Power or Death [editing]

Chapter 42.

Xave's P.O.V.

It's been 24 hours since Agnes woke up screaming in agony of what I now know as her mate's infidelity. She is still asleep but I honestly don't mind. She looks peaceful this way, she doesn't have to deal with any of this bullshit, yet.

After Riley came back, I honestly haven't been able to decipher what I feel. I rejected him as an impromptu decision when I heard Briggs reject him and revoke his title. Now that I have had time to think about it, I just know I made the right decision. At least for me.

Briggs told Riley to move out of our room, which I am extremely grateful for. So now, I'm walking to Riley's new room on the first floor. I feel like it is my time to speak with him.

After knocking on the door, I wait for him to answer. A few seconds go by and nothing, so I knock again. Nothing. With a deep breath, I open the door and enter the dark room.

Giving myself a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, I see Riley in a ball on the bed, still crying.

'Do you mind if I come in and talk with you?' I ask, not wanting to invade his space or make him speak with me if he doesn't want to.

'Speak or yell?' He croaks out with a scratchy throat from his excessive crying.

'I just want to talk.' I tell him. It's the truth, I'm not here to yell, I'm here to speak my peace and maybe get some answers.

Riley looks towards me and nods his head.

'I honestly don't even know where to begin.' I whisper as I sit down on the chair near his bed.

'I don't believe you did this on purpose. I would like to believe that it just happened. Would you say that's right?' I ask.

'Yes.' He whispers.

Nodding my head. 'But you also didn't do anything to stop it when you knew it was wrong?'

'Yes.' He cries.

I close my eyes and try not to cry. I have been crying nonstop, just like everyone else. This is hard and this sucks beyond belief.

'Was it because of who the girl was? The one you were with? Or would this have been the same result regardless of who it was? What about if we never went to the club? Would we still have met the same result?' I ask after a couple of minutes.

'I don't know.' Riley chokes out.

Ok, I think it was just because it was this Melanie person. Both Briggs and Bethie told me the same story about her.

Riley had a huge crush on her.
He made his move when she finished school.
She left him right after he gave himself to her.
For some reason, she came back.
She approached Riley knowing the pull she had.
Riley was caught up in a shit situation.

I think it would have happened if not last night then another night. This Melanie seems to be the factor here, she would have tried with any chance she got. She just happened to hit the jackpot last night.

But the fact still remains that he cheated on his mate. Technically, he cheated on Briggs and I, as well. However, we are his secondary mates because of Agnes. We didn't feel anything when he cheated.

Agnes is his mate and Agnes had to go through that anguish. Agnes has to live with that betrayal.

'I'm sure you have heard this a few times now but I have no idea what Agnes will do. I know that she is going to take this extremely hard and live with it for the rest of her existence.

She had been trying so hard to have a better relationship with all of us but mainly you and Briggs. Agnes was doing everything she could to be the right mate for each of you. For each of us.