The moment Oliver got down on one knee, I felt alarmed, and I could tell what he was doing was not part of werewolf traditions, but it was a gesture humans did when a guy wanted to ask the woman he loved to marry him. I was shocked because I was not yet ready, and I am only eighteen years old, and I knew I couldn't embarrass Oliver in front of his pack members.
He is their respected Alpha, and I don't have the heart to say no, and I don't want to say yes now and no when we will be alone later. I always value my word, and I am known to be the person who has a word of honor. I know I had been thinking about it lately after realizing how deeply in love I am with Oliver, but now that it is happening, I could feel my entire frame tremble as I watched his handsome with my eyes wide open.
I tried talking with him to stop what he was doing, but Oliver didn't listen to me, and instead, he continued to make his proposal. But when he mentioned he is will g to wait, I realized I didn't need to say no to him because we could get married later on, and I could tell it would be fun to be engaged with him, and I know no woman would try to seduce him after he becomes my fiance.
The crowd became crazy after I said yes, and I could feel my face is blushing as I turned around to look at his pack members. Oliver introduced me to them. At the same time, he pulled me with him to meet the rest of the elders while Noel welcomed me with a warm hug, and I said my hi to all of them, and they all greeted me warmly except with one man.
He was looking at me with anger in his eyes, and I could tell right away he didn't like me, and I wanted to ask Oliver about him, but he became so busy talking and laughing with his pack members, and I could say, how much he missed them.
I let my fiance talk with his friends while I got up from my chair and walked towards the restaurant's balcony. I realized it was overlooking a beautiful lake. I saw Zane waving at me together with his lovely wife, Trixie, and before I could walk towards them, an elegant tall woman with a gorgeous body blocked my way, and I realized she was looking daggers at me.
"I thought you didn't like Oliver; how could you say yes to his proposal?" The woman asked while she looked at me from head to toe.
"And who are you?" I asked back, but I tried my best to remain calm and not be intimidated by her. I could tell she looked beautiful, but it was my nature; I didn't get quickly threatened. And I looked at her eyes, and I didn't show fear. I don't know her, and I wouldn't say I like how she approached me as she had known me.
"Well, I am Amanda, Oliver's old flame, and will always be his flame. Don't you know he was only pretending to be in love with you, Victoria?" She asked, and her words made me feel so affected, but I didn't let my emotion show.
"Oh? I am sorry, but my fiance never even mentioned your name." I responded, and I could see how her face hardened.
"You are so naive, my dear, of course; who would be in their right mind to mention their ex to their supposed girlfriend. Oliver was in love with me, but he got pressured because of that stupid prophecy and the mate thing, and he doesn't even believe in mating." She declared.
"But he told me you are too important to his pack. And he doesn't have a choice but to go to Zenith and be with you even if it was against his will, and he wanted to spend his days with me. I am telling you, Victoria, you will never be happy with Oliver, and you better leave now and hide from him because he will never fall in love with you because I won't allow it and will do everything to win him back." She said, and I could feel the trembling of my legs.
"I don't know if what you were talking about was true, but I know what is real and what is fake, Amanda, and I am sorry to tell you this, I am a fighter, and I will never back down to any challenge," I responded.
"And if you wanted to have Oliver back assuming what you said was true, then bring it own because I will never allow you to be with him either, and I will do everything I can to make him love me and forget about you," I said, and her face fell, and I felt so triumphant, and when I turn around to leave her; she held my wrist, and I stopped on my tracks.
"I know you don't believe me, but I think you needed to see this," She said in more than a whisper, and I slowly turned around to face her again. I could see the smartphone in her hand, and she showed me a picture of Oliver and her on a bed. I could feel my heart is pounding so hard while I watched the sleeping figure of Oliver half-naked while she was cuddling with him, and I could see her hand was on Oliver's chest, and I could feel my tears are about to fall, and I tried my best to keep them at bay.
"Well, it was from the past, and who knows you edited that picture," I said, and I pulled my wrist away from her and left her without taking a second glance, and I knew I needed to get out, or else Oliver's pack members will see me on my tears. I made a beeline to the exit while I could hear Trixie's voice calling me, and I ran because I didn't want to talk with anyone yet, and I could feel my heart was about to burst.
If Amanda was Oliver's ex, I know I don't have any right to feel this way, but I couldn't stop myself from being so jealous of her. She looked sophisticated, and I could tell they were perfect for each other, and I wondered what I was even doing here. I ran as fast as I could until I could no longer hear the noise coming from the restaurant, and since the place was located on the outskirts of Gallant City, it was secluded, and I could see the forest not so far away from me.
I didn't realize I shifted into my wolf form, and I ran faster than ever as I could feel the pain in my heart and my tears are falling from my eyes as I made my way to the wilderness where I wanted to have comfort and release the pain that I felt. I howled, and I ran until I reached the cliff, and I knew I had nowhere to run anymore, and I fell on the ground as I continued to weep.
"Why did you run away, Victoria?" I heard Trixie's comforting voice, and when I raised my head, I saw Zane's wife on her wolf form, and I averted my gaze from her and looked into the darkness.
"You should never listen to Amanda, she has always been in love with Oliver, and everyone in the pack knew her unrequited love for your fiance." She said, and I turned my head and looked at her.
"By your reaction, I am sure she made you think she was Oliver's ex," She added.
"I know I should never leave the restaurant, Trixie, but when Amanda showed me a picture of her and Oliver being so intimate with each other, I lost it, and I wasn't able to control my emotion, and I ran away without thinking about what would be Oliver's reaction when he found out I left," I responded.
"Yeah, I understood, and it was a normal reaction, Victoria, and if you have seen a picture of them together, I am sure she took that picture when Oliver was sleeping because I know there is no way Oliver will sleep with her." She declared.
"And believe me, Oliver will never propose to you if he doesn't love you. No one can force him to marry anyone because Oliver is the type of person who will never follow any order from anyone, especially if we talk about love." She added.
"We should head back now, Victoria; I only told Zane to tell Oliver I accompany you in going to the restroom, and I don't think he will buy my alibi; if we will be gone for an hour." She said.
"I can't go back over there, Trixie, I will be naked the moment I turn into my wolf form, and you know my dress was torn the moment I shifted.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered; the moment we reach the foot of the mountain, I already prepared a dress for both of us." She said, and then she turned around and ran, and I didn't have a choice but to follow her, and I knew I could trust Trixie, and I could feel it that she wasn't lying to me.
"Thank you so much for running after me, Trixie," I said as we ran on the trail I had taken earlier, and even if the forest is so dark, we don't have a problem navigating the place because of our exceptional eyesight and I couldn't believe I could see on the darkness.
"You are welcome, Victoria; I don't want you to be emotionally disturbed over something not real or from baseless information. She only wanted to hurt your feelings and hoping she would make you flee, because until now, Amanda couldn't accept that Oliver could never be hers; believe me, Victoria, you are the only girl who taught Oliver how to fall in love and he loves you so much." She said.
And I felt so happy that she came after me and I felt so guilty that I ran off just like that, and I promised to make it up with Oliver the moment I got back on the restaurant, and I ran faster, and I couldn't wait to see him.