Two weeks later
The pack
Chhaya is finally on the mend; it has taken some time, but the spark of her old self is shining through again. Oh, Saturn. My deep love for her runs wild. I've been keeping a watchful eye from a distance, ensuring she's okay. It's clear to me that she doesn't have feelings for that bear freak, and the magnetic pull between us is undeniable. Yet, there's a dark cloud hanging over us. I can't shake the feeling that I'm not safe, and I'll never be the right choice for her.
The atmosphere in the pack is filled with tension, a horribly awkward fight between silence and conflict. Conversations are barely whispers, and the air is electric with unspoken worries. Every wolf can sense it. They know there are secrets lurking just beneath the surface. My dirty feelings. Secrets that I carry alone, heavy as a marble rock. Deep like the ocean. They can feel my bond with Satran; she is my mate. It sends my wolf into a frenzy with a mix of longing and dread that makes me want to scream.
"You tore this apart," she said, her words ringing in my ears like the sound of squirrel claws scaling a tree.
"Excuse me?" I felt my eyebrow raise and my arms cross over my chest spontaneously.
"You know exactly what I said," she replied.
Chhaya was right. She had a point. It was my feelings that were ripping the pack apart.
"And what did I do?" I asked, trying to deflect.
"Can you stop pretending that you don't love her? You know you protected her."
Was it time to tell the truth? Would this end things between us? It would. She wouldn't just overlook the fact that I have a mate. Who would?
"She's my mate." The words roll off my tongue, and I know she is hurt instantly.
"And you knew from the moment you first saw her?"
I realize this is more of a statement than a question. She's too smart.
"Yes."
"Why lie?"
"Because I love you, Chhaya," I yell, frustration boiling over from the whole ordeal.
"Not enough, obviously."
I feel my face turning red with anger. "You know I can't help having a mate. We all do!"
"Well, you could have told the truth instead of leading me on." I watch as a tear falls down her cheek, and I feel so guilty, like the worst person in the world.