The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 27

Edwina’s POV…

The last time I was sitting at this desk, glaring through his eyes and all the lies he had told me.

I hated myself for believing what he had told me all those nights when he came home smelling like expensive female cologne. Whenever I confronted him about my suspicions, he had flared up angrily and accused me of not trusting him.

I wish I had listened to my instinct and investigated more. I wish I had chosen not to believe him. I should have analyzed our situation and how often he had unofficial trips to go, and I should have followed him to some of his so-called work functions. But I was the faithful wife who always stayed home waiting for her cheating husband to return home.

If I am to be honest with myself, I had always known that Ben was cheating on me, and he had more skeletons to hide in his cupboard than he let me in on. But the only thing I had not expected was that he was having a relationship with my sister, my flesh and b***d. That was the height of deception for me, and it hurts especially coming from a man who had made me believe for a slight second; that I was wanted.

You know the ugly truth about lies; there is always a truth in what we try to feed ourselves to satisfy the nasty reality of the life we live.

My hands were tingling, and I kept tapping my legs on the floor, waiting for the door to open. I had sworn to myself to be stronger this time. The last time as soon as Ben called my name, I had run out of the prison, and I regretted coming when my heart was not ready to face my truth in this form. The door opened, and I knew the day of reckoning had come. If I couldn’t face him today, I am not sure there’s ever a world where I would be able to face him.

He walked into the room looking strained. There was a fresh wound cut on his face; it wasn’t there the last time I had come. He looked tired and weary. He only looked this way whenever he came back from the battlefield.

This place must be a living hell for him. I held my hand clenched together and kept my gaze on him. I didn’t want to keep thinking of all the hurtful things he had done to me when I could face him and ask why.

“Edwina, you are here again,” he muttered, his voice sounding hoarse and bitter. There was something about him that had changed in this place. I couldn’t place my fingers on it, but I knew he was different.

“I decided that I needed some answers,” I replied, almost whispering. I knew I had to sound confident and not weak. I am here to confront a part of me that has cost me a lot of pain. I needed to be fierce, even if it meant I would pretend to be.

“I have a lot of questions to ask you, I was looking forward to a conversation with you before you sheepishly ran out the last time you were here. I hope you know I don’t bite, right?” He was making a mockery of my weakness. I knew him so much to tell his devilish unfriendly comment wasn’t coming from a place of empathy but ridicule.

“Well, I am here now, aren’t I?” I asked with a smirk on my face as I realized this man had not so much grip on me as I thought. I knew all his tactics and childish attempts to play with my heart and emotions.

“Well, let’s hope you don’t run away again,” he said with a grin on his face, and I sighed.

“First of all, how is it finally being the Luna.” He wasn’t asking. I almost forgot that Alex had come here to cut the ties between Ben and I before getting married to me.

“Well, I guess that’s who I was always meant to be,”

He burst into an uproar of laughter, and I was infuriated by that. A lot of eyes were on us at this moment. I didn’t request a private room because I didn’t want to be in an enclosed space with him.

I placed my hands on the table in order to look more confident than I felt.

He smiled.

“Well two deformed people suit each other,” he retorted, and I grimaced. I knew what he was doing, but I wasn’t going to allow him to get to me, not today or tomorrow.

“I know what you are doing Ben, I know how your sick mind works and how crazy you get when you do not have control of your outcome__” I tried to combat before he interrupted me abruptly.

“I am not sure you know me that much.” He paused and smiled mischievously, “if you did, how come you weren’t aware when I was f*****g your sister right in your face?”

My hands tingled, I felt like reaching out to him and slapping him, but that would mean he has gotten his way and won a battle on what is and what is not.

I knew this had to be the time I gave the most silicon smile I could pull off.

“Well, I knew you were cheating, I didn’t know you could be that foolish to cheat on me with my sister who turns out to be the Alpha’s Luna. I knew you were dumb but I never thought that dumb,”

His veins appeared through his skull as he simmered in resentment.

“I can see f*****g a cripple man has made you bold to speak to me rudely,” he titled his head forward.

“Tell me, Edwina, does he f**k you the way I do? Or do you get to do all the hard work while he sits there like a log of wood,” I knew that was the height of it for me?

I came here for some answers, but my conversation with Ben was leading to that of resentment and bitterness. And I didn’t want it to take that route.

“Ben, what do you intend to do with the child my sister is carrying for you?” I asked. I didn’t come here to condescend to his level. I was way above that. I had learned to live through the pain, guilt, and shame. I am still living through it all.

“I don’t know, Sonia won’t speak to me,” he was much quieter now, and it was almost like he wasn’t the Ben who was just reigning insults on me and trying to agitate me.

“How did you try to reach out to her?”

I asked, and he glared at me. It was almost like he was reading through my expression to know if I was being sincere about it or not.

I was being sincere; I knew they had both done me wrong, and I should be angry with them. I am still mad at them if I am to be completely honest with myself. Sometimes I think about what they did and imagine how they would be making a big fool out of me.

I flashed back to a moment when Sonia had come to visit me, which was odd for me. I was on my way out to get some work done in the sizzler’s territory, and Ben was around. Sonia offered to wait for me at home till I was back, and I naively left her there. I can only wonder how many s*x positions they had done in my room. But with all that hurt and resentment, I couldn’t pour out my frustration on that child who is innocent of the sin of its parents.

“I reached out to her from the prison cell. Once she hears my voice, she hangs up the phone. I don’t know what to do,” he muttered, and for once, I could almost see the humanity in him.

“I can talk to her for you, but you are yet to tell me what you want to do with the child. You are stuck in prison and will probably be here for a long time. Because the Alpha resents you, he is not part of your biggest fan.” I explained to him.

He sighed.

“I don’t need the Alpha’s approval to be a father to my child,” he mumbled out.

“You say that and you know your fate is determined by him, your offense is much, I think you should help Sonia out,”

He gazed at me, and I could see the confusion in his eyes.

“How do I help her out?” He inquired.

“You can say you coerced her into a relationship with you, it would be an obvious lie, but the court would have to take your word for it and let her free. She would be able to take care of the kid and you would be part of that,” I explained to him, and all of a sudden, he burst out laughing again.

This time he was hitting the table loudly.

“Not everyone will foolishly sacrifice themselves, Edwina. I would rather escape from this place and have my freedom than foolishly sacrifice myself to Sonia or a kid that won’t get to know me as his father,”

My eyes widened then. Did he just say he wanted to escape?