Chapter Three

Freya's pov

Will you tell him? The subconscious of my wolf paced inside me restless and wounded.

My heart twinged as I stared at my reflection, taking note of the red circles around my eyes from crying often over the past weeks.

I barely ate, and on my runs, it was mostly a ploy to go throw up without having anyone suspect.

We were different from Humans. We birthed our pups much faster. Such as everything else. Soon enough I'd be unable to hide the pregnancy.

I pressed my hands against my stomach, my chest tight. The question has been haunting me since that night. The night the scent of another woman had clung to him and I had witnessed the most horrifying deception of my life.

I didn't know. How could I? When every smile, every whispers of forever he's ever promised me, he ruined it all in one night. And what if I tell him about the child, will he accept it, return Shirley wherever she came from?

It wouldn't change. Nothing will change.

But-

I licked my lips fugitively, the edge of my eyes redeneing again. Maybe things will go back to normal.

Because as much as he's putting in the effort to make things stay the same between us, it just hasn't. And I've been keeping my distance so that the day he finally sides with his true mate completely and makes her Luna in my place, it wouldn't completely tear me apart.

She's already managed to move into his room, they went for prenatal appointments together, on runs together. He makes her breakfast, he makes love to her every other night when he isn't making a pathetic show of wanting to be with me.

Watching them together, his laughter, her gentle hand brushing against him- it carved into me like claws. He was once mine and only mine. I was the only one he smiled at like that, touched like that. Now I couldn't even share the same bed with him knowing he's fucking another woman.

I am Freya Kahn, I will not become a co-wife. I will not share my man.

A week from today happens to be the long awaited Soiree. He and I go every year. I'll finally get my time with him alone and then, I will break the news to him. I will give him one more chance, to redeem us, to fix this. Because I still loved him. So much it was tearing me apart.

Suddenly the door creaked open, breaking my thoughts.

Shirley stepped in, balancing a tray. Her smile was soft, her eyes brimming with feigned innocence. I wonder for how long she'd keep this up.

I tried not to but my gaze sauntered to her swelling belly before meeting her eyes. She'd be due soon. If that child comes into scene, the Council will push fast and hard for her to take her place as Luna. Oh, I'd almost forgotten they have.

“I thought you might be hungry.”

I didn't move. Didn't say a word. My silence was answer enough, but she set the tray down anyway and sat on the bed across where I stood.

“Freya, I really hate this awkwardness between us,” her voice was practically dripping with honey. “I know this is… difficult. But I really hope we can get along. We could be friends, we don't have to be rivals under the same roof.”

Friends. I almost laughed.

All those times. During their affair. My ‘friend’ knew he had a Luna. And that didn't stop her from pressuring him to take her.

I said nothing still, but my fingers clenched. She suddenly tilted her head, peering closer at me.

“I came in here so we could talk. As friends.”

“We're not friends, Shirley,” I cut her off with a snap. “I am a Luna and you're my husband's mistress. That's all that is to us.”

She stands, and a brow rose watching her approach me, closing the distance between us. My wolf snarled, noticing her daring move.

Her violet eyes burned boldly into mine, and for a fraction of a second, I saw it slip. The goddamn freaking mask, it slipped. The malicious gaze in her eyes surprises me and I'm disappointed it actually does. I'm not prepared however for what she says.

“I don't understand why you hate me? I've done nothing to you- this was a decision your ‘endearing’ husband made himself,” her voice had hardened into a chilling tone. “You know you should be grateful I'm being nice here. My Luna? Oh please. Ryan told me, you were just a hand maiden weren't you? Clearly, you were given a pathetic seat pass to royalty and you think you're better than me?. I am an Alpha's daughter remember that, you never stood a chance.”

Silence fell as I let the words burn. My heart clenched as the cruel truth I had feared would always shadow me came from her own mouth.

Something inside me snapped, I suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her. She gasped, stumbling but I didn't stop even as I dragged her out the door, not until the corridor swallowed us and we reached the top of the stairs.

She roughly freed her arms, glaring hatefully at me with a menancing gaze in her eyes.

“I am still your Luna whether you're the Alpha yourself,” I hissed, fury trembling through me. “Your hear me? You may be his mate, you may bear his child but that's all you are. A vessel. I'm even being nice referring to you as a Mistress, you're merely a surrogate. You can't lie to yourself that he didn't chose me still. I will always be his priority.”

Her glistened, but there was no sweetness there now. Only what looked like triumph.

“Let's test that, shall we?”

And then she…

Hurled herself down the stairs.

Before I could register what just happened, her scream tore through the air. I froze, horror consuming me, my blood moving fast, hot, raging through my veins, watching as her body hit the ground below with a sickening thud.

Blood pooled instantly, spreading fast.

Beta Daniel was the first to reach her, Omegas appeared from all corners of the place, running towards her in panic.

The reflection of her blood pooling shone in my eyes as I took steps back, visibly shaking with rage and shock.

“Call In the healer right now!” He roared and the Omegas scattered in directions.

“How could you do this to me, Freya?” She looked up at me with tear stained face. “I understand your hate for me, but how could you want to hurt my child.”

Daniel lifted his face, and the resentment in them chilled me to my bones. “You went too far, Freya!”

“I didn't - “ I choked, but my words were cut off. Ryan. His hand was around my throat, slamming my back to the wall in a milli second.

His eyes blazed with crimson, his canines snarling at me. The shock stole my breath but nothing prepared me for the hate flickering in his eyes, and I didn't realize when the tears rolled down my cheeks.

“Ryan how could- “ I clawed at his grip, the sting of his hate cutting deep than his hold.

“You disgust me Freya,” his words instantly cut through me like a blade. “Really? How could you even? Shirley has been nothing but kind and sweet to you. And what do you try to do? Goddess, did you even think of the child- MY child for a fraction of a second.”

I could only cry, feeling his grip tighten by the second. I was helpless and felt my life slipping away, subdued under his aura. I tried willing my wolf to shift but she wouldn't.

“I didn't fall in love with someone so spiteful. It's been weeks already, I thought you'd come around but you're just heartless,” his eyes narrowed, full of cold fury. “You forget that you're barren. You should be happy Shirley is doing you the favor or giving me what you couldn't, and you try to kill her.”

The world went red and my heart shattered all over again. I spat at him with all the defiance I had left.

His jaw tightened, his eyes burning with darkness as the spittle trickled down. “If anything happens to my child, Freya, you will regret what you've done. And you can forget about accompanying me to the soiree. I'll take my true mate instead. If you feel so threatened by her, then you should stay back.”

“Reject me,” I finally croaked. My voice was raw, breaking. “Reject me Ryan and set me free, then you can be with her.”

He laughed as he released me. I collapsed to the floor, my throat burning, my heart in shreds. “Reject you? You forget yourself. You were a maid, and I am Alpha. No one would want you. No one could claim you- not even your so called mate if he isn't already claimed another. You belong to me whether you like it or not.”

Having been released, I stumbled away- back to my chambers. I'm aware of the side glances I received as I walk. The Omegas would never see me the same again. No one would believe me. I haven't exactly done a good job of even pretending to like Shirley. Soon, word would spread, my reputation would be ruined.

I shut the door and slid down against it, tears streaking hot and fast against my cheeks. Ryan may not have rejected me, but what he did today, it hurt more. I wished at that moment that he'd kill me- it would do me good than having to live with the fact that he didn't trust me. Everything between us was gone.

They we're going to the soiree together, soon it might be more than just soirees. I risk loosing my place here. I had no where else. All my life with Ryan, I played the perfect housewife, modest, gentle, sweet and submissive in bed.

And he took everything for granted.

When the sobs finally died, when my heart was nothing but ashes, something took a root inside me. Something much more colder.

If this is the Moon Goddess changing my fate, trying to curse me for taking someone else's mate when I was the one who wa

s claimed, then I don't accept it.

I won't accept defeat, not to Ryan, not to Shirley, not to the pack, not to anyone.