Page 49 of Rejected Pretend Mate

Cayden laughed, waving a hand up at us. "What's going on is I found him in a closet with my sister."

"While that's not a sight you probably want to see, I don't see the problem," Miles said, crossing his arms. "I've seen things I don't want to see too, man, but that doesn't mean you hit people. They're married, after all."

"It's fake!" Cayden yelled, throwing his arms up. "Their entire relationship is fucking fake! It's not real! And horn dog over here couldn't keep his fucking hands to himself." Cayden looked at Weslie. "Did you fuck her up there? Did it make you feel like a man? Do you enjoy screwing her life up?"

"Enough!" Ayden's voice boomed over the yard, and everyone went silent. I swallowed, looking at Ayden and Wendy. Ayden looked pissed, and Wendy looked uncomfortable. This entire situation was uncomfortable.

"You two pull yourselves together. You are important members of this pack, and you're not going to fucking fight like children! And certainly not in front of them!"

I quickly looked over to the kids, who each looked scared, clinging to a family member. I felt even worse. This was not something they should have seen.

"I want him gone," Cayden yelled. "He betrayed everything I fucking asked! He was supposed to protect my sister, not..."

"It's not like that, Cayden." I tried to speak up, but my voice came out scratchy. "Cayden, he cares about me. He…”

"He doesn't!" Cayden snarled. "Your just another fucking notch on his post! You really think he gives a shit about you?"

"No, she isn't!" Weslie yelled back. "I'll fucking hit you if you say that again.

"Enough!" Ayden yelled once more. "I said enough! This is my house, and you are done! You're not going to behave like animals!"

We all fell quiet once more. I took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears. I looked at Weslie as he wiped his busted lip. He had a cut on his forehead as well.

Ayden shook his head and pinched at his nose. "Clean yourselves up, and both of you in my office."

I took Weslie to the bathroom and cleaned his face. He had a black eye forming, and I tried not to cry about it. I frowned, and he wiped my face. "Don't cry." He kissed my forehead as he slipped out into the hallway.

I waited in the living room with Riley while Ayden took them into his office. I could hear Ayden yelling at them, and I knew they were in deep shit. Riley paced while I sat in the chair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked softly, turning to me for a moment.

I looked at her, seeing the hurt expression in her eyes. "Which part?" I asked. "The past where it was fake, or the part where I fell in love? Or the past relationship we had back in the old pack? Or did you want to talk about how he left me and I married Ivan? There is so much there, so I think you'll need to be specific."

Riley frowned, looking hurt, and I suddenly regretted the harsh words. It wasn't her fault everything was falling apart. It wasn't fair for me to take my frustration out on her. "When did you stop trusting me with the truth? When did you stop trusting me with your secrets?"

I blamed Ivan. I blamed the fear and the constant worry that this was all going to be over before I knew it. That this happiness was going to disappear and I'd never have it again.

And I blamed myself for letting myself fall this far. I should have known better. I should have left him.

I shrugged. "When did you stop telling me? You didn't tell me about the house. What other secrets don't I know?"

Riley remained silent because I wasn't the only one keeping secrets. We both were.

The drive home was quiet, and I stared out the window. I kept replaying everything over and over in my head. I felt numb at this point, unsure of what was going to happen.

We parked, and Weslie leaned onto the steering wheel. I looked at him, feeling my stomach churn up. Was this the end? Had he decided crossing the line wasn't something he wanted to do?

"Do you want to end this? I…I understand if you do…"

Weslie didn't move, and I felt tears build up once more. I wiped at them, feeling my voice crack. "I understand if you want to rethink this all. I know how important my brother is to you."

He looked at me, and his eyes were so soft. He reached over and wiped my eyes. "I don't. I don't want to change anything."

"Are you just saying that because I'm crying?"

He gave me a soft smile, shaking his head. "No, but I don't want you to cry because I have a headache coming, and if you cry, it's going to make me feel worse than I already feel."

"Sorry," I whispered, wiping my eyes.

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