2

VIOLET

"Who the fuck marked you, Vee?" Kira snapped, and I tumbled backwards, crashing into the dresser. My hands knocked the makeup box off the table, and it crashed to the floor.

"You haven't answered my question," Kira grunted, anger clearly shown on her face as she closed the distance between us. Standing before me with her brows raised, she demanded, "Alpha Ansel hasn't Marked you. Now I demand you tell me who that bastard is who marked you."

I stood frozen, my breath was uneven staring at my best friend who had suddenly turned out to be another person. She looked pissed and I didn't know why she was so angry when she wasn't in any position to be mad at me.

What? Did she really think she has the right to be mad at me after what she did the previous night? After all, she was the reason why I did what I shouldn't have done.

"Move out of the way, Kira." I panted heavily and slowly let go of the table. I gulped down nothing as I tried to move away but she didn't let me.

Kira grabbed my shoulders, her nails cutting through my flesh. "Don't tell me you are sleeping around with another man when you are mated to the Alpha? Are you crazy?" she yelled at my face, shaking my shoulders to keep my gaze on her.

What? Weren't I allowed to sleep around when that was what my mate had been doing all along? Why must I stay loyal when he doesn't care about my feelings?

"Why can't I?" I blinked back my tears. I gently rubbed my palms together as I moved my gaze away from her. "You know the Alpha isn't any better, after all, you already witnessed that." I snapped back at her. My shoulders trembled in anger and frustration as my mind wandered back to the previous night.

I felt disgusted with myself for what I did. I shouldn't have done it, I should have called them out on their shit and not thought of taking revenge. But what would my father have done if I raised an alarm and Alpha Ansel called our wedding off?

"I didn't know you were this shameless." Kira smirked, my head darted at her and I couldn't believe my ear. "What gave you the right to cheat on the Alpha? Just because you stinking bitch is mated to the Alpha doesn't make you special."

I didn't know how it happened, but my palm had met Kira's cheek in a resounding slap before I even realized what I had done."

"You bitch?!" Kira gasped, her hand flew to her cheek and I moved back in shock. My eyes widened in shock as I stared at my hand like I was possessed.

This can't be happening. I can't afford to act reckless on my wedding day. What if the Aloha find out? What if he calls our wedding off? What would my father do to me?

The thought of my father ripping my head off my neck made my stomach churned. Bile rose in my throat and I slapped a hand over my mouth.

"Did you just slap me, Violet?" Kira repeated, letting her hand slide down from her face. She looked pissed, like she could murder me at any moment.

I shook my head as I backed away from her. I wish the ground could just open and swallow me whole.

"I will teach you a lesson for slapping me. I will make you regret ever raising your hand to hit..."

"Lady Violet, your father is here," the guard my father had placed at my door since the previous night announced. The color drained from my face as I shifted my gaze to the door. My chest heaved as I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself.

"This is not over." Kira scoffed, she leaned in and whispered into my ear. "Don't think you have won just because I'm going now." she straightened and smiled brightly at me.

The door opened and my father stepped in in his glory. The moment my father drew closer, Kira adjusted her posture and plastered on a charming smile and I trembled in fear at how easy it was for her to deceive people.

"You are here, Mr. Hemsworth? I was just about to ask you." She walked up to my father and gave him a light peck on his cheek.

Kira's father died when she was four. She grew up in the care of her mother, who died when she was fourteen, leaving her alone in the world. Perhaps the feeling of not having anyone was the reason I loved her more than I should have.

"Oh, dear Kira." my father beamed, moving his hand to my shithead friend to caress her cheek.

"You must be heartbroken that your friend is getting married, huh? I also feel the same. My only daughter is going to leave me to be with her husband."

"You have no idea how I'm feeling right now." Kira gushed.

I shook my head, my heart shattering as I watched the two of them. It was absurd how they could pretend to have my best interest when they didn't. My father and Kira were so alike, it was as if he had given birth to her instead of me.

"I'll leave the both of you alone to talk. Please call for me if you need anything, Vee." Kira flashed me a fake smile.

I wanted to snap at her. I so much wanted to tell her that I hope I never see her again. One glance at my father, I knew so well not to fuck this up.

"Y–yeah." I groaned, watching her walk out of my room with my fists clenched to my side.

"You look beautiful!" my father blurted out, making my head snapped at him at once. "Just like the Alpha would want it."

My heart bled. My soul cried as I watched my father smile warmly at me for the first time in years. It would have been great if I weren't in the situation I was. I would have jumped on my father and hugged him tightly, just like I used to do before everything went south.

"T–thank you..."

"This is great for my business. Just imagine how many contracts I'm going to bag for having the pack Luna as my daughter? You're an asset, no, you're THE asset," he purred, moving around my room, smiling like my feelings were nothing to him.

How could my father be so cruel, to put his business over me? I'd always known my father was the worst bastard to ever exist, but I'd never for once thought he would take his business over me. He had always loved for his company to have the highest percentage of clients, but what about me? Didn't he think I was hurting or did he just not care?

"I..." I opened my mouth but closed it back immediately. Nothing coming out of my mouth.

I didn't care what he was going to do to me. I couldn't take it anymore. I was going to tell him to go die, to say that I didn't care. But the moment my hand moved to my neck to caress the ache, my fingers unconsciously hovering over the bite mark, I froze. Bile rose in the back of my throat and I felt my body crawl.

••• THE PREVIOUS NIGHT •••

I wasn't the type to seek revenge. Even when the maids at home bullied me as a child, I never once considered retaliating because I believed my parents weren't saints either.

But this time, the only thing that came to mind after seeing my best friend in bed with my mate was to seek revenge. I knew I might regret my little scheme later on, but it would make me feel better to cheat on my mate, just as he had been doing to me.

The door opened and the woman from earlier stepped outside. "Everything is ready. Please go in." she smiled warmly at me.

I slowly raised my brows, wondering if she had any idea of what would happen if anyone were to know of this. "What about the man? Is he someone from this pack? Someone who might know who I am?"

"I doubt that," she said, waving a hand and rolling her eyes. So much for a brothel owner. "Everyone who lodges here are strangers. You have nothing to fear."

I gave a curt nod and muttered a thank you. I pulled the cloak down from my head and stepped into the hallway. A voice in my mind screamed at me to go back home, to forget what I saw earlier, and act like nothing happened. But another voice urged me to do what would make me feel better.

A thick scent of musk and spring flowers hit my nostrils the moment I walked into the room and shut the door behind me. I hastily closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart before committing the worst mistake of my life.

"Come here, I don't have all night!" a voice growled from the other end, his tone was fierce and uncompromising.

I swallowed nothing as I dropped my cloak on the floor and started dragging my legs towards where the voice was coming from.

The room was dark, the only light in the room was coming from the dim nightstand lamp. I was a bit grateful for the darkness, because I didn't want to know what the stranger I was sharing a bed with would look like.

"I have one condition." I gulped down nervously as I tugged at my dress, I felt my shoulders jerked backwards in fear. "We will be doing it with our clothes on."

"Get on the bed!" A low grunt came from behind, startling me. I quickly moved to the bed and shut my eyes as I felt a pair of hands grip my waist, pinning me to the bed.

I shut my mind off, not wanting to know what the stranger was doing to my body. I didn't want to feel it. I felt disgusted, and bile rose in the back of my throat as I felt something sliding into me, stretching me as it went deeper. Cutting off my air supply.

His hands roamed my clothed body, making my skin crawl. I wanted to disappear, to disappear to where I wouldn't be feeling any of the regret that flooded my head. To where I wouldn't be hearing any of the voices in my head that were judging me.

I felt hot tears rolling down my eyes as the stranger kept sliding into my clit, his cock filling every inch I have, stretching me for more.

I thought it couldn't get any worse, until I felt his hot breath fanning my neck and something sharp, like fangs, piercing the back of my neck. The world stopped when I heard a growl rumble from his chest, and the realization of what the stranger just did made my heart stop beating at once.

He marked me!

••• PRESENT •••

"Lady Violet, it's time to get to the hall." a voice called out to me, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Already?" I panted heavily, my hand sliding down from my neck as I attempted to hide the horrible mistake before my father could see.

He would kill me if he knew what I did. He would fucking rip my head off my body if he discovered what I had done, something that might hinder his chance of bagging more contracts through his relationship with the Alpha.

"Daughter?" my father called, stepping in front of me with a sincere smile lingering on his face. He stretched out a hand, "shall we?"

My breath hitched as I nodded, gently laying my hand in his. He gripped it tightly like I was something dear to him.

My heart hammered in my chest. It was happening, and there was nothing to stop it. If my father hadn't caught my mistake, my husband would. He'd kill me once he discovered I was carrying another man's mark. But at least the marriage would be sealed and my father would still get his share.

Nevertheless, it was certain that I would die, one way or another.