself to sleep that night and when I woke up the next morning I was in what Ryder liked to call a fierce mood. Personally, I liked to think I was always in a fierce mood which only meant this one was plain deadly. I finished up my look by coating my lips with red lipstick before grabbing my handbag and leaving my house. When the guy at the reception greeted me, I just gave him a nod
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and went on my way. I loved timid people; they helped my confidence shine even brighter.
Immediately I got down from the car at the pack house parking lot, my assistant came rushing towards me. “Good morning Miss Rossi.” The younger woman greeted, looking fr az zl ed and seemingly more so when I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Is there a problem?” I asked her, shutting my car door and locking it with the b ut t on on the keys.
“Ma’am, there’s this couple in the gallery and…” She trailed off when I raised my wrist to check my watch.
“Already? I must be very late then.”
“No ma’am. They’re actually unnaturally early.”
I nodded, “Carry on.”
“They’re insisting on buying a painting. I’ve told them countless times that they’re just meant to look and appreciate the piece and that they aren’t to be purchased but they’re persisting.”
I began to walk towards the Gallery, just behind the pack house. Years ago, it used to be inside the pack house but renovations were made so that one could no longer access the pack house through it because of how coveted the Red Moon pack became. It was either that or ban people from coming to look at the art in their gallery but that idea had been turned down at the MOAAB, Meeting of Alphas and Betas or at least that was what people were told.
“What piece are they insisting on buying?” I asked her and she faltered, causing me to narrow my eyes.
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“It’s one of yours, Miss Rossi.”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t speak after that and neither did she on the way there. On getting in, I walked straight to the wing where all my paintings were kept and saw a couple standing right in front of them. They looked young and obviously couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The woman was leaning into the man and he had his arm wrapped around her, gently rubbing her arm. They must’ve not been that engrossed at the moment because they turned back immediately after my heels announced my presence.
“Miss Rossi.” The woman beamed, “I’m so glad you could make it today.”
I raised my brow at my assistant and she looked away. The crafty girl must have told them I may not come in today to get them to leave.
“Good morning and welcome,” I told them with a smile I reserved only for guests…sometimes.
“Good morning.” The man greeted, “I’m sure you’ve already been told but we wanted to buy a painting. My mate and I are in love with your work and she would be really unhappy if we don’t get one at least.”
I nodded slowly, “And which one is it exactly that caught your attention?” I asked and the girl became excited again while her mate smiled down at her petite figure.
“Um, well they’re so many.” She said, with a hand under her chin. “That portrait is very captivating and that one you did when you were seven years old? That’s so impressive for a child and even an adult.” She spoke quickly, pointing at each subject. “But I think we’
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painting in the middle.
I chuckled lightly, horny honeymooners indeed.
That painting was the most lewd thing I have ever painted. It was a naked woman lying on a bed but only her naked breasts were on display because her nether regions were blocked from view by her lover who she was being pleasured by. I would hate to part with it but I have a debt to pay.
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“Interesting choice, Miss?”
“Kingston but just call me Jane.” She turned back to the painting, beaming. “I know, right? It’s stunning!” She rambled, gushing out that last part. My assistant looked up at the painting only to look away again, a blush covering her face.
“Thank you, Miss Kingston,” I said and the man turned to me,
“So um, can we get it?”
“Considering that none of the items in this gallery are originally meant to be sold, it may be a little bit pricey,” I said carefully.
The man whose name I didn’t yet know, glanced at his mate before nodding. “Whateve Purchase completed take it.”
I hid a smile, “Okay, kindly follow me to my office where we’ll discuss this further.” I told them, “This way please.” I said, gesturing for them to follow me and they did. My assistant glanced warily at me but obliged. On getting to my office, she dropped my bag which she had been holding onto all this while down on my table before going to stand to the side while I sat down and waved for the couple to sit as well.
They did and Jane immediately latched her arm around her partner’s. Unconsciously, my eyes darted to the action and I felt something bubble lightly in my chest. I looked away before I could get any more jealous. The emotion itself was ridiculous and embarrassing. I cleared my throat lightly and they glanced up at me, Jane smiling brightly as usual while her partner just looked… determined.
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“So…” I began only to be interrupted by a knock.
I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes when my assistant went to check who it was. My secretary came in and I glared at her, “I’m in the middle of a meeting, Tanya.”
“I’m sorry, it’s urgent.” She said and from the urgency in her voice and the look on her face, I sighed before excusing myself and beckoning her to come. She gave me the phone and I placed it against my ear.
“Isabella.”
