Heiress or Mate?

Chapter 8 - Nobody

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Linton

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"No, thank you, Eureka," Cas says before looking at me and asking if I need any help while I’m still staring at the maid, shocked. Calyx asks what’s going on, and I tell him I don’t know while shaking my head and Cas, unable even to find my words. She leaves after that, and we proceed to the door after Veil’s mom hugs Cas again. She thanks me for coming out and apologizes she couldn’t let us finish, and the look in her eyes as she says that answers the questions I’ve been asking myself this whole time; she knows everything.

We load our bags in the car, and Cas says he’s going to drive first, so I head to the passenger door. But a black Audi R8 pulls up just as I do, and I look at it as it parks next to us. The door opens just as Cas starts the engine, and my eyes widen when the source of the scent on Veil and the maid comes out in a burgundy tuxedo. Calyx growls while my breathing gets shallow, looking at the wolf screwing my mate and finally understanding why she doesn’t want us. He’s nothing like us. His dress shoes alone could pay for my sister’s tuition. I’m not even talking about the car. He must be some wealthy businessman. Cas reverses out of the driveway, and Calyx asks if we are leaving, and I tell him yes. What can we do? Veil's made it clear she’s choosing him over us, and I'm not going to act stupid and pretend like I don't see why.

He has a mate.

Calyx says, and I ask him, So what? We don't know if Veil isn't aware of that and choosing to screw him anyway. We don't know Veil. Being her mate doesn't give us a sneak peek into her brain. Plus, she's a wolf; it's impossible for us to know and not her.

But we should make sure.

Stop it, Calyx! I know your heart hurts, but mine does too. I have suffered enough in this city! I just want to go home to my family. I’ve been to an animal shelter. I’ve turned an innocent wolf into a murderer. In this heat, I’m wearing a closed, full-sleeve jacket because I’m hiding burn marks inflicted by Veil. She made it clear she didn't want us when she did whatever she did to her wolf and then went and f****d another wolf while we were suffering. Please, stop! I’m tired.

I tell him, and he whimpers but keeps quiet. I cannot do this anymore. Veil has made it clear over and over again that she doesn’t want us.

We are going to get through this together. We don’t need people who don’t need us. I add, feeling his sadness, having no idea how we are going to get over it. My heart is just as bleeding, but one of us has to be strong. I call him again and tell him he'll be fine, but I'm shocked when Cas says that's Eureka's cousin, looking at the guy.

"What do you mean it’s her cousin?"

"I mean, it’s her cousin. Her mother is his aunt."

"What? How’s that possible?" I ask, looking back at him, and he asks what I mean; the car joinin the freeway as he does, and I stutter, not knowing what to say, while Calyx says we must go back and find out.

"I mean, the guy looks like he’s doing well for himself. So why would his cousin be a maid?" I blubber, not hearing myself as I try to figure out what’s going on despite telling Calyx I don’t care. Did we get it wrong? Are they not mates?

They are mates, Linton, and we need to find out what’s happening. Please.

Calyx says, but I don’t respond. Veil is a wolf. If she were human, I’d say she was being played. But how can a wolf be played?

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Eureka

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"What are you doing here?" I ask, turning around as Andreas wraps his arms around me from behind.

"I came to ask you the same thing. I went to the apartment to check on you, and Phoebe told me you came to work. I thought you didn’t feel like coming today?"

"I didn’t, but then I remembered the thing with Veil’s mate," I tell him, and he says that could have waited. "It couldn’t have. He was leaving today," I reply, pulling him in and connecting our lips before pushing him away. I don’t want people to come in here and see us like this.

"So, is he her mate?"

"I don’t know. I don’t think so. There’s this cold vibe between them, and the guy was apparently missing the entire night. I just watched them when he was about to leave, and there was no interaction between them. Veil just said she was glad he was okay and hugged Castiel." I tell him, and he nods, saying maybe I saw wrong. Except for his annoying wolf that likes to intimidate Wilde, nothing else suggested they were mates. But I could swear the look he had in his eyes that day was the same look Andreas had when he saw me.

He hugs me again, despite my warnings not to get too close, and just then, the annoying b***h's scent hits us, causing us to pull apart. Andreas says he has to go, and I thank him for coming to check on me.

"Why didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well? We could have had Zelda come help you up here." The slut asks, wrapping her arms around my mate, causing me to take a deep breath as Wilde lets out a low growl. Andreas casually takes her hands off him, and they head out while she tells him about the outing she’s going to this weekend, the spoiled brat, without even waiting for me to reply to her question. She always acts like she cares when Andreas is here to impress him. If only she knew how he really felt.

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Veil

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"Come on, we haven’t done anything together in a while," I tell Andreas, wrapping my arms around his neck while standing next to his car. He looks around, causing me to tell him mom is busy in her room and not watching us. He says I just said I was going away with my friends, but I’ve changed my mind. I feel this weekend away will be boring, especially since that annoying brat is insisting boyfriends come along. I think the b***h is just being spiteful because she knows I won’t bring Andreas along, or she’s hoping I bring him along. The thirsty piece of s**t.

Andreas says he has a lot to do and won’t be able to go at such short notice. He says he’s already arranged his schedule to accommodate the weekend my parents won't be home so we can spend time together. I guess I understand.

"I’m sorry," he softly says, leaning down, and we connect our lips. "Enjoy the weekend away," he adds when we break the kiss, and I bury myself against his chest, suddenly emotional, thinking about everything that has happened these past two days. I almost lost this. The beast almost took over my life, and he almost never held me like this again. I hope I never see Linton and his disgusting beast again. Just then, I remember something. I need to talk to Mom.

Andreas says he has to go and will talk to me later, and he pecks me on the lips. I return inside and make my way upstairs to my mother. She told Castiel that he and Linton could come back and finish the job, but that cannot happen. I was distracted by Andreas’ presence here when she said that, so I couldn't address it.

"You didn’t mean it, right? I ask, entering her room and finding her doing something on her laptop. She takes off her glasses and closes the laptop, looking confused. "You didn’t mean what you said to Castiel. You will get someone else to finish the job, right? I don’t ever want to see Linton here again, mom."

"That’s what I said, but I don’t think they’ll come back for it," she says, causing my eyes to widen.

"So, you meant it. You were inviting them back here after everything that happened?"

"I was feeling bad, Veil. What did you want me to do? They traveled for the job, and the boy looked like he needed the money."

"You gave him the money. He’s the one who decided not to take it," I remind her since it seems she forgot, and she says he didn’t want to take money he didn’t earn, which she respects. Of course, she does. He’s a beast, her favorite. Well, I don’t care how much she admires him. She’s free to respect him all she wants, just not anywhere near me.

"Fine, your father is coming home tonight and will take over the painting thing, anyway. He’ll find someone else," she says, causing me to ask if dad is really coming home because Andreas said he was coming tomorrow when we spoke at his place this morning. He said he had some figures to get ready for Dad tomorrow. I will have to call him and tell him Dad’s coming home tonight so he can finish up.

"What time will he get here?" I ask my mom so that I can tell him the time, and she says around 10 p.m. Just then, there’s a knock, and Eureka tells me Jenna’s here for me. She and I are going shopping for this weekend. I head out of mom’s room and head to mine, where I find Jenna standing next to my dresser.

"I don’t know these," she says, picking up a pair of diamond earrings mom bought for me from this new jewelry store that opened last week she was invited to.

"You don’t know everything I own," I remind her, and she says it's true before commenting on how beautiful they are, surprising me. I don’t like them; I just didn’t want to disappoint Mom. "You can have them if you want them," I tell her, and she squeals, running over to hug me. Jenna’s dad just built a hospital. My dad and hers are partners, but it didn't affect us. Jenna’s parents reduced her allowance. Her family is not as rich as mine, but I still hang out with her because I like her. She’s been my best since we were kids. I’m going to pay for her outfits for the weekend, but I want to surprise her. I like seeing her grateful. I spend on all my friends. I like buying them cute clothes and jewelry. I love seeing people smile and be thankful.

"I was expecting to walk in on you all sweaty and stuff," she says with a mischievous smirk when I walk up to her to help her with the earrings after she tries to put them on, and I ask her why. "I saw your sugar daddy," she says, causing me to pinch her ear. She knows I don't like it when she calls him that.

"He’s not my sugar daddy. He is only eleven years older than me," I tell her, and she raises her hands, saying he’s hot. "Of course he is. He’s my man," I reply with my own mischievous smirk, and she laughs. Jenna is aware of Andreas's relationship with me, but no one else does. Amity suspects it but doesn't know for sure. I told Jenna never to tell anyone else. She’s the only one I trust. I open my mouth to tell her she looks good and to lower her hair. I don’t want mom to see her wearing these, but I stop midsentence when she suddenly unzips my top, exposing my bra.

"What are you doing?" I ask, and she replies, staring at my chest. She says she was testing the sipper, adding she likes the top but always worries about buying tops like these because of her big bust.

"Well, now you know," I reply, pulling up my zipper, glad I put makeup where the stone incision is since it hasn't healed yet, or she would have seen it. I don't want anyone to ever know about it; that's why mom made her father sign a none disclosure on top of the doctor confidentiality rule. I grab my purse, and we head out. I’m getting a facial too. I probably have wrinkles from these past two days.

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Liora

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I open the laptop again when Veil leaves, but I close it again and cry. I know I don't know much about wolves. I don't know how true everything I know is, and I don't know why her father left. But I'm still afraid. I'm afraid for my baby. I know she made the choice not to accept him, but what if she lives to regret it? And the pain was visible in his eyes even though he tried to act strong. What will happen to him now? Will he forever feel incomplete?

I told Veil I didn't want her to reject him because I didn't want her to confirm what she is, and it's true, but it's not the only reason. I did because I was afraid. It is said that once you reject your mate, you can never undo it. I was scared of her making that final call. What if she did and then realized she had made a mistake?

I know the boy is poor, but I was poor too when I met Milan. He was from a wealthy family, and I was a nobody from a small village. I had nothing, but I was still worthy of love. I tried to tell her that at the hospital while we were waiting for David, but she cried and said I was stressing her and making her feel like a bad person, so I stopped. But I couldn't help it. I feel responsible. I feel like this is all my fault. I spent years afraid even to mention the word wolf. I only started telling her and trying to educate her about them after she had her wolf. It was too late by then. I should have told her about them from the beginning. I feel like I failed my baby.

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Linton

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Please stop; you are going to make me crash. I tell Calyx, but he doesn’t want to stop. It’s my turn to drive, and Cas is sleeping at the back. Calyx gave me the silent treatment when we left Veil’s house after I refused to go back. I kept talking to him until twenty minutes ago when he started going off at me.

I told him to stop because I need concentrate on the road, but he won't. He’s blaming me for not going back. He says there’s something wrong with Veil’s wolf, and she wouldn’t be able to tell if they are mates, so we need to tell her. But I'm afraid I disagree with him. Whatever’s wrong with Veils’ wolf, she did to it because she didn’t want us. Her wolf was perfectly fine when I first met her. I felt it, and we felt her wolf’s distress and went to her, but we weren’t let in.

After that, she came out without a wolf, which means whatever happened, she did it herself. It’s the reason I had the dream. It wasn’t her in it; her wolf was asking for help. She probably knew what Veil would do to her because of us, but what could we have done? Calyx is blaming me for all of it. He says he could have kicked down the door when her wolf called out and stopped whatever Veil and her mother were doing, but that could have landed us in jail. He says he stopped because I promised him I wouldn’t let her reject us, but now I’m just giving in.

You are selfish because you know you will heal. You don’t care that I will never recover. You don’t care that I have to spend the rest of my life an empty shell!

He says, and the tears I have been holding back since he started begin to flow.

I don’t believe you are speaking to me like this after everything we felt and are still feeling. After you were there with me, I get that you are an animal and maybe don’t understand how people work, but it’s not hard to see. Why can’t you just see that there’s nothing I can do? Look at me, look at her, and look at him. I’m nothing compared to him. I'm just a painter with zeros in his bank account.

Material things might not matter to you, but they matter to people, and you exist inside a person. You are part of me; I can not wave some magic wand and be like him. I’m sorry you feel I’ve let you down. I never meant to. I tell him, wiping my tears, and he starts howling in pain, causing more tears to come out of my eyes. I’m sorry, but it’s over. I don’t ever want to see Veil again.

"What? What's all that? What are you talking about?" Castiel asks, sitting upright, and I realize I've said everything out loud.

Fuck!