False Bonds, Bitter Truths
1364 Words
CHAPTER THREE
False Bonds, Bitter Truths
"Mate."
The words seemed to echo in the sudden silence as everyone stared at us. Scott's adoring gaze remained on me, while I glared at him.
What the hell did he think he was doing? It seemed like a few years of exile hadn't been enough for him, because he was obviously still the prankster he had been before. Unlike before, though, I didn't find his prank cute or funny.
Why would he think my predicament was something to be made fun of?
I clenched and unclenched my fists furiously, strongly debating punching him. In the end, I just gritted my teeth and turned away. I'd given the entire pack too much of a show already.
A strong, warm hand grabbed my elbow firmly, preventing me from leaving. I turned to glare at Scott, wrestling my arm from his grip at the same time.
"What the hell is your problem?" I snapped, seeing red.
Scott looked taken aback, but determined to push his prank.
"What..." He had the guts to look confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you're a f*****g asshole, Scott!" I yelled, getting up in his face. "You think now is the time to pull one of your stupid pranks?"
The i***t actually managed to look hurt.
"You think I'm pulling a prank?" he asked.
The weight of my glare increased. My fists were clenched so tightly that I felt the wetness of blood on my hands.
"Don't you mess with me, Scott," I warned in a harsh voice. "Or you'll regret it."
I turned to storm away again, only to be yanked back by Scott's hand on my elbow.
I acted without thinking, whirling around and letting my fist fly.
He must not have expected it, because the blow thumped him solidly on his jaw. This time, he returned my glare with one of his own.
"What the f**k, Tessa?" he yelled.
By now, everyone who hadn't been staring at us was doing so now. Including Nathan, and his stupid mate.
I didn't care. I shoved Scott backwards. He didn't budge.
"What's wrong with you?" he snapped.
"I should be asking you that!" I snapped back. "What the f**k did you just pull? You just saw me being betrayed, and you thought it'd be a laugh to rub salt in my wounds? When did you become an asshole?"
His brow furrowed for a moment, before his expression softened.
"Wait... You don't... You think I'm lying?"
In answer to his absurd question, I glared at him.
"But..." He looked utterly confused, and ran his thumb over my chin again like he was scared I would disappear. I smacked his hand away. "You don't feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"The mate bond," he clarified. "You're my mate."
I laughed loudly, and a bit hysterically.
"What a load of crap!" I said, just before my laughter turned into equally hysterical tears.
The murmurs from the crowd surrounding us had begun again, and I managed a glance at Nathan. He held my gaze for a long moment before I turned away. I couldn't bear to see that fake pained expression on his face when he had caused all this.
I tried, and failed to collect myself, taking a deep breath.
"I don't know what you're trying to do with this," I hissed at Scott. But you'd better stop now. And don't you ever bring this nonsense up again."
Scott stubbornly refused to let me go.
"I'm not doing anything," he insisted. "Are you trying to reject me? Is that it? Because of..." His gaze trailed to Nathan, and everyone saw.
"Yes," I whispered, because it was true. Nathan was my chosen mate, and I wasn't going to try to replace him with Scott, even if he was my fated mate —which he wasn't.
I was honestly shocked he even tried to pull something like this. A fated mate bond wasn't one you could just forge. And I definitely didn't feel whatever it was Scott claimed he felt.
"What?"
"Yes," I repeated loudly. "You aren't my mate, Scott." And I'm not choosing you just because you said so."
I pulled away from him for the last time, just in time for a slow clap to sound.
We all turned towards the clapping, to see Sofia step forward, malice in her eyes.
"You know, you're a real b***h, Tessa," she said.
All eyes swiveled towards me.
"You're the one who inserted herself into mine and Nathan's relationship," I spat. "Look in the mirror, and you'll see the bitch."
"For starters," she continued, "you and Nathan never had a chance." You were forcing your foolish propaganda on him, and he was just too nice to refuse you because you're the Alpha's daughter."
I tried not to let that sting. I knew better than anyone how it was with Nathan and I. I hadn't "forced" him.
"We swore an oath!"
Sofia rolled her eyes. "A stupid oath sworn by silly children is hardly an oath! And despite your posturing, you know what it means to be fated with someone. If you care for Nathan half as much as you say you do, you'd be happy he found his chance at love."
I scoffed. "You think he loves you? "After just one night and a sign from the moon, you think eternity with him is guaranteed?" I cackled, uncaring that I sounded a bit unhinged. "Nathan loves me, and he didn't need the f*****g moon to tell him that. That's a hundred times deeper than anything you two could ever have."
"Is it?" Sofia sneered. "I don't see him standing by your side now."
It was like twisting a knife in my gut. Sofia continued, addressing the pack this time.
"Is this the kind of Alpha you all want leading you?" She asked in a loud voice. "One who has no regard for something as sacred and blessed as the mate bond? One who blasphemes against our goddess?"
A low growl sounded, and Scott appeared at my side, baring his teeth at Sofia. I should have been thankful someone was willing to stand up for me against her, but I was sick of the whole thing, and took a pointed step away from him.
Sofia looked gleeful. "She even rejects her own fated mate!" She shouted. "How inhumane! And for what? She would rather have her mate in pain than accept him, all because she has her eyes on my mate!"
People glared at me, and took steps away from my vicinity, agreeing with Sofia under their breath.
"He was mine first!" I yelled. "And I don't f*****g want him anymore if all it takes to pull him from my side is a fickle bond!"
"Then why won't you accept Scott?" Someone shouted. "He's your own mate!"
"He's not!" I took a glance at Scott, and saw that same hurt expression on his face. "I feel no mate bond!"
"But he obviously does!"
I grinned savagely. "Then maybe your Moon Goddess made a mistake! I guess she isn't so perfect after all."
"The Moon Goddess is infallible," Sofia said reverently. "You probably don't feel the bond because of your fixation on my mate!"
"Or because of her blackened heart!" Someone else said. "The Moon Goddess is trying to punish her because of her blasphemy!"
My gaze met Nathan's again, and something about the way he just stood there by Sofia's side, staring at me, broke the dam of tears finally. It was suddenly too much.
With one final, pained look at him, I turned, and broke into a run, hoping he would come after me. I was owed that much, after everything we'd been through together.
I heard no footsteps behind me.
The words of that last pack member haunted me as I left the woods. The Moon Goddess might have wanted to punish me by not letting me feel Scott's and my supposed bond, but she'd already successfully done that by bonding Nathan to someone else.
No. In bonding Scott to me, she was punishing him, not me. And that made me all kinds of mad for reasons I couldn't decipher.
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