TEARING HIS LOVE IN PIECES

I was still dripping with rain when we arrived. It was a very lit building, dancing with neon lights and signs. The air inside was warm.

Then I noticed Santiago was walking ahead of me, clearly distancing himself from me.

Naomi's face turned spiteful when our eyes met. She grabbed the edge of the table, while throwing angry glances at the Alpha.

The latter crawled at her, whispering, "ignore her, Naomi. She's done nothing her whole life but fuck herself up. Here's just another chance at it."

Naomi found this amusing and decided to let me be.

"Is she just gonna hear everything we discuss here?" a punky man asked about me.

Santiago waved him off with an apologetic smile. "She's slow, wouldn't let it bother me."

"She'd better keep her distance." He raised his fingers to squeeze his nose.

I sat on a sofa a few metres away from the grand table and tried to focus on myself and what I felt. I could still hear the driver's words. Was I really pregnant? Santiago and I had unpredicted sex sometimes, when he was either very drunk or Naomi was out of town.

So...

I sighed and leaned back on the sofa. My mom wanted me to get pregnant for him, to keep him. But I was glad I'd lost the baby.

The Alpha would go crazy over me if he found I had a child for him. But I didn't want that anymore.

Just then, Sara called.

She told me she'd contacted a few companies and I could interview with them anytime. Before I could hang up, a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

I turned to see Santiago, looking puzzled. "Who are you talking to? What interview? Where do you plan to go?"

I lied easily, "A cleaning job."

Santiago's frown slowly relaxed, then he cracked up and said loudly to his people, "Look what I'm cursed to have as my Luna."

He grabbed my head which I quickly brushed out of his grip. He took hold of my hair this time and pulled tight, not breaking contact with his audience.

"She's been called to an interview for a toilet cleaning job. Just hear that!"

Naomi rushed to the bathroom to throw up. A man lowered his head on the table. The others had unhidden disgust on their faces.

Santiago rushed to meet Naomi. The next moment he poked out his head.

"Get the hell out of here!" he barked. "And wash that coat you've soiled with your stench."

I tossed Santiago's coat onto the sofa and made to leave.

"Let me see her off," I heard Naomi say.

"What?" Santiago was taken aback, but he gave in. And he came with us, just in case I got possessed and decided to attack her, he said.

Outside, with my two foes breathing hot around me, I was trembling. So when Naomi placed a foot between my legs, I immediately lost balance.

In that split second, Santiago actually made a reflex move to hold me, but Naomi shouted. And that was sufficient decoy.

I crashed into the rose thorn bush, the thorns instantly curling themselves into my skin. I cried out, unable to pull out without having my skin ripping off in a thousand places.

I waited, holding myself in a very awkward position. Knowing I wouldn't be rescued, I forced myself out, while whimpering in fear and pain.

"Oww," Naomi said and stepped closer to Santiago. "There's so many of them."

Santiago felt a bit guilty. "Shit," he spat. "That doesn't look good. You need to see a doctor or you're bleeding to death."

I bent down when I felt a little tickle between my thighs. Blood.

Damn, I gasped. I instantly knew it wasn't from the thorns. They mustn't see this!

I redirected their attention by trying to pull out a thorn from my chin.

"I'll take care of myself," I mumbled, turning away.

Santiago sighed in relief. "That saves us a lot. Still got some cash on you, I believe?"

"Toilet Cleaners never run out of it," Naomi chipped in.

Santiago's laugh was dry and forced. Looking at him, I didn't just feel anger. I felt pity. Pity that an Alpha, who'd been well known in his prime for outstanding prowesses, had been reduced to a woman's purse.

But I pitied him more for what I planned to do to him.

At the hospital, the gynecologist carefully removed the thorns buried in my skin. And an hour later, after some tests were run, he confirmed I'd been pregnant. But I lost it.

To food poisoning, he'd said. Told me to be careful and only eat meals prepared by me. I couldn't help but think about the cakes Santiago brought me.

"Handmade by a special friend," he'd say.

I didn't need to be told who this "friend" was.

The next morning, Santiago called me with a strange number.

"What the hell's wrong with your phone?"

"You blocked me," I snapped, suddenly more angry at him. How dare him!

After a moment, he began to throw halfhearted apology around. "I promise it won't happen next time," he concluded.

I glanced at the time. "There won't be a next time," I said, but it was into a dead phone.

Two hours left before noon!

I wore gloves and from behind, pressed a blob of gum onto Santiago's laptop webcam.

Satisfied, I flicked it open. It wasn't locked.

"You're a fool if you trusted me not to pry," I grunted.

Quickly, I transferred all the pictures I'd taken of Naomi's room, the used condoms, to the laptop. I also added "hot" shots taken from a very close angle. Taken by someone very close to the Alpha.

Very close, really.

Someone whose identity I'd keep anonymous until the end of the saga....

I logged into Santiago's Instagram with two million followers and clicked Post.

I placed the laptop between two solid boxes and jumped on it, splitting it.

I ran.

At the airport, I heard my name.

"Lyraea, wait!"