27. Chapter 27
Ivy
My entire body was shaking with rage. The shattered glass was spilled across the floor at my feet while every eye in the restaurant remained fixed on me. Hunter stood, his hands on the table, his expression cold and disappointed as he stared at me.
I’d seen the way Arabella snuggled into them, knowing full well that she was lording her lies over me while I was forced to watch. It tore me up inside, to the point where my body was unable to hold the anger back. I shook from the top of my head down to my feet.
Hunter stood there, the most handsome man I’d ever seen, looking at me like I was lower than dirt. Why couldn't he see what was happening? Why couldn't he feel the ache of being in the same room as your mate, and being with the wrong omega?
I wanted to tell them the truth. I tried more times than I could count to open my mouth and scream that Arabella had stolen my profile, that I was their true match.
The words repeated themselves over and over inside my head, but the command my father alpha barked at me wrapped around my throat, making me mute.
The moment I tried to speak, panic flooded through me.
My father's command still held. I couldn't tell them anything about the lie.
I could only sit here, pathetic and looking like a psycho.
"Ivy," Hunter said again. "You owe Arabella an apology.
" His words held the tiniest threat. Knowing that he was defending her, falling for the lie - it was burning me up inside. I was almost as angry as him as I was at Arabella - but he didn’t know the truth.
Not when it was his own company that matched us.
He trusted that Arabella was right for him. But I didn't want her to win yet again.
For one terrible moment, I thought about refusing.
Then I looked around the room and realized there was no escape, and no way for me to get through this without looking deranged unless I could act right.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to say the words I didn’t mean, to the person who deserved them the least.
"I'm sorry." I managed to say through clenched teeth. Of course, my father’s command allowed me to say that, a complete lie that I didn’t mean.
Hunter's expression didn't change. "To who?" He asked, his hand gripping Arabella’s. She looked hurt and gracious and forgiving. Only I could see the satisfaction hidden beneath it all.
"I'm sorry, Arabella."
“For what?” Hunter practically growled. I felt my breath coming in faster. He wanted me to admit what I’d done to her. To embarrass myself, to face my sins with a public audience. I gripped the silverware in my hands, taking in small sips of air as I tried to compose myself.
Come on, Ivy. You can’t win the battle, but you need to win the war. I said to myself, wrenching every ounce of strength I could to look at Arabella.
“I’m sorry, Arabella, for losing my temper and scratching you. It was wrong, and I apologize.” I said, my teeth clenched as I spoke. Once I got the words out, my body nearly gave in from the fatigue.
Arabella smiled triumphantly. "It's okay, Ivy. I forgive you." She said sweetly, and Hunter finally nodded once before sitting down. He pulled Arabella’s hand to his mouth, laying a kiss on it that made my insides feel tight with pain. God, I needed another suppressant. I’d been on them for so long that I couldn’t remember when my last heat was.
I was sure that my messed-up hormones weren’t helping this situation.
Everyone at the table relaxed as though justice had been served.
Clara and my fathers seemed to be satisfied that I’d admitted I was the problem, and kept my mouth shut about the truth.
Now, their whole narrative made sense - I was the villain in this story.
And Arabella was the victim-turned-hero.
And so, the rest of the dinner became a celebration of Arabella.
My father praised her patience and her kindness in the face of adversity.
Clara nodded, and made sure to let everyone know that Arabella had to take time away from posting while her face healed.
The sympathy poured in as my family enjoyed ruminating on the terrible scratch that seemed to be the only horrible thing to have happened ever in the world.
They really would do anything to be close to a prominent pack.
"You've handled everything so well," Clara said, her face sympathetic. Arabella sighed, giving a casual shrug.
“Well, looks are just one aspect of people. It’s what’s inside that really counts,” she said, turning to grab Elias’s hand. He stayed quiet, looking at her with a studious expression that I couldn’t quite read.
"Well, I would have been devastated," Clara said, keeping the topic alive. My father nodded.
"You're stronger than most omegas." He said, looking at her with pride. For what, I wouldn’t know. She was rotten. And yet, every compliment felt like another knife. My father eventually shook his head and sighed. "The timing couldn't have been worse."
Hunter frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We had several opportunities lined up for the company. Arabella has had enough stress without everything else happening," he explained.
Aaron nodded along. "And we've had delays in product development, too.
" His eyes flickered toward me. Of course - I was the one in product development, so any delays fell on me, even if I was locked away for weeks.
I lowered my gaze to my plate and forced myself to stay silent.
Across the table, Arabella leaned into Hunter. Immediately, his expression softened.
"Don’t worry. You’ll be back on track in no time. And you will want for nothing," he told her.
The affection in his voice nearly broke me.
I sat through the remainder of dinner in silence while they comforted her and spoke about their future together.
A few times, I caught Elias watching me, and once or twice, I saw Ronan’s eyes on me.
Concern lingered in their expressions, but neither of them said anything.
Why should they? For all they knew, I was the total psycho my family painted me as.
They believed the lie. And I could say nothing to counter it.
I wanted nothing more than to sit with them and talk freely, get to know them, and be near them the way my body craved.
But the alpha command had me stuck like a prisoner.
And as long as I was my father’s daughter, the command would stick.
When the evening finally ended, I held myself together long enough to make it home, sitting in silence at the back of the car as the rest of the family discussed how well everything went. The moment I was inside the house, I fled upstairs.
I made it to my room before the first sob escaped.
I’d held it together the whole dinner, playing the part, subjecting myself to Arabella’s dominance, and apologizing to her in front of everyone.
I’d been made to look like a crazy person.
But none of that compared to seeing them - my matches, putting all their attention on someone who was completely faking everything.
I’d hoped over time they might see the real side of Arabella, to know what they were getting into.
Because even if I could never tell them the truth, if they didn’t see it - they’d be stuck with her.
Once they bit her and bonded her in, they would be inviting in poison. And I couldn’t bear the thought.
The tears of frustration came streaming down my face.
I collapsed onto my bed and buried my face in my hands while the heartbreak poured out of me.
The alpha bark still sat inside me, turning my body into a self- inflicted prison.
Every time I imagined telling Pack Vale the truth, I felt my throat tighten.
Every time I thought about showing them the reports, panic followed.
And that was nothing compared to the pain of having Hunter stare at me like I was the worst person in the world.
Somewhere out there, the men who were supposed to be mine were comforting another woman, one who would never truly love them.
I cried until my throat hurt and my chest ached, wondering if this was what the rest of my life would look like - watching someone else live the future that should have been mine while I remained trapped in silence.