CHAPTER 10
983 Words
MABEL POV
My father stretched out his hand to greet Zach but instead of shaking it, Zach abruptly rose from his chair.
“Excuse me,” he said flatly. “There’s somewhere I need to be.”
The faint smile he’d worn moments earlier had vanished, replaced by the cold unreadable expression he always seemed to hide behind.
My father’s hand lingered awkwardly in the air before he slowly lowered it.
“Of course,” he replied with a polite smile.
But Zach was already halfway to the door, not needing my father’s permission.
The moment he was out of earshot, my father’s smile disappeared.
“So the rumors were true,” he said with a shake of his head. “The boy has no manners. Growing up without proper parental guidance clearly did him no favors.”
“I agree,” Nike said. “Mabel would be better off keeping her distance from someone like him.”
My father looked at Nike before chuckling.
“I disagree.”
Nike frowned.
“Whether we like his attitude or not, he’s the Alpha of one of the strongest packs around. If he truly has feelings for Mabel, an alliance with his pack could open doors for ours across several provinces.”
He gave Nike’s shoulder a friendly pat.
“And I have to admit, I’m curious about the man who managed to beat my supposedly unbeatable son-in-law at poker.”
Nike’s jaw tightened. “It was a lucky game.”
My father waved the comment away.
“Luck or skill, a win is still a win.”
Layla let out a small scoff.
“Dad, you can’t seriously believe that.” She folded her arms. “Nike has never lost a poker game before. Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you?”
She turned toward me.
“Think about it. Zach conveniently disappeared the moment you arrived. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? They were clearly up to something.”
Every pair of eyes shifted to me.
“That’s not true,” I said, glaring at her.
“Oh?” Layla tilted her head. “Then explain how the mysterious Alpha you’ve never once mentioned suddenly became your boyfriend overnight. Then he somehow beats Nike at his own game before running off the second Dad walks in.”
Her lips curled into a pitying smile.
“Are you still jealous that Nike married me instead of you? Is that why you’re going this far? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re willing to embarrass this family just to get back at us.”
I stared at her in disbelief.
“What?”
“I’ve apologized for the past more times than I can count,” she continued sadly. “But no matter what I do, you always seem determined to make this family miserable.”
Before I could defend myself, my father sighed heavily.
“Enough.”
The room fell silent.
“I’ve just returned from a long trip. The last thing I need is the two of you arguing.”
His expression softened as he looked at me, though his voice remained firm.
“If Zach intends to pursue my daughter, I expect to meet him properly. He may be an Alpha, but he should know I didn’t become Beta by letting people disrespect me.”
“I understand,” I replied quietly. “I’ll speak to him.”
My father gave a single nod before turning his attention back to my stepmother.
**************
Zach never came back that day.
By the next morning, I was furious.
Our agreement had been simple. He was supposed to stay with me for the rest of the vacation so everyone would continue believing we were dating.
Instead, he’d disappeared without so much as an explanation.
I tried convincing myself I didn’t care.
He wasn’t my boyfriend or at the very least my friend.
But every time someone asked where he was, I had to come up with another excuse, and it was becoming exhausting.
Layla, of course, didn’t let me breathe.
Every chance she got, she’d make some sarcastic remark about my “imaginary boyfriend” or ask if he’d finally realized pretending to date me wasn’t worth it.
To avoid her, I spent most of my time locked inside my bedroom, only coming downstairs for meals before retreating upstairs again.
Not that anyone seemed to notice or care.
They simply accepted my absence, almost as if my staying out of the way made the house more peaceful.
The only silver lining was that Nike had stopped trying to speak to me. Though that probably had less to do with respecting my boundaries and more to do with Layla making sure he never left her side.
By the third night, I’d given up expecting Zach to return.
After taking a shower, I changed into my pajamas and stood in front of the mirror, drying my hair with a towel.
The house had grown quiet.
Everyone had gone to bed.
I was just about to turn off the lights when a faint rattling sound came from my window.
My heartbeat quickened.
Slowly, I reached for the heavy brass candle stand on my bedside table, gripping it tightly with both hands.
The curtains swayed slightly.
Someone was outside.
Swallowing hard, I crept toward the window.
The rattling stopped.
Then the window slid open and a figure climbed inside.
I raised the candle stand, ready to swing when I recognize him.
“Zach?”
He staggered forward.
Moonlight spilled across his face.
His white shirt was soaked with blood, crimson staining the fabric from his shoulder down to his side.His dark hair clung to his damp forehead, and his breathing was uneven.
“Oh my God.”
The candle stand slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud clang.
“What happened to you?”
- Writer
