He frowned. "Like what?"

"Like everyone else who sees me looks at me - with pity. Don't feel sorry for me, Deacon, not you. I don't want your pity." I felt a tear slide down my cheek. You'd think I'd be all cried out by now, but there were always more ... There will always be more.

Deacon sighed, taking my face in his hands, forcing Me to look at him. "I don't pity you, Nova. I am angry at my brother. I'm so angry at him for doing this to you, regardless of him not knowing until it was too late. I'm dealing with trying not to wolf out on him and tear him to pieces because of how this is breaking you. I don't pity you. I pity him. He's the one who messed up and now instead of being happy with my best friend, he's now stuck with the consequences of his decisions. He's missing out on the love of someone so perfect and so special." I was taken aback by his honest words. He wasn't just being nice.

"Thank you." It left my chapped lips in a whisper before he brought me into a big hug, arms locking me into him from behind.

I breathed in the familiar comforting scent, but his scent lingered, layering in between the woven pattern of Deacon's own scent. I couldn't help but pull away as my insides clenched.

"You smell like him." Was all I could say.

Deacon ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, eyes assessing my form.

"You're wasting away in here Nova. You need to eat something - maybe take a shower." The pain in his eyes was evident.

"If you want, we can go down to the lake, just me and you, like old times. We can get in the canoe and just go. We can talk, or we can just be silent, but I want you out of this house today."

His tone gave me no room for argument. I knew he was right, but my heart just wasn't into it. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and cry, that's it.

"Eat. Alpha's orders" he pointed at the plate on my nightstand.

I took the plate, eyes scanning over the barbecued ribs.

The same ribs he put on his pregnant female's plate.

"I can't." The tears welled in my eyes once again.

Trying to fight off the distraught loneliness that was crushing me into bits, I covered it back with the foil.

Deacon snatched the plate out of my hands, ripped off the foil and filled a fork with potato salad.

Thank you for not choosing the ribs.

He held the fork to my lips expectantly. Giving into his hardened gaze, I opened my mouth, allowing him to place the food in and I took the bite.

Forcing myself to chew, I felt saliva pool in my mouth as my taste buds relished in the deliciousness of the potato salad with mayo, dill pickles, onion, and celery salt. My favorite.

"Good girl." He grinned without showing his teeth while patting my head.

I managed to swallow and my stomach thanked me. Still tensed up, It managed to let the food settle.

I allowed him to feed me the rest of the potato salad and a few bites of baked beans, refusing the barbecued ribs. My stomach was full, more full than it had been in two weeks.

"Come on, get up and go get a shower. I'll change your sheets and clean up this...." He looked around my room at all the used tissues overflowing the waste basket. "Mess..."

I stood on wobbling legs. My pajama shorts were large on me now and my T-shirt sagged in places that used to be tight. I've lost too much weight being locked away in my room, dying of a broken heart.

I walked into my ensuite, silently thanking the moon that I was fortunate enough to be the beta's daughter. Only the beta's family and the alpha's family had ensuite bathrooms in their rooms. I couldn't stand having to go to the communal shower. I just couldn't cope with the thought of anyone seeing me like this, or seeing the pity in their eyes, it was too much.

Closing the door behind me, I turned on the shower and stripped down, getting into the ice cold water before it had the chance to heat up. I was numb anyway, I didn't even feel the shock.

I sank down to the shower floor and let the sobs wrack my body. Not knowing what the future holds, just knowing the present, it kills me inside. I don't know her, I just know she stole something from me that was supposed to be my happy ending - My life.

She stole my life, and I can't even fight her for him because she's carrying his future, the future that was meant for me.

This was my fate.