Chapter 7 I Trust Her
1606 Words
"No! I didn't! Jason said he wanted to talk to me!" I tried to explain, but Beth wasn't listening.
She grabbed Jason's arm, glaring at me. "You betrayed Jason! How could he approach you? Someone saw it—they said you made up some excuse to get him alone, tricking him into leaving with you!"
"I didn't do that! Jason!" I shouted, looking at him, but his attitude had completely shifted. He became cold and said nothing further.
I understood. Once again, I had been framed.
A year ago, after I left with that stranger, I had seen the same indifferent Jason.
I was such a fool to have believed him when he was so good at deceiving others.
"You despicable woman! You're still trying to deny it!" Beth sneered, raising her hand to slap me, but the strike never came.
A man in a wheelchair intervened, stopping her—Raymond.
He caught Bella's wrist effortlessly, his expression cold as ice. "If you want to hit my wife, you better have a good reason."
"She seduced my fiancé, Mr. Raymond!" Beth pointed at me.
I met her gaze without flinching. "No, I didn't! My bond with Jason ended a year ago. We are strangers now. It was him who approached me!"
"I believe my wife," Raymond stated, his voice firm.
I looked at him, astonished. He believed me.
"I think it's time for you all to leave," Raymond ordered, his expression darkening and a hint of anger flashing in his eyes.
And for the first time, I didn't see him as a rogue.
The commanding aura he exuded felt much more like that of an alpha.
Bella looked at him in disbelief. "You're going to believe her? She's a liar, a thief! Mr. Raymond don't say I didn't warn you. Caitlyn betrayed Jason a year ago. She could do the same to you. After all, she's nothing but a w***e!"
"Enough of you! Leave now!" Raymond cur her off, his voice hard and commanding.
Beth was stunned and froze. She didn't expect to be shut down by a rogue, let alone be treated like this.
She gave Raymond a pointed look. "Let's go."
With that, she led Jason and the others away, casting me one last fierce glare as if warning me that this wasn't over.
After they left, I turned to Raymond. "I didn't do it."
"I believe you," he said, his voice softening, just like before.
I was a little touched. I didn't expect Raymond to believe me.
"You should thank your friend. She's the one who brought me here." Raymond nodded toward Eileen, who was standing behind him.
Eileen spoke up. "I saw Beth leading a group straight towards you, and I got worried. So, I found Mr. Raymond. Like you said, he was the right choice. It's just too bad he's not your mate."
She lowered her voice on the last part.
"But maybe you should ask him if he's met his mate."
Her words made me pause. Rejected werewolves rarely find a second mate in their lifetime. Like me, I had already given up on meeting mine.
But Raymond? Had he already met his first mate? If so, did they break up?
"It's okay. If that day comes, it just means we're not meant to be," I said, smiling at Eileen.
"You're still so optimistic," Eileen said with a smile. "Well, I should get going. The professor has no idea I haven't finished my assignment." She rolled her eyes, clearly tired of the endless tasks.
"See you next time," she added with a wave before heading off.
After seeing Eileen leave, I walked toward Raymond, sitting in the garden with a book, surrounded by roses. He looked like a prince.
"I appreciate what you did today," I said, walking up to him.
Raymond closed the book and looked at me. "No need to thank me. You're my wife, aren't you?"
I smiled. Raymond was always like this—he had a way of making me feel warm. He was so nice.
But I always felt something was wrong. It was my wolf's instinct. Raymond seemed to be hiding something from me.
This time, I wanted to ask if he would like to come with me to meet her. I planned to introduce him to her.
I didn't bring up the topic of Raymond's mate. We weren't close enough yet, and asking him such a personal question so suddenly might make him uncomfortable.
Raymond quickly set aside a day for the visit. With the driver, we headed to the forest where my grandmother lived.
Rogues typically choose to live alone, cutting off from other wolf packs.
My grandmother was no different. She lived in a small cabin on the outskirts of the forest.
Soon, the Lamborghini Urus rumbled through the woods.
From a distance, I saw my grandmother sitting in a chair, knitting a scarf. The sunlight bathed her in a warm glow.
I leaned out of the car window and called out, "Grandma!"
She raised her head, a smile lighting up her weathered face. "Caitlyn."
I didn't forget to help Raymond out of the car.
Sitting in his wheelchair, he still looked pale.
I turned to him and said, "Good news, Grandma seems to be in a clear state today. Sometimes, she'll lose her mind after becoming a rogue."
As we approached the small cabin, I introduced Raymond to my grandmother. "This is Raymond Anderson, my... husband."
"Raymond?" Grandma, her memory fading, adjusted her glasses, squinting at Raymond. "Raymond Anderson from the Silver Moon Pack?"
"Do you know him, Grandma?" I asked, surprised.
Grandma smiled warmly. "Of course I do. Your engagement was promised through your parents' blood oath. It's been a long time since I've heard the Anderson name."
She sighed, her eyes distant for a moment.
Raymond gave a polite smile. "Grandma."
Her smile grew wider. "Today, I'm in a good mood. I'll make my specialty stew for you both."
With that, she walked towards the house.
I whispered to Raymond, "It's basically just vegetables and lamb in a pot, then butter and chopped parsley added at the end."
"You don't sound too excited about it," he teased.
"It's fine, just don't complain," I replied with a grin, sticking my tongue out at him.
"I won't," Raymond said, his voice as gentle as ever.
I felt lucky to have a fiancé like him.
Grandma's cabin was small but cozy, the sunlight filtering in and landing on the sunflowers on the table.
I loved it here. It smelled like Grandma, like family.
Sadly, I rarely got to visit. Beth would always find ways to stop me.
"Would you like to go outside and take a look? There's a beautiful lake just over there."
"Sure, I'll follow your lead."
I pushed Raymond's wheelchair toward the lake. This part of the forest was far from other wolf packs, but the scenery was breathtaking. The canopy of trees was so thick it almost covered the blue sky, leaving only slivers of it visible.
The lake itself was crystal clear, reflecting the sky above.
It felt cooler by the lake, and the only sounds were the soft chirping of birds and the gentle flow of water.
I spread my arms out and closed my eyes. "Isn't it peaceful here?"
"Yes, very peaceful," Raymond agreed.
I continued to push him along the shore, the cool breeze brushing against our faces. Raymond suddenly asked, "Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
I opened my mouth, torn between lying and telling the truth. But when I met his green eyes, I felt I couldn't hide anything. "There are many things I want to ask, but I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me just because we're married. If you want to tell me, you'll do it when you're ready."
I heard Raymond let out a low, steady laugh that vibrated through his chest. His voice was deep and commanding, with a smoothness that made it hard to ignore.
Oh my, is he like this in bed too?
No... I quickly put that thought away. Raymond and I were still more like strangers living together, not yet at that stage.
"Thank you, Caitlyn," he said to me.
I looked at him.
Raymond is gentle, if he weren't injured, he'd be a very powerful Alpha.
We talked for a while, mostly about life, with me doing most of the talking. It wasn't until the sun was setting behind the mountains that we returned to the cabin, where the smell of food greeted us.
After seeing us, Grandma immediately brought out a large iron pot with dry bread on the side.
I was a little worried that Raymond wouldn't be used to it. After all, he probably eats things like salmon, lobster, and other expensive foods every day.
I didn't ask, but the way he carried himself made it clear he was probably quite wealthy.
After all, he runs a company that makes money off humans.
But to my surprise, Raymond seemed to relax, picking up the bread and eating it with the stew, showing no discomfort.
I felt a sense of relief.
We had a relaxing dinner. Grandma asked Raymond about his pack, how he got injured, and other things.
I quickly cut in, saying, "Grandma, please eat. We're doing fine now."
Grandma pouted, looking a little annoyed, "What? Can't I ask a few more questions?"
Raymond smiled warmly, "We're doing just fine, Grandma. I'll take care of Caitlyn. You don't need to worry."
Grandma stopped asking questions and went back to enjoying her soup.
- Writer
