Chapter 2

The beeping sound of monitors filled the room. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, the bright white of the hospital room's lights stinging her eyes. Disorientation washed over her as she took in the sterile surroundings—the white walls, the IV drip, and the faint scent of antiseptic.

She tried to recall how she ended up here, her mind a foggy haze. Panic surged within her as she realized she was alone, her heart racing as she struggled to piece together fragmented memories. Her last clear recollection was of collapsing at the gala.

Fresh wave of hurt surged through her. She regretted instantly why she had woken up to this harsh reality. Perhaps death would have been better for her at that point.

The hurt. The humiliation. The Betrayal.

"Thank the Goddess you are finally awake!" The familiar voice of her friend pulled her out of her wishful thoughts.

"Karla!" Finally, she felt some warmth seeing a familiar face. "Why are your eyes red and swollen? Where is Seth?" She asked innocently, hoping that somehow, her husband was somewhere around the hospital, waiting for her.

Karla went mute for a while before speaking up, "Seth isn't here, Rashel. You have to rest. You need it." She tried to sound cheerful and positive.

"Did he go home to get something? Or he had other things to attend to?" Rashel asked.

"No, Rashel. He hadn't come visiting since the day you were brought here," Karla said, her words twisting a dagger in Rashel's poor heart.

"What? How long have I been out?" Rashel asked, panicking.

"Six days." Karla sat at the edge of the bed, holding Rashel's palms in hers in a bid to comfort her.

The drive home was a quiet one. Rashel willed herself to believe that her husband was too busy attending to pack matters, and that would have been the reason he hadn't had the time to see her in the hospital. But she was dumb to even think that.

Now she knew why he hadn't cared. He was already preparing to make another woman his official mate while she struggled with her life in the hospital.

She had insisted on being discharged from the hospital immediately because the coronation was taking place that night. She had to speak with her husband. She might be able to salvage their marriage before he takes that big decision.

She looked around and saw that preparations were going on in earnest. Everyone was busy preparing for Viola's big day.

Not not under her watch.

"Thank you, Karla. I can never repay you for all your kindness," Rashel said with a smile as she stepped down from her friend's car.

In the fortress, as she walked herself into her home, the maids and workers stared at her as if they had just seen her for the first time ever. No one even made any attempt to greet her or help her with the small bag she had in her hand. That was strange.

"Beth?" She called one of the maids, who looked at her without saying a word. Her lips were tightly shut, but her eyes spoke volumes... Volumes Rashel instantly understood.

Viola had changed things in the pack.

Rashel barged into the sitting room with righteous anger.

Seth sat in the dining room, sipping coffee as he looked at some documents, studying them keenly, not minding her presence.

"Seth?" She called, approaching him, "What nonsense is going on here?"

"Rashel. You are finally back," he said, his eyes never leaving the files he was looking at.

"That's all I get after you abandoned me for six whole days in the hospital? Do you even have any shred of care for me anymore?" She asked, allowing the dam in her eyes to break.

"Look, Rashel. I am certain you must be exhausted. Just go in and have some rest," Seth said, pointing toward the guest room.

Rashel didn't pay so much attention to his gestures. That must have been a mistake.

She was about to speak again when she caught sight of something that piqued her curiosity. The files Seth was looking at.

"What are you doing with my project files?" She asked, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"Oh. Viola came up with some adjustments for the project. She'll be in charge of it for now," Seth said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Rashel hoped she hadn't heard correctly. She blinked in confusion, a small scoff escaping her lips, "What? You can't be serious, Seth? That is a project I have worked my ass out for months to achieve. It is mine! What makes you think you can just give it out to her to handle?"

"This is one of your numerous traits I detest!" Seth stood up, his voice raising a notch high, "Viola wants nothing but the best for the pack! She studied engineering in the UK and also has some degrees from prestigious schools in China! Can't you see she knows better than you in this field?"

"What the hell? Then why not make her build her own project from scratch? Why leverage on my knowledge? Is she that dumb?" Rashel spat, but in that instant, she regretted her words.

Seth's palm met her pale cheek in a hard slap that echoed within the walls of the sitting room. "How dare you call her dumb? If I ever hear one more cruel word from you again about her, you will have me to contend with!"

Rashel's palm instinctively flew to the side of her face where his slap stung. What had happened to her husband? A man who had never raised even a finger on her for the past four years?

Just before she could react, she heard a familiar sugary voice call as a woman descended the stairs. Her gaze rested on Viola. In her nightwear. Descending the stairs from her matrimonial room.

"Is everything okay down there?" Viola asked, her gaze sweeping around the dining area, "Oh. Hi. We meet again," she said with a small smile.

Rashel didn't need anyone to point out how fake that smile was.

"What is she doing here? And why is she in our room?" Rashel managed to ask, swallowing the sting on her face.

"She lives here now. Your things have been moved to the guest room. That's where you'll stay for now until..." Seth paused, unable to meet Rashel's hurtful gaze, "Just leave, Rashel."

Rashel had tried all she could to speak with her husband, but he was too busy for her. She was all alone in the guest room. The only companion she had was Ash, her wolf.

Ash felt weaker than normal. And Rashel could tell why. It was because Seth was drifting farther away from them.

Rashel had dared not step a foot out of the guest room since she stepped in. The humiliation was already piping hot. But right now, she had to go in there and stop Seth's madness.

What was his plan for her after this occasion? Does this mean he'd have two mates? She was eager to know. She deserved to know what he had planned out for her.

Rashel's heart pounded as she prepared to leave the guest room. She put on a casual sweatshirt over her sweatpants and stepped out.

The murmur of small gossip and pointed stares followed her, but she willed herself not to pay attention to all of that.

As she got to the grand hall, her heart raced. The hall was filled with guests from far and near. She stepped in, her eyes locking onto Seth and Viola seated at a table near the front.

Seth was beside Viola, his attention fully absorbed by her, almost as if he was under a spell. She ignored the prying eyes that looked at her with scorn and reached for Seth's table.

"What are you doing here, Rashel?" Seth demanded, his voice rising above the hum of the crowd. "You're here to make a scene?"

"I need to speak to you," Rashel's voice was firm, though her hands trembled slightly. "I have every right to be here, to discuss our marriage and the project you've handed over to Viola."

Seth's eyes hardened. "Not now, Rashel. Leave before you cause more trouble."

Desperation surged within her. She reached out, trying to grasp Seth's arm to get his attention, but her hand inadvertently knocked into the glass of wine on the table. The red liquid flew through the air in slow motion, spilling across the table and onto Viola's pristine gown.

A collective gasp swept through the room. Rashel's heart sank as she saw Viola's shock and fury. The wine stained Viola's gown. It sincerely wasn't her intention, but she was glad it happened.

Viola's face turned red with anger, but she bellied it so fast that one would think it was nothing. "Oh, Rashel..." Her sugary voice called as she scrambled to get a napkin from the table.

Seth's face turned a deep shade of red, his eyes flashing with fury. Without warning, he stood up, his hand striking Rashel's cheek with a sharp, resounding slap. The force of the blow made Rashel stagger, her vision blurring from the pain and humiliation.

"I told you to leave!" He yelled into her face, "You bring nothing but chaos everywhere you go!"

She struggled to maintain her composure, but the sting of Seth's slap and the collective scornful gaze of the onlookers was too much to bear.

She turned around and fled out of the hall into the cold night. A part of her desperately wished Seth would go after her, but that was a wish that would never come true.

Just as she was about to transform into her brown wolf, she heard a loud sound from behind her, almost like a gunshot, but before she could process what it was, a sudden darkness took over her, and she came crashing to the floor before the world around her went blank.