70. I believe you

7Oh goddess, oh my gosh. What the hell was I going to do? My life just became a cliché.

I pick my phone up and look at the pictures again. The dates on the bottom suggest that I started cheating on Sebastian a week after our wedding.

“Don’t panic Ren. You know you never cheated so you have nothing to worry about” Midnight tries to assure me.

Her voice soothes me but not entirely.

“We know that but Sebastian doesn’t and I don’t even know if he would believe me. The pictures look real. The only reason I know they have been photo shopped is because I don’t know any of those men”

I drop my phone and start pacing again. My hands clutching hair in fists. This wasn’t happening. We were just starting to get along well and now this.

Sure we’ve slept in separate bedrooms since we came back. And we haven’t had sex again, but we were on a comfortable ground. No tension or anything like that.

We’ve even been eating dinner together these past few days. The air between us was more relaxed and comfortable. Now all that has been destroyed.

“If he doesn’t believe you then that’s his problem not yours” Blue adds.

“You’re right” I say, taking a calming breath. “I have nothing to be afraid of.

“Luna?” Hunter’s voice penetrates my haze.

I turn to look at him. His eyes look disturbed but that’s the extent of it. I didn’t know whether he believed the gossip and was judging me deep inside or not.

“I haven’t cheated on Bash” I defend myself. “I would never do that”

“I know. I learned from my lesson the first time I judged you. You’re incapable of such a thing” he reassures me. “You love him. It’s in the way you look at him, so I don’t believe for a second you would betray him”

I stilled on my spot. Stiffening. Ice encasing my bones.

I do not love Sebastian. I just can’t. My heart was stripped of that emotion when Darren betrayed my love for him.

I was growing to enjoy his company and we had amazing sex but that’s the extent of it. Nothing more and nothing less.

I shake my head, forcing those thoughts out of my mind. I had more important things to think about than some absurd idea of being in love with Sebastian. Not only was someone stealing from me but also someone was hell bent on destroying my relationship with Sebastian.

If I had to guess, it would be either Phoebe, Miranda, Nicole or Michele. My best bet was on Miranda.

For some reason I feel like this had her stamp all over it.

My door bangs open and Sheryl stumbles in. She was in panic, something I have never witnessed before.

“We’ve got a problem” she takes big gulps of air. “Reporters have surrounded the building, they’re making it hard for anyone to go in or come out”

Hunter turns to me. “We need to leave now before more arrive. Do you have a way we can get to the car without them descending on us?”

I nod numbly. “Yeah. I have a private elevator that I use for emergencies. It leads straight mine and Claire’s underground parking lot”

The goddess must have been smiling down at me. Hunter had been unable to drive me in the morning because he was hunting, though he later joined me.

For some reason I had felt the need to park underground instead of in the front parking space. Now I realize why. Deep in my soul I knew something would happen.

“Red, where are you?” Bash’s voice booms in my mind making me jump. He sounded really angry.

Sheryl looks at me weirdly but doesn’t say anything.

“I’m still in the office” I reply softly.

“Meet at home ASAP” he grits out before cutting off our mind link.

Unlike what wolf novels portray, mates don’t feel it when their other half has sex with another. There’s no way of knowing unless you have physical proof.

Without looking at the other two occupants of the room, I start packing my things. When I am done I turn to Sheryl.

“Please let everyone know they’re free to go home. Also let our spokesperson address the reporters to let them know that the pictures are fabricated”

“I’m on it” she says before leaving.

“Let’s go” I address Hunter and start walking.

He follows me to the elevator. I pull my VIP card out, then swipe it. After taking my biometrics, the elevator opens and we get in.

Minutes later we were in the underground parking. We get in the car and drive off. We go in the opposite directions so they don’t notice.

“Can we pick up Krystal and Jax before going home?” I ask Hunter.

It was almost three thirty. The time they leave for school. When he nods, I call Monica and tell her not to pick them up.

We get there in time and find them waiting at the front of the school.

Thankfully there weren’t any reporters around. Mainly because the school is usually heavily guarded.

“Mommy!” Krystal yells in excitement when she notices me coming out of the car.

She rushes to me, Jax following close behind her. They both hug me, making me feel better for the first time since this terrible day began.

“Are you here to pick us up?” Jax asks.

“Yeah” I reply and then scan the area. “I don’t see Mason, where is he?”

Krystal answers. “He has already been picked up”

“Okay then, let’s go home”

We get into the car and Hunter starts driving. After clicking on their seatbelts I face them.

“So how was school today?”

They look at each other and smile before turning to look at me.

“I got a ninety eight in my math test” Jax replies smiling.

“And I got to feed the class’ iguana. It was finally my turn” Krystal bubbles.

They spend the next thirty minutes telling me stories of how they spend the day. By the time we got to the pack house I was smiling and laughing. The stress of the day is forgotten.

We got inside and the happy bubble evaporated when I saw the present pack member throwing me disgusted looks. Not this again, I thought to myself. They had probably seen those trending pictures.

“Why don’t you two go upstairs and do your homework. Okay?”

They nod their heads before dashing up the stairs. I turn to face the few people there and growl at them. Letting my aura out. They immediately submit. Showing me their necks.

“That’s what I thought” I mumble to myself.

At the end of the day the only thing they can do is throw dirty looks at me. Their wolves still know who’s boss.

I sigh and start walking. Planning to go to my bedroom and soak my tired body before I have to confront Sebastian.

The pack members wondered why Bash and I don’t share a bedroom. Sebastian had told Monica to spread the word that he was having a hard time dealing with the guilt of sending me to prison. Since I was still hurt by his actions we had decided to sleep in different bedrooms for the time being. They believed him.

“Red!”

I was just about to take the first step when I heard him shout my name. I turn around frozen. Not at all prepared to face him.

His eyes land on me and he starts walking towards me. I don’t get a chance to say anything before his mouth crashes down on mine. I didn’t realize how I was starved of his kisses until his tongue was swirling with mine.

All too soon he pulls away from me and I am left bereft.

“Are you okay? They didn’t get to you right?” he questions inspecting my body. “I swear if they touched you I’ll fucking kill each and every one of them”

It takes me a while to realize he was referring to the reporters.

“I’m okay. We were able to leave before they could notice us” I assure him.

“Good” he mumbles. He takes my hand and starts leading me to the office.

“Come, we have something to discuss”

I don’t argue with him, mainly because I was in shock. This was definitely not what I expected from him.

We pass the others and they’re no longer giving me dirty looks. I guess seeing their Alpha’s reaction changed their minds.

We get to the office and he locks the door.

“I swear I didn’t break the terms of our agreement. I don’t even know those men” I calmly tell him.

“I know” comes his reply.

I look at him wondering how he knew. Even I would have been convinced the photos were real.

“How?”

“Red, you forget I’ve seen every inch of your body. That’s you but the photo wasn’t taken recently. You have more curves now, in the photo you looked a bit skinny and if you look closely you’ll realize your face is more youthful” he replies softly.

I’m surprised he was able to figure it out. Most probably wouldn't have.

“You’re right. It was back when Darren and I were dating. I was nineteen. I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to send him my nudes, it’s not like he hadn’t seen me naked every time I shifted”

I hear him growl right before he steps into my space.

“Never mention you and Darren in the same sentence. Especially when your talking about you naked body”

I swallow. Suddenly liking the possessiveness I heard in his voice.

“Anyway, I think just like last time, Darren and Miranda are involved” I say, trying to move away from the heat of his body. “Only Darren had the pictures so he had to give them to Miranda”

It made sense. Darren may be an Alpha but in the human world he didn’t have a lot of connections.

Miranda on the other hand did given that she was a socialite.

“I figured that too” he mumbled.

“What are we going to do? The scandal will not only ruin my image but also my company’s”

I couldn’t imagine the company sinking because of those two idiots. If I don’t do something, I will forever be labeled as a cheater and no reputable company will want to work with us.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan. They’ll pay for going after you. I won't let this slide” he says in a hard tone.

One that sends shivers down my spine.