Ember's POV
As I stepped into the room, it was time for the bride to meet her soon-to-be mate. My heart raced in pain when I caught sight of Harry breaking free from Harriet as they were mating.
“What the heck is going on?” I exclaimed, struggling to convince myself that this was just a dream. “Yes, it has to be a dream,” I told myself, pinching my skin, but the sharp pain that followed reminded me it was all too real.
“I can explain this, Ember,” he said, while Harriet desperately attempted to pull the duvet around her damn naked self.
“How the hell did you think you would explain this to me after I caught you two in the act? I thought you were just friends as you claimed!” I shot back, anger boiling within me, my eyes burning red as tears threatened to spill. Harriet suddenly scoffed loudly as she stood up.
"Why am I even afraid of you? You are nothing more than my servant, who does everything I order you to do. Nothing more than a slave," she suddenly declared, the last part intended to shove me to my level.
“Harriet, don’t make this worse. It’s not what you think, Ember,” Harry pleaded with his boxer now on, guilt etched across his face.
This was the man I thought would save me from my miserable existence. I fell for him the moment I saw him, and my feelings deepened when he professed his love for me, promising that once he made me his mate, I would no longer be a servant but be free to go wherever I wished.
“And what did you think I think?” I asked, my voice trembling. The reality of the situation crushed me, how could the man I loved betray me with my mistress who had occasionally belittled me.
“I was just seduced by her,” he stammered, trying to defend himself.
“And you expect this lowlife to believe you? Come on, Harry, what do you even see in this… this useless creature?” she remarked, casting a disdainful glance my way. I was too engrossed in my despair to care about her insults.
“And weren't you supposed to be above this... getting seduced?” I pressed, desperately wanting to believe him. My love for him was undeniable, but the hurt was overwhelming.
“You’re partly to blame for this. You never allowed me to have you, claiming that you would give me your virginity only after marriage,” he retorted, frustration showing in his voice.
“So I got too heated and fell for her tricks. I still love you, Ember. Please believe me,” he insisted, his eyes pleading with sincerity.
“Ember, I know you're not more than just a servant, but I didn’t expect you to be completely naïve,” Harriet scoffed, her voice filled with arrogance. It was as if she was fighting for him, as if she loved him, despite having her own groom waiting for her outside, the faceless king.
Just as I was enveloped in confusion, Harriet rushed to the bathroom, looking like she might throw up. When she returned, she walked closer to me, a mock smile on her face.
“Ember, I’m sorry but you need to hear this. Don’t cry,” she feigned sympathy.
“Like I told you, don’t believe the lies of my best friend. I’m pregnant with his pup,” she announced nonchalantly, and I felt my world slip away.
I guessed the rumor that if your partner has a bestie, it may mean they could be cheating with each other, is actually true. I got to validate this rumor in a painful way. I struggled to hold back my cries, but tears of betrayal streamed. It felt just like yesterday that Harriet brought Harry home. And I would always sneak up on them just to watch Harry while they both talked. I would always find one excuse or the other to bring something to Harriet when Harry was around. I would purposefully miss out on an item in whatever Harriet ordered me to bring, she would yell at me to bring the other thing I forgot, and I would get to see him twice. He later noticed me and proposed his love for me, promised to protect me and care for me, and also get me out of this cage-like life. He is a beta son from an influential pack.
I recalled wistfully.
“So she’s pregnant with your child,” I growled, fury bubbling within me as I directed the conversation to Harry. "That must mean you have been doing it not once, not twice," I declared, as I felt like the earth under my feet would shift.
“When? How could this happen?” he asked Harriet, bewildered.
“We’ve been at it for a year, Harry, without any form of protection. What did you expect?” she proclaimed, a victorious tilt to her voice.
“Damn you, Harry! So this has been going on for over a year now, and yet last week we still celebrated our two-year anniversary” I yelled.
“I'm sorry. It is the work of the devil,” he replied, ridiculously putting the blame on the poor devil.
Harry moved toward me, grabbing my hand. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt through my body, awakening my weak wolf. Despite the news, my heart still yearned for him. But my mind fought fiercely against the overwhelming desire to surrender to his touch.
“I can still have you as my concubine,” he blurted out unexpectedly.
“And you expect me to accept that?” I replied, tears still flooding my eyes.
“I love you, and I don’t want to lose you,” he insisted, desperation tinting his voice as he cleaned my eyes off the tears.
“Then tell me the child inside her isn’t yours,” I pressed, clinging to any hope left in the darkness.
“Harriet is my best friend,” he said quietly with his eyes filled with regret.
“And that’s exactly the issue. It’s a disaster to have a female best friend of the opposite sex when you have a mate,” I replied, feeling as if the ground was collapsing beneath me.
“Harriet isn’t lying. I've known her almost all my life. The baby is mine, and I can’t deny my own child. I love children. Why would I want to abandon mine? Not to mention suggesting an abortion,” he said, and at that moment, I knew my hope had been fully extinguished. Despair consumed me.
“What's your reply? Love means everything, and I won't hesitate to treasure you like I will treasure my new soon-to-be mate,” he declared, gazing into my eyes. I wanted so badly to say yes, but my wolf growled, urging me to find my strength.
“Don’t listen to your wolf. So, what are you saying?” he pressed, and it appeared his wolf had interpreted the noise my wolf had made in frustration.
“I… am… not… interested,” I finally declared, my voice shaky after a long pause filled with uncertainty. The silence that followed was heavy, a tension that no one wanted.
“Did you come to find me at the request of my father? Is the faceless werewolf king around?” she asked, changing the conversation.
“Yes,” I replied, finding my voice despite the turmoil. There was no time for tears now. I had been ordered by our Alpha, Jack, Harriet’s father, to retrieve his daughter for the faceless king.
“So what now? Will you pretend you’re not pregnant and marry your mate anyway, wearing your ceremonial gown for the impromptu wedding?” I retorted rudely as she drew closer, delivering a sharp slap to my face.
“You’ve gotten cocky, maybe because I treated you like a friend, maybe because of Harry's protection,” she retorted coldly.
Holding my cheek, my eyes still red from crying, I replied, “It’s because you stole my man.”
“Well, it’s too late. You need to get your miserable self out of here now. Tell the faceless king that I am shoving this marriage back in his face.”
“I can’t. He’ll kill me. I can’t say it even in the mildest way,” I protested.
“So you’ve heard the stories, and you want me dead by pushing me to my doom, right? The faceless king is known for having caused 15 packs to go extinct. He’s feared by all and always wears a mask to hide the disfigured scars from countless battles,” she seethed.
“I’m pregnant, and that’s the truth. You better figure out how to relay the message to him, or else. Not only will you face his wrath, but you're also going to lose your head,” she threatened.
“Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!” I cried inwardly, frustration boiling over.
I locked eyes with Harry, hoping he would tell me not to go, fully aware that I might meet my end soon.
“Why are you staring at Harry? Harry is now mine,” she announced possessively, completely missing my struggles. “In fact, Harry, profess your love to me right now as your mate.”
He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head.
“I don’t have a choice, Ember. She’s carrying my first child, and I can’t hurt her. She’s my best friend.” My heart shattered all over again.
“From now on, Harriet,” he said, kneeling down.
“You are officially my mate,” he concluded, kissing her hand before placing his lips on her stomach.
“That’s it, Ember. Find a way to announce this, or better yet, talk to my father. He might have a better idea about how to handle this situation,” she suggested dismissively.
“And won’t he be furious to hear this, Harry as your mate, you pregnant, and you rejecting the faceless king?” I rushed my words, desperation clawing at me.
“Yes, he will be angry because we are declaring war on the faceless king by breaking this union. But under normal circumstances, he wants Harry. He’s always wanted Harry to be my mate. If we get through this, he will be happy to give us his blessing,” she replied, and in that instant, I felt defeated. I forced my legs to move forward, contemplating the idea of giving up altogether to death.
As I stepped outside, I nearly collided with Alpha Jack.
“What took you so long to get Harriet?” he demanded, clearly agitated.
“Miss Harriet said she isn’t interested in the union anymore because she’s pregnant with Harry’s child,” I explained. With a look of annoyance, he stormed into her quarters, and I could hear a heated exchange of words between them.
When he came back out, he locked eyes with me.
“You know I’ve been a selfish father all this time. I was trying to prevent a war with the Windsor Pack, and I was willing to sacrifice my daughter’s happiness for it.”
Like I cared. If he truly had any insight, he’d know I had just finished crying and wasn’t interested in his empty words. He was also aware that there was a connection between Harry and me.
“Go and find the faceless king wherever he is and tell him that Harriet… Well, just be direct about it; that could help us avoid an ugly situation. Tell him Harriet is pregnant and already has a mate,” he instructed. “Tell him I’ll prepare another beautiful girl for him, an even better mate. He should be patient,” he concluded as I made my way toward the ballroom.
Once I entered the ballroom, my heart raced as all eyes landed on me, their gazes scrutinizing. Dignitaries and guests from different packs filled the room, all gathered to witness the impending union between Harriet and the faceless king.
I scanned the crowd, hoping to see someone wearing a mask to connect with. After a quick search, I realized I hadn’t found anyone.
“Excuse me, do you know where the faceless king is?” I asked one of the guards I know, and he informed me that he had seen the king head to the backyard. I followed his directions, pushing the door open. My heart was racing; I had no plan for what to say when I found him.
As I stepped outside, I noticed a man crouched down, wearing a golden mask, intently gazing at Cora, a white wolf my Alpha had captured and tamed.
I wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat as fear overwhelmed me.