Mated to the Devil

Chapter 6

We decided to keep our choice between us for now. The pack just wouldn't understand and they would not be happy about their future Alpha's actions. I felt guilty for being a reason that anyone would dislike Bryce or hold any ill feelings towards him, I loved and cared about him too much. I pushed my guilt aside. Willing myself to remain in the moment and be happy with Bryce. Aria hadn't spoken to me since I decided to go ahead with the mating ritual with Bryce despite us not being mates. She howled in protest and retreated to the darkest corners of my mind, whimpering for our mate we haven't even met.

It had been a few days since my birthday, and I had received everyone's sympathies and pity, through mindlink and in person, it seemed as if everyone in the pack felt like mourning the death of our relationship as well. I only hoped this meant that they would celebrate our union once we went ahead with the mating ritual. We planned to do it privately this evening, with Bryce due to come over to my apartment after the merger.

Alpha Bran made treaties with a small nearby pack called the silver lake pack, they were very similar to us and had the same views as Alpha Bran that we needed to stick together with the imminent threat of the expanding Bloodmoon pack and the disappearing supernatural women that seemed to have revved up these past few days, almost doubling. There were now 25 women missing, all unmated as it seemed and from different species, packs and backgrounds with no leads or even a whisper as to where they went, I wasn't even sure if anyone was looking for them. Alpha Bran had handled all the negotiations and signed the merger already, the Alpha of the other pack, Alpha Zen so I'm told, is much older and wanted to relinquish his Alpha duties over to Alpha Bran, he had reigned for a long time and only had daughters, all of which had mated into other packs, none of them an Alpha. All that was left was for the ceremony to take place this afternoon where we all had to attend and open the pack link to our new members.

I had spent the morning spring cleaning my apartment, wanting it to be perfect for this evening when we returned after the merger. I stacked all my music notes neatly. I did all the dishes, folded all my washing and even laid out some new decorative cushions I  just bought.

The place looked good, I thought to my self as I sat down on the ugly green couch and started opening the box of candles, I was planning on illuminating the entire apartment in different coloured and scented candles, I wanted this to be as special as it could be given the secretive circumstances. It's not like we could just both disappear for a weekend away. Not now.

I had just set out my third box of red candles all scattered out throughout the apartment when I heard a knock at the door. I began to panic, if anyone came in and saw the place and clean and candles all sprawled out, they would no doubt know I was up to something romantic and piece together what was happening, either that or they would think I was into some culty s**t. I didn't need anyone trying to intervene or talk us out of this. I had made up my mind. This was what I wanted.

My eyes darted around the apartment, looking for a quick solution and trying to calculate how long it would take me to shove all the candles away. Deciding that it was too long, I tiptoed over to the door to look through the peephole.

My brother stood there, cross armed and staring right back at me through the peephole. He looked pissed.

I composed myself before I cracked open the door and stepped through into the hallway closing the door behind me, trying to keep my nerves in check. Izaak knew me well and always knew when I was hiding something as a kid.

He raised a brow at me before finally talking.

"What are you hiding" he hinted, his eyes narrowing as he tried to figure it out.

"Nothing" I replied, my voice sounding a few octaves too high. "What's up?" I covered quickly, trying to change the direction of the conversation.

Izaak hesitated for just a split second before he shook a thought from his head," I just wanted to speak to you about the abductions and make sure you are actually being safe and not just living in your own musical world" he announced, using his hands in the air to accentuate the last part.

"Well thanks for your concern, but I'm actually quite safe as always, not only that but I can take care of myself" I snapped, frustration nipping at my words. My brother and father always seemed to forget I too was a warrior of this pack.

"Okay, calm down!" He said softly. A smile tugging at his lips. "I actually also just wanted to see how you are doing". His obsidian eyes softening as they looked at me.

"I'm okay," I replied, crossing my arms and leaning back against my closed door.

"What are they doing about the missing girls anyway?" I probed, eager to change the subject from it's current direction.

My brother mimicked my action and leaned back against the hall wall, putting one of his legs up for added comfort. He was wearing grey sweat pants and a black singlet vest, something he often wore for training.

"Well, King Lucifer finally has wind of the situation and has sent his son to assist with the investigation" Izaak explained, looking as if he wasn't completely sold this would be any help.

"I didn't even know he had a son." I concluded, realising how little we actually know about the so called royal family that governed our kind.

"He has three sons, one of which is going to take the throne" He replied, looking down the hall to where a little boy was pushing his bike back to his apartment.

"I wish they had taught us more about our origins and our King", I huffed, "you would think that being Lucifer and all that he would remain on the throne indefinitely".

"I guess they just never thought there would be a need to teach us, we are small, integrated with humans and quiet", he added, shifting his weight on the wall a bit.

"So when are you going to tell me what you're hiding in there" he questioned, a stern look on his face as he glared at me for answers I didn't want to give.

"What do you mean?" I replied, trying to not let the surprise filter through to my eyes and voice in an attempt control my body from twitching under his gaze.

"Come on Arabella, I think I know when you're hiding something from me." He hinted, his obsidian eyes boring holes into mine. He knew that if he stared me down hard enough I would crack. But I couldn't, not today.

"Nothing, I'm not hiding anything" I covered up, forcing a speculative look on my face in hope's to convince him.

"Fine, then you wont mind if I just use your bathroom quick before I leave?" He challenged, pushing himself off the with his back foot and taking two steps towards me, reaching forward as if to open the door behind me.

I grabbed his arm before it reached the door knob.

"I'm sure you can hold it until you get home, my place is a mess", I conceded, keeping my breath even and masking my frantic mind.

"Okay so we're doing this now", he said, gesturing between us with his other hand. "Lying to each other".

I stiffened. His words slashed at me like a whip. We never lied to each other. He was the one person on this earth I trusted whole heartedly, so why couldn't I just tell him my plans? Because he just wouldn't understand. He's blindly loyal to this pack and the mate bond. He would never agree to me going ahead with this.

Defeated. I stepped aside and opened the door.

Izaak took a step inside and looked around, scanning his surroundings as if he were in a foreign world. Probably not used to seeing the place so clean and in order. I watched the expressions and emotions cross his face as he began to piece things together, taking note of the candles. Confusion, concern, realisation, shock, disbelief, anger all taking over his features one by one before he turned to me.

"You can't Arabella, I wont let you do this" He argued, looking at me for the first time with something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Why not Izaak? Why cant I be with the man I love?", I hissed, my own anger pushing me forward. "I don't give a f**k about some stupid mate bond, it's always been Bryce for me". I felt the tears stinging in my eyes.

"You are a werewolf, you have a duty to your wolf as well, who probably isn't on board with this whole thing". He snarled, his eyes yet again flashing an emotion again that I couldn't quite pinpoint while he gestured towards all the candles.

I held my ground. Staring into his eyes. Clenching my jaw so I didn't say anything further out of anger. Taking a deep breath to calm myself.

"This isn't right, you have a mate out there, and so does he," Izaak muttered, his voice a little softer as his shoulder slumped in defeat. Disappointment. That was the look I couldn't pinpoint. Not anger, not frustration but disappointment. I could handle many things from Izaak, but disappointment was not one I had to deal with before. The realisation cut like a cold blade through my back.

"We haven't met our mates yet Izaak, they wouldn't even know the bond is broken," I answered softly, glancing away from his penetrating disappointing gaze. "They wouldn't even know it ever existed".

"But you do Arabella", he reminded. His eyes starting to sparkle with a pleading hope, trying to remind me about a certain pair of honey eyes that I had been trying to avoid thinking about.

I stood there stunned, I hadn't exactly told anyone about the vision so how did Izaak even know? Then it dawned on me. Izaak had turned 21 too without his mate around, he must have had the same vision of his own mate.

"I know you have seen him Arabella, your mate, you must have seen a vision of him at your 21st birthday" he soothed, trying to change my mind on this whole thing, using my mate and the mate bond against me.

"It doesn't change anything, I have no idea who he is, where he is or if he even has the slightest idea I exist, what if he feels the way I do and has someone else in his life?" I argued, feeling a bit fatigued by this whole argument already, wishing my life had somehow worked out differently.

"That is just a what if, what if he does know and is searching? What if he is the best thing that is ever going to happen to you? come on Arabella, give him a chance?" He pleaded, his eyes searching my own for any kind of hope within them that I may change my mind.

"I love him Izaak", I responded flatly, signaling the end of this conversation. I turned on my heel and opened up the door, gesturing for Izaak to leave.

He sighed, shook his head, and walked out the door, the disappointment still clear on his face while he refused to look at me as he left. I wanted nothing more than just to reach out and hug him, for him to accept this and accept that this is what I wanted and what would make me happy, but I knew that would never happen. Izaak was far too strong willed and stubborn for that and so was I.

I shut the door and leaned my forehead against it, welcoming the cold door against my skin. A headache starting to form behind my temples.

I walked over to the couch and slumped down onto it, resting my head against one of the new white embroided cushions I had gotten. I just needed to get through the merger ceremony which would only be a couple minutes. Then Bryce and I could slip out and come back here so we could officially start our lives together. Why on earth was something so right just so difficult. I closed my eyes thinking I may take a quick nap to stop overthinking things and curb the growing throb behind my temples. A set of honey coloured eyes flashed behind my eyelids causing them to snap open in shock.

I walked into the hall at the packhouse for the ceremony with my mom hoping she would be enough to deter anyone wanting to talk to me about Bryce. My mom had become very protective over me and had chased down everyone who brought up the painful reminder if Bryce in her presence.

I wore a navy sun dress and a pair of black heels, choosing to tie my hair up in a high bun to get some relief from the relentless afternoon summer heat. I glanced over at my mom as we took our seats near the front of the hall waiting for Alpha Bran to come in with Alpha Zen to complete the ceremony. Our pack members were socializing with theirs around the hall, I was too preoccupied in my own plans for after this ceremony to make any kind of friends right now. My eyes darted around for Ava, she had started attending these sort of events since she had officially join the pack, and felt a frown form on my face when I couldnt seem to spot her in the crowd.

Alpha Zen walked in first, causing his pack members to grow quiet and turn towards the front of the hall. Alpha Zen was tall and abnormally muscular. He was a giant, even in warewolf comparison. He had a fully silver head of hair, giving away his age, and deeply etched lines cradling his green eyes. You could tell he was handsome in his prime with a square jawline and smooth creamy skin. He had a certain kindness about him. He was a good leader. His mate followed behind him, she seemed to mirror him, equally a beautiful with long silver pin straight hair tied back into a pony. A slender muscular build and deep blue eyes with a small button nose, I was told her name is Luna Farrah. I liked her.

Alpha Bran entered the room next, his familiar face beaming back at his pack, a face so similar to Bryces yet slightly different in age. Bryce followed behind Alpha Bran, he always seemed to stir a string of emotions within me at his mere presence. He looked gorgeous in a white button down shirt that clung to every single bulging muscle that I knew off by heart and form fitting black jeans. His eyes immediately met mine when he walked in, a smile tugging at his lips. The unspoken words and excitement lingering between us. Only we knew what we were going to do later. Well us and now Izaak. I wanted to turn around and search for him at the thought. But could tear my eyes away from Bryce's grey eyes that seemed to now be turning into a frown.

I searched his face quizzinly, wondering what was going on with him. Perhaps Izaak was mind linking him? No, loyal Izaak wouldn't dare question his Alpha's motives. Would he? Bryce stiffened and looked around the room frantically, his eyes searching the crowd as he seemed to be taking deeper breaths before he stopped and locked his eyes on something, his face paling and his eyes widening in shock before darting to me and back to the crowd. I was starting to feel my own heart beat start to race. He was freaking out on stage and I wasn't quite sure why. The anxiety of it all was getting to me, I followed his gaze. Trying to locate what he was looking for or looking at.

I felt my breath hitch as I found the source. A woman stood in the crowd staring wide eyed in disbelief at Bryce before she uttered the words that shattered my world yet for a second time "mate"...

My world began to spin and I had to grab onto my seat as I began to process the scene in front of me. I couldn't tare my eyes off the woman. She had dark raven coloured hair that sat silky against her back, her olive coloured skin seemed a perfect contrast. She wore a pleated skirt and a dark red fitted shirt. She was beautiful in every sense. Her full lips parting slightly as she stared at her mate.. Bryce.

I felt a whirlwind of emotions that battered me senseless, I couldn't believe what was happening. Why was fate so cruel. Why me? I was gutted. I felt sick to my stomach, the bile making it's way up my throat before a cool hand touched my arm forcing my attention.

My brother pulled gently on my arm, signaling me to come with him but I just couldn't move, I was frozen in place, unable to make sense of anything, yet everything before me made perfect sense. I watched in horror as Bryce threw me an apologetic look before walking towards her, his f*****g mate.... I didn't even get a chance feel the tears start to form in my eyes before the stream started flowing freely from my eyes down my face, a sob escaping my lips causing the women to look my way, confusion clear on her face. I looked away, ashamed before I stood up and followed my brother out the hall my mother close behind me. Pack members patting me on the back as some twisted way of comfort that only seemed to force more sobs from my lips.

Author's Note

Hey Fam,

I've set up a ** page to show how I envision characters, plots, whats coming next and to chat about sequeals. Please give me a follow : @JRMool

Thank you for reading! 

Much love 

Xoxo