The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 7

“Nothing sir,” the older woman whose name appeared to be Becca answered as she then let go of Edwina’s hand.

His face scowled even more at her response, “I heard you, you were just saying something to her now, and now you tell me nothing’s going on? Lying to my face?”

Becca didn’t respond anymore, just bent her head as she trembled in fear, fear of saying any other thing so as not to make matters worse.

Edwina wasn’t staring at him, but still, she could feel him glaring holes into her face.

“Stephen.”

After hearing the alpha’s call, the butler didn’t need to be given further instruction as he hurriedly ran up the stairs to assist Mr. Chase down using the specially designed stair climber.

“Edwina,” he called her after Steven placed him in front of them.

She turned to face him, “Y-yes, Mr. Chase?”

“What was Becca telling you before I came?”

“Nothing sir.”

“You’re covering for her, aren’t you?”

She shook her head, “no sir. She was just welcoming me, that’s all.”

He stared at her more deeply, “welcoming you, huh?”

“Yes sir. Nothing more.”

He looked back and forth between her and Becca, and even though he didn’t seem convinced by what Edwina told him, he decided not to push any further.

Edwina will be joining me at the dinner table tonight as I earlier stated. Make sure she’s ready in thirty minutes,” he instructed before rolling his chair away into one of the adjoining rooms.

Ready? Thirty minutes? Edwina didn’t expect that she needed readying or anything like that, but when she realized that she had come here with her hair pretty messed up, and just ordinary clothes, she understood why Mr. Chase had looked at her that way.

It was Becca’s voice that got her attention next, as Mr. Chase had already left along with the butler.

“Thank you, Edwina. I’ve never expected anyone to lie to Mr. Chase because of me, but thank you.”

“It’s no problem,” Edwina didn’t seem to mind at all, as the last thing she wanted was anyone getting into trouble because of her.

Not wanting to create any more problems to lie about, Becca began leading her upstairs, “let’s not remain here any longer. You have to get ready, and we have less than thirty minutes for that.”

**********

After changing into a more fitting dress with her hair and make-up done, Edwina looked at herself in the mirror, pretty gorgeous. It’s been a long time since she looked this way, as she hardly went out for gatherings or any of the sort that would make her presence relevant.

“You have to go downstairs now, Edwina,” Becca complained after dismissing the beautician. “We have spent way more time than master gave us.”

Becca wasn’t lying. Even as much as she tried to make the beautician hurry up, she still spent an extra 20 minutes to beauty up Edwina’s face, but it was worth the time spent, as the young lady looked entirely different from how she’d come into this house.

“Yes, let’s go now,” Edwina stood up quickly, not wanting to put Becca into any more trouble as she hurried downstairs to the dining room.

***********

He’d been waiting for her longer than he’d expected, way longer than the time he gave her. He was a bit mad about this, he didn’t like to wait for anyone, especially one he’d just given a chance to speak in his presence.

He was already getting impatient before the doors opened and she walked inside, bowing with an apologetic face.

“I’m sorry I’m late, sir,” she spoke, not wanting to give any excuses, just to apologize first, but that was no longer in his mind.

The minute she stepped into this place, seeing the way she looked, he forgot all about his anger. How can one woman transform into an entirely different face within such short time?

He couldn’t stop staring at her until he noticed she was still standing. He pointed at the seat facing him, “sit down.”

He didn’t say anything about her lateness, nor did he seem to be mad, this surprised Edwina, but she didn’t bother much about it since he’d already told her to sit down. Although another thing surprised her, which was the manner in which this meeting was held. Normally, meetings like this with the alpha was always done in a more formal manner, usually in the pack house court, and rarely on a dinner table as this one, where they were meant to eat together.

She would do well to hide her surprise while she ate, as she had to focus on what was more important, on what had brought her here in the first place, which was trying to save the life of Ben and Sonia.

He began to address her as their empty plates were being cleared off, “now you have a chance to speak with me in a more fitting manner, Miss Sinclair. Make good use of this chance, you might not have it again.”

She took a deep breath as she thought of the first thing to say. He already knew what she wanted, why did she have to repeat it all over?

“I came here to plead with you, Mr. Chase. I know that all of your decisions are wise and for the betterment of your pack and people as a whole. I know that my coming here might not be as relevant, or might not even yield any results, but I just could not sit back and watch my family get killed without at least giving an attempt to save them. As I thought of doing this, I was scared, very scared that you might not be pleased with me for trying to change your mind, scared that I might even put my life at risk if I do or say anything in your presence that might land me in trouble, but when the scary thought of my family getting killed flashed before my eyes, I knew that nothing else could be worse than that.”

She realized she was speaking from her heart then, everything she said to him, she said with utmost sincerity, she wasn’t done though, the only reason she paused was because she wanted to get down on her knees for this part.

“I am begging you, Mr. Chase. I am begging you to please show them mercy. I know they did wrong; I am begging that if anyone should be punished at all, then let me take their place. If anyone should be killed at all, then let it be me.”

She was kneeling right beside him, but he didn’t turn to face her as he responded, only stared at the space in front of him. Her words, there were just a lot of things he did not understand about this omega.

“Edwina.”

“Yes sir?”

“Why? Why would you wish to take the place of those two who have treated you so badly? You not only come here to beg on their behalf, you are also willing to sacrifice your life for them as well. Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because I am nothing, sir.”

“You are nothing? Who told you that?”

“Everyone. Ever since my birth, it’s what I’ve been told by everyone, and I think it’s true. I don’t have a wolf; I don’t even carry my packs mark. I have no special powers nor abilities. My life is irrelevant, and if anyone should be killed at all, it should be me.”

“You don’t have a wolf, so you think that makes you irrelevant? You think that you deserve to die just because everyone has tagged you as “nothing?”

She wasted no time in answering, “yes, sir.”

Upon her response, he let out a short, sarcastic laugh, one which made her wonder what for.

“I must admit, Edwina, there are a lot of decisions I’ve made in the past which I regret today as an alpha, but there’s none that I regret more than listening to your father those years ago. I should have never let someone as purehearted as you go on to marry a man who never deserved her. I should have taken you instead.”

She didn’t understand these words of his, why would the alpha want someone like her for anything? He continued. “And that’s exactly what I’m going to do now, Miss Sinclair. You said you came here to try to save the life of your family, now you have the power to do that. I have placed the ball in your court, all you need to do now is play.”

Edwina never expected for things to go this way, she never thought he would even say anything in her favor.

“What do I have to do to save them, sir?”

“I do not like to force people to do things, so I’ll leave the decision to save them entirely up to you. You will agree to my decision to return to me, only then will I agree to overturn the judgment I made on them.”

“Return to you? I’m sorry, don’t understand your words, sir.”

“Let me break it down for you, we will exchange mates. You, my original mate will return to me, you will live here in this packhouse, and your sister, Sonia will return to the father of her child after they both serve prison time, as she made her choice on the man she preferred the minute I got on this wheelchair.”

Edwina was pleased with the little progress she made, but this new condition was one she didn’t see coming at all. Moving in here? With the alpha? Oh no.