Chapter 5
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I couldn’t believe what had just happened. As the weight of my actions crashed down on me, I realized the gravity of my situation. I had sex with a complete stranger. I am married! How could I have let this happen?
Shaking, I grabbed my clothes and rushed back to the mansion. Thankfully, everyone was asleep. The silent halls felt like a reprieve from the chaos of the night. I made my way to my room, my heart pounding in my chest.
Once inside, Hocked the door and leaned against it, trying to steady my breathing. My mind was racing–a mix of shame, confusion, and fear. I couldn’t stay still. I needed to wash away the remnants of the night to cleanse myself of the guilt and filth clinging to my skin.
I stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and stripped off my clothes. The cold water hit me like a shock, but I welcomed it. I scrubbed my skin until it was raw, trying to rinse away the memory of his touch, his scent, and the intensity of everything that had happened.
As the water poured over me, the dam broke, I sank to the floor of the shower, my tears mixing with the water. I cried and cried, the sobs wracking my body. The pain and confusion were overwhelming. How did my life come to this? Forced into a margage I didn’t want, constantly bullied, and now this? I have been saving myself for my mate all this time. I never thought I would lose my virginity to a stranger. How did I let this happen? Why didn’t I fight back harder? Pushed him harder?
Why did I give in? Why?
Why, Moon Goddess? Why?” I cried.
The cold water began to numb my skin, but it couldn’t numb the turmoil inside me. I stayed there for what felt like hours until the water ran lukewarm and my tears had dried up. Slowly stood and turned off the shower. Wrapping myself in a towel, I looked at my reflection in the fogged–up mirror.
The girl staring back at me looked lost and broken. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her skin was pale and wet. This wasn’t who I was supposed to be.
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I had to find a way to get through this. I had to be strong, for myself and for whatever lay ahead
Exhausted and emotionally drained. I slipped into bed. The sheets felt cool and comforting against my clean skin. As 17 there, staring at the ceiling, I knew I had to face the consequences of my actions. But for now, I just needed to sleep to escape the nightmare that had become my reality.
After what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, I finally began losing myself to the darkness. Pushing everything aside. and welcoming it with open arms.
The next morning, I was jolted awake by the blaring alarm. I looked at the watch and gasped when I saw the time. I overslept. Panic surged through me as I realized I had to hurry.
“Oh goddess, it’s 4:30!” I groaned. “How stupid of me!! Oh! Hurry!” I rushed to the bathroom, hastily brushing my teeth and splashing water on my face. The events of the previous night lingered in the back of my mind, but I pushed them aside. 1 couldn’t afford to dwell on them now.
I dressed quickly and hurried to the kitchen. The familiar routine of preparing breakfast for Clair offered a small semblance of normalcy. As I cooked, my mind raced, and the thoughts of the stranger kept rushing through my mind. No matter how hard I pushed them back, they bounced back harder.
Who is he?
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Chapter 5
No! Stop it, Adeline!!
I kept telling myself. I couldn’t let my guard down, especially not after what had happened.
bb%
Balancing a tray of breakfast, I made my way to Clair’s room. I knocked softly and entered, forcing a polite smile. Clair was sitting on her bed, her eyes gleaming with annoyance and hatre as soon as she saw me.
“Good morning, Clair,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
She didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she smirked and said, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the unwelcome guest in our lives. Did you sleep well, knowing that Killian’s true love, Laurel, is back in town?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I don’t know why, but her words made me uneasy. I stayed quite still, not looking at her, and trying my best not to show any kind of discomfort.
Clair leaned back, enjoying my discomfort. “Oh, didn’t you know? Laurel is back, and she’s here to reclaim her place by Killian’s side. You’re nothing but a placeholder, a wallflower in his life. You took her place, and you deserve all the hate for it.”
I stood there, my heart aching. Her words cut deep, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal. I wanted to defend myself, to scream that I hadn’t chosen this marriage, and that I was as much a victim as anyone. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I simply nodded and placed the tray on her bedside table.
“I… I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” I managed to say before turning to leave.
“Wait, Clair called, her voice dripping with venom. “You really think you belong here, don’t you? You think you can play the dutiful wife and everything will be fine?”
I paused at the door, my hand gripping the doorknob. “I’m just trying to do what’s expected of me,” I replied quietly. She laughed with a cold, heartless sound. “You’re a fool if you think Killian will ever see you as anything more than an inconvenience. Laurel is his true love, and you’re just a means to an end. Remember that.”
I walked out of her room, her cruel laughter echoing in my ears. The weight of her words pressed down on couldn’t let it break me. I had to keep going to find a way to survive this.
on me.
but I
As I made my way back
the kitchen, I felt the tears welling up wiped them away angrily, refusing to let Claire see me cry. I had to be strong, even if it felt like the world was against me. I took a deep breath and went back to the kitchen to finish the remaining work, I tried to keep myself busy with work, but Clair’s words kept rushing through my mind. I feel like I don’t belong here. I was an intruder in a life that wasn’t meant for me.
At the office, I threw myself into my work, trying to drown out the memories and the pain.
“Adeline,” Miranda called out, striding over to my desk with a tray of steaming coffee. “Take this to Killian.”
My heart sank. The last thing I wanted was to face Killian, especially after last night.
Goddess!!
But I had no choice. “Yes, Miranda,” I replied, taking the tray from her.
Moon Goddess!! Help me!! How should I face him after last night? If he learns that about it, he will definitely punish me or Wrose punish my family!
No! I need to hide it! He can never know!!
I took a deep breath and calmed myself. As I walked towards Killian’s office, my hands trembled. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I knocked on the door, waiting for his response
“Come in,” Killian’s deep voice called from inside. Killian’s voice called out from behind the door. Taking a deep breath to
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Chapter 5
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steady myself, I opened the door and stepped inside. Killian was busy working on his laptop, the soft glow of the screen highlighting his sharp features. I walked towards him, the tray of coffee trembling slightly in my hands. The air between us felt charged, and I couldn’t quite understand why,
“Here’s your coffee, sir,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
As I set the tray on his desk, our fingers brushed against each other. In that fleeting moment, a jolt of electricity surged through me, sending tingling sensations racing up my arm and spreading throughout my body. I looked up, our eyes locking. His gray hunter eyes bore into mine, and for a second, the world seemed to stop.
Thousands of tingling sensations coursed through my body from the contact. I quickly pulled my hand away, my heart pounding. I had been married to Killian for a while now, but this was the first time I felt such a strong, unexplainable connection. For the first time after all these years, my wolf, which had been silent since the day of my mother’s death, stirred awake and her soft feminine voice whispered one word in my mind: Mate.
Our Mate!!
I froze, the realization hitting me like a thunderbolt
Killian was my mate?
How could this be possible?
All this time, I had kept myself to a life of cold indifference, mistreatment and responsibility, believing that there was no bond between us. But now, my wolf was claiming him as our fated mate.
What’s happening?
How could he be my mate??
Killian’s gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite understand. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the moment passed. He averted his gaze and returned his attention to his laptop, the mask of coldness slipping back into place.
I hurried out of his office and rushed to the washroom.
Why did the moon goddess make him my mate?
It doesn’t make any sense!!
Inside the washroom, I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection in disbelief. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to wrap my head around the revelation.
“This can’t be happening.” I whispered to myself. “How can he be my mate when he’s with Laurel?” I mumbled in disbelief.
“Oh, Goddess!! No, No, No, No!! This can’t be happening! No! He cannot be my mate!!” I kept pacing back and forth in disbelief.
I splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions. After a few minutes, I took a deep breath. “I have to tell him,” I said to myself. “He needed to know the truth
With a newfound determination, I made my way back to his office.
You can do this. Adeline! Tell him that he’s your mate! That we are mates!! Maybe then something could change in your life. I kept telling myself.
and maybe I’m his wife and now his mate, too. If he learns this, maybe he will start treating me with some respect give this marriage a chance. I don’t know what I was hoping for, but I really want some kind of positivity right now.
e we can
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As I approached, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I heard voices inside. I took a step ahead, peeked through the gap, and saw Laurel standing close to Killian, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
“I will always do that for you, Killian,” she said. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice filled with happiness.
“I love you too.” Killian replied, his voice tender and sincere.
My heart shattered into a million pieces. I backed away from the door, my mind racing.
How could this be?
How could he be my mate and yet be in love with someone else?
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall
I had to be strong.
I turned and fled down the hallway, not caring where I was going. I just needed to get away, to think, and to process what I had just witnessed. The corridors blurred around me as I ran, my thoughts a chaotic mess. I felt like a fool for even thinking that Killian would give this marriage a chance if he learned that I was his mate. But no, he was in love with Laurel, and I was nothing but a pawn in a game I didn’t understand.