The Arranged Alpha Marriage

COMING CLEAN TO STRANGERS

SHANE'S POV

"Do you have any questions?", the queen asked looking at me with concern and a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"W-why? Why was he t-th-that way? Why did he treat his mate that way?"

"When we were young there was a girl that he loved, or thought he loved. She was not our kind and since she was not his mate, it was forbidden. From then on he was different. Crazed."

"What happened to her?"

"She left, we never saw her again. We heard rumors that she had a child with her own kind and later was killed."

"I had a mate. I hurt her too.", I confessed feeling like even more of a piece of s**t after everything I have heard.

"When you have a mate, sometimes mistakes are made. Perhaps you can fix things and grow from them."

"I don't know if I can. She has a second chance."

I finally looked up at her after I heard her gasp. Her reaction is to be expected since it is rare to get a second chance mate and even more so when your first is still living. I guess that just goes to show just how shitty I am.

"Who is she? A girl from the pack you grew up?

"Emma."

This time I heard a gasp fromboth, the king and queen, as they looked at one another dumbfounded. Am I missing something here? Why are they so shocked? Did they not see our reaction at the front entrance?

"Your cousin's mate, Emma?"

Fuck. f**k. f**k me. My cousin?!

"Huh?"

"He is our son. When her parents' called about creating a merger for the packs, we didn't even think of declining. They are the second in power and they took you in all those years ago without a second thought."

"I get it, yeah."

I felt so defeated. I excused myself and made my way outside and soon found myself wondering around a garden towards the front of the property. How can fate be so cruel? I don't know what I did in my past life to end up this way, but damn. I thought I could get her back, but my cousin? How can I compete with family? Someone with a clean slate and no f**k ups? A mother f*****g prince for goddess sake?

EMMA'S POV

When I opened my eyes, I could still feel his arms around me. I struggled to get out without waking him and ended up falling on my ass in the process. I need fresh air. I went to the balcony to look out at my favorite view since I arrived. The garden. Oh no. Oh no no. Oh no no no. Why? Why when I come to take a breather, there he is. He looks so sad sitting by the pond like that. Sigh. I turned around and went into the bathroom locking it behind me as I slid down the door. What am I doing thinking about how he is feeling? What about how Aaron is feeling? He feels sad and as if he is losing me when he just found me. He feels like he is grasping at straws when he tries to be present about my feelings and here I am wondering how that asshole in the garden feels. Aaron, I really do not deserve you.

Knock. Knock.

"Babe, you in there?"

"Yeah, be out in a minute."

I jumped up and quickly washed away my tears and cleared my head before opening the door. He pulled me in for a hug and a light peck on the forehead.

"I am sorry for overreacting."

"It's okay. I am going to go for a walk.", I explained as I walked out of the room and headed straight to the garden.

We need to talk and get everything out there. There has got to be a reason why the goddess has let this bond remain even after he rejected me, but why give me Aaron? It is making things super complicated and I don't get it at all. As I came around a rose bush, I ran directly into something hard and firm. I looked up and it was him. It was Shane towering over me.

"Oh, um, sorry.", he mumbled looking down at me.

"It is okay. I uh actually came to talk."

He looked at me with a gleam in his eye before he nodded.

"I don't know why I still feel the bond-"

"I still feel it too.", he interrupted.

"BUT, maybe I need to reject you as well. I am engaged to your cousin now and he is my second chance."

"Oh, but do you still love me?"

Do I still love you? Do I still love him? Do I? I shook my head nervously.

"After everything I could never trust you."

With that said, I walked away before he could speak. My mind is already in a mess. He reached and grabbed my waist and pulled me back into him I gasped at contact.

"Tell me you do not love me and I will let you go."

His hold was firm, and I trembled in his arms. I could still feel the sparks. I quickly pulled away and hastily ran away.

AARON'S POV

I walked out of the bathroom wondering where she ran off to in such a hurry when I heard voices from below the balcony. I looked down to see Shane extremely close and towering over Emma.

"Oh, um, sorry.", he mumbled looking down at her.

"It is okay. I uh actually came to talk."

He looked at her for a moment before he nodded. Why does she want to talk to him without me knowing?

"I don't know why I still feel the bond-"

What the f**k? What bond? She is my mate.

"I still feel it too.", he interrupted.

"BUT, maybe I need to reject you as well. I am engaged to your cousin now and he is my second chance."

Reject him too? Second chance? What the?

"Oh, but do you still love me?"

Well, does she? She shook her head nervously.

"After everything I could never trust you."

With that said, She walked away before he could speak. He reached and grabbed her waist and pulled her back into him and she gasped at contact. She has never gasped when we touch that way..

"Tell me you do not love me and I will let you go."

His hold was firm, and she was trembling in his arms. She didn't answer, she just quickly pulled away before running off. So I am her second chance? My cousin is her first mate? Why would she hide all of this from me? Reject him too? So, he rejected her? What a f*****g i***t, man. Now, we have to get to the bottom of who does she love? As long as she is happy I could concede, but only if I knew that she was where she was meant to be and treated as the queen she is in my eyes. I can feel Andre enraged,burning with jealousy, but I can't let him out yet. If he gets out of control, it could cost us Emma all together.