Sins Among Royals
Chapter 7

Noah didn’t expect to replace his mate so soon, not after the last fiasco of the woman he thought he was destined to be with ended in such dramatic fashion. He’d tried his best to forgive what she had done, but he had never taken kindly to anyone who wanted to deceive him.

To make a mockery of Noah Blackwood was to make a mockery of his title and the history of all that he knew and held dear. Just how she’d managed to fool him was still a mystery and was something she’d refused to expose, even after being tortured.

Walking into the ballroom of the over the top Aspen mansion her scent filled him instantly as he inhaled deeply. Among the many women gathered in the room, were those that didn’t care, those that didn’t like men and more than one wearing a very cheap perfume that wouldn’t even entice an Omega enough to check it out. Among all of them, Noah knew his true mate was hiding among them.

The Alpha of the pack spoke as Noah came to his senses. His eyes scanned the room, every single face that stared back was scared and hopeful, some bordering on desperate.

In the back of the room he noticed a girl standing off on her own, she stared directly at him and seemed a little nervous, of all the girls in the room Noah got the most energetic feeling from her, but the way she returned his gaze made him second-guess himself. She looked horrified and somewhat scared.

How could that be? From everything his mother had told him it should have been different, she should have recognised their bond instantly, so why did she look scared of him?

He soon realised something was amiss and when another female popped out from behind the one that held his gaze his heart stopped. Noah had heard stories about the instantaneous and overwhelming feelings one would have at replaceing a mate but never thought it would be so strong.

He remembered the stories relayed to him while he was growing up, his mother and sisters often had a great time making him agonise over what kind of mate Noah thought he would have when old enough. Despite their silly games, Noah would sit and listen for hours and fantasise about his future. Despite knowing what everyone expected of him from a young age, the one thing he looked forward to in his life was replaceing his mate. The cynical often called him silly, but others called him a romantic.

He felt a multitude of emotions as he gazed upon the curious face staring back at him. She was young, that was the first thing he noticed. Noah himself was in his late twenties and was considered old to be replaceing his mate. Now that he had caught a glimpse of her he knew things would be alright, despite her youth she looked decent.

Stealing his gaze from her almost saddened him but it was at that moment he realised everyone was staring including the Alpha.

“Apologies Alpha Thornton but I believe my search is over.” Noah’s voice was clear, as were his feelings and he didn’t think if fair on all the ladies present if he went around meeting them all individually when he knew there was one in the room meant for him. He noted that after his little announcement many sad faces were staring back at him, but that was not something he could help.

“Is it me! Please pick me,” Madeline ran towards Noah in a desperate attempt to gain his attention and affections. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly, “please pick me,” she whispered, “and you can do anything you like to me, anything." Though everyone knew what she was like Madeline’s plea astonished everyone, including her father and it made Noah wish the ground would open up and swallow her whole. For a moment she stood there smiling and grinning like she’d won the best prize in the world but her disillusioned need to run away from her small town and her small town life blinded her. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

“Yes take her!” Indie cried as she stared at the man nervously. Despite her wish for Madeline to go in her place Indie knew it would be that easily achieved. As much as Indie wanted to hide away from him and not acknowledge their bond seeing Madeline hanging from his arm made Indie want to rip Madeline’s perfectly made-up face to shreds.

Everyone watched as he tore his hand from a very hurt looking Madeline. “But why?” She gasped loudly, “Why can’t it be me! I deserve riches and fame and followers. Not her!” Madeline stomped her foot against the marble parquet floor and stared furiously at the future Alpha King.

“She must be desperate if she’s willing to make that big of a scene in front of the big guy,” Poppy cringed visibly and stepped away from Indie, in anticipation for what was to come.

“Hey, where are you going!” Indie couldn’t help but protest at the sudden abandonment that forced her to stand up straight and acknowledge Noah’s presence.

“I’m sorry, but I bet you he is going to come barreling over here and I don’t want to get in the way of pure awkward perfection,” Poppy smiled as warmly as she possibly could. She and many others were hurt that it wasn’t them chosen, but Poppy knew deep down that if it wasn’t her, then Indie was the next best. Madeline didn’t deserve it, she didn’t deserve anything.

All eyes turned and rested on Alpha Noah and the extremely cringe-worthy situation he was in with the self titled princess of Aspen. Of all those gathered in the ballroom none wished to be in his position as he dealt with Madeline. “Alpha Thornton I believe you have lacked in discipline when it comes to your daughter.” Noah began with great disappointment in his voice. He needed all of his disciples well trained and able to take orders. It seemed that Madeline was the only one in the entire room that thought she was above everyone else, even the future Alpha King himself.

“Madeline please you’re embarrassing me,” her father pleaded with her quickly as he tried and failed to pull Madeline away. Alpha Thornton was a good Alpha, and he did as he was told to by Noah and his father.

Noah turned his attention to Madeline completely, “Miss Thornton,” he said with a voice as gentle and as calm as any man in his spot could muster, “listen to me and listen well for I will only say this once.” Everyone looked and listened intently as Madeline looked up at Noah with nothing but love in her eyes, love that one should only have for their mate. “If you choose to carry on with this behaviour I will have no choice but to punish you.” He grew deathly serious then and made sure she listened to every single word he spoke, “if you choose to stand between that young woman and me there you will suffer the ultimate punishment, and I will lock you away and keep you from your family till the day that you die. Do you understand?”

With that Madeline took a step back, the look on her face changed, and she instantly grew to regret all the words she had said to him. So desperate was she to have what she wanted and what she thought she deserved that she would put herself in a precarious situation without so much as a decent thought. She dropped her head and stared at the floor as tears gathered in her eyes, she was destined only for small-town fame, nothing more.

Alpha Thornton finally grabbed Madeline away as the first silent tear rolled down her cheek. She was so envious of Indie and always had been. Indie Jones had a way of making things look effortless, she breezed through life with a carefree attitude and a genuine smile, and everyone loved her for it, even if she dressed like a rag doll. It was something Madeline wanted t crush, she wanted to take everything from Indie but it looked like that would not happen anymore.

Finally free to enter the room and approach the curious creature he was destined to spend the rest of his life with Noah couldn’t help but let himself feel a multitude of things. On the surface, he held himself together, but on the inside, he was very much falling apart. The memories Medea, the woman who had tricked him, filled his mind with worry and his heart with doubt as he gazed upon the woman in the dress he recognised as his mate. Was it true? Or was his mind playing tricks on him?

Taking it step by step he felt more than a little intimidated with so many women surrounding him. It unnerved him knowing they were all there for one reason. It had always frightened him knowing they were all there for him. Though he was never shy or insecure things had changed recently, and he wasn’t sure it was entirely for the better.

As Noah walked towards his future, he became more and more enraptured by her. She was a beautiful sight to behold. He noticed that the closer he got to her the straighter she stood, an odd effect he found he had on people. She looked to the side for the blond-haired girl she’d been hiding behind and wasn’t sure why she seemed so scared of him.

Finally, what after felt like an eternity he came to a standstill before her. His mind raced with a million thoughts, but all he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and go home. Unfortunately for Noah, he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Matters of the heart were never straightforward.

“May I speak with your friend?” He asked the girl next to her. She seemed almost giddy at the request and nodded her head. Annoyingly though the girl he wanted to talk to would not even look him in the eye. She acknowledged his presence by bowing her head, but she stayed bowing her head.

“I’m sorry Alpha Noah you’ll have to forgive her quietness,” the friend then turned her attention to his mate, “Indie stop being a dick! You’ll have to man up and talk to him eventually.” The blond haired girl managed to get a response out of Noah’s mate. ” You’re going to have to leave with him too y’know? A Queen must be with her King.” Noah watched with a slight grin as she finally managed to get Indie to look at him, “I’ll just go wait over there but if I can do anything,” She raised a brow at Noah, “you just let me know.” She finished with a wink and a smile.

The pair were silent as they eyed each other silently. “Empty the room,” he stated simply as he cast a glance towards Alpha Thornton and the security team at the door. Some of the girls went willingly, others needed encouraging and others, like Madeline, needed to be dragged kicking and crying from the room.

Hearing a commotion both Noah and Indie looked towards the source of it. One of his personal security guards was standing in front of the blond curly haired girl. “Leo,” the Alpha King commanded of his third in charge, but there was no response. Leo stared at the girl with such stupor that it mimicked his own. “Well, it seems I’m not the only one to replace what I am looking for.” Noah smiled trying to break the concentration on Leo’s face.

Before long Noah lost interest in the pair and turned his attention back to his mate, “What is your name?” He questioned her with a certain degree of determination. Though he knew her name was Indie he wanted to hear it from her own lips.

She took a deep breath in and swallowed; she seemed more than a little nervous as she clasped her hands before her and began picking at one of her manicured fingernails. “Indie Jones, my King,” at the mention of King she curtsied and did not lift her head to meet his questioning gaze.

Noah grinned, he couldn’t help it. Her name was as peculiar and unique as she was. “Tell me, Indie Jones,” he wondered curiously if that was her real name, “why were you hiding from me?”

At his question, Indie couldn’t help but look up at him in shock, “I um..” She to answer him but her words came out as an incoherent scramble of nothingness. Indie searched her brain for answers but had none she knew would satisfy him. “I didn’t want to come here tonight.” She replied honestly as she let her shoulders slump. “I didn’t think I would even get a second look with so many other beautiful girls here so when you walked in I kind of just..,” She sighed heavily at the thought but offered no more.

Noah saw the visible distress plague her features as she struggled for words to say, “why didn’t you want to come?” He questioned her with great patience. Noah surprised himself more than a little bit. If it were anyone else, he would have demanded all answers at once, but he found himself cherishing her company and awkwardness.

Indie pointed at her dress, “I didn’t want to be paraded around like a Barbie doll for your pleasure. I don’t wear dresses or makeup. I barely own a hairbrush, and the dress I bought for this occasion was stolen out of my car” She muttered quietly hoping he wouldn’t catch any of it.

“Someone stole your dress?” He queried her again. “Did you report the matter to the Alpha?” He added quickly, Noah hated to think that anyone would take the time to steal something as silly as a dress from another. He watched her as she shook her head quickly, “why?”

Indie struggled with an answer. She didn’t want to throw Madeline under the bus, but she was sick of Madeline getting away with everything. “I didn’t say anything because I believe it was the Alpha’s daughter trying to sabotage me for tonight.”

Looking him in the eye was difficult, but Indie finally managed to but was met with a hesitant, perhaps he was replaceing it hard to believe what she’d said? Indie relaxed a little however when he grinned and chuckled a little bit, “well, look how that turned out for her.” With a little laughter Noah relaxed and loosened up a little bit, the pressure of the entire evening had been taken off of him a little, and now he could enjoy himself. “Is the evening really all that bad?” He asked another question, hopeful it would be an affirmative answer.

“No,” Indie replied instantly. “but you don’t know what hell it’s been shopping for dresses and the torture of getting my hair and makeup done, and now you’re standing there I can see my future, and it’s everything I don’t like.” Despite the strong feelings she had for him already and the desire to want to be with him that very second she couldn’t help but feel disappointment at the life she wanted but would not get to live.

Indie wasn’t the only one that was disappointed, Noah had been through hell looking for his mate, and now that he’d found her she didn’t want to be with him, it was not exactly what he’d expected. Perhaps the Alpha’s daughter would have been a better match for him.

“I am sorry for your disappointed Indie,” Noah stood a little straighter as he stared down at her, she seemed confused, but he didn’t know if that was his doing or her conscience fighting with her. “I’m sure you have heard stories of my last mate, the pain she made me endure for her own selfish needs. Now that I know my true mate exists, that you exist, you will be by my side at all times.” Part of his demand came from a need to feel power, but it also came from a place of deep insecurity.

“Yes, Alpha.” Indie bowed to him suddenly as she pondered her future and the many things in it. She also wondered what would have been worse, living with a man she felt an intense desire towards but had no feelings for or dying. She was deathly afraid of the latter so that only left her with one option.

“May we speak properly later this evening?” He gazed at her disappointed face hopefully. “I believe there is a large crowd waiting outside.”

Her heart stopped in her chest as her head snapped up, she looked at him in astonishment and fear, what would her parents say? What about her brothers? Noah seemed more than a little serious, but she saw a glint of amusement staring back at her. She found herself wondering if her terror amused him.

Noah held his hand out for her to take suddenly. He was ready to introduce the world to his mate and to enjoy his evening in the strangest pack he held dominion over. He couldn’t help but stare down at Indie curiously; there was just so much he wanted to know, and so much he had to replace out, she was mysterious and rebellious it seemed, but that was something he was willing to work with if it meant having the other half of his soul.

“Come, let us begin the evening so that we may end it together,” Noah was confident that she would fall for his charms. He was confident that he would get what he wanted and he was confident she would bend to his will. He was the future Alpha King after all, who didn’t wish for what he had?

As Indie took his hand, however, he felt something unexpected. Something that he hadn’t felt in a long time and even though she was a total stranger he somehow respected her, wanted to comfort her and hold her. He wanted the closeness with her without the need for sexual intimacy, what was happening? Surely Noah was sick. There was undoubtedly something wrong with Noah.

“It won’t end as together as you might hope,” Indie muttered as they walked towards the door. She couldn’t help but grin as she felt his body tense a little, she wasn’t going to give in to him so quickly, and if he thought she would then things would prove to be more than a little unusual.

Though Indie was his mate she knew she would not lose herself to him, she would not let her desire rule her.