Scarlett
The sunshine fell on my face, waking me up which seemed like the toughest task. It was too much for me to even move my hand, let alone wake up from the bed. I wanted to stretch my hands and yawn to shoo away all the laziness and tiredness but didn’t have enough energy to do so.
Though I tried to move my body to sit on the bed which caused my back to ache unbearably. How could I become this weak suddenly? My eyes wandered around the room to find where I was and I heaved a breath of relaxation when I found it was my room in Rachel’s house.
I recalled the incidents of the past which made me gasp and tears crept through my cheeks. My mom and Layla had given me the herbs which suppressed my heat besides my protesting and I lost consciousness after that.
“Honey,” Rachel exclaimed before running over to me and hugging me affectionately. “You’re finally awake,” she whispered and I realized that I was naked beneath the sheets which made me wonder if Klaus came to me when I was passed out.
I couldn’t feel any connection to his mind-link after I saw him with his wife in his bed. Maybe due to his proximity to Amber, our bond slackened or severed. Or probably he might want to reject me after getting his beautiful wife.
“Helen, Layla,” Rachel called them over. “Letty is awake. Please, bring her food.” She flashed me a wide smile and I couldn’t even reciprocate her smile.
“I want to…” I had to pause due to the lack of energy before continuing, “take a shower. I’m stinking,” my lips slanted into a small smile. Because of heavy sweating, I was smelling all the sweat and tiredness. I didn’t even know for how long I had passed out.
“Sure, you need a shower. We’re tired of helping you shower whilst you swooned,” Rachel mocked, pinching her nose and grimacing dramatically.
“He didn’t come…?” I fought against myself but couldn’t resist asking her that. Did he really care about me? He had already broken his promise. He left me alone during my heat so I had to take suppressors whilst for mates, heating was the most precious time which brought mates closer to each other.
Rachel’s smile vanished before she nodded her head disappointedly. “I’m sorry, Letty. He didn’t visit you but I heard that-”
“Letty, darling, how are you feeling?” Layla intervened in our conversation with a perplexed expression on her face. “Rachel, will you prepare a hot bath for Scarlett?”
Rachel stood up from my bedside and nodded at Layla before kissing my forehead and leaving us alone. Layla walked to me and sat beside me, took my hand in hers, and rubbed them gently before pecking a gentle kiss on my palm. Her eyes glistened with tears when she looked at me and caressed my hair lovingly.
I had never seen Layla being emotional, she was such a strong woman whom I always saw dealing with sick people who needed treatment. I grew up watching her helping our pack members who got injured during any battle.
“I’m sorry for what I did but I didn’t have any other choice, Letty. You were passed out for two days. Usually, the heat lasts three days. Since you had spent the first night and half-day with your mate,” she chomped her bottom lip when she realized that she had mentioned my jerk of a mate who was a liar and a cheater.
“I’m feeling too weak to even utter a word,” I said, offering her a small smile so that she won’t feel sorry for me.
She kissed my forehead before scowling. “You’re smelling full of sweat,” she giggled before adding, “it’s because of the heat and you didn’t eat or sip a drop of water for two days so it is taking a toll on you. It’s pretty normal, no need to worry.”
Layla tried her best to assure me but the thing that bothered me the most wasn’t my physical energy but the loss of the connection to my mate and his absence.
How could I still care about Klaus after what he did to me?
How could I be so stupid to even think about him or miss him?
“How could he be so reckless with my heart?” The voice in my head woke up and sympathized with me which I surprisingly liked though I hated taking sympathy from anyone.
“Turns out that he didn’t care at all. He cheated on me and I can’t even call him a cheater because he slept with his wife,” I shared my thoughts with my subconscious.
“Your mom is preparing delicious food for you. Let’s get you showered,” Layla drew my attention to her and my heart fluttered as the memories with Klaus in his bathtub flashed in my mind but soon my heart sank as his absence hit me hard.
“I’ll take shower by myself. I’m awake, now,” I said sadly, feeling shy to be naked in front of Layla or anyone else for that matter.
Layla chuckled before helping me to get up from my bed. “We have been seeing you naked for the last two days if that’s what makes you feel uncomfortable and well, I'm a doctor,” she shrugged and added, “I’m used to seeing naked women.”
We both burst out laughing as she finished and helped me to get into the hot bathtub. Rachel smiled before leaving us alone. “I’ll ask Sasha to set your clothes on your bed,” Rachel screamed outside of the room.
These ladies were so kind and full of love. I was so grateful to all these three ladies for being with me in my hard times and taking care of me when my mate kinda abandoned me.
“Why did he do that to me? Did I deserve that?” I didn’t even realize it when I uttered my questions aloud.
Layla’s pitiful eyes made me realize that she had heard me. She handed me a scrubber whilst she poured body wash on my body which made me miss Klaus more and I couldn’t bear the pain of separation.
“It’s not your mistake. If your mate cheats on you, it’s not your mistake. It’s his filthy behavior and unfaithfulness toward you. It’s his mistake not to realize that he has lost a diamond,” she explained, scrubbing my body.
“Ahh,” I growled out in pain when the scrubber brushed against my back.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she slowed her speed and became more gentle.
“Wait a minute,” I stopped her and stepped out of the bathtub, and strolled toward the mirror side to check my body because I felt like my back was wounded.
“What has happened to me?” I asked when I saw bruises on my back, neck, and belly as I swirled to check my body in the mirror.
Layla sighed tensely before stealing my gaze. “The sign of your mate’s proximity with another she-wolf. You get this kinda bruises and wounds when your mate…” her words trailed off and I closed my eyes to reminisce the scenario of his room before I left from there.
“Why should I get this punishment while he slept with someone else? It’s unfair,” I screamed in annoyance. “Does our lives revolve just around our mates?”
She shrugged and suppressed her lips, not having any answer to my questions. I wished I could talk to the Moon Goddess and ask her why she did that to me.
Why did she mate me with a mate who was betrothed to someone else?
Why did she create such heats just for she-wolves?
Why did she give such punishment to us when our mate cheated on us?
Was it my mistake that he chose another woman over me?
Who am I? A second choice to my mate? Or a heartless creature, whom they kept hurting assuming that I didn’t have a heart so I didn’t get hurt…?
I couldn’t afford to go again into the bathtub, the memories of our bodies entangled with each other haunted me. “I’ll take a shower, you may leave,” I said and stood under the shower and turned the shower cold.
I heard the footsteps and presumed that she had left so I sat on the floor, downing my head on my knees and my hands circled my knees. The cold water burned my skin, the bruises hurting more with each drop of water cascading my skin. My eyes shed tears due to the heavy pain in my heart which was more than my body was feeling.
Torturing myself under the water for about an hour, I stood up from the floor and dried myself up before stepping outside of the bathroom.
“Get dressed, fast. We’re leaving this pathetic pack,” my mom uttered as she saw me stepping out holding my packed bag in her hand.
Nodding my head in approval, I got dressed and descended the stairs. I came to this pack when my family abandoned me and I was leaving this pack when my mate abandoned me.
Perhaps abandonment was my destiny.
“We should fight for what belongs to us, we would be a coward if we leave like this,” the voice in my head made me question my decision.