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CHAPTER 2 Endless Betrayal

Willow's POV

I clenched the handkerchief in my hand as I stared at the spot for a long time after the mystery man had disappeared back inside, my mind racing with questions about his possible identity.

Who was he? Was he a member of one of the visiting packs or was he from my own?

My gaze fell to the material that I held in my hand and I ran my fingers over it appreciatively. It was obviously new and had never been used, and the material was exquisitely soft to the touch.

With a sigh, I wrapped it around the last remaining wound on my knee that seemed to refuse to want to heal. It did nothing to heal it any quicker or reduce the pain I felt in any way, but somehow, that simple act of kindness had magically dispelled the melancholy in my heart. The thought that someone cared at least a little to offer me this handkerchief was like a drug, chasing away the cloud of despair and hopelessness that had settled over me only moments before.

I no longer felt embarrassed or sad, and the whole incident between Lila and I seemed as though it had happened many years ago, instead of only minutes beforehand. A sense of peace settled over me and the stars above me in the night sky suddenly seemed a little brighter than they had before.

I took a deep breath to settle the rest of my emotions and began to prepare myself to appear in front of the guests inside again. After all, I refused to let anyone think that I had run away to hide because I had been hurt or jealous about my mate and his lovers actions at my own birthday party.

I had to show my face inside again, even if no one was expecting me to.

As I walked down the long corridor to rejoin the festivities, I noticed Mason standing off to one side with a handful of delicate roses held in his hand. I peered at the bouquet as I hesitated, before deciding to approach the man who was casually rearranging his tie with his free hand.

"Mason?" I asked timidly, "I thought you hadn't bothered to get me a gift." I asked as the treacherous flame of hope dared to ignite in my heart once more.

"Gift?" Mason scowled in disgust before the realization hit him and his gaze travelled to the bouquet in his hand, before returning to my face. A sneer spread slowly across his mouth as his expression turned sour, "You don't really think that this gift is for you, do you?" He asked incredulously.

Deep down I knew that the bouquet wasn't for me. I had never been a priority for him in the past so why would he start now? I kicked myself for being stupid enough to even ask, humiliating myself in front of him yet again.

"I thought you would have been able to restrain yourself from taking your jealousy out on Lila, but it seem that I was mistaken. Instead you have only gotten more excessive with your spiteful retaliations. Lila is willing to forgive you this time, but I want to make one thing clear: I do not expect there to be a 'next time'. Do you understand?"

"It wasn't me that started anything." I hissed through clenched teeth as my fists curled into angry balls at my side.

Mason didn't even spare me a glance as he pulled a heart shaped box covered in red velvet from the drawer and smoothed down his jacket.

Not even that beautiful heart-shaped box was for me. It was just another thing to add to the growing list of ways that he had successfully humiliated me.

He looked down at his luxurious watch that sat elegantly on his wrist before finally raising his cold gaze to glare at me with irritation. "Willow I'm warning you now, do not attack my girlfriend again or there will be consequences."

"Your girlfriend?!" I scoffed, "Are you really that comfortable saying such heartless things to your fated mate?"

"Listen, I can't help it if you've fallen for me. I'm sorry. I have no interest in you at all. If things are tough for you then there's nothing I can do. Taking it out on Lila won't change anything between us."

A rage filled my heart as I glared at him angrily. "I already told you, I didn't push Lila down the stairs!" I hissed furiously through gritted teeth.

The anger that burned in Mason's face at this moment honestly scared me. I had never seen him this furious before and it took everything in me to stand my ground in front of him. "You expect me to believe that Lila lied to me?"

Mason moved towards me ominously, his broad frame and well muscled figure was incredibly intimidating next to my own small but wiry frame. He glared fiercely into the depths of my soul and slammed his hands against the wall on either side of my face causing me to instinctively raise my own hands in defence.

I hadn't thought for a minute that I would ever be confronted with the prospect of a physical fight with someone who was supposed to cherish me above all others.

"Did you know that Liila is weaker than most wolves? If she isn't careful, she can easily be injured far more seriously from something that would be nothing to us! What if she had been killed when you pushed her? Would you have been able to live with yourself if she had been killed in that fall? Do you think I would let you walk around here safely?!" He roared furiously into my face.

"Am I such a disgusting person to you as your fated mate?" I screamed back, snorting derisively at Mason's stupidity and the ease in which he believed a scheming woman like Lila, "I didn't push Lila, she threw herself on me so that we would fall down the stairs. Her sole purpose here tonight was to humiliate me, even though I have kept well away from her and had no intention to hurt her despite what she is doing to us!"

"Us?" Mason snorted in disgust, "There is no us, you're delusional. I've never met anyone as vicious and two faced as you are!"

Mason's anger got the better of him as he took hold of my arm and squeezed it so hard underneath his tight grip that I swear I could hear my bones crack under the pressure, but I refused to scream and give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had hurt me. I held his gaze stubbornly with a confidence that I didn't entirely feel.

He slammed my arm against the wall and growled furiously, his wolf glinting in his irises as if to warn me, before he straightened up suddenly, collected the velvet box and the roses from the table and made his way outside as if nothing had happened.

I clenched my fingers to my palm, allowing the nails to dig into the soft flesh of my palm, the sharp burst of pain helping to ground me and allow me to see that I was still alive.

Even though I was forced to return to the ridiculous farce that was the banquet, my pale face and tight smile ensured that nobody bothered me too much. I still had my pride and that was what was important in the whole ugly scenario. A Luna would never let anybody see her as weak.

Once the banquet was finally over, I breathed a sigh of relief, the exhaustion I felt in my bones was in dire need of being relieved, and all I wanted to do now was to soak in a nice warm bath before curling up in my bed. But the sound that drifted through the air from the secluded corner made me freeze mid stride as a wave of cold realization washed over me.

"Oh Mason...fuck baby...yes...right there..."

"you like that baby? I want to hear you scream my name.."

"Fuuuuuuck yes! Mason fuck me harder..I want all of you..."

I stood motionless as I turned the corner and watched silently as Mason and Lila went at it in the middle of the hallway, their clothes discarded carelessly wherever they fell as their bodies wrapped around one another, grinding and moving against one another.

The only sound that could be heard now was the wet noises of their passionate kisses and the moans from each one of them as he buried himself inside her over and over again. After everything they had done, the two of them made love in full view of anyone passing, they didn't even try to hide it. To them, it really didn't matter if I existed or not, this party was meaningless to them, it was just another chance to humiliate me.

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