Chapter 02
929 Words
POV: Sarina
The silence of the hallway was a relief after the suffocating atmosphere of the banquet hall. My chest rose and fell in an irregular rhythm as I tried to contain the emotions consuming me.
Zander had never spoken to me like that before. He had never exposed me publicly the way he just did.
And, above all, he had never looked at me that way.
Like I was a nuisance.
A burden.
I closed my eyes and pressed my palms against my belly, trying to remember the reason I was here. The little miracle growing inside me.
I just wanted to go home.
As soon as I stepped out of my hiding place and returned to the pompous crowd, I heard my husband's voice.
"Sarina."
I took a deep breath before turning around.
His dark eyes were intense, but his expression was different from before. The fury and impatience had disappeared, replaced by something softer.
He stopped just inches from me, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I was an idiot."
I crossed my arms, keeping my posture firm.
"Yes, you were."
He let out a sigh, stepping closer.
"Listen... I don’t know what got into me. My wolf was restless, irritated, and I felt this overwhelming tension all night. It was like something inside me was... off. I can't explain it."
"So you decided to take it out on me?" My voice came out colder than I intended, but the pain still burned inside me.
He reached out, touching my face gently, his warm fingers contrasting with my cold skin.
"I swear it wasn’t my intention." His eyes were filled with genuine remorse. "You are my wife. I should never have spoken to you that way, especially in front of others."
I sighed, feeling my anger fade slightly, but the hurt was still there.
"Zander…"
He didn’t let me finish.
His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. His face was so near that I could feel his warm breath against my skin.
"I love you. And it kills me to know I hurt you. Tell me what I can do to fix this."
My heart wavered, but I couldn’t just forget what had happened.
"The only thing I want right now," I murmured, stepping away from his touch, "is to go home."
Zander’s face tightened in frustration.
"Sarina, please…"
"We’ll talk later, okay?"
"I don’t want to leave you upset."
"But I already am! Talking to me now won’t help."
"I don’t want you to think I’m a bastard."
"I don’t."
"Swear?"
I sighed.
"I swear. But I really need to go."
"Baby… I’m begging you. I don’t want to sound stubborn, but I really need you here with me. Stay."
"I’m not just upset, I’m hurt, Zander. And I need some time away from this ridiculous banquet."
Then...
It happened.
A brief, almost imperceptible moment.
First, I felt Zander tense beside me. His body stiffened, and his breathing became heavy.
Then, I saw his gaze shift, his pupils dilating.
He was feeling something.
Something strong.
I followed his gaze and then I saw her.
One of the Omega servants, holding a tray, her eyes wide with shock.
Zander took an involuntary step forward.
And in that instant, I knew.
It was her.
His destined mate.
The she-wolf’s gaze landed directly on me.
"I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."
Trembling, the girl looked at Zander and then around the hall, as if she were spiraling into panic.
"I didn’t mean to, I swear. I didn’t know!" she said, her voice slightly louder this time.
The entire banquet seemed to freeze. Some nearby wolves noticed the sudden shift in energy and began murmuring among themselves.
"Who is she?" I heard a whisper.
"Her name is Lilian," another replied.
Lilian went pale, her hands shaking so badly she almost dropped the tray.
"Alpha… I… I’m so sorry…" she whispered, her voice filled with panic.
She knew what this meant.
Zander was my husband. Not my mate, but my husband.
And now, in front of everyone, his wolf was claiming her as his.
Shock and horror mixed inside my chest, stealing my breath.
No… not now. Not after everything.
Not after finally getting what I had wanted for so long.
Lilian started backing away, fear written all over her face.
"I don’t… I don’t want to cause any trouble…"
Zander’s eyes were locked on her. His breathing was unsteady. He was fighting the instinct, fighting the pull of the bond.
"Zander?" I called softly.
He didn’t even flinch.
"Love?" I tried again, desperately trying to sever or at least weaken the bond.
With great difficulty, he finally looked at me. His eyes were wide, probably from the sheer effort of resisting that instinctive pull.
"Love, you have to fight this. You have to… for us."
More whispers in the crowd. I heard someone chuckle.
"And here I thought this banquet would be boring. This is the best entertainment we’ve had in a while."
"Resist," I pleaded once more. "Resist, Zander, if you really love me."
But then, the Omega made a mistake.
Clearly overwhelmed, she turned to flee.
And Zander followed.
His wolf took over, and he went after her without even looking at me.
I stood there, in the middle of the banquet hall, surrounded by curious eyes and barely concealed whispers.
My mind screamed at me to do something.
But I did nothing.
I just kept watching them walk away from me, as if I already knew, deep down…
That the battle was lost.
- Writer
