The Alpha's Forbidden Bride

Chapter 8

~EDEN~

As I walked into the palace, the first thing I saw was James at the top of the stairs, watching me. I felt my body tremble with desire at just the sight of him. The heated look in his eyes completely held me in place, for a moment I couldn't even move an inch. I quickly looked away, however. My brothers had explained to me how important it was that I stayed away from James during my stay here.

Even I found it weird that Hunter had agreed to let me stay here. The way he'd spoken, the questions he'd asked, it made me believe that he surely knew about my mate.

So why would he let me go on my own without the protection of the council?

They'd made sure I remained a virgin, completely untouched. All of that had been saved for Hunter. In fact, the closest I'd been with a man was in the woods with James.

I knew it was completely normal that I wanted to be held only by him, he was my mate after all. But it hurt to think of another man touching me. That was something I knew I would have to eventually get used to and I wasn't sure I would be able to live through that.

Without even realizing it, my eyes were on my mate again.

I forced my gaze away from James once more as Lucy rushed to my side with a bright smile on her face. She was glowing, the kind of glow that a woman only achieved when she was pregnant and happy. Her baby bump was growing at an alarming rate, but that was normal for werewolves. "I'm so happy that you're finally here and away from that dreaded place!" She cried before wrapping her arms around me.

I returned her hug, happy to be in her embrace. Having not seen my sister in years and finally being able to be around her was a blessing I didn't know would ever come.

Austin, her mate and husband took my hand in his. There was an edge to him, it told me that he was worried about something. He must be concerned about James, I could already see it in his eyes that he wasn't going to sit back and just watch while I was here. James wanted me and he didn't hide it, he was determined to have me. So, it made sense that Austin would be worried, the safety of his brother would constantly be on his mind.

"It's a pleasure to have my mate's sister here with us," he said as he let go of my hand.

I smiled, "thank you for having me."

I stole a glance at James once more and held my breath at his penetrating gaze. The man had the power to make me feel things I'd never once experienced before. But more than anything, I loved how much he wanted me. He wasn't afraid to show it, not to his family, not to the council, not to anyone.

That thought completely warmed my heart. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a mate that fought for me, to have someone that loved me unconditionally. I let myself dream of these things even though I already knew that I could never have a mate.

What hurt more than anything about my contract marriage to another man was to know that James was the mate chosen for me. He was perfect, everything I've ever wanted in a male. He possessed all of the qualities that I admired, I knew this without even having to spend a decade with him.

Someone cleared their throat and it was only then that I realized I'd been staring at James the entire time.

I tore my gaze away from him to see Lucas grinning at me. The younger brother was a splitting image of both Austin and James.

"Well this is awkward," he noted. My cheeks flushed at his words. I'd definitely been caught in the act, if anyone was watching, I'd already failed the test. It was only a few minutes since I'd arrived and already I couldn't look away from James for even a few seconds without turning back to him.

Lucy looked as though she was trying not to laugh.

"You'll get used to Lucas, trust me." She teased as she playfully hit his arm.

He grinned at her. "I always knew you liked me since the very beginning."

"Lucas." Austin growled, annoyed by his comment.

He held up his hands and grinned. "What? I was only speaking the truth."

He grabbed a bowl of nuts from the table as he waved at us, walking backwards. "I'll see you guys later, enjoy!" He shouted as he continued to wave.

"My parents aren't home right now, as soon as they return with my sister Maya, they will give you a proper introduction and a tour of the palace, if you want." Austin told both Isabella and I.

His body suddenly tensed and I knew why, for even my belly did a little flip flop as a certain masculine scent hit me. James was closer now, he glanced at Isabella before his eyes returned to me.

He walked past Austin and gently took my hand in his. "I hope you enjoy your stay with us."

I felt tingles all throughout my arm by just the feel of his rough hand on mine. To my surprise, he took his thumb finger and gently rubbed on my skin. I gasped, completely shocked that such a simple touch could make my body ache with desire.

He suddenly let go, too soon for my liking. My hand still tingled from his touch and a part of me, a part that I didn't know existed, wanted to pull his hand back and let him touch me as he pleased.

I felt my cheeks burn at my wild thoughts. I'd never had these before. It felt like James had somehow awakened something deep within me, something that was buried and only waiting for him.

"Alpha!"

All gazes turned towards the sound. There was a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes standing at the entrance, she was dressed in a short black dress that showed off her figure nicely. Her eyes glanced at me for a quick second and for some reason, it seemed to me that she didn't like me.

Surely, that couldn't be true.

I didn't know that woman, she had no reason to dislike me.

Then she gazed at James almost lovingly. The look in her eyes tore at me. I could feel jealousy stir at the sight.

Mine.

I froze.

My wolf chose this time to get possessive and claim her mate? That was never a good sign. It meant that she also saw the same thing that I did.

This woman wanted James.

I didn't know how to feel about that.

It wasn't like I would ever have the opportunity to be with him, but I still never thought about him being with someone else. I realized that everything hurt a lot more now that this thought had entered my mind.

"What is it Clara?" James asked as he approached her.

"The pack wanted to discuss something important with you. I just thought that I should come tell you."

His brow rose at her words. "Why didn't you just send it through the mind link?"

Her cheeks flushed. "I was already close by."

"Well that's definitely a lie." Isabella mumbled next to me.

I guess I wasn't the only one that saw straight through this girl.

"Well, since James will be preoccupied, why don't we get some meat on the grill?" Austin asked. "I'll also show you two to your rooms, Lucy helped decorate the both of them for you."

I forced a smile on my face. I felt my eyes narrow as I watched James leave with the Clara girl and heard myself sigh.

I didn't think I was about to enjoy my stay here. . . 

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A/N:

Hi my beautiful readers. So I've seen some of the comments in the last chapter and realize that there are some misconceptions about this book. The book is not completed, I don't understand why some of you are seeing anything in the app that says it's completed. I do write and upload the chapters as fast as I can. The book will most likely be completed by the middle of August, so it's really up to my readers whether or not they prefer to wait till the story is finished before continuing. To my readers who have been with me since the beginning, thank you for explaining to other readers who may not know, your support always means so much to me. To my new readers, thank you also for showing your support to me. I'm always happy to read your lovely comments.

Now, I'll discuss the updating schedule. My plan was to start daily updates from today, which means one chapter per day. However, I visited the doctor today, since many of you may already know that I've been really sick for the past two months. They plan on sending a camera down my throat to check for tumors or anything that could be wrong with me. So, depending on what results are shown, I may or may not be able to do the daily updates until next week. I'm honestly scared because I am a person who gets nervous and anxious easily. Thank you to my readers who are constantly praying for my well-being, I'm sure your prayers are helping.

Once again, thank you to all of you for your amazing support, I'm so grateful for all of you. Hopefully, everything goes well tomorrow and I can update like I originally planned to.

Lots of love,

Laura.