Chapter 49 The Bitter Truth
The blaring sound from the alarm clock on the nightstand jolted me awake. Half-asleep, I reached out to hit the snooze button, but my hand brushed against it instead, sending it crashing to the floor.
“Shit,” I muttered as I sat up quickly. My heart thudded as I got out of bed and picked it up, hoping I hadn’t broken it from how hard it hit the ground.
“I’m sorry,” Cora muttered as she walked into the room. I placed the clock back on the nightstand just as she made her way to her closet and pulled out a brown corporate gown. “I forgot to turn off the alarm. I set it to wake me up early for work.”
“It’s okay,” I said as I stood up and headed toward the bathroom. “It actually did a pretty good job. I don’t want to go late to work on my second day.”
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, Cora walked in and placed her towel on the rack. My face looked tired, my eyes dull, I lifted my hand touch my cheek which looked a little puffy.
“How are you feeling this morning?” I asked Cora.
She shrugged. “Apart from the fact that I now dread going to work, I’m good.”
“You’ll be fine,” I said quietly. “Just try and avoid Layla. Who knows what she might do this time.”
“I know,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Maybe she would act like the workers in the company are her next victims so she can climb the Luna mountain and make everyone bow at her feet.”
I laughed, thinking she was joking, but when I looked at her face and saw that she was dead serious, my smile faded.
“Don’t joke like that,” I sighed.
“I’m heading to work,” she muttered as she walked out of the room. She paused at the door. “I’ll give you the full gist of what happens today when I come back.”
“Okay, be careful and—”
“I know,” she cut in. “Avoid looking at anyone getting murdered.”
“That’s not what I wanted to say,” I called after her, but she was already gone.
I let out a deep breath and brushed my hand through my dark hair before stepping into the shower. The warm water calmed me a little, but my thoughts refused to slow down. Alpha Warren’s face flashed through my mind, then Aiden’s. My wolf stirred uneasily, like it didn’t know which way to turn.
After my bath, I pulled on a black baggy pant and searched through Cora’s closet until I found a loose polo shirt big enough to hide my baby bump. I tied my hair into a ponytail, grabbed my tote bag, and left the house.
The morning air felt cool against my skin as I walked down the street. When I got to the restaurant, Collen was just unlocking the door.
“Good morning,” I greeted.
He looked up and smiled. “Diana, you’re early. I like that. You’re going to get an award for this.”
I laughed softly and walked behind the counter to drop my bag before helping him open up the restaurant. Soon, the other staff arrived, chairs scraped against the floor, and the smell of food filled the air.
Customers began to come in, one after another. I attended to them, forcing a smile even when my feet ached. Everything went smoothly, and for a moment, I almost forgot about everything else.
After serving the customers in front of me, I turned to the other girl at the counter.
“Bethany, can you take over for me? I want to check the kitchen for something to eat. I’m famished.”
“Okay,” she said. “Can you get me a burger too?”
I smiled. “Alright.”
I turned to leave when a familiar voice stopped me.
“Diana, you work here now?”
I turned to see Tonia and her friends walking up to the counter.
“Yes, Tonia,” I replied. “It’s been a while.”
She smiled brightly. “Yeah, I’ve been busy lately with my podcast and hardly had time.”
“Please come over here,” Bethany said. “I’ll take your order.”
Tonia’s friends moved to the counter, placing their orders, while Tonia leaned against it, studying me closely.
“What happened?” she asked. “I thought you were working at Alpha Warren’s company. Did something happen? Please don’t tell me my cousin fired you.”
I frowned. “Your cousin?”
She nodded. “Oh, Layla didn’t tell you? Alpha Warren is my cousin. I would’ve introduced you at the party that night, but before I could, you both disappeared.”
My heart skipped. Alpha Warren… her cousin. He had been at the party too. Layla must have mentioned it, but that night had been a blur.
“And Layla,” Tonia continued. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. I hope she’s doing okay.”
My wolf stirred, uneasy. For a moment, I wondered if I should keep quiet. But if Alpha Warren was her cousin, she should know.
“Speaking of Layla, I thought you might know what happened to her that made her start acting all weird,” I said slowly.
Tonia straightened. “Weird how?”
“She’s… not the same Layla anymore” I replied. “She’s aggressive. Possessive. And did you know she's now Alpha Warren mate.”
“That’s not possible,” she said, waving her hand. “Layla already has a mate. Mark. Everyone knows that.”
I stared at her. "Well, it really had been long since you guys talked."
“Yes, and what's with you saying Layla is my cousins mate?" She asked, looking at me curiously. "Alpha Warren hasn't found his mate yet. Though…” She paused, lowering her voice. “I haven't seen him since that party but I heard he was looking for a girl he met at the party.”
My breath caught. “A girl he met at the party?"
She nodded. “Yes, he said he had a one night stand with her and believed she might be his mate.”
The noise of the restaurant faded. My ears rang, and my wolf suddenly growled, sharp and alert, like it had just been shaken awake.
“That’s… impossible,” I whispered.
Tonia tilted her head. “Why?”
My mind raced as everything fell into place. The way Alpha Warren looked at me. The ache in my chest when I saw Layla with him. The strange calm my wolf felt around him when he was close to me.
That could only mean one that Alpha Warren is my mate.
My hand moved to my stomach without thinking, and my wolf whimpered softly, torn between fear and longing.
“Diana?” Tonia called. “Are you okay?”
I forced a smile. “Yeah. I just need a minute.”
But inside, my world was breaking apart.
If Alpha Warren was truly my mate…Then Layla must've knew from the start, the ache in my chest worsened.