Chapter 48 The Fight
Kristen's POV
Layla's coffin is being lowered into the grave after Alpha Gregory came to give a eulogy, but I can't seem to focus.
My mind keeps flashing back to what happened between me and Calhoun an hour ago.
He said he was going to divorce Mom.
She marked me to be his again.
And then he confessed to being in love with me.
Everyone around me looks sad, a few are even in tears.
While my cheeks are heating up, I'm afraid it's red enough for them to see I'm flushing.
It's stupid, to let Calhoun get through me like this.
I should be mad at him for marking me to be his again.
But my heart keeps melting when I replay the way he told me he loves me, in my head.
Calhoun's eyes have been on me for some time now, even when he thinks I'm not aware. Even when Ben teared up while giving his eulogy Calhoun's blue gaze remained on me.
He doesn't even care if people are looking as he openly stares at me. He's not even hiding or pretending anymore. I never cared how I looked at him until now.
Who would've thought he rejected me, and marked me to be his mate for the second time because he wants me only to himself? It's just insane to even think about this whole thing.
The brief stare exchange between me and Mom makes my stomach churn. She loathes me so much that she can't even hide it. I'm sure if it's just the two of us here, she'd like to attack me again.
I know I wronged her but from the onlook of things, she'll never forgive me even if I apologize. So it's best to just stay away because she hates me now.
Maybe if she had shown her disappointment and anger without trying to hurt me, I'd still have guilt drilling inside of me. Calhoun told me she cheated on him to get back at him.
I wonder if she's aware he wants to divorce her. She's beside him as his wife but they look more like strangers standing next to each other because they aren't even looking at themselves, talking or even touching one another.
Will I ever be able to accept Calhoun if he divorces Mom and comes to me?
Mom will even kill me before that happens.
Ben is crying so hard as his mom is being covered with mud.
I can't imagine the kind of pain he's going through right now, he needs someone to comfort him.
When I reach his side, I slip his hand in mine but Ben pulls me into a tight hug, crying and wetting my hair with his saliva.
He's rambling, letting out words that I can't even make out because he's doing most of the crying than talking.
My hand moves to his back and I stroke, fighting against the urge to tear up myself.
I see Calhoun, looking utterly jealous.
His jaw is clenched and his left hand disappears into his pocket as he paces back and forth.
Why is he jealous when I'm only lending comfort to Ben?
I've never seen him look this way before.
Alpha stops to talk to him and that's when he looks away from me.
They hosted a post-funeral reception back at their estate and Ben invited me. He wanted me to be next to him.
There's a large table containing all kinds of food, and it doesn't even seem like a post-funeral reception where finger foods are served, but a party.
"Do you want anything?" I ask Ben who's staring into space as if he's lost in his thoughts.
"I'm not hungry," he lifts his gray eyes to meet mine. They aren't fearful anymore, just sad.
"You need to eat something at least," I urge him because he doesn't look okay at all.
"Fine," he agrees and relief washes over me.
I leave Ben's side and approach the food table, thinking about giving him just fruits because I doubt he'd like anything cooked right now.
When I pick a plate, I feel Calhoun before I see him.
The mate bond is back again. Stronger than ever.
"What are you doing?" Calhoun's voice is deep, distinct.
"Ben needs to eat," I explain without looking to meet his gaze.
"Since when did you become his nanny?" Calhoun puts his hand on mine to stop me from getting the fruits.
I flush in embarrassment because people are here and if Calhoun doesn't let go of my hand, they'll see us like this.
"People are watching.." I whisper, looking around to see if Mom or anyone else is watching.
Calhoun's grip is firm on my wrist when I try to pull away.
"I don't even care.." he tells me, before finally letting go upon seeing he's causing me discomfort.
"Why are you acting this way? I offered to bring Ben food," I explain, hating the fact that he seems too nonchalant about everything when mom tortured me for his sake.
"I don't want you doing this," Calhoun puts his hand on the small of my back and leans closer to me.
"Leave me alone, Alpha Calhoun."
Grabbing the rest of the fruit, I pile them on Ben's plate and leave Calhoun's side. He's starting to act super possessive when he shouldn't.
When I return to Ben, I see him arguing with someone.
A crazy ex-girlfriend of his who I know from school.
"Ben, what's going on?" I'm still holding the plate of fruit when I ask this because he's grieving and someone is here, ruining his mood even more.
Upon hearing my voice, they snap their heads in my direction.
"So it's you who is trying to snatch him away from me," the girl sneers at me.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ben is just a..."
My explanation is cut short when she snatches a glass of wine from a butler and empties it on my clothes.
People break into a collective gasp at this, and I am the more shocked one.
"What the fuck are you doing, Ciara!?" Ben yells.
"You skinny, busty little slut!" She comes again and slaps me hard on the cheek this time, something which makes my cheeks turn to the other side.
Clenching my jaw to ease the pain, I put the plate of fruits away.
I did nothing wrong to deserve this humiliation from Ben's ex-girlfriend. Even Mom is staring at me from the stairs, with the corners of her mouth curving into a smug smirk.
Turning back to Sarah, Ciara, or what she's called, I curl my fingers into a tight hard fist. Every form of self-control has left my body and flown out through the ajar doors and windows.
"Eat this, you bitch!" My fist connects with her nose.
Mouths gape and Jaws drop to the floor when she recoils and steps backward, with her hand securing her nose.
Murmur is already flowing through the ambiance. My dress is soaked with wine and I'm certain her handprint is left on my cheek because it still hurts so bad that I can hear the slap resounding in my ears. It's enough to make someone sustain temporary deafness.
"You hit me?" Ciara is still holding onto her bleeding nose as she stares at me with her eyes nearly pulling out of their sockets. "And I'll do it again," I say, not even minding that Layla's post-funeral reception is getting ruined because the bitch hit me first. She shifts into a white wolf and comes lunging at me.
I am quick to shift too, fully prepared for her, and our wolves collide into the food table, breaking it in halves.
And the fight begins.
People are trying to separate us but none of them can, since our wolves are even more enraged.
Mom doesn't even bother to move from the stairs, that sick smirk still playing on her face, giving out that she's still enjoying
this.
The fight is taken outside because the inside feels too tight and jam-packed with people.
My wolf is skillful enough to dodge every intended bite and claw bruise from Cira's wolf until it succeeds in biting her stomach.
Ciara's wolf wails in agony, and because I'm not an entirely evil person, I order my wolf to stop and pull away from her.
I shift before she does, and my mouth is already dripping with her blood, something which makes me despise myself for coming this far.
Ciara is laying in the pool of her own blood, unable to move.
Ben and everyone else out here is staring at me as if I'm the bad guy who ruined things. And it hurts.
Everywhere I turn to, I'm given that spiteful look.
From my mouth to my neck is covered with Ciara's blood.
I feel so small and stupid right now.
Maybe I truly took things too far.
Mom finally comes outside and upon seeing the way I am being looked at, her face changes from a smirk to a smile.
Tears are welling up in my eyes and blurring my vision.
The urge to run away from everyone and crawl into a corner to hide is overwhelming.
And as I turn away, my face slams into someone's chest.
It's Calhoun.
He pulls me into a tight hug before I can even look at him.