Ch. 16..20: The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate Chapter 16-20

The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 16

Alexander’s POV…

Watching her sleep so innocently and peacefully would definitely be the best part of my day. Still, she had already wished not to be in the same room with me. Was the s*x that bad? I honestly thought it was good. I could even say it was great, and that would be somewhat innocuous.

But after s*x, she decided she didn’t want to sleep in the same room with me, only to continue with her duties as my Luna, which was confusing for me to comprehend.

I decided to take advantage of the fact that she was sleeping and stretch my legs a bit. Sitting in this wheelchair can be so tiring and restrictive at the same time.

I didn’t want to wake her up, so I moved to the inner room where I would do a few workouts and afterwards moved to shower; she was still sleeping. I wonder if she sleeps this heavily or if it was because of last night.

When I wheeled out of my chair, I saw her yawning and stretching her hands.

“Good morning,” she greeted.

“Good morning,” I simply replied.

“You have dressed already; you are certainly good at helping yourself out.” She said, wearing her pyjamas robe. I would have complimented her on how beautiful she looked in the morning; she was naturally beautiful. But I wouldn’t tell her that; there was a gentle knock on the door; Edwina glared at the door.

“Are you expecting anyone this morning?” she asked, gawking at the door for a moment.

“That must be Caleb and Becca,” I replied and called out for them to come in, “I instructed them to come early,”

“Oh, okay,” she replied briefly as the door flew open. Becca and Caleb entered.

“Good morning, Alpha Alexander and Luna Edwina,” they both chorused. I glanced at Edwina to see her reaction, and as expected, her face looked indifferent.

“Good morning,” I replied.

“You are already dressed, Alpha,” Caleb inquired, who usually helped me dress.

“Yes, an advantage of having a Luna by your side,” I replied to him, but Edwina frowned because she knew that wasn’t true.

“You are so right, it’s nice to have you here, Luna Edwina,” Caleb acknowledged, and she gave a half smile. She had not uttered a word ever since they came into the room. I can’t help but wonder what was going through that head of hers; sometimes, I feel she goes to that place where only she can go.

“So, Edwina, I will be headed out. Becca will be your personal handmaid. You get to go with her everywhere you go.”

“You mean like a spy that gets to report my every movement to you,” she retorted.

I glared at her. I wasn’t going to let her hint to the whole world, especially my subject, that this marriage isn’t that of love but rather that of convenience.

“I am sure she is more loyal to you, considering you saved her from punishment,” I replied with a smile. I could see her hardened face soften as a smile formed.

“Isn’t that so, Becca?” I asked, facing her.

“I am loyal to the throne, sir,” Becca replied.

It was a politically correct answer, but I can’t help but get scared when most of my packs give that answer. I wonder what would happen to the night Howlers if we ever get attacked by the Sizzlers again and, this time, they accomplish their mission. Will I have a faithful pack who would stand by me or those who will stand by the throne and whosoever that is on it, even if that means swearing their allegiance to our rival?

“Caleb will be with me, he is my personal assistant. I will make a few stops and then stop by the office,” I explained to her. Still, her facial countenance seemed uninterested in any details I was giving her.

“Where would you be going?” I asked her, still trying to have a conversation with her.

“I will go visit my sister, ” she replied briefly.

I gave up on trying to have a conversation with her and simply nodded my head, motioning to Caleb to wheel me out of the room.

It was just day one till forever, so they say, and she is already making it so hard with the distant and cold reaction.

As we got into the car and Caleb drove me to the office, he noticed my mood.

“Are you okay, sir?” he asked, as he always does when we were alone, not with other people or in front of the pack.

Caleb and I were close; sometimes, I could even call him my friend. We would talk and rub our minds together; he was way older than me, in his mid-thirties and had way more experience than I did in certain areas of life.

“Caleb, what can I say? I don’t just understand her,” I muttered as I expressed my frustration to him.

“Isn’t it too early to try to understand her?”

“Too early,” I scoffed, “or rather too late, you mean,”

I could see him smile as he glanced at me through the rearview mirror, and his mouth cupped as he was about to ask a question, but he bit his lips to try to hold it back. I knew him too well.

“Speak Caleb. I don’t want to have to force you to actually have a conversation with me, do I?” I asked him.

“You don’t, but it is perplexing to see you are in this state too soon because if I could vividly remember, this was a marriage for convenience, not love.” He paused and then continued, “I want to know, what were your expectations when you wanted to get married to her?” he finally asked.

This is why I sometimes dislike Caleb. He asks the hardest question in the simplest form and expects the most profound answers.

“I wanted a wife, A Luna, but now it feels more like I have added to my problems,”

“In what way?” he asked again.

I hated that Caleb always knew how to ask the right question, and he asked them most respectfully.

When we were young and my father, the Alpha then, introduced me to Benedict as my Beta and my right-hand man. I was not sure this was what I wanted, but my dad convinced me then that the Beta wolf had to come from a particular lineage as a custom process.

I had also suggested that Caleb be made my beta wolf. Still, my father forbade it, stating that he comes from a lineage of omega wolves and therefore is not fit to become a Beta.

I now regret that decision that was made for me, and now, I have to live with the consequences for the rest of my life.

“What I want from her is what I never had with Sonia, peace,” I responded after a while of being drawn by my thoughts.

He swirled his left hand to the wheel as he took a sharp turn and paused at the traffic light.

“And you got married to a woman who doesn’t love you,” he muttered silently.

And I glared at him, I could only see the back of his head and the side of his face, but I knew he had a stern face that looked rather indifferent when giving such information. Caleb just wanted to say what he felt without giving out too much emotion or any form of judgment.

“The moon goddess revealed her to me before I was wrongfully coerced to marry Sonia. She was going to be my Luna, and that means the one who will ultimately bring me peace. ” I paused for a while, exhaled, and continued, ” I made a mistake when I decided to get married to Sonia. I turned away from my mate the moon goddess had chosen for me.”

“Why did you do it, though?”

“Why did I do what?” I asked him.

“Why did you choose Sonia? I know you, Alpha Chase, you are not a man who is easily convinced or persuaded into doing something. Why did you choose Sonia over your mate chosen for you by the moon goddess?”

I let out an exasperated gasp as I went back to that night after I had chosen to marry Sonia. I was restless and confused as I could have ever been, but what informed my thought that day was when I went into the library to read about the cases of a deficient wolf.

I found out that the likelihood of such a creature to birth a wolf was extremely slim, which meant I might not have an Alpha who would take over my legacy and also that of my forefathers when I am gone.

It was really heart-aching for me and was quite a struggle, but I did what I thought was best for the throne. Now, look how it all turned out.

“I thought about all I had to uphold as an Alpha. I needed an heir, and that was why I decided to marry Sonia instead of the mate chosen for me by the moon goddess,” I responded.

“Now, what changed, don’t you still want the heir?”

Damn Caleb, he always knew how to ask the right questions. At the right moment, he took the final turn that led to the high-rise building where my company was located and continued to take the straight road till he arrived and stopped the car.

“I tasted it and later realized that there was more to life than just having an heir. When I lost my mobility, I realized I might have lost my life also in the process. If that were to happen, I still wouldn’t have an heir to keep the legacy I was trying so hard to protect. That experience single-handedly changed my view on life and how I saw it,” I said expressively, and I could see a smile curled up on his face.

“We are here,” he announced as he got out of the car, and that was the moment I realized he had made me face a truth I had been avoiding.

The truth about my reality.

 

The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 17

Edwina’s POV…

I woke up feeling like a different person, like a woman who had just cheated on her husband and actually enjoyed it, I felt disgusted by my actions, and I never wanted to enjoy s*x with a man who was more like a stranger to me than my husband, I felt like I had betrayed the love I had for him and not just him, but my sister. So when I woke up and Alexander was trying to make a conversation with me, that was where my head was at.

“Ma’am, would you be taking your shower now, or do you want to later?” Becca asked, interfering in my guilty thoughts.

“Becca, you can just call me Edwina. No need for all the formality”, I replied, quite tired of her politeness and cautiousness around me.

I stood up from the bed and wrapped the robe around my body, and sat on the long red cushion in the room.

“The moon goddess forbids ma’am, you are now the Luna and I dare not disrespect you,”

I sighed. What is it with all these people and the so-called moon goddess and her influence on their choices?

“Okay,” I simply nodded as I was in no mood to go anywhere.

“So, ma’am, do you want me to introduce you to the people of this pack house?”

That was the last thing I wanted, to get introduced to people in this pack who certainly did not like the fact that a woman with no wolf came to marry their Alpha. But Becca would keep disturbing me if I didn’t decide to do something, so I instantly decided to go and visit my sister. I needed to know if she was aware of the marriage or if I was in the clear.

“I think I want to go and see Sonia,” I finally replied to Becca. She was anxiously waiting for me to make my decision. I could see her eyes widen when I told her that. That was definitely not the answer she was expecting me to give.

“Ma’am, do you think that is a good idea? Is she aware of the wedding?” She inquired curiously.

“I hope not,” I replied, “I instructed that she got limited access to information and all that, but you know, in a prison cell such as hers, people tend to talk, and I don’t know if that is something I can control, but I just needed to know.

” I just hope she doesn’t find out because Luna Sonia can be vicious sometimes,” she blurted out, and I cast a glare. “Respectfully, though.” She added.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked and stood up from the cushion. I headed to my wardrobe where my suitcase was and placed it on top of the bed as I began searching for the outfit I would be wearing out.

“Yes, sure you can,” she responded and headed to where I stood to help me search for the appropriate cloth to wear, although I doubt she would be of any use.

“When Sonia was Luna, what was she like?” I asked, placing a black gown on the bed, “I think I like this one,” I muttered.

“No ma, this is too ordinary, you are the Luna,” she replied and placed the black gown back in the bag, ” You need to be more specific with your question ma’am, what exactly do you want to hear so I can provide you with the right information, in regards with that,”

“Well, I mean, how was she like with Alpha Alexander and also, how is she like with the people? Was she good to them, kind and nurturing?” I asked. Deep down, I knew some of these answers, but I think it would be good to get someone else’s perspective on matters such as this.

“Hmmm,” she sighed, and a frown formed on her face.

“Ma’am, I don’t know how to respond to most of these questions,” she stated with a serious look on her face as I couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind.

“Please feel free to talk to me Becca, there shall be no repercussions whatsoever,” I tried to assure her.

“Hmmm,” she sighed again and exhaled. “Luna Sonia and Alpha Alexander started off first on a good note, you could almost swear that they were in love but soon that love turned into something dark and bitter,” she paused, exhaled, and continued, “I found it relatively bewildering to see people shift so quick from love into something dark and shallow,”

“Were their lack of affection so obvious to everyone?” I asked. I needed to know because if it were that obvious and once upon a time there existed love between them, how much of me with no love whatsoever?

“Well, it wasn’t that obvious, till the screaming at each other started, the fights and soon the sleeping in separate rooms,”

I gulped in at the mention of her last statement, I had just requested the same thing from him, and he didn’t bother to mention the perspective people would be seeing it from because I am sure he knows about the gossip that was going around when he was still with Sonia, my sister.

I scowled at Becca as she brought out a long red gown, “I am unquestionably not wearing that,” I said to her.

“Why is that?” She inquired.

“That seems like a lot. I am just going to visit my sister in the prison, remember, not going from some sort of royal charity ball,” I replied, and she grimaced in amazement.

“But you are the Luna. You are supposed to dress a lot. Looking good is basically part of the Luna’s job description,” she teased, and I let out a hearty laugh.

” Remember I am trying to stay low-key when it comes to my sister, I don’t want her suspecting anything through my dressing,” I cued her.

“That’s a fair point,” Becca acknowledged.

“So how was she around people, how did she treat the staff, and did she have any friends?”

I don’t know exactly what I was looking for, maybe I was searching for any hint on how Sonia started getting so close to my ex-husband, and I was so blind not to know that whenever she came to visit in my rare house, she would act so casual around Benedict, sometimes she would even throw some shades at him, and I had this general belief that Sonia didn’t like him. It then came to me as a shock to find out that they had been screwing behind my back, and not just that, she had gotten pregnant. It came to me as a shock and also indicated how foolish and gullible I could have been not to even see a hint of it. It took me quite a while to come to terms with it and also to forgive them.

Forgetting what they did to me is something I still struggle with, but I am learning to live with it.

Becca dropped a grey gown on the bed.

“I think this is perfect,” she said with a smile. I picked up the dress to view a three-sixty overview of the dress.

“I also think so too,” I replied with a smile of victory.

“Sonia wasn’t the kindness or nicest but she was firm and courageous, and I think that is a quality all Luna should have,”

I gazed at her as she outlined the quality of a Luna. I knew I had nothing of that quality. I have always been the kid that was bullied when I was young and talked down to, so being courageous is never part of my strength, and neither was being firm.

I breathed out and made a vow to start putting on the mask of courage because I wouldn’t let the bullying continue.

 

The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 18

I detest going to prison. There is a certain type of chill it gives me, maybe because I am claustrophobic and have a weird reaction to being confined in an enclosed space, or maybe because I feel the system is flawed and most people here don’t really deserve to be here.

The night howlers prison was not really different from any conventional prison.

There was truly no joy in such a place as this; as everyone was either angry, scowling, or remorseful, it was all negative feelings, and we all know negativity is contagious.

“Luna Edwina,” the guard greeted, the name sounded so weird, and I couldn’t imagine what would happen if Sonia found out. That used to be her title. When I was first informed about the Alpha wanting me to be his mate and requesting my presence, I was excited and happy; overwhelmed was the word. I told myself that the world would finally take me seriously, and I would no longer be considered deficient.

But when I was informed he had chosen my sister instead of me, I broke down in tears. I had this belief that this curse would follow me wherever I went.

Now here I was, I am now the Luna, and I don’t feel extra special a bit. I feel exactly the same way I felt when I was just a Beta wife.

It made me realize that titles don’t change anything.

“Good morning,” I replied back to the slim guard with a body filled with tattoos.

“Who are you here to see?” He asked with a creepy smile on his face.

“I am here to see Sonia Chase,” I said, and then it dawned on me that she no longer went by that name.

She was no longer Mrs Chase. I was.

“I mean Sonia,” I immediately corrected myself.

And he smiled again.

“I understand. Let me go and get her for you. You can use the private room,”

“That would be nice. Thank you for your generosity,” I appreciated.

“Anything for our Luna,” he replied, and I gave him a cringing smile. It would take a while before I get used to this whole Luna title. It wasn’t my thing yet.

I was then escorted by another guard to the private room. The room wasn’t really that private, considering two guards stood outside all the time. There was a rectangular-shaped table and two chairs which were opposite to themselves.

“I will go get her now,” he announced before leaving the room. I sat down on the iron chair that faced the door. I was secretly praying that Sonia had not heard of the marriage and would come here to rip my head off; that would be a terrible way to die.

My eyes were fixed on the door till it finally flings open. Sonia walked in gently with a smile on her face. She looked better than the state she was the last time I had visited her, which could only prove Alpha Alexander kept to his word.

“Did you pay extra to get this private space?” Sonia asked when she was finally seated.

I nodded my head because I realized that this place wasn’t given to just anybody out of goodwill.

“You shouldn’t have, that’s too much,” she lamented.

“It is nothing, how are you doing? You look better than the last time I saw you,”

“Yes, I do. I was given new clothes and even transferred to a much better cell, it seems the Alpha has started to reconsider. I just hope he forgives me totally, I don’t want to give birth in this shit hole,” she muttered as a sad expression formed on her face.

“You won’t, I promise,” I replied sharply, and she cast me a glance.

“What would you do about it?”

I realized I had spoken too soon; now, Sonia was gazing at me suspiciously.

“What I meant to say is I would do anything in my power to make sure you don’t,” I rephrased my words, and I could see the sad face growing soft.

“But that is it, there is not so much in our power, and before you suggest again, no. I will never allow you to get married to Alex just to save me.” She said so firmly that I could see something in her eyes. She wasn’t just telling me. She was also warning me.

“I don’t plan to,” I said briefly.

“Good, because I know Alex, he might prove to be strong and hard-headed but he is as soft as a baby. He loves me, he will come around, forgive me, and eventually we might even get back together,”

I gazed at her with absolute amazement and perplexion. How could she expect him to forgive and even take her back after all she had done? Was she being delusional? Was she carrying another man’s child and wanting someone else to take responsibility for it?

“What about your child?” I asked, still trying to figure out her school of thought.

She placed her hands on her belly and began to rub them around.

“What about it?” She asked back.

“Would you want Alpha Alexander to take responsibility for another man’s child?”

She glared at me for a second too long, and I could tell she was offended. Still, it was the truth. The child she was carrying didn’t belong to Alpha Alexander, and I don’t think it is fair for him to assume responsibility for a child that isn’t his. Especially when the father of the child was still very much alive and used to be my husband.

“Edwina, I think we need to finally talk about this, she said to me, and I gave her an intense look.

“Talk about what?” I questioned her.

“About this right here,” she said, pointing to me and then to her.

“I don’t think I understand you,” I replied sincerely, as I seemed not to understand exactly what she was going on about.

“How long do you want to pretend that everything is fine and just normal?”

I glared at her, I knew exactly what she was talking about, but I don’t like having hard conversations. And I tried my best to avoid them. I am not sure I wanted to have one now, considering that I just got married to Alpha Alexander and Sonia was still very much oblivious about it.

“But everything is fine and normal, you are my sister, and I forgive you for all you did,” I replied and stretched out my hands to hold hers, which was already on the table.

“Can you stop the pretence, Edwina? Ben and I did something despicable to you, and you know it, so why are you pretending not to be offended by it when I know that clearly, you are,” she mumbled as her octave increased. I could see what she was trying to do, but I didn’t want to give in to her. She was trying to agitate me so that I could flare up, and then we would have the conversation I had been trying so much to avoid, but I wasn’t going to give in to her.

“Sonia, I will be going. I will come back to see you soon,”

“Always avoiding the problem; that’s why you never stood up for yourself,” she spat.

I glanced at her, stood up, and walked towards her, placing a smooth k**s on her forehead.

“Do take care of yourself, Sonia,” I said.

“We are going to have this conversation one day, like it or not, Edwina,”

She was right. I can’t escape from this conversation, but today wasn’t the day. I already felt so guilty. I exited the station and prayed the day doesn’t come anytime soon.

 

The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 19

Alexander’s POV…

For the first time in a while, I was looking forward to going home. I wasn’t sure why I felt that way, but I knew it brought me a tremendous amount of happiness. We are most probably going to have a fight and most likely not agree on something, but for the first time, I was going home to my real mate, and that alone is worth celebrating.

I reached home to meet Becca in the central parlor. Why was she there? She should be anywhere Edwina is.

“Becca, why are you here?” I asked without even answering her greeting.

“She said she wanted to be alone,” she replied calmly.

“Alone, Alone where?” I asked.

“She is in the room,” she replied.

“Is she still in our room, or does she mean another room?” I had instructed Becca earlier to aid her move into another room, so I wasn’t sure what room exactly we were talking about.

“What room is that?” I asked again.

“Your room, sir, ” she replied, and then I exhaled. I quickly wheeled myself to the room. After the whole fiasco about s*x and her reaction to it afterward, I had thought she would leave the room hurriedly. So after listening to Becca, I wheeled myself to my room, which wasn’t too far because it was on the ground floor. I opened the door, and my eyes scrutinized the room for her but couldn’t find her. I was about to exit the room to go back and question Becca when I heard the shower turn on; she was in the bathroom. I sighed.

It’s not easy being on edge and keeping up with an unnatural act of being crippled or rather a former act of being crippled. I have not shifted to my wolf form for months, and my wolf yearns to come out. I had suffered to manage to keep it in during the full moon, and it had been a struggle not being able to fully function as I used to.

But anytime I consider letting go of the lie, I recall what had transpired between Sonia and me. I recall what happened when I lost my leg for the first time and wasn’t really faking it.

At first, she tried to act like it was okay and not really bothered about it, but as the days went by, I started noticing some change in attitude from her path.

***FLASHBACK***

“Can we talk?” I asked Sonia as she was painting her nails. I wheeled my chair towards her, and she ignored my presence for a while. I found it disrespectful. I could see she was preparing to go out, but she had stopped asking for permission or notifying me when she went out. She would just go out and come back whenever she pleased.

“I am in a hurry. I have a flight to be on,” she replied, and I glared at her.

“What flight? You never told me that you were traveling,” I asked in amusement at the information coming to light. I wondered if I had not started this conversation, would she have ever told me that she was going to travel?

“I have to be at the Luna’s award show tonight,” she retorted. Ever since this conversation started, she had not even bothered to look up at me. All she did was focus on the nail.

“I wasn’t aware of it, “

“It’s not my fault you no longer have a social life,” she mumbled, still focusing on her nails. I felt the urge to head to the nail painter and spill all of them on the floor. If with that, I could get her to acknowledge me, but I knew that wasn’t the problem. I was already fuming with anger and rage.

“How does my social life have anything to do with you not informing me that you were going to travel?” I retorted as my voice sounded hoarse and filled with anger.

“If you weren’t such a joke to the realm, you would have been sent out a special invite like they always do to the strongest of Alphas.” She reached out for the bottles of nail polish as she began to gather them together.

“What do you mean I am a joke to the realm?” I wasn’t particularly asking her, but I was demanding an answer. My voice went an octave higher.

“Why are you asking me obvious questions and answers?” she stood up and began to head back to her room. At this time, she had demanded that we sleep in separate rooms, which I had granted to her because I believe it was normal for couples to want space.

“I am talking to you, Sonia,” I called out after her as I followed her to the room. She slammed the door behind her, and I opened it and wheeled my way in. I could tell that the little scene outside would stir up some attention, and I wouldn’t want to be known as the Alpha who was constantly fighting with his Luna.

“I am asking you a question, Sonia,” I yelled out again. She glared at me and let out hysterical laughter.

“The Alpha I knew would have shifted to his wolf form by now, and all hell would have been let loose but can’t you see you aren’t even the glimpse or shadow of the man that you used to be? Everything with you now is just a joke,” she yelled back at me.

I knew Sonia to be cruel due to the way she treated some of the other female wolves, servants, and guards. She wasn’t a nice person to be around. One can even take her to be unpleasant most of the time, but never have I thought she would act that way towards me.

“Is it because I am crippled?” I muttered the question to her. It was a question I already knew the answer to, then I needed to hear it from her lips.

“What do you think? You are a joke to the community of Alphas,” she paused and exhaled, “I am ashamed to be associated with the name Alpha Alexander’s Luna because, to me, it’s a name that brings ridicule. It is a name that brings shame, I used to pride in myself being your Luna, but right now I detest that title,”

those words broke me down and shattered me into pieces. I had thought about how impenetrable my soul was, but those words were more than that of a two-edged sword.

I was paralyzed and crippled for the second time, but it didn’t come physically but emotionally this time. Even though Sonia wasn’t my original Luna, I had learned to love her and cherished her fierce and outspoken nature. But on this very day, I knew I only learned to love her, and I wasn’t truly in love with her.

***PRESENT DAY***

I watched as the door gently opened, and she came out with a towel wrapped around her chest and water still dripping all around her body. Her hair was wet, and her eyes red. She must have taken a hot bath. She seemed a little bit startled to see me, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Hello,” I said to her as she walked past me to sit before the mirror.

“Good evening Alex,” she greeted, and I could see the smile form again on my face. She called me Alex, and that was a huge relief because I could see it as a form of progress.

“Good evening Edwina,” I responded and noticed we both called each other by name for the first time. I could also see a smile form on her face as she took out a big hair comb to straighten her hair which was tangled from the water, which they had been immense to.

“I thought you said you wanted to sleep in separate rooms?” I asked her because I needed to know if this was something permanent or temporal.

“We are married, and I don’t think sleeping in separate rooms is ideal.”

She said, and I grinned at the beauty of her words until she continued.

“And besides, what better would I be than my sister, and it would breed unnecessary suspicion about our marriage.”

The smile which had formed on my face quickly disappeared. She wasn’t doing this because she had warmed up to the idea that sharing a room with me wasn’t such a bad idea. She did it because she wanted to shut down any form of unnecessary rumor that would surface.

I sighed in disappointment.

 

The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 20

Alexander’s POV…

It was a buffet of seven-course meals, with candlelights and a band to serenade us.

There were violinists, pianists, and guitarists. From the little research I did about pleasing she-wolves, I made sure there were a lot of white roses. It was our first dinner as a couple, and I wanted to make it as unique as possible.

Edwina was seated across the table, opposite me, dressed in a strapless, high-fashion dinner gown. She makes the most beautiful Luna, her brown hair is packed in a single ponytail, and her eyes radiate from the candlelights before her. She smelled like sweet, raspberry, and apples. She looks gracious and magnificent.

I had asked my cook to set up a whole table for us and make it as romantic as possible. I always wanted to do something like this with Sonia, but she always preferred to eat out. She always says if it isn’t a five-star hotel or restaurant, she wasn’t eating.

Since I married her, I am pretty sure I had visited all the five-star restaurants within and beyond the realm, and a few four-star restaurants I had somehow managed to convince her were still worth it. But apart from those things, my idea of a perfect day was this, right here, seated at a medium size dining table across the room. She would be dressed most beautifully, and then I would make sweet love to her after eating.

“This is so beautiful,” She said with a genuine smile on her face. I could see how pleased she was with this act. It must have been a while since anyone had done something this remotely sweet for her. I have been having this genuine urge to want to make her happy. Honestly, I feel she deserved this and more. I know that she must have been through a lot with the constant tag as deficient and the ridiculous stigma attached to it. Then to make things worse, having a short husband who could cheat on you with your sister and then having no choice but to get married to another man to save your undeserving sister’s a*s. How does she manage to stay this strong with all this going on when her world seems to be crumbling?

I know I might have forced her to marry me, I can’t say I forced her, but it wasn’t what she wanted. It was what we agreed upon, and I plan to make her as happy as possible and work things out with her. After all, she was supposed to be my mate all along.

“I am glad you love it, I thought you might see it as a bit too much,” I replied with excitement.

“Why would I feel so? It is one of the sweetest things someone has ever done for me. It’s overwhelming,” she was becoming teary as she spoke. I didn’t want her to cry. This was meant to be a happy moment, not an attempt to make her sad.

“I am glad you love it, so I need us to talk for the first time and dine. We got married under unusual circumstances doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be at least tolerable towards each other.” I explained to her, and she smiled. I love the way she smiles because she rarely smiles.

“So I noticed you didn’t move to the new bedroom I had set aside for you. You said it was because of what you’ve heard, but I also want us to come to some short terms in order not to step on each other toes,” I explained to her. I could see her eyes widen. The chef and server entered with the glasses of wine and helped us place them; she watched with amazement, and I could see the glitter in her eyes. She glared at me when they were all gone and the door shut.

“What terms?” She asked, “you didn’t tell me there would be any form of terms and conditions, and I can’t help but wonder what other complex things.”

I took a slice of the dry bread that was before me. I love the crunchy feeling and how it makes me feel.

“So, I noticed we weren’t in line at first when it come to s*x and then later found common ground and that was because we didn’t have any prior discussion about it. ” I explained to her.

“Yes, that’s true, so what do you want us to discuss?” She asked and took a sip of wine as she struggled with her knife to cut through the shredded cooked beef.

“First, let’s start with children. It is common when couples are married and have s*x for them to consider maybe having babies,” she glared at me, and I could see a certain look on her face that could be maybe reinterpreted as fright.

“I understand what you are saying but I think I should mention to you that there is a high probability that your child might not be a wolf,” she muttered, and I could see her brighten.

I sighed because that was the last on the list of things I wanted to discuss, but she just took it from the bottom to the top. I wanted it to be a conversation that progressed, but it seemed like she didn’t want it to be.

“How sure are you,” I glared at her, and she frowned.

“I am not so sure, but I know that things like this are rare. You know the consequences of the fact that I can’t bear you an Alpha, then the legacy of your family lineage dies.” She was doing a whole lot of explaining. When I mentioned the whole thing about having children, this wasn’t the conversation I was hoping for.

“When I asked you if you are considering having children, it was mostly a matter of yes and no, or if you wanted more than one. I didn’t want to go into depth about the possibilities of having an Alpha child or not.” I expressed to her and took a sip of my wine in the glass cup. The wine tasted like vines.

“But definitely, one day, we are going to have that conversation. Why not now?” she responded, her eyebrows furrowed, and I could see her getting more serious.

“Well, I just felt we could take it one step at a time,” I muttered quietly. I didn’t want it to sound like we were arguing. We have only been married a day to be arguing this much.

“Can I ask you something,” she asked. Sometimes I find that statement not to be a question because they would still ask no matter what you say.

“Yes,” I nodded my head.

“What was the reason you decided to go with Sonia and not me, the one the moon goddess had chosen for you originally?” She asked, and I could feel my bones grow tense. For a while, I had struggled with the motive for my decision and what had informed my choices. We are having this conversation about children, and she brought it up. I could almost see that she saw through my bullshit and why I had been trying to avoid the topic. I let out an exasperated gasp and sighed.

“Tell me, ” She demanded this time.

“I thought about the possibility and likelihood of us having an heir who would carry the legacy. Because of this, I decided to marry someone I was sure I would get an heir from,” I muttered. I could hear my voice grow weak as every word came out of my mouth.

“So, what is the difference now?” She asked again, and I could hear her voice grow angry.

“The last time I disobeyed the instruction of the moon goddess and I married the woman I thought would grant me an heir and look where it landed me to,”

She exhaled and rolled her eyes.

“So you believe that the moon goddess will bring forth a child for us,”

“I don’t know,” I responded honestly.

“And you think that child would be the heir to the throne? You know he can only assume the position of the Alpha if he is a wolf. A deficient can’t be an Alpha,” she expressed, and I glared at her.

“I believe the moon goddess who had chosen you from the starting would be willing also to give us an alpha heir,”

Suddenly, she dropped her fork on the table angrily.

“I dislike the fact that you aren’t facing reality, and you know there is an almost zero percent chance of such a thing happening. Yet, you still insist on being blinded. I will be in the room when you decide to talk in reality.”

She stood up and left, and I hit the table in frustration.

“F**k!!!” I exclaimed.