The Alpha’s Substitute Mate

Isabella

I walked down to where Queen Selena and her husband King Leonard were braced behind a chair. I approached them slowly.

“Mum,” I said to her, taking her shaking hands in my own. ” I love you. You’ve been like a second mum to me since I joined the pack. You have always been there for me. I’ll miss you, Mum but I think now we can meet frequently without all the secrecy.”

“What? What are you talking about Bella?” You want to leave? You still want to leave us? But why? You can’t leave! Not after what had happened! You have to stay! What about Malcolm? What will become of him? He is the next Alpha of our pack and he needs a Luna beside him.

You have to stay Isabella, Queen Selena said desperately while sobbing.

Maybe it was unfair of me to lay this on her son’s funeral but it needed to be said and it needed to be said now, because I planned to leave today. ” My heart is okay Mum, I’ve forgiven my father and sisters, I’ve forgiven you and Dad. I’ve forgiven Arden.” I took a deep breath, I’ve even forgiven myself. We all thought we were doing the right thing at the time, thinking it was the best we could do. I love you all and I’ll be in touch soon.” I leaned down and kissed her forehead and turned to go.

My way was immediately blocked by Malcolm’s body. His eyes were dark, shocked, and hurt. ” You are leaving?” He gulped. ” You won’t stay…. not even for me? Not even for what we shared together?” He said, with his voice crippled with pain.

I could feel the sadness and fear emitting from him and it made tears roll down.

I gave him a sad smile through my tears, I couldn’t stop the tears that rushed down my cheeks. ” I understand you have responsibilities here, Mal. I love you, but I can’t stay here. This place will never be my home.” There was too much I couldn’t explain to him, not here, not now, not standing in front of the casket of his dead brother.

I couldn’t explain to him that this house was full of bad memories for me. I couldn’t explain to him that I had struggled to start my own life, a life that I controlled and I wasn’t willing to walk away from that. His loyalty and duty belonged to the Blood Moon Pack and my loyalty and duty belonged to my little pack of friends who had risked everything to run away with me. My hand went up to his face, to pull back the strand of hair that covered his face and his body was hot, and as my hand fell on his cheek. He released some air from his lips and I moved closer and placed a kiss on his forehead. “If you need me, you know where to find me.” I stepped around him and walked out of the hall alone. I wasn’t going to stick around for the service or the funeral reception. I didn’t want to sit and eat food and pretend to celebrate Arden’s life with his pack. All I wanted at the moment was to leave this pack and the memory that comes with it.

I dragged myself up to my room and took out my suitcase. This time I could pack properly and leave with dignity. I folded my clothes neatly and placed them in the luggage, along with other small things I’d left behind. When I was done, I wheeled the bags out of the hallway and closed the door to the guest room for the last time. I felt no sadness in leaving, no remorse in my decision.

I’d tried my best to make things work with Arden, but I have never been truly happy here. This was never a home to me.

I wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to negotiate three flights of stairs with two suitcases, but I squared my shoulders and headed that way. I thought I might need to drag one down, and then climb back up to take the second one. I would have called for help but the house was empty, and the whole pack had gone down to the meeting hall. But before I stepped onto the first stair, the handle was pulled out of my grip.

Lance was there, “Are you ready Luna?”

I swallowed, looking into his handsome, haggard face. “Lance.. don’t you need to stay here with your family?”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

” Bella, you’re my family. Violet is my mate. We’re all family. Let’s go home.” He glanced at the stairs. “And we’re taking the elevator down before you break your legs.”

I felt my heart swell up in my chest. His words warmed my heart and I couldn’t bear the happiness that bubbled inside me. I threw my arms around Lance’s girth and hugged him with all my strength. Words choked in my throat as I wanted to tell him how much I loved him as a brother and how much I depended on him as a beta of our little pack… But the words wouldn’t come out.

” Don’t worry Luna,” he mumbled into my hair, ” I always got your back.”

We got downstairs and I noticed that Lance parked his car towards the patio and the inside was filled with his boxes and a few of Violet’s belongings.

The whole pack was occupied with the funeral and no one paid attention to the two of us packing up and preparing to leave. I kept expecting Malcolm to come out and say goodbye but he never appeared.

I sighed and could only accept that it was what it was, I knew I had hurt him by refusing to stay.

I hated the feeling of loneliness in the corners of my mind. And I couldn’t stop the hot tears that escaped my eyes, one thing is certain life would be lonely and boring without Malcolm Vinci.