The Mate He Hates

Amanda’s POV

I followed Beta Matthew into his room, and when we entered, he locked the door. He stood by the window while I positioned myself beside the door.

“Have a seat,” he gestured, and I sat on one of the couches.

An awkward silence filled the air as I waited for him to speak, to explain why he lied to Alpha Edward. After several minutes of silence, realizing he wouldn’t initiate the conversation, I decided to break it.

“Why did you lie?” I asked.

He raised a brow and glanced at me before sighing and moving away from the window. Sitting on the couch across from me, he locked gazes with me.

“You were the first to lie,” he remarked.

I gulped nervously and tucked my hair behind my ears.

“It’s okay. I understand why you lied. Maybe it was to spite him, and I’m not angry at you. You did a good job,” he said with a smile. I furrowed my brow, confused by his words.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Listen, I had to lie about us being mates. It’s the only way I can set you free from Alpha Edward torture, and it’s the only way I could stop him from sending you to China,” he revealed, and I gulped. “You wouldn’t have survived there, trust me,” he explained.

I took a deep breath and looked at him with worry. “What if he finds out you lied? Won’t that be a big problem?” I asked, feeling anxious.

Beta Matthew scoffed, sounding nonchalant. “Leave that for me to worry about,” he replied.

“That’s not the only reason I called you in here,” he continued, piquing my curiosity.

“I made a discovery. I realized that Elisa had several boyfriends, one of whom caught my interest. His name is Anthony. Do you know him?”

“Yes, I do. He was Elisa’s longtime boyfriend,” I responded, wondering where this was leading.

“Despite being betrothed to Alpha Edward, Elisa was still dating Anthony, right?” he asked, and I nodded.

Beta Matthew gave me a suspicious look that made me uneasy. “Is there something wrong?” I asked, feeling nervous.

He didn’t respond but continued staring at me intently, making me so uncomfortable that I had to look away.

“Tell me the whole truth,” he demanded. I raised a brow, still confused.

“Yes, I want to know the truth. I can only help you if you tell me everything you know,” he urged, but I remained puzzled.

“I’ve told you all I know. I can’t think of who might have killed her…”

“I’m not talking about that,” he corrected, further adding to my confusion.

“I told you I would make some inquiries, so I went to your pack and began asking questions about Elisa to understand the kind of person she was. And guess who I met?” he trailed off.

“Who?” I asked, curious.

“Timothy, your pack’s famous carpenter,” he revealed.

My eyes widened, and I gulped.

“He told me a different version of the story about how Alpha Edward was saved in the woods. In that story, you were included. He claimed that you ran to him for help. But I had never heard of such a thing. What I had been hearing was how Elisa single-handedly helped Alpha Edward in the woods, so that got me confused…” he paused, walking around the room for a moment before turning to me.

“You were the one who saved Alpha Edward, right?” It wasn’t a question but a confirmation.

“You don’t have to lie to me, Amanda. Just tell me the truth,” he urged, and I felt a pang of pain as memories of that day flooded back. Recalling those memories brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn’t hold them back.

“It’s okay. You can cry. Let out your emotions,” Beta Matthew comforted me as I continued crying.

My heart felt heavy as I recounted the events of that fateful day. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I struggled to find the strength to speak. “Yes,” I finally whispered, my voice barely audible through my sobs. “I was the one who saved him.”

Beta Matthew’s expression softened as he moved closer, offering me a tissue to wipe my tears. “Tell me everything that happened, and don’t hold anything back,” he urged, and I nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Elisa and I found him in the woods where he had stabbed himself. Out of fear, Elisa asked us to leave, but I disagreed and decided to help him. I tore a piece of my dress to try to stop the bleeding, but it didn’t work. I also used a herb, but the bleeding wouldn’t stop, so I got scared and asked Elisa to look after him while I went to seek help. I met Sir Timothy, and we returned to the woods, but upon arriving, we saw Elisa with some warriors from your pack. Sir Timothy asked us to stay behind and watched. Seeing Elisa with Alpha Edward, the warriors mistook her for the one who saved him and asked for her name, which she gave them. Days later, Alpha Edward came to our home and mistook Elisa for the one who saved him.”

“Why didn’t you speak up?” Beta Matthew asked.

I swallowed in pain. “Because I was threatened not to.”

“By your stepmother?”

“Yes, she is a powerful witch.”

“I see.” Beta Matthew nodded and took back his seat.

“So, that means you are Alpha Edward’s second chance mate?” He threw that unexpected question at me, and I swallowed in pain.

“Yes, right?” He urged, and I nodded.

“On the day of mine and Elisa’s eighteenth birthday, Alpha Edward came to our home. I saw him through the window, and my wolf spoke to me for the first time, announcing him as my mate. Elisa was right there with me. I joyfully told her that Alpha Edward was my mate, but she struck me on my head, and I fell unconscious.” Tears welled in my eyes as memories of that day played in my head, but I held them back and took a deep breath.

“Waking up hours later, I realized my wolf was gone, and Alpha Edward had marked Elisa as his mate. I discovered my stepmother had tampered with my wolf, making her silent and dormant. She also threatened to kill my mother if I dared to tell the truth to anyone.”

Silence hung in the air as we tried to gather our thoughts, and after a moment, he spoke. “So you decided to let them have their way, but unfortunately, someone killed Elisa, and the death was pinned on you?”

“Yes,” I mumbled.

He nodded and went silent for another moment. “Why didn’t you tell Alpha Edward about it? You have the chance now; your mother is dead, so there is nothing you stand to lose.”

I frowned and shook my head. “I see no reason to tell him the truth. I no longer want him to know that I saved him, and neither do I want him to know that we are mates. All I want is to be proven innocent and be set free. I no longer want to be his mate. I can’t be the mate of a man who ordered the killing of my sick mother, tortured me, and made me wish for death. I just can’t,” I spat with hate. I could let go of anything, but not the death of my poor mother.

“Ordered the death of your mother?” Beta Matthew seemed confused.

“Yes, he ordered his men to kill my mother,” I mumbled in pain.

“Really? I wasn’t aware of that.” He frowned and went into deep thought for a moment before he sighed.

“It’s your decision, and I won’t force you to do what you don’t want, okay?” He assured me, and I nodded.

“Our main target is to find Elisa’s killer, and the number one suspect is her longtime boyfriend, Anthony. My spies are already working on him, and if they find nothing, then we will look into the number two suspect,” he declared, and I became curious.

“And who might that be?”

“Levi, Alpha Edward’s cousin.” He revealed.