Mating the Female Alpha
Chapter 38 – Replaced by my brother

Bernice

I thought there would be more of an argument, but Landry just got really quiet. He's processing my request to return home. With the assassin still out there, I know that's not something he wanted to do. But with the look on my face, he knew how serious I am.

"It's dangerous," he says, staring around my face. "That assassin could find you..."

"I'll be safer anywhere else other than here," I say to him, narrowing my eyes. I know I'm acting terribly toward him, but I can't help it. I'm just so furious and hurt by his actions. I'm hurt that he hid this from his fighters. I'm hurt that he hid this from me.

It was a feeling I wasn't used to; I was used to those around me disappointing me, but I wasn't used to Landry disappointing me. This feels oddly different. It feels unsettling and I can't help the pain in my heart. He sighs and backs away from me; the argument ended there. He watches as I finish packing my belongings and I leave the palace.

It doesn't take long before I return to my home. I don't bother knocking, which surprises my father. He seems shocked to find me standing before him. I imagined he would have been surprised because I told Landry to tell him that I was being sent away. I'm sure he expected I was going to die while I was away.

"Bernice?" My father asks, raising his brows as I enter their living room. My stepmother stands from the couch and narrows her eyes at me; she is also shocked. "I wasn't expecting you to return. Why are you here?"

He doesn't sound pleased to see me.

"I've come home," I answer, staring between the two of them.

My brother comes into the room shortly after and stops when he sees me standing there. He gasps and I can see the smile tugging at his lips. I know out of everybody he would be the one to be happy about my return. But because he had to stand by my parent's side, he also had to hide his eagerness.

"You've come back!" He says a little too loudly. His face falls when he sees the expression my father gave him. "I mean..." his words trail off as he clears his throat.

"Why are you here?" My stepmother asks, her tone hard and unnerving.

I swallow the lump that forms in my throat and stares between my family.

"Because I've been away for too long," I answer. "It's my duty to serve and protect our pack..."

"Not anymore it's not," my father says, interrupting my words. I frown at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Don't tell me the alpha king didn't tell you," my stepmother says with an eye roll.

I'm unsure of what they are talking about. They both look at one another before glancing down at my brother who straightens his stance and gives me a broad grin. Soon, realization is dawning on me. My brother is only 15, but soon, he will be 16. Which is the rightful age to become the alpha of the pack. They must have made some arrangements to make it so he can be the alpha a little earlier than planned.

I knew it was only a matter of time before they replaced me. My life never truly mattered. I was and always will be nothing more than a placeholder. I played the role of Alpha until my brother was old enough to take over.

I no longer had a home here and this is their way of telling me just that. They must have told Landry this information when he reached out to them about sending me away. But why wouldn't he tell me? Was he trying to spare my feelings? Maybe that's also why he didn't put up much of an argument when I insisted on returning home. Because he knew without an actual home, that I would be back.

I take an unsteady step away from them and toward the door.

"You're no longer needed here," my father says, his voice has gone cold, and it sends a chill down my spine. "Leave."

I choke back the tears that desperately wanted to escape from my eyes, but I don't allow them to. I wasn't allowing my family to see me weak. I press my lips in a firm line and turn away from them. Without saying anything more, I leave the house, slamming the door behind me.

...

Landry

Once Bernice returns to her home, she's going to realize that she isn't needed or wanted there. Landry knows Bernice's family well enough now that he knows that they will turn her away as soon as she appears on their doorstep. It wasn't how he wanted Bernice to find out that the new alpha of the Sunset Pack is her brother and that she's been replaced. But it was necessary so Bernice will realize she has nowhere else to go other than the palace.

He can't get the look she gave him out of his mind though. She was so hurt and upset about the information she found out. He hated that he had hurt he and betrayed her trust. But he was doing this to keep his sister's secret. But maybe even that wasn't worth ruining what he has with Bernice.

It's been hours since Bernice left the palace and he's starting to get nervous. It wouldn't take long before her family turned her away, so why was it taking so long? He decides to mindlink her father, but his heart nearly fell into his stomach when her father explained that Bernice had left over an hour ago.

"We turned her away, Alpha King. I thought she was going to die in battle. She has no home here anymore."

His voice was hard and cold. It was driving Landry mad. He wants to punch her father in the face without remorse. That's all Landry needs to hear before he disconnects the mindlink. Bernice was turned away by her family and she hasn't returned to the palace yet. That meant she must have run away.

"What do you mean she ran away?" Jessie asks with wide eyes. Landry just finished explaining to her what had happened and now Jessie is panicking. "We need to go find her right away. You need to tell her the truth." "You didn't want anyone knowing about the illness. So, I kept that information from her."

"Denise is different," Jessie says, brushing her hair out of her face with her fingers. "It's okay to tell her that I almost died from a foreign disease. As long as she doesn't hate you for the raid. You were only trying to help me. She needs to understand that. You need to tell her, Landry. Right now!"

She grabs Landry's hands and pulls him toward the door; she was acting frantically and wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Slow down; I don't even know where she is. She could be anywhere," Landry reminds her.

She pauses for a moment and glares at him.

"You're the alpha king. Figure it out," she says in return, folding her arms across her chest. "Now go!"

Landry nodded and didn't argue anymore.

He took off from the palace and toward the forest. He smelled the air and could smell the soft scent of strawberry milk. She's nearby. He can also feel her sadness.