The Alpha Prince And His Bride
Book 3 The Alpha’s Substitute Bride – Episode 40

~ISABELLA~

My eyes were closed and every single part of me clung to Hunter like glue. I felt my body begin to accept him and our joining was so powerful that I’d forgotten about everything and everyone around us. My heart couldn’t stop pounding in my chest and Hunter’s teeth were sinking deeper into my neck. However I felt absolutely no pain, instead it was only pleasure mixed with my need to soak up even more than he had to offer to me. I didn’t understand my body, it always craved Hunter and when it finally had him it always wanted more than he was giving.

At first I couldn’t believe any of this. At first it was a shock to me that Hunter was even here. When Maggie had walked in, I’d looked everywhere for him. It was not easy seeing her in the crowd right in front of me while I was getting married to someone that wasn’t Hunter. It was even more painful to know that she had the man I wanted more than anything. The look she had given me didn’t help to ease that pain, she’d known that I was very unhappy and she wanted to rub that in my face. I was sure that was the reason she’d even come to the wedding. She had wanted to see me miserable and she almost got to see just that. I was on the verge of breaking down when it finally dawned on me that I would eventually belong to someone that I didn’t love.

And then when I thought that my life was over, just when I thought that I would never be happy for the rest of my life; Hunter rushed in and stole the spotlight. He’d brought all of the attention upon himself when he’d attacked Alpha Jerome. He’d done it so perfectly and easily that proved to everyone how powerful he actually was. My mate was so powerful that he’d shaken up the entire council just for me. I’d never seen anyone do something like that before. He was insane to attack them during an occasion like this but it only showed just how much I mattered to him.

I didn’t expect him to come to me. I didn’t expect him to break up this wedding for me. He’d threatened to do so but I’d thought that he’d said those things in the heat of the moment.

And now his mouth was on my neck. His teeth were deep in my skin and my body was tingling everywhere. I felt like I’d just been drugged but this drug was unlike anything anyone had ever possessed, it was the most beautiful feeling in this entire universe and if anyone could feel what I was feeling right now, they would kill for it. I wanted to scream with immeasurable joy. I felt my body glowing from the inside and my hands reached up to Hunter’s head and pulled him tighter against me. I didn’t want this moment to end; in fact I could stay like this forever.

I knew that many eyes were on us but I didn’t care about any of that. All I cared about was the man laying full claim to me.

This was what I’d wanted all along. I’d wanted Hunter to choose me and to do it on his own will. I didn’t want to force him into it; I’d wanted him to know that I was the one he wanted to be with and no one else.

I still felt like this was all a dream and I was scared that I would eventually wake up and the dream would disappear. And then Hunter lifted his head and a loud roar escaped his mouth. No sooner had he made the sound did multiple howls erupt all around the council. I recognized it immediately as his pack celebrating with him, they were accepting me as their Luna and I felt joy at that fact. Hunter’s pack had accepted me as their own and I could see the happiness and pride in his eyes as he gazed at me lovingly.

He gently cupped my cheeks in his hands. In front of everyone he dipped his head and sealed our mating with a deep k**s. I m****d and clung to him as much as I could.

And then there was another loud roar that completely shattered our special moment. Before I even had time to figure out what was happening and who’d just roared; Hunter was rudely shoved away from me.

I watched in horror as he fell backwards with Jerome on top of him.

“What the hell is this?” He roared. “How dare you disrespect me and mark the woman I was supposed to marry? I will make you pay Hunter! You’re a dead man!”

Hunter looked up at me and winked . . . actually winked. I’d never seen him do anything like that and I was shocked for a good few seconds. I was quickly pounded back into reality when Jerome punched him in the face.

Hunter growled and tackled him to the ground. I didn’t know what to do; I wasn’t sure how to react to any of this. Everything was happening so fast that my mind was taking its dead time to wrap itself around it.

There was chaos all around us now. People were screaming and shouting as Hunter slammed him back into the crowd. Everyone were scattering and trying to get as far away from the fight as possible.

It was hardly a fight for Hunter however, Jerome was not as strong as him and it showed. It was only a few minutes into the fight when the Alpha was knocked out cold on the ground. However, soon after his pack barged in for revenge but they didn’t have a chance since Hunter’s men barged in the same time. After seeing that they were outnumbered they all surrendered and took their unconscious Alpha out of the ballroom.

“HOW COULD YOU!” A scream erupted from the crowd.

Hunter froze and his eyes fell to the crowd in shock. I saw the way his body immediately tensed as his eyes settled on something. I followed his gaze and saw what it was or rather who . . . Maggie. She was looking at him as though he’d betrayed her and for once the emotion on her face looked raw. She was actually hurt this time and I honestly couldn’t feel even a little bit sorry for her. My focus was only on Hunter and I was scared at what he was about to do now that he’d realized that she had seen everything between us.

I felt a sudden sink in my heart as he made an attempt to go to her. What was he going to do? He’d just marked me. Would he still keep her around after admitting that I was the woman he wanted to spend his life with?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~MAGGIE~

I couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes. Hunter actually mated with her?

How?

We were mates! How could this happen? When did she become his mate? My mind was racing with this new turn of events and I felt like I was about to lose my mind. I should have realized this a lot sooner, how did I miss it? How did I not see that Isabella was his second chance mate? But how?

I couldn’t pay attention to anything else happening around me. People were screaming and there was fighting as well but that was not my main area of concern. All I could see was Hunter mating Isabella. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

How did I not realize that our bond had been broken? I was so busy getting revenge that I hadn’t realized that Isabella had somehow replaced me. It all made sense now. It was why he no longer worshipped the ground I walked on. He was already gifted another mate and whatever he felt for me now must have been guilt from what had happened between us in the past.

But why did I feel like someone had broken my heart into a million pieces? If our bond was broken, I shouldn’t be able to feel anything. Did I somehow develop some sort of feelings for him in all of these years? Just the thought of it made me feel sick to my stomach.

“HOW COULD YOU!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I was surprised by my outburst but I couldn’t control myself. I felt so much pain and anger and I needed to direct it at someone and why not at the person who’d caused all of this in the first place!

Hunter turned and saw me in the crowd. I saw the shock and guilt on his face. Serves him right! He should feel guilty after doing this and embarrassing me in front of so many people!

I could feel eyes on me from all directions. What would people think about me now? I literally had to witness my husband mark another woman! I could already see all of the pitiful looks sent my way. Just a few minutes ago those pitiful looks were directed at Isabella. How did this even happen?

Hunter paused right in front of me and I could tell that he wasn’t sure what to say to me.

“I didn’t want you to have to find out like this.” He said. “I don’t know when it happened but I fell in love with Isabella, I can’t live without her. I’m sorry Maggie but she’s the only woman for me. I can’t have any other woman in my life but her . . .”

“STOP IT!” I screamed. “You can’t do this to me Hunter. You can’t leave me like this!”

“Maggie-.”

I didn’t wait for him to continue; instead I stormed out of the council with only one thing on my mind. Hunter actually thought that he could embarrass me like that and get away with it? He was about to be hit with something so hard that he will never be able to bounce back from it. My focus was never on Isabella but now that they were mated, he would literally die if anything ever happened to her.

Should I do to her the same thing I did to myself? Should I make it look like someone murdered her so that Hunter could suffer?

Then a few years later I could show him that she was indeed alive and make it look like she’d left him for someone else.

I shook my head at the thought of it. I wasn’t too pleased with this idea.

I did that already, and I wanted to try something new. I smiled as a new idea entered my head. Why hadn’t I thought about this sooner?

How would Hunter like it if the love his life, Isabella Cross tried to kill him?

I needed a powerful witch, someone that could control Isabella and force her to kill Hunter. I wanted to scream with excitement.

It would be a tragic ending for the both of them.