Chapter 3

MARGE

I slammed the door the moment I got in. It took not less than two seconds before Zach stormed in after me. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” He barked. 

“I wasn’t doing anything,” 

“Then explain what you were doing with my brother in the restroom,”

“First off, I had no idea he was your brother. And secondly, he was only being kind. Something you swore never to show me,”

Zach scoffed, pacing angrily. I could feel the anger and tension exhuding from him. Yet I refused to believe it was merely because he saw me with Ryan. 

Then I remembered his favorite line and used it just exactly the way he does. “You’re overreacting,"

He froze in his tracks, shot a stern look at me before matching up to my space. “You forget so quick that you belong to me,” 

“You gave me up, Zach. And I understand. What I don’t understand is why seeing me with Ryan is getting you this upset. You hate me, don’t you?” I asked. All I got was silence. The longer the silence stretched, the closer he inched until I was leaning on the vanity. 

“What does hating you have to do with owning you?” He growled, fingers grazing my thighs as they traveled upwards. My defense coiled in, leaving me vulnerable to his touch again. I knew I was cooked when he touched my underwear and massaged the wet linen. 

“So my touch gets you this wet,” he smirked. “What then would my dick do?” His finger pulled the edge of the linen. 

“Zach, stop,” I breathed. “You’re now married to my sister,” 

“Well…stop me,” he challenged with a husky tone, biting his dark lustful eyes into mine. The moment his finger advanced, I pushed him off and got off the vanity. 

He charged, but I grabbed a sharp tool from the wooden desk and aimed at him. “Stay back!” I barked, tears streaming down my eyes. “For years I begged for this, so why now? Why tonight?” 

The door opened instantly, and Naya walked in. Instinctively, she screamed for help. I had no chance to explain what was happening before guards stormed in and hurled me out of the room. 

*********

Trinity led me back to the hall. The guests were leaving already. She made it clear that I was being sent back to work. We were a few meters away from the door when Ryan got in our path. 

She bowed. But I didn’t. 

“She’s with me. You can leave,” Ryan said. 

Trinity laughed. “King Ryan. This is Large Marge. She’s a human walking amongst wolves. An imposter. You can’t possibly be requesting a conversation with her,” 

“Who says I am requesting?” Ryan stepped closer. He grabbed my other arm and glared at her. “You can leave,” 

Without further argument, Trinity walked off. She kept stealing glances over her shoulder until she was out of sight. 

“I…”

“What do you want?” I fired before he could say a word. “Your brother has taken everything from me, leaving me only with shame. I can’t offer you anything, king Ryan. Not even my body,” 

“I’m not seeking anything from you,” he said softly. “Instead I’m here to offer one,” 

I looked him dead in the eyes. “I want nothing from you,”

“Your story is everywhere. I asked around and I can boldly tell you what four years of your life with my brother has looked like,”

I scoffed. “Try,” 

“Unable to conceive in your first year. He stopped touching you. He’s made you watch watch while fucking other women. He insults you. Maltreats you. Body shames you…”

Each infliction he mentioned struck my heart. “What do you want?” I cut him short. 

“I want you to find happiness. Zach has a way of taking that from people he doesn’t want around. And I want Zach to pay for his crimes. He’s gotten so many free cards from our father. And I think you’re the best person to…”

“So you want me to become your tool. Your tool of vengeance,” I scoffed, disappointed. “Count me out,” I turned to leave. He caught my arm immediately. 

“Wait,” 

We stood in silence for sometime before he admitted. “Fine. I want you to come with me. Back to the Lycan kingdom. There you can find something to do. Be yourself. You can escape the toxicity of this environment. I just feel…bad for the way my brother treats you. You didn’t ask to be his wife. Yet you did your best to love him. How about finding a life that makes you happy. Loving yourself?” 

I didn’t want him to think I was considering his offer. But my tears gave my pretense away. I wiped them immediately. 

“Zach won’t let me leave,” 

“He can only try to stop you. But I won’t let him,” 

*********

I packed my bags and a few clothes that night. But before leaving, I took out the divorce papers I’d prepared a year ago. I was supposed to give it to Zach last year. But I was scared. I had nowhere to go. No money for myself. 

With Ryan in the picture, maybe…I had hope. I took the letter all the way to his room and stormed in. He was in the middle of a conversation with Naya.

“Are you insane?” He fired. 

I pinned the paper on the desk. “I’m leaving. That’s our divorce paper. I need you to sign it so I can be free,” 

Zach looked at the paper like it was a joke someone had scribbled for him.

“Divorce?” He laughed, actual laughter, head tipping back. “You’re serious,”

“It means nothing to you. So sign it, Zach,” I said. A part of me wished he wouldn’t. Maybe that would confirm my suspicions that he cared for me but just didn’t know how to express it. 

Naya crossed her arms, smirking from the bed. “Let her go. One less mouth to feed,”

Zach picked up a pen without even sitting down. He signed it standing, barely glancing at the lines. Then he tossed it back at me like it weighed nothing. My heart shattered into more pieces than before. 

“There. Free,” he said. “Where will you go, Marge? You have no money. No pack. No family that wants you. You’ll be back here in a week, begging me to let you sleep in the servants’ quarters,”

“Watch me,” I mumbled. 

“I will,” he said, smiling. “From right here. Waiting,”

I didn’t answer. I folded the paper, tucked it into my bag, and walked out.

Ryan was already outside when I came down, leaning against the car like he’d known I’d come before I did. He didn’t ask questions. He just opened the door for me.

“Ready?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “But let’s go anyway,”

I was halfway into the seat when the front door of the house slammed open behind us.

“Marge!”

I froze. Zach was crossing the courtyard fast, barefoot, shirt half open like he’d bolted the second Naya told him I’d actually gone through with it.

“Get in the car,” Ryan said quietly.

I tried. Zach reached me first. His hand closed around my arm and yanked me back from the door.

“You’re going nowhere,” he growled.

“You signed the papers, Zach,”

“I don’t care what I signed,” His grip tightened, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. “You don’t get to walk away from me and climb into my brother’s car like it’s nothing,”

“You told me to leave. I mean nothing to you. You have Naya now. You can finally be happy. Let go of me,”

Ryan straightened off the car, jaw tight. “Let her go,”

“Stay out of this,” Zach snapped, not even looking at him.

“She’s not your wife anymore,” Ryan added. “You made sure of that after remarrying and…a divorce?” He sounded a little surprised about what I did. 

Zach’s eyes cut to me instead, ignoring him completely. Something raw moved behind them, something that didn’t look like anger anymore.

“You’re not leaving,” he said, quieter now. “Not with him. Not like this,”

****************