Ariana

By the time I got home, my wolf had already calmed down. But now more than ever, she wanted the rejection as much as I did.

I had sustained some bruises while running but they were already healing themselves. Since I was already naked, I decided to take a long cool shower before retiring to bed tonight.

Damian was probably not coming home and to be honest, I didn't even want him to either. 

I turned on my playlist and entered the bathroom to shower. I didn't know how long I'd spent in the shower and I didn't seem to care because I felt peace and I was singing my heart out.

The water fell down my body and the cold from it calmed me down in such a way that made me not want to leave the shower.

I kept singing my heart out when I felt warm pair of hands wrapping around my waist. 

"Hey," he greeted, planting soft kisses on my neck making my body tense immediately.

When did he get back and why didn't I hear him come in? Shit, I was still so mad at him and I didn't want to be in this position with him. 

I mean we were both naked under the shower and the bulge of his hard length was already pressing down on my back.

He turned me to face him and began kissing me roughly immediately. I tried so hard to shut my lips but he bit my bottom lip softly and I gasped making him get access.

He pushed his tongue into my mouth and kissed me hard. The kiss was rough and filled with urgency like he couldn't contain his desire.

"Fuck", he gasped breaking the kiss and breathing down my neck.

He traced his hands down my body and when his hands found the heat between my thighs I couldn't help but gasp softly. He was my mate after all, he knew my body better than anyone.

He immediately pushed a finger into my wet core and I threw my head backward, the water still pouring on us. It all felt divine, us like this under the shower, his fingers working magic inside me. 

His tongue found my neck and he began nibbling on it. "Mark me Damian", I moaned out before I could stop myself and he froze, just like he'd always done whenever I slipped up.

I was just about to apologize for it like I had always done when something inside me snapped.

What the hell was I doing letting him touch me in the first place? Was my lust that bigger than his betrayal? And just now when I mistakenly asked him to mark me again he froze just like always.

Of course, he didn't want to claim me or place his mark on me. He had Lily, the one he truly loved and she was back for him with their pup, their family of three was complete.

As if I just regained my senses I pushed him immediately and left the bathroom. I immediately grabbed a robe to wear on my body before he came out.

Shortly after, he came out. "Do you want us to continue in the bedroom? You know it'd have been spicier if we just got to it in the bathroom" he said.

"Why did your fingers freeze inside me when I asked you to mark me?" I asked. I already knew the answer but I couldn't help but ask and I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Can we not argue about this today?" He asked tiredly like I was some whiny child asking some irrelevant question.

"I'll mark you when the time is right but for now I just want to bend you over and fuck your brains out." He said,  his eyes dark with desire.

If it was before seeing him standing there rock hard and hinting to have sex with me would have me spreading my legs the widest for him but now I felt nothing but disgust.

Had he always seen me as nothing more than a sex tool to satisfy his desires?

"I'm not in the mood. I don't feel like it." I said and he frowned.

"What's wrong? What's been going on with you lately?" He said.

"Maybe you should ask yourself that question," I replied lying on the bed to sleep after I changed into my night gown.

"Come on, don't be like that now," Damian said changing into his drawls. 

"Is it about the anniversary? I tried making it up to you today at dinner and......" he paused to look at me as if suddenly remembering something.

"Where's your bracelet?" He asked and I just shrugged.

So he had noticed? "I don't know, I probably lost it somewhere," I replied casually.

He stood up and handed the bracelet back to me. How did he find it?

"I found this on the floor in the hospital, you must have dropped it when you were visiting your mom." He said, searching my eyes as if to see my reaction.

"I don't want it, throw it away," I replied and he tensed.

"Why? I got this specially for you for our anniversary ...."

"I SAID I DON'T WANT IT YOU LIAR" I screamed, cutting him off. I really couldn't bear any more of his lies. He was hurting me with them and my wolf was suffering because of him.

How dare he sit there and lie to our face as if we were stupid just because we loved him? 

"Don't be like this, if you don't like this one, don't worry I'll buy you whatever you want tomorrow." He tried to hold me but I waved his hand.

"I don't want any more gifts from you, I hate anything you give me. I don't even want you anymore, I don't want anything that's not exclusively mine including you." I screamed, breaking down in tears.

All the anger and resentment I had been holding in burst and I couldn't hold the tears anymore. He looked relieved to finally see me lose my temper and I knew why.

He felt that anytime I was like this it meant I cared and that I still loved him. He tried to kiss me thinking it'd calm me down as usual but I growled my claws coming out as I screamed like a madwoman.

"DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T YOU GET IT? I DON'T WANT YOU." I screamed loud enough for him to hear as I sobbed uncontrollably.

He tried to calm me down again but his phone started to ring aloud and I immediately knew who it was because he had set a special ring tone for her.

He didn't pick up but he immediately started to dress up and I knew he was no longer going to spend the night.

"We'll talk when you've calmed down. Something came up, pack business." He said as he struggled to reply to her while he dressed up. 

My wolf whimpered softly, shocked that even now our mate was still lying to us. He was going to leave us this way, heartbroken and crying while he ran to the arms of another she-wolf.

"Pack business you say? Go, Damian, you liar, get out. Answer your call. I don't care, just get out." I screamed, pushing him.

"We'll talk tomorrow once you're calm." He said and just walked out like that. 

I slumped on the floor crying. I knew I wasn't supposed to be crying but I couldn't help it.

"Serve him the rejection notice, or better still reject him yourself. Don't wait until his betrayal kills us before you do that." My wolf warned, but I couldn't help but cry.

If only it were that easy. There were too many things at stake. My family still depended on him so I needed to wait until my mother was discharged before I gave him the rejection notice.

And even if I wanted to, I couldn't reject him myself, it wouldn't work for me.....because of the oath...the blood oath.

Ariana 

I stirred in my sleep, my head feeling heavy and my eyes feeling so tired to open. What happened? Why was I feeling pains all over my body?

I forced my eyes open and my vision was blurry for some minutes. 

"Mom, she's awake" I heard someone say and I tried to force myself to sit up. 

Luna Loretta? What was she doing here I thought to myself. I looked at the other side of the room and Riley was there busy pouring what I assumed to be tea into a cup.

"Good morning Loretta", I greeted still wondering why Damian's mom was visiting us so early.

Gosh, my head hurts so much. What the hell happened?

"Thank God you're awake Ari," Riley said, handing me a cup. I drank from it and immediately scrunched my face because of how bitter it tasted.

"I came here this morning and met you passed out on the floor with dried tears on your face. You were burning up and your temperature was really high so I called mother." She explained.

"Yes, my child and it's already noon no longer morning. What the hell happened here yesterday? The start Riley found you in wasn't a good one." She said and I heaved a sigh.

So I had cried myself to sleep on the floor yesterday after Damian left. Really? What the hell is wrong with you Ariana? I scolded myself mentally.

Crying so hard till you pass out over a man who left you in such a terrible state yesterday to meet his lover. A man who didn't care for my well-being. 

"Nothing ma." I lied, forcing a smile. 

"What do you mean by nothing? You know I hate it when you lie. Did you and Damian fight again?" She asked, looking at me intently. 

"Loretta, Riley" I called looking at them with clasped hands. "Please can you not mention it to my mom that you saw me in this state when you visited? She's still healing and you know her wolf isn't very strong this period so I don't want her to worry." 

"Rest assured, she'll hear nothing of it, but back to my question, did you and my son fight?" She asked.

I couldn't just tell her that he had cheated, I didn't want to complicate things until I spoke to Damian first about wanting a rejection and a separation.

Besides she was his mother so she was bound to be biased.

"Just normal couple's troubles ma," I replied feigning a smile but the next second she immediately brought out her phone to call her son.

"Hey you brat," where the hell are you? She questioned.

"Busy." He replied casually. 

"What do you want? I don't have all day..." he said, raising his voice a little. 

"Did you and Ari fight yesterday?" She asked and my breath hitched, he wasn't going to tell her the truth was he? 

"No" he replied coldly and I heaved a sigh of relief even though the coldness behind his voice hurt a little.

"So why did we find her passed out on the floor this morning in a pool of her own tears?" She questioned. "You know that only happens when a she wolf suffers severe emotional pain that is too much for them to bear."

"Ignore her, she must be faking it. You know how dramatic and whiny Ariana can be. She's spoiled mom, she's only faking it for attention. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now." He said and hung up before his mother could say anything else.

I already knew he didn't love me but finding out he didn't care about me or my health hurts a lot worse than expected. 

He thought I was faking it, he actually thought I was faking it for his attention? Oh moon goddess help me.

Luna Loretta and Riley were kind enough to stay with me for most of the day. They ensured that I was well fed and rested before they got set to leave.

Loretta left first as her husband kept calling her to rush back home. He claimed there were more important things for her to do at home than play nurse to a useless Luna.

He actually called me useless although Loretta stood up for me but it didn't matter. The father and son thought I was useless so very soon I'll be out of their lives for good.

"Hey, why didn't you tell my mother about what you found out? Have you confronted Damian about it yet?" Riley nudged when she was about to leave. Her mother had already left by this time.

"I didn't confront him, there was no need to. He'd made it very clear who was in his heart this past few days." I said smiling bitterly.

"You know I could confront him for you, find out about the truth, and confirm if he'd really cheated and that was his son." She said.

Would getting her to find out change anything? It didn't matter because knowing the whole truth might end up killing me and I didn't want to put my wolf in a fragile state. I was better off not knowing.

"No, you don't have to do that" I replied and we chatted some more before she finally left.

When Riley left too I sat there thinking about what the day I would tell Damian to reject me would look like.

I was sure he was going to be happy and jump on the opportunity to be with his true lover. 

My heart squeezed painfully at the thought of it but it is what it is. He was never mine to begin with and I was done being his Luna on borrowed time, done being the unloved mate.

I needed to leave as soon as possible so I wouldn't end up suffering my wolf with several emotional heartbreaks. 

I sat there quietly for a long time lost in my own thoughts when the door finally creaked open. 

I knew who it was without looking up. How could I not when his intoxicating scent filled the room? 

It was Damian, my mate, the one whose scent used to bring me comfort but now that same scent made me want to puke. It was tainted!

So he finally decided to come home after leaving abruptly yesterday because his mistress had called.

"Hey," he greeted without sparing me a glance.

"Are you calm now?"

Damian 

After my mom called about Ariana, I was worried all day. Something doesn't feel right, and I have been feeling it all day. 

I had to leave Lily alone for some time so I could have some time to myself to actually think about everything on ground. 

Have I really been ignoring Ariana since Lily returned with her pup because why would Mom call me?

No, I'm certain it was Ariana playing her usual mind games. She just loves attention too much and would do anything to get it. She's always been a little whiny she-wolf.

I gulped the alcohol in my cup and signaled someone to get me another bottle. I was in a private bar I sometimes come to when I get stressed and overwhelmed.

Whenever the pack business becomes too much to handle and I need to clear my head or when I have an issue with my mate, I come here.

"Alpha", you're here. I heard a voice say and I turned around to see it was my Beta Cassius.

I didn't say anything, instead, I turned the contents of the bottle into my cup and began drinking slowly from it.

"Tough day?" He asked and I just hummed.

He paused for a while and just kept looking at me like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.

"You know, Riley called me, she told me what happened to Ariana. Why haven't you gone home man? That's your Luna in question." He said and I shot him a serious glare that forced him to keep quiet.

"Riley and her big mouth. And you, don't say what you have no idea about. Nothing's wrong with Ariana, she's just being her dramatic self." I replied and lit a cigarette.

It's been a long time since I smoked but since the drink wasn't calming me down, the smoke should do the job.

"But Alpha I still think you're not being fair to Ariana if we're going to be serious. She's your mate after all and her family has also proved their loyalty to this pack countless times."

"Heck even her mother is still at the pack's infirmary till this day because she got seriously injured while trying to protect some of our warriors during the last wolf attack."

"She's been healing much slower because her wolf got seriously injured. Even Ariana has proved herself to be a devoted Luna all this while, what more do you want?" He questioned.

"Her mother is fine and will be discharged by tomorrow. I'm paying for the treatment anyway and I saved them from penury, the least they can do is be grateful." I responded ignoring the surprised look on his face. 

We sat in silence for a while and honestly, I was grateful for the silence because I was really tired of his rambling.

Was he trying to make me guilty of something or what? As if reading my mind, Cassius asked me a question that stunned me next.

"This is about Lily right? You treating Ari like this, missing your anniversary is all about Lily right?" He asked me and I could feel the veins almost popping out of my neck because of anger. 

"Don't you dare speak on Lily." I lashed out.

"But why though? Even though you're my Alpha you're still my friend and I'll speak on issues concerning you when I feel you're not treading the right path." 

"This is because of Lily right?" He asked again and I shot him a cold glare.

"It's complicated," I replied and he smirked. 

"There's nothing complicated Damian. You know Lily came back to be with you and she didn't come back alone, she came back with a pup, how would you explain this to Ariana if she finds......"

"She can never find out. You can never tell her anything about Lily or her pup. Never mention the name Lily anywhere close to her." I replied with a hint of urgency in my voice. 

"I wasn't going to tell her in the first place, but what if she somehow gets to find out. Do you think she'll forgive you?" He asked.

"She loves me too much, she can never live without me. She said so herself but to answer your question, I've been covering my tracks neatly." I said.

"Lily might confront her and you and I know too well Lily came back for you. Set a clear boundary now or you might regret it later. Unless you missed what you guys had and now want to rekindle it." He retorted.

"You got it all wrong. Lily can never confront Ariana, she knows better than to do that. After all, she's a weak, fragile she-wolf and an omega, she can't dare to confront the Luna. 

"You should know things are not always the way they seem. I'll see you later." He said and got up to leave.

I stayed there for some time and then my phone started ringing again. I looked up and saw the caller ID was Riley. Why was he calling me again? 

"Damian, is it true that you brought your mistress and her pup to the pack to be under our protection..." she tried asking and I just hissed. This damn girl. 

"Ariana won't like this." She won't..."

"I do not want you speaking to Ariana about another woman. You'll keep quiet and stay out of my business, do you understand?" I spoke coldly into the phone. 

I was sure she could feel the ice in my tone because she was too stunned to speak.

"You cheated.... You really cheated. You've been cheating on my friend, I'm going to tell Ariana. I only wanted to confirm." She threatened.

"Unless you no longer like the privilege of belonging to a pack. You'll do no such thing." I fired back and dropped the call.

I drank the last contents in the bottle and threw the cigarette. Since they were going to try to make things difficult for me I needed to talk to my mate.

I already knew Ariana wasn't going to leave me but I needed to pacify her at least so she would stop whining. At least if she were happy she wouldn't make trouble for Lily and her pup if she got to know about them.

I left the bar and drove straight home. 

I entered the house and went straight to our room and there she was sitting quietly lost in thought.

Her back was facing me and I stood at the door for a few seconds staring at her. Her scent hit my nostrils and I closed my eyes as it made my wolf and me calm again.

She always had that effect on me.

"Hey," I greeted without looking at her. 

"Are you calm now?" I asked as I placed my wrist watch on the table before turning to finally face her.