Chapter 2 Two

Raw shock paralyzed me, freezing every muscle as this cruel joke hit me square in the chest. My mate-the one person the universe crafted to love me right-was none other than my husband's brother.

Could I be any more of a walking disaster?

My mate's dark, intense eyes traced every inch of me, and I felt completely naked, as though he could see straight into my soul.

This bond would be the death of me. Byron already hated me enough to make my life a living hell. Now, adding this bond with his brother would be a nightmare.

From the scraps of information I'd overheard about the Campbell brothers, Byron would ruin me.

My mate's gaze burned into me. It was intense and shameless. He watched me like I was the only one in the room, as if every inch of my skin was on display for his inspection. It was maddening how he made me feel exposed yet desired.

"What the hell are you doing here, Alexander?" Jacob, my father-in-law, barked, storming across the room toward his son. But before he could reach him, his wife rushed ahead, warmly embraced her son, and smothered his face with kisses.

Byron tried to play it cool, but the flush creeping up his neck and the vein throbbing on his forehead told a different story. He couldn't hide the rage. The more he tried to mask his anger, the more obvious it became. He acted like his brother's presence had so much power over him.

Alex, however, looked like he couldn't care less about the cold glares from his father and Byron. He remained calm as his focus locked on me as if no one else in the room mattered.

Fear clamped around my throat, and I quickly dropped my head, praying I could escape his gaze. But it was useless. I needed to leave before things went from bad to worse.

My fingers traced the diamond ring on my finger, a cursed symbol of my chains, to Byron. As much as my heart screamed to run to my mate, I was still married to the man who treated me like shit. And even if Byron finally handed over the divorce papers, there was no way he'd just let me walk away with our son. Not without a fight.

Grandma Alice pulled Alex into a tight hug. "What a pleasant surprise. I would've chased you to the grave if you hadn't honored my invitation."

Alex chuckled, finally tearing his gaze away from me. "You've got decades left, Grandma. Trust me, I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world."

The partygoers resumed their chatter, turning their attention away from the family reunion. It was a small, private gathering, so there wasn't much risk of our awkwardness spilling into the public. But even so, I couldn't stay. I needed to get out of here before something terrible happened.

I walked to the mini-living room and tried to pull my thoughts together. My head felt like it would explode.

Who could I even talk to about this mess? My family? Yeah, right. My father had always been a spineless puppet, letting my mother ruin his life. My sister was only eighteen, too naïve to understand anything, and my brother was just as greedy as my mother. Both of them spent more time bragging about my marriage to Byron Campbell than they did caring about my actual well-being. Like hitching me to that monster was the greatest trophy they could ever show off.

The thought of running away with my baby and vanishing while Byron was distracted by his brother crossed my mind more than once. But who was I kidding? Even if I made it to the estate gates, I'd get caught before touching the handle.

And let's say, by some miracle, I did sneak out-Valen was Byron's son. How the hell could I ever pull off an escape with a child who Byron would hunt down in a second? The Campbells owned everything. I wouldn't make it past the first town without being dragged back.

The thought twisted my stomach into knots. Trapped, I sat there, desperately trying to plan my next move. The bond with Alex felt like a vice around my heart, squeezing tighter every second, but I couldn't give in.

As much as it tore me apart, I had to stay away from Alex. Valen came first. I couldn't let Kiara, with her selfish, shallow ways, raise my son. She would ruin him. I felt it deep in my bones.

I was convincing myself to stay strong when a presence filled the room, knocking the air from my lungs. My mate had followed me, and the intensity of the bond hit me like a shockwave and made me shiver.

We were alone.

His footsteps echoed softly behind me and sent a jolt of panic through my chest. My internal fire alarm blared, telling me to run, yet my body betrayed me and stayed rooted to the spot like a damn statue.

"Look at me," his deep voice rumbled. The sound vibrated through my thighs and settled in a way that made me hate myself.

A low chuckle rumbled from him, dripping with confidence. His footsteps grew louder and closer until the warmth of his breath danced along the side of my neck, and my skin exploded in goosebumps, betraying every bit of logic left in me.

"Why are you running from me, mate?"

Oh shit, shit, shit...

"Please, just leave me alone," I stammered, and my voice trembled. "I don't want to talk to you."

He spun me around gently. His eyes bore into mine with a depth that made me want to run and, at the same time, fall into his arms. No one had ever looked at me like this before.

"It's you," he whispered. "It's always been you."

Confusion clouded my mind. What did he mean by that? But before I could ask, Byron's voice cut through the air.

"Alexis!"

His voice snapped me out of the trance I'd fallen into. Like a scared child, I ran toward him, nearly stumbling hastily. Byron caught me, pulled me close, and then did what I dreaded most.

He kissed me.

My wolf recoiled in disgust. Every fiber of my being screamed in protest at having another man touching me, especially as my true mate stood just a few feet away.

I'd tried getting Byron to notice me again and show affection for five years. He was the same person who saw me at the party my mother had forced me to attend five years ago.

That night, he was so kind to me, knowing that being at the Campbell party made me extremely nervous. We had too much to drink and ended up in bed. That was my first walk of shame, resulting in my son.

Every kindness he showed that night transformed into raw hate, to the point that he denied ever even seeing me. By some miracle, he agreed to marry me despite his hatred for me, but now, his sudden display of affection felt like a mockery.

His fingers brushed my arm. After years of craving his attention, he chose to show it tonight-the night I met my mate.

How cliche.

"Are you alright, honey?" he asked, loud enough for his brother to hear. His lover stood behind him, glaring daggers at me. I feared her hatred would burn a hole through me.

Byron pulled me even closer as though to make a point. "I see you've met my lovely wife," he said to his brother with a smug grin plastered on his face. "I sent you a wedding invite, but you ignored it. Alexis and I are happily married and blessed with a four-year-old son."

The shock on Alex's face was raw. His eyes flickered between us, trying to make sense of it all. I begged him with my eyes to remain silent. I needed to keep my bond with him a secret because if Byron found out, he would kill me-or worse, take Valen from me forever.

"I was busy," Alex finally said. His tone was calm but edged with something darker. His voice was like Byron's, but it had a raw quality, making my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

"Congratulations, but I feel sorry for your wife. She's stuck with a psycho. Do you even love her?"

Byron laughed, but I could feel the rage boiling beneath the surface. His grip on my wrist tightened so much that I knew it was leaving a bruise.

"That's rich, coming from you, the family's black sheep," Byron sneered. "At least I'm married, responsible, and accepted by society. I'm the pack's future alpha. After all these years, you've returned to cause trouble?"

Alex smirked as if his brother's words didn't get to him. "I asked if your wife loves you. I see disgust in her eyes. You even came to Grandma's party with your lover."

I couldn't take it anymore. My body was going to collapse if I didn't leave. "I need to use the restroom," I muttered, pulling free from Byron's grasp and rushing toward the door. My steps quickened as I reached the front entrance, pulling it open and gasping as though I'd been suffocating all this time.