Betrayed By My Mate

A Hard Choice

Genevieve stood before her, adorned in a silk red gown, her beauty seemingly amplified since Raven last saw her. "What are you doing here, Genevieve?" Raven demanded, her anger palpable.

Genevieve sighed deeply, turning to face her stepsister. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Zane is my mate. You can't be with him," Raven cried out, her voice laced with desperation.

"Who cares if he's your mate? You're the one who killed our parents. You destroyed our pack and killed my betrothed mate in your stupid quest for revenge. This is my way of making you pay, and I won’t stop until I ruin you completely," Genevieve spat, advancing towards Raven. "You're still the same foolish girl I and my mother pushed around in the pack two years ago, and just like before, I'll always get what is yours. As for Zane, he's mine now" she declared, her words dripping with venomous hatred.

Raven lowered her gaze, feeling the weight of guilt and regret pressing down on her. Two years ago, she had let her emotions guide her, choosing Zane over her family and pack. But what choice did she have? She was in love with him and couldn't bear to watch him die. "Genevieve, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of that to happen, but Zane and I truly love each other. I couldn't let him die," she pleaded.

Genevieve scoffed, a cruel laughter bubbling from her lips. "Love? It’s only been two years, and he's already treating you like trash. That's what you get for betraying your family. You should have married the Alpha king when you had the chance, but you stupidly gave that up for Zane. You’re such a fool!" she spat with disgust, her contempt for Raven evident on her face.

"I won't let you ruin my marriage to Zane. He might have slept with you today, but I assure you it won’t happen again. It was all a mistake," Raven declared, wiping the tears from her face. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Zane to her stepsister. She had never imagined her life without him. She had come home early to tell him that she was forfeiting her promotion at work, which involved moving to another city. She couldn't bear to be far from him and was willing to sacrifice her career for their relationship.

Genevieve's laughter echoed through the room, her disbelief palpable. "You really haven't changed, Raven. You're still the naive girl I've always known. What makes you think this is the first time Zane has slept with me in your matrimonial bed?"

Raven's jaw dropped in shock. "What do you mean?" she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

Genevieve sighed deeply, her tone mocking. "You see, darling, while you're away at work, pursuing your beloved career, I've been enjoying your mate right here in this bed trying to conceive his cub. The only difference now is that you finally caught us red-handed. But that's not a problem; it's time Zane made our relationship official anyway."

Raven stood frozen, "This can't be true," she whispered, her heart shattering into a million pieces. "You're a liar!”

Genevieve clicked her tongue dismissively as she grabbed her purse from the table, preparing to leave the bedroom. But before she could make her exit, she stopped in front of Raven, a cold smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Keep lying to yourself, Raven. You know I'm telling the truth. We've been seeing each other for the past six months, and you're only finding out now. Can't you see how foolish you are?” She sighed and continued. “I heard you haven’t been able to have children. Well, I’m pregnant", she informed him.

Raven stared at Genevieve’s stomach in disbelief as she watched her rub her hands on it gently. “No, you’re lying.”

“Maybe I am actually lying, sis, but who cares? If I were you, I would disappear. I am so going to make your life miserable here, Raven”, Genevieve threatened with a cruel edge to her voice.

Raven's rage boiled over at Genevieve's words. Without a second thought, she delivered a swift blow to Genevieve's face, followed by a flurry of slaps.

Genevieve collapsed to the ground, her breath labored. "That did it. It doesn't take much to set you off," she muttered, hurriedly retrieving a small container of blood from her purse. With trembling hands, she emptied it onto her lap and dress before letting out a piercing scream.

Raven, bewildered, questioned, "What on earth are you doing, Genevieve?"

A wicked grin spread across Genevieve's face. "You'll soon find out," she retorted sharply before unleashing another anguished cry.

The sound of Genevieve's scream brought Zane and several members of his family rushing into the room, their faces contorting with horror at the sight of Genevieve drenched in blood on the floor.

"Zane, she struck my stomach. Something's wrong with our baby," Genevieve wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

All eyes turned accusatorily toward Raven, rage simmering in their depths. "No, she's lying. I didn't do anything—" Raven began, but before she could defend herself, Zane's hand connected with her cheek in a stinging slap.

"Why must you be such a wretched she-wolf, Raven? I confided in you about taking your stepsister as a second mate, and instead of embracing it, you're attempting to harm her and our unborn child?" Zane's voice dripped with disappointment and betrayal.

"I warned you not to get mated to her in the first place, Zane, but you wouldn't listen," Zane's aunt, Miriam, interjected with a disdainful roll of her eyes. She was a middle-aged chubby woman of average height, with short bobbed hair and striking blue eyes.

"I can't stand her," another family member muttered, igniting a cascade of gossip and whispers among them, as they began hurling derogatory remarks and names at Raven.

Feeling the weight of their disdain, Raven hung her head in sorrow. She wasn't surprised by their reaction; they had never approved of her or her marriage to Zane. It was clear they had been aware of Zane's infidelity all along but chose to remain silent. Indeed, they were horrible.

As Raven processed the situation, doubts clouded her mind. "Could it be that Genevieve isn't truly pregnant?" she pondered, her gaze dropping to the ground. "You struck me because of her?" Raven finally spoke up, her voice tinged with disbelief as she locked eyes with Zane, questioning whether he remained the same kind werewolf in that prison cell two years ago ego she had fallen in love with.

"I'll do far worse if you don't fall in line, Raven. Pray that my child remains unharmed, or you'll face the consequences," Zane's threat cut through the air, his tone icy and foreboding.

"Zane, I'm your mate. You can't treat me like this," Raven confessed bitterly, tears tracing down her cheeks.

Ignoring her pleas, Zane swiftly aided Genevieve to her feet, while other family members whisked her away for urgent medical attention.

Genevieve's triumph surged silently within her. "Zane will have no choice but to divorce you now. I refuse to share him with anyone," she thought resolutely, feeling victorious in her scheme.

"You've been cheating on me with my stepsister for the past six months, and you see nothing wrong with that?" Raven's voice shook with a mixture of anger and anguish as she confronted him.

"I see nothing wrong with anything, except for you being barren. I curse the day I first laid eyes on you. It's no wonder you were despised by every member of your pack; they knew nothing good would ever come from you," Zane spat with disgust, causing fresh tears to spill from Raven's eyes. She couldn't fathom that these cruel words came from the same lips that once spoke kind promises to her.

"You must apologize to Genevieve. Do you understand?" Zane's tone grew firm and commanding.

Raven stared at him in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"I'm sure you heard me clearly. You will accompany me to the hospital and apologize to her, now!" Zane repeated, his voice dripping with authority.

Raven shook her head. "I won't do it."

Without hesitation, Miriam delivered a swift slap across Raven's face. "He's your Alpha, and he's given you an order. You will apologize to Genevieve! She's carrying his child, something you couldn’t do in two years, yet she managed it in six months," Miriam barked, her voice laced with authority.

Tears streaked down Raven's face as she stood firm in her refusal. "I can't do it. I won't," she cried out, her voice trembling with defiance.

Miriam's strikes rained down upon Raven relentlessly. "You must apologize!" she demanded, her voice growing more forceful with each word.

Despite the bruises blossoming on her face and blood trickling from her nose, Raven remained resolute, refusing to succumb to the humiliation of apologizing to Genevieve. She couldn't bear to kneel before the woman who had betrayed her trust.

"That's enough, aunt. She'll have other opportunities to suffer. Pray fervently that nothing befalls Genevieve or my child," Zane interjected coldly, his detachment evident as he swiftly departed.

Raven's shoulders shook with each sob, her heart heavy with despair.

"I warned you that getting my mated to Zane would lead to regret. This is just the beginning of your nightmare," Miriam's chilling words pierced Raven's soul as she hurried away.

The following day, after seeking solace away from the suffocating atmosphere of her home, Raven returned, her determination unwavering. As she entered the house, Zane's angry voice cut through the air.

"Raven!" he bellowed, his rage palpable.

"I'm here," she responded calmly from behind him.

Zane turned towards her, his eyes blazing with fury, only to have Raven thrust a set of documents into his face. "And what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, glaring at her.

"I want a divorce. Sign it," Raven demanded boldly, her voice tinged with sadness yet filled with resolve.