Chapter 2
I found him in his study an hour later, sitting behind the massive oak desk that had belonged to his father. Zeke looked up when I entered, and I saw my own pain reflected in his green eyes.
"She told you."
It wasn't a question. I closed the door behind me and walked to the chair across from his desk, my spine straight and my chin lifted. If I was going down, I'd go down with dignity.
"Yes."
"Cecelia—"
"Is it true?"
He was quiet for a long moment, his hands clasped on the desk in front of him. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely audible.
"Yes."
The simple word destroyed the last fragment of hope I'd been clinging to.
"How long?" I asked.
"How long what?"
"How long have you been f**king my sister?"
He flinched at the crude language.
"Cecelia, don't—"
"Answer the question, Zeke. How long?"
"Since the second week after our mating ceremony."
I closed my eyes, absorbing the blow. "So our entire marriage has been a lie."
"No." He stood up abruptly, moving around the desk toward me. "No, Cecelia, that's not—"
"Don't." I held up a hand to stop him. "Don't come any closer. Don't touch me. And for the love of the Moon Goddess, don't lie to me anymore."
He stopped mid-step, his jaw clenching. "I never lied to you."
"You've been screwing my sister for six months behind my back! What would you call that?"
"I never promised you love."
The words were like a knife to the heart. "No, you didn't, did you? Silly me for thinking that might develop naturally between mates."
"Cecelia, please try to understand—"
"Oh, I understand perfectly." I stood up, smoothing down my skirt with hands that only trembled slightly. "You never got over your first love, so you found a way to have us both. You marry the adopted daughter to secure the peace treaty, then keep the real daughter as your mistress. Isn’t that very smart of you?"
"It wasn't like that."
"Then tell me what it was like, Zeke. Explain to me how this happened."
He ran a hand through his dark silky hair. I loved whenever he did that.
My stomach would clench and butterflies would flutter everywhere, but now I hated it. It was a reminder that like my sister, his good looks could guarantee him everything.
"When I chose you at the betrothal ceremony—"
"Why did you choose me?" I interrupted. "I need to know. Was it always part of some elaborate plan?"
"No!" I could hear the pain and desperation in that one word, but I refused to be deceived. "No, Cecelia, I chose you because... because I thought it would be easier."
I tried to stop the tears from moistening my voice. "Easier how?"
"Easier to do my duty without my heart being involved."
I laughed, but it sounded more like a sob. "You chose me because you didn't love me."
"I chose you because I thought I could learn to love you," he said quietly. "I thought if I married Layla, I'd spend my whole life fighting the mate bond, trying to be the Alpha my pack needed instead of the man she wanted. But with you..."
"With me, you thought you could be both." I finished for him.
"Yes."
"And then Layla came back."
He nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. "The moment I saw her again, I knew I'd made a mistake. The feelings I thought I'd buried came rushing back, stronger than ever."
"So you decided to have an affair behind my back, Zeke." My voice cracked. Hearing this from his mouth was not making this any easier.
"I tried to stay away from her," he said desperately, trying to come closer to me. I stepped back. "For the first week after she arrived, I avoided her completely. But then she came to me, crying, begging me to explain why I'd chosen you over her. She said she needed closure."
My hands shook as I rubbed my temples. “She was tempting you. It was very obvious. You let her.” My voice became hard. “You gave it to her."
"I gave her the truth. I told her I'd chosen you because I was a coward who couldn't handle loving her the way she deserved."
"And then?"
"And then she kissed me."
I felt something inside me die. "And you kissed her back."
"Yes."
"In our house. In the pack house where we live as mates."
"Cecelia—"
"Where?" The question came out as a growl. "Where did you betray our bond?"
"It doesn't matter—"
"It matters to me!" I slammed my hand down on his desk, making him jump. "Where, Zeke?"
"The library," he whispered.
The library. Where I spent most of my afternoons reading, where I'd foolishly imagined bringing our children someday to share the stories I loved.
"And after that?"
"After that, we... we couldn't stay away from each other."
"So you've been meeting in secret ever since." I chuckled, but not in amusement, in rage. I was angry at myself that I let this happen. They were sleeping with each other under my nose, but I trusted them so much and I let this happen.
"Yes." He confirmed, his eyes never leaving mine.
"While coming home to me every night and pretending to be my devoted husband."
"I never pretended—"
"You marked me!" I touched the scar on my neck, the physical reminder of our bond. "You claimed me in front of the entire pack, promised to cherish and protect me, and then you spent the next six months sneaking around with my sister!"
"The marking was part of the ceremony. It didn't mean—"
"It didn't mean anything to you," I finished for him. "I get it now. The great Alpha Zeke Brooke, finally being honest."
He stepped toward me again, and this time I didn't stop him. When he reached out to touch my face, I let him, even though his touch felt like poison now.
"Cecelia, I'm sorry. I'm so f**king sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
I bit my cheek to prevent the tears from spilling. "But you did it anyway."
"Yes."
I shook my head, chuckling to myself again. "She said that you want me to release you from our bond so you can marry her instead."
"I want you to be free," he said softly. "Free to find someone who can love you the way you deserve."
"How noble of you." I stepped back, breaking his hold on my face. "Tell me something, Zeke. If Layla wasn't pregnant, would you still be asking for your freedom?"
He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.
"I don't know."
"I see." I walked to the door, then paused with my hand on the handle. "One more question."
"Anything."
"Do you love her?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever loved me? Even a little?"
The pause that followed told me everything I needed to know.
"I, Zeke Woods of Brooke pack reject you, Cecelia Mayers as my chosen mate.”
I screamed as I doubled over in pain. I took deep breaths as I struggled to stand erect. “I Cecelia Mayers accept your rejection.” At this point, I was proud of myself for not crying. "Thank you for finally being honest."
"Where are you going?"
"For a walk. I need some air."
"Cecelia, wait—"
I opened the door without looking back. "Don't follow me, Zeke. I think you've done enough for one day."
I was going to the seacliffs to clear my head, and to think clearly and for once in my life, I was going to listen to what I wanted instead of what everyone else needed from me.
Chapter 3
A dull, persistent ache on the right side of my head tugged me back into awareness. I groaned softly, forcing my eyes open, only to be met with blurred shapes and unfamiliar shadows.
It took a moment before everything settled into focus.
Three pairs of brown eyes stared back at me.
“She’s awake!” the smallest girl exclaimed, her face lighting up with wonder. She nudged the others excitedly. “Mama, she’s awake!”
They scrambled away, their voices echoing through the space.
“Mama! Mama! The sea lady opened her eyes!”
Sea lady?
Confused, I tried to sit up, but dizziness washed over me. The room spun, unfamiliar walls closing in. A sharp discomfort bloomed low in my abdomen, stealing my breath. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain pulsed through me.
“Easy now.”
A woman appeared in my line of sight, her presence calm and grounding. From the resemblance, I knew she was their mother. She settled into a chair beside me.
“My name is Fatima,” she said gently. “You’ve been asleep for a very long time.”
“I…” My voice sounded weak, distant. I scanned the room again, searching for something—anything—familiar. “Where am I?”
“Safe.” She poured water into a cup and held it out to me. “Drink slowly.”
The water was cool and soothing, but there was a faint taste beneath it—salt. Not unpleasant. Just… familiar.
The memory stirred.
“The sea,” I whispered. “I remember the sea.”
Fatima’s expression shifted. “I found you washed up on our shore three moons ago. You were barely breathing.”
“Three months?” Panic fluttered in my chest. “I’ve been unconscious for three months?”
“Your body needed time to heal,” she said quietly. “Whatever happened to you out there nearly took your life.”
Something inside me cracked open.
Images rushed back in fragments—wind, tears, voices raised in anger. My grip tightened on the cup as pain lanced through my chest, sharper than any wound.
******
I had been sitting on my favorite perch at the sea-cliff, the wind tangling my hair as I stared out at the endless horizon. My tears refused to stop.
Hearing the truth that morning had broken something inside me.
My sister.
My mate.
Footsteps sounded behind me, soft against stone. I didn’t turn. I already knew who it was.
“Cecelia.”
Layla’s voice was gentle, almost nostalgic. The way she used to speak when we were young—when she wanted something from me.
“Go away,” I murmured.
“We need to talk.”
I turned slowly, brushing at my tear-streaked face. She stood there in white, sunlight catching in her golden hair. Even now, even knowing what I knew, she looked untouched. Perfect.
“About what?” My voice trembled. “About you sharing my mate while pretending to be my sister? About smiling at me while taking everything I loved?”
Her expression didn’t change.
“You’re not seeing the bigger picture,” she said calmly. “The pack needs strength. Stability. You’ve always been too… emotional.”
“I trusted you,” I whispered.
“And I did what was necessary,” she replied coolly. “Zeke agrees. You were never meant to be Luna.”
Anger surged, hot and blinding. I stood, my balance unsteady, grief weighing heavily on me.
“The Moon Goddess chose us,” I said. “You don’t get to change that.”
Layla stepped closer. Too close.
“Sometimes,” she said softly, “fate needs a little help.”
The ground beneath my feet shifted. Loose stones slid away as I reached out instinctively.
“Layla—”
She didn’t take my hand.
She only watched.
“I’m sorry, sister,” she murmured. “This is how it has to be.”
The world tilted. Wind roared in my ears. The sea rushed up to meet me, swallowing my scream as darkness closed in.
“Someone caused it,” I whispered, the memory finally settling. “I didn’t fall by accident.”
Fatima’s eyes widened.
“My sister,” I said hoarsely. “She wanted me gone so she could take my place. She was already with my mate.”
Fatima’s face hardened. “To betray blood like that… the sea spirits do not look kindly on such sins.”
“You saved my life,” I said quietly. “But I need to go back someday. I need to remember who I was.”
I tried to stand, but the room swayed dangerously.
Strong arms steadied me.
“No,” Fatima said firmly. “You’re not ready. Your body has been still for too long.”
“I know,” I murmured. “My strength—”
“That’s not the only reason,” she interrupted gently.
Something in her tone made my chest tighten. “What do you mean?”
She took my hands carefully. “You’re carrying a child.”
The words didn’t make sense at first.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s impossible.”
“You’re nearly four months along,” she confirmed. “The child is why your body fought so hard to survive.”
Four months.
Golden eyes flashed in my memory.
Zeke.
Then Layla’s face—calm, resolved—as she turned away.
“I can’t go back,” I whispered. “Not like this. Not when she’s probably Luna now.”
“Then don’t go back,” Fatima said softly. “Choose your child.”
“Why are you helping me?”
She smiled faintly. “Because the sea doesn’t bring souls to us without reason.”
She rose and moved toward the door. “This is the Seacreek Pack. We live simply, but we protect our own.”
I rested a hand over my belly, my heart aching but steadier than before.
“Just you and me now,” I whispered to the life inside me. “We’ll find our own way.”
And for the first time since that day on the cliff, the pain eased—just a little.
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