I sit up when my alarm goes off and turn it off before it can wake him. I shower, trying my best to get his scent off my skin. To erase what he did to me until he was satisfied. My skin is raw by the time I’m ready for my first class today. I make a quick breakfast for us. I take my coffee and try to escape before he wakes up. I almost jump out of my skin when I turn around to see him standing behind me. He’s never hidden his presence from me before.
His smile is one I’m very familiar with. I have woken up to it every morning since his return. It was a testament to the happy life I thought we were building. It comes off sinister now that I’ve seen the beast he’d been hiding from me after all these years. I look at him, and I only see a stranger now. A stranger in my mate’s skin.
“You were going to leave without saying goodbye?” he asks, stepping closer.
“I didn’t want to wake you, and I’m already running late,” I lie, taking my cup off the counter. He steps with me and takes the
cup.
“Okay,” he says, putting it back on the counter. “I made a reservation for us at-”
“Do you really think going out in public would sit well with the pack days after your wedding?” I ask, stopping him. He tenses up. He’s never been one for rejection, and up until now, I’ve never had a reason to say no. I’m questioning everything, and all I feel is emptiness.
“I’m trying to make it up to you,” he sighs. “I didn’t want this either, Sophia.”
“I understand, which is why I’m telling you now that going out in public wouldn’t be right. It would reflect poorly on the two of us. It’ll be disrespectful to your wife,” I see him visibly tense up as I take my cup from the counter again. “I’ll see you tonight. Here, where no one can see.”
“I’m sorry,” he blocks my path again. “Tell me how to make this right again.”
I stare at him to see if he looks genuine. He seems to think this is a tiny little obstacle in our path, but he doesn’t understand the rules of choosing a mate. He’s not going to get anything he wants without marking Poppy. What we had was over the moment he allowed his parents to dictate what would happen as he moved forward as the alpha of Artume City.
Hell will freeze over before I ever forgive him. Not just for the wedding or not being able to stand up for us, but because of his actions. I don’t want him anywhere near me, and he doesn’t seem to care. He doesn’t see that he’s hurting me and making things worse.
“I just need some space,” I step back. “You didn’t even warn me, Santiago. I knew your parents stopped caring for me the moment you told them I was an omega. I didn’t think you would ever buy into it. You accepting this only proves to me that you think the same thing they do.”
“I don’t. Sophie, you mean everything to me. You are the love of my life. From the moment I laid eyes on you,” he grabs my wrist. “You have to know that.”
“I did,” I pull my arm out of his grip. “But I find it very hard to believe it’s the truth anymore.”
He stares at me, and I can see the war he’s in with his wolf. His expression blanks, and I look away to go for the door.
“Do you still love me, Soph?” he asks as I step out of the apartment.
I take a deep breath and leave without saying a word because that’s a stupid question. I hurry into my car and leave before he decides that he wants me to stay with him for the day. Sitting in class is not something I want to be doing right now. I’m in agony, and I have nowhere to go to let it out.
Everyone is staring at me. I may not have a wolf, but I can still hear them whispering about me. Those who have hated me
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Chapter 6
65 vouchers
from the moment Santiago made our relationship known think I have finally been put in my place. As if being Santiago’s mate was the only thing I was ever good at.
It’s such a shallow notion, and it’s an odd feeling when I think that I was no better until the day I didn’t shift. I complete the pop quiz and take it to the front. I’m still the first one done. I’m probably the only one in this class who’s going to ace it. None of them is going to see that simply because my misery is more exciting. They want something to make me smaller.
Envy is ugly when power is involved. I never wanted any of it. I fell in love with the idea of mates, especially after I lost my family. Before I went to Artume Academy, my grandmother had to stay here with me. We were both miserable. She was stuck here babysitting a twelve–year–old who couldn’t even move after the attack–two years of surgeries and physical training.
It was lonely, so when I met the boy with the pretty sea glass colored eyes and sly smirk, I didn’t even question it. It was comforting to be vulnerable around him. To have someone to share my small world with. He was my best friend, but he was gone for a whole year, and things can change during a big stretch of time. I was stupid to think I’d get the same person back.
“Ms Helvig,” Professor Harrington greets me. She takes my test and sets it down on her desk. “If you need some time to-”
“I don’t. I’m fine,” I reassure her. Her pity stings. I gather my things, wanting nothing more than to go back to my apartment and sleep for the rest of the day.
“Omega bitch,” someone growls as I make my way over to the exit.
I pause and see an eraser on the desk beside me. Using my knee, I knock the table up and round–house kick the eraser at her. She turns back to look at me right on time, and I get her right in the center of her forehead. The class laughs at her when she stands up and screams.
“I may be some omega bitch, but I can still end you. Then you’d be the stupid bitch that some omega nobody killed,” I remind her.
Her eyes are glowing amber with rage. I stand my ground, waiting for her to give me an excuse to beat the shit out of her. She stares at me long enough for it to be embarrassing for her. She takes a seat without saying another word. Some of the others laugh at her. I walk out satisfied. I slam against a brick wall, dropping all of my things. I look up to see a smirk aimed
back at me.
“Bullying the little girls, Little Omega?” he grins. “Some things never change, huh?”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
