Chapter 12
1298words
I hated the way she addressed me, saying my name as if she only knew me as the Dark Moon Alpha. A tinge of sadness spread through my chest as I thought back to all those times she called out to me, her tone soft and loving, but no longer.
"You chose her. You betrayed me. Isn’t that right?"
My face darkened. I had looked everywhere for her without finding her and never would have expected her to appear in front of me alone. And of her own accord, for that matter. She had even heard the lie I told Oliver, who shifted his gaze unsteadily between the two of us.
Knowing better than to worsen the precarious situation, he gave me a quick pat on the shoulder and said, "I think you two need to talk this out, so I won't bother you. Hope everything’s okay."
Oliver quickly straightened up, put his hands in his pockets, and left. All that was left was Della, and me. The atmosphere froze over tensely as I stared at the woman in front of me, feeling so lost as she stood there uncaringly.
I had never noticed how beautiful she was.
My mind drifted back to the fateful day we separated, to everything that I didn’t have the time to say. I wanted to use this opportunity to properly apologize to her, but seeing her act so distant turned my heart bitter despite how much I wanted her.
Instead of trying to win her back, I fell back to old habits and asked her, "Have you ever worn a dress that short before? It didn’t suits you well."
Lie. She was so beautiful in this dress that many he-wolves set their sights on her. I hate that.
"You never cared about what I wore,” she sneered. “So it’s only natural that you wouldn’t remember now. I’ve always loved wearing shorter dresses, but I gave up on them once I became your damned Luna because you are possessive of me. But now, I'm free, and I can wear what I want."
"There’s no reason to talk to me like that. There are many Alphas present, and it isn’t safe for you to stay here since you’re an Omega," I continued, disregarding her hostility. I did what I could to keep my voice as gentle as possible, but my tone became more commanding than I had intended.
"Henry is by the front gates. Get in the car and he’ll drive you back to the packhouse. Wait for me there, and we can talk about this tonight."
It wasn’t perfect, but I spared no effort trying to talk to Della as an equal, to make things up to her. I hoped she would see how hard I was trying to change, how determined I was to convince her to come back to me.
Instead, Della laughed bitterly as if I had said something ridiculous.
"Is your memory that bad, Alpha Kylian? If I remember correctly, you already rejected me. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. That also means you don’t have the right to order me around."
"Please, Della. Calm down," I pushed in an attempt to appease her. "I know I rejected you, but you can't just choose another man just to provoke me. This is a dangerous game you’re playing, and you can’t trust—"
"I’m sorry, Alpha, but who here would be less trustworthy than you?" Della shot back immediately. Suddenly, I felt a force emanating from her body. Was this an Alpha’s aura?
"You were the one who ignored me all these years. You don’t love me. You know that. You chose Flora, and you make her pregnant."
I know she was only saying these things to anger me, but for reasons I couldn’t explain, they had little effect. I took a step forward and said, "I-I've been trying to change."
"Stop it. I can tell when you’re lying. It’s written all over your face," she retorted viciously, rolling her eyes and taking two steps back to keep her distance. "If you had just told me from the start that you wouldn’t let me stand by your side any more when you find your fated mate, I never would have agreed to be your Luna. I wouldn't have suffered as much as I did."
"I know. I made a mistake—"
"You don’t! I loved you. But it was a mistake. " she hissed, each word piercing my heart like a blade. "Fortunately, I’m not the kind of woman who repeats the same mistakes. I’ll live a better life without you, and you can spend your days with that manipulating bitch."
"Flora didn't do anything wrong! I told you it’s an accident!" I yelled, reaching out to grab her wrist. She smacked it away with a strength I had never seen from her.
"You stupid, mindless idiot! I hope I never have the misfortune of meeting you again."
Della turned and promptly began to walk away, leaving me alone with a shaken heart and flustered mind. It took me a few moments to regain my composure and begin to chase after her, but a voice suddenly stopped me.
"Kylian!"
It was Flora. I could see Della stiffen up, and her voice became devoid of even anger as she said, "I hope you two are happy."
Then, she left. Though I tried to run after Della, the bond with Flora dragged at my legs and kept me still so that she could come up to me.
"Kylian, who were you talking to just now?" she asked with an innocent smile.
I followed Della’s figure as she disappeared into the crowd and muttered, "It has nothing to do with you."
"Kylian..." she prodded again. "You told me earlier that you weren’t coming to the banquet, didn’t you? So what are you doing here? Were you stopping by to see Alpha Oliver for a bit?"
I couldn’t bother with her trivial questions anymore as my body struggled to chase after Della and fight the matebond.
"Kylian, please,” She begged, grabbing my arm. “Don't ignore me like this. If you keep neglecting me, I might just pass away."
She buried her head in my chest, and my body moved before I could stop myself. The effect of our bond made her irresistible, and I pulled her into my embrace. I knew my actions would hurt Della, and it was the last thing I wanted to do, but I was powerless against my instincts as soon as Flora showed up.
"Please, Kylian. I’m yours. I can be everything you need, so don’t ever let me go. Don't leave me, okay? And you need me, too. Our puppy needs you," she cried out, sobbing in my arms.
I suddenly felt guilty, knowing that Flora had nothing to do with the mess I had thrown us in. She had been entangled in the threads of fate just as I had, and all she could do was continue to give herself to me. I shouldn't have done this to her, especially while she still gave me her heart.
Flora raised her head tentatively in my arms, and our eyes met. "Kylian, I know I can't compare to Della. She’s so beautiful that even Prince Jackson has set his sights on her, but..."
Prince Jackson?
I suddenly remembered what Oliver also informed me earlier, that she had been taken away by the Lycan Prince. I could only wonder what their relationship was, though I was certain it existed since Della refused to talk with me. Perhaps she was happy to have been rejected by me because of him!
Anger surged in my chest and I clenched my fists.
