Chapter 4

I was frozen in place.

It was as if time stood still as I watched them making love. They paid no attention to their surroundings, too busy touching each other, biting, and clawing. 

My best friend and my husband were too immersed in each other to notice me standing there, watching. My heart was shattering into tiny pieces. I tried to say something and cry out in protest, but no sound came out.

Betrayal is a bitter brew, isn't it?

I couldn't believe it! How could they betray me like this? Did they just get together? Or has it been a long time?

I sobbed out loud, making Adrian flinch. He turned to look at me. His blue eyes turned dark as he realized what had happened.

"Wha...why..." my voice came out a mere whisper.

I should be yelling, screaming, clawing his eyes out ,but I was too hurt to attack him. I was pregnant with his child. We were supposed to build a family together but now? What will happen to me now?

"Oh my god, Lindsey!" Betty screamed and pushed Adrian off of her. My mouth filled with bitterness. 

She scrambled to her feet, trying to put her clothes on while Adrian clumsily pulled his pants up. 

"Why?" I asked again.

"Lindsey. Let's talk about this," Adrian said in a grim tone. He didn't look scared or shocked as if he had been waiting for this day. It made me wonder if he even cared how I felt.

"Don't speak to me!" I snapped at Adrian and then looked directly into Betty's eyes. "You. Was this your intention this entire time? To steal Adrian from me?"

"I didn't steal anyone," Betty hissed.

"Then what do you call this?" I sobbed. I hated to cry in front of them. It made me feel weak, but I couldn't stop the tears. My heart felt like it was about to burst. 

"Adrian and I are meant to be with each other. He is mine, not yours!" Betty said. Her lips twisted into a smug smile.

"What are you talking about?" 

"Betty, don't…" Adrian tried to interrupt, but Betty hugged his waist. 

"Don't deny it anymore, Adrian. It's too late. She already saw us together, so might as well reveal everything."

Reveal what? What the hell was going on here?

"I can't believe it. You still haven't figured it out? Adrian and I are mates, Lindsay. Do you know what that means?"

Mates...

I knew exactly what it meant. For generations, we were told that one day we would meet our mate, and once we did, we'd be bound to them for life. 

But I thought that was an old wife tale and never believed in it. Betty and I used to make fun of those who believed in it, and now? She expected me to believe that Adrian was her mate?

 "How can it be? How could Adrian be your mate? He is my husband and the fa-"I stopped. I wasn't sure if I wanted to reveal my pregnancy yet. The happiness I felt was long gone and this was the worst time to tell him about our child!

"He married you because you served him a purpose, that's all," Betty hissed.

My body was shaking in anger, but I managed to stand my ground. "What purpose?" I asked quietly.

"Your parents are powerful, so Adrian needed their help to become the Alpha of the Blood Crown Pack. And would you look at that? He did the right thing. Because now, no one can stand in his way." Betty giggled.

I couldn't believe it. The man I thought I loved was a selfish prick who was hungry for power. It seemed that he never cared about me in the first place!

Tears streamed down my face. I turned to Adrian to see if he would say something, but he only stared. He didn't even bother to deny any of this.

"And you, Betty? How can you support him? You were supposed to be my best friend! Why didn't you stop him?" I said foolishly. I guess part of me hoped that Adrian tricked Betty. Maybe if I convinced her to leave him, she would come back to me and support me. I was willing to forgive her then.

Betty threw her hair back and laughed. "Oh, Lindsey. You've always been so naive. Why would I stop him? I was the one who suggested the plan. I told him you had your little schoolgirl crush on him for years, so it'd be easy to convince you to marry him."

I couldn't take it anymore. I let out a pained cry and lunged at her. I wanted to claw her eyes out for lying to me and making me feel like she loved and cared about me. 

But it was hopeless. 

Adrian grabbed me before I had the chance to attack Betty and held me in place. 

"Let go of me!" I roared and struggled in his arms, but he was stronger than me. 

"Calm down, Lindsey, don't act like a shrew." Adrian said in my ears.

"You call me a shrew? Don't tell me to calm down, you treacherous asshole! I can't believe you are doing this to me! I loved you! We were going to be a family." I sobbed and looked at Betty, who stared at me with her eyes full of hatred. "And YOU! Do you think you'll be happy with Adrian? He betrayed me, so he is capable of doing the same to you," I spat at her.

Betty walked over to me. Her eyes were glowing with anger. She raised her hand and then smashed it against my face as hard as she could, making my eyes water. 

I let out a small whimper, my cheeks stung. "Y...you hit me," I said in a hoarse whisper.

"And I will do it again if you don't behave, Lindsey," Betty snarled.

Adrian turned me around to face him. He reached over and wiped the blood from the corner of my lips, then lifted my chin to meet his eyes. "Look, Lindsey. Just go home and calm yourself down. Betty is my mate, and I love her. It's our fate. It's better that you leave quietly."

"Leave?" I whispered.

"Go and stay with your parents for a bit. I will come see you, and we will try to figure things out. How does that sound, hmm?" Adrian cooed.

I shoved his hand away and then went back to the house. What else could we talk about? Adrian has made his decision and chose Betty over me. They were mates, and me? I was nothing. The two people who I thought loved me betrayed me. Everything was a lie.

~-~

I packed up all of my stuff and left Adrian's pack. I gave my parents some lame excuse about how I missed them and just wanted to visit, but in reality, I was trying to figure out what to do about this Adrian situation.

How could I tell them that the man I loved decided to run off with my cousin? I couldn't tell them anything. 

And the child in my belly...what would happen to it if Adrian never accepted me again?

I needed to tell my parents everything, I thought to myself as I sat down for dinner one day.

I couldn't keep it a secret forever, especially with a child growing inside me. Besides, my mom was starting to question me. She kept asking why I wasn't going back to Adrian's pack.

My phone suddenly rang as I was about to take my last bite. I narrowed my eyes at the name. 

Amelia.

What did she want? I was annoyed.

She was part of Adrian's pack, so that makes her my enemy, right?

"What is it, Amelia?" I sighed when I answered. 

"Lindsey, I need to tell you something!" Amelia sounded frantic, so I quickly turned alert.

"It's Adrian. He decided to attack your pack!" Amelia cried.

What? Adrian wanted to attack my father's pack? I didn't think he could stoop this low.

"Are you sure, Amelia? Would Adrian really do something like that?" I asked, hoping I was wrong.

"I know we are not close, Lindsey, but I always saw you as a friend. So please believe me when I tell you this. Adrian and Betty have been conspiring against your family, and now that Adrian finally formed an army, he is coming after you."

An army. So this was why Adrian was so focused on making an army. He wanted to defeat my father all along!

"I am coming to see Adrian, I must stop him!" I declared.

"Wait...Lindsey, I don't know if it's safe!"

"I don't care."

I hung up on Amelia and then headed toward Adrian's pack house. I couldn't just let Adrian and Betty walk all over me. I had to stop them. Luckily, I still had my spare key, so I could get inside the house without anyone stopping me.

"ADRIAN!? Are you in there? Come out right now!" I yelled. I went upstairs to look for him, but he wasn't there.

I fumed as I watched Betty walking out of the bedroom, wearing nothing but Adrian's shirt.

So that's how it is. This bitch had already taken over my home. Rage burned through my veins, but I kept myself cool so I could discuss the matter with her. I needed to stay calm.

"Betty. I know you are happy about finding your mate even though it meant stealing my husband, but our pack is in trouble," I cried.

Betty scoffed. "So what?"

"So what? You are part of that pack too!" I reminded her.

"I don't give a fuck about the Blue moon pack anymore. Adrian is now the most powerful Alpha, so the rest of you are worthless to me," Betty snarled.

I stared at her dumbfounded. I couldn't recognize her anymore. How did she change so much? Just because she found her mate, family meant nothing to her? 

I turned around, intending to storm out of there. I couldn't handle her presence anymore. I needed to go back to my parents and tell them everything, so they could stop Adrian from destroying everything I'd ever loved.

But before I could walk downstairs, I felt someone push me from behind.

NO!

I barely had a chance to scream.

I tried to grab onto something, anything, to keep myself from falling, but all I felt was air. And soon, it was over.

I crashed on the ground with a thud, hitting my head against the wooden stair. 

"My...my baby...save my baby..." I could barely whisper as I felt a sharp pain on my side.

 I saw a figure standing over me, watching me as everything slowly turned black.