Betrayed By My Fated Mate

8 Meeting Zane and Nichole

Seraphina POV

Luna Isabelle leads me out of the office while my parents stay behind to speak to the Alpha Rogers. I know they are worried about me, but I'll bury myself in training. I have to in order to keep my mind off of Caspian. Just thinking about him has my chest aching. "I'll take you to the training field first since you will be spending a lot of time there," the Luna says, and I smile. I follow her through the pack house and into the pack yard.

A loud squeal startles me and I turn just in time to see a girl who is a foot shorter than me barreling in my direction. A quick look at the Luna and her wide smile lets me know the girl isn't a threat. Before I can react, she wraps me in a bone crushing hug. "Oh my goddess, you're here. You are so pretty," she says.

"Nichole, perhaps you should introduce yourself before you accost our guest," the Luna says. The girl steps back and the blush on her cheeks is undeniable. "Sorry Luna, I'm just so excited. My dad told me that a new she-wolf of Beta blood was arriving this morning, and I knew we were going to be great friends," she says.

"Fina, this is Walter and Megan's daughter, Nichole," Luna says. Her excitement is almost palpable. "It's very nice to meet you, Nichole." "Don't be so formal. Like Luna Isabelle said, we are going to be best friends," she says, and I can't help but chuckle. My smile fades when I think about the girl that was my best friend. The one that kept such a big secret from me. The one that slept with my mate and kept it from me. "Fina, I don't know what happened in your old pack, but I can promise you that I'm the kind of friend that will help you hide the body," she says.

I throw my head back and laugh genuinely for the first time since everything went to sh*t. "Nichole, why don't you show Fina around. She will be working side by side with you and your dad training the warriors," Luna says. "Absolutely, Luna. Come on Fina, I'll show you the training field and the lake. Those are two of my favorite places in the pack. After we can grab lunch in the dining hall," she says. "I would like that." Luna Isabelle pulls me in for a hug. "You are strong, but don't forget allowing yourself to lean on others doesn't make you weak," she says.

A few hours later Nichole and I step into the dining room. Pack members are chattering as we make our way to the Alpha table. My father and mother are both seated next to Walter and Megan. The Alpha and Luna are at the head of the table facing the pack. Seated next to them is a man who looks like a perfect blend of the two. He isn't as big as Alpha Rogers, but he is definitely the future Alpha. When we finally reach the table, all the men stand.

We take the two remaining seats next to each other. "Fina, what did you think of the pack," Alpha Rogers asks. "It's amazing. The warriors are well trained, and the facilities are truly top notch. I look forward to training the warriors with Nichole and Beta Walter." "That is good to hear. This is Zane, our son and the future Alpha of the pack." he says. "It's good to meet you, Seraphina," Zane says.

I hate the sympathy I see in his eyes. So he knows what happened too. I should have known he would, but I hate the way he is looking at me. "It's nice to meet you too." Thankfully, Nichole starts talking about how amazing the food is. A few minutes later omegas start delivering trays of food to the table. She isn't wrong because everything smells amazing. The rest of lunch is in comfortable silence.

"Are you ready Fina? I'll show you to your room. We can spend the rest of the afternoon watching movies," Nichole says. "Actually, I would like to speak to Seraphina in my office," Zane says. Alpha Rogers has a look of confusion on his face, as does my dad. "Don't look so worried. I'm not going to bite her," he says, making me laugh. He stands and rounds the table offering me his hand. "Nichole, why don't you join us," Zane says. She jumps up and follows behind us. I won't lie and say I'm not nervous when we step into the office. I have a sinking feeling he wants to talk about why I'm here.

Zane takes a seat behind the large desk. "Seraphina, my parents told me what happened in your old pack," he says. I look at Nichole, and she offers me a reassuring smile. "I don't know everything, but I heard my parents calling your mate an a**hat so I drew my own conclusions," she says. "Nothing you say in this room will be repeated. Nichole is my Beta and I trust her with my life. I actually brought you in here to tell you that you aren't alone. The minute my parents told me what had happened, I knew that we would be good friends," he says.

I stay quiet wondering what he could possibly mean. I can't imagine the same exact thing happening to him. "My mate rejected me because he is afraid of his own s*xuality. He is a warrior in our pack. I gave him a chance to come to terms with it, but he doubled down and f**ked one of the she-wolves. Thankfully, the pain was tolerable since we weren't bonded. My parents don't know that I was rejected," he says. "I'm sorry, Zane. I think that might be worse than what happened to me."

"There is no worse or better. I got the highlights, but do you feel comfortable sharing the specifics with me and Nichole," he asks. I look between the two of them. I nod and tell them everything that happened. As soon as I'm finished, Nichole practically lunges at me, wrapping her arms around me. "I promise that I will never betray you. Besides, I'd be more interested in you than your mate," she says, and we all chuckle. I hug her back, not realizing how much I needed to feel supported.

Don't get me wrong, my parents have been amazing, but they are my parents. Having someone be angry on my behalf who doesn't share blood with me seems different. "We have your back, Fina. I know you were set to be the Beta of your pack, maybe," Zane starts to say, but I cut him off. "No, that position is Nichole's alone. I'm happy to help with training and be a warrior. Besides, I may not be able to envision going back right now, but maybe someday, when the hurt isn't so fresh, that will change." "Well, we are glad you're here right now," Nichole says, and Zane nods his agreement.

Caspian POV

I make my way back toward the pack house after training. Titus refuses to go for a run and, honestly, all I want to do is shower and climb into my bed. Despite me not accepting her rejection, the crack in our bond is exhausting. I wonder if she feels it too. I wonder if she is thinking about me? If she hates me. If there is even a part of her who still loves me. Goddess, I love her so much. The thought of never seeing her, talking to her, or touching her again makes it hard to breathe.

I know I should give her space, but I need to hear her voice. Even if it's just to scream at me. I open the link and though it's weaker I can feel it. "Seraphina, I know you angry. You have every right to be, but I need you to know I love you." There is silence but I can feel our connection. I have no idea how far away she is, but just being able to feel the bond helps me pull air into my lungs. As soon as I reach the pack house, I don't stop to talk to any of the pack members.

Many of them know that Seraphina is gone, but they don't know the reason why. I take the stairs two at a time until I reach my room. I'm thankful not to run into mom. I hate the disappointment I see in her eyes every time I step into a room. I know its my fault but it doesn't make it any easier to feel. I head into my room and straight into the bathroom. Stepping under the hot spray, my only thought is of Seraphina. "You have to find her. You have to beg for mate's forgiveness," Titus growls.

"I would love to Titus. I love her but she is hurt. I hurt her. I f**ked up. The words sorry are not going to fix this." "You didn't accept her rejection," he whimpers. "Of course, I didn't. I'm not giving up Titus, but I don't know how to begin to fix this. I should never have touched Abby or any she-wolf for that matter. I should have listened to my parents, but I thought I was the next Alpha and my mate would be so thrilled to have me and to become Luna that she wouldn't care about the past. Then to find out that Seraphina was my mate and I f**ked her best friend, I was terrified. I knew it mattered. So, again, I did the wrong thing. I kept it from her hoping it would stay secret."

"Everything done in the dark comes to light. You should have told her the truth. I want our mate Caspian. We need to fix this," he says. The fact he is even talking to me again is hopeful. "I will never give up Titus." He seems satisfied with my answer and recedes in my mind. I grab the towel intending to dry off when the sound of raised voices catches my attention. Recognizing one as my mother's, I quickly wrap the towel around my waist and rush out of the bathroom.

I stalk into the living room, noticing my mother standing at the door to our wing. "Mom, what's wrong," I ask just as I come to stand behind her. My eyes darken when I notice Abby standing on the other side of the door. "Abby, why are you here?" "That was exactly my question," my mother says. "I just wanted to talk to you for a minute, Caspian. I called Seraphina," she says. I growl and she takes a step back. "She is my best friend, and she hates me," she sobs.