The Mate He Hates

Alpha Edward’s POV

My entire being went numb at Matthew’s declaration. My mind raced, my heart pounding in my chest. The words echoed in my ears, reverberating through my thoughts like a thunderclap. Amanda, my slave, the one who had killed my mate and I have brutally tortured, was Matthew’s mate? That can’t be true!

“You are lying, Matthew; she is not your mate; she can’t be your mate!” I spoke with disbelief. There was no way he would trick me into believing such lies.

“Yes, she is my mate,” Matthew declared, his gaze not wavering from mine. “I knew she was my mate the very first day I saw her, but I couldn’t say it, I couldn’t accept it. How can I tell everyone that my mate is a murderer? How can I look you in the face and tell you that the lady who killed your mate and brought you so much pain was my mate? I was too ashamed and heartbroken to say it to anyone, so I decided to keep it to myself and reject our bond. I even wanted you to kill her, so that was why, at first, I was urging you to kill her. But since you didn’t, I became so drawn to her. I tried my best to ignore our bonds, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t, and now I have fallen in love with her and won’t let her go,” he declared.

I remained numb, unable to believe what I had just heard. I looked at Matthew, who had a stern look, and then I looked at Amanda, who had a confused expression.

“Do you know about this?” I threw that question at Amanda.

“No, she has no idea that we are mates; she has no wolf, and I haven’t told her yet,” Matthew responded, and I grunted.

“This can’t be true!” I ran a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to believe it; I didn’t want to accept that she was Matthew’s mate, that she belonged to him. Amanda is mine; she belongs to me and no one else.

“She is my mate, Alpha Edward. What makes you think I will be attracted to a woman who killed your mate? What makes you think I will keep saving her from your punishments? What makes you think I will still want her even when you asked me to stay away?” He threw those questions at me, and I went numb. “She is my mate, Alpha Edward. I have known all this while. Do you know the amount of pain I went through when I realized you were with her? My mate was being involved with my best friend, but I couldn’t do anything about it because I didn’t want you to know we were mates. Every night, I go to bed feeling worthless. I could feel her pain and cries, but I was helpless to help. But not anymore, I can’t bear it anymore.”

Matthew stepped forward with tear-filled eyes. I could vividly see the pain and heartbreak in his eyes, and I needed no one to tell me that all he just said was nothing but the truth. It was surprising how Matthew and I have been friends since we were kids, and I could not detect something wasn’t right with him. He must have hidden it so well that I couldn’t even see a glimpse of his pain.

“We have been friends since childhood, and I have always been your loyal friend. I have never betrayed you or stabbed you in the back; neither have I asked anything from you. But today I have a request, just one request…” he paused and looked in Amanda’s direction for a moment before returning his gaze to me.

“I want you to give my mate back to me; I want my mate, Alpha Edward. I have come to the realization that I won’t be able to live without her. I know she has hurt you by killing your mate, but how sure are you that she was the killer?” He asked, and my brow furrowed.

“I have talked with Amanda, and I think she isn’t Elisa’s killer, and all I’m pleading for is for you to give me some time. Give me some time, and I will prove my mate’s innocence to you!” He vowed, and I remained stunned.

“Just give her to me, and I promise you I will prove her innocence,” he pleaded desperately.

As Matthew’s words sank in, a surge of jealousy surged through me, a raw, primal emotion clawing at my insides. How could he expect me to hand over Amanda, the woman I thought belonged to me, to him? Despite his heartfelt plea, I couldn’t shake the possessiveness that gripped me. It was irrational, I knew, but the thought of Amanda being with anyone else, especially Matthew, twisted my gut into knots.

“I can’t just give her to you, Matthew,” I finally managed to say, my voice strained with the effort to contain my emotions. “She… she killed my mate, and until her innocence is proven, I can’t hand her over to you.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

But even as the words left my lips, doubt gnawed at me. Was I genuinely acting right, or was I holding on to her out of selfishness, out of fear of losing what I believed was mine?

“She is my mate, for goodness’s sake!” Matthew flared up. “Can’t you understand my pain? Do you think it is easy for me? To see you with my mate! Torturing her! Do you think it’s easy? I have endured much, and this is the length I can go.” He yelled out his frustration.

His words struck a chord within me, stirring a conflict of emotion. I didn’t want to believe Amanda belonged to Matthew; the thought of that was driving me insane. Not only was I feeling bad for what Matthew might have gone through, but I was also feeling possessive and jealous. I couldn’t accept the fact that she was slipping out of my hands.

“Say something, Alpha Edward. Will you still want to keep Amanda, despite knowing she is your best friend’s mate?” Matthew questioned, and I swallowed in pain.

“I need some time to process,” I confessed, my voice barely audible. “But I won’t send her to China; she’ll stay in the mansion while I figure things out.” With that, I turned and left, my heart burdened and a knot tightening in my stomach.