Chapter 31: 31: Confessing My Grievances
"I trusted you!" The words were tumbling out of my mouth faster than I could stop them.
I knew that I shouldn’t be spilling my secrets like this, especially not to Soren Hadeon of all people, but there was an invisible force that seemed to claw the words out of me. Against my better judgment, I continued to spew my true feelings.
"Why didn’t you tell them that the dress was a gift? I didn’t take that dress― you gave it to me!" I cried out. "But you just stayed quiet and watched as they blamed me for things I didn’t do. You didn’t say a word, when really just a word from you could’ve prevented them from doing anything."
"I―" Soren stammered.
I didn’t think I would ever see him so lost for words. If anything, Soren Hadeon always knew what the right thing to say was. He was the calming balm to Rowan’s frosty attitude and Cassian’s exuberant energy. Or at least, that was how they were to everyone else in the pack.
They were strong, formidable Alphas who ruled the pack strictly, but they were generally — usually — fair. That was how they managed to stabilize the pack so quickly after they took over, and why they had so many supporters even though they were considered fairly young to be the Alphas of such a big pack.
"I tried to," Soren said slowly. "I found the ring―"
"I don’t care about the ring!" I said. "You didn’t know where the ring went. But you knew I didn’t steal that dress. You gave it to me." I narrowed my eyes, blinking through the tears. My voice lowered, wavering a little. "Unless that was what you wanted? For them to think that I stole the dress?"
"No!" Soren cried out a little too loudly. His eyes widened when he realized he had practically yelled out that word, before he cleared his throat and composed himself. "No," he repeated, "I wasn’t trying to set you up. I didn’t think that they would put the blame on you like that."
"How could you not?" I asked, throwing my hands up as I laughed mockingly. "That’s what you guys have always done all my life. Everything that went wrong in the pack, it had to be my doing. Willow’s death also had nothing to do with me, and I tried to say that, but no one believes me. You didn’t believe me either."
Soren frowned at the mention of Willow’s name, but he didn’t say anything. If anything, the light in his eyes darkened a little, and I knew I had hit a sore spot. That instantly snapped me out of my tirade, and I felt my blood turn cold.
Holy shit. What have I done? Why did I think that was a good idea?
"I..." I said, my mouth gaping like a fish out of water as I tried to find the right words. "I... I am sorry. I don’t know what came over me, Alpha. I have spoken out of turn."
I had to apologize. I didn’t like it, and I didn’t like them, but there were bigger things than my pride at the moment. There would always be another day for me to fight them back, and more than anything, prove my innocence.
For some reason, the thought of dying now scared me. I didn’t know why, nor could I pinpoint what had happened to cause this change of mind. Beforehand, I was so willing to end it all just to prove a point.
But was my life worth proving a point they didn’t care about? Perhaps it would be a bigger slap to their faces if I were alive and well.
I had to live, survive, and find a way out of this hell.
My emotions were a mess. Everything felt out of place.
"No," Soren said suddenly, finally ending the dreaded silence between us. To my surprise, he said, "I should be the one who is sorry. I did give you that dress, and I didn’t speak up for you when they asked about it. I apologize."
I looked up so quickly that it felt as though my neck was going to snap due to the speed. My eyes were wide open, and my jaw hung open so wide that it could probably be dislodged easily.
Surely my ears were playing tricks on me? Did Soren Hadeon just apologize? To me, at that?
"I... I’m sorry?" I dumbly said.
Soren was a little stumped when he heard my words. Then, to my surprise, he chuckled.
I blinked in shock. Soren Hadeon was a stunning man― all three Hadeon brothers were. They looked as though they were hand-carved by the Moon Goddess herself, their beauty so breathtaking that it almost felt criminal.
But above all, I was never the recipient of their smiles. I always had to watch from afar, even when Willow was still alive and I was nothing more than another omega servant working for the pack, and not someone they actively hated and despised. After Willow’s death, and they realized I was their fated mate, that became even more impossible.
Yet, here Soren was, smiling at me.
Well, fuck. Maybe this was a dream after all. That must be why Soren was so nice. I had died and gone to heaven.
How unfortunate that even in death, I had to see my fated mates, people who ironically didn’t want me.
"No," Soren said, "I am sorry, remember?"
His words officially short-circuited my brain.
"Was..." I said, blinking dumbly as I stared at him. "Was that a joke?"
"What, am I not allowed to?" Soren countered. He edged closer to me again, his nose almost grazing mine. I didn’t miss the way his eyes fell down to glance at my lips for a second, and I swallowed instinctively.
Being so up close and personal with my fated mate was not healthy for my brain at all. If anything, it was horrible. I no longer knew what was right, and my body was starting to act based on pure animal instinct rather than with human intelligence.
’This is Soren Hadeon,’ I had to remind myself. ’He hates you. He wants you gone. He is married to someone else, for crying out loud―!’
