Falling For the Wrong One

Chapter 1 Anna’s POV Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. For three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, I’ve stood here, trying to convince myself that the semi-conscious woman sprawled across his bed is just a heap of blankets. The citrusy sting of her cheap perfume… …Her dark red hair curling across his bare chest… …Her nails tangled lightly in his messy, overgrown buzz cut… It’s a blanket. They’re all blankets. “You… disgusting little pig.” The words crack in my throat, soaked in fury. Jacob’s eyes slowly flutter open, but his lips barely tense when our gazes collide. I already know what this spineless douchebag’s going to say. “You finally spoke up. I was beginning to think you’d stand there with your jaw hanging open all night,” he says with a smirk. …Better yet, with no remorse. “Have you no shame? We’re getting married in two weeks, and you’re whoring around with everything in a dress? Running off to cheap hotels wasn’t enough, you bring them home now?” My fingers curl so tightly my nails cut into my palms. “Don’t insult me, Anna.” He sits up lazily. “You know damn well I can afford every five-star hotel in this city. And Jessica here counts as five women. I’m not some slut.” “My name’s… Erica.” “Shut up.” Jacob barely acknowledges her existence. “Don’t tell me all that arrogance died off so soon though. Just a second ago you looked like you were about to—” I don’t let him finish. My hand flies toward his face, but he catches it mid-air. “Now that’s more like it.” “You promised to put this on hold until we rejected each oth—” “That wasn’t the agreement” He shoves me back, the smirk never leaving. “Don’t act like we haven’t been clear. I couldn’t care less about some fated mate nonsense, and I’m sure as hell not letting a mythical bond bullcrap ruin my perfect life.” “Then reject me now!” My voice cracks under the weight of rage. “Or is this your sick way of getting a laugh?” “You know I can’t do that either. Besides, why are you so worked up? Nobody forced you to show up at my mating party.” “And for that, I curse myself every single day.” I step closer, our breaths almost colliding. “Reject me. Now.” The growl rising in my throat makes my skin prickle. “Feisty.” He chuckles, reaching for my hair. “It’s almost attractive.” I slap his hand away. “Well I want you gone as much as you want me gone. Don't patronise yourself, okay?” “You two are… fated mates?” Almost on cue, Jacob and I snap our heads toward Erica. “And why are you still here?” Jacob snaps. “I—" “Leave.” “But you haven’t—” “Don’t make me have to tell you that again!” She scurries out, clutching her clothes against her bare skin. Just another victim swallowed by Jacob’s poison. “As much as you hate it, I’m still the talk of this town,” he goes on, smugness dripping from every word. “And I’m not risking my image by rejecting you. Not yet. So our deal stands. Same as three months ago when we first met. We’ll wait for the buzz to die down, then we end this properly. Or are you really willing to throw away your end of the bargain too?” My silence betrays my helplessness. I'm cornered. Before I can turn, he grabs me again. “Put on something sexy for the clan meeting tonight. South Dakota’s finest are coming, and I won’t have them thinking my mate’s some—” “Let go of me.” I twist hard, but his grip only tightens. “Don’t mess this up for me, Anna.” His fingers dig into my wrist until fire races up my arm. I bite down my pain and glare at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a flinch. “I’ll take your silence as a yes, then,” he finally sneers, releasing me. Walking away without another word, my façade holds up until I reach my room. The door slams, and my knees immediately buckle beneath the weight. “Breathe… just… tch. You can do this.” I clutch my stomach, gasping. The scars along my lower abdomen have torn open again, all thanks to Jacob and his whoring abilities. Tears streak my cheeks as I press trembling fingers to the wounds. “I hate him. I hate him so much.” But hatred isn’t enough. I force myself to remember why I endure this. Why I stay. Jacob’s… the only one who knows where ‘she’ is. And it just had to be goddess’s cruel joke that I turned out to be his mate. I drag my fingers over the ridges of my scars, murmuring underneath my breath “Just a little more, Anna. Just a little more. Soon, you’ll be free.” Well, five hours and thirty nine minutes later to be exact. Five hours and thirty nine minutes later, ‘His’ chilling voice was the one that saved me from this hell hole. If only I'd known he'd brought hell along with him too.