Chapter 2 Chapter 0002
•CASSANDRA•
I lay awake at night, thinking of everything that happened when Mason and Nadia went to eat at the table that I had spent hours decorating, and none of them even gave me credit.
I was invincible in my own house and to my husband. He kept sharing inside jokes with Nadia, and when he saw the way I looked at them, he'd tell me Nadia was an asset to the pack and had to be appreciated.
It was clear that no matter what I did for the pack, he'd never give me the same attention that he gave Nadia. As Luna, I didn't want to appear jealous and easily irritated.
I kept my composure and smile throughout the night, answering whenever something was directed to me, though I felt like I was dying inside. A slow and painful death.
When Nadia left after dinner, Mason took me to bed and made love to me after two entire months he hadn't touched me, but it was different.
The thought of it kept me up because he made love to me as if I were someone else. He didn't touch me the way he used to or look at me the way he used to.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't wake you," I muttered when he woke up and found me sitting up on the bed with a book on my lap.
He only glanced at me once before he got up from the bed and put on his shirt. "Don't worry about it, I'll sleep in the guest room."
My heart shattered. Were we back to ignoring each other? He made love to me last night!
"Why? There's no need for that," I scoffed. "This is our bedroom, Mason, and I love having you around after you've spent two months working late and sleeping in your office."
He stopped walking and exhaled deeply before he turned around and looked at me. "Please don't ruin my day, Cassandra. I thought we were past the arguing stage."
"Is voicing out an issue an argument now?" I furrowed my brow, getting off the bed. "You haven't been in this bed for two months, and you want me to act as if that's okay? We've been married for six years, and you've never done this before. Why is it happening now?"
"I don't have time for this, Cass," he frowned, pointing his finger at me. "I've done my duty as your husband last night. What do you want from me? Do you want me to sit here and look at your face all night while rogues are threatening to penetrate through our borders?"
I didn't answer because no matter what I'd say, he wouldn't care. He didn't want to be with me anymore, and it was obvious.
The mate bond was the only thing that kept him in our marriage. So, he couldn't gather the strength to break something that was meant to be sacred.
"That's what I thought," he hissed, leaning toward me. "You don't know what's happening out there except for what is rumored by the pack members.
"Why are you doing this to me, Mason? What wrong have I committed against you?" I asked, trying so hard not to shed the tears that were building at the corners of my eyes.
For a moment, I saw something like regret flicker in his eyes before someone knocked on the door, saving him the energy of answering me.
He turned to his pants on the couch, put them on, and went to answer the door.
The Gamma was standing there, looking composed and barely meeting Mason's gaze.
"Nadia has returned, Alpha. She's here to see you," Noah informed him. "She's waiting in the main living room."
"Ah yes, Noah," Mason's voice softened. "Please tell her I'll join her soon."
Noah nodded before he left, and Mason closed the door and went to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and smelled different when he came out.
He put on a new cologne, which caused me to be more suspicious about what was happening between him and Nadia.
I felt as if I was being fooled right in my house and made to believe that Nadia was nothing more than a medic to the pack.
"What is she to you, Mason?" I asked as he was about to walk out.
He scoffed before he turned around and looked at me. "When did you start being insecure?" He sneered. "I thought we talked about this, and you understood that Nadia is an asset to our pack. She's a medic who has saved so many of our warriors and hunters. All of them would've died if she hadn't found and healed them."
"Is that all she is to you?" I insisted, hoping for the truth so I'd know there was nothing left for us.
"She is going to be my assistant as of today," he answered after being quiet for a moment. "She has qualifications and would be of great help to ease the paperwork I have to deal with."
"Isn't that my job as your Luna?" I scoffed.
"You have a lot on your plate, and there's Rowan. Our son still needs his mother to be around, and I don't want us to disrupt his routine by giving you more work," he answered, making an excuse as always.
We both knew Rowan was six and had grown independent from me. Even though I was around the house all the time, he had a nanny.
"I'll see you later." He looked at me before he turned to the door and left.
I sat back on the bed and cried. I never thought that Mason could break my heart like he did. He promised never to hurt me.
Later that day, I went to Mason's home office to check on him, hoping to talk about our morning conversation, but what I saw at his door almost caused my heart to stop.
Nadia walked out, blushing as she fixed her half-open blouse, and walked to the other side of the hallway without looking at me.