Rejected, And Became A Heiress (Cara)

Chapter 9

Cara's POV

They say distraction is the best way to navigate through a hard time.

I'm not sure the people who say that ever had to deal with planning their former Fate Mate's wedding.

But there's so many tasks to complete. I found a hotel even more luxurious than the proposal site to host the wedding, My days are spent jumping from meeting to meeting, selecting colors and cake flavors and every last tiny detail

It's not exactly hard work like what I'm used to, but there are so many tedious decisions to be made. Everyone on the pack's staff is working so hard to make this wedding a celebration of the strength and prosperity of Pack DarkWood. An event to remember. I can't let them down.

I'm in an early morning meeting to pick chair fabrics when I'm lost in thought as my fingers swipe over a mint green damask option.

Mint greendamask and flowers.

It's exactly what I'd always dreamed of having at my own wedding-

My own wedding with Alaric.

I shake my head, disappointed in myself yet again. Alaric and I are not, and will never, get married. These intrusive thoughts. about our imagined future together will be the end of me.

I'm only helping with this wedding to ensure I can make a good finture for my baby. Once this last job is done, I can finally leave the pack and start fresh.

I can forget all about Alaric.

I just need to get through this.

My phone's sharp ring startles me, "Hello?"

"Hello, Cara Wilson. George, Alaric's Gamma, always insists on speaking to me in the formal and condescending tone

possible, even though I've been his superior for years.

Was. I was his superior. I'm not sure what I am now.

"You've left unfinished Beta business that requires immediate attention. Come to the office at once" George hangs up before I can reply.

I apologize to the rest of the staff in the meeting and excuse myself.

"Good luck. I hear the Alpha King recently has been working overtime every day," one of the staff tells me

Being with Alaric in the offices where we spent so much time together is the very last thing I'd like to be doing right now. But an order is an order.

And he promised me that once I finished up, he'd let me leave feely.

I thake good time leaving the meeting, and I arrive at the office much earlier than I anticipated. It's clear no one else was expecting me this soon either.

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III

Chapter 9

Lilia is bent over George's desk in a suggestive position, giving de Gamma a direct view into her deep cleavage while she runs a thin finger around the edge of his ear,

I'm so stunned by the sight that I can't move my feet. I'm tucked behind the partially open door, hidden from their view.

But I can hear everything.

"Avc, chon Georgie. I'm sure you can think of a few ways to slow her down, make things a little more difficult for her. She flips her hair back over her shoulder seductively. "Don't you want to protect your Alpha King from that little gold-digging whore" Tin rolling my eyes at Lilia's obvious play, expecting George to see right through her. But to my great surprise, he agrees.

Tll do it." He says firmly, "She's always trying to make me look lad, always trying to make herself look better than me in front of the Alpha. Let's see how she likes it this time!"

"Excellent." Lilia coos in his car. "And in return, I'll recommend to the Alpha King that you'd be a perfect Beta."

"That low-born bitch will get what's coming to her, finally!" George says with terrifying glee.

I walk backwards away from the door, weighing my options and whether I should report this to the Alpha King directly.

I don't get very far in my thinking when Lilia passes through the doorway and spots me immediately.

Her eyes are size of dinnerplates, wide and wild,

When she speaks, her voice is like ice, thin and cold. "You know, I don't know or care where you go after you leave this pack But I do know that making an enemy of the formidable Pack DarkWood's Luna would be a terrible, terrible mistake. Wouldn't you agree?" She wants me to keep this quiet. As if she doesn't already hate me. As if I haven't already made an enemy of the pack's Luna.

"I would." I say quietly. Let her think I'm playing along if it makes my last few days in Pack DarkWood a bit easier. It's worth

shot

She lets out an audible sigh of relief.

It's not long before she goes back to her favorite pastime, taunting me with boasts about Alaric. "He's taking me shopping this afternoon. He closed the entire boutique, just for me to shop in total privacy. Imagine the dresses, the shoes...

I tune her out until she finally leaves. It takes only a few minutes, given my stoic lack of response. It must not be as fun to be a bully without a punching bag.

True to his word, George has a mountain of tedious paperwork for me to handle. It's going to take me all night, and that's only if I get started right away.

I close the door to George's office and get to working without delay, My hands move deftly, sorting through documents while my mind mulls over the idea of telling the Alpha King about the deal between Lilia and George.

Surely he would want to know if his betrothed was going behind his back, making secret deals and promises to his staff? He'd never stand for it

My fingers reach for my phone, but I hesitate just before reaching it. If these last few weeks have taught me anything, it's that maybe I don't know the Alpha King as well as I thought.

Lilia's got him wrapped around her finger, and there's a good chance Alaric won't believe me even if I tell him. Look at how he reacted when Lilia made that boldfaced lie that I'd called her bitch. I don't know what he'd believe now, Also, telling him means I have to face him again, and I really don't want to do that...

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I don't have to decide whether to tell him after all. I don't see Alaric, or even George, for the rest of the day. I keep the door to George's office firmly closed, determined to block out the world until this work is done. 1 process document after dociment, never resting for a break. Ist want to get out of here as early as possible.

My fingers are sore with papercuts and my head feels light. I knew pregnancy wouldn't be easy, but I didn't expect all this dizziness. I take a brief pause for just a sip of water and keep pushing through.

I just need to finish a few more things, I think as I see the ridiculously late, or should I say carly, time on the clock on the wall

I rise from my chair, reaching for another stack of papers when the change in positioning hits my body like a truck. My vision blacks out and I start falling, fainting from exhaustion.

Just before my head hits the floor, I'm caught by someone with familiar scent.

SEND GIFT