Astor’s Pov
I literally pulled Alice by the arm all the way to my office. I don’t know what gave her the nerve to do something like that in front of everyone, especially the way she humiliated Faith. It was appalling, and it will never happen again
on my watch.
“Have you lost your mind?” I demanded, dropping her arm roughly as soon as we stepped into the office. But to my surprise, she was full–blown crying.
“You left me there like I was some sort of one–night stand, and then you come back with her!” Alice sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “How do you expect me to feel?”
“Listen, I take full responsibility for what happened.” I told her, my voice firm despite the confusion and regret. “But I was drunk, yes. And angry. I don’t even remember much after a certain point, but I woke up, and you were there. And you told what we did. Why did you expect it to be more than that, Alice? It’s a mistake I barely recall.”
I said because, even with the gaping hole in my memory, I was going to tell Faith everything I did know, which is waking up next to Alice, Alice’s claims, and my own drunken foolishness.
I was just waiting for the right time. I couldn’t talk to her at the motel. I knew I’d need to explain a lot, and it felt better to do it when we got home. But Alice had to do this, and now I was pretty sure Faith hated me even more than she did before. I didn’t even blame her. I saw the pain in Faith’s face and eyes. She may have tried to hide it, but her heart was clearly broken. I also realized how much she cared about me, but it also made me fear I might
have broken her beyond repair.
“Don’t try to twist this on me!” Alice accused, her voice rising despite her
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Chapter 18
tears. “You’re the one who cheated! And I wouldn’t even call it cheating because it was supposed to be us. She came between us! We could finally be together, so why did you bring her back?*
I stared at her, genuinely confused, a new kind of dread settling in my chest. I didn’t understand what was wrong with this girl. She knew I was going to bring Faith back. Did she really think that one night, or her version of one night, would convince me not to?
“What have you been talking about?” I asked, my patience thinning. “Until today, I’ve never seen you as anything other than my sister. We grew up together, and I know your parents were hoping we’d be together at some point, but I never thought of you that way. And whatever happened last night, or whatever you claim happened, it changes nothing. It was a mistake, born of drink and anger, and I regret putting myself in a situation where you could even suggest such a thing.”
I told her the truth, and a painful realization hit me then. I finally understood why Faith had been hinting about me being with Alice. It must be something Alice had been telling her, and I had just made it all worse by getting so drunk that I ended up in a compromising situation with her, letting her twist
the narrative.
“Listen, I need you to pack everything and get the hell out of my house!” I ordered, my voice hard. “It would be rude for me to chase you out of this pack, because I take full responsibility for my part in what happened between the two of us my drinking, my carelessness, and the pain it caused Faith. But if you had any honor or any guilt for what you did to your sister, my mate with your lies, you would leave the pack.”
I paused, then added, “And for what it’s worth, I’m truly sorry, Alice. Sorry for putting Faith through this, but I’m sure we can both learn from this and stay the hell away from each other.”
I left her there, still crying in the office. I was planning on going to find Faith
and try to explain the little I remembered, the awful truth of my lapse in judgment, and Alice’s manipulative claims.
Of course, I bumped into my father, and he was not impressed.
+25 Points
“I can’t even look at you right now,” he stated, his voice low and heavy with disappointment. “I did not raise someone capable of hurting their own mate like that. But you’d better fix it.”
He turned and walked away, not even sparing me another glance.
I felt a crushing wave of guilt, and I knew I deserved it for allowing a situation to occur that Faith would never be able to unsee. But I needed Faith to forgive me. I can’t live without her. I will fix it, even if I have to spend the rest
of my life doing it.
I thought I would have a hard time finding her, and for a moment, I was even more worried she might have tried to run again, despite my warriors keeping a close eye on her today to prevent her escape. But I found her outside with my mother. They seemed to be coming back from somewhere.
“Can we talk?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended. Her face was cold, impassive. I expected her to say no, but she simply nodded.
We walked in silence back to the house. I was trying to think of how to start the conversation when we got there, but she beat me to it.
“Is this where you guys spent the night?” She asked, her voice flat.
I shook my head. “No. I may have been drunk, but there’s no way I would have done something like that in our house. And truthfully, Faith, I don’t remember much of the night at all after I left the bar. I woke up with Alice claiming… claiming we had. I don’t know where it happened, or if it happened the way she said, but I accept that I was found in a compromising situation, and I take full responsibility for allowing myself to get so out of control.” It didn’t make what happened any better, but it was the truth, and I couldn’t run
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from it. But you have to understand, I was angry, and I was trying to find you,
and you were nowhere to be found. My anger, my fear that you were gone led me to drink beyond reason, and that was unforgivable.
tried to explain, desperate for her to see my side.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me.” She countered. “You told me to never expect anything from you on the day I arrived here. So, I have no reason to be angry at you.”
She paused, then her voice hardened. “What I don’t understand is why you are so determined to bring me back here and torture me. You can finally be with the woman you love, and I promise that I will never bother the two of you again. So, tell me where my dad is, and I will be out of your hair.”
I shook my head immediately. That was never going to happen. I will not let her leave me again. I will repent for the things I did, and if she wants to punish me, she can punish me while she is here.
“You’re not going anywhere!” I said, my voice firm with conviction. “I’m going to fix this. And I’m sorry for what I did at the beginning of our relationship, and sorry for the mistake I made last night, allowing myself to be in a situation that hurt you so deeply. But I promise you that I will be better. I will treat you with respect.”
It seemed like I was talking to deaf ears. She just stood there, staring through me.
“It’s too late for that.”
cphakathi28
#vote # Fated To My Sister’s Chosen
