REBORN INTACT

CHAPTER SEVEN

JELENA

“I don't have anything I want to talk to you about,” I say vehemently.

The look he gives me when I finally chance a glance up at him almost knocks the breath out of my lungs, he definitely knows what he is doing and also knows I can never resist that look.

Those soft eyes and calm expression, that slight tilt of his head that always makes it seem like I am the only thing in the world that matters to him.

“On second thoughts, I do have something I want to talk about,” I say quickly before my courage disappears.

I stand from my seat and move toward the exit of the dining area.

“Dad, I would like to take a walk in the garden with Alpha Aaron,” I say smoothly.

Dad studies me for a few seconds before giving a slow nod and the look of contempt on Alice’s face gives strength to my shaky legs, yeah, the satisfaction is temporary, but I enjoy the shock written all over her face.

For one tiny second, I almost want to go through with the wedding just to spite her, just to let her know that despite everything she did, despite crawling into my relationship like a snake, Aaron still chose me.

The thought is pathetic and I know I might be pathetic, the weak girl who grew without her mother's love but my feistiness is all I have in my corner even though it only even appears once in a full moon

So I know it is but right now, I will take whatever tiny victory I can get.

Aaron stands and follows after me without another word and the moment we step outside, the cool evening air brushes against my skin, instantly calming the storm in my chest.

The garden is the only part of my life that has remained unchanged over the years and the only place that still feels safe.

Mom’s final resting place is here, beneath the large willow tree she loved so much and according to fragments from the diary I found years ago, she designed this entire garden herself.

Every flower, stone path and all the carefully planted tree, sometimes I come here just to feel closer to her, I sit here for hours hoping I would somehow hear her voice in the wind, I walk toward the small wooden chair beside the fountain and sit down carefully. Aaron takes the seat right beside me and for a while, neither of us speaks, the silence stretches between us, heavy and uncomfortable.

I can feel his presence beside me like a weight pressing against my chest and normally, his aura comforts me, being near him settles my wolf but now everything feels wrong, makes me feel all broken and twisted up inside

“What did you want to talk about?” I finally ask, staring straight ahead.

I cannot risk looking into his eyes for too long, I am already exhausted.

My wolf has been whimpering nonstop since that night, and the only reason I am still functioning properly is because Aaron is trying to suppress his scent and energy around me.

At least he remembered that much, he remembers my wolf cannot handle the overwhelming strength of his and maybe it is delusional to find comfort in something so small, but that has basically been the story of my life, holding onto crumbs and convincing myself they are enough.

“I've been trying to reach you all week,” he begins quietly. “I know you saw what happened, but I can explain.”

“Okay,” I reply simply.

If he is going to lie, then I want to hear every single word of it.

“Well…” He exhales deeply and rubs the back of his neck. “Alice seduced me.”

I stay silent.

“I know it sounds like an excuse,” he continues quickly, “but she really did seduce me and honestly, Jelena, you were cheating too.”

That makes my head snap toward him immediately.

“Cheating?” I repeat slowly. “When? How?”

His jaw tightens.

“She showed me pictures of you and Daniel. Your friend from university and you both looked pretty cozy at that diner.”

The accusation in his tone slices through me that I genuinely cannot believe what I am hearing.

“I don't know what pictures you are talking about,” I say carefully. “And I never cheated on you with Daniel.”

Aaron looks unconvinced.

“If I cheated,” I continue softly, “you would have scented him on me when I came directly from meeting him to see you that day.”

Silence and a terrible realization slowly settles inside me.

Alice must have fed him that lie, she must have convinced him I was seeing someone else and that was all the excuse he needed.

My chest tightens painfully, I know I am not the strongest woman in this pack.

Far from it.

What kind of werewolf doesn't even like meat?

The thought almost makes me laugh bitterly, the smell of meat triggers my senses badly, makes me nauseous within seconds, so I avoid it as much as possible but when Aaron introduced me to his pack the last time, I forced myself to eat it anyway just to fit in, to be enough for him, for his people and for the Luna position everyone already silently judged me for.

A weak Luna isn't acceptable by their law

I barely bring anything to the table, Aaron is powerful, respected and feared, an Alpha every pack dreams of having and despite all that… he chose me, surely that should count for something.

Right?

“Please, babe,” Aaron says softly, breaking through my thoughts. “I know you're angry right now, and honestly, you have every right to be. But if it helps” He hesitates before continuing. “She drugged me and had her way with me.”

My heart stutters.

His hands reach for mine, warm and familiar, and before I can stop him, he intertwines our fingers together, his thumb traces slow circles against my skin, a gesture that used to comfort me instantly but now it only makes my chest ache.

Lies.

The word keeps echoing loudly in my head.

Lies.

But I push it away almost immediately because maybe this isn't entirely his fault, maybe I am being unfair, he is still a man and Alice is beautiful painfully so, confident and seductive, always wanting what is mine, the little that even becomes mine, not minding how dirty she has to play and she is everything I am not so I can understand why he slipped.

The thought makes me hate myself immediately.

Why am I trying so hard to justify his betrayal?

Why am I the one searching for excuses on his behalf?

But even now, sitting beside him with my heart cracked open, I still love him cause that is the pathetic truth, I still love him enough to make excuses for things that are destroying me.

Aaron shifts closer.

“I hated myself after it happened,” he whispers. “You have to believe me, Jelena, I would never willingly hurt you.”

His voice sounds sincere and maybe that is why it works because this is Aaron, the man I have loved for years, I planned a future with, I imagined spending forever beside and it is difficult to suddenly paint him as a villain when every beautiful memory I own somehow includes him.

I remember late-night drives where we talked for hours, the way he held my hand beneath tables during formal dinners because he knew social events overwhelmed me and the nights he stayed awake just to help calm my anxiety attacks, the mornings he kissed my forehead and called me his peace when I panicked the first night I slept at his place fearing dad's wrath

Was all of that fake?

I don't know anymore and maybe I don't want to know because if those moments were lies too, then I genuinely have nothing left.

“You should have told me,” I murmur quietly.

His brows pull together. “Told you what?”

“That you thought I was cheating.”

“You would have denied it.”

“Because I wasn't cheating.”

His gaze drops briefly and for the first time since this conversation started, guilt flashes clearly across his face.

“I was angry,” he admits after a while. “I saw those pictures and I lost control.”

I swallow hard.

“And sleeping with my stepsister fixed that?”

He flinches slightly at my tone.

Good.

I want him to hurt too even if it is only a fraction of what I have been feeling all week.

“It wasn't supposed to happen,” he says weakly.

“But it did.”

Another silence falls between us.

The fountain beside us trickles softly while the evening breeze moves through the flowers Mom planted years ago and everything around me feels calm while my insides are crumbling apart.

“I haven't slept properly since that night,” Aaron says suddenly. “You stopped answering my calls and you blocked me everywhere, I came here as my last card just to see you babe”

I stare down at our joined hands and part of me wants to pull away, wants to throw every painful word in his face but another part of me, the foolish part is relieved that he came looking for me.

Relieved that losing me affected him and that alone says enough about how weak I still am for this man.

“I love you, Jelena.”

The words hit me harder than they should.

“You're my mate. You're the person I want beside me, not Alice, you are my Chosen Mate and I regret ever doing what I did.”

My throat burns painfully.

Then why did you touch her?

Why did you betray me?

Why did you destroy us?

The questions remain trapped inside my chest because deep down, I already know I do not truly want answers, I just want this pain to stop.

Aaron lifts my hand slowly and presses a soft kiss against my knuckles and the familiar gesture nearly breaks me.

“I know I messed up,” he says quietly. “But please don't throw us away because of one mistake.”

One mistake, it just so funny how betrayal always sounds smaller when the person who caused it is the one speaking.

Still…

I cannot deny what my heart is doing right now, it is still reaching for him despite everything, hoping and loving him and I know that makes me weak and stupid but I am tired of fighting my own feelings.

“It is fine,” I finally whisper.

Aaron’s head snaps up immediately.

“We'll walk through this together.”

The relief that washes across his face is instant and overwhelming.

“Thank you, babe,” he says softly, staring at me with so much gratitude that my chest tightens painfully.

He looks honestly sincere, like a man terrified of losing the woman he loves and maybe that is why I say nothing else because despite how foolish I know I am being, my heart still beats for this man, I still see the future we painted together whenever I look at him but right now, sitting beside Aaron in my mother’s garden while he holds my hand like it is precious, I choose him anyways