CHAPTER 2 Chosen Mate
Theodore's POV
I had been a fool. A blind, trusting fool.
The rumors had reached me, whispered in hushed tones, thrown in my face by so-called friends who claimed they were looking out for me.
I had ignored them all. Every single one.
Because I believed in Iris.
I believed in the woman I had loved all my life. I believed she would never betray me, never stray, never give herself to anyone else.
And besides, the man in question wasn't just anyone. He was Oliver. My closest friend. My brother in everything but blood.
It had to be lies. All of it.
But then, months ago, I overheard something—just a little conversation, barely enough to latch onto, yet enough to plant doubt in my mind.
And once that doubt took root, it wouldn't let go.
I had no choice but to start digging.
And that was when my entire world shattered.
Iris had been cheating on me.
Not just with anyone. Not with a stranger.
With him.
Oliver.
The man I had trusted with my secrets. The man I had fought alongside, laughed with, shared my dreams with.
And as if the betrayal wasn't enough, she was carrying his child.
She wasn't just unfaithful. She was expecting another man's baby while preparing to walk down the aisle with me.
I would never forgive her. Never.
My first instinct was to call off the wedding. There was no way in hell I was going to stand before our pack, claim a woman who had dishonored me, and raise another man's child as my own.
But my parents wouldn't have it.
The elders had already begun evaluating my fitness to become the next Alpha. And this marriage?
It was more than a union. It was a requirement.
It was the final step in securing my position.
It was fucked up.
So damn fucked up.
I had loved her. I had loved her. And she had thrown it all away.
"Fuck!" I muttered, slamming my empty glass on the bar counter before signaling for another.
I had been left with no other choice.
So I struck a deal.
We would marry. I would secure my claim to the Alpha position. And in six months, we would divorce.
She would walk away with whatever she wanted, and I would never have to see her or Oliver again.
That was the plan. The only way to salvage what was left of my dignity.
But Iris surprised me once again.
She disappeared.
Vanished into thin air the night before our wedding. Just hours after we left the designer's store.
She sent me a message. No explanations. No excuses. Just a single text.
And then she was gone.
"More vodka. Something stronger."
The bartender didn't hesitate, pouring until my glass was full again.
I drank. I drank because I didn't know what the hell I was going to do tomorrow, my wedding day.
And then, just as I tipped the glass to my lips, I saw her.
"Adeline?" I whispered to myself.
It was definitely Adeline, Iris younger sister.
She was sitting across the bar, with her hands wrapped around a glass.
She looked… different tonight.
I gulped hard, setting my drink down with a quiet clink.
And just like that, a thought crossed my mind.
A dangerous, reckless thought.
What if…?
What if I marked her as my mate and future Luna?
That thought came straight to my mind. It was perfect. A flawless solution to tomorrow's impending humiliation.
Marrying Adeline would not only secure my position as Alpha—she was the Beta's daughter, after all—but it would also be the sweetest revenge against Iris.
Two birds. One stone.
"Perfect," I muttered, gripping my glass tighter before standing up.
My legs were unsteady, but I didn't care. My head was spinning, but I didn't care.
All of this was because of Iris. And I was going to make damn sure she regretted it.
I walked toward Adeline.
"Adeline?"
She glanced up from her phone, startled by my voice.
"The… Theodore," she stammered, her lips parting slightly, as if saying my name alone was too much.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" I asked.
"I… I…" She struggled, as her fingers tightened around her glass.
I noticed the goosebumps trailing down her arms, the way her body tensed, like she wasn't sure whether to run or stay.
I smirked. "You're celebrating tomorrow, right?" I said then laughed.
She didn't respond. She just stared at me.
"One more drink, please," she said anxiously, as she turned to the bartender.
She was nervous. Shy. I could tell.
"I'll need one more too," I added, watching her carefully.
The drinks were poured. We both took them down in a single gulp.
"I… I should get going…" Adeline mumbled, attempting to stand, but the moment she did, she stumbled.
Straight into my arms.
She was drunk. Maybe even more than I was.
"You can't make it back home in this state," I muttered, wrapping an arm around her waist. She felt warm.
Without thinking, I lifted her into my arms. She was light, her body fitting perfectly against mine with her soft breath.
I took her to my lodge.
She needed a place to rest. A safe space until the alcohol wore off. That was all this was supposed to be.
But as I laid her down on my bed, something weird happened.
She looked at me with those innocent, hazy eyes that was under the effects of alcohol. And so was mine.
She was right here. In my arms. And I didn't want to let her go.
Maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe it was fate.
I didn't know.
I didn't care.
I leaned closer as our lips met.
She gasped against my mouth, like she hadn't expected it but wasn't pulling away either.
I deepened the kiss, my hands roaming over her body, exploring the curves under her dress.
Her moans were breathless, needy, almost like she had never been touched before.
And then I knew the minute I moved it two fingers inside her pussy.
She hadn't been touched before.
She screamed the moment my fingers slid in.
Her hands tangled in my hair as I kissed her deeper.
We tore at our clothes like we were starved for something neither of us understood.
My fingers traced down her body, opening her up for me, feeling the way she trembled under my touch.
She gasped and moaned my name seductively.
"The….. Theodore…."
Her nails dug into my skin.
And the moment I sank inside her, she cried out.
I groaned, feeling her tighten around me, the way she took me in, as if she was made for me.
My lips found her neck and I licked her all the way up to her neck.
I ride her back and forth, slowly as she kept on moaning some sweet melodies in my ears.
We were with drunk and just got carried away by the moment.
My lips found her neck and without hesitation, I sank my teeth into her skin, marking her.