Shaking it off, I entered the grand foyer.
But before I could get far, a thundering growl echoed from above. My instincts flared up, but I held my ground, looking up.
A tall man descended the stairs. His Alpha dominance radiated off him like a suffocating wave. He was Liana’s mate, no doubt. She had spoken so highly of him, so I tried to stay calm.
“Hi, I’m—" I reached out, trying to introduce myself, but before I could finish, his hand came down hard across my face, sending me staggering back in shock.
I stood there, my hand pressed against my burning cheek, still reeling from the slap. My head spun, disbelief tightening in my chest. I stared at the man in front of me and tried to process what had just happened. My wolf was threatening to go out. Who the hell did he think he was?
Before I could even open my mouth to ask what was going on, he was already shouting again, his voice full of venom. “You shameless cheater! You dare show your face here after what you’ve done?”
‘What…?’
My breath caught in my throat. Did he just call me a cheater? I don’t even know this man. “What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped, barely keeping my anger in check. I could feel my composure slipping away the longer this ridiculous accusation continued.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” he spat. “How could you? After everything we’ve been through, you run off with some rogue and show up here like nothing happened? You disgust me.”
I blinked, utterly confused. “I don’t even know you!” I shouted back. “I’ve never seen you before in my life. How can I cheat on someone I don’t know?” My mind raced. If I was cheating on anyone, it’d be Edwin. My mate. My husband. But the thought of me cheating on him was laughable. The insult stung deep. How dare this man accuse me of something so vile!
My blood boiled as I realized people from their pack had begun to gather, whispering amongst themselves. I heard the words “shameless,” “cheater,” and “disgraceful” passed around like dirty gossip. Their judgment weighed on me, suffocating like a thick fog. What had I even walked into?
I raised my voice, trying to drown out their murmurs. “Are you Tyler? The Alpha of Night Creek?”
The man let out a harsh laugh, his eyes glinting with something nasty. “Oh, now you’re pretending not to know me, huh? You don’t even recognize your own mate anymore after running off with some filthy rogue?”