Chapter 2

The music was turned off, and I suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention. They greeted me with laughter and directed their attention to the bouquet of flowers I was holding.

"Hey, don't call Tyler your boyfriend not to talk of mate! He finally got to fvck you. There was nothing else he needed from you. Don't think he has loved you all this while? Even if you are his mate, he will reject you." Someone jeered from behind me, and everyone burst into a scornful laugh, except Jaxon. 

"He has dumped you for the Beta's daughter." Another voice chipped in, and my heart sank into my belly as fear engulfed me.

My legs gave out beneath me as tears welled up in my eyes. The shame and pain were almost too much to bear, and I couldn't bring myself to look at them.

This couldn't be happening. It had to be some kind of sick joke.

It started with Tyler's surprise birthday party that I hadn't been invited to. And then, when I referred to him as my "mate," Jaxon's expression was one of shock and pity, as if he couldn't believe I didn't know the truth.

I was completely lost.

As I stood there, bewildered and hurt, I overheard someone sneering at me, saying that I was foolish for ever thinking Tyler could be interested in me.

The whole situation was a nightmare.

"Keep that flower aside, or he will throw it in your face! " A lady said from behind with a mockery laugh and smack on my head. 

I never cared to check on who it was or why she hit my head. I can't bear seeing those mockery looks again. I can't bear the berating worde and how they treat me like a fool.

With a frantic sprint, I bolted up the stairs, ascending each step with purpose towards Tyler's room. I needed to locate him and extract the truth from his lips. Despite the persistent echoes of his horrible friends' jeers that lingered in my mind and fractured my spirit, I refused to believe their taunts were genuine.

The mere indication that Tyler was hosting a birthday celebration without inviting me only served to strengthen their allegations. Could it be possible? 

Oh, please, no! 

I held back my tears, fervently hoping it was a lie. The thought of it alone sent vibrations through my body, even my wolf shared in the fear.

Finally, I arrived at his door, but inexplicably, I struggled to push it open. I naturally barged in without knocking, but now, I lacked the strength to turn the knob. 

My eyes fell on the flower in my hand, and a cruel reminder of the words his cohorts had spoken about it crossed my mind.

 The pain was so intense that I wept uncontrollably.

As I hesitantly tapped on the door, a strange voice flowed from the room, and I could no longer wait. I pushed the door wide open, desperate to divulge the truth.

In utter disbelief, I stood frozen, my eyes widening as I watched the shocking scene unfolding before me. 

A lump formed in my throat and my heart skipped a beat as my mind struggled to comprehend what was happening. 

Their bodies were entwined in a passionate embrace, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist and her fingers tangled in his hair. 

They were so close to each other that it seemed like they were one entity, and the sound of their moans and groans cut through me like a thousand knives. 

Tears streamed down my face as I witnessed him exploring every inch of her body, his hand caressing her curves and her backside.

 My heart felt like it was being crushed as I struggled to hold back a sob, biting down on my lip and clutching the bouquet of flowers tightly in my hand. I dropped the flowers right there.

With tears streaming down my face, I sprinted away as fast as I could, heedless of the noise my pounding footsteps might make. The stairs blurred in my vision, causing me to stub my toe repeatedly, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony I felt inside. I just wanted to escape to the safety of my own bed, where I could hide from the harsh reality that had slapped me in the face.

The girl with Tyler was a stranger to me, and I couldn't shake the nagging question of who she was and how she had stolen him from me so easily. 

What had she done that I hadn't? 

The sight of them kissing so passionately in that room confirmed my worst fears. 

They were lost in each other, oblivious to my presence, and their moans echoed in my mind like a taunting reminder of what I had lost. 

The urge to faint or disappear was overwhelming, and I wished more than anything that it was all just a bad dream.

At this moment, I deeply regretted my decision to surprise him with a visit. 

Little did I know that the man I loved and had given my whole heart to was already entangled with another woman.

The shock of this realization cut into my soul like a knife.

As I made my way through the hallway and descended the stairs, the loud and rapid clack of my heels on the tiled floor caught the attention of Tyler's friends, who were in the mood for a lively party. Their eyes fixed on me, and some began to snicker and whisper to each other, their words dripping with sarcasm and amusement.

Holy shit!

What coerced me to come to this place? Despite my tears continually flowing, I ignored them and hastily made my way towards the exit. I need to depart immediately before I completely fall apart.

As I arrived at the door, Jaxon suddenly grabbed my hand, halting my movement and causing me to lose my footing. I twisted around and stumbled, falling into his arms.

"Tell me, what went down?" he asked, and I frantically disentangled myself from his grasp, struggling to release my hand.

I couldn't bring myself to look up, not at him or anyone else. They were all privy to the situation. Tyler, my mate, was upstairs with another woman.

Why bother asking what occurred?

"Jaxon, please release me! Let me go!" I screamed, tears clouding my sight.

"You saw him with her, didn't you? But I attempted to prevent you... I-"

"Let me go!" I shouted at him in a hoarse voice, and the rest cackled.

"I never knew she had such huge expectations for the handsome Alpha. I wonder what he did to her?" someone interjected, shattering my heart even more.

"Lily, please try to remain calm. I have an explanation for everything," Jaxon implored.

But I couldn't contain my frustration any longer. "Jaxon, why must you act so foolishly and provoke me? How could you have kept this from me all along?" My words faltered as my emotions ran high.

The memory of Tyler's betrayal replayed in my mind, causing an intense ache in my chest. I never would have expected this from him.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed on the staircase, and Jaxon released his grip on me and quickly retreated, leaving me standing there alone with my thoughts.

My eyes shot up to the staircase, where I caught sight of his hand in hand with her, descending the steps with slow and measured strides. My attention was fixated on him, and I couldn't budge as my heart pounded relentlessly in my chest.

As they descended to the sitting room, he approached me, closing the gap to just a few inches. 

"Lily?" he exclaimed, flashing me one of those toothy grins that sent me reeling.

But his expression quickly soured as he demanded answers from me. 

"What are you doing here? And when did you return? Why didn't you tell me?

His tone became frosty, and his smile vanished without a trace.

"So let me get this straight, you wanted me to give you a heads up before I arrived so that you could put on a fake act of innocence and deny any involvement with her, right? You needed that heads up so you could showcase your insincere demeanour!" 

I exclaimed, struggling to maintain composure and not break down in front of the girl standing next to him. I couldn't bring myself to examine her appearance closely, and I doubted I ever would summon the courage to do so.

"What's the matter? What exactly are you trying to say?" He mocked with a derisive smirk, causing my gaze to waver.

My eyes were wet with tears as I shouted, "You can't fool me with your feeble excuses! I saw everything you were up to in that room of yours." You know exactly what I'm referring to, so don't even bother trying to deceive me.

He responded bluntly, devoid of any emotion, "Lily, she is my second mate."