Chapter 3

3

Hendrix had always been jealous of Mordecai's strength and skill.

Because of his heart condition, he was forced to stay home while Mordecai ran the pack.

Jealousy turns people into monsters.

It was jealousy that made Sienna kill me. It was jealousy that made Hendrix kill his own brother.

I gave them a polite nod and kept walking.

Halfway to the gate, I looked back.

Hendrix had turned around too. I caught his gaze―it was dark, possessive, and predatory.

I shivered and turned away, the memories of the past life chilling my blood.

When we arrived at the dinner, the house was packed with relatives.

Mordecai and I were the last to arrive. Everyone looked shocked to see him with me.

They all knew his reputation for being a lone wolf who hated social gatherings.

I stayed a step behind him, keeping my mouth shut. I didn't want to annoy him and risk him walking out.

Because I was quiet, Mordecai stayed calm the whole time.

To the outside world, we looked like a powerful, united couple.

Sienna and Hendrix were on the sofa. Every time I looked over, they were feeding each other fruit like teenagers.

I ignored them. Sienna thought she was winning, but she was just a clown in my eyes.

As long as I kept Mordecai by my side, my life would be better than hers.

Since Mordecai was the heir, everyone treated us with massive respect.

During dinner, people kept lining up to toast him.

Even though he was grumpy, he kept his manners in check for the sake of the family business.

I could see Sienna fuming with jealousy.

She suddenly started loud-talking about how great Hendrix was to anyone who would listen.

"Hendrix is so attentive. He makes me the best meals and he already told me he wants us to have a whole litter of pups."

She then turned her gaze toward me, her smile sharpening.

"I wonder, Yara... did Mordecai even touch you on your wedding night?"

The table went silent. I couldn't believe she was trashy enough to say that in front of our elders.

I gripped my napkin, ready to snap back, but Mordecai beat me to it.

"You're the second wife of the Blackwood family. Have you no shame talking about such things here?" he barked.

"Hendrix, control your woman!"

Hendrix looked humiliated, but he had to obey his older brother.

"I'm sorry, brother. I'll handle it."

He grabbed Sienna's arm and dragged her away from the table.

Mordecai stood up, ending the dinner abruptly.

I followed him out, struggling to hide my smile.

As we left, I heard the relatives whispering about how much Mordecai seemed to care for me because he defended me.

He didn't really care for me, of course.

He was just obsessed with the pack's reputation. Hearing his sister-in-law act like a slut offended his sense of order.

Mordecai didn't let me ride in his car. To him, I was still an optional accessory.

I had to take an Uber back to the estate.

When I got home, I saw Sienna in the living room, applying ointment to her arms.

Her skin was covered in tiny, red puncture wounds. In my last life, my whole body had been covered in those.

Sienna saw me and quickly pulled her sleeves down.

Even though she was pale with pain, she still lifted her chin arrogantly.

"Hendrix just had his way with me. He told me he'll love me forever."

I looked at her and felt a wave of pity. She was so stupidly desperate to win a competition that didn't exist.

Nobody knew Hendrix better than I did.

In the beginning of my last life, he was sweet. But it didn't take long for the demon inside him to wake up.

Tonight, he had been embarrassed by Mordecai because of her big mouth.

He was definitely taking his frustration out on her.

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