Chapter 23 Truthful Lies

~Anna~

I blinked a couple of times as my mind tried to understand the sight in front of me. She was clinging to my mate, the man who had just kissed me and told me that I was his Luna. The man I just made a promise to be worthy of. And he was letting it happen.

They appeared like long-time lovers, completely comfortable in their public display of affection, and I couldn’t look away. I could hear her giggling, and they seemed to be engaged in a conversation. They were in their own world. And I felt a pang in my heart.

“I’m sorry,” said Gale, and I replied with a hmmm. “He has no choice.”

Liam started to walk towards the castle with her still clinging to him. It was like a prince carrying his princess into a castle. I remained frozen in my seat as I watched them disappear past the tall white pillars, and into the front door, which closed once they were inside.

When they were out of sight, I was brought back to reality and I questioned Gale. My voice sounded weak. “Who is she?”

He didn’t answer immediately. I asked him again, my voice higher this time as I felt anger rise inside me. “Who is she, Gale?”

“His fiancé,” he replied, and my brain lagged.

He…lied?

A tap came on the window. Looking up, I saw Lexy, smiling at me.

“Come on,” she said.

My hand was shaking as I gripped the handle and opened the door. She stepped to the side, waiting for me, and I stepped out. When I looked at her again, Gale was already beside her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Lexy linked her arm with mine.

“I’ll take you to your room,” she said, still in high spirits like she didn’t witness the same scene as I did. “You’re going to love it! Gale personally had it done for you, and he’s the best!”

Did she lie?

She began to drag me towards the entrance, away from the burning heat of the morning sun with Gale following close behind. Towards the same door, the same house that my mate and his fiancé lived in.

I forcefully came to a stop, startling her.

Did they trick me?

I unlinked my arm from hers and began to walk away without saying a word. The cars were being driven away, but I had no intention of using one anyway – not like they’d let me.

“Anna?” called Lexy. I ignored her.

He brought me here because I was his mate – his Luna by default. He could’ve just rejected me instead of having to pretend he actually cared when he was already engaged with someone else!

I’m his Luna?

What a great actor! They all were.

I wouldn’t let myself be ridiculed any further. This had gone far enough.

I’m leaving.

“Anna!” she called again, and I started walking faster. If he was set to marry someone else, I’d only get in the way and I wouldn’t want to be a hindrance to his happiness. It didn’t matter that we were mates.

I took my phone from my pocket; a present Carson gave me last night. It was my first time to own one, Father didn’t want me to get hooked on cellphones that I’d slack off in training.

A hand gripped my wrist, and I turned to face… Liam. His voice had a hint of anger as he spoke.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The nerve!

“Let me go,” I said firmly, meeting his cold gaze.

“No.” His eyes shifted to the phone I was holding, and he raised his free hand to show an open palm. “Give it to me.”

Is he insane!

“No,” I replied. “This is mine.”

He pulled on my wrist, bringing me closer to him. His hand tipped my chin, so I’d look up at him. I held my ground and glared at him, not looking away.

“You belong to me, Anna,” he said, then I felt his lips on mine.

Out of spite, my hands pushed on his chest and I turned my head to spare myself from his disgusting lips. But he held the back of my head with a hand to keep me in place and he wouldn’t budge. As I struggled, my mouth parted slightly, and he plunged his tongue inside.

I don’t like this. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be used.

I bit down hard on his tongue and he let me go. Raising an arm, I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of his jacket as I gave him a disgusted look.

“Jerk!” I screamed, then kicked him where the sun doesn’t shine.

He let out a pained oof and his hands went down there as he bent over on his stomach. Laughter erupted from behind him and I saw that Lexy and Gale were enjoying this. But when they noticed that I was glaring at them, they immediately stopped.

I turned my back on them and proceeded to walk away when my arm was grabbed again by none other than the lying jerk. It was satisfying to watch him slowly stand straight. I was sure it was throbbing painfully down there. He freaking deserved it!

His glare was scary, so I glared back at him.

“Are you trying to kill our pups, mate?” he asked.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. “Let go, you jerk!”

Who does he think he is?

His grip tightened, hurting me. Then I was suddenly slung across his shoulder, with his arm wrapped around my thighs. My fists pounded on his back and I fluttered my legs.

“Stop struggling!” he ordered.

“You jerk! Put me down this instant!” I said in an equally authoritative tone.

He adjusted me on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around the back of my knees. “Keep struggling and you’ll fall.”

With my legs held captive, I kept screaming at him to put me down. He turned around and started heading towards the castle. “I am not going inside!”

“You are going to your room. I’ll show you around later, and tonight, the pack will welcome you as their Luna.”

“Luna?” I scoffed. “Introduce them to your fiancé, you lying jerk! You… you jerk of an Alpha! You jerk of a mate!”

Why can’t I think of anything other than “jerk”!

He didn’t respond to my insults which were just fine.

“Put me down, you jerk! Don’t you have your girl to go to! You liar!”

I raised my head to see Lexy and Gale trailing behind us.

“Traitors,” I screamed, and she just smiled.

“Bro deserved that. Kick him there again next time you get the chance,” she chirped, which shocked me.

“Sure,” I replied. “I’ll kick him down there the moment he puts me down.”

“Harder this time, Luna,” said Gale.

A pause came over us and then we burst out laughing. “That was really funny,” I said, wiping a tear.

“No, it wasn’t,” Liam said, making me laugh harder.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

“So, what do you think?” asked Lexy.

I raised my head again to survey my surroundings. The polished marbled tiles showed a distorted reflection and looking up, glass chandeliers were hanging from the high ceiling. Liam walked up a set of wide stairs in the middle of the entryway, giving me a better look at the empty room, which now seemed like it was purposefully made for huge gatherings.

“Do you hold a ball here or something?” I muttered.

“Something like that,” answered Lexy. “On special occasions, the pack would gather here. Tonight is one of those occasions.”

“Anyone care to explain to me what exactly is happening here?”

“Well – “

“We’re here,” said Liam, interrupting Lexy.

I heard a door open, and when we were inside, he swiftly turned around and closed the door on their faces, and locked it. Then he threw me on the bed. It didn’t hurt at all. I bounced a few times on the soft mattress.

But I couldn’t get up yet nor could I protest, for he was instantly in my face, and I was pinned to the bed with his legs on both sides of my waist. My body began their weird reactions and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

His hands slid down my arms and he interlocked his fingers with mine. Then he slowly pushed them upwards, his eyes never leaving mine as he held me captive beneath him. My breathing came in short but fast intervals, and it didn’t help that my core began to get excited.

I gulped when I felt his hot breath on my neck and gasped when his tongue swiped over my marking spot.

“You’re my girl,” he whispered, kissing that spot. “No one else.”

“You’re engaged, Liam,” I said, my heartbreaking at my own words. “You don’t have to choose me.”

Trailing butterfly kisses up my neck, he said, “I’m not choosing. You’re my Luna.”

You don’t have to keep lying. You don’t have to choose the bond.

“Liam, stop!”

His lips left my neck and he raised himself to look at me.

“I can smell you,” he said in a low, sexy voice that made my core water for him.

Focus, Anna!

“You can stop here, for both our sakes.”

I pulled on my arm. He released it. I cupped a side of his handsome face. Tears threatened to rise to the surface, but I held them back, preparing myself for the unimaginable pain I was about to put myself through. Last night, I believed that these words wouldn’t find their way out of my mouth again. How cruel, to have to go through this almost simultaneously.

“I, Gamma Anna Bella Fiora…”

His jaw clenched as he understood what I was about to say. I smiled at him and continued.

“… reject you, Alpha Liam Rose, as my mate.”

I felt his other hand free mine, and he sat up straight. I looked to the side, waiting for the pain to come.

“I don’t accept,” he said simply, and I looked at him, confused.

Why not? He’s engaged. He doesn’t have to be obliged to make me his Luna just because I’m his mate. She’s a perfect fit for him, I don’t begin to compare. So why… why won’t he accept? Why is he looking at me strangely?

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why would I let you go now that you’re here?” he said. “Why would I let another man claim you?”

He smiled at me, sending my heart racing. “I already told you, you belong to me.”

“Liam, where are you?” a familiar voice shouted – his fiancé.

He sighed, then got off me. “Try to escape-,” he said as he opened the door, then added, “- if you can.”

“Anna?” Lexy asked worriedly.

I immediately got up and stomped past her and Gale, out the door, shouting, “Liam!”

He turned to face me with a confused look on his face. I stopped short of him, cocked my head to the side as I smiled sweetly, then kicked him down there again, harder, as per Gale’s request because I’m a good friend.

He glared at me as he tried to keep himself grounded, and I turned around and sprinted back into my room, closed the door with a loud bang, and hurriedly locked it. The two were laughing, and from outside, I could hear the concerned voice of his fiancé.

I felt something warm slide down my cheek, and my knees gave away. I sat sideways to the floor, wiping the tears that fell. Lexy sat beside me, and hugged me close to her, whispering to me that it’d be alright as she patted my back.

Nothing’s alright.

“Lexy,” I said, looking up at her. “Tell me the truth.”