Chapter 3 Chapter 0003
•CASSANDRA•
I huffed as I headed to Mason’s home office, determined to get answers about his changed behavior toward me.
He was talking on the phone when I walked in, laughing, but when he heard the door close behind me, he hung up the call and went back to frowning whenever he saw me.
“Cass, what do you want?”
“Is that a question you should ask your wife and Luna? I know you said you are working with Nadia to ease your workload, but I am still your Luna. How do you think your isolation from me makes me feel?” I asked, leaning toward his table.
“There’s an annual pack meeting tomorrow morning. Do you think you can handle that when you can’t even multitask from being a mother and the Luna? Let alone being my wife,” he hissed, closing his laptop.
“I’ve done my job diligently to you, our son, and this pack,” I answered, frowning. “I have given everything to our home and our marriage as well.
So, are you going to sit there and call me a failure in everything I do for you?”
“I was simply saying you should sit back and let Nadia handle the extra work.” He got up from his chair and slipped his hands into his pockets, and my stomach dropped when I smelt her cologne on him. “She’s the right person for the job I have assigned her, and this will eliminate a lot of mistakes that might happen if you did the job.”
I couldn’t believe it. My husband of six years had called me a failure in our marriage, at my job as Luna, and as Rowan’s mother.
He did that subtly so I wouldn’t see the slander he was throwing at me while smelling like Nadia.
The thought of him with her broke my heart. I loved him and married him because I believed he’d keep the vows he made to me.
We had a son together and a family, which made me wonder why he wanted to throw all that away.
“Have I done anything to fail you, the pack, and our son?” My voice cracked, but I refused to let the tears fall. “I’ve been here with you for six years. I have done nothing to make you doubt me, have I?”
“You should relax and stop overthinking things,” he chuckled, taking the cellphone from the counter. “You and I are good, and nothing has changed between us.” He walked to me, kissed my cheek, and left.
He left me there with no answers about what was happening between him and Nadia.
Rumors were going around about them, and though I didn’t want to believe them, unless Mason had admitted the truth, my heart dropped whenever I saw them together.
The following morning, when I went to prepare Rowan for the annual meeting, I found him already dressed up and eating at the living room table.
He was watching cartoons and didn’t even notice me when I walked in.
“Hey, Rowy. Did Kira make you breakfast today?” I asked, smiling, though I preferred being the one to dress him up and prepare his food in the morning.
“No,” he answered. “Auntie Nadia did. It was nice.”
“Auntie Nadia made you food?” My heart dropped, feeling as if there were a lump stuck inside my throat.
“Yes, she’s nice to me, and she said this salad will make me grow to be tall,” he smiled as he looked at the TV while eating his salad.
“I see,” I whispered, feeling my heart break inside.
“Hey, Rowan,” her voice came from the hallway behind me. “Are you still eating your salad?” She asked but stopped in her tracks when she saw me. “Oh, Luna.”
“Auntie Nadia!” Brian got up from the couch and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and I felt as if something heavy was pushing on my chest.
“I missed you too, little buddy,” she muttered, kissing his forehead. “I have something for you.”
She looked at me before she looked at him again while hiding something behind her back.
“What is it?” Rowan squealed, excitement written all over his face.
It was as if they had known each other for years. He looked happy around her and seemed to get along better than we did.
“Legos!” she answered, giving them to him, and he jumped in excitement.
“Thank you, Auntie Nadia!” he screamed, smiling as if he had been wanting them for a long time.
“You’re the best aunt in the entire world.” He hugged her again before he pulled away and ran down the hallway to his bedroom.
Nadia smiled as she watched him disappear in the hallway, and when he was gone, she leaned toward me, folding her arms across her chest.
“If Rowan were my son, I’d never miss a day of putting a smile on his face.” She smirked. “I’d make sure that he and the Alpha could never see a need for another woman in their lives.”
“How could you say that to me?” I scoffed, keeping my voice low, and even. “You are a guest in our home.”
“Come on, Cass, Rowan wouldn’t be excited about me if you were doing a better job of being his mother, and I don’t want to speak of the Alpha—” she giggled, and when Mason approached behind her, she unfolded her arms and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I won’t make food for Rowan anymore.”
“What’s going on here?” Mason asked, standing beside her as if he were accusing me of something.
I looked at Nadia and scoffed, wondering what she was trying to do.
“The Luna accused me of trying to poison her son,” she answered, sniffing. “I only made breakfast for little Rowy and didn’t mean any trouble.” She barely looked at me, keeping her eyes down.
“That’s absurd,” I scoffed. “That’s not what this was about. Nadia—”
“That’s enough, Cassandra,” Mason scolded me. “I told you not to make trouble for Nadia.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked away with her.
While they walked away, Nadia turned her head just enough for me to catch her smirk.