Tasting 166

166–It Was Only Lust

Nora:

I stood frozen for a minute, unable to comprehend what I had just heard,

“Cain! What did I just hear?” I smiled like a fool, completely convinced I had lost my mind and heard

Natalya’s voice. It had to be in my head.

Cain tilted his head, his muscular arm with sleeves rolled up resting on the door, ensuring it was

half closed.

“What are you here for now? Didn’t I tell you I was having a guest and not to bother me again?” He

spoke calmly.

But I couldn’t remain calm anymore. I could see things in the background. He had illuminated the

studio with lights and balloons. There were candles on the bookshelves. It was a date.

But who was inside with him?

“Who is in there with you?” I asked, this time attempting to push his arm aside to enter.

“Go back to your room. This doesn’t concern you,” he hissed, threatening me with his eyes.

“Open the damn door–,” the moment I applied more pressure and slid his hand down, I rushed in.

I wish I hadn’t.

I must have seemed desperate. The one about to lose her own mate to someone she was certain

he would never pay attention to.

Inside his studio, there was definitely a date in progress. He had placed a table on the terrace of his

studio, a place he had never taken me. And there was food on the table, but it wasn’t just the food I

noticed.

It was the person sitting in the chair, staring aggressively as I entered Cain’s studio.

In a stunning and sultry red dress, Natalya sat with a wine glass in her hands. She didn’t even

resemble the Natalya who would usually wear her hair in two braids and look innocent and meek.

Her confidence was captivating as she took a sip from the glass and then stood up from her

seat.

My heart was pounding in my chest, almost reaching my throat.

“Natalya,” I grunted through gritted teeth.

“Hey, why do you look so unhappy?” she asked, her tone taunting, ast she stopped beside Cain

when he walked in.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her, then quickly gave up and turned to Cain. “What is she

doing here?” I was on the verge of tears.

It wasn’t just jealousy, though I was jealous because he was my mate and she was my ex friend.

More importantly, I felt betrayed. This girl had started a rumor that ruined my reputation, and Cain

thought it fitting to bring her into my home over… I don’t even know over what fault of mine.

“What do you mean? Can’t you take a hint?” she joked, giggling as she wrapped her arm around

Cain’s. The messed–up part was that he didn’t stop her. He let her.

“I am dating your friend.” Cain interjected, taking the lead, his hand rubbing and placed on her back

as she clung to his arm.

“Yes, now I’m your sister–in–law,” she teased, hugging his arm and pressing her body against his

muscular frame.

Cain shamelessly watched my face without blinking. Was he enjoying my misery?

“But why? She’s not my friend. You know what she did, right? She started a rumor against us which

got me bullied in school. How could you bring such a shameless person into our mansion?” My

voice broke as I lost all confidence in front of them.

The news weighed heavily on my heart. I couldn’t bear to hear them repeat it.

“Nora, don’t be dramatic. There was a misunderstanding that was cleared up when you started

dating Brody. Now, I don’t want you to misbehave and upset her. This mansion belongs to my

girlfriend as much as it does to my stepsister,” he said, a reminder of where I stood with him.

So that’s all I was to him?

I narrowed my eyes, losing my calm and ready to explode when he clenched his jaw and

unwrapped her fingers from around his arm.

“Let me take her back to her room,” he told Natalya, who nodded.

“What do you–” I wasn’t sure what he meant by that until he grasped my arm and almost kicked me

out of his studio while she watched and

smirked.

He dragged me out but didn’t stop there. He took me all the way back

to my bedroom and pushed me inside. Then he walked in himself and locked the door behind us.

“What the hell was that? Why did you come to my studio? Do you want her to think all the rumors

were true?” he grunted, pointing his finger in my face as my body trembled.

“Why are you dating her?” I asked the same question again.

“Because I’ve come to the realization that I need to be with someone

who is so crazy about me that she will be ready to put effort into pursuing me,” he hissed, keeping

his voice low, but his words stung as loud as they could.

“Huh? That’s it? You want to be pursued? What the hell is wrong with you? How desperate are you

for attention?” I raised my voice until he took a big step towards me, and I flinched, backing down.

“Just stay in your lane and don’t meddle with my affairs. I am happy for once; let me be,” his

demand crushed my heart.

“No! I will not accept this. She hurt me so much and—what about us? We are mates. You loved

me–,” as I repeated that word twice in at single day, he paused.

But unlike before, he responded this time with a little scoff, almost like a chuckle.

“When did I ever say I love you?” he placed his hand over his eyes and then covered his mouth to

hide his laugh.

“I thought you fucking me meant you loved me,” I uttered in disbelief. I knew what he would say next

to completely shatter me, and he did.

“That meant I wanted to hit that pussy. That’s all. There was no love,

you.