AFTER BETRAYAL, I MARRIED MY MATE’S UNCLE

Chapter 1- Two Rings

The jeweler’s bright lights gleamed off the glass counters, casting a harsh glare over the polished gold and silver.

As I stood there, my pulse quickened. Not of danger, but of happiness.

I was all smiles as I watched the jeweler bring out the rings. Even my wolf stirred in happiness.

“Here are your rings, miss,” the jeweler said, handing me two identical velvet boxes. “Please pick which is yours, ma’am.”

I glanced at the Jeweler with raised eyebrows; I was sure that I was the only one who had commissioned such designs to them, so why were there 2 velvet boxes?

My wolf stirred beneath my skin, uneasy. I felt that something wasn’t right.

My hand trembled as I opened them. Inside lay two custom-made rings, each an exact replica of the other.

One was mine; the other bore a name that didn’t belong in my pack, nor Owen’s Pack. Squinting my eyes at the name carved on it alongside Owen’s name, I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me what was going on.

Reginald Thompson—an outsider, a human, who had no place in our bond- in our world.

Reginald was a female college student Owen had sponsored. But they suddenly started getting closer, their relationship no longer as pure as I had presumed.

I once questioned him and he said there was nothing going on.

As confusion gave way to a growl rising in my throat, I clenched my jaw to keep it suppressed.

My first instinct was to call him right away, to demand an explanation for this betrayal, but I stopped short when I caught sight of him through the store’s front window. He was standing just outside, his back to me, talking on the phone.

My heightened hearing picked up his voice, drifting in through the slightly open door.

“Please help me buy a house for Reginald in your name,” he said in a low, hurried tone. “And don’t let Carly find out.”

My heart tightened painfully in my chest, my wolf clawing to the surface as if to protect me from the blow that was coming.

The sinking feeling in my gut spread through my limbs like ice, as if the ground beneath my feet had cracked open, threatening to swallow me whole. I could sense the deceit in his words, the betrayal sharp enough to make my wolf’s snarl inwardly.

“Had their relationship already progressed to this extent? How had I not seen it?” I muttered inwardly. Unfortunately, his next words were like a slap across my face, thoroughly confirming my defeat.

“I love her. I can’t give up Reginald.”

I had to grit my teeth to stifle the growl that tore at my throat.

Owen’s calm voice carried the weight of a stone sinking in dark waters.

I stood there, frozen, the realization setting in like the bite of an icy winter wind. The man I had thought was my mate wasn’t who I believed he was. My trust had been a foolish thing—weak and human, not worthy of a wolf.

I took one last look at the matching rings, my vision blurring with hot tears, but I blinked them back, unwilling to show that I was wounded- that I was hurt.

Fine. If this was how things were, I would release him from my claim. I wouldn’t cling to a love that wasn’t returned, I wouldn’t fight for a mate who didn’t value his bond with me.

I placed Reginald’s ring back on the counter and turned away. Without a second thought, I tossed my own ring into the trash bin by the door, where it landed with a dull clink—no longer a symbol of our future together.

The cool breeze outside the shop was a relief, but it wasn’t enough to dispel the simmering rage beneath my skin.

My wolf growled, urging me to track him down, to confront him. I resisted, forcing myself to walk down the street, putting distance between me and the shop.

My phone buzzed in my hand, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was a message from Owen, sent three minutes ago.

“I’m waiting for you at the restaurant nearby.”

Of course he was. Oblivious, as always. For a moment, I considered not going, letting him wait in vain.

But I needed answers, even if I already knew deep down what they would be. I still wanted to see if there was still hope, even though I was well aware that there was none. My instincts were never wrong. I squared my shoulders, feeling the power of my wolf surge through me, and headed for the restaurant.

The closer I got, the more uneasy I felt, my senses sharpening as the bustling street faded around me. I could hear the low hum of conversation and smell the various scents mingling in the air, but all of it was background noise to the tightening knot in my stomach.

As I entered the restaurant, I spotted him at a table by the window, his back turned. He was still on the phone, his voice hushed.

“Yeah, the house needs to be arranged quickly,” he said. “Reginald will be moving in as soon as it’s ready.”

I halted mid-step, my wolf bristling at the mention of her name. I fought the urge to shift then and there, to let my wolf take control and end this charade. Instead, I took a deep breath and walked up to the table, knocking lightly on the wood to announce my presence. He spun around, his expression shifting from surprise to panic in a heartbeat.

“Carly, when did you get here?” he asked, hastily ending the call. He forced a smile, but his eyes betrayed him.

“Just arrived,” I replied, my voice calm, though my wolf growled behind my words. “Who were you talking to?”

His hesitation spoke louder than any words could. “It was a call from my elder brother,” he said, too casually. “Reminding me about coming back home this afternoon.”

I nodded slowly, suppressing a snarl. “Well then, let’s not waste any time,” I said. “You’ll need to head back soon.”

He signaled for the waiter, his gaze lingering on me for a moment too long. “So, did you pick up the ring? Was it everything you expected?”

“It was… nice,” I replied, locking eyes with him. “But there was a surprise. Another ring, exactly like the one I designed.” I let the silence stretch, my wolf relishing his discomfort.

“That must be some kind of mistake,” he blurted. “I’ll check with the shop.”

I didn’t press further, even though his response was a flimsy cover for his lies. I leaned back, letting the quiet grow between us. He seemed unsettled by my silence.

Normally, I would fill the gaps with chatter, easing the tension. But I wasn’t that woman anymore—not for him, and not for anyone who would betray a bond.

Things had been different when we first started dating. He used to listen, used to care. But then Reginald had appeared, and I had sensed the shift, even if I hadn’t wanted to see it. My wolf had sensed it too, growling at the changes in him, at the way he looked past me as if I wasn’t even there.

“Girls are cuter when they talk less,” he had once said with a laugh, and I had dismissed it. But my wolf had never forgotten.