Chapter 43: Hatred
Chapter 43: Hatred
Vander
I left the underground room around midnight, tired of the loud screams that Mason kept on making. I was also incredibly hungry, having eaten practically nothing for most of the day. I didn’t want to grab something from the vending machine. There was something about it that made my stomach churn uncomfortably.
I figured that Calina would be asleep by the time I got there. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The moment I got there I saw that the kitchen light was on. I thought that perhaps she’d left it on after a late-night snack. Then, as I entered the room, I saw her hunched over with a sandwich on a plate. It was half eaten and judging by her laboured chewing, it had probably been half eaten for a while.
I had the mind to turn around and leave the house and go hang out with Jayden or even Shaylen. But I tripped on the skirting at the entrance of the room. Calina immediately gazed up at me, her eyes red and cheeks tear stained. I expected her eyes to soften and for her to greet me. But she didn’t. She swallowed what was left in her mouth and stood up from her seat.
“Why?” she asked, tears running down her face. Her emotions were heightened now, one of the side effects of being a werewolf, and so I had to tread very carefully. We still didn’t know the extent of her transformation and whether or not she could actually turn into a full wolf. If she spontaneously shifted now, she’d be at the mercy of her instincts.
“I’m sorry Calina…” is all I said, not wanting to ask for more clarity and risking making her even more upset. But I sadly chose wrong and she let out a scoff before walking towards me, her face in front of my face. I could see the rage flickering in her eyes as they changed to a darker, slightly red colour, almost like the way a werewolf’s eyes might change. But it wasn’t quite as prominent.
“WHY! Why did you make me come here! Why couldn’t you just have left me where I was and pretended you never knew that we were mates! This is all your fault!” she screamed. It was the first time I’d seen her so incredibly emotional and although half of it was from her body adjusting to its new form, I could tell the other half was just her. She’d clearly had enough of me and I didn’t blame her. So, I finally decided to tell her the truth. Lying would only make her angrier.
“I… I did it for two reasons. The first was because I needed to be stronger. After watching my father completely weaken and spiral out of control after the death of my mother, I knew that I had to keep my mate with me no matter the cost, once I found her. I’ve spent years building this pack up to where it is. I wasn’t going to let that go down the drain by pushing you away once I found you. It was selfish, I know, but my second reason is even more selfish.” I waited a moment, letting my words sink in before sighing. Even in my head the next reason seemed so childish and stupid. I was sure it would sound even worse coming out of my mouth.
“I wanted to get back at Loraine, my ex-girlfriend…”
The moment it left my lips; her hand collided with my face. It was a hard slap, one that let out a noise which bounced off of the walls. There was a sense of fear in me, that she’d finally snapped. It was, however put to rest when I looked down at her tear-filled brown eyes. I almost felt guilty for feeling so relieved. But my relief was cut short by her icy words.
“You’re the worst! You’re a petty, manipulative, deceitful person and I dislike you…” she then paused, shook her head, and dealt her final, fatal blow. “No, I hate you!”
Calina
At first, I was completely speechless. The first reason, I could sort of understand if I squinted and used a magnifying glass to bring up all of the childhood trauma Vander probably went through. However, the second reason was just downright petty. My hand still stung from the contact it had made with his face, and my eyes were still filled with tears. They were angry tears. I meant every single word I’d said to him. Before today, I had no intense feelings towards Vander, except for completely superficial lust. But now, now I felt absolute hatred. I wanted to be as far away from him as possible. In fact, the very air he breathed repulsed me. And so, I made the decision to leave this house. I didn’t want to stay in the same home as him, constantly being reminded of what he’d taken away and why he’d taken it.
“I’m moving in with Freya,” I said curtly.
When I looked up into his eyes I expected anger, confusion or shock. But instead, I was met with hurt eyes that had a shadow of understanding cast over them.
“If you feel that’s the best decision, then so be it,” he said, resigning himself to what I’d chosen. Again, I was left speechless. He’d made it a point to ensure that I stayed with him this whole time, and now he was ready to let me go. But I wasted no time dwelling on it. I’d packed my bags already and informed Freya of my choice a while ago. If he didn’t let me go willingly, I was sure she would have knocked the door down and taken me with her. There were few bags and Vander attempted to help me carry them. But I not-so-politely declined and walked with them all the way to Freya’s home. It wasn’t much, and it was nowhere near as far away from him as I wanted to be, but it was a start.