Chapter 9 IX

"Did he like your gift?" Charlotte asks while I eat my pancakes.

"I don't know if he liked it or not."

"Why?" Charlotte asks, and I tell her what happened when I gave him the gift.

"I think he liked it but was too proud to tell you."

"You really think so?"

Charlotte is about to reply but stopped when we hear laughter coming from the living room. We don't have to wait long to see who it is.

Theo and Scarlett are dripping with sweat and laughing about something Scarlett said. They must have gone running in human form. I watch as my mate's face brightens up while he's talking to Scarlett. This isn't the first time she made him smile, but it hurts as much as the first time. He takes two bottles of water out of the fridge and hands one to Scarlett.

"Thank you," Scarlett says and takes her time to collect the water from Theo 's hand. She made sure all her fingers touched his. I can't believe this woman.

"You're welcome."

"So, I'll see you later after I shower," she says, batting her eyelashes and makes sure to prolong the word shower. Is she trying to invite Theo to shower with her? The nerve this woman has. I can feel Eva getting angrier the more this woman stands here and throws herself at our mate.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting for you in my office," Theo says, and they walk out of the kitchen.

The whole time they were here, they acted like Charlotte and I were invisible. This is beyond embarrassing. It's humiliating. The fact that I can't do anything about it makes me angry. I didn't even know I'd fisted my hand until I feel Charlotte 's hands grab mine. I can feel myself on the verge of tears, so I quickly run out of the kitchen and into my room. I cry too much because of him. I'm starting to hate my mate with all the pain he keeps causing me.

***

Later in the day, while walking around the territory. Scarlett walks up to me and pulls me into a hug. Why is she hugging me?

"I want to say goodbye. I know you don't like my presence here, and that's fine. You'll be gone soon, and then I'll take your place," she says, whispering into my ears. I remove myself from her arms. What is wrong with her?

"I don't know why you're telling me this."

"I'm telling you this because I might be saying goodbye now, but I'll be back."

"And how is that any of my business?"

"Oh, it's your business because you might be his destined mate, but I will be his chosen mate. Goodbye again," she says and walks away from me.

She knew I was his mate all along. It appears that she knows the state of my relationship with Theo . It makes me wonder if things will ever change between Theo and me.

***

The next couple of days, I ignore Theo like he's the plague. I don't want to speak to him or give him a chance to say something that could hurt my feelings. I expect him to shout at me for my behavior during his birthday party, but surprisingly he doesn't. He was too busy spending the next day with Scarlett to remember how much I embarrassed him.

I'm stepping out of the house to meet Charlotte when I bump into him. I walk past him like I don't see him, but he stops me.

"Hey," he says, grabbing my arm to stop me.

"Yes," I say, hoping he won't make me cry today.

"Have you been avoiding me?"

"No, I haven't," I lie through my teeth. I avoid eye contact with him and try to steady my heartbeat. I can't have my heart giving me away.

"That's a lie; I can hear your heartbeat increase."

"I don't know why my heartbeat increased, but I'm not lying."

"Really, then look at me and tell me you aren't avoiding me."

"I don't think I need to do that. Why would you think I'm avoiding you?" I say, trying to change the topic.

"Because I barely saw you all week."

"We hardly see each other regularly."

"Yeah, but this week was more than normal."

"Really? I don't think so."

"Are you angry with me?" he asks out of the blue. Yes, I am because you keep hurting my feelings, I wish to say, but I lie again.

"No, why would I?"

"Because my Beta seems to think so."

"Really? Why would he think I'm angry with you?" I keep pretending I don't have a clue as to where he's getting all these ideas.

"I think Charlotte told him, and if Charlotte did, you must have told her, so why are you angry with me?"

He seems to care about the fact that I'm angry at him and have been avoiding him. I didn't think he cared about me at all; maybe I was wrong after all.

"Oh," I say because I don't know if I should tell him or not.

"So, what is it?"

I'm about to speak, but someone cuts me off.

"Alpha King, a man claiming to be a member of Alpha Scarlett pack is at our northern border, a warrior says behind me. The mention of her name makes my blood boil. I hate that woman with every fiber in my body.

"Why didn't you mind link me?" Theo asks, annoyed that the warrior left his post.

"I tried my King, but you blocked off the connection."

"Oh, that's true," Theo must have blocked off his mind link connection to concentrate on our conversation. I'm shocked he's so focused on me today. "You may go back to your post; I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, my King," the warrior says and walks away.

"You were saying," Theo says, and it takes me a minute to come back from killing Scarlett in my head.

"I was saying..."

"You're jealous," he cuts me off before I can speak.

"What?" I ask, confused as to what gave that away.

"You're angry with me because you're jealous of Scarlett. I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"No, I'm not!" How does he know I'm jealous of Scarlett? I didn't even say anything.

"Yes, you are. Don't you have any shame?"

"Shame?" I asked, confused with what shame has to do with being jealous.

"Yes, shame. Don't you have any shame for yourself? You're jealous of a woman being with your mate who wants nothing to do with you. Isn't that pathetic?" he asks, shocking me with his cruel words.

He's intentionally making me feel worse about being jealous of another woman. What kind of mate says these types of things? He's supposed to tell me there's nothing to worry. Instead he calls me pathetic.

"Why would you say something like that?" I ask, feeling my voice shake. I can feel the tears building in my eyes, but I hold them in. It's bad enough Scarlett believes he'll make her his Queen and now this.

"Because if you've forgotten your place. You're my destined mate, but you will never be my chosen mate," he says, venom dripping with every word.

Scarlett was right, she's his chosen mate. And I'm only his destined mate. Theo will never want to be with me, and it's just a matter of time before he finds a way to dispose of me. I can't hold the tears any longer, so I quickly run away from him. I can't spend another second close to him. I wish I didn't have a mate.