The Alpha Prince And His Bride
Book 2 The Alpha’s Forbidden Bride – Episode 18

“You can’t be serious?” Austin and I asked at the same time. I took one look at the unusual grim expression on Lucas’s face and knew that I had to put a stop to this nonsense even before it started.

I should have expected something like this from the leader of The Blackners. I’d heard enough about Gideon Blackner to know how heartless he was when it came to mates. The stories of these men were endless and if I’d taken an interest to it in the past, maybe I would have been more prepared for a situation such as this one. There must be someone else willing to marry his daughter, anyone but Lucas!

I tried to remain calm but it was hard to do under these conditions. I needed to remind myself that we were still in their kingdom, where they would have the upper hand.

“He still has his mate to find, what if she comes along and he’s marrying your daughter?” I demanded as anger took the place of all my other emotions. If I allowed this to happen, then it would be no different than the problem that we were already facing right now. Two wrongs didn’t make a right.

Gideon shrugged his shoulders and arched a brow. “That really isn’t my problem, is it?” he asked. “You came to me for help and I’m offering the help to you but only on these conditions. If you ask me, I’m doing him a favor. I mean look at the mess having a mate has caused you and your brother.”

His words only confirmed how he felt about anyone having mates. No wonder he wanted Lucas for his daughter. He was trying his best to make sure that she ended up with someone that wasn’t her own mate. If that was the case, maybe he already knew something that none of us did.

Had the girl found her mate already? Something told me that he was desperate to find someone to tie her down with.

Austin looked my way and I knew that he was thinking the same thing that I was. I couldn’t ask my brother to make such a huge sacrifice for me.

Coming here was a mistake, his request was simply insane. I couldn’t let Lucas lose his mate in order for me to get mine.

“This is bull—,”

“I’ll do it.” Lucas said, cutting me of.

I turned to him with widened eyes. I couldn’t believe he’d just agreed to something like that without talking to us first. This wasn’t a game, this was a big sacrifice, something that even I wouldn’t be able to do.

Gideon tapped him on his back with a wide smile. “I knew that you were a smart one from the moment that I saw you.”

“No.” I cut in, my voice stern. “You will not sacrifice your life for mine.”

Lucas arched a brow. “We don’t know if I’ll ever find my mate. But you already have yours. Let me do this for you brother.”

Even though he tried to hide his pain from us, I could still see straight through the pretense. This was a difficult decision for him and he was doing it only because of me.

Austin placed his hand on my shoulder and held my gaze. “Let him do this, whatever comes after, we will deal with it together.”

Arthur walked in just then, his eyes narrowed as he took in the scene in front of him. “What did I miss?”

His brothers all looked down at his question. I guess no one was willing to tell him that his father was looking for a woman to have his child.

That wasn’t my problem. I had more things on my back now. I’ll have to live with the fact that my brother gave up his mate so that I could be with mine.

I didn’t want that kind of weight on my shoulders. I closed my eyes and thought of Eden’s innocent eyes. As her face flashed before my mind, my hands tightened into fists at my sides.

I came here for her and I didn’t want to leave without the assurance that I would be able to finally make her mine. But I never once thought that my brother would have to make a sacrifice for me, I was willing to sacrifice something . . .Anything but not my brother.

“Do we have a deal?” Gideon asked, growing impatient.

Lucas nodded in my direction, encouraging me to say yes. I shook my head at my brother, I couldn’t do this to him.

“It’s not your decision to make James.” He insisted as he took Gideon’s outstretched hand in his. “We have a deal.” He confirmed as they shook hands.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you,” Gideon said. “Now, the girl. I want her information before the end of this week. When you have it, send all of her information to me and I’ll supply my end of the deal.”

A week was not enough time to find a woman with the qualities that he wanted. That was another request that I didn’t want to fulfill. How could we give a girl to them? We had no idea how they would treat her after they took her in. I wanted to slam my head against the wall, these people were sick. I would never be able to forgive myself for this. It truly was like making a deal with the devil.

“Also,” he continued. “We will want Lucas back here by the end of the month. There is much to discuss about the wedding.”

I squeezed my temples; things were becoming worse by the second. My mind was racing with ways to somehow get Lucas out of this mess while also getting Eden away from the council.

“Well, it’s official now.” Gideon said when no one objected to his previous words. “Once you find the girl for me, I’ll send my sons along with some of my best fighters to aid you in your fight against the council and Hunter.”

Lucas reached forward and shook his hand once more. “Deal.”

“There is something that you must know. When I enter into a business deal with someone, it mustn’t be broken. Or I’ll see to it that everyone you care about suffers.” He threatened. In a matter of a split second, his entire demeanor changed to a ferocious beast.

So this was a glimpse of the real Gideon Blackner. He’d been keeping this side from us, was this how he treated all of his opponents?

“Well, that’s all for now.” He said in dismissal. Once more, his entire demeanor changed within a split second as his calm and carefree manner took the place of his seriousness. “If you men want to stay a while, you could—,”

He paused when a woman walked in with drinks in her hand. She had long black hair and green eyes similar to that of some of the men in the room.

“Men, meet my daughter Freya.” He introduced her. “Your brother’s future wife.”

The girl’s eyes widened in horror at her father’s words. The drinks slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor. She looked from her father to the broken glass in the ground.

“I-I’m sorry, father.” She apologized.

“Come here,” he told her. “A maid can see about that later.”

The girl did as her father said and stood by his side. Her gaze went from Austin to Lucas and there was a hint of fear buried deep in her eyes as she studied him.

“Shake hands, you two.” Gideon encouraged. “You must grow to get accustomed to each other.”

Lucas looked uncomfortable as he shook her hand. It was safe to say that neither one of them were happy with the wedding.

“Are you sure that you want an outsider as her husband?” Arthur asked, clearly not happy about this either.

For once, I wanted a Blackner to keep on talking. If he could persuade his father that this was a bad idea, then maybe he would let Lucas go.

Gideon didn’t look happy with his son’s question. The glare that was sent his way was enough of an answer. No one, not his daughter, not his other sons, absolutely no one had anything else to say after that. It was quite obvious that they all feared the man, or maybe it was out of respect. I didn’t know much about their relationship and honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if Lucas wasn’t getting involved in this mess.

I was about to say something when the sound of a woman screaming someone’s name caught my attention. The Blackners all looked at each other with a knowing look. Whatever it was, they seemed to be used to it.

“That’s Avery for sure,” one of Gideon’s other son said. “I think she’s giving her trainer some trouble again.”

As soon as he said those words, a girl came skating in with something like modernized white roller skates attached to her feet. Lucas reached forward and pulled her into his arms, preventing her from crashing into the glass wall. The girl’s long blond hair was flowing all around her as my brother grabbed onto the desk behind of him in order to regain his balance. Other than the sound of the desk scraping against the floor as Lucas pressed down more onto it, there was complete silence as everyone watched the exchange between them.

“Careful there,” Lucas said with a grin. “That looked like fun.” He admitted as he smiled down at her face that was still covered with her hair. She made a small embarrassed laugh as he slowly let go of her.

She turned to hold onto the desk as well before moving the hair from in front of her face.

“Thank yo-,” her voice trailed off as her eyes fell on Lucas for the first time. Her lips parted and even Lucas looked completely dumbstruck as he took in her features. More silence thickened the air as Gideon’s mouth tightened into a thin line.

Something wasn’t right here. . .

“Avery!” Gideon shouted, catching her attention. “How many times do I tell you about these stupid activities that mess up all of my business meetings.”

She looked startled by her father’s outburst as her grip on the desk tightened.

“I’m sorry father,” she apologized. “It won’t happen again.”

He sighed. “This is Austin, James and Lucas. . . Freya’s future husband.”

The girl’s face fell at her father’s words.

“Freya’s future husband?” she whispered as her eyes went from her sister to Lucas.

“Yes!” Gideon roared. “Now, leave before you cause any more trouble.”

“I’m sorry father.” She apologized as she exited the room.

A chill silence settled over the room as we all watched her go.

“I’m sorry but I’ll have to cut this meeting short.” Gideon said as he turned to us. “My sons will show you out.”

He grabbed Freya by her hand and followed after his other daughter with a determined look on his face. I almost felt sorry for the girl; she just seemed to be having a little bit of fun. I didn’t see any harm in that.

“Did anything about that seem weird to you?” Austin asked as the men walked us out of the building. They were to the front of us, each of them discussing what had just happened.

I turned to Lucas, he was unusually quiet.

“I’m sorry Lucas,” I apologized. “This is entirely my fault, I dragged you into my mess when that’s the last thing I ever wanted to do.”

“I think. . .” he paused. “I think Avery is my mate.”

Austin and I turned to look at him in disbelief.

Had we just heard correctly? Avery Blackner was his mate?

You have to be shitting kidding me!