"I got better at everything. I thought if I proved that I am the best female that he would have to set her aside for me."
"Nothing worked. So, stupidly, I decided to seduce him." I feel the shame bubbling up, "I never... I had this dress a few months before, and he saw me in it and stared at me, then took her home with him." I become quiet, thinking of that time.
"When was that?" Rhet asks softly.
"At the Summer Solstice party. Almost a year ago, now. I didn't dress up a lot, and I never did again. I got male attention, alright, but not his, not really. He had Cloe, and I was just too stubborn to see that he'd never love me."
"Who seduced who, love?" Ezra brings my story back on course.
"Me," I admit. "I wore another dress. This one... it was simple and really short. More like lingerie, I guess. My legs were cold," I say, remembering. "I knew he would be on patrol, and I planned it all. I asked Liam to distract the other wolf, Mari, from patrol. It was her turn to run that night with Daan. Then, I made sure to be in the woods where Daan was." I curl up tighter, linking my hands on my elbows.
"What happened then?" Ezra pushes.
"I... we had sex. Drew was looking for Mari, and he found us instead."
"Who touched who first?" Rhet asks.
I look at him. His expression is blank, carefully controlled.
"Um... I don't remember? He was on paws," I say, trying to think, but it's all foggy from the after, "and I was there on feet. Then I saw his eyes," I suck back the tears, "then I was in his arms. I probably jumped him, who knows?"
"Did he even try to push you away?" Thjis asks in an angry voice.
I screw my eyes shut. Maybe they'll plop a blindfold on me again. That would be preferable to this conversation. Much, much better than this conversation.
"No," I whisper. "I thought I finally had him because he didn't resist at all. He fucked me, took my virginity that I saved for my mate, and then as soon as Drew caught us, I was shit on the bottom of his shoe again." Now the words come tumbling out, "I walked back alone, with my stupid dress torn and my hair tangled and filled with leaves and dirt. I reeked of Daan. I wore some m-makeup," I start to sob because I know what happens next. "I n-never wear it, and it was probably all smeared on my f-face. Alpha came," I choke out. "He came and took me to his office. Daan was there. And Drew. H-he, Alpha, he asked us to explain, and I told him the truth. In front of Drew and Daan, I told Alpha Jax that I was Daan's truemate."
I find Ezra's chest and start full-on sobbing. He rocks me back and forth, making soft, soothing noises, but nothing will shut down the torrent of words because my wolf is still furious about what happens next.
"He slapped me! My alpha slapped my filthy, whore mouth because I must be lying about his precious, golden son!"
I feel the temperature in the room drop. "He didn't believe me. He told me I was a liar and that I would be sorry. I would be p-punished for lying about my alphason and future luna."
I gasp, sucking in air, and force my eyes to meet blue fury. My Blue-eyes. I need him. Like a magnet, Rhet crawls to me, hemming me in, drowning me in their three scents. I clutch his shorts, my fingers winding 'round and 'round in the soft fabric. The bristly hair on his thighs and the warmth of his skin center my being.
I choke out the next words, the images dancing in my head, taunting me. "Daan did nothing. He just watched as his father dragged me from the room by my arm and threw me away into the cells."
"I heard him, Alpha was shouting at him, and Daan said, 'she'slying, Dad, she's just a rankwhore.'" A deep, gut-wrenching sob bubbles up. "He called me a rankwhore. Daan was the first one to call me that. He said that about me. He lied to his father then left. I felt it. I felt him leave with her. I felt him holding her, comforting her until they were far enough away that I couldn't feel it anymore. I was relieved that he was gone, so I wouldn't feel him make love to his mate while I rotted away in the cells. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I was too heartbroken to fight for myself."
Thjis leaves the room with a snarl. I flinch away from the sudden movement, worried that he is losing control of his wolf, but I hear the choking sounds of vomiting a moment later.
Rhet and Ezra don't speak. Ezra holds me tighter as Rhet comes even closer and kneels over me.
"Everything will be alright, pretty thing. I swear it to you." Blue eyes are on fire. I love his fire. He nudges my cheek, inhaling my scent. His mouth moves to my lips. "Is this the mouth that bastard hit, pretty?"
"Y-yes."
"My mouth?" he asks. His tongue darts out, licking my lower lip before he presses our mouths together for a second. "Did he touch these lips with his filthy, mutt hands?"
"He hit me," I tell him again. It's getting easier to tattle on my alpha and mate. My pain-filled silence is slowly evaporating with each confession.
Thjis stalks back into the room. "Which hand?" he asks in his dark, gravel voice.
"His right?" I tell him, questioning.
"Then, that's the hand I'll eat off first."
For some reason, that promise makes me smile. Mainly because, though I'd never tell him, my Bear has a weak stomach.
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