Page 55 of The Alpha's Pretend Mate

Her head spun, the room blurring at the edges as she flagged the bartender down for another round. The weight of everything she couldn’t say pressed down on her until she felt like she might burst.

All she wanted was to forget, if only for a little while. Forget Cassius, forget the lie they had lived, forget the hollow ache in her chest every time she thought about what might have been. But the alcohol only magnified the emptiness, and soon, the dark thoughts she had been drowning came rushing back to the surface.

As the night wore on, Alysa felt the walls she'd so carefully constructed begin to crumble. The alcohol coursing through her veins loosened her tongue and her inhibitions. She found herselfpouring out her heart to a potted plant in the corner, tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

"I just don't understand," she hiccupped, swaying slightly on her feet. "He says I'm his mate, but he doesn't act like it. Am I not good enough? Not pretty enough? Not—”

"Now, what's a beautiful she-wolf like you doing drinking alone?"

The deep, gravelly voice cut through Alysa's drunken haze. She blinked, trying to focus on the figure that had materialized beside her. As her vision cleared, she found herself staring into the face of Marcus Redwood, the Crimson Oak Pack Alpha.

She had not noticed him approach. Marcus slid into the seat beside her, his presence a heavy shadow that settled over her drunken haze.

Alarm bells rang faintly in the back of Alysa's mind, but the alcohol muffled them. She attempted to straighten up, nearly toppling off her stool in the process. "Alpha Redwood," she slurred. "What a… surprise."

Marcus's lips curled into a predatory smile as he steadied her with a large hand. "Indeed. I didn't expect to find Cassius White's mate in such a state. Trouble in paradise already?"

Alysa's laugh was bitter, bordering on hysterical. "Paradise? Is that what they're calling it now?"

Marcus's eyebrows shot up, intrigue sparking in his eyes. He leaned in closer, his voice low. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on, little wolf?"

And in her drunken, vulnerable state, Alysa did just that. The words tumbled out in a messy torrent, each revelation more damning than the last.

"He doesn't want me," she muttered, her voice a rough whisper as she stared into her glass, eyes unfocused. "Cassius… he doesn't want me." A bitter laugh bubbled up from her chest. "He told you I was his mate, didn’t he? But it’s all a lie. It’s all a fucking lie."

Her head lolled to the side, her blurry vision landing on Marcus’s darkening expression. His face twisted with rage, his fingers tightening around the edge of the bar. "What did you say?" His tone was dangerous, but Alysa was too far gone to care.

She hiccupped, blinking up at him as if seeing him for the first time. "He made it up," she continued, her words slurring slightly as she leaned closer to him, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"We’re not mates. Never were. He just needed a cover, something to keep the alliance safe." Her lips quirked into a sad smile. "And I was stupid enough to go along with it."

Marcus's expression darkened, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "A lie? Are you saying Cassius White lied about claiming you as his mate?"

Alysa nodded miserably, too far gone to realize the gravity of what she was revealing. "He doesn't even love me. Doesn't want me. I'm just… convenient."

The rogue Alpha's anger was palpable now, his muscles coiled tight with barely contained rage. "That deceitful bastard," he snarled. "Using you as a pawn in his games."

Through her drunken haze, Alysa registered the danger in Marcus's tone. She tried to backpedal, her words slurring together. "No, no… it's not like that. He was just trying to protect me."

But Marcus was beyond listening. "So he lied. He lied to me, to everyone," he hissed, his voice low and venomous.

He gripped Alysa's arm, not roughly, but firmly enough to make her flinch. "Come on, little wolf. I'm taking you home."

Alysa's protests were weak and incoherent as Marcus led her out of the bar. The cool night air hit her like a slap to the face, momentarily clearing her head. "Wait," she mumbled. "I don't… I'm not staying with Cassius anymore."

Marcus paused, his eyes narrowing. "Is that so? Well, it seems that he has some explaining to do, so that is where we will go."

Before Alysa could process what was happening, she found herself being guided into Marcus's car. The world spun around her as they drove, streetlights blurring into streaks of gold against the dark night sky.

Alysa slumped against the cool leather seat, her head spinning with the alcohol still coursing through her system. She could barely keep her eyes open, her body heavy with exhaustion as the night pressed down on her.

Marcus said nothing, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. Alysa’s head lolled to the side, her vision hazy as she tried to focus on the passing trees outside the window.

What have I done?

Her thoughts drifted, half-formed and fragmented, a tangled mess of regret and confusion. She shouldn’t have told Marcus the truth. She knew that now, in the foggy remnants of her drunkenness, but she couldn't take it back.

Cassius is going to kill me.

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