Chapter 6
1488 Words
** Aria’s POV **
I hold my breath as I listen to the boisterous conversation.
“Show us the video already, Cole!”
“Come on, man, don’t be stingy.”
Cole snorts a laugh. “Relax, it’s just p**n. Haven’t you virgins ever seen a skin flick before?”
The sounds of moans fill the room again.
“Wait, isn’t that the Korean one? Damn, I can’t believe our Luna fell for that.”
“Moons, no wonder our Alpha is bored. I bet she’s about as exciting as a dead fish in bed,” Cole laughs. “We all know she doesn’t compare to our bonus Luna.”
Each word pierces me like shrapnel from a grenade. So this was their game… all of them snickering behind my back while Thorne played the doting mate.
I can’t believe they all knew. They even call Sierra their “bonus Luna” why are they all doing this?
I dare to peek around the doorframe and I spot Thorne lounging on the couch, swirling a dark brown liquid in his glass without a word to stop them mocking me. I bite the inside of my cheeks as Sierra’s unmistakable laughter floats across the room. When did she get here? Did she sneak in through the back door?
She makes a beeline for Thorne, straddling his lap and running her hands over his chest. “Admit it, Alpha. I’m way better than her, aren’t I?” she purrs.
Thorne’s hand goes to her hip, pulling her closer rather than pushing her away.
The surveillance footage had been enough, but this, seeing him with her in real-time feels like my heart is being carved out beat by beat.
White-hot rage overwhelms me, and I can’t contain it a second longer. No longer caring about appearances, I burst into the room.
“What the f**k are you doing?!” I scream, my voice shaking with rage.
The taunting chatter cuts off like someone flipped a switch, and every head turns towards me, their faces frozen in horrified realisation.
Thorne grabs Sierra’s wrist with a vice-like grip and throws her to the ground with a brutal shove. She lands in a heap, pain clear on her face as she looks up at me with undisguised hatred.
“Spare your begging. My mother’s word is final,” he spits at her. “And let’s not forget how you poisoned Lucas’ mind and shattered my mate’s heart. Consider yourself lucky I haven’t taught you a proper lesson yet.”
Thorne’s voice sounds like it could freeze hell; it’s so cold.
I should tell him to drop the act. Tell him that I know everything, but his sudden violence towards Sierra is a stark reminder that I need to play dumb if I stand a chance of ever getting out here.
“How dare you disrespect our Luna by trying to seduce her mate and mess with her son!” someone hollers from behind me.
“You’re disgusting, Sierra, you deserve the alpha’s wrath.”
“Please don’t let this w***e upset you, Luna.”
“Thorne would burn the world before he let anyone try to come between the two of you.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at the fake support in the room.
Cole marches over and pulls Sierra roughly to her feet. “I’ll toss this trash out,” he growls.
“Get the hell off of me!” Sierra hisses, trying to break free of Cole’s punishing grip.
Another enforcer steps in and forces Sierra back down to the floor. She fights, cursing and screaming as they drag her towards the door.
I watch their sickening performance with disgust, but I play along. If they want to put on a show, then who am I to put an end to it?
“Tell me, Sierra.” I hum as I walk behind them. “Was plastering yourself against my mate really about begging for mercy?”
The room stills, all eyes on Sierra as they wait for her answer.
I can see how much this is paining her to go along with. How she squirms with the need to blurt the truth to hurt me. Her face is red with livid embarrassment, but when her eyes shift to Thorne’s and she sees his warning gaze, her face pales.
“Apologise to Luna right now!” Cole sneers, pressing his weight on Sierra’s back.
“Yeah, apologise!” Someone echoes.
Tears stream down Sierra’s face, and I’m not sure if it’s a part of her act or just angry tears at the humiliation. No one shows her an ounce of sympathy, though.
Under the pressure of everyone watching her, she spits out her words through clenched teeth. “I… am… sorry.”
I don’t believe for a second that she means it, or that a single person in this room cares, but I allow them to think I am this dumb.
Thorne pulls me into a hug. His hand feels like it burns through the fabric at my waist, and the lingering scent of Sierra on him churns my stomach.
“Darling,” he coos in my ear. “Don’t let trash like her ruin your day.”
Cole yanks Sierra back up to her feet and drags her towards the door. “I’ll get rid of her, Luna.”
“Wait,” I snap, my eyes locked on her wrist. “Why is the red thong now wrapped around her wrist?”
Sierra’s lips curl into a smirk as she looks at me with equal parts humiliation and triumph. She casts a sultry glance towards Thorne. “A gift from the man who loves me. He says my body’s perfect for this lace. He thinks it’s so hot on me that he can’t keep his hands off me when he knows I’m wearing it.”
I look at Thorne to see his reaction, but his face is unreadable. Intimate moments from the surveillance footage flood my mind. He couldn’t keep his hands off Sierra, while with me he was so hands-off. I’d always thought it was gentle affection and concern for my health; now it just feels like a sick joke.
I press a hand to my aching chest. “And who is this man that loves you so much?”
The room plunges into silence as we wait to see how Sierra will answer.
Cole changes his grip on her, pulling her into a forced embrace. “Luna, it’s me. Sierra and I have been dating.”
“Oh, now we know why you were so keen to drag her away,” someone laughs.
Thorne moves to hold me again. I glance up at him as I pretend to eat up his lies. The light glints of the tacky lip gloss smeared at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I allowed her so close to me only out of respect for Cole,” he says gently.
I ignore him and watch as Cole holds Sierra’s waist awkwardly. “Cole, I’m not happy about this. You are supposed to mate with Lizzy next month. How could you betray her this way?”
Cole jerks his hand away as if Sierra burnt him, and a fine sheen of sweat erupts over his brow. “Aria, I… it’s… she threw herself at me. Please don’t tell Lizzie about this; I’m begging you.”
“Someone get her out of here now!” Thorne roars.
Sierra’s eyes widen as another enforcer grips her by her hair. She shrieks and thrashes against him. “Let me go, you beast! I’m not Cole’s mistress. I never seduced him!” Her desperate gaze locks onto Thorne. “Please, baby, don’t do this. You know I’m yours…”
I ignore her words. She’s not telling me something I don’t already know.
My eyes catch a flash of gold at her chest in the struggle. I step forward and grip the chain at her throat, yanking it free. Sierra flinches and then hangs her head as I hold up the stolen wedding band. The initials ‘A & T’ that Thorne engraved himself are clear to see.
“Explain why you have my missing wedding ring?” I demand.
“I’m Thorne’s true…”
“Enough!” Thorne roars, cutting her off. His expression contorted in theatrical dismay. “I overlooked your corruption of my son for his sake, but stealing something this important to my mate is unforgivable. I want her escorted off pack land immediately!”
Thorne’s voice drips with venomous contempt; his tone even makes my blood run cold. Sierra looks at him shell-shocked, her lips trembling.
These two are the perfect act.
With a nod from Thorne, the enforcer pulls the dazed and trembling woman out, and the door slams shut behind them with a thud.
- Writer
