CHOSEN

Chapter 2. Guilt

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my face looks puffy as if I've slept too long. My wavy hair is a mess, like it’s just been through a tornado, and I sighed as I saw the series of hickeys along my neck and on both of my mounds.

There are bite marks on the nape of my neck, but I’m not worried about that. Dave won’t be back in town for another week, and even if the marks remain, I can come up with some random excuse that he’ll believe. And if Lucas really did mark me, I’d probably be able to read his thoughts by now.

As I touch the drying scars, the skin on my neck and the tips of my fingers feel the same electric sensation I get when I touch Lucas. This mate bond is starting to be ridiculous.

At the same time, a sticky fluid seeped from my womanhood, making my eyes widen. Without thinking, I burst out of the bathroom and went straight to Lucas. He was still sitting in the same spot where I had left him.

Our gazes locked as I opened the door. I saw him swallowing hard with a wild look in his eyes.

"Please, stop tempting me—" he said, but his words were cut off as I slapped him across the cheek.

Instead of getting angry or defensive, he looked stunned. He seemed to have no idea about my outburst.

“Are you crazy?! You came inside me, Luke!” I screamed frustratedly.

The chance is really high because I’m fertile and he’s my mate.

He swallowed hard.

“My wolf.” He paused before continuing, “No animal understands birth control, Ester.”

He spoke without sounding condescending, though I knew I looked really foolish right now. His loving gaze made me want to hit him even more. He didn’t seem angry or upset by my outburst and disrespect.

Trying to hold back my embarrassment, I turned and went back into the bathroom. Honestly, I was trying to forget what happened last night, scrubbing my whole body vigorously to cleanse myself from the sin. I wasn’t crying anymore, just still cursing my stupidity.

Dave is truly perfect. Seriously, what am I doing here?

After finishing, I stepped out in a new, comfortable yet luxurious outfit, which I guessed was bought for me by Lucien. His taste is impeccable, and I’ll thank him later.

Lucas was no longer there, and I was too upset to care about his whereabouts. After brushing my hair and tying it up haphazardly, the door opened, and I saw Lucien’s head peeking in.

“Are you ready? I’ll drive you home,” he said with a small smile.

I sighed again, seeing how much this young man resembled his older brother. Lucien was just slimmer and looked younger compared to Lucas, who was seven years older.

I nodded and glanced at the mirror again. I looked better than I did this morning.

“I don’t think you need any medication.” Lucien muttered before walking away.

I followed behind him. It was hard to lift my head because of my embarrassment, even though there might be no one else in this grand, luxurious house.

Lucien patiently waited, opening the front door of Lucas’s black Mercedes Benz and closing it after I was comfortably seated in the passenger seat. Our ride was spent in silence, only the soft music from the radio filling the cabin.

“I’m not blaming you, Es,” Lucien said when the car stopped in the parking area, across from our shopping district, separated by a road.

I turned to him, his gaze still concerned. I had known Lucien longer than Lucas, who had just returned from abroad a week ago.

“You know I consider you like my own sister, don’t hesitate with me, okay? Talk to me if you need anything, even if it’s just for company.”

I nodded before we got out of the car. We waved goodbye as we parted ways, me to my house and him to his café next door.

My husband was away, hiking with his friends. He does this once in few months, and I never hold him back. Every time, he can’t bear to leave me struggling with our store and our three-year-old son, so if he has to be away for a few days, Fabian stays at my parents' house, which is a two-hour drive from here.

However, since it’s around the end of the year, we’ve closed the store and given our employees time off. We’ll reopen when Dave and Fabian are back.

It’s quite funny. Just the first day they’re gone, and I’m already having fun with another man. What a cheapy.

Honestly, I need a company, but I think it’s better to be alone for a while to neutralize the shame in my body. This has never happened before, and I really feel dirty, especially because I enjoyed it.

I don’t know who to complain to about my messed-up fate. What’s clear is that I will visit my mother to ask why she hid our nature from me.

I didn’t do much once I got home. After handling the store, I just sat in the living room sipping a glass of water. The doorbell ringing snapped me out of my reverie. I stood up and went to the door, finding Lucien standing outside.

“You must be hungry. I brought pasta made by Bob, let’s eat together,” he said as I opened the store door, then walked in.

Lucien prepared the food on plates he had taken from the rack. I sat at the pantry table, staring disinterestedly at the meal he arranged. As usual, Bob’s cooking was always delicious, but I don't have an appetite.

“You still need to eat, Ester.” He paused before continuing, “You’re probably pregnant. My brother is an alpha, and you’re his fated mate ….”

He looked down and swallowed hard. The pain in my heart was indescribable.

“I haven’t felt the strength of mate bond and can’t blame either of you.” Lucien looked at me with pity as he heard my small sobs. He stopped his actions and hugged me.

“It must be very hard for you, Ester. I’m sorry,” he comforted while rubbing my back.

“Poor Dave, Luce. And imagine how Fabian feels when he finds out what kind of woman his mother is.”

In the end, Lucien managed to get me to finish a serving of food. After cleaning up, he suggested that I go out and sit at a café with the others. The sky was clear and the café was closed; he wanted me to get some fresh air, though I knew he just didn’t want me to be miserably alone.

“Do the others know?” I asked while he was drying his hands after washing the dishes.

He tilted his head, as if trying to figure out what I meant, before asking, “About you and my brother?”

He turned and saw me nodding, then sighed deeply.

“Maybe. Even if they don’t, they will soon. The pack will soon celebrate this good news. You know, we’ve been expecting for a luna since Lucas turned seventeen years old and shifted for the first time.”

This information didn’t ease my distress even a little bit.