“Oh, okay.” She got up nervously, placing the water on top of the stool next to her, before picking up her bag to follow the receptionist into Mr. Chase’s office.
She took slow steps behind the older woman, each one she took across the passage bringing her closer, making her heart beat faster. Was coming here a mistake? No, at least not to try to save the life of her family, but what about her? Will she be okay after this encounter?
Her mind took a short walk to the day of the rejection then, she’d never felt so much pain in her life as she did that day, after finding out that of all people on the planet, the moon goddess joined her with the alpha of her pack. Jealousy sparked in the hearts of all female night howlers her age as the news somehow travelled far.
“How could the alpha be mated to such a lowly creature?”
“She doesn’t even have a wolf; how do we even know she’s one of us?”
“She could never become Luna, alpha Xander would reject her straight away if he found out about her deficiency.”
She didn’t let those gossips upset her, as after meeting him, if alpha Xander accepted the union and agreed to marry her, their words would be as good as irrelevant. But sadly, they were not. Before she could even get the chance to tell him herself, alpha Xander had already found out about it. It’s been a few years since the rejection, but she never forgot his words, those words that brought so much pain to her heart on the day she first met him.
“I am sorry, but the night howlers cannot have a deficient Luna. You will have to find someone else.”
He didn’t even spare her a glance that day before sending her out, perhaps if he did, he would have seen how much hurt he’d caused her, perhaps he might have changed his mind.
“Miss Sinclair?”
Her mind snapped back to the present as she realized her name had been called a couple of times before she answered.
“Are you okay?” The older woman asked with a concerned look on her face.
“Yes,” Edwina nodded confidently, trying to hide her true emotions. “I’m fine.” She said again.
“Are you sure? You know, we could just reschedule if you’re not feeling up to it.”
“No, don’t!”
She had to do this no matter what. Apart from the fact that she knew what it took her to get here, she could not let her oversensitivity waste the small time that Benedict and Sonia had left.
“Are you sure?” The receptionist asked her again, wanting to be certain before letting her into the large office behind the door in front of them.
“Yes. I am very sure. I would like to meet with Mr. Chase now.”
The older woman nodded and then let her into the office of the CEO of Laurel Wolf Holdings, Inc, one of the world’s former leading real estate companies, which according to news reports, is now on the verge of bankruptcy.
After entering, the door closed behind her as she was left all alone with the blonde-haired man sitting on a wheelchair behind the large desk across the room. His wheelchair backed her as he stared the magnificent view of the city behind his office window, an advantage which the last floor of this high-rise building provided. He looked different since the last time she saw him, maybe its because the rejection came before the battle, when he wasn’t confined to that wheelchair, when he still had everything.
After entering, the door closed behind her as she was left all alone with the blonde-haired man sitting on a wheelchair behind the large desk across the room. His wheelchair backed her as he stared the magnificent view of the city behind his office window, an advantage which the last floor of this high-rise building provided. He looked different since the last time she saw him, maybe its because the rejection came before the battle, when he wasn’t confined to that wheelchair, when he still had everything.
She didn’t know what to do besides watch the back of his head. He must have heard the sound of the door, so why didn’t he turn to face her? She was scared to utter a word, so she just stood there, waiting until he would be ready for her.
It didn’t take long before that happened.
“Miss Sinclair?”
“Y-yes, sir?” She stammered.
“You do not have an appointment prior to this. Who are you and how did you get in here?” He asked her without turning his chair over, still staring into the glass walls in front of him.
She took a deep breath as she remembered the words of his personal assistant, Lucia, who had cautiously warned her not to give her name out as the person who had given her a pass to the administrative floors. Edwina only had her to thank for getting in here. She would not put Lucia in trouble for her kindness.
“I’ll have you know that I do not repeat questions, Miss Sinclair!” The dominant voice rang loud across the room, giving her more shivers. This time, he had turned to face her, and as he stared at her directly, she had to answer quickly.
“I am Edwina Sinclair, sir. Omega Edwina Sinclair- of the night howler pack.”
So, she was one of his wolves. She belonged to his home, she expected his voice to soften upon hearing what she said, she expected him to relax after finding out she was not the enemy, but his voice seemed no different than the last time he spoke.
“You have not answered my second question. How did you get in here?”
Here comes the question she was trying to avoid. How does she answer this now? She looked at him from where she was standing and noticed he was glaring at her, seeming to be annoyed by her silence. She had to say something, anything.
“You can punish me as much as you like after this sir, but please, just hear what I have to say…” She then got on her knees before continuing, a move of hers which seemed to surprise him, “please… I beg you in the goddess’s name. Please, do not kill Benedict and Sonia. I beg of you not to kill them, please sir.”
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 2
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest as she waited for him to say something in response to her pleas. He didn’t, instead he remained in silence, watching her from where he sat. Since he didn’t respond, she couldn’t think of anything else to do besides plead more.
“Please, sire. I beg of you to show mercy to them. Please.”
His next words were disappointing. She should have expected something similar to that, but then she didn’t.
“Get out of my office, Miss Sinclair!”
“Sir, please I…”
“I said, get out!” The tone of his voice increased which made her spring up to her feet immediately. Even while sitting on that wheelchair, even with the fact that she had a capacitated advantage over him, he still scared the hell out of her.
What should she do now? She hadn’t even tried and he’d already given her his answer. Remaining here is dangerous, she could lose her life if she upsets him further, but still her life is nothing, it’s still worth giving it a shot to save her family.
“You might not know me that well sir, but Benedict is my husband and Sonia is my sister. If you kill them, you’re leaving me with nothing. I was already born into this world with nothing, and my family are the only light I have left in this world…”
She stopped because she saw something different in his face. A reaction she’d never seen before, not in the few minutes she’d been standing in front of him. He then softened his tone a little bit.
“Sonia and Benedict are your family. Benedict is your husband. Are you sure about what you just said?”
“Yes sir. I am absolutely sure.”
“Benedict is my second-in-command. I see him almost every day. How come I’ve never seen you both together?”
This is a question she does not like to answer, but given the situation, she has no choice but to reveal some parts of her one-sided marriage to the alpha.
“He doesn’t like to go out with me much sir, but I can assure you that we’ve both been married for years. He means a lot to me sir.”
Xander didn’t ask her any further questions about this. He’d always known that Benedict was married to some wolf in the pack. He’d always assumed Benedict’s reason for not bringing her out or introducing her to anyone was because she was ugly or something, he didn’t expect such a beautiful woman to reveal herself as his former Beta’s wife.
“You’re Ben’s wife, which means that apart from me, you’re the other person who got betrayed. You’re the other one who got hurt so badly, even more than me, because he cheated on you with your sister.”
It was a sad fact, but true. Edwina had cried her eyes out after discovering the truth as to the real reason Benedict married her, which was only to get closer to her sister. Sonia was unattainable, as she was betrothed to the most coveted alpha back then, a form of compensation offered by her family after Xander rejected their other daughter. Benedict never loved her, and neither did alpha Xander. No one did.
He then interrupted her thoughts, “did you not hear what I said?”
“I’m sorry… Yes sir. I got hurt really badly. I don’t know how much it compares to yours, but it was a very painful feeling.”
“So why are you here?”
She rose a brow, “I don’t understand, sir.”
“If you got hurt by what your sister and husband did to you, then why are you here risking your life, pleading for them to released. Do you not wish to see them die for what they did?”
She shook her head immediately, “no sir. I would never wish death on anyone.”
“Not even the ones that hurt you so much? The ones that act as they please without giving a damn as to how it will affect others? You don’t wish death on them? You don’t wish them pain?”
“I don’t sir,” she answered with a bit of confidence for the first time in front of him. “I would never wish death or pain on anyone, no matter what they did to me.”
His voice sounded much calmer this time, even more than before.
“Why?”
“I don’t really know the reason, maybe it’s because I don’t like seeing people get hurt. With all the things that people have done to me before, I know how much pain I felt, I know how much it hurt me, and I would never do it to someone else just so they could feel that same hurt, or even more.”
Her words moved him, she saw it, before he quickly whisked it off and then the cold glare was back on his face.
“Get out of my office, Edwina.” He called her by her name this time, that seemed different, but why his sudden change in demeanor? They were just getting along with a good conversation.
“I will leave, Mr. Chase, but please, I would like to know if you will consider my request to spare their lives.”
“I do not attend to pack matters in my business office. You should not have come here to discuss this at all.”
Edwina knew this well enough before coming here, but it’s not like she had a choice.
“I am sorry sir, the guards didn’t let me into the packhouse to come and see you, that’s why I came here instead.”
“I don’t believe that. Didn’t you mention just now that you’re a night howler?”
“I did sir.”
“So, what’s the reason you were refused entry?”
She sighed; this was the biggest part of her bleak life she would have to reveal to him in order to explain things. Her “deficiency” as everyone called it.
“I do not carry the mark of the night howler, sire.”
She expected for him to demand for more explanations. “How could such a thing be possible?” was a very familiar question she was no stranger to. It wasn’t a long story at all, simply put, she’d been born that way.
Xander didn’t need for more enlightenment before putting two and two together. This time around, he couldn’t hide the expression on his face.
Sinclair. Of course, how could he not have recognized her when she walked in?
“You don’t have a wolf.”
“Yes sir.”
“You’re that female I rejected those years ago, the one whose sister I had to marry instead. You’re my original mate, Edwina Sinclair.”
Sighs, “yes sir. I’m the one.”
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 3
Edwina Sinclair. As the name dawned on him, he tried to recall everything that happened at that time, about five years ago maybe. He doesn’t remember much.
***FLASHBACK. FIVE YEARS AGO***
As an alpha who had just ascended the throne, alpha Xander had been looking forward to meeting his new mate, a lot of night howler families had approached him, offering their daughters hand, but he’d refused, reason being that he prepared to wait for the one the moon goddess had prepared for him. Her name was later revealed in a dream, a direct message from the great goddess herself.
His excitement to meet her was short lived when he’d found out about his supposed mates’ deficiency, this he found out after a visit from her father, John Sinclair. He was in the packhouse courts that day when instead of his mate, her father was the one who answered the call he’d sent in search for her.
“Good day sir,” John bowed upon entering the night howler pack courts where the alpha was seated.
“Good day to you,” Xander replied, wondering where he’d seen this wolf from before, he couldn’t recall summoning him here earlier. “Who are you?” Was the question that followed from the alpha.
“I am John Sinclair sire, a senior Omega of this pack.”
Xander shrugged, “I don’t recall sending for you, John Sinclair.”
“Yes, I know that sir. You did not send for me but my daughter, Edwina Sinclair.”
His ears prickled as he heard the name. That same name the goddess had told him, the name which belonged to the person he’d summoned here. Alpha Xander got to his feet immediately to meet with the man standing in front of him.
“Where is she? Did you bring her along with you? I want to see her now.” John could make out the desperation in his voice as the alpha spoke. Not to worry, he’d come here with a better offer than just ordinary Edwina Sinclair.
“No sir. Unfortunately, I did not.”
Xander wasn’t expecting that response, and you could tell he was far from pleased as he returned to his seat.
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here? Why is this old man standing in my court instead of my mate?”
Officer Provo, one of the guards who had led John in was the next to speak. “He insisted to meet here with you instead of his daughter, sire. He seems to want to make an offer that he claimed you might be interested in.”
“I am not interested in hearing about any offers. I only want to meet my mate. Let him get out and bring Edwina Sinclair for me.”
“Sir, please just hear me out. It would be a failure on my part if I do not reveal the truth about my daughter to you before you meet her. I do not want you getting disappointed then, that’s why I came here.”
This supposed “truth” about Edwina Sinclair seemed to get the alpha’s attention once more, as he turned back to face the old man.
“What are you talking about?” Xander asked him. “What do you mean I’ll get disappointed if I meet her?”
Not wasting time, John went straight to the point. “Edwina has a deficiency sire. She is ordinary. Plain.”
“How could you use such words to describe your own daughter?” Xander asked vexingly.
“I’m sorry sir. Believe me when I say that it hurts more for me to say it like this, but it’s the truth. It’s been the truth ever since her birth. Edwina is one of us, but different. She carries no mark of a night howler. She was born without a wolf.”
John’s words seemed to stir up a lot of attention as suddenly, they began to hear whispers and murmurs in the background in the court from those seated.
“Silence!”
Xander then got up from his seat again to meet with John where he stood.
“That’s impossible. I have never heard of a wolf giving birth to a non-wolf.”
“I also thought it was too sir, until the birth of my second daughter. Not only did she kill her mother, she decided to bring shame and disgrace to my family by being born ordinary. Everyone now thinks that we are cursed because of her.”
“And how do you expect that I won’t think the same thing others are thinking too after hearing this?”
John got on his knees, “please sir. I know you are a wise man. You can seek council from the ancient sages too. There must be something in the books about Edwina’s condition. It might be hereditary or even a curse affecting only her, but I assure you, nothing is wrong with the rest of my family.”
“Why did you come here, John Sinclair? Did you come only to tell me about Edwina’s condition? That I shouldn’t get married to her? How then does that favor you as her father if you let her miss out on a chance to be mated to the alpha?”
“I came here not only to discourage you from marrying Edwina, but also to offer you the hand of someone more befitting. Someone who is free from any such sicknesses and will bring you everlasting happiness.”
“I do not want anyone else apart from the one the goddess has told me to marry. What makes you think I would marry who you want me to?”
“I mean no disrespect to the great mother sir, but I think she might have chosen wrongly this time. Edwina is not worthy at all to be the alpha’s bride.”
“Let me be the one to decide that. Let me meet her first, let her tell me herself about her deficiency, and then let me decide if I will accept her or not. You have no right at all to come in here and offer me someone else!”
“Please sir. I know that what I did was wrong, but it will be worth it once you realize the trouble I saved you from. Edwina would not have even told you the truth. She might have wickedly kept it and let you enter a union with her disabilities.”
“How do you know that? Has she done such a thing before?”
“She is my daughter, sir. I know very well the kind of things she’s capable of.”
“Nonetheless, that does not excuse the fact that you should have let me meet her before coming here to say all this.”
“I apologize once again sir, and of course you will meet Edwina after this but please, consider what I said, and also consider the offer I give you to marry my first daughter, Sonia instead. She will make a much finer bride and you will have no fears of your cubs inheriting any such deficiencies. Imagine if you’d marry Edwina, and it turns out that the heir to this seat does not carry the mark of his pack. What would happen then?”
A gasp was heard amongst those seated in the court as the conversation between John and Xander continued. The old man was taking a wrong approach with his actions, but he was making a valid point.
“It took a moment for Xander to see reason before he shook his head, “Enough of this. Please, get out of my court, John Sinclair, and bring Edwina for me.”
John got up from his knees before exiting as he spoke, “your wish is my command, sir. I will send Edwina here right away as I have done my part in letting you know what you’re getting into. It is now left for you to decide the best course that will favor your people in the future.”
***END OF FLASHBACK***
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 4
His mind seeped back to the present as he saw his mate, the one he’d longed for that time, the one he’d sadly had to reject to marry her sister. Edwina Sinclair in his office.
He wondered how things would have turned out if he’d chosen to ignore the words of the pack’s circle, if he’d chosen to ignore the words of John Sinclair and just follow his heart instead. Perhaps he wouldn’t have had so much regret. John’s so-called befitting Luna not only hurt him, but had to humiliate him in front of the whole pack, giving his disability and insolvency as an excuse for her foolish pursuits with his beta.
He wasn’t in the marriage for love or anything of the sort, he’d always put his people first in all of his decisions and that’s why he’d taken Sonia instead of her sister. All he wanted was a Luna without any shortcomings, but at the end, he got the worst form of betrayal in a dish served cold.
Sonia was more than happy to take the place of her sister and become Luna. They both had a happy marriage until the worst tragedy befell the pack.
One day, their greatest enemy, the sizzlers attacked with full force that the night howlers never expected, leading them to almost lose everything, but for the inner strength of the pack and the mighty resistance from their best soldiers. Their pack was saved and the remaining sizzlers retreated, but all didn’t end well. Not only did a great number of night howler soldiers die, but the great alpha Alexander lost his ability to walk in battle, leaving him confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
He saw his wife’s true colors after this time, as Sonia never failed to hide her despite for him. Xander needed help with a lot of things after the accident, especially feeding and clothing, but not only did Sonia spit at his face when he asked for help, she also swore never to lift a finger for him. He didn’t retaliate to any of her nasty behaviors, he chose not to all those times, but there’s always a limit to how much one can take. Sonia not only hurt his pride deeply as an alpha, but still chose to cross the line by pursuing affairs with his beta, one of his most trusted followers.
The lies, the betrayal, the hurt, they all came from the ones he trusted the most, they all came at his lowest point in life.
“Sir?”
“He rose his head to meet her gaze. She was still standing in front of him in his office. He looked at her deeply this time, her auburn eyes, her dark brown hair, her body, she was so beautiful.”
Edwina had started getting impatient standing there, watching him. What was he thinking about and why hadn’t he said anything for so long?
“Sir?” She called again.
“Yes, Edwina Sinclair. So, you were the one. It took so long for me to recognize you.”
Of course, he would have had difficulty marking out her face, as they had only met once in the past.
“I understand sir, an alpha is so busy with a lot of things. I didn’t expect you to recognize someone like me at all.”
“What happened? You disappeared after that time. I married your sister, and I never even saw you once since after the rejection.”
“I hardly come out much sir, my abilities are limited.”
“So, you went on to marry Benedict, and now here we are, two victims of heartbreak and betrayal. He and your sister sure did a fine job of making a big joke of us.”
“I am sure that if Ben and Sonia knew how much their actions would hurt us, they wouldn’t have done what they did, sir.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just know, sir.”
He sighed, “hmmm. You seem to have a good heart, Miss Sinclair. Maybe things would have turned out better if I’d chosen you instead.”
Edwina didn’t expect those words, she didn’t know how to respond, “I’m…”
“You’re what?”
“I’m sure you did what you thought was best then sir, you are a great alpha, and your people always respect your decisions.”
“Not this one. Marrying your sister is one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made.”
“I am sorry that things didn’t turn out the way you wished for, sir.” She bowed. “We can only hope for better things in the future.”
This is the first time that Xander is getting to meet Edwina Sinclair through the way she speaks, as the people surrounding them both didn’t make room for that five years ago. Some part of him wants to see more, but he doesn’t know if he should take that path yet. She seems very different from how her father described her that time. In fact, she does not seem that bad at all.
“Miss Sinclair?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Thank you very much for your time. I must admit I enjoyed this talk with you. You may leave my office now if there’s nothing left for you to say.”
“But sir…”
“Yes?”
“What about my request to overturn the judgment you made on Ben and my sister? Are you not going to give me a final answer?”
“You’ve heard what I said before, Miss Sinclair. I don’t not attend to wolf pack matters in my business office. There are humans everywhere, you know.”
“I’m sorry for coming here sir, but please understand why I…”
“I understand perfectly well. You said the guards won’t let you in because of your deficiency, but that’s none of my concern. You found a way to sneak in here with all the tight security, you can apply that same smartness when you get to night howler territory.”
Those words of his. How can someone switch from warm to cold all of a sudden?
She watched as he picked up the wired telephone on his desk and dialed a number, after which he began speaking to someone on the other end.
“Security? Yes, send someone up to escort Miss Sinclair out of this building immediately.”
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 5
Edwina had this disappointed feeling in her heart as she was led out of Mr. Chase’s office, through the floor halls, down the elevator and the ground floor reception which led out of the tall company high-rise building. It was right in the middle of the Danbury city, one of the human territories which mostly had buildings belonging to some night howlers.
As she began her walk down the street, her heart told her not to lost hope yet, as the alpha hadn’t given his final answer, she would just have to find a way to meet him in the pack house.
“Edwina!!! Hello! Edwina!!!!”
She’d been hearing someone call her name from behind as she walked, but was too absent minded to notice. Her attention was finally gotten when she felt a hand touch her shoulder from the back.
“Edwina.”
She turned to see it was the receptionist from the office. The older lady then stopped to catch her breath as she appeared exhausted having chased Edwina all the way here.
“I’m sorry,” Edwina apologized. I couldn’t hear you calling from all the cars and street noise.”
“Understood. I’m just glad you hadn’t gone too far before I caught up.”
“Yes, is there a problem perhaps? Did I forget something?”
“No, you didn’t. I only came here to ask how the talk with the boss went.”
Edwina stared at her strangely, wondering if that was all this human worker came all the way down here for, but then she quickly brushed it off to answer her.
“It wasn’t so bad. We spoke for a while before he sent me out.”
She nodded, “I’m glad to hear that. I’m Chloe by the way.”
“Ok. Thank you so much for your help today, Chloe.”
“My pleasure. So where are you headed now?”
“Back home. It’s just a few bus stops from here.”
“A few bus stops huh? Let me call a taxi for you then.”
“No. It’s okay. You don’t have to. I was just headed to go and take the bus.”
“I’ll take care of everything dear. You don’t have to worry about that. I think a taxi will be much more convenient for you.”
Since Chloe insisted, Edwina had no choice but to agree. A few moments later, she was waving goodbye to her from behind the vehicle window before it drove off to her destination.
**********
Edwina’s new apartment was in the same city as Laurel Wolf Holdings, a bit far from wolf territory. She’s always wanted to live amongst the humans where is she free from judgement, so she grabbed the chance a few days ago after Ben’s arrest, as she needed a temporary environment to recover emotionally from all that had happened.
Her stomach growled then as she realized she hadn’t had any lunch. She didn’t have much in her fridge except from some leftover slices of pizza and some juice. That will have to do, Edwina said to herself as she turned on the microwave to heat her meal.
Soon after she was done eating, she began to prepare for her new job at the supermarket close by. Edwina would be starting today with the evening shift, as she didn’t know how long she’ll be staying in this new town, she needed a way to keep up with the expenses.
Edwina checked the time after sorting out her clothes. It was 15:38, meaning she only had a few hours left till work time. It wouldn’t hurt to just lay her head down for just a few moments, she thought as she noticed her sleepiness then after yawning.
As she placed her head on her pillow, she thought of the conversation that had gone on today between her and the boss. Mr. Chase. It didn’t go as badly as she’d expected. In fact, she’d expected to have been kicked out of that building differently. She was used to being treated harshly, but Mr. Chase, he seemed to somehow sympathize with her today, maybe it’s because he felt the same hurt she was feeling. He knew how hard things would be for her at this time, they truly were, but she had to strengthen her heart. She’s always had to whenever facing challenges, it’s the only reason she’s come this far.
Except for making him lose his ability to walk, the accident didn’t change him that much. He was still as handsome as before; he still had those eyes that could make any woman melt. He still had his good looks and perfect physique. So sad that his condition made other female night howlers lose interest, as the separation from his wife would have made them all get in line just to please him, but now no one wants to please a disabled man who has nearly lost all his wealth.
Yawns…
She’s feeling sleepy. Enough thinking about Mr. Chase, Edwina thought as she closed her eyes for a quick rest.
**********
19:38
Shit!!!!
She was supposed to be at work thirty minutes ago. How could she have slept so deeply?
Edwina hurriedly got up from the bed and threw her clothes on. She didn’t even take the time to shower or anything before grabbing her bag and keys, locking her apartment door and rushing to her workplace. Her new boss, Victor had already warned her about his intolerance for lateness. Now thanks to her sleepyhead, she’s already made a great first impression.
But then, she met something surprising upon getting to her workplace. The same taxi driver that Chloe had called for her earlier was speaking to Victor in front of the mart. As she headed closer, he spotted her and then handed her boss a white envelope containing only God knows what.
“Good evening Mr. Victor. I’m sorry I’m late. I got caught up in some matters this afternoon,” she tried explaining as she walked up to him, but surprisingly, Victor wasn’t mad at all.
“That’s okay, Edwina, and please you can just call me Victor.”
“Okay,” she answered before turning to the taxi driver, her eyes requesting explanation.
“This is Charlie,” Victor said, introducing him. “He came here to take permission on your behalf as it appears you are supposed to be somewhere else this evening.”
“Somewhere else?” She shook her head. “No. I have no other plans for tonight besides working here.”
Charlie was the next to speak, “Miss Sinclair. I apologize for coming here in this manner but I understood you had to be here. I didn’t want to put your job at risk so I had to come here first to take permission for you to be excused.”
“Permission? Excused? I don’t understand. What could I possibly need to be excused for? I’m here to work and I have no other plans for tonight besides being here.” She stated.
“Yes, you do ma’am. You’ve been summoned.”
She rose a brow. “Summoned? By who? To where?”
“Alpha Alexander. To the Night Howler pack house. He wants to meet you this evening.”
