Chapter 3 We're Is My Groom

CLAIRE

The ceremony ended over an hour ago and there still wasn't any sign of my husband. There's something so sexy about calling Xavier my husband. "Mine" I sigh dreamily, pushing away from the window to admire how beautiful I look in my ceremonial dress once again.

Another hour passed by and there was still no sign of Xavier. This time I was starting to get worried, so I decided to look for him instead. I slipped out of our bedroom, like a teenager sneaking out to attend a college party or something.

The hallway light was dimmed with no sign of anyone. Well, that was until I got into the second hallway, which led to the outside balcony and, just a few feet away from where I stood, I saw my mate, except that he wasn't alone. There's a lady beside him and they both seemed engaged in a conversation, each of their fingers wrapped around a bottle of champagne.

Xavier must have said something funny because the woman threw her head back and laughed, casually dropping her hand on his shoulder. My heart clenched at the scene before me. I didn't like it one bit, and I'm left to wonder what was so important that they couldn't postpone the conversation until tomorrow instead of opting to make me wait for two hours, wondering where he was.

There must be a logical explanation for this, I thought to myself as I made my way towards them. The lady was the first one to spot me and by then, I was already behind Xavier. Her smile vanished almost immediately; her change of mood went unnoticed by my husband because he turned around, following the direction of her gaze.

"Xavier..." I breathed, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I was so worried, I thought something had happened to you." He untangled my hands from his waist, pushing me back and creating some distance between us.

Confused and feeling rejected by his action, I turned towards his companion instead. "Hi, I'm Claire, I didn't see you at the ceremony. "Anyway, it's nice meeting you." I politely stretched my hand forward for a handshake.

To my dismay, she hissed, straightening up to her full height. "Let's call it a night Xavier, I'll be seeing you tomorrow." She leaned forward, placing a butterfly kiss on his right cheek before walking away.

"What was that all about?" I asked, once she was out of earshot.

"What do you want?" he demanded, both his tone of voice and expression catching me off guard. Gone was the softness in his eyes when he looked at me. Now they've been shielded away and replaced by a sharp, angry, distrustful look.

"Did you hear me, Xavier? I was worried about you. After the ceremony, you disappeared for two hours and I came here to find you chit-chatting with some lady." I reached for his hands, pressing them against my chest. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

He snatched back his hands, like I had burned them or something. "Looks like you want to spend the night here, or else you won't come looking for me when I give you the entire room." He hissed, walking away.

I ran after him, feeling more confused by each passing second. He didn't stop until we reached our bedroom and I didn't stop either. I wanted answers. I wanted to know where the change of attitude came from. Something must have happened because this Xavier right here isn't the same Xavier I knew a week ago.

"It's our wedding night! What was I supposed to do? You should have been here with me! Not some other girl! And why are you even with her? What was so important that you had to keep me waiting for two hours? I thought we meant more to each other than that."

There was a pause between us, but then he threw his head back and laughed, like I said something funny. "That's where you are wrong, Claire, you mean absolutely nothing to me." In fact, I hate you so much I can't stand seeing your face, so if you know what's good for you, you will leave me hell alone." He sneered, his eyes filled with so much anger that it left me feeling hurt and confused.

I staggered back, he might have as well slapped me across the face. Tears rolled down my face and I angrily shook them away. "You hate me? "No, Xavier...you don't hate me, I'm Claire...your Claire...that's not possible." My voice quivered as I struggled to find the right words to say.

He glared at me, leaning forward to directly stare into my face. "I hate you and your people so much, Claire Fair-Moon, and by the time I'm done with you all, your world will burn with my fury." He grabbed by wrist roughly, with no amount of gentleness as he dragged me out of the room, back to the balcony.

"Xavier, please let's talk about this." I pleaded as he threw me out. Despite my confusion, I wanted to reach out to him. I didn't want to believe everything he was telling me, something must have happened.

Ignoring my pleas, he shut the door in my face and a few seconds later, I heard the lock fall into place. The breeze from the balcony was so strong, indicating that rain was about to fall. I knocked countlessly on the door, begging him to open the door, pleading with him to let us talk about it, but it all fell on deaf ears.

The way he looks at me and speaks to me breaks my heart. I didn't want to think about him hating me. How could he with the way he kissed me, the way he winked at me from across the room tonight as I walked down the aisle towards him. The way his fangs graze my neck, right before he claims me, the gentle look in his eyes when he looks at me.

The rain started. It was as if the heavy was angry along with him and there was nothing to shelter me from the angry downpour, so I stood there hoping that my husband wouldn't have the heart to leave me out there, that he couldn't bear to see me in pain and would come running any second from now but that never happened.

It was dawn and the servants were awake. I couldn't stand or move from where I sat, crawled up against the door, with my knees on my chest and my arms wrapped protectively around myself as my body shook violently from the cold. Despite him leaving him out here in the rain, a part of me still refused to believe what was happening. Xavier would never treat me this way. It just doesn't make sense.

When the door opened, I forced myself to my feet, thinking it was Xavier, but to my disappointment, it was a maid. "Oh goddess! Luna, what are you doing out in the rain? "Please come in," the maid said, a horrified expression on her face. "You're shaking so much, did someone accidentally lock you out?"

I looked at her, her concern making me feel worse. "I'm okay really, is Xavier awake?" I tried walking but fell back. Fortunately, before I could make it to the floor, the servant girl caught me midway.

"Alpha left with Miss Thalia for their early morning exercise, here...let me help you to the bedroom." I stopped protesting and let her guide me back to the master's bedroom, all the while my mind was putting two and two together.

No doubt that Thalia might be the name of the lady from last night and, from the look of things, she shares a close relationship with my mate. I didn't like it, it hurts to even think about when it should have been both of us doing things together. Instead, he prefers Thalia.

Tears rolled down my face and I quickly wiped them away, not wanting the maid to see them. The last thing I wanted was to be a topic of conversation for some bored, gossipy servants. I adjusted the blanket she wrapped around my body, muttering a thankful to her under my breath before I was overtaken by sneezes.

"Give me a few minutes, Luna, I'll make some hot chocolate tea and hopefully see some cold medicine. "You badly need it." After she left, I removed the blanket from my shoulder and left the bedroom in hopes of bumping into Xavier and his exercise partner.

I met them on the bottom floor and, once again, her whole demeanor changed as soon as she saw me. Well, the feeling was mutual. I thought focusing my attention on my mate, who seemed to be avoiding my gaze. The rejection stings and not knowing what I did to warrant this treatment from him hurts more.

I hurried towards him, instant regret as I collapsed on the floor, hitting my head against the marble floor. Some of the servants who witnessed the fall let out a terrifying gasp, but the best part of all was Xavier rushing to my side and picking me up from the floor. He carried me back to our bedroom in a bridal style.

The maid arrived just in time with the cold medicine and hot chocolate. Silently, Xavier made sure I took it, his movements were silent and angry, not even looking at me once. After I finished drinking up the hot chocolate, he asked the maid to help me out of my clothes while he stood back.

While that was done, he instructed her to get me another cup of hot chocolate and then turn to leave, but I couldn't let him, so I grabbed his hand, stopping him from leaving. "Xavier, please...did I do something wrong?" My voice cracked with the force of emotion coursing through my veins.

Just like before, he snatched back his hand, the action cutting me deeper than a knife. "I meant every word I said to you Claire, I really do hate you; This marriage will be political and in name only, just as it was intended from the beginning." And just like that, he ripped my heart out of my chest and stormed on it...

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TBC