Angela pov.

“Are you really planning on marrying laurel before Angela?”. My hand froze on the doorknob as I heard those words. The cake in my hand almost fell to the ground, due to them shaking.

“I love laurel. I have loved her long before Angela came into my pack”. Brian’s voice was as clear as the day. Two days from now, it was supposed to be our wedding, under the full moon. Brian had texted me early this morning to celebrate his last few days as a bachelor.

Even though he refused to let me have a bridal party in his pack, saying it was just a waste of time. I was still excited that he had invited me to his party. I spent the whole evening baking a cake.

“Why keep her around if you know you don’t love her?”. Someone asked.

“Angela is… convenient. She can handle the pack’s business well unlike laurel. You know she’s the kind you keep at home, she’s more like laurel but cheaper”. He laughed.

“You kept a cheaper version of your first mate for five years?”.

“Well, it’s not exactly my fault. I mean, she was desperate for it as well. As long as I tell her I love her and give her a few kisses, even if she catches me cheating on her. She won’t think twice before forgiving me”. His words felt like a punch to my guts.

“Now where can I order a wolf like her?”. They all laughed at his joke. My hands trembled as I let go of the doorknob. Five years, I have been a cheaper and convenient version of his first mate. I never chased him.

Everything I thought we had together—our love, our happiness—was nothing more than an illusion Brian had created for me. Memories of our time together flashed through my mind like a cruel reel of film.

To win my heart, Brian had left no stone untouched. Despite the fact I was just a baker and a wedding planner in his pack which was what brought me into his pack in the first place and he was an alpha. He had made his love known to everyone and never shied away from proclaiming his love for me, every now and then.

The first day Brian proposed to me, he had filled my whole shop with different people, all holding a flower, balloon and expensive gifts.

“Angela, this is just the first step of winning your heart. You don’t have to tell me your answer now but I will wait for you”. He did all that but lied to his friends. I chased after him.

After we started seeing each other, for two years, Brian gave me everything I ever wanted and even more. And in return, I made his pack one of the best.

My joy knew no bounds when he went down on one knee and brought out a diamond ring. “Angela, words can’t describe how much I love you. Would you please do me the honor of being my chosen mate?”.

“And don’t tell Stella, you know she’s close to Angela. I don’t want any problems with her”. Brian warned. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day Brian fully accepted me as his chosen and fated mate on the full moon.

For the past one week, he has been busy preparing for it and not letting me handle everything like he usually does.

“Or you could just tell her to stop being friends with Stephen’s mate. We all know the woman would worship you if you ask”. Someone chipped in.

“I mean, did you see the way she goes around, baking and decorating cakes when we come around”. I didn’t even wait around to hear another comment about me. I ran out of there, bumping into a stranger.

“Angela..?.”. I didn’t even bother to check who it was. I just shoved the cake into their hand and ran off.

*****

I ran straight into the bedroom, falling into it as I cried my eyes out. Five years of dating and it was all a lie? Every memory and promise he had made to me felt like a cruel joke.

“I mean, did you see the way she goes around, baking and decorating cakes when we come around”. Those words replayed in my head, it felt like a knife in my heart. They were right, I love baking and I love baking for Brian. I would always try out every new recipe for them.

Anytime Brian tells me his friends were coming over to the pack, I would spend the whole day baking for them. They would laugh and tell me how good it was. Now I finally realize the reason for their laughter. They were all mocking me.

By the time Brian came home, I was asleep but woke up to the sound of the bed, the scent of alcohol and woman’s perfume filling the air. That alone told me more than I needed to know.

“Angel?”. He whispered my name like he was trying to clear his guilt, it’s funny how he’s the one sounding so desperate now. I just lay there, refusing to answer him. Recalling how he was mocking me earlier with his friends, I couldn’t help but wonder how long he has been doing it. Making up lies to feel like a real man?

He shook me lightly, I could hear him kicking off his shoes and clothes before getting back to bed. If it was before I would have gotten up and made soup for him so he won’t get sick in the morning. Like an obedient mate, I would have made the soup, sit in the living room while waiting for him as usual to get back drunk.

He must have told his friends that too, “I’m sure she will be waiting for me at home with a bowl of soup in her hand. How stupid”. Those would probably be what he’d say to them.

“You must be really tired, you didn’t wait up for me? The AC is really high, are you cold?”.

He paused, waiting for me to give a response, it was getting too hard pretending to be asleep knowing all I wanted to do was yell and curse at him. What kind of man brings a woman down to feel powerful?

“Angel, is something wrong?”. He asked again.

Seeing I gave no response, he didn’t push forward and gently covered me with his body before pulling the blanket over us. It took everything in me not to push him away, I just lay there, listening to the gentle rise and fall of his heartbeat.

“I love listening to your heartbeat, it puts me to sleep”. The day I said that, Brian had made sure he always cuddled me to sleep. At first I had resisted because I weigh a little more than average but he assured me it was no problem. “Baby, I lift over 300lbs in the gym, you don’t even weigh 100kg”.

Recalling how he has always taken care of me anytime I fall sick or catch a cold, I still find it hard to believe it was all a lie. But the scent of perfume coming from him…. Tell me all I need to know. I sniff back my tears, refusing to let them fall.

If he loves laurel that much why not just reject me and be with her? Why play with both women? Does laurel even know…. It’s impossible for anyone not to know we were together, Brian had taken me to several alphas gathering and introduced me as his chosen mate.

How would she not know? Still I couldn’t blame her, I blame my heart for falling for someone who already has a mate. Everyone knows Laurel had rejected Brian at first but why is he still with her? If he still wanted her even after she had publicly rejected and humiliated him, why choose me? I lay there for what felt like eternity, just as I was about to fall asleep, Brian’s phone vibrated on the nightstand.

I bit my lips hard, contemplating whether to check it or not. In the end curiosity got the better of me. Slowly, I disengaged from Brian’s body and reached to take his phone.

Laurel with so much heart emoji was clearly written on the message that came in. Brian had never locked his phone, but this… I frown, suddenly recalling the pouch I made for him was different from this one.

Removing the pouch from the phone, I stare at a completely different model of phone in my hand. He has two! He has two phones! I sucked in my breath, trying not to wake him up. My hands trembling as I swipe the screen up, no one has to tell me the password would probably be laurel’s name. And I was right.

Clicking on the message, a loud gasp escaped my mouth. On the screen was her, dressed in a very revealing lingerie, standing in front of her mirror with the caption; “I hate when you leave me to go back to her”.

She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. She’s everything I am not. Sexy body, gorgeous brown hair and beautiful face. I stared down at my own nightgown, it was oversized and covered my own body.

“What can she probably offer you, Brian?”. Another message came in, followed by another picture of her in a very sexy position.

“Now I see why you can’t bring yourself to have sex with her. I mean if I was a man I wouldn't even look at her twice”. She added a laughing emoji and my heart shattered at the next picture that entered.

It was of me, in my shop covered in baking flour, while trying to finish my work. Tears streamed down my eyes, from the start I have been very insecure about my looks and body, I don’t have the standard slim body and tiny waist like her. I was thick, more curvy than most girls but I wasn’t fat.

Brian had said he loved me just the way I was, but scrolling through his chats with Laurel, he has always been making fun of my shape.

“You have to see when she tried putting on your lingerie, she looked absolutely ridiculous, I could hardly control my laughter”. That was the message he sent to her. I had once found lingerie in Brian’s bag shortly after he came back from his usual alphas meetings.

I just realized how stupid I was, thinking he had brought it for me to try. Despite the fact it was so hard to put on, I had squeezed myself into it.

“I’m sorry baby, I have no idea about this stuff so I just asked the seller to give me something like it. I didn’t know I had to ask about size and everything”. He had spent the whole day buying and showering me with gifts to make up for the mistake.

Everything he had gifted me was things Laurel had used and gave him. The ring… she wore it first. The diamond necklace he had brought me, she had used it as well.

I let out a silent laugh, even my mate used to be hers. I quietly dropped his phone back, tucked myself to bed and cried until tears were no longer coming out.

By the time I woke up the next day, Brian had left and dropped a message that the rogues were attacking in the south. He had to check them out. I didn’t know whether this was a lie or an excuse he made to see her again. Even though I have no wolf, Brian was nothing compared to me when it comes to combat. He would always beg me to check it out but now… he’s going himself.

I stood up from the bed, heading downstairs only to stop at the sound of knocking on the door. I wasn’t expecting any visitors? But the moment I opened the door, my heart dropped.

Laurel.

I stood frozen at the door, I let my eyes trailed over her body and insecurities immediately chipped in. She was perfect, great body, beautiful face. I laughed silently, no wonder Brian could hardly get over her.

Slim, long fair legs, blonde and a killer face any man would die for. She was everything I couldn’t be, I was thicker and curvier. I bit my lips hard, finally regaining my composure.

“Brian isn’t home, if you have something to give him. Just drop it and be in your way. Or better still call him like you used to”. I said, wanting to shut the door on her face immediately. But she stepped forward, blocking it with her palm, flashing me a smile.

“I’m here for you”. It is funny how her voice doesn’t match her personality.

“How may I be of help to you, Miss Laurel?”. I forced a smile, opening the door and letting her in. There was no use arguing with her or not letting her enter. She was already in my mate’s life, so why not his house as well.

It wasn’t like this was her first time here. The first time she was introduced as “his colleague” how naive I was I. What kind of boyfriend would make his soon to be wife sit at the back just because his so-called colleague doesn’t like the back seat.

She stepped into the house, her eyes darting around as she smiled. “It must be really tiring staying here all by yourself”. She looked around the house.

“That’s funny, judging from the fact my mate came home last night. At least I don’t have to send naked pictures of myself to someone else’s mate in the middle of the night”. I fired back at her. Her eyes widened in shock before a knowing smile replaced it.

“So you know? And yet you’re still with him. Are you that desperate for a family? Even if your parents are dead, you should at least have some dignity and not suck up to someone else’s mate. Brian is mine to begin with, just because I left for a while doesn’t mean someone like you can take my place”.

My parents ain’t dead but I was not ready to argue with her about it. That was the only lie I had told Brian. And of course, he tells her everything.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”. She stepped closer to me, allowing me to inhale her familiar scent my soon to be husband always carries around.

When I first noticed the scent from Brian’s shirt, he had denied it. Swearing he would never cheat on me and he had lots of meetings so it was probably from one of them.

“If you still want him, why did you leave him before? Or is it because he’s now an alpha? Brian is my mate…”. I didn’t finish when she cut me off.

“He’s my fated mate not yours. You are just his chosen mate, you can never ever be his true mate”. She interrupted.

“Brian would never leave me for you and I will never let you have him either. No matter how much you deny it, nothing can ever beat a true mate bond, he will always come back to me. And you will always be his second choice”. I bite my lips hard till I taste my own blood, clutching my gown tightly.

“Please leave”.

“Want to know something fun? That day on your fifth anniversary Brian never had any meetings with the alpha. He had spent the whole day with me, same thing on your birthday. Those bags he bought… Those are bags I had used and discarded. I picked them from my trash and gave it to him”.

My nails digging into my palm as my chest heaved with silent sobs. When I finally looked down, my knuckles were white.

“And weren’t you rejected by your first mate too?”. My eyes widened in shock as I raised my head to look at her. He told her that?

“Jordan, wasn’t it?”. She mocked.

“Actually he was a very nice man too, I used to be with him. It’s funny how you always pick up the trash I no longer use. First my ex then my fated mate? Come on, Angela you can’t be that lonely”.

“Get out!”. I finally found my voice as I yelled at her. She flinched back a little, staring at me angrily.

“How dare you….”.

“If you make me repeat myself again, I will ask the guards to strip you naked and throw you out. Then we will see if Brian’s guards would listen to his soon to be Luna or his mistress”.

Her eyes widened in shock as she clenched her fist, foaming in anger. “I will make sure your moonlight ceremony never takes place. You will never be his Luna”. She yelled before storming out of the house.

I finally broke down in tears. Hardly believing the man I trusted could treat me like this. Returning to the bedroom, I wiped my tears and took my phone.

Booking a flight back to my home. The same home I had abandoned because of an arranged marriage. By tomorrow I will be gone.. from this place and Brian’s life. He can finally be with his true love openly.

My phone rang, looking at the caller it was Brian’s secretary.

“Yes”. I picked it up, trying to sound calm. I know she was about to tell me another piece of bad news. She never calls unless Brian has decided to leave me hanging again for his true mate.

“Hello, Miss Angela. Alpha Brian had asked me to inform you he won’t be available for the ceremony tomorrow. He had left for an urgent business trip and would be back in five days. So your wedding has been postponed”.

I nodded absently, staring out the window as the sun rose over the city. Five days. He wouldn’t find me by then. By the time he returned, I would be gone. Vanished from his world forever.