Chapter 3

Evelyn POV

I lead Vicky outside into the front of the Alpha mansion’s grounds. I wanted to check on whether anything still needed tidying up and knowing Candice and Michelle were at the back of the house, our conversation shouldn’t be overheard.

Vicky turns to me, a cold aura emitting from her that she was working hard on keeping hidden, yet my wolf picks up on it and whines in my mind. My wolf knows that this female is not to be trusted.

“I was surprised you have the front guest rooms and that Reuben let me stay in his old rooms. Surely it should be the other way around?” She mock laughs, my back stiffening at her words. Perhaps Noah was right, perhaps she was here with an ulterior motive. I didn’t have time for games, I gave up my family pack to move here and had worked hard as the Red Stone Pack’s Luna for the past two years. I wasn’t going to let her ruin that. I had to fight for what was mine.

“Vicky….” I change my approach to her, I’m not being such the welcoming luna now.

“….we are alone now, you can say what you want to say!”

Her demeanour changes instantly! Gone is the ditzy happy she-wolf. Now, standing in front of me is a viciously dangerous female determined to get what she wants.

“I’ll make it very clear then…” She sneers at me.

“…I want to be luna of this pack!”

“But I am the luna!” I respond, perplexed by what she has just said.

“You’re not though, are you? You aren’t marked by Reuben. He’s been waiting for something…or for someone.” She smirks with an arrogant glint in her eyes.

“If I hadn’t of left, I’d be luna and I’d be marked! I mean look at you and then look at me.” She says looking down at my appearance.

Her words sting me. I worked hard as the pack’s luna. I had the respect of the pack and was often called upon for my opinions in battle formations. Reuben’s council always considering my more diplomatic approach to situations. No matter our relationship I knew Reuben was confident in me leading the pack when he was off pack grounds. I wasn’t here to dress up and wear high heels around the mansion shouting orders at the staff. I was here to be a committed member to the pack and assist Reuben in his leadership. Yes, his lack of interest in me romantically did result in me not wearing flattering clothes, but I had got used to that.

“I mean two years you’ve been married, and you aren’t even marked…” She laughs coldly at me, continuing to fixate on the fact that I am not marked.

“You clearly aren’t making him happy, whereas I always made him happy. I never got any complaints if you know what I mean? He clearly doesn’t love you!”

I feel sick at her words, the pup in my stomach finding her words insulting. The betrayal of its father’s affections to another female that isn’t its mother. He practically lived with her, slept with her every night…whereas I had separate rooms and only consummated our marriage two months ago.

“Well, you seem to be well informed.” I have to say something to not look weak, but really I want to vomit all over her high heeled shoes.

“Of course. I’ve come back for one purpose and you won’t get in my way!” She growls at me.

I take a few steps back, shocked by her openly cold and aggressive behaviour. Suddenly very protective of my child’s rightful place within this pack.

“Vicky, I am married to Reuben.” Maybe she just needs to hear me say it.

“A marriage without love….it would be better for you if it ended immediately.” She sneers again at me.

No, I couldn’t listen to her anymore. The child growing in my womb, his child, would bring us closer together. Would thaw out his cold demeanour. I still believed he was capable of love, capable of loving me.

“You’ve been gone a long time Vicky, what makes you think he has any feelings for you anymore?” I try to confidently say.

“Evelyn, please. I’ve seen our photographs in his desk drawer. If he didn’t love me, he would have thrown them away. Yet I see no framed pictures of you in the alpha mansion. It’s almost as if you don’t even live there, because you soon won’t!” She says with an evil grin.

This female was absolutely vile. I had to fight for my child, fight for my marriage to Reuben. If he could show us as an united front, she would get the hint and leave. Yet the fact that she has picked up on her photographs being preserved in his desk drawer, sends panic into my chest.

My mind is preoccupied with her words that I don’t at first notice his approach, I don’t even sense his scent. My mind has now joined my chest and enters panic mode.

She notices. Her back straightens and her breasts are pushed out upon his approach. Her body language changes from aggressive to girly and feigning an innocent cuteness. She is anything but innocent.

“Reuben.” Vicky calls out to my husband with an almost purring noise. She rushes up to him, making sure her breasts bounce and almost spill out of her tight top. As she reaches him, she places her hand on his arm and strokes it.

Anger flares up in my stomach and I can feel my ears turning red from the build up of this foreign emotion to me.

“I wondered where you both had gone…what are you doing?” He asks, looking at me properly for the first time today. I go to answer, but the bitch cuts me off.

“I was just thanking Evelyn for helping the staff clean up my new room. She’s done a superb job.” She flutters her eyelashes at him.

“Indeed Evelyn, you have done a superb job.” He compliments me but uses her wording, which only angers me more. His gaze lingers on me longer than usual, was he picking up on my anger, on my unease?

“Let me show you the room Reuben and if okay with you, what changes I would like to make?” She gestures for them to enter the house and he does as she requests.

“Evelyn?” He stops in front of me, concern edged in his eyes.

I go to open my mouth, to say I wanted her gone. That I needed to speak with him alone, but I couldn’t get any words out.

“Come on Reuben, let’s leave Evelyn to rest. I’m sure she needs a break.” Vicky firmly suggests as she pulls him away from me. I watch them both walk up the front steps of the Alpha mansion together. Sadness overwhelms me of how great they look together.

I place my hands on my lower abdomen, touching the tiny baby inside. I needed to defend my marriage and my title as the pack’s luna for this baby. If not for me, then for his baby.