His Daddy’s Fated Mate

21: Conniving girl

Hannah’s POV

I turned away quickly when I saw Tucker slowly walking towards us. It seems like he didn't recognize me at first with the way he was walking nonchalantly though he looked really burnt out. It looks like he is grieving more than anyone else with the way he appears to be out of it and depressed.

He appears as a figure enveloped in mourning, his demeanor a reflection of the heavy weight of grief that hangs upon him. His shoulders slump beneath an invisible burden, and his gaze, once vibrant, now carries a distant sadness. Even his hair looks dull from that one look I gave him. Not the usual Tucker vibe.

The one that made all the boys in White Canines pack want to dress like him and have hair cuts like his. Everything Tucker King does is copied by all the boys then I don't know about now. This isn't the Tuck that used to bask in the attention of both males and females those years ago in highschool.

He looks obviously older now with two days of stubble covering his cheeks. He isn't much of a looker like his sister Taylor. He knew how to dress, carries his family name well and all that but Tucker wasn't this handsome. He didn't take after his father but took after Jane who was a much better looking woman than he is.

Alpha Liam passed down his good looks to his daughter. They might be twins but they are nothing alike whatsoever. Tucker is taller than Taylor standing six feet while Taylor is five feet seven or is it eight? She has grown taller since I last saw her.

Dressed in somber hues, Tucker moves with a quiet solemnity, each step echoing the profound loss he bears. His eyes, usually bright, are dimmed by the shadows of sorrow, conveying a deep ache that transcends words. Lines of sorrow etch his face, marking the passage of time spent mourning the departure of a beloved figure.

There's a palpable heaviness in the air around him, an intangible shroud of grief that seems to envelop Tucker. His every gesture and expression tell a story of profound loss, painting him as someone navigating the intricate landscape of mourning, grappling with the absence left behind by his mother's passing.

"Tayyy?" His voice rasped from behind me and it sent jolts of shivers down my spine. Shivers I hated because what the hell?

Taylor, who hadn't heard him coming or simply decided to ignore, raised her head from my shoulder and gave her brother a once over then shook her head at him. I think he is drunk at the way she clicks her tongue in dismay. I hate the mere idea of anyone getting drunk at this point. It is traumatic.

"You're drunk, Tuck. What the hell? Is that your coping mechanism?" She said disapprovingly, her head finding its place on my shoulder again.

Tucker turned to his sister, a casual tone in his voice as he mentioned, "I was just having a drink with Dad, you know how it is."

The words reached my ears, causing an unexpected tension to seize my shoulders. The mention of Alpha Liam in such a casual context sent a ripple of unease through the air. I almost forgot that he's put me through hell just for the sake of it. It sounds like the old Alpha I knew that I could run to with my complaints.

Only now that he is the devil I want to complain about. He is the one that has wrecked my life and turned it upside down because of his selfish needs. He doesn't want to be perceived as someone who is weak so it is convenient to blame the girl. The younger one who is less powerful than the rest of them.

As Tucker settled down next to his sister on the smooth stone, both of them facing the mesmerizing waterfall, a serene scene unfolded. It was like before. Before my eighteenth birthday when everything went downhill and refused to rise. I don't wish it to rise anyway. I get to see people for who they really are.

However, the tranquility was shattered as he slowly turned, addressing me for the first time. His eyes widened in shock, the corners of his mouth hanging open, and his entire expression sculpted into a state of flabbergasted disbelief. I wanted to roll my eyes at how funny and clowny he looked right then.

The sun cast a warm glow on his features, momentarily highlighting the lines of surprise etched across his face. His sister, initially engaged in the soothing rhythm of the waterfall, now shared in the collective astonishment, glancing back and forth between us. Tucker’s eyes widened in an unspoken realization, pupils dilating as if trying to reconcile the person before him with the distant memory he held.

His jaw, once set in casual conversation, now hung slightly ajar, and the casual demeanor melted into a tableau of flabbergasted disbelief. It was as if time had momentarily frozen, and the air itself held its breath as the weight of recognition dawned on him. Yeah, as it should. I want to see guilt in his eyes too.

The subtle shift in his expression mirrored the narrative of the years that had passed, the gap widening between the last shared moments and the unexpected present, leaving him momentarily suspended in the revelation that someone he hadn't seen in four years now sat beside his sister, a surprising twist in the course of his familial encounter.

The passage of four years had etched changes into the landscape of my existence, leaving him seemingly bewildered at the unexpected sight. His eyes met mine, registering a mix of surprise and recognition, as if the reality of my presence took a moment to fully settle in. I wanted to give him a wicked smile or sarcastic one but I am too drained for that so I only stare.

The air crackled with an unspoken realization, as Tucker grappled with the revelation that someone he hadn't seen in four years now sat beside his sister by the cascading waters. Someone he has rejected with cold brutality too.

The silence between us became a palpable void, a stark reminder of the rejection that had severed our once unbreakable bond. Taylor must have felt the cackling tension in the air because she slowly raised her head from my shoulder to look between Tucker and I so I looked away from him. I can't look at those haunting brown eyes. I had so many nightmares with them.

"Tucker, look, Hans came back, and she's not leaving! At least not in the near future," Taylor said excitedly, trying to ease the tension she had no idea where it came from. I get it. I totally do.

Neither Tucker nor I spoke. I looked away from him to watch the waterfall because I had nothing to say to him. Seems like he has nothing to say to me too as he didn't try to talk to me. He is still staring like he is seeing someone from another different planet.

I couldn't bring myself to speak, not because the words were absent, but because they hung heavy on the precipice of my tongue, caught between the urge to lash out and the exhaustion of years spent nursing a wounded heart. He had been my best friend, and he had rejected me. That traumatized me.

The one person I had trusted without reservation had, in turn, cast me aside. The thought of staying in the pack, witnessing the mate bond form between him and the friend who had betrayed me without remorse, became an unbearable prospect. Ah, Naomi is such a b***h. She deserves him and he deserves her. Fuckerz.

So, I left. I left the pack, the place that had once felt like home, and I left behind the man who had shattered my trust. The decision wasn't just an escape; it was a painful necessity to protect what remained of my fractured heart. The vibrant colors of friendship had faded, replaced by the somber hues of disappointment and the shadow of betrayal.

In that moment of silent reflection beside the waterfall, the rushing waters seemed to mirror the tumult within me. I chose the solace of nature over the awkwardness of facing a friend-turned-stranger, the echoes of our shared past reverberating in the distance.

The choice to remain silent was not a sign of weakness but a poignant acknowledgment that some wounds run too deep for immediate repair, and some words were too heavy to be spoken in the hushed whispers of a reunion tainted by the echoes of rejection.

Now I have a second chance mate and that person is his daddy. How would he feel if he found out? Is he going to be mad at himself or jealous? I mean, he won't be jealous of me but the fact that his own father replaced his mother with another woman. The mate he rejected. Should I tell him just to rile him up? To break his heart like he did mine?

Taylor awkwardly added with more fake enthusiasm, "She will be able to attend your wedding."

I tensed at Taylor's words, barely suppressing a flinch. My gaze stayed fixed on the waterfall, the crashing water masking the noise of my heart pounding in my ears. His wedding. I hadn’t even thought about it. Tucker King, the man who had once been my world, was marrying someone else, someone he chose over me.

Tucker cleared his throat, his voice hoarse as though it hadn't been used in days. "Wedding?" he echoed, his tone flat. He didn’t sound excited more like he was choking on the word.

Taylor shifted beside me, oblivious to the tension thickening around us. "Yeah, Naomi's been planning everything. She says it's going to be the biggest event White Canines has ever seen!"

Naomi. The name was like a shard of glass slicing through my chest. Perfect, conniving Naomi. My lips pressed into a thin line, and I resisted the urge to scoff. It figured that she would throw herself into planning the kind of wedding she always bragged she deserved, a union as shallow and self-centered as her soul.

Tucker finally looked away from me, his hand raking through his messy hair. "Right," he muttered, his voice devoid of enthusiasm. "The wedding."

Taylor huffed and gave him a little shove on the arm. "You could sound a little more excited, you know. You’re marrying your mate."

I turned sharply to Taylor at that, my eyes narrowing. She didn’t know… not the whole story. She didn’t know about the rejection, the betrayal, the way Tucker had looked me in the eye and told me I wasn’t enough. And now, he was sulking about a wedding he’d chosen?

My fists clenched in my lap, and I felt the burn of tears threatening to spill. He doesn't get to sulk. Not now. Not after everything.

“I think he’s plenty excited,” I said before I could stop myself, my voice cutting through the awkward silence. Both Taylor and Tucker turned to me in surprise, and I forced myself to keep my tone neutral. “After all, he’s marrying his mate, right? That’s what everyone wants.”

Tucker’s jaw tightened, his eyes flicking back to me. For a moment, I saw something in his gaze like regret, maybe? Or guilt? But I wasn’t about to let myself believe it. He didn’t get to feel bad now. Not after everything he’d done.

“Hannah…” he began, his voice soft, almost hesitant.

“Don’t,” I snapped, finally meeting his eyes. The anger I’d buried for years bubbled to the surface, and I didn’t bother hiding it.

Taylor froze, her wide eyes darting between us. “Wait…what’s going on? What is going on?”

I pushed myself to my feet, brushing imaginary dirt from my pants to give myself a second to breathe. “Nothing, Taylor. Absolutely nothing worth talking about.”

My voice was cold, but my hands shook as I turned away from them both. “Enjoy the wedding, Tucker. I’m sure it’ll be everything you’ve ever wanted.”