15. Another attack


    It’s a week after the incident and I was finally back at home. Today was the day that I would finally get


    to meet Krystal. It was also the day that Sebastian was going to announce our uing wedding.


    We had decided to hold it offst week until I was fully recovered. Reasoning that I wasn’t up to dealing


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    with the uproar and media attention that was going to follow.


    Sebastian has visited every day when I was in the hospital and we had finally signed the contract. The


    rules he hadid down hadn’t been too hard. The terms were favorable so I had signed without a


    second thought.


    [We’re here]


    I read the text just as I heard a car drive into my driveway. I was nervous about seeing Krystal. I didn’t


    know what to expect. Did she still despise me? Was she angry that Darren forced her toe?


    The m of the car door forces me to move my feet. I take my bag and car keys. Open the door then


    lock it behind me and then turn, only to see Darren literally prowling towards me. Krystal was still in the


    car, with headphones, concentrating on her tablet.


    The moment he’s near me. I’m hit by his angry energy. His eyes kept shifting from ck to yellow.


    “What?” I ask him. Unable to understand why the hell he was pissed.


    He doesn’t answer, just takes out his phone and shows me the headlines.


    ‘A PERFECT MATCH MADE FROM BROKEN BONDS’


    Below was a picture of Sebastian kissing me on the cheek a few weeks ago. It was apanied by


    what I guess was a snap of our wedding invitation letter.


    “What the hell is this?” Darren asks through his teeth.


    I just grin at him. “Well seems the cat is out of the bag.”


    “You can’t be serious Ren. If this is a ploy to get back at me by marrying my enemy it won’t work. I


    don’t love you and I don’t want you back”


    I can’t help but snarl. Can you believe this idiot? I want to smash his head against a wall and tear him


    to pieces. The arrogant piece of shit. As if I would ever want him back.


    “The day I want you back will be a cold day in hell. I’d rather have my insides mauled by a bear than


    get back together with you. So get off your fucking high horse”


    He seems shocked for a while before he growls. His hands fisted to his side and his face scrunched up


    in anger.


    “You can’t get mated to him” he forced the words out.


    “And why the hell not? Thest time I checked I didn’t need your permission to get mated” I say and


    wave dismissively.


    His attention is suddenly caught in the action and he focuses on my hand. If it’s even possible he gets


    angrier. I look at what has him more pissed off and find him staring at my engagement ring.


    Sebastian had given me the beautiful ruby ring after we had signed the contract. Stating the red


    matched my fiery red hair and attitude .He also said that there was no way his fiancé was going to walk


    around without a ring. Fake or not.


    I didn’t have a ring when I was with Darren. We didn’t even do the traditional human wedding. Just the


    mating ceremony where he hadn’t even marked me. Looking back now I see it for what it was. A sham.


    A mockery of the love that I had genuinely felt for him.


    “I’m your fucking mate Ren!!” he roars. I couldn’t stop myself fromughing.


    I turned to look at Krystal before answering. She was still engrossed in whatever she was watching.


    “First of all don’t call me Ren you lost that privilege and second, did you forget that you’re the one that


    asked for a separation? I’m no longer mated to you Darren. In actuality I never was. As much as I want


    to regret you, I can’t because that would mean I regret Krystal. But get this through your thick head I


    love Sebastian and I will get mated to him whether you like it or not.” I say before continuing.


    I see something pass in his eyes but it’s gone before I can decipher it.


    “Now if you’ll excuse me, Krystal and I have a lunch date” I finish.


    I start walking towards the car but he grabs my hand and stops me. “This isn’t over Lauren”


    “It was over long before it even started” I answer ripping my arm from him.


    I open Darren’s car door and Krystal looks up at me. For some reason she seemed different. Unsure


    and shy.


    “Hi Krys” I say to her with a smile.


    “Hi mommy” she replies in a small voice before getting out of the car.


    She wraps her hands around my waist. This time I hugged her back. Sighing in relief that she had


    taken the first step and hadn’t rejected me. I let her go then take her hand. Leading her towards my car.


    “Bye daddy. Have a great day” she calls out to her father. Waving her hands at him.


    “You too baby.” He replies before pausing. “I’ll pick her up at six Lauren”


    His voice which had been soft seconds ago turns hard when he addresses me. Guess he was still


    angry. Not my problem though.


    “Don’t bother I’ll drop her at your house and by the way…you’re invited” I say mockingly, while getting


    Krystal settled in my car.


    He doesn’t say anything, just gets in his car and drives off. Leaving nothing but a cloud of dust and his


    arrogant presence behind.


    I get in my car and start the ignition. Krystal and I don’t talk. With her seemingly lost in whatever she


    was doing on her tablet. I wouldn’t even know where to start with her.


    Forty minutester we arrive at the mall. I had nned to have lunch with her then look at some


    wedding gowns. ire was to join uster on.


    The moment we park my car and get out. Reporters surround us. I grab Krystal’s hand firmly and push


    through them as they throw question after question.


    ‘How did you and Mr. Ashford meet?’


    ‘Is it true what the magazines released today? Are you two getting married?’


    ‘Have you heard from Darren and Miranda? Do they know?’


    ‘Did you truly fall in love over your heartbreak?’


    The questions go on and on as Krystal and I try and fail to push through them. I was starting to get


    angry. To lose it. They were too close. Blue and I didn’t like that. It made us want tosh out. Want to


    hurt someone.


    I lose it. pping one of the reporters when they grab Krystal.


    “You fucking touch her again and I’ll end you” I screech.


    At first they are shocked. Nobody moves. I think they’ll finally give up but I’m wrong. They descend on


    us like a pack of ravenous vultures. As if my actions had psyched them. They were making me feel


    crazy. Out of sorts. I could feel Blue pushing toe out.


    The security sees our dilemma. Thankfully they came to our rescue before I could expose us. They


    pushed the reporters behind. Allowing us to get inside the mall. I guess they were used to it given this


    was an upscale mall frequently visited by most celebrities.


    I’m a media personality and I am used to the media but not on this scale. The other time it was this bad


    was after the media found out that Darren and Miranda were together.


    Krystal doesn’t say anything. Even after we find a restaurant, get seated and order.


    “So, what are you doing on your tablet?” I ask just to break the silence. It was a bit ufortable.


    “Nothing. Just watching cartoons” she answers looking up at me before looking back down again.


    I try toe up with something else but I’m empty. Why the hell was this so awkward? It has never


    been this silent between us. And Krystal has never been the quiet one. Maybe ire was right after all.


    This wasn’t like her.


    “Krystal?” I call and she looks up


    “Yes mommy?”


    Her ck eyes look at me guarded and unsure. Which was also not like her. I didn’t want to t out ask


    if everything was okay so I chose another route. Trying to get her out of her zone.


    “What you heard and saw outside…”


    How do you tell your nine year old daughter that you’re mating her step mother’s ex mate?


    “Mommy” she says in a small sweet voice. Smiling a little. “I know.”


    I’m confused. “Know what Krys?”


    “That you’re getting mated to Jax’s dad. Jax told Mace the other day and Mace told me”


    I was a little shocked that Jax already knew. I don’t know how he took it but I hope he wasn’t upset


    about it. Also this wasn’t how I envisioned her finding out.


    I take a deep breath. “Okay then, if you already know, would you be okay with being my flower girl?”


    I was nervous she would refuse. That she would say no. She looks at me for a while before finally


    smiling and nodding her head. I sigh in relief. Releasing the breath I didn’t know I was holding.


    Our food arrives and we dig in. The awkwardness is still there but it’s a bit more bearable. I have to


    believe that it will take us some time to get back to how things were before.


    Once we’re done, we leave after I receive a message from ire telling me she was outside waiting for


    us. We get outside. Thank the moon goddess the paparazzi are gone. We reach the parking lot but we


    don’t find ire. I turn only to collide with a man.


    “Sorry, I didn’t see you…”


    I don’t get to finish my sentence because he grabs me by the neck and squeezes hard. His fingers


    digging into my skin. Cutting my air supply. Krystal screams but I don’t think anyone will hear her. Given


    we were at the far end of the parking lot.


    The man doesn’t stop though. Krystal screams actually seem to be egging him on. I start choking.


    Gasping for air. Unable to breathe. Unable to believe that this was the second time I was being


    attacked.


    I pray to moon goddess. That someone will find us since Blue was out ofmission. The events


    earlier drained her. She couldn’t save us. We needed help before it was toote. Before he finished me


    and turned to finish Krystal too.