Chapter 72

When his breath audibly hitched in his throat, Anastasia finally had her answer, this being the option that she had believed to be the most believable and valid form the very beginning.

“Please, just let me explain.” Marcellus gasped as he stared back at her, not at all above begging for his mate’s forgiveness.

When she didn’t nod her head, move or give away any indication that she had heard him, Marcellus took that as his cue to explain himself while he had the chance, not that it would help the situation in any way.

“I admit that when I first saw that you were pregnant, I judged you.” Marcellus paused to take in a shaky breath, already aware that there was no good that could come of this conversation other than the fact that he was finally being truthful with his mate. “I’m twenty-eight, so it’s been ten years now that I’ve gone without a mate and when I first met you, I was so excited because it meant that I wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. However, when I saw that you were pregnant, I felt so betrayed.”

“How the fuck have I betrayed you?” Anastasia growled at him and if the situation wasn’t so tense right now, he would have been proud of the menacing sound and the way that she had stood up against him despite the power struggle.

“You haven’t betrayed me and I know that now. But before, I was so hurt about the fact that you had decided to start a family without me. Without your mate.” He sighed and rubbed his hands down the side of his face, every fibre in his body willing himself to turn and look away in shame, unable to meet her gaze after everything that he had done and was now slowly coming forth to the light, but he forced himself to remain staring back at her, needing her to understand just how sorrowful and apologetic he was regarding the whole situation.

“You know that I’m only a quarter-wolf.” She stated the fact as she pursed her lips and stared back at him. “I told you that my dad is half-wolf and never ended up meeting his mate so we assumed that he was never given a mate, so how did you expect me to wait for a mate that I thought I would never have?”

“I know that now.” His eyebrows creased together as his lips pulled down into a deep, pitiful frown, having no one but himself to blame for all the wrongdoings and mistakes that he had made over the past two months.

“And what about the fact that you’re looking for a choice mate?” She cocked another questioning brow in his direction.

“Where did you hear about that?” Marcellus asked even though he had narrowed it down to three people; Dalton, Raphael or Justas. Regardless of who it was, this was no one’s fault but his own and now that he had made his bed, he had no choice but to lay in it.

“It doesn’t matter where I heard it from.” Anastasia rolled her eyes, her words bitter and laced with betrayal. “All that matters is that you were planning to replace me just because you assumed all these things about me when in fact, they all turned out to be nothing more than completely and utter bullshit.”

“I sent them both away today.” Marcellus spoke the truth, hoping to ease the situation even though he deserved all of her anger.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that even though you had a mate, you still tried to replace me. On top of that, you toyed around with me by sleeping with me even though you planned to reject me from the very beginning.”

“I could never reject you.” Marcellus denied in a firm voice, shaking his head frantically as he stared back at his mate with wide eyes, willing for her to believe him even though he knew it was a longshot. “And I wasn’t trying to replace you. You see, there’s this whole situation with the werewolf council-” He tried to explain but she was quick to cut him off, unable to take having to listen to anymore of his pathetic excuses and so far, not a single one of them had included an apology.

“Well, if you’re finished, there’s a few things that I would like to say.”

Not trusting himself to speak, Marcellus only nodded his head in response, unable to look away from her despite the fact that she looked like she would kill him if she could. And if she was a wolf, he had no doubt that she would have gone through with it, too.

“I may have been pregnant when you met me, but I was a surrogate for Justas and Raphael, carrying a baby for them when neither of them could do it for themselves. You may have judged me for my decision but if I could go back in time, I would do it all over again.” Anastasia sent him a fierce, pointed look before she continued with her monologue. “You may be this big bad Alpha who leads this huge pack but to me, you’re nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing. And the fact that you judged me without knowing what was really going on, is so disgusting. I don’t who you think you are, but just because you’re an Alpha doesn’t mean that you can treat the rest of us like scum. You can’t just toy with me as a side-piece while you’re out there looking for a mate because you know what? I’m so much better than that and mate or not, I don’t need you and after everything that you’ve done, nor do I want you.”

Anastasia scowled deeply as she looked away from him, unable to face him anymore.

“And do you know what the worst part is?” She chuckled, the sound falling short of being humorous. “I was really starting to like you, and I even started to feel bad because you had told me that you already had a mate. I had thought that I was betrayed another woman by continuing things with me. Do you know how disgusting that is?”

Unable to defend himself after all the grave crimes that he had committed against her, Marcellus failed to swallow the heavy rock in his throat, making it difficult for him to get the words out.

“I’m so sorry.” He choked over his words, having to force them out of his mouth. “I’m so sorry, Anastasia.”

Her frown deepened at the use of his name and when he opened his mouth to apologise again, Anastasia shook her head and looked away from him again.

“You need to leave.” She murmured quietly, her voice barely above a whisper, having already used up all her energy explaining her innermost thoughts in her earlier monologue.

“Please, Anastasia. I’m so sorry. Just give me another chance.”

“If you don’t leave now, then I will.” She threatened, knowing that there was no way he would be willing to allow her to move off pack lands, especially when things were looking so grim and rocky between them.

Unfortunately for Marcellus, he didn’t have anyone but himself to blame.

Marcellus didn’t even bother wiping away the evident tears that glistened in his eyes, a few growing heavy and streaming down his face. He silently begged her but as a few more moments passed and she refused to acknowledge him, let alone look at him, he rose to his feet and let himself out of her room with a heavy heart; unable to take her hatred and disappointment any further even though he deserved that and so much more.