Chapter 39 The Devil Wears Prada
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I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm myself as I watched Beverly disappear through the doorway of the washroom. I felt like I couldn't stop the images of her standing in front of me and the words that escaped her mouth replaying on a continuous loop in my mind, torturing me as a reminder that this was my reality. Alpha Jaxon had snapped in an instant seeing Alpha Christian with me, yet I wasn't able to do the same for him. Some small part of me hoped that Alpha Jaxon had been right—once she knew we were fated mates—how could she live with herself by keeping us apart? Oh, yeah, this was Beverly's world, and we were all just living in it.
I let out a loud scream, trying to shake off the fury boiling through me, and stared into the mirror at the girl staring back at me. There was a twinkle in the girl's eyes, a power fighting to be freed. Beverly had fully admitted that she didn't even love Alpha Jaxon anymore... that self-centered bitch. I wasn't going to let her win. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing he had chosen a mate who didn't truly love him. If it cost me my life, so be it. The Moon Goddess saw something in me when she paired me with an Alpha. Not just an Alpha—the most ruthless and merciless Alpha there was. Maybe, just maybe, there was strength—definitely hidden—buried somewhere very deep inside me. I just needed to find it.
Figuring I had been in the washroom for more than half an hour by now, I decided it was time to finally face the world again. I braced myself, desperately wanting to stay hidden just a little bit longer. I pulled open the black wooden washroom door, feeling my fingers grasp the long gold handle tightly. A pair of toffee-colored eyes staring straight at me popped out of nowhere, scaring me and causing me to snap backward into a fighting position. I let out a low growl and felt my claws starting to extend, only then noticing that it had been Sophia.
"Shit, Soph, you can't sneak up on me like that," I said, feeling my chest release a heavy pant. I hadn't expected anyone on the other side of the doorway. My wolf had gone into defensive drive instantly when I locked eyes with another pair.
It was evident that Sophia was equally startled, holding her hand over her chest like she was feeling her heartbeat. "Me? You almost scared my wolf out of me!" Her surprise quickly turned into laughter.
She pushed right past me, and I was happy to be back in my safe space of the washroom for a moment longer. Placing her hands on her hips, I could feel her eyes zoning in on my face. "I'm not an idiot. Something is going on. First, I see Jaxon nearly lose his shit and go rogue. You disappear again. I come to the washroom to pee and pass a very irritated Beverly along the way, and now like magic, poof! Here you are. Was she in here with you?"
I smiled at her exaggerated retelling of the story and rolled my eyes. "Just a regular day of being threatened by Beverly," a playful hiss left my lips. "Turns out she's the one who placed my family in the Omega section. I should've seen that one coming."
Sophia's brows furrowed together, a look of worry overtaking her face. "She actually had the nerve to threaten you again after Jaxon warned her not to?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. I wasn't sure what was so shocking about this revelation. Beverly was the epitome of evil.
I cocked my head and felt my brain process that Alpha Jaxon had threatened Beverly. I wondered if he had told her about me being his true mate. I shook my head profusely; I wouldn't let it consume me any longer. "She's the devil wearing Prada after all. I'm fine though; I promise. I can't be bothered with the bullshit she keeps throwing at me. Alpha Jaxon is my mate, and I won't give her the satisfaction of buckling to her commands and rejecting him."
She entered the washroom stall and quickly returned after flushing the toilet. Approaching the sink and turning on the faucet while gazing at me through the mirror, she said, "If the words 'reject Jaxon' come out of her mouth, that's something you need to tell my brother. If he finds out otherwise, he's not going to be happy with either of you."
I took a step back and felt my back hit the wall as I threw my head up to glare at the ceiling in defeat. "I'll take my chances then. There's no way I'm going to run and tell Jaxon. He very well knows how she feels about me. I feel like a mouse being chased for dinner. I'm going to deal with this myself from now on. She's going to be in for a surprise when she figures out that her taunts aren't going to make me go anywhere, though. I'm ready."
Sophia turned off the faucet and pushed the blue button for the paper towel from the dispenser. She dried her hands slowly, and I noticed she was deep in thought about something. "Good for you, Addie. I'm proud of you for taking charge of your own destiny. Soon, Beverly is going to be nothing but a figment of your imagination when she realizes you're a force to be reckoned with. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she does," she said with a giggle.
I felt myself smiling at my friend. I sensed she had my best interests at heart, probably because I'm mated to her brother, but I couldn't help wondering if her own personal agenda was at play here. "What's your beef with Beverly anyway? You obviously aren't fond of each other," I said with curiosity seething in my voice.
"Oh, it's not a secret," she said and trifled a laugh. "When my father was killed at the hands of the rogues, she told Jaxon to 'man up and become a respectable Alpha.' He was still a kid." Her toffee-colored eyes turned sympathetic and reeked of sadness. "He never had that safe outlet to release his emotions like most of us have. Only sometimes would he confide in me or Beta Don. The entire pack took the news really badly as well. Soon after, she tried to have me kicked out of the pack house. According to her, I was only permitted to live there because Jaxon was too soft with me. Well, if she hadn't locked my mother away, maybe I would have a proper home to live in."
Shock coursed through my body as my mouth dropped in surprise. "W-what do you mean locked up?" I choked out.
"A lot of people assume that my mother ran away and died somewhere far away after my father's death, scared the rogues would return for her one day. Don't get me wrong, she took the news badly. She was devastated, refusing to eat or drink for weeks on end. Her body became thin and weak. It was hard watching her go from the lively, happy mom she had been to completely absent and hollow inside. Underneath the packhouse there used to be a library. She convinced Jaxon that it would benefit the pack not to subject them to the weakness that wept off our mother. If rogues caught wind that there was pain looming within the pack, they could confuse it for an easy battle. It was bullshit, though. Beverly just wanted her out of the way so she could assume the position of Luna, particularly because my mother didn't agree with the pairing. She wanted both of us to wait for our fated mates. Beverly was pissed when Jax didn't agree to the mating ceremony right away. So, Jaxon renovated the library into an apartment, hoping that one day she would return to pack life. She never recovered after all these years," Sophia said painfully.
I couldn't control the tears running down my face. My heart ached that they had endured all that from such a young age. "Sophia... I don't mean to pry, but do you ever see her?" The pain banged on my chest from Sophia's story.
"Yeah, we try, too. Twice a week we take turns to go and check on her. Sometimes she requests to be left alone. Other times, she'll want to read a book or watch a movie. On Sundays, we have lunch with her together, though. Don't feel bad, Adeline. I didn't tell you to pity me. I told you because you asked why I couldn't stand the bitch of Midnight Moon Pack," Sophia said, mustering the best smile on her face.
As much as I wanted to console my friend right then, I couldn't choke out any words. I just felt so sad for them all. I couldn't imagine a life without my mother. I glanced down at the floor, and Sophia pulled me toward the washroom door. "Enough of sad stories! Jaxon must be worried about you by now. You've taken refuge in the washroom!" she said with a laugh.
She held my arm linked with hers as we made our way through the hallway. Sophia stopped dead in her tracks as we were about to enter the auditorium and let out a gasp. "Are you okay, Sophia? Does something hurt?" I asked, concern in my voice.
"...rogues," she whispered as the doors of the auditorium blew open in front of us.
