Scent Of A Stranger

2: Agonizing Pain

Rhea Everwood

I was restless as I walked around the room, waiting for Mason to come back, It felt like time dragged slow, I was trying to wrap my head around everything and how he must have hidden a lot from me. How could he? After everything we had been through, the battles we had fought side-by-side, the pack we had built and nurtured together.

How could he possibly keep something like this from me? My mind reeled, trying to grasp at any alternative explanation, any thread of hope that this wasn’t what it seemed. But the evidence was something I could not just dismissed, if he was truly involved he should have known that it threatened not just us, but the very heart of our pack. And for what? He was already the Alpha. What higher power, what greater ambition, could possibly tempt him to betray us all?

A sudden, sharp knock startled me. My head snapped towards the door, my pulse leaping. Mason? Had he finally returned? The door creaked open, and it wasn't Mason. It was Rowan.

Rowan is my childhood best friend. The pack’s Beta, his eyes met mine, and I saw the concern etched deep within them."Rhea?" he asked, his voice soft, laced with genuine worry. "Are you alright? You look… distraught."

I forced a smile, "No, no, I’m fine, Rowan. Just… a long day." I gestured vaguely towards the desk, trying to hide the file.

Rowan and I have been close right from birth and people have rumored we are going to be mated until Mason came along and everything changed. He didn't move immediately, his gaze lingering on my face with his brow furrowed slightly, he took a slow step closer, his hand reached out, lightly touching my arm. "Rhea," he murmured, "You know you can always tell me if anything is wrong. Anything at all."

I flinched, subtly recoiling, just when I was about to reply to him, Mason stepped inside. His eyes landed on Rowan’s hand on my arm, then on my slightly drawn-back posture. His brow furrowed, Mason had never liked Rowan being too close to me, because of the past friendship that had almost been something more.

"Alpha Mason," Rowan said, dropping his hand quickly. "I was just checking on Rhea. She seemed a little… tired."

"Thank you, Beta Rowan. I'll take it from here."

"Of course, Alpha. I'll leave you to it." Rowan offered me one last look of concern, then turned and exited the room, closing the door softly behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Mason’s attention was entirely on me. "What was he doing here?" he asked.

I didn’t answer him instead, I marched to the desk, my hands shaking as I snatched the file and threw it onto the floor, letting it land with a soft smack between us. “What is this?” Mason asked with a confused look on his face which only angered me.

"No, Mason," I retorted, my voice trembling with a mixture of rage and agony. "What is this? I think I should be the one asking you that question!"

He looked confused for a moment, his gaze shifting from the file to my tear-streaked face. "Rhea, what…” He bent down, picking up the file and he opened it, his eyes scanned the pages, I watched him and saw the subtle shift in his posture, his eyes widening and his hands trembled.

"Rhea, I can explain," he said, his voice quiet, almost pleading.

The very words I had dreaded, were out of his mouth, What can he explain, does that mean it was true? My heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces. Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision, but I didn't care.

"Explain what, Mason?" I cried, my voice rising, raw with pain. "Explain how you betrayed us? How you betray me? How you align yourself with those who seek our downfall? With those who want to see our pack crumble to dust?" I gestured wildly at the file, "Was it because of the Alpha King title? Is that it? The one they'll be choosing soon among the Alphas? Did you think that by siding with them, by helping their agenda, you’d secure the throne?" My voice cracked, "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you think I'd just stand by and watch you destroy everything we've built, everything we cherish?"

I rambled, my voice growing hoarse, the words spilling out uncontrollably, and I felt the deepest pain I had ever known.

Then, he roared. "Shut up, Rhea! Just shut up and listen! This! This is exactly why I never tell you anything!"

His words silenced me instantly. My tears stopped, frozen on my cheeks. Stunned, I stared at him, my mind reeling. This is why he never tells me anything. The audacity! The arrogance! To blame me for his deceit.

I took a step forward, my chin lifting to look into his eyes while my heart drummed heavily. All the pain, all the despair I felt were channeled into anger.

"Never tell me anything?" I repeated, "You think I'm some naive pup you can keep in the dark? Some docile female to be protected from the truth? Let me remind you, Mason," my voice gained strength, rising to its peak, "I am the true alpha blood of this pack. I lead this pack. My lineage runs deeper than yours, my connection to our roots is unbreakable. And I will show you exactly what I'm capable of." My gaze hardened, unflinching as I stared into his shocked eyes. "No one betrays this pack and survives. Not even you."

I didn’t hesitate. I turned, my voice booming across the chambers, "Guards!" I bellowed. "Seize him! Take him to the dungeon. Now!"

Two pack guards stepped inside, They hesitated, their eyes wide with disbelief, looking from Mason to me and back again. Mason was their Alpha and they were not sure how to obey such an unthinkable command.

"You heard me!" I snapped, "Do it! Unless you wish to join him! Don’t let me repeat myself!”

“Take me to the dungeon,” Mason muttered, his eyes on me, instead of feeling guilty for all he has done he looks more like he was disappointed in me. Such a dramatic liar he is.

“Alpha…”the guards stammered

“I said do it!”he roared and the guards bowed immediately.

The guards finally moved forward, “let’s go alpha,” they muttered still unsure of how to act.

Mason didn't argue or try to fight. He stood there, watching me, his expression unreadable, he allowed the guards to take his arms, to turn him around, and they took him out of the room.

I clutched my chest, feeling a kind of pain I had never felt before, my knees buckled, and I fell to the floor, my hands clawing at my chest, this hurts more than anything, the same man I had loved for years, the same man I had told the truth to, the same man I said anything to without hiding a thing, had went behind my back to do what? I was still confused, unsure if this was real or not, but it felt so real, my heart was bleeding and that is all I needed to tell me how real it was.

A scream ripped through me, a cry of agony and despair that I had never felt before, my heart burning with a pain that promised to consume me whole.

How could he?!