The Alpha’s Substitute Mate

Isabella

On the second day, Lance came to my room with a tray of food. He looked awful, his face was pale and puffy, and his shoulders were scrunched as he put the tray of food down on the bedside table. He didn’t quite look at me as he sighed and turned around and walked out without even talking to me. I swallowed hard. He hates me now? Maybe he regrets his decision to elope with me. Does he blame himself for the cause of his brother’s death?

I picked over the food and tried to eat something to stop the rumbling of my stomach but I had no appetite, I closed back the food and went to lay on the bed. My gaze stares at the blank air. I was rooted in that position for a long time, several thoughts grazing through my mind as time flew by and twilight slowly crept in.

And I heard a slight tap on the door and Queen Selena opened the door and slipped inside the room. She looked much older today than when I had met her for lunch just a few days ago the day she came sneaking to see us in the diner. Her face was blotchy and her nose was red and her hair was stringy as though she hadn’t showered in days. It was so hard to believe that the last time I’d seen her she had been so happy showering me with gifts and smiling broadly. I could still remember how she was happily playing with both Lance and me and how she playfully mimicked Arden but now she moved silently, with no smiles, and no words. Her eyes glanced over the mark on my shoulder and her mouth flattened into a thin, disapproving line. And for the first time, all I could see in those brownish orbs was hate. A deep unmistakable hatred for me. She hates me. But why? My heartbeat was spiraling out of control, hammering hard against my chest, and my body felt a sudden cold shiver.

She took a step closer to me as silence lingered between us for a second ” You should go to Malcolm now. He is in the Alpha office. He needs you. She muttered coldly and slipped back out of my room.

In my previous stay in Blood Moon Pack Mansion, I had never stepped my feet into the Alpha’s office. I had no reason to. Arden had warned and made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want me around, nor did I want to be around him. So I’d left his office alone.

I felt very uncertain and insecure as I walked down the hallway. Malcolm hadn’t called for me and I didn’t know if he really wanted to see me. I didn’t know how he felt about me right now. It seemed like every time we turned around, things got worse and more complicated between us. I got to the office and knocked softly on the door and I heard Malcolm’s call, ” Please come in,” his voice was flat and tired. I hesitated a little, shook out of my depressing thoughts, and then opened the door and walked in.

Arden’s office was the archetypal man cave. Aside from the big desk in the corner and the conference table in the center, there was a small bar filled with expensive wines in the corner.

Mounted racks of stag antlers decorated the walls, along with vintage hunting memorabilia. I thought the decor was probably inherited from King Leonard because antiques didn’t seem to be Arden’s style.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Malcolm was sitting behind the executive desk but he was not alone. His dad was there along with several other men whose faces were vaguely familiar. I swallowed nervously, unsure of what to do next.

Malcolm sighed and gestured for me to come, pushing back his chair. He looked extremely exhausted. There were dark circles under his beautiful eyes and his hair was all messed up like he’d been running his hands through it constantly. He hadn’t come to find me last night and I realized that he had been super occupied with work. I desperately wanted to comfort him, to do something that would make him feel better. To smooth down his hair and kiss his pain away. I approached Malcolm but I glanced back nervously at King Leonard, his dad. I’d always have a hard time knowing what he’s thinking. I was never sure if he liked me even when I was together with Arden. And now I was scared of what he might think of me and I expected to see hatred and anger in his eyes but instead, he just nodded at me sadly and scrubbed his hands across his wrinkled face.

I stopped in front of Malcolm, not sure of what he wanted me to do or what I should do. Should I pull out a chair? Or maybe he had some errands that required my attention. When I hesitated, he reached out and pulled me to him, settling me on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck. He did not seem shy at all about letting his dad see us for what we were. He deeply breathed my scent and then pulled back to look down at my face. My body trembled under his hungry and tired gaze.

“We’ve completed all the arrangements. And we have come to the final conclusion that Arden will be buried tomorrow at noon,” he said and I was speechless. What could I say? I only nodded in reply and gave into my urge to smoothen his hair away from his brows.

He stared at me for a while before he cleared his voice and addressed the people before him ” Great noblemen, I think we are finished here. Thank you all for your time.”

The other men stood up and filed out until only King Leonard remained at the door, his head bowed and his hand rested on the door handle. He turned and looked back at me, his eyes were filled with pain and sorrow. ” Bella,” he called. I realized that never in all this time had he really spoken to me directly. ” No matter what has happened… You will always be a part of this family, my child.” And he quietly stepped out and shut the door behind him. I watched him with teary eyes and I know deep down in my soul things will never be the same.