Violet's POV
I wasn't supposed to, but I had been so curious that I had instinctively began to eavesdrop on Alpha Mateo's conversation with his Beta.
"The girl's mother is dead." Sent a wave of chills down my body. He couldn't be talking about my mother right? He was joking right? He had to be mistaken. Or maybe he was talking about someone else entirely.
Mateo, oblivious to the fact that I had overheard the conversation, turned towards me and flashed me a warm smile before rising from where he sat. Slowly, he walked towards the exit with confusion and concern plastered across his face.
"Are you sure you're at the right place? You could be mistaken, please be sure you're not making a mistake." I heard him say to his Beta just before he exited the room.
'Yes, it could be a mistake' I tried to convince myself. There was no need to jump to conclusions just yet, there was no way my mother was dead, I wasn't going to believe it.
I remained still, my fingers slowly tightening around the bedsheet as I did my best to keep my breathing even, but it was no use. No matter how much I tried I couldn't shake off the feeling that it might be true. Why did I feel this way? Why couldn't I shake off this eerie feeling?
My fingers curled tighter and tighter around the bedsheet until my knuckles turned white. My dress suddenly felt constricting, and it seemed as though the once spacious room was too little. My breath had become shaky, and even breathing had become difficult. I wanted to believe he was wrong. That they had mistaken someone else for her. That any moment now, Alpha Mateo's beta would walk in with her, and she would wrap me in her arms like she always did.
But the fear in Mateo's voice, the disbelief, the plea for confirmation was too real. Too raw.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and aching. My eyes stung with the threat of tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not yet. Not until I had proof. Not until I had heard it from him.
After what felt like an eternity, Mateo finally walked into the room, and the look on his face was all the confirmation I needed. Without even waiting for him to say a word, I broke down in tears.
Realizing that I must have overheard their conversation, Alpha Mateo rushed to my side, threw his arm around me and pulled me into the warmth of his embrace.
For a moment the thought of my mother completely vanished from my head, and was replaced instantly with shock. What was happening? Was I really in the arms of Alpha Mateo? And while did it feel so comforting?
"We're not sure yet, it could be a mistake." Mateo said, a failed attempt to calm my already shattered heart. Snapping back to reality, I pushed him off my body and coiled up at the end of the bed. He knew damn well that his Beta had not been wrong, my mom was really dead, and it was all thanks to him and his twin brother! If they had let me go, if I hadn't been dragged here against my will perhaps my mother would still be alive. If that bastard hadn't struck her–
I felt a part of me snap at the memory of her motionless body on the floor. Grief suddenly turned to hate, and hate into rage. I was oozing bloodlust all over the place, and at that moment all I wanted was to find Alpha Mark and rip his heart out of his chest.
"Violet, try to calm down–"
"Don't tell me to calm down! Don't say anything to me! He killed her, he fucking killed her!" I rampaged, angry yet felt completely helpless. How could the universe be so cruel? How could the moon goddess align me with a man who would kill my mother? How on earth was I supposed to live life when I was mated to a man who had no good intentions for me?
What was the point of even staying alive at this point? The only person I cared for in the world was gone, and I just couldn't imagine a future for me here.
"Violet, I'm really sorry…" Alpha Mateo said lazily in a concerned and sympathetic tone. He clearly didn't know how else to console me. And a part of me felt bad that I was treating him this bad. He had been nothing but kind to me since I arrived here, and while I desperately wished that he was the one that had found me first, there was no changing reality. Mark was the first twin, he was first in line, and he had been the first out of the two to find me. No matter how much I wished for it, I knew the Elders and council members would never let Alpha Mateo claim me.
"Get me out of here, please…" I pleaded with tears in my eyes. But once again, Mateo's expression fell and he tore his gaze away from mine.
"Alfred and the others are on their way back, we'll have a proper funeral for your mother here." He replied before finally lifting his head to meet my gaze. "I'm really sorry about your mother, and if you need anything, I'll always be happy to help."
With that, Mateo turned towards the door and left without another word. His words sealed my fate, trying to escape was meaningless, this place was tight with security and getting caught would only cause more problem for me. This was my life now, and there was nothing I could do about it.