Chapter 17

Soren‘s POV

“Soren! Answer me!” Bianca cries out. Her voice pierces my ears, making me flinch every time she opens her mouth.

I sit up in bed and rub my temples, trying to ease the pain. Bianca prances around the bedroom, waving her arms around, complaining about how Celia seduced me while she was away.

I don’t understand how Bianca can even think that Celia is her competition. Celia is a common woman. She has no class, no significant rank, and she cannot even summon her wolf! She’s wolf-less!

After five years together, it is completely normal to develop positive feelings towards one another. Celia admitted she loved me not too long ago, but I bet she doesn’t feel the same way about me anymore. Time apart is a good thing. I wish Bianca could see that.

“Bianca, my love,” I slip out of bed and walk towards her. I take her hands in mine, my thumbs grazing over her knuckles. “You are important to me.”

“Bullshit!” Bianca throws her hands out from mine, storming away. She circles once she reaches a wall, barreling right back towards me. “You’ve betrayed me, Soren! You are disloyal!”

I watch as the tears fall from her eyes. Her makeup slowly becomes ruined, mascara dripping down her cheeks. She covers her face and hides from me. My heart aches at the sight. Her hands drop, eyes closed, and she takes a deep breath.

“Soren…I have already forgiven you for taking on a substitute lover during the time I was away,” Bianca begins. She slowly makes her way back towards me, her eyes trained on mine. Tears begin to fall from her eyes again, her breathing uneasy. “Do you not love me? Is it because I’m the daughter of a Delta and not an Alpha? Do you look down on me because of my rank?”

I pause, soaking in all of the things she asks of me. I want to be careful and deliberate with what I say; it needs to be absolutely perfect so she knows of my devotion to her. When I don’t immediately respond, Bianca turns away, wailing.

“Does my existence not matter at all to you?!” Bianca hunches over. “Can a substitute really take your heart away from me? If you feel relieved when I’m not around,” she turns around to face me once again, “then you probably never cared about me in the first place, right?”

“Bianca—”

“No, Soren,” she sighs and wipes away her tears. “If one day you find your fated mate that can cure you of your headaches, will you just abandon me all over again?”

Her shoulders slump and her head hangs low. Her body shivers from her sobs. She trembles uncontrollably. I have to grab hold of her shoulders to keep her steady. Bianca immediately melts into my arms, burying her face into my neck.

Her tears are hot against my skin. My shirt slowly becomes wet, her makeup rubbing off on my clothes and skin. We succumb to the ground together. Her fingers curl into my shirt, grabbing fistfuls as she looks up at me.

Bianca’s eyes are red. Her nails dig into my skin. Her body shakes against my sturdy one.

Guilt overtakes my body. I should never have let it get this far. She deserves far better than the silent responses that I have been giving her. Bianca deserves my respect, my love, and my attention.

I remember when I first met her. We were young kids, just over the age of six. I was lonely that day; my illness left me without friends. Bianca, though, immediately befriended me.

She turned my life around. She turned the dark and gloomy days into sunshine and rainbows. No longer did I feel alone. No longer did I feel the immense pain behind my eyes. I was ni longer bedridden for days on end.

With Bianca, I felt like I was on top of the world. I was able to go out and play and be a young boy! With her at my side, I felt invincible, ready to take on anything that may come my way.

It didn’t help that our packs were always at odds with one another. It strained our relationship during our teen years. We hid in secret, sharing bittersweet kisses and embraces, not prepared to be caught at any moment.

The Lycans have never liked the Werewolves and the Werewolves have never liked the Lycans.

It is, unfortunately, how the world works. So, when we broke up, I swore to her. That we will see each other again, that we will be able to share our love in the public eye once things get better.

Although Bianca does not have any type of healing effect on me anymore, I will still keep my promise to her to keep her by my side no matter what.

“Bianca,” I coo to her, easing her face out from my neck. I push strands of hair out of her face and sigh, cupping her cheek. She sniffles, eyes big and wide as she look sup at me. “You will always be the most important in my life. You are more important to me than some lowly substitute I met in the Red Light District. Celia will forever and always will be a substitute to me. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Bianca nods and wipes away some of the tears that falls down her face. She sits up in my embrace and her breathing has finally returned to normal.

“Do you…do you mean that?” she asks through quiet sniffles. She bats her eyelashes at me. I nod and rub her back, trying to soothe her some more. “Okay good…that only leaves me with one last thing, then,” she sighs.

“Yes? What is it, Bianca?” I inquire. She sighs and shakes her head, looking away. I place my finger under her chin, drawing her face and attention back onto me. “You can tell me anything, you know that.”

“Okay…if you say so,” she pushes some of her hair out of her face and behind her ear. “If you truly meant what you said to me, then to prove your love, I demand that you cut all of your ties with Celia!” Bianca stands up, pulling me with her.

I furrow my brows at her. She dusts herself off and looks back up at me.

“I have to go now…promise me you’ll do this for me, Soren!”

Without being able to respond, Bianca turns and exits the bedroom, tossing her hair over her shoulder. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose.

My wolf fights against my mind. I feel guilty about cutting Celia off, but I cannot help but agree with what Bianca said to me. I feel sorry for Celia, knowing that she loves me and feels affection towards me, but my heart belongs to Bianca. My wolf and possible fated mate will not sway me of this.

But Celia…if she were here, she would know how to soothe the pain in my mind. She is less of a hassle, too, compared to Bianca and her dramatic antics. Celia would have listened to me. Maybe then would she have accepted my money as compensation for her time and troubles.

I should call her…let her know that we can no longer see each other due to Bianca’s broken heart.

I dial her number but the call immediately falls through. I dial it again and the same result happens.

Did…did Celia block me?