Tainted Loyalty

Chapter Four.

Frida's POV.

I tried to forget about it. Tried to erase the feel of his arms around me, the heat of his touch, and the way his lips had brushed mine. But no matter how hard I tried, Leonard's face kept coming back to me.

His golden eyes. His voice. The way he had wrapped that cloak around me like I mattered.

I just couldn't get away from him.

The worst part? His words. They kept repeating in my head like an annoying song.

"You don't have to carry it all on your own. You have family. You have friends."

But I had no friends anymore. Mark was gone, and my friends were only with me because they wanted access to him.

My family was dead. Only my grandmother was left, and I didn't want to disturb her with these issues. She worried about me enough.

And Leonard? He was Mark's uncle. What was he to me, even?

It was dangerous to even think about him, to feel anything for him. Yet, each time I thought about him, I couldn't stop my heart from racing.

It was like a curse. We had only been in each other's proximity once!

-

"Frida dear, you'll be going to the celebration, right?" My grandmother asked, and I groaned into my pillow.

Each time there was a social event, she'd come to ask me to be there, even though I had been making more appearances in public lately.

"No, I think I'll skip this one. I'm not really feeling it." I said.

The celebration was honouring Leonard's leadership, and he was definitely going to be there.

"No, you will go. And you will take some medicine when you're back." My grandmother said.

"I won't go." I stated with a tone of finality.

Yet, in spite of myself, I found myself walking to the gathering.

I wouldn't stay long anyway, just in and out. For grandma.

I shouldn't have gone. But I did.

As soon as I got into the clearing where the celebration was being held, I could feel the stares. You'd think enough time had passed for a new topic to come up, right? Wrong. Not this time.

I bent head down, blending into the shadows like I always did when I felt too exposed.

I found a spot near the edge, hoping to go unnoticed. But of course, fate had other plans.

I felt his presence before I saw him.

Leonard.

He was standing near the centre of the gathering, surrounded by a small group of the pack's higher ups, but it was his eyes that were on me from across the large table that let me know. I quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed me. But of course, that didn't work.

I could feel his eyes burning into me, and I could almost hear his voice in my head saying, 'I see you, Frida.'

Mark and his new woman sat next to his uncle, stealing the show, but for the first time, I didn't even notice his presence. Just the man boring holes into my head.

"Frida." He came to me after the activities had died down and everyone had left.

I couldn't look at him. Not now. Not after everything.

I cleared my throat.

"I was just leaving."

Leonard didn't let me go. Instead, he took a step closer, lowering himself onto the empty seat next to me.

"I didn't expect you to be here, but I'm glad you came."

I couldn't breathe.

I wanted to tell him to go away, to leave me alone, but the words wouldn't come. He had that effect on me, the kind that rendered me speechless, unsure of what to say.

"Come." He said. "Stay for a drink. It's been a long day."

I hesitated. Leonard wasn't looking at me with pity, and that made it harder to walk away.

I didn't belong here. I knew that. But still, my feet moved toward him, and before I knew it, I was sitting across from him at a small table.

One drink turned into two, and before I knew it, the world was spinning, the edges of reality blurring. I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol clouding my judgment or if it was the way Leonard was looking at me, but I couldn't fight it anymore.

"I shouldn't be here." I whispered, trying to pull myself together. What if I still liked Mark?

And what did it matter? My subconscious asked me. Did he think about you?

"Why do you think so?"

"Because of who you are. You're Mark's uncle. You're..."

"I'm the Alpha." He finished for me. His voice was calm, but his eyes were intense. "I know who I am. And I know who you are. You don't need to explain yourself to me, Frida."

I didn't know how to respond. My heart was pounding in my chest.m, and I felt the urge to run.

Then I heard the sound of someone laughing nearby, and I saw Claire's hand resting on Mark's shoulder, her fingers tracing his arm.

I used to do that.

I didn't know what to do with that feeling. The jealousy, the frustration, the anger. It all rushed to the surface in an instant.

Without thinking, I stood up, stumbling slightly on unsteady legs.

"You okay?" Leonard sounded concerned, but I could tell he wanted what I was about to do.

Instead, I walked towards the door of the house cabin where Leonard had been staying. He followed me in, not saying a word as I fumbled with the handle, pushing the door open.

As I went inside, I didn't even hesitate. I locked the door behind me, my breath coming out fast.

"Are you sure?" Leonard asked. His eyes and voice conveyed his desire. Nothing else mattered now.

I stood in front of him, pulling down the strap sleeve of my dress before turning back and asking him to undo my zipper.

Just as he did that, I reached for him, pulling him towards me as everything I'd been holding back came rushing forward. My body knew what it wanted, even if my mind didn't.

Leonard didn't resist me. He could not.

Our lips found each other as our hands roamed our bodies, and I felt him down. His body was so toned, and I could feel his bulge pressing against me.

It was going to be a long night.

-

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the warmth of the blankets and the man laying next to me.

I was in Leonard's bed! I sat up instantly.

What had I done? I had to get out of here.

I scrambled to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheets around me like they could shield me from the reality of what had happened.

This was a mistake. A huge, dangerous mistake.