Chapter 2 Two
Laura's pov
“Laura. Heyyy~ “ Even I was taken aback at the rare sweetness to Lacey's voice as she spotted me. “You won't believe it. Alpha Henry came to my party. I totally forgot I didn't give him an invite, so i- “
“He came because I invited him.” I cut her off, more harshly than intended, but I don't hide the repulsion i felt from seeing her hands curled around his arm so effortlessly.
Without waiting for a reaction, I turned to Henry.
“Can I steal you for a second?”
“Come on Laura. I just got to the party. At least let me grab a punch before- “
“Right now- please.” My voice was thin but urgent, I wasn't going to back down. No! This was wrong. Was he expecting me to just pretend like the whole world didn't just still for us the moment we discovered we were mates. Was I going to keep telling myself my heart didn't just sink to my stomach and mutilate into something darker than a broken one.
His smile was strained as he nodded. “Sure.”
Whole time Lacey was looking between us both, her eye narrowed as she blinked innocently.
“I didn't realize- you two are- “
“No.” Henry said so quickly I couldn't bear the shame of looking at Lacey's expression before I stalked off, him behind me.
I led him into the kitchen where I paced around the island in the center of the room before sointning around to face him, my chest heaving hard, tears stinging my eyes from all the pent up frustrations from all the things I badly wanted to say.
“You felt it, didn't you?”
“Laura- “ his voice - his poise. It was too calm for someone who just found his mate. If anything the smirk on his face said he was more amused than excited, happy or anxious at least.
“Don't stand there and lie to me!” I hated how quickly tears were to roll down my cheeks. “I know you did.”
For a moment there was silence as he just stared at me. I stuck a fist to my mouth to hold back a cry, another trembling hand grabbing hold of the edge of the island behind me to hold me still.
Suddenly he chuckled.
“Of course I did,” slowly he closed the space between us and I stilled, feeling my heart slam in my chest as I glanced up at him, feeling so many mixed emotions surging inside of me. “But I thought you were smart, Laura.”
My brows knit together. “What?”
His smile sharpened. Not the kind I was used to. This one was vile, visibly forced. “Just so we're friends- doesn't give you the audacity to actually think I'd accept you as my mate “
My chest tightened. Maybe I was hearing wrong. Maybe I was in a bad dream and I was going to wake up and realize it. Yes, any moment now.
“I don't understand- “
He laughed to my face the entire time having not blinked. “Come on Laura. Me? And you? You've always been the joker, but this? This is five star hilarious.”
Slowly he leaned down, and my chest heaved with so much pain the tears rolled down in succession down my cheeks as I sobbed before him.
I watched his gaze sweep over my body, lingering just over my stomach- enough to sting.
“You wouldn't want you, Laura. Not especially when you're about taking the Alpha's seat. You? The Luna of my pack? If you weren't a friend, I'd actually rip you to shreds for actually thinking I'd want to claim you.”
His eyes flickered mockingly over me, and for a short moment I despised him- this person before me wasn't my friend, this person saying this hurtful vile words to me can't be the same person.
“Lacey is everything a Luna should be. You of all people know that. Fuck I was so sick of hearing you complain about her all the time when you never took the steps to actually become better. You knew she was always the better one- you knew everyone ardored her. She's everything you're not.”
My stomach lurched and I let out another throat clenching sob. “Henry- please..”
“My coronation is in three days,” he straightened, leaning back while adjusting his shirt like I was nothing more than a nuisance he just had to talk off. “And when I choose my Luna it will be her.”
“You can't! Henry you- “ I grab hold of his shirt.
In an instant I found my back launched hard against the island, his hand fixed around my throat.
He chuckled, and my eyes darkened realizing this wasn't a nightmare. I would never wake up from this because it was a reality.
“It's always been her, Laura. She was always off with the other Alpha kids at school, I never thought I'd stand a chance with her- you were just the closest I could get to her. That's all you've ever been. And I'm not going to let you ruin the chance I have with her.”
I wanted to scream- to claw at him, to make him feel even just an ounce of the pain ripping my chest open. But my voice cracked instead.
“I love you Henry. Please- I'm willing to forget everything you've just said, I swear, everything. Just please, please choose me, please I want to be chosen for once” it was the most pathetic desperate thing to have ever left my lips, but I was utterly tired. Mentally, physically- I was tired. “Time and time again my sister has always gotten everything she wanted. You know this, so why? Why Henry?”
Something flickered in his eyes- annoyance, pity, maybe even disgust. But he abruptly let go of me and without a word, stepped back.
“Any guy who ever wants something to do with you beyond just friendship is fucking sick.”
With that, he leaves, and I'm left alone, trembling and shaking in the lonely dimly lit kitchen, my heart feeling like a thousand pins was stabbed into it several times all at once.
After what seemed like an hour, the door opened and someone walked in. Crouched on the floor behind the island, I didn't expect anyone to bother finding me or even walking in. Lacey was instantly at my side the moment she found me.
“Hey,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around me. I sobbed harder, my lips trembling as I hugged her waist, drawing her closer. “What's wrong? Laura you're scaring me.”
She touched my shoulder, slightly pushing me back so our eyes locked momentarily.
“Promise me,” my voice coaked as I begged. I sniffed, rising on my knees as I shook my head. “Please promise me you won't accept him. Please.”
“What- what are you talking about? Accept who?”
“Henry,” her expression changed as I mentioned his name but I couldn't pin what it was about it. “Please, I love him. I love him, but- but he wants to make you his Luna. Please Lacey, he's my mate and this will kill me, I can't - “
Suddenly, she reached up, holding my face so fondly I stumbled over her words, melting into the warness in her eyes as she smiled down at me. “You have nothing to worry about sister. I swear. And Goddess no, Henry? I was only flirting with him- trust me I don't like him like that.”
Relief immediately blankets me, and I sight out loud before crouching back down on the floor. “I'm sorry. I just- “
“I don't want your apologies,” she squealed, coming to crouch down beside me, excited. “So tell me when you discovered he was your mate. I can't believe you didn't tell me this!”
At night, I suddenly sat up, startled at the sound of a mice running through. In shock, throwing my head around as I scrambled up, I realized I had slept off in the kitchen.
The house was quiet and it was then k realized I hadn't just slept off but I'd missed the entirety of the party. Through the darkness, I realized I was the only one In the kitchen.
Lacey had probably gone off to celebrate with her friends. I don't blame her, I barely knew anyone there, and the one persom I thought I could actually be with had rejected me.
Suddenly as I stepped towards the door pain unlike anything I've ever known ripped through my chest. I stumbled forward, grabbing hold of the knob to steel my weight, clutching my ribs from the pain.
It was Indescribable yet so churning I couldn't breath, choking in my own tears from the shock of such overwhelming feeling.
As I pushed open the door, I was immediately drawn by the muffled sounds echoing down the living room..
My heart plummeted as I followed the sound to one of the sofas in the room- to the two entwined bodies filling the place with ragged breaths.
My sister, Lacey was arched beneath Henry, him moving inside her like he'd already cleaned her. His lips were on her skin, his voice groaning her name as he thrust into her.
The mate bond seared like my heart was slit into half. I bit down on a sob, my fingers digging into my palms, blood dripping as I shrunk back..
No.
Please goddess no.
