Chapter 39

Celeste, can we talk for a minute?” My sister paused on her way out. She looked concerned when she turned to me.

I didn’t need her to say it because I already knew that I looked like hell. I hadn’t shaved in close to a week. I needed to trim my hair and maybe sleep a little but it seemed impossible to sleep when my mate was in someone else’s arms.

“You look like hell,” she blurted out, shutting the door. “What happened to you?”

“Where have you been? It’s been a long time since I saw you.” I diverted the question from myself as we walked towards the dining to have our talk.

“I’ve been home. You’re the one who hasn’t been here in weeks.” I pushed my overgrown hair out of my face.

Since the pack repossessed the Beta’s house after Valen’s takeover, we had to move into the pack house for a while before we cleared the house our mother inherited from her mother. It was smaller than the luxurious home we lived in as the Beta’s family but it was better than staying in the pack house with hundreds of other wolves.

“Forget that. I need your help.”

Sleep eluded me as I tried to find ways to make Aysel mine again. Skylar was frustrated that her plan wasn’t progressing as Clover didn’t return like she predicted. We had to ditch that plan for a new one.

“What do you need my help with? Say it fast. I have someone waiting for me.” She flipped her hair. I noticed then that she was all dolled up for a date.

“You’re still friends with Aysel right?” I asked. Her face turned red and she looked guilty all of a sudden.

“I don’t know if she will want to be friends with me after the nasty things I said to her the other day.” My wolf growled in annoyance at her. She’d insulted our mate and he didn’t like it.

“What did you say to her?” I unintentionally growled in her face.

“What I said to her is none of your business. What do you want? I have a date with Luca so you better speak fast. He’s picking me up soon.”

Celeste and I weren’t as close as we used to be as kids and I had myself to blame for that. People used to think we were twins as kids because we had a strong bond. A bond I broke when I chose Skylar.

Goddess, Skylar wasn’t even that pretty! Why did I ruin the perfect life I had just to be with her? Had she used black magic on me or what? It would certainly explain the idiocy that made me choose her over my mate.

“I need your help with Aysel.”

“What do you want with her? You should know that you can’t bully her anymore because she is our Luna. The Alpha already hates our family enough without adding the fact that you bully his Luna to the mix.” She checked her watch. I didn’t have her full attention yet but I knew how to get it.

“She’s my mate. I want to get her back,” I blurted out. Her jaw dropped comically when I said that. Then she burst into loud laughter.

“What the hell have you been smoking?” She snorted as her laughter died down. I pushed my hair out of my face again. I didn’t like her derisive laughter. It made my heart ache.

“She’s my mate. She has been my mate since she turned eighteen.” I closed my eyes, raising my face to the ceiling.

I wouldn’t have to say all these to be believed if I didn’t make that stupid mistake all those years ago. I would be happy with her now if I’d just accepted the blessing of the Moon Goddess. We’d be together and maybe she’d be pregnant by now. Bile rose in my throat when I imagined her pregnant with someone else’s baby.

“Are you serious?” Celeste asked but she didn’t look anywhere close to believing me. Doubt still clouded her eyes and I could understand.

There’d been no reason for her to think there was anything between Aysel and me asides from a small, one-sided crush. I remember how well I threatened Aysel.

‘I’ll make you regret the day your parents f*cked and had you if anyone hears we’re mates,’ I’d said to her when she excitedly mentioned we were mates. Funny, I was the one with the biggest regret now.

“I rejected her,” I admitted to Celeste. The colour drained from her face in a split second. In the next second, her face started to redden. She looked like a balloon ready to blow. A very red balloon.

“What do you mean you rejected her?” She shouted, jumping out of her seat.

“I was with Skylar then and I didn’t want –” She smacked me before I could finish. I deserved that. I knew I deserved that.

“Do you know how much pain she would have been in?” I didn’t need a lecture from my baby sister about how I treated my mate. I knew how much pain she went through because I went through it too when she accepted my rejection.

“Celeste –”

“No, don’t call my name.” She paced, her finger pinching the bridge of her nose. “I am so ashamed of you right now. So angry. How stupid do you have to be to reject your mate!”

“Celeste –”

“No, shut up, Lucien! How can I have such a stupid brother? Oh, goddess.” She stopped pacing to glare at me. “You hurt my best friend and now you want her back? Are you dreaming?”

“Dreams do not hurt this much,” I said, miserable.

“She’s mated now and there’s nothing you or anybody else can do.”

“That bastard stole her from me!” My temper flared when she said that as if Aysel’s mating was irrevocable. I would have my mate back. There had to be something I could do.

“Watch how you talk about the Alpha Prince!” I was taken aback by the force of her words. “It’s no wonder he hates our family. It’s all your fault. You and dad. Goddess, you lot are the same! Aysel is the Luna now so you better set your sights on someone else.” She grabbed her small white bag off the table to leave.

“You know, I saw Luca the other day.” I needed to hurt her the way she just hurt me so I made her pause. “Pretty boy with the curly hair, right? He was holding hands with this blonde chick with nice tan skin and a firm round butt the other day.” I snickered as colour started to leave her face again.

“Shut up, you stupid liar. Tianna is his cousin and they are very close.” She snarled at me.

“Yeah, they seemed pretty close to me, especially when he grabbed her a*s while he k!ssed and rutted on her behind the pack house this morning. If you’re wondering why he’s late, it may be because he hasn’t finished with her.” She got out her phone and dialled him before I finished speaking.

“Hey, Luca are you –” He started speaking before she completed her sentence.

I had to strain my ears to hear through the phone when he spoke. “Love, something came up. Can we reschedule for tomorrow?” I snickered at his excuse.

“Yeah, his d*ck probably came up when he saw his ‘cousin’ in her panties.” I butted in. It was a cheap move but it worked.

“This is the third time we’re rescheduling, Luca.” Her voice came out broken.

“I know, babe, but Tianna –”

“Do you want to be with me or Tianna?” She demanded.

“Babyyy, I told you she’s my cousin. I haven’t seen her in a while and I don’t know when next I will.” It was an overused excuse that she may have bought if I hadn’t already told her about his infidelity.

“Are you sure she’s your cousin?”

“What does that even mean?” He didn’t sound bothered when he asked.

“Weren’t you k!ssing her behind the pack house this morning?” He didn’t reply immediately and his silence said everything she needed to know. She hung up, turning to me with big, watery eyes that made my heart fall.

“You knew and chose to tell me like this?” I raised my hand in surrender even if my conscience pricked heavily. “I hate you so much, Lucien,” she said calmly before leaving the house, slamming the door.

“Watch out for Jabari!” The Beta was too interested in her.

I buried my head in my palms after she left. She distracted me a bit from my problem but once she left, all I could think about was Aysel and my loss. Goddess, I messed up big time!

A knock sounded on the door a second later. “Why are you knocking? Come in!” I was expecting Skylar but Clover sauntered in.

“How badly do you want Aysel?” She asked, taking a seat while I stared in shock.