My Mate's Unlawful Affair

"...Do you like it?" Matilda asked while chewing happily.

"These are so good, Jacob. I love them all!" Matilda said. While it should've been just Jacob and me, Matilda joined in and pulled her chair to sit close to him. It looked like they were a couple more than the real married couple in the cabin.

"I hope you two realise the annual festival is nearing." I hinted. I was playing with my food with the fork. None of those dishes were to my liking and I didn't want to order more food as I'd lost my appetite.

"Oh yes! The annual festival celebrating the Moon Goddess! Don't be silly, Elaine. We will never forget about that." Matilda coaxed. I rolled my eyes and told them that I'd be leaving.

"But wait. I heard you cancelled your schedule for today. Spend some time with me." Jacob demanded shamelessly. I looked over my shoulder and responded,

"I can bring my schedule back up. Clearly, I'm not needed anymore to keep you company." Saying, I made my exit. As I walked into the hallway again, I heard them whispering to each other, "What's gotten into her? He's become so annoying. I can't stand her anymore. Ugh."

It was Jacob narrating those words to his new side chick. At that moment, I realized that I had mentally checked myself out of our relationship. As much as it hurts to say this, I'm letting go of the love of my life.

The festival that we celebrate is to seek blessings from the Moon Goddess. Normally, couples who are fated by destiny stand under the moonlight together and soak up the energy under the annual HOLLOW MOON. This year specifically. The Hollow Moon will glow a magnificent red. Red symbolises power, overcoming grief and setbacks.

And I knew exactly what to wish for under the moonlight this year.

***

Three days passed by, and the bright, festive atmosphere of our pack got to me. Jacob, Matilda and I have reached our pack house. It has been combined since Jacob, and I got married but functioned separately as Frostbite Pack and Moonglow Pack.

"Alpha Elaine and Alpha Jacob are here!" The beta yells loudly upon our arrival. We step inside and greet everyone. Matilda is all over the place, talking to everyone in a squeaky high voice. The elders could bear her, but I couldn't hold my chuckle back when the group of pups made a face and ran away!

"That's not nice, Elaine. Apologize to her." Jacob prompted because I was caught. I gave him the side eye and simply walked away. Well, that was one way to get the festival going I think.

In the evening before the ceremony started, I found myself surrounded by the higher ranks of the pack on the huge dinner table.

"Elaine. Could you scoot, please?" Asked Matilda. I shot her a look but she pouted and pleaded again, "Please? Pretty please? You want to be a good elder sister to me, right?"

"But there's space right next to Jacob on the other side too."

"No, but I've gotten accustomed to sitting on his right." Just then, one of the elders sat by Jacob's empty side. Matilda wouldn't stop whining, everyone's attention was on us.

"Fine. Sit." I gave up and found myself a seat somewhere else.

"Alpha Elaine...you're literally the Alpha of her. That was just too painful to watch. Couldn't you just—" My Beta Jeremy spoke but I cut him off,

"She's a rogue rank and not my sister. My command wouldn't reach her because she is technically not from our pack." Jeremy heard my explanation and fell silent.

After supper, we all went out to gaze at the moon from the fields. Our beautiful meadows were decorated carefully with lamps. The yellow light tackled the dark scarlet hue of the moon over our heads.

"Are you ready?" Matilda asked Jacob. They were a couple of people away from me. I looked down at my hands in sadness. The night was supposed to be about couples. Since we're the alphas, wouldn't it be more sensible for Jacob to make the wish with me? For the benefit of our packs?

Oh boy, was I wrong?

As everyone was awed at the changing hues of the Hollow Moon, from purple to pink to scarlet, I kept staring at Jacob and Matilda. His arm was delicately wrapped around her slim waist. Her hair flew with the wind, making her look ethereal in HIS eyes. Jacob stared down at her, leaning in and almost kissing her. The adoration that was oozing out of his eyes was exclusively for me. I don't know what's changed.

I was so lost in my plethora of thoughts that I didn't notice the lamp splattered oil and kindles onto the grass of the meadows. The fire spread quickly, almost too quickly, that it engulfed the few acres of barren land into the wildfire!

"ALPHA! HELP ME! MY SON IS COVERED IN THE FIRE—" A mother yelled desperately. As soon as I heard that, my instinct made me shift into my wolf - Winter.

Winter was a black wolf with shiny, tough coat. Thanks to her, I could navigate the child and bring him to safety. I knew I couldn't stop there even if my coat had caught fire - I'd heal. But my people won't.

With my burning back, I pushed everyone and carried every pup to safety. Everyone was crying by the end of the mishap. It shouldn't have happened like this.

"Bad omen...Bad omen...Bad omen...!" The elders couldn't stop chanting that. My mental stress reached its peak. But like a cherry on top, as I was trying to shift back into my wolf and speed up my recovery, I watched the scene unfold.

Jacob was hugging Matilda who was 'shell shocked'. She was crying profusely, more than needed, while people were dying because of the fire.

I realized something grave about her; she wasn't doing that just for Jacob's attention.

She was doing that to prove a point.

And that point...was very clear when she stared right into my eyes and smirked.