Page 15 of Alpha's Chosen Mate (Wolf Billionaire #2)

CHAPTER 15

LEILANI

I drop the flowers at the base of the headstone, and my lips quiver as I raise my fingers to trace each letter of Mardoc Stone . His grave is next to my mother’s. I’m grateful to Morris for doing this in my stead, because I don’t think I would’ve been able to go through with it. It took three days after finding out he was dead to gather the courage to visit. During my first few hours here, I’d done nothing but fill the eerily silent cemetery with my wails.

I’m glad for the space to grieve—though I’d hardly call it private, since Asher ordered that Cayden accompany me here. I didn’t object. I just didn’t have it in me.

I sniff, wiping the tear that makes it past my chin as I stand, my back hunched with fatigue. My palms are clammy with sweat as I lift the hem of my black dress, and I can barely see through the blur of tears.

I should leave, but I still don’t know how to say goodbye. The last time I saw him, he called me a disappointment. I wonder if he’s turning in his grave now that Asher is my second-chance mate. If I concentrate hard enough, I could feel him on the other end of the bond, but his mental wall is impenetrable stone, built so high that I couldn’t break or go over it.

Not that I want to.

Finally, I turn my back and walk down the stony path. Tears fall onto my dress as I make my way back to the car. I couldn’t find the words to talk to him, tell him I’ll be fine, that I love him and I’m grateful to have had him as my father, regardless of what he did to Asher. He might have been a horrible man, but he was the best father.

Cayden leans against the driver’s door, a cigar burning between his fingers. I stop walking at the sight of blonde hair hidden under a gray hoodie, and the familiar scent of sandalwood.

That’s not Cayden.

The figure pulls away from the car and pushes the hoodie back from his face. Livid green eyes meet my stare. Christian takes a deep smoke—since when does he smoke?—and tosses the cigarette to the ground, dousing the fire with his foot.

My eyes shoot to the car. It’s empty. “Where’s Cayden?”

Christian tilts his head to the side, and I follow his gaze to an unmoving body on the ground. My heart stutters. “What did you do?”

His lips curve into a smile that I once melted for, but now find appalling. Something’s different, and it takes me a few seconds to understand it. Christian’s mark no longer tingles when he’s near. Since I consummated my bond with Asher, I’ve barely noticed it there, or even felt it.

“Don’t look so scared, love,” he murmurs. “A blow to the head, is all. I’m not a murderer.” His grin widens. “Though that might change, depending on your answers today. ”

His dusty brown boots crunch on the gravel as he walks. “I’ve been losing sleep, Leilani. I have these dreams and in them, you’re happy. Without me.” His brows furrow in what looks like genuine confusion. “It’s an ugly picture. It’s impossible for someone who isn’t me to make you happy.”

I start forward, intent on edging around him. He’s talking nonsense again, and I’m not in the mood for his bullshit today.

He steps into my path, and when I change directions, he follows me. He suddenly grips my arm and throws me roughly against the car. He’s in my face before I can react to the pain, his eyes crazed. “I dismissed every thought. Every doubt. Every rumor. There was no way you’d choose him.” He grabs my chin hard and forces my head up. “There was no way you could do that to me. To us . I was your first and your last. There was no way you’d spread your legs for another man. There was no way you could move on from me so quickly.”

I yank my chin from his grasp, but he grabs my hair, pulling so hard that pain tears through my skull. He leans over, letting his lips brush against mine. I smell mint and smoke as he continues, “I’ve been patient with you, Lei. I’ve tried everything to make you see the truth, but you continue to make me look like a fool. He killed your father and you rewarded him for it by fucking him!”

His voice shakes and guilt rises to my throat, swallowing the defense that rushes to my tongue. Asher didn’t kill my father. I might not trust him completely, but I believe that with everything I have. Christian’s words vanish like they never existed.

His grip on my hair only tightens. “I told you the truth. Me! You should’ve come home to me. I would’ve comforted you. I waited for you, and all I got was pain and flashes of you and him! You begged for him, even in your grief.” His eyes are devastated. “Do you have any idea how that made me feel? It broke me.”

My voice is high-pitched, but it’s still venomous as I say, “I guess we’re even, then. It’s good that you finally know what it feels like. I hope the pain kills you like it almost did me, because you, Christian, broke me first.”

Gripping me by my shoulders, he slams me against the vehicle and metal groans, pain radiating through my lower back. “So it was payback, then?”

Groaning, I push at his chest. “No, Christian. I didn’t think of you. Not even once. Asher and I are married. Sooner or later, I was going to be his, in every sense of the word. You can’t keep coming back like this. It’s inappropriate, and I don’t appreciate your skewed sense of entitlement. I don’t want you, Christian. I’ll never want you. We’ve been over for months now. You need to come to terms with it, because my answer won’t change.”

His expression is stricken with pain. “You...love him.”

No. I don’t love Asher. He’s attractive—Goddess, yes—and he happens to be my mate, but neither of those are prerequisites for falling in love. Not for me, at least. But Christian doesn’t need to know any of that. Maybe this is the lie he needs to let me go.

So I raise my chin and utter the words I believe will save me from Christian’s obsession. “I do. I love Asher.” It doesn’t sound like a lie when I say it out loud. It doesn’t leave a bitter taste on my tongue like I expected it to.

At first, nothing happens. I think I might have gotten through to Christian when he blinks slowly. And then, there’s a loud crack. A sting spreads across my cheek like wildfire. My head snaps harshly to the right and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth as my bottom lip bursts against my teeth. My ears ring and my eyes water.

I’ve been hit before—by bullies during pack training, by a rogue trying to take advantage of Camille or Georgia—but this is different. It isn’t just the force of the blow that takes my breath away. It’s the sheer shock that it happened at all.

Chris—the man I should have married, the man who loved me, who held me at my lowest and nursed me back to health when my father was too busy to—he hit me.

Disbelief freezes me in place, my mind struggling to comprehend it. The shock holds me captive for a heartbeat, maybe two. And then something hot and fierce explodes in the pit of my stomach. My head whips back to face him, my eyes wide with fury.

Christian recoils, his own eyes widening with horror. “Lei…” he stammers, reaching for me, his hands trembling as they try to cup my cheeks in what seems to be a desperate apology. “I didn’t mean—Goddess, Lei. I’m so?—”

I don’t let him finish. My nostrils flare and I give in to the anger and violence in my blood. My fist slams into his face. I relish the satisfying crunch of bone against bone, even as the pain in my knuckles suggests I might have broken something. Christian groans, his shoulders tensing like they always do before an attack or a shift, and I drive my knee up into his groin with all the strength I can muster.

He howls, doubling over.

Pain throbs in my hand as I dash to the other side of the car, making for the driver’s seat, but a pained moan stops me in my tracks. I look back at Cayden, who’s slowly raising his head as he comes to. Rushing to his side, I kneel to examine his head. He’s bleeding profusely from a cut to his temple. It’s healing, but slowly. “Hey. Are you okay?” I hold up two fingers. “How many?”

Cayden’s brows furrow and he blinks thrice, his dark irises expanding. “Five.” He sounds like a grumpy teenager just pulled out of bed. His gaze shifts to me, and his frown deepens. “Why do you have a black eye?”

“I—” My words morph into a scream when I’m picked up from behind and tossed into the backseat of the black SUV. Christian’s green eyes shine with fury. “You’re coming with me.”

I scramble for the other door. “The hell I will!”

Christian catches my ankle and yanks me toward him, and fear freezes me as he swings at me with a force that’ll knock me out. But the blow never lands, because Christian is suddenly heaved off me, and Cayden snarls harshly as he tosses him against the nearest tree, cracking the poor sapling in half.

He gets into the driver’s seat and revs the engine. It roars to life as he says, “Asher is going to fucking kill me.”

I barely hear him as I stare out the window, my heart racing. Christian leans against the tree, clutching his side, and his gaze holds a dangerous edge as he watches us leave. I recognize that look, and a chill snakes down my spine. It throws me back to three years ago, bringing me to two nights before Ken Anderson was found gutted in his bedroom.

My thumb grazes the cut on Christian’s bottom lip, and he winces as I wipe the blood away. “Stop antagonizing him, Chris. He’s the alpha, and his say is final. I’ll leave if that’s what he wants.”

“You’re my mate. You’re not leaving. Threatening to send you away so he can control me...” Christian’s head hangs, and soft laughter drifts from his lips. “That ends today.”

It was no news to me that Christian’s father abused him, but witnessing it today, Fiona had never thirsted so much for the taste of blood. But I refrained from listening to my base instincts. Mother used to say that it was one thing to kill in defense. It was another thing entirely to premeditate murder. Too many times, I’ve thought about how to get away with Ken Anderson’s murder, but that’s not who I am.

I tsk, tossing the bloodied cotton in the trash. “And how do you plan on doing that? You’ve lost five duels. Anymore and...well, I love you a lot, Chris, but I’m going to have to hide my face around here if you keep losing.”

Chris doesn’t take the joke. He rarely ever does. His green eyes are nearly feverish with an excitement that makes me pause. “Why fight for it when it’s mine? Why not just...take it?”

Two nights later, Beta Manuel found Ken in bed, in a pool of his own blood and flesh. I always assumed the rogues or the Dark Alpha did it. We all had the same theories, but now that I see the evil glint in Christian’s eyes, I’m no longer sure. And that scares me a great deal.

There’s a sleek red Aston Martin parked in the driveway, surrounded by a mountain of luggage in different sizes and colors. A dozen maids are busy gathering it all up, their movements swift, yet they seem nervous. A trolley tire screeches across the pavement, followed by a high-pitched yell. “Handle my bags carefully, Enya! The valuables in there cost more than you’ve ever seen in your life! ”

My hand freezes on the car door, eyes narrowing as I take in the scene. Enya, my sharpest tormentor, actually lowers her head and murmurs, “My apologies, Sa?—”

“It’s luna to you.”

My brows knit together as I search for the source of the voice. On the front porch stands a woman, her back turned to me, exuding an air of effortless elegance. Her posture is perfect, poised with the confidence of someone who expects the world to bow at her feet. The silver dress she wears clings to her curves—the kind of dress I know Asher would appreciate on a woman.

Her strawberry blonde hair, sleek and straight, falls precisely to the hem of that dress, which stops mid-thigh. The dress catches the sunlight with a subtle sheen, its metallic silver fabric almost liquid as it moves with her. She’s wearing striking red heels that match the car, and I struggle not to look down at myself, or the plain flats I’m wearing. If a stranger were to guess who Asher’s luna was, I wouldn’t even be an option.

“Who’s that?” I ask Cayden as he sidles up to me. “What pack does she belong to?” The largest known packs are in these parts, but there are smaller ones scattered in other parts of the world, formed by clusters of rogues. Maybe she’s the luna of one of those.

Cayden wipes at the blood on his almost-healed forehead and follows my gaze to the doors. Exasperation flickers in his gaze. “Oh, hell no.”

As if on cue, the woman turns, and I’m met with a strikingly beautiful face with eyes that remind me of crystals. She smiles, revealing too-white teeth. “Cayden! Oh good. I was wondering why no one was here to welcome me. Where’s Ash?” Ash? Her eyes shift to me. “You, get that bag and follow me.”

My eyes go from the black box in the trunk to the woman, who lifts a blond brow. Her red lips curl in displeasure. “Are you hard of hearing, maid?”

Maid ? Must be the dress and my low ponytail, which is still messy from Christian’s assault. Her tone and entitlement go a long way in worsening my already dark mood. I take one step forward, but Cayden holds me back.

His eyes are still on the blonde. “Sasha, she isn’t?—”

The blonde’s gaze snaps forward as Asher—I didn’t know he was back yet—steps out of the house and freezes by the entrance. Sasha squeals, and an odd feeling of déjà vu washes over me as she runs forward, slamming into Asher.

Something strange burns in my chest and I stomp on it. It’s nothing. They’re probably longtime friends. It’s just a hug.

Sasha pulls back. “I’ve missed you. So much.” And then, her lips press against Asher’s with a familiarity that feels like a knife being twisted in my chest.

Heat rushes to my face and my heartbeat thuds in my ears. My stomach churns as bile rushes to my throat, bringing the bitter taste of jealousy. It claws at my insides, sharp and unforgiving, and my nails dig painfully into my palms as I hide my trembling. Not again. Never again.

Asher pushes Sasha away from him, and when his eyes dart to me, they widen. Blinking away the burn in my eyes, I walk past the gawking maids, making my way up the stairs. My shoulder brushes against his arm as I continue toward the house. “Don’t stop on my account.”

“Leilani, it isn’t what you think. ”

“Asher?” That annoying voice grates on my nerves. “Where are you going? I only just got here. There’s so much to talk about and prepare for. Our wedding…”

I laugh, the heel of my shoe thumping hard against the ground. I shake my head and mutter to myself, “No. Nope. I don’t give two flying fucks.” Asher follows closely behind me, telling me I’m misunderstanding things and we have to talk. I pause on a step and glance back. “Talk about what? Polygamy? I don’t see why you need my permission. You’ve said it before: I’m only a pawn to you. I mean nothing in the ‘grand scheme of things.’ My father is dead, we’ve fucked, and I’m no longer useful to you, so you bring in your lover. I understand you very clearly, in fact.”

Asher takes a step closer. “That isn’t true, and you know that.” His eyes beseech me to remember the paintings, his confessions, his truths. But if there’s anything I’ve learned recently, it’s that men lie. He starts to speak again, but he pauses and cocks his head, his eyes roaming my face for a heartbeat. “Who touched you?”

My anger only flares. “What do you care?”

His wrist snaps out, and I resist a shiver as his thumb brushes over the cut on my bottom lip. I take one step up to escape his soft touch, but he follows, his eyes darkening with anger. “I don’t appreciate you hiding things from me, Leilani.” His thumb rises, grazing the bruise under my eye. “He hit you.”

“I fell,” I counter, smacking his hand off my face. “Don’t touch me and act like you care when you’ve got another woman’s lipstick on your mouth.” I continue up the stairs, only to have him block my path when I reach the hallway. My fingers curl into fists as I pull my head back and look up at his face, the angles sharper in the dimmer light. “The least you could’ve done was warn me before bringing another woman into our home.”

Asher rears back like I hit him. “ Our home? You’ve expressed no small amount of hatred for my home since I brought you here. I showed you everything, revealed the parts of me no one else has ever seen. I tried apologizing, and you’ve ignored me for three days! You acted like I didn’t fucking exist. I asked you to be mine, to be my partner, my equal, and you left, right after you marked me as yours. You think I can belong to someone else? You own me! My life, my home, my pack. Everything I own is yours, and you despise me. Since when is there ‘us?’”

I have no argument for that. “And that’s your excuse for kissing another woman?” He opens his mouth, but I don’t let him talk me out of being mad. The anger is all I have right now. It’s the first thing I’ve felt in days other than grief. I fear if I let it go, I’ll fall into the chasm that threatens to swallow me whole. I swallow the lump in my throat and give him my best empty stare. “Do whatever you want, Asher. I’m tired of this. I’m sick of the lies, the distrust, these back-and-forths, fighting with you. You’re my mate, but you’re basically a stranger. I’m just…done.”

When I walk away, he doesn’t stop me. I don’t hear movement from the other side of the door for the rest of the day, so I know he doesn’t come to his room that night. Or the next.