Chapter 780
780 “I mean, we’ve all been really busy. So, it’s hard to tell,” she said, confusion still evident on her face. “Why do you ask? Is he in trouble for something? I mean, it wouldn’t surprise me.” “It’s hard for me to talk about,” Irene finally said. “But the gist of it is…he won’t mark me. Whenever the subject comes up, he changes it. He also doesn’t let me visit him. When I do see him, he usually comes to me. It’s been months since we found out we were mates, and he hasn’t asked me to move to his pack or anything…” Tabby’s brows furrowed. “Well, like I’ve said… we’ve been busy and-” “A woman answered his phone when I called him the other day,” she blurted, tears blurring her vision as she stared down at her hands. “I didn’t want to believe it either. But I can’t tell if he’s cheating on me because I’m not marked by him, and our bond isn’t strong enough for my wolf to sense deceit. I’m not sure what else to do… so that’s why we are here.” Tabby worried her bottom lip; her cheeks flushed as she stared down at her own hands. There was something she wasn’t saying, and it was obvious. I looked around the room, wondering if anyone else had noticed Tabby’s sudden change of demeanor, but none of them seemed to. “Do you think he’ll be around at all this weekend?” Nan asked, her eyes shifting to Tabby. “Like at the masquerade ball?” She nodded, her eyes still refusing to lift. “Yes, we are all supposed to be there. It’s a huge event, and they need all the security they can get. Chuck is scheduled to attend.” “So, that’s our chance. He can’t know that Irene is here. She can surprise him at the ball this weekend. Then we could see if he took another woman,” Nan said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I chewed my lower lip; my eyes remained fixed on Tabby, who nodded along with Nan. “Yeah, that makes sense,” she said softly, her eyes finding Irene. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” She didn’t look so certain, but Irene nodded anyway. There was a knock on the door, and Nan jumped to her feet. “Room service!” she said happily as she rushed to the door, making the rest of us chuckle; even Irene had a ghost of a smile on her lips. I stood and headed towards the kitchen. “Tabby, can you help me grab something in the kitchen?” I asked over my shoulder. Tabby stood, smoothing her hands over her pants as she nodded. “Yeah, sure,” she said, excusing herself from the others before following me into the kitchen. The second we were alone, I rounded on her. “What is it?” I asked her, my eyes narrowed. “W…what?” She stammered. “You’re hiding something. Don’t deny it. It’s obvious. Tell me what it is,” I said, folding my arms across my chest. She nibbled on her lower lip, her eyes going everywhere but me. I could see the slight blush on her cheeks as she suppressed her words. “Tabby,” I said again,
my tone a warning. “Tell me what it is you know.” She let out a breath before her eyes finally met mine. “Fine,” she said softly. “I didn’t want to hurt her. Please don’t tell her…I can’t be the messenger she hates.” “Tell her what?” I asked, my stomach knotting. I was already expecting the worst. She took a deep breath before speaking, and I wasn’t prepared for what she had to tell me. “Chuck has a girlfriend,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “She’s actually a friend of mine. You might have already met her…‘ I let out a breath like the wind was knocked out of me. So, Irene was right… he was fooling around with someone behind her back. How could he do that to his own fated mate? “Is it the girl who works downstairs?” I asked, afraid to know the answer. She nodded. “Clarissa,” she said softly. “Yes. They’ve been together for almost a year. When Irene said that Chuck was her mate, I thought that maybe he dumped Clarissa after finding his true mate. But after hearing the rest of the story, I realized that wasn’t the truth. He’s still very much with her…” “You should have said that to Irene,” I said with narrowed eyes. “She’ll be devastated when she finds out.‘ “As I said… I can’t be that messenger, Judy. She needs to see it for herself in order to believe it,” Tabby said, her eyes shifting to the little window that looked into the living room. Irene sat on the couch, watching as Nan picked through the food from the room service. “I don’t want her to shoot the messenger, or just not believe me.” “And you think she’ll find out while at the ball?” I asked; she didn’t need to confirm it for me to know. “Yes,” Tabby said. “Chuck mentioned last week that he plans to propose during this ball. If he really is still with her… I have a feeling Irene is about to get all the proof she needs.” 1
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.