The Alpha’s Substitute Mate

Isabella

His eyes went wide as he grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me down. I landed hard on my back, and he crawled over me. He cocked his head to one side, studying me intensely with fascination. His heated gaze was almost boring a hole in my soul.

“Bella..” He was gasping for breath, “Stay still. Stay down, please.” I stopped struggling as I realized that he was protecting me with his own body. He tried propping himself on his elbow to take some of his weight off me. ” I messed up…Bella…I was supposed to say sorry.”

There was a terrible rattle in his chest as he struggled with each breath, sweat was dripping down his body and his face was quickly turning a horrible shade of grey.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

” You’re wounded Arden, please we have to find a way to stop the bleeding.” I could feel the warm, wet stickiness of his blood oozing off from him and onto me. I tried to wriggle around so I could apply pressure to the wound but I couldn’t reach the place on his back. Arden only shook his head and stared deep into my eyes. And he reached out and caressed my face with his giant hand. Since I’d known him, this was the gentlest touch he had ever given me. He held onto my face and brushed back the locks of hair in my face. I watched as his eyelashes kept flapping weakly against each other, unable to stay open.

” Please tell.. me.. the truth.. are you truly mated to Malcolm?” He asked in a weak tone. I didn’t miss the emotion that stalked his gaze. His entire emotions were imprinted in his eyes.

Moments ago I had been filled with hatred and rage for him but now as he lay on top of me dying, I couldn’t bring myself to hate or argue with him. He had taken a bullet for me, he deserves all forms of kindness and love at the moment. Maybe it would give him the strength to fight and pull through. ” Yes, he’s my second chance mate.” I felt hot tears coursing down my face.

For the first time ever, a genuine smile spread across his face. I realized with a twinge that I had never seen him smile with bliss. His smiles had always been mean-spirited smirks with evil intent lurking behind his curved lips. But this one moment, there was nothing but joy, and his face was pure and boyish, almost angelic. Even as all the color had drained away and his skin was beginning to look almost limpid.

” I’m so sorry…Bella.. for all I put you through, you’re the best gift the universe blessed me with.. even though I allowed…my pride to get the best of me… I’m happy you’re still in the family and I know Malcolm… will treat you better than I did.” He kissed my forehead and used the tip of his thumb to glaze my lips. ” I love you…Bella..” he said before his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed on top of me.

“Arden! Arden! Arden, no! Hang on! Please wake up! Don’t do this please!” I sobbed. I tried to move him, but I couldn’t get out from under his massive weight. Whatever hatred I had for him for what he did to me melted away immediately. I didn’t want this, I never wanted to see him die. There was an audible gurgle from his chest and then he went still and limp, with his head resting on my shoulder. With horror, I watched as thick and black blood was dripping from his mouth and it was in that fearful moment that I realized something. I couldn’t hear his heartbeat. I lost whatever control I had been holding onto and could do nothing to stop the trembling of my hands and body.

” He can’t die like this, ohh goddess, please,” I whispered to myself as tears flowed freely on my face. I clung to his cold and lifeless body. My body was enveloped by merciless pain. It was as though my soul had vanished from my body.

More shots came from the woods and one of the warriors took a hit in the shoulder. Immediately Malcolm confirmed the assassin’s location, he took off like a tornado straight into the woods. I could not see him from my prone position on the road, but I heard the sound of him crashing through the underbrush, a brief struggle and the woods returned to its eerie silence. My heartbeat spiked up and I had this stabbing feeling of fear, thinking that I had lost Malcolm too. But before I could panic, Sia, my wolf, assured me that our mate was okay.

The few rogues that remained alive seemed to realize that their hunter was dead, and they ran back into the woods from where they came.

Arden’s warriors would have given them a chase, but instead, they circled around us.

Malcolm came running back and knelt down beside us. Bella! Bella!” He was screaming and I could see his hands shaking from fear.

” No… It’s your brother Arden…” I was crying, I couldn’t stop.

He gently rolled off Arden from my body and pressed his fingers into his neck checking for his pulse only to confirm the sad reality of what I already knew in my heart. He was dead.

” Alpha Arden was dead.” Malcolm’s head dropped, his hands held onto the earth and his shoulders drooped. His eyes were a terrifying pair of bloodshot irises.

“No! No!” he screamed and the ground beneath us rocked and trembled angrily. His wolf cry echoed through the trees.

Even though Arden was ruthless and mean to me it never stopped the brotherly bond which he and Malcolm shared.

One of the pack warriors came and put a consoling hand on Malcolm’s shoulder and said quietly,

” He died more honorably than he ever lived, who would believe that Alpha Arden would sacrifice his life to protect the Luna?”