Betrayed by my mate, avenged by my Lycan

Chapter 3: This is not real

~Zoe~

I barely slept throughout that night. And when I dozed a little, my dreams were filled with nightmarish events that weren’t even supposed to be so for an alpha’s daughter.

Oh, that’s right. I’m no longer eligible for that title. As of now, I have become an omega; the lowest-ranking werewolf in the Pack. I felt shame and disgrace.

I felt betrayed.

Maybe if I had listened to my father? Maybe we’d still be happy till now. I still couldn’t bring myself to believe that Jax had betrayed my love and trust for him. Maybe it was my fault. He just had a normal primal reaction and wanted release. As his mate, that was what I was supposed to give him. Maybe this was my entire fault.

A stray tear dropped onto my pillow. My life had just crumbled in the space of hours all because of a man whom I loved. One whom I fought my family and Pack over because of what I thought our love stood for.

I sniffled and sat up on the bed, ignoring the pangs of headache that constantly reminded me that I didn’t sleep a wink. My gaze swept over my already packed bags in the corner of the room.

“Where do I go from here?” I muttered to myself, fighting another wave of waterfalls battling in my eyes.

Jax…

Hope ignited in my heart. Yes, he’ll take me. His Pack is the only place I know that I can go and be accepted now. We will talk things over and I’m very sure that I’ll be able to forgive him. He’s my mate, after all.

I stood and looked at my reflection in the mirror and I could have almost sworn that the person who stared back at me was someone else.

As I was packing the last of my things, a knock sounded on the door and almost immediately, Nora sauntered in. She regarded me for some time before finally speaking.

“I heard what happened, Zoe.”

Nora was my younger sister, just two years younger than me. She hadn’t been lucky with her mate because he died from a strange sickness just two months after they got to know each other. I was surprised when she moved on like nothing had happened but I guess that is her kind of person. Someone who is strong-willed and not weakened by emotions, like me.

“I’ve been demoted to an Omega”, I cracked. “And I just found out that father is not my birth father”.

I waited for a reaction from her; empathy, sympathy, something that showed she felt bad for what had happened to me; but there was just a blank stare from her. No emotions crossed her face. Then she suddenly burst out laughing.

“I knew it. I just knew you could never be my real sister. The females in our family are prudent and wise; not whores and promiscuous women”.

My jaw hung open in shock at the venomous words that came from my sister’s mouth. “What?”

“Oh, please” she waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t give me that pretentious innocent look. Everyone in this Pack knows how you threw yourself at alpha Jax, begging him to take you just so you could trap him and make sure that he doesn’t leave you. Pity, he’s a rival Pack’s alpha”.

I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. The shock of what Nora said hung heavy upon me like a wet blanket. What does she mean by everyone in the Pack? I swallowed hard and fixed her with a pleading gaze.

“Nora, I never---”

“Don’t waste your breath, Zoe. I did not come here to comfort you. I wanted to make sure that you truly had packed and will be on your way out of this house. And maybe, you should start addressing me properly, knowing that I am now the heir of this Pack while you are now a filthy, dirty, smelly omega. Be grateful that I haven’t commanded you to wash the sole of my shoes with your tongue”.

She closed the space between us, all the hatred and disdain showing clearly in her eyes. I couldn’t imagine how I’d missed this part of Nora all the while we had been together.

“You do not know how glad I am that I don’t have to pretend to love you anymore. You disgust me, Zoe. I want you and your repulsive smell out of this entire house before I come back”.

She gave me a final glare before pushing me aside and banging the door behind her. Still in shock with what had just transpired between us, I slid to the floor, my knees suddenly protesting their job of carrying my weight.

There’s really nothing left for me here anymore. Jax seemed like my only answer now. He’d explain to me how those pictures got to the internet, and we would resolve everything amicably. Maybe he could even use his powers to delete every trace of the photo on the internet.

I spent a long time on the floor, trying to recollect myself. It was almost noon and the alpha should not find me here by then. I decided to ditch bathing but washed my face with cold water instead, to reduce my swollen eyes. Then I took the little belongings that I have sentimental value to, dropped them in my car, and after giving the house that I grew up in one final tear-filled look, I got into my car and zoomed off to Jax’s Pack.

****

Jax’s Pack was bustling. Servants ran helter-skelter carrying stuff from a van parked outside his villa.

Was there any occasion tonight?

Out of curiosity, I asked a servant what was going on.

“Alpha Jax is about to propose to his chosen mate”, the wide-eyed omega answered, happiness showing in her every word.

My heart almost stopped.

“Wait, what?”

“It was so sudden that we didn’t have time to get everything set. But he wants everything to be ready tonight. He plans to propose during a very romantic dinner”. She said and scurried away before I could interrogate her more.

No. This must be some kind of joke.

Or prank.

This is not real.

I half-walked, half-ran to his bedroom, hoping to confront him about what I just heard but when I opened his door, what I saw made my heart truly stop this time.