Chapter 8
Michael POV
I made a beeline for my old room, hoping to grab the last of my stuff and get the hell out of there, not willing to spend another second longer in the mansion. But when I pushed the door open, I was met with a sight that made my blood boil.
My room—*my* room—had been turned into a storage dump. My belongings, or what was left of them, were haphazardly shoved into a corner, buried under a mountain of hunting gear, old furniture, and what looked like a broken treadmill.
"Seriously?" I muttered, clicking my tongue in annoyance. "Move on that fast?"
I stepped inside, carefully navigating around the clutter. There was a bear trap on the floor that I nearly tripped over, and I made a mental note to ask my dad why he thought storing deadly equipment in my former bedroom was a good idea.
As I started sorting through my stuff, I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. There were old books, a few childhood toys, and some presents from my late grandparents. I hadn't seen some of the stuff in years, and for a moment, I forgot my bitterness.
That moment didn't last long.
The door creaked open, and I froze. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
"Honey bear!" Sarah's voice resounded in a way that was utterly devastating to me. "I can't believe you're back!"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. When I turned around, there she was: Sarah, my ex-fiancée. She was as stunning as ever, with her thick brown hair, piercing brown eyes, and a bright smile that struck me when I first met her. At 6'4", she easily towered over me.
"Sarah," I said, my voice flat. "What are you doing here?"
She tilted her head, her smile never wavering. "I could ask you the same thing. Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? And why haven't you been answering my calls or texts?"
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Lost my phone."
As if on cue, my phone rang from my pocket. The sound was deafening in the awkward silence that followed.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Lost your phone, huh?"
I sighed, pulling the phone out and silencing it. "Okay, fine. I didn't lose my phone. I just... didn't want to talk to you."
Her smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Michael, I know you're upset, but you have to understand—as a shifter, II was obligated to do what I did. It's not something you should be mad about."
I stared at her, my jaw tightening. "Not something I should be mad about? Sarah, you killed people….innocent people"
"They weren't exactly innocent, they were rebels," she said, her tone defensive. "They spoke against Luca Wilder's rule. It was our responsibility as shifters to maintain peace and unity in our territory, not entertain discord"
"And killing them was the best way to do that?" I shot back. "Does diplomacy not exist anymore? Or did you all just decide that murder is easier than having a normal civilized conversation?"
Sarah crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "The rebels don't listen to reason, Michael. We did what we had to do."
I was speechless. How could she not see how messed up this was? How could she stand there and justify what she'd done like it was nothing? They probably had families at home, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, but because they decided to speak out their minds, they didn't deserve to live.
I turned back to my stuff, shoving things into a bag with more force than necessary. "You know what? Forget it. I'm done with this conversation. You don't listen to reason"
Sarah stepped closer, her voice softening. "Michael, please. Don't be like this. I kinda…miss us"
I didn't respond. I couldn't. My chest felt tight, like someone was squeezing the air out of my lungs. I just wanted to grab my stuff and leave before I said something I'd regret.
But of course, the universe had other plans.
The door swung open again, and this time, it was Stephen. My older brother. My much older brother. He was just as tall as Sarah, with the same broad shoulders and intimidating presence. And right now, he had his arm wrapped around Sarah's waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I blinked, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing. "What... what's going on here?"
Stephen grinned, his arm still firmly around Sarah. "What's up, lil bro? Long time no see."
I looked back and forth between them, my confusion quickly turning to anger. "What's the deal with you two? Why are you all... cozy?"
Stephen shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Sarah and I are together now."
"Together?" I repeated, my voice rising. "Since when?"
"Since you dumped her," Stephen said, his tone annoyingly casual.
I turned to Sarah, my eyes wide. "You're with him? My brother?"
Sarah had the decency to look a little sheepish. "Michael, these are my prime years. It wasn't healthy for me to be held up because of you. I had to move on."
"Move on with my *brother*?" I snapped. "Of all the people in the world, you chose my BROTHER?"
Stephen held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, don't take it the wrong way. I love you, lil bro. And you have to believe me, this isn't personal."
"Not personal?" I repeated, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're dating my ex-fiancée, and it's not personal?"
Before Stephen could respond, Sarah spoke up. "There's one more thing..."
I turned to her, my stomach sinking. "What possibly could be worse than that?"
She hesitated, then placed a hand on her stomach. "We're pregnant."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I dropped the bag I was holding, the sound of it hitting the floor echoing in the silence.
"Pregnant?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "Since when?"
"It's only been a month," Sarah said quickly. "I would never cheat on you, Michael. You know that."
I stared at her, my mind racing. "You said you didn't want kids until you were thirty."
Stephen shrugged, his grin never fading. " I guess the correct word you are looking for is congratulations."
I turned to him, my anger boiling over. "You couldn't even wait a week to bang my ex-fiancée? A woman I was supposed to be married to for the rest of my life? Were you into her this whole time?"
Stephen nodded, completely unapologetic. "Yeah."
I looked at Sarah, my heart breaking all over again. "And you?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. "You know what? Never mind. I don't even want to know."
I bent down to pick up my stuff, my hands shaking. As I stood up, I felt the tears welling in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I didn't want them to see me break, nor give them the satisfaction of it. I looked up at Sarah, my voice quivering with bitterness.
"Give me back my ring."
She hesitated, then slowly pulled the ring off her finger and handed it to me. I took it without a word, shoving it into my pocket.
"Goodbye, Sarah," I said, my voice cold. "Goodbye, Stephen."