Everything went fast. I was grabbed away from Anya as knuckles hit my jaw. I didn’t budge from standing, but it was painful. My eyes dilated as I growled, ready to attack back, when I realized that it was Sebastian that hit me.
“I told you to pick up a Luna, but I didn’t say you could fucking pick up my sister! She’s too young for your fucking games!” He was aiming to throw another jab at me, but Riley was holding him back.
My hand was holding my jaw as I glanced at Anya, who was cowering by the wall. Her face was wet with tears. Her eyes met mine, but she dropped her gaze right away before turning around and leaving the dining area.
I wanted to run after her, but I knew I had to face Sebastian first.
“Calm down, man. Anya is my fated mate.” I finally said it. And fuck that, it felt fucking good!
Chapter 82
RILEY.
The sun was aboutto set and the house was bursting with Omegas preparing the packhouse grounds for Nadia’s birthday dinner while I stayed hidden at the backside of the house. My body leaned against the double door pillars as I gazed out at the forest in front of me.
Nadia was upstairs and was preparing herself with the help of Jenny and Katarina. After the commotion about Caleb and Anya being fated mates, it was only now that I was able to have a moment of silence.
I sipped the glass of rum in my hand as I let the memory of Zahra’s arrival come flashing back.
She arrived two hours earlier with her fated mate, Leandro. The twins were on a different flight and would arrive later.
Meeting Leandro went smoothly only because I was doing my best not to glare or snap at him. I thought I did the part well, even if my heart was shattering into pieces. I didn’t know it would hurt this much. I thought I was slowly accepting it, but seeing him opened all the wounds that I thought the last few weeks were slowly healing.
He reminded me again that my mother chose him over me.
“Riley...” Zahra’s voice reached my ears, and I slowly tilted my head to look behind me and I saw her standing a few feet away from me.
She was smiling widely, but her eyes were showing uncertainty.
“Yes,” I answered without turning my body around.
“I want to return something that rightfully belongs to you.”
I moved away from leaning my body on the pillars and turned to face her. My eyes darted to the small box she was holding.
She handed it to me, and I took it, opening it slowly to see a gold necklace with a crescent moon encrusted with diamonds.
I was just looking at it and waiting for her explanation.
“Your father gave that to me at my Luna ceremony. It has been passed on from his mother and the generations before her. I was not able to return it when I fled from the territory. And your father refused to meet up with me, and I didn’t have the heart to just send it over the post. I knew it was important to him, and I didn’t want the risk of losing. And I think you know who it should belong to now.”
I just nodded my head, but I didn’t say anything.
I heard her take a deep breath before she spoke again. “Thank you for inviting us here. I know it would take time for you to forgive me, and I’m okay with that. I can wait. But your sisters, I hope you will give them a chance to get to know you.”
I closed the box, my gaze still focused on it as I played and rolled it around my fingers.
“That’s all. I will go and check on Nadia.” She stayed in her position, but when she realized I had no plan to respond, she turned around and was about to walk away.
I tilted my head up to look at her back, and it was then that I decided to ask the question that has been haunting me my whole life.
“Why?” I asked in a low, hoarse voice.
She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around, and our eyes met.
“Why?” She asked back, her forehead creasing, and confusion showing in her eyes.
“Why did you choose him over me?” I asked, my gaze meeting her blue eyes, the same set of eyes that I have.
