The Mate He Hates

Alpha Edward’s POV

Pain was what I felt hearing those hurtful words from her. I wanted to scream, yell, or do something to her, but I found myself numb, unable to believe what I had just heard. I wanted to urge her to tell me that all she was saying was a lie, maybe she just wanted me to get angry, but the look on her face showed that she wasn’t joking about it. Unable to withstand her presence, I sent her away, and she dashed out of my room.

Slowly, I slumped on my bed while her words buzzed in my head. I could vividly hear her words in my head, the way she said it when she declared her love for him, the way she talked about how he treated her. Everything was sending me insane. With a grunt, I ran a hand through my hair. I couldn’t explain why I was feeling so restless because of her confession. I mean, this was a lady I should hate. I was supposed to torment her and inflict pain on her, but I don’t get why I have softened this much. Why was her confession having this effect on me? Why was I feeling jealous at the thought of her and Matthew being together?

Sighing tiredly, I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them. I felt disappointed in myself. This was a lady who killed my mate, and instead of making her pay, I was bothered about something else. Perhaps I have been too soft with her, and now I have to deal with her.

Laying back on my bed, I closed my eyes and thought of Elisa. I knew wherever she was, she would be highly disappointed in me. I have failed her and the bond we shared, but it’s not yet too late to fix things. The next morning, after I went downstairs for breakfast and met everyone at the table, including Matthew, our gazes met, but I frowned and looked away.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“Are you okay?” Aunt asked, and I hummed. I knew she wasn’t convinced, but she decided to let it slide.

I noticed Amanda was among the maids serving our meals. I watched her carefully and tenderly serve Matthew like a wife would do to her husband, and the sight of that disgusted and angered me.

As usual, I was served by the head maid, but as Amanda wanted to leave, I called her back. I could see how nervous she was as she walked over to my side of the table.

“Get me a cup of hot coffee,” I requested, and she nodded before leaving. My eyes met Matthew’s, and I eyed him before looking away.

Moments later, Amanda walked back to the dining table with a cup of coffee on a tray. She carefully dropped it before me but didn’t leave. She knew she couldn’t leave until I asked her to.

Picking up the cup of coffee, I took a sip of it and frowned. “Did you put sugar in this?” I asked and saw her gulp before nodding.

I flared up. “How dare you,” I yelled and threw the hot coffee on her. Amanda flinched, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the hot liquid splash onto her, staining her clothes and scalding her skin.

Amanda trembled, her hands shaking as she tried to wipe the coffee off her face. I could feel the tension in the room escalate as everyone watched in stunned silence. My aunt’s expression shifted from concern to disapproval, and Matthew’s gaze bore into mine with a mixture of confusion and concern.

But at that moment, I couldn’t care less about their reactions. All I could feel was the burning rage consuming me, fueled by Amanda’s betrayal and my own conflicted emotions.

“How dare you put sugar in my coffee,” I spat out, my voice dripping with venom. “Can’t you do something right, you bitch!” I yelled, but she didn’t say a word. With trembling hands, she wiped off her face, which had gotten red marks due to the hotness of the coffee.

“Get out of my sight!” I commanded, and watched her walk away, but strangely, I felt bad for what I did.

After she left, my eyes met with Matthew’s, who was glaring at me. “What? Do you have anything to say?” I challenged. But he didn’t say a word; rather, he got up. “Please excuse me,” he said and walked out of the table.

After he left, an awkward silence hung in the air, and with a grunt, I got up on my feet. “I have lost my appetite. I will be in my room.” Without waiting for a response, I stormed out of the dining, my fists clenched at my sides.

As I made my way through the corridors of the mansion, I couldn’t shake off the whirlwind of emotions raging inside me. Getting to my room, I restlessly paced around, my head was messed up, and it was driving me insane. Her words of loving Matthew kept echoing in my head, and no matter how hard I tried to wipe it off, it kept replaying.

Restlessly, I continued pacing around, and unable to hold it anymore, I left my room. I went searching for Matthew and met him in his room, getting dressed.

“How could you!” I spat in anger and saw him frown. “Having sex with the same woman as me, huh?” I yelled and saw his brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” He seemed confused, and that got me more angry. “Don’t act dumb with me; you know what I’m talking about!” I yelled and sucked a deep breath to control my emotions. My emotions were getting the best of me, and I knew I had to keep them in check.

“Stay away from her. Whatever you two have should end this very instant. There are many single ladies in the pack; why not go for any? Why must it be Amanda, my prisoner?” I asked with jealousy. “Whatever that is going on between you two should stop this minute,” I demanded and waited for him to speak, but he was silent for a moment before moving closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Have you fallen in love with Amanda?” he asked, his voice steady but carrying a hint of disbelief.

The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words. Love? Me? Amanda? It seemed absurd, preposterous even. But as I stood there, facing Matthew’s probing gaze, I couldn’t deny the turmoil churning inside me.

“No,” I answered quickly, perhaps too quickly. But the words tasted bitter on my tongue, and I knew Matthew could see through it.

“How can I fall in love with a lady who killed my mate? That is ridiculous. I’m only telling you to let go of her. We can’t be fucking the same lady!”

He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. “If that is the case, then sharing Amanda shouldn’t be a problem. After all, I remember we shared girls while we were in school, and that has never been a problem. Then why should sharing Amanda be a problem? After all, she is a prisoner, so there is no big deal about it.”

I stood there, stunned by Matthew’s response. His casual attitude towards the situation only fueled my anger, but deep down, I couldn’t deny the truth in his words. We had shared girls before without issue, but this felt different. Amanda wasn’t just any woman; she was the one who had taken away someone I cared about deeply.

“You don’t understand,” I growled, my fists clenched at my sides. “This isn’t about sharing. She’s not just some random woman. She’s… she’s…”

But I couldn’t find the words to articulate the turmoil inside me. How could I explain the conflicting emotions of anger, betrayal, and yes, even a strange sense of protectiveness and possessiveness towards Amanda?

“Listen, Amanda has told me what is going on between you two,” I said, wanting to change the topic. “She told me…” I groaned, I couldn’t even say those words.

“You have to stop whatever is going on between you two,” I ordered, but Matthew shook his head. “I’m sorry, Alpha Edward. I would have let go of her if you claimed you were in love with her, but since you aren’t, then I see no need to leave her.”

His response left me dumbfounded.