Chapter 9
Chapter 9
“How dare you”
Declan just stared blankly at her now seething face
“How dare you tell everyone that I am your
ir wife when you were never a husband to me.”
Lauren’s hands shook, but she clenched them together, controlling the fuming anger she felt for the man who only hurt her.
“I did what you wanted, and you come hack here and claim us as if you ever truly cared?”
Declan stood
“I did-
Hut Lauren koffed. “Don’t make me laugh, Declan. You only ever cared about yourself.”
Declan’s piercing blue eyes glared at her, but Lauren didn’t back down. She reciprocated it with a sharper look as she pointed a finger at his face.
“so don’t you ever, EVER act nor speak like you ever truly cared about me or my children, because you don’t. And stop the pretense. You look pathetic with that ring still in your finger.”
Lauren stood up from her seat and started walking out of the room. The people inside the meeting room just froze, feeling how serious the problem was and how thick the tension was between them.
But Declan followed her out, uncaring about the hurt he felt at Lauren’s words nor the people’s thoughts that heard.
He cared. He truly y did care. He just realized it too late.
arm. pulling her
Lauren walked faster as she heard the man following behind her. She was already on the grounds when she felt his hand grab her a towards him.
Talk to me.
Lauren pulled her arm away and gruffly stepped back. Her anger was consuming her, but she knew she had to still be careful. If she had a choice, the would never let anyone know about her past relationship with him.
Just!
like how he wanted to keep her hidden before
“Fine. Let’s talk!” She started, memories from the
e past at the forefront of her mind. And it was eating her up.
“Der’s talk about how you never wanted that marriage and constantly reminded me about it every single f*cking day. You made sure I see those divorce papers the moment I wake up, go to sleep or even get inside the room we never shared. You never wanted me to even close the folder and just let it lay on the table! You constantly reminded me how you hated my mere presence! You didn’t even want to sleep when I was inside the house! You hated all the food I made for you You hated the mere idea of being associated with me! If I know, you hated the single night we shared: And now this? So, let’s talk, Declan! Talk to me!”
Lauren bursted. She thought she could hold it in, but she couldn’t. For years, she held those words inside her mind. She didn’t have any avenue to let it out, nor did she ever wanted to tell anyone about it.
may.
She was too hurt. The one person she ever trusted after she lost everything, was the person who hurt her the m
“I would have taken it,” her voice sounded hours after screaming. The hurt in her heart, rising to her throat Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “If you at least continued being my friend. We should have communicated properly. W–We were best friends, Declan.”
“I know,” Declan tried touching her, but she quickly took a step back.
“A and I would have understood if you never came here to get us. Hut claiming that you wanted to keep us? That I just ran away? That you cared?” Lauren shook her head as she wiped her tears away.
Declan looked at her with gentler eyes now. He looked like he was also in pain, but Lauren was done bring fooled. She knew that the effects of the matebond might be doing all these tris ka on hier, but she refused to be swayed by it.
“Tin done being hurt that way, Derlan, I know I also had my own faults before, and I’m sorry” a sob escaped her lips as Declan nodded, as if
give whatever dir wanted to apologize for
“I’m sorry for being a hindrance in you and Vivienne. I’m sorry that you felt like I took away your freedom to decide for sure I knew and felt my consequences, didn’t you?”
your
life. But you inade
“Lauren, I’m sorry-” Lauren once again shook her head, looking away from Declan’s pleading eyel
1/2
10 STAM
She stepped back when she felt how gentle his hold was, She didn’t ever want to be back to her old, weak self again.
“You know what, after years of being away. I realized that what you did was the right thing. From the very first day, you were very honest w You told me you never wanted it, and I realized that I deserved all t–that pain for insisting”
with me.
Chapter 9
“Don’t say that,” Declan exclaimed.
she shook her head. “No. I did. Because I would never have been hurt that way if I let you go the first time you said you didn’t want it. After all, you already took in my packmates. There was never a problem with that. But I insisted, thinking that we might work.”
Lauren took in a huge breath. A sense of relief filled her as she finally voiced that realization out.
It took her years to embrace her own faults. She knew she also had a part in their broken relationship. They could have saved their friendship if she had not insisted upon playing husband and wife
She knew that Declan kept Vivienne with him even after they got married. It should have been her clue to stop trying and to avoid getting hurt. But she continued, causing her own pain and broken heart.
“S.So let’s just stop this. Get that ring out. We’re no longer married.” Lauren wiped her face clean from her tears.
But when she looked at him again, she saw how Declan’s rather cold and serious face looked so hurt, as if he was as broken–hearted as she was.
Lauren’s attention was taken when Jasper and the rest of the Council, with Beta Yuan, had finally come out of the pack house. And they all stopped on their tracks, looking at them.
“I appreciate all the help you want to extend to this pack. And don’t worry. I will keep the side of our bargain. I will let you visit my children. I will make sure they know you as their father.”
She looked down on her shoes, as she c
could no longer withstand the intensity of his eyes on her.
She saw how distate went to his eyes when she said “my children. Her heart was skipping a beat, and not just because she was hurt. Her wolf was acting up again, barking at her for hurting their mate.
“But the part where everyone should know what we are to each other, it should be enough that the Council knows.”
“For now, Lauren.” Declan said, his voice firm.
He took a step towards her, and she had no choice but to let him touch her hand, not wanting to make a scene now that everyone was watching- “But soon, I want everyone to know that
re mine?
are
you e my mate. That yo
you are
She was about to speak when he shook his head, eyes getting colder again.
“Rejection won’t be a possibility. As soon as you try to reject me, I will take you and OUR children to Black Ridges Pack, where you truly belong
୦
AD
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