Three Alphas, Fated To One, Played By One, But Mated To One-Chapter 95: Dilemma

Valerie’s POV

I must have fallen asleep at some point.

Because the next thing I knew...

I felt it.

That presence again.

What was he doing here?

My eyes snapped open.

And there he was.

Standing by my bed.

Watching me.

My heart jumped violently.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice hoarse from sleep.

He looked like a creep, standing there and watching me in the darkness.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Just kept looking at me.

Like he was trying to figure something out.

"You should be with her," I said, pushing myself up slightly.

His expression darkened.

"I didn’t go back."

Something in my chest shifted.

Was he giving me an explanation?

But I quickly dismissed that feeling.

"That’s not my problem."

He never explained before when he was rolling in the sheets with her, so why start now?

"It is." He said after a moment of silence.

I frowned slightly.

"What does that mean?"

"It means," he said slowly, stepping closer, "you don’t get to pretend this doesn’t affect you."

What kind of logic was this? Was he forcing what he does to affect me?

I let out a cold laugh.

"You really think everything is about you, don’t you?"

He remained silent, but that silence was enough reply.

He really thought everything should revolve around him.

What a selfish man.

My irritation flared.

"I don’t care where you go or who you sleep with," I snapped.

The moment the words left my mouth....

I regretted them.

Because I actually cared. I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it.

His eyes changed when he heard that. They became darker with a hint of golden surfacing.

It should have been Jerry, his wolf trying to come out.

"You don’t mean that."

"I do."

"Say it again."

Something about the way he said it made my pulse and breathing quicken.

But I suppressed those unnecessary feelings and looked him straight in the eye before speaking again.

"I don’t care," I repeated, forcing the words out.

He was in front of me in the next second.

He moved so fast there wasn’t even the fluctuation of wind.

"Look at me when you lie."

My breath hitched.

"I’m not lying."

"Then prove it."

Before I could react...

His hand gripped my chin.

Forcing my gaze up to meet his.

"Say it again," he murmured.

My heart pounded.

"I don’t..."

"Care."

The word came out weaker than I intended. Almost a whisper.

His touch was interfering with my thought process and I couldn’t concentrate.

"No," he said quietly. "You care."

I froze, then replied.

"I said I don’t care. You have been sleeping with her all along anyway. What difference does it make now?"

"Stop lying!" he snapped.

The sudden intensity in his voice made me flinch.

A heavy silence fell instantly after.

My chest rose and fell unevenly.

His hand loosened slightly on my chin.

But he didn’t let go.

"Why does it bother you?" he asked again, softer this time.

I swallowed hard.

"Because I’m not a toy you can pick up and drop whenever you want," I said.

Anyway, I am an independent woman. I don’t see a reason why I can’t be upfront with my feelings.

I thought this was a chance to plant a seed of guilt in him so that he wouldn’t bother me in the future to sleep with him.

Since Lizzie said I couldn’t sleep with him, then I will find a justifiable reason not to.

I am still his mate and Luna after all.

"And?" He asked without letting go of my chin.

I shook my head.

"That’s it."

"No." He said with so much conviction I would doubt myself too.

My breath hitched.

"You’re jealous."

The word felt like a slap.

"I am not jealous." I replied without flinching this time.

"Yes you are." It felt as if he was trying to hypnotize me into believing that I was jealous because of him.

"I’m not!" I snapped, pushing his hand away.

I stood up quickly, putting distance between us.

"I don’t care about you enough to be jealous."

The moment I said those words, I knew I had gone too far. But hadn’t he treated me worse over the years?

"Say that again," he said quietly, but his voice was so cold it could freeze a volcano.

I hesitated.

But only for a second.

"I don’t care about you."

The words felt sharp like a weapon, but I used them anyway.

And in a way, they were a weapon.

"Good."

The single word landed heavily between us.

My chest tightened unexpectedly.

"If that’s the case," he continued, his voice now completely devoid of warmth, "then you won’t mind what I do."

Something twisted painfully inside me.

But I forced my expression to remain calm.

"I won’t."

Anyway, I won’t be staying with him forever.

He stared at me for a long moment.

As if searching for something. Anything.

But I gave him nothing.

Finally, he nodded.

"Fine."

He then turned and walked toward the door.

Each step he took felt heavier than the last. I could see that my words had a great impact on him. But I couldn’t understand why.

He has always loved Innocent. So, what was this act he was putting on?

When he reached the door, he stopped.

His back still facing me.

"You’ll regret this," he said quietly.

My throat tightened.

"I won’t." At this point, it was purely my stubbornness speaking.

However, I knew I had to hold on.

The door closed behind him with a soft click.

And the moment it did....my legs gave out.

I sank to the floor, my hands gripping the fabric of my gown tightly.

My chest hurt.

My throat burned.

And my eyes...stung.

But no tears fell.

Because I had learned long ago that crying didn’t change anything.

It didn’t make the pain go away.

It didn’t make people stay.

It didn’t make you matter.

So I just sat there. Alone.

In the silence.

Holding onto the one truth I refused to admit out loud.

I did care.