Chapter 3 I Want Them Both
Casey
I saw the desperate look in Zora's eyes when she walked away, I knew I couldn't disappoint her more than I already did.
And then I looked down at Lori, who was kneeling in front of me.
I need to stand my ground, Zora was my wife, my Luna, my best friend, I couldn't betray her like this.
"Please I have nowhere to go. My father threw me out because people are saying that we have sex at that party." She looked up at me with tearful eyes, I could feel her distress since she was my fated mate, my instinct screamed for me to comfort her.
"I can't, you know I already have a wife now," I said as I lowered my head, I couldn't disappoint Zora any more than I did.
"Please, I don't mind sharing, I could be your mistress, anything as long as I get to be with you. You are my fated mate, it physically hurts to be away from you."
Tears rolled down her cheeks, the corner of her eyes was red, and she looked like a little bunny... Just like last night when I told her I couldn't do this because I had a wife...
My mind went back to last night.
"Casey, can you take me home?" She said breathlessly after we broke the kiss, her cheeks rosy from making out with me. Oh, how lovely she was.
"I... I can't. I already have a wife, she's my chosen mate." I finally came to my senses as I let go of her.
"What?" She asked in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, but this is wrong, I got married 5 years ago. I can't do this."
"How could it be wrong if we are fated? The moon goddess choose you to be my fated mate, how could this be wrong? Please. I don't want to be away from you." She pleaded as she grabbed my hand, shaking me softly. I could see the rim of her eyes was red because of my dejection.
"I can't, I waited so many years for you, but you didn't appear, I needed a Luna as I became the Alpha, so I married Zora, she is fit for a Luna."
"But do you love her? Do you love her like you love me?"
"I..." I didn't know why hesitated, of course, I loved her! Why would I marry her if I didn't? But why couldn't I bring myself to say yes to her question?
"You hesitated, I could feel your feelings for me, I know I didn't imagine them. Please, give us a chance, don't reject me, I could make you stronger." She was a daughter of an Alpha, yet she said this to me in a desperate manner, it really broke my heart to see her like this.
Couldn't I just have them both?
A thought came to my mind, but I was quick to snap myself out of it, how could I think like this? Zora did so much for me, she had always been a good wife, a great Luna, she fought alongside me, and help me to make our pack the strongest in this region. I couldn't do this to her!
"I can't... I can't make a decision against my wife, nor could I betray her. I'm sorry, I have to go, I'm so sorry this happened, I didn't mean to give you false hope... I just... I just..."
I couldn't continue, any minutes now, I would have her right here. I couldn't do this, I couldn't betray my wife and throw away our marriage.
Yes, yes, I couldn't betray Zora like this! I didn't care if she's my fated mate or not, I already have a wife.
Lori's cry brought me back to pesent.
Then I looked down at her again, but she sounded so pitiful. She looked so small like this. She was in need of her mate's comfort, I had already turned my back on her once, did I need to be any crueler than I already am?
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be here, I know I would only bring you trouble... But I have nowhere to go now... And since everyone knew what we did last night, no other man would ever want me again... I just don't know what to do."
"But we didn't..."
"Would they care? Would they care about my reputation? If they do I don't think they would be spreading rumors. No one believed me. Not even my own father!"
"I'll go explain to him."
"Don't go, please, he is already mad, I don't want you to get into fights with him, I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I'm sorry, I know I would only be your burden, I guess I should go."
She lowered her head dejectedly, and she was about to turn around and leave, I had to stop her.
"No, where are you going?"
"I don't know, I guess I will be a rogue for now."
‘We can't let our mate become a rogue!" Sage howled in my head.
‘I know.'
"That won't do, you are my mate, I can't let you just be a rogue. You are so beautiful, you would be taken advantage of in the wild." I said as I grabbed her wrist.
"You think I'm beautiful?" She looked at me expectantly, the point of her ears was tinged with blush.
I didn't acknowledge her question, instead, I held her hand in mine, as I felt her soft, delicate skin, a foreign feeling came to me all of a sudden, and it was different from what I felt when I was with Zora.
I could feel myself falling deeper.
Against my better judgment, I bought Lori into my shared home with Zora. I should think about how to explain this to Zora on the way home, but all I could think about was Lori's hand in mine, I could hear her soft breathing, she was right behind me, not like Zora, Zora was always walking beside me.
I sat her down on the couch, she calmed down a lot from the walk.
"What happened with your father?" I asked her, trying to get a clearer picture.
"He didn't go to the party last night, but he heard it from members of our pack, they said that we had sex, I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen, he threw me out and said he raise me better than this... And others just laughed at me, they said you have a wife, you will never leave her for me, and no one else would want me since they all knew what happened last night..." She started to cry again.
It was all my fault, if it wasn't for me, she would still be a promising young woman. Now her reputation was ruined because I couldn't control myself...
The weight of guilt was heavy on my heart, I ruined Lori's future, and I betrayed Zora's trust... But right now, I had a more pressing matter, I need to comfort Lori first and calm her down.
So I wrapped my arms around her, trying to calm her down using my power as her mate. I was so invested I didn't hear the door open.
"What the hell is she doing here?!"
Crap, it was Zora, and I didn't think this through.
"I thought you said you would handle this, is this how you handle things? Bringing your mistress to our home? Do you want to fuck her here as well?"
It was to be expected for Zora to act like this, but still, I was stunned by her words. I didn't even do anything.
"Zora, please calm down..."
"How could I calm down when you bring your mistress home?!" She interrupted me. Here the word mistress, Lori cried even harder.
"I'm sorry, Casey, Luna Zora, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I guess I will just go now," Lori said as she stood up, getting ready to leave.
"No, you are not going anywhere just by yourself." I said to Lori and then turned to Zora, "Please, Zora, calm down, she has nowhere to go now."
"What does that have to do with me? Do you have to bring her home if she has nowhere to go?"
"You are being so selfish right now, she got thrown out by her father because of me, I couldn't just let her wander in the woods, could I? What kind of alpha would that make me?"
"You did this! You couldn't control yourself! Now she got thrown out and you brought her to our home! How am I supposed to feel? I am a fool for believing you when you say you would handle this!"
How could she talk to me like this? Couldn't she see I'm trying to do the right thing here?
"She's staying here, there's no debate now. I won't touch her, don't worry." I told her in my Alpha tone. Her eyes widened, this was the first time I used my Alpha tone on her outside of the battlefield.
"Fine, have your way with her, I don't care!" She stomped off.
"Should I leave?" Lori asked me with glistening eyes.
"No, you are not going anywhere, my dear," I said as I touched her face. I felt a sense of belonging with her, was this what it felt like to have a fated mate?
"Are you tired? You should get some rest, you can stay in the guest bedroom, I will have someone bring you something to eat later."
She seemed disappointed to hear this, but she nodded, and I showed her the guest bedroom. I let her rest and then went to tell the maid to bring her something once she was awake.
I debated on whether I should go and find Zora, to calm her down, but I eventually decided against it. I had a more urgent issue I had to deal with as an Alpha. So I went to my study instead.
Just when I was concentrating on my work, I heard someone frantically knocking at my door. I opened the door and it was the maid.
"What's the matter?"
"Alpha Casey! Miss Kuhn passed out in her room, please come."
"What? Why? What happened?" I asked as I walked with her, no, I only just found her, I couldn't let anything happen to her!
"I don't know, she ate the bread and drank the milk I brought her, and then she passed out. I called our pack doctor, he was on his way, and then I came to you."
"What? Is there something in the food you gave her?"
"No, Alpha, I would never! I just took them from the kitchen."
"From the pack house or my house?"
"From your kitchen, Alpha, I saw there were bread and milk on the table so I brought them for Miss Kuhn."
I didn't leave anything in the kitchen.
When I got to the door, the doctor was already there, I led the doctor in to examine Lori, the doctor took a look at her, and sniff the food that was left.
"She's fine. Someone tampered with the food. Luckily she didn't eat too much so it didn't do too much harm, it just knocked her out. I will prescribe her something. Don't worry, Alpha."
Did someone tamper with the food? But who? This is my house, the maid would never dare to do something like that...
Which meant...
No, Zora would never do something like this!
Right?
But who had the motive to do so? Others would had know Lori was my fated mate by now, but they wouldn't dare to hurt her, and even more so, they couldn't just get in my house...
Except for Zora...
She was the only one with free access to my house and the only one with motives.
Thinking of this, a wave of blind, unfocused anger was hanging over me. It was Sage's anger.
He was enraged and was taking over my body. I could feel his anger that he wanted to tear apart the person who hurt our fated mate.
I had to stop him, I was afraid that he would hurt Zora, but my thoughts and actions were quite opposed.
I acquiesced to him taking over my body and strode towards Zora with clenched fists.