Page 51 of The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate
“Liar,” I whisper hoarsely at the ceiling. “She was your woman all along.”
I can hear him in my head from that day at the lake. His voice harsh and low behind me. “There is nothing going on between Lydia and me.”
I let myself believe it. I allowed myself to have hope. I was convinced that whatever was holding him back from accepting our bond, I could find a way around it. That I could make him fall for me.
Fool.
“You just wanted to humiliate me,” I tell the ceiling.
Another tear slides sideways off my face. I don’t bother wiping it; the hair around my temple is already wet.
My phone rings somewhere on the bed beside me. I want to ignore it like I have the other calls, but I recognize the ring tone. It’s my alpha.
Hand shaking, I pat around the blanket till I find the phone.
“Darius, this is not a good time. Is it urge—”
“Sienna!” Violet says into my ear. “Are you okay?”
I close my eyes and turn onto my side. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“Because you sound like crap.”
I roll onto my back again, throwing one arm over my eyes. “I always sound like this. You’re only now noticing.”
“Sienna…” The worry in my friend’s voice has me swallowing a sob.
I sink my teeth into my lower lip, my voice rough. “This is really not a good time, Violet.”
“I know,” she says quietly. “We heard about Lucas’s engagement.”
My teeth find the inside of my cheek, and I bite down hard.
“The circular went out an hour ago,” Violet continues carefully. “To every pack in the region. Darius just got off the phone with him. He had to call to offer congratulations.”
A watery sound escapes me. “Tell Darius he sucks.”
“I heard that,” comes Darius’s voice from the background, and I can’t find it in me to worry about it. “Give me the phone.”
“I don’t want to talk to him.” I curl onto my side again. “Don’t give him the phone, Violet.”
“Sienna,” Darius says into the phone, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
“I don’t care if I was rude to you.”
“I’ll allow it this time.” His tone is patient and almost gentle. He only ever speaks to Violet this way. “Where are you?”
“I got a hotel room for the night. Just wanted to get away from the Silvercrest pack for a while. No big dea—”
“Do you want to come home?”
Home. The word hits me under the ribs like a small detonation. Moonvale. My apartment. My friends. The corner coffee shop. The pack house. Anne’s wine. Violet’s laugh. Ethan from archives winking at me in the elevator. Home, where people actually want me.
“Yes,” I whisper, tears in my voice. “More than you know.”
“I can send someone to take your place as liaison,” Darius presses. “You do not have to do this.”
I close my eyes. “Violet told you, huh?”
