Chapter 84

“Why didn’t he just tell me the truth?”

“Honestly, I don’t really know.” His wolf shook his head. “I’ve been trying to get him to tell you the truth from the very first day, but he was very hesitant. I don’t know why he couldn’t just tell you the truth, but what I can confidently say is that he didn’t mean anything menacing by it.”

“Is there anything else that he’s lied to me about?”

“No. He’s come clean about anything.”

“Even about the council?”

“They were pressuring him to find a mate, but that was under the impression that he didn’t already have a mate.” He nodded his head, taking another sip. “He said he didn’t have a mate and they jumped at the opportunity, wanting for him to be more stable as an Alpha.”

“And having a mate would make him more stable?”

His wolf nodded again.

“There’s not much of a reason really as to why they’ve decided to target pressuring him into finding a mate, but it sounds like Alpha Orpheus, the only other single Alpha, is next on their list.” He shrugged and sighed; their current conversation being quite mentally draining.

“Why didn’t he just tell them that he’s already found his mate?” She asked and when he pursed his lips and trailed his eyes away from her, she already knew the answer. “It’s because I was pregnant, wasn’t it?”

He merely nodded his head in response, though quickly snapped his head up to face her, almost as if a thought had just sprung to mind.

“The fact that you were pregnant never changed things for me.”

Anastasia merely hummed in response. While she believed his wolf, that didn’t mean that it still didn’t hurt. At the end of the day, Marcellus and his wolf were both part of the same being; one body but with two minds. She couldn’t really be sure what had gone on in there as he made the decision to completely disregard her as a mate, but chose to believe his wolf as he had never given her a reason to not believe him before.

“Is he even sorry or is he just sorry that he got caught?”

“Marcellus is genuinely sorry, Anastasia. He knows he’s messed up and he wants to fix things, but he doesn’t know how.” His wolf murmured lowly, his eyes flashing hazel which suggested that their time together was coming to an end. While she had felt a real connection with his wolf and wanted to spend more time with him, she knew that there were more pressing matters and at hand, only something that Marcellus himself could answer.

She just wished she would have this opportunity again in the future.

“I don’t know how either.”

When his wolf finally gave back control to him, Anastasia sighed and looked him straight in the eye.

“Your wolf told me some very interesting things.” She hummed quietly while playing with her fingers, aware that he had heard and witnessed their whole conversation. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

The second ticked by as he opened and closed his mouth, struggling to come up with a defence, especially when he knew that he didn’t deserve one.

“You’re a fucking hypocrite, you know that?” Anastasia scoffed and rolled her eyes. The longer she stared at him, the more she felt herself growing angrier.

“I know.” Marcellus sighed, the sound heavy and distraught. “I know I’m a hypocrite but seeing you with him, even if you claim to just be friends, I felt like I was losing my mind.”

“And how do you think I felt after realising that we were mates yet you were planning to take a choice mate without even telling me the truth?”

“The council was pressuring me.”

“Yes, and you could have told them that you’ve already met your mate.”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that.” Marcellus insisted but even he knew that he was fighting a losing argument, even more so with the livid state that she was in.

“Can you please explain to me how this is so complicated?” She groaned in frustration and threw her hands up in the air. “I’d love to hear whatever bullshit story you have prepared.”

Anastasia knew that her words had sparked something in him, but was surprised that he seemed to bite his tongue and instead, took in a deep breath before doing as instructed.

“You were pregnant when we first met.”

“Yes.” Anastasia rolled her eyes. “And if you had simply asked me, I would have told you that I was a surrogate.”

“I know I should have asked you, but I didn’t and then things just kept spiralling out from there.” He sighed and shook his head in dismay. “I know that things could have been contained and probably wouldn’t have been so hard if I just asked you directly or even just told you that we were mates, but in the moment, I just couldn’t do it.”

“You couldn’t tell me that we were mates but you could sleep with me?”

“That’s not fair. That’s a two-way street.”

“Yes, but I didn’t lie to you about anything.” She pointed out in a sneer, not the least bit bothered about sparing his feelings. “Just admit it! You took one look at me and decided that I wasn’t good enough for you. You took one look at me and made a judgement without even giving me a chance.”

“That’s not true.” Marcellus denied though even he couldn’t deny it.

Despite how much he didn’t want to admit it, too ashamed with himself, there was no denying the fact that he had done wrong by her, and it had all started out that first day when he had spied her asleep in Justas and Raphael’s bedroom, unable to believe that he had met his mate; his pregnant mate.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I know.”

“I really messed up.”

“Yes, you did.” Anastasia agreed, not trying to sugar coat the situation just to make him feel better. “You really messed up.”

Marcellus Storm was a grown man, and an Alpha wolf at that. If he couldn’t own up to his actions and face the music as a consequence, then there would be absolutely no hope for the rest of his pack. And while she was glad that he was now owning up to his actions and apologising to her, she just felt like it wasn’t enough.

The seconds quickly turned into minutes and without either of them realised, ten minutes of pure, comfortable silence had passed; one where he continued to stare at her while she refused to return the gaze; unable to stomach the sight of him anymore, not after everything that he had done.

“What can I do to fix this?” Marcellus bowed his head and sighed; the desperate plea evident in his voice. “What can I do to make all of this go away?”

“I don’t think there’s anything to fix.” Anastasia answered in a small, quiet, mystified voice. “Since we weren’t really a thing in the first place.”