SWNOVELS Chapter FORCED TO MARRY
Bella:
I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs as I asked my mother the question. She hurriedly shut the door, then faced me, shaking her head.
"Why would you say that, Bella?" she asked, and I shrugged.
"That day in your office, when Hazel talked about things that reminded you of the past, you glanced at me. You must not like me that much, and I definitely remind you of something you want to forget," I said, watching her shut her eyes momentarily.
"I do not hate you, Bella, and I never would. Of course, you remind me of my past because you are my daughter, and I've had you for sixteen years plus, and-"
"Mum, stop!" I cut her off, raising my tone, forcing her to fall silent.
I was tired of being driven around in circles. I wanted answers.
"I need to know what happened with you and Dad because it kills me every single time I think about it," I said, and she scoffed, shaking her head.
"You do not need to know everything, Bella, and it's called the past for a reason. So, do you want to grab lunch?" I stared at this woman as every inch of patience slipped away from me. Was she serious?
"No, I do not want to have lunch, and I'd rather be back at school with my friends who do not keep crucial secrets from me," I snapped, watching her brows wrinkle in frustration.
"They are your friends for a reason, Bella, and we are not mates. Parents aren't supposed to tell everything to their kids. We protect you from our pasts because-"
"And what if the past is hurting and haunting me? You still won't tell me anything about it? Because right now, that's exactly what it's doing. When I was at Ryder's place, Carmille told me her side of the story. She said it was your duty to tell me your side. I've been indirectly asking you for answers, and I'm on the verge of hating my father, and do you know how much that hurts, Mother?" I demanded, and she remained silent.
"I've tried to come up with a logical reason for whatever this is, and to be honest, I'm very tired. I hate that I will never know my parents' story, and I will never know what is right or wrong."
The room fell silent for a moment before she let out a sigh.
"If you really want to know the truth, then I'll tell you," she said, and a surge of mixed emotions rushed through me.
I wanted to know, but I couldn't deny the fear that whatever she was about to reveal could either break me or somehow set me free. Still, something in me was ready to listen.
"Whatever ill thoughts you have about your father, throw them out the window. He was a victim too, and I have forgiven him wholeheartedly, but we can never be happy together," she said, sending a wave of unpleasant emotions crashing through me.
My heartbeat quickened, and my stomach tightened as my mind urged me to stop before it was too late.
She began by telling me the story of how she had a misunderstanding with Alpha Fred and how she ended up in her father's cabin with my father.
Flashback:
THIRD PERSON POV:
stuck
Evelyn's world shattered when she heard that she would have to wed Herald. She wanted to wake up from the nightmare, to find herself still in the cabin, fast asleep. But as she pinched herself, she remained in the midst of angry pack members, ready to slaughter her and Herald for adultery if either of them refused.
"You will marry her!" the members of the pack echoed in unison.
"And according to tradition, the wedding will take place today in the afternoon. So prepare your children to stand before the Alpha and the priest of this great pack to unite them, in order to restore the lost dignity of our daughter!" the leader of the group of men, a gamma, said, and everyone seconded while Evelyn stood lifeless, trying to process the events unfolding before her.
At that moment, she hadn't yet discovered that it was all a ploy by her grandmother and Herald's mother, Kate. She glanced at Herald, who tried to speak to her, but she walked away with her grandmother, boarding a taxi that would take them back to the city. Her grandmother remained quiet the entire ride, and Evelyn felt terrible. She was probably disappointed in her, and the guilt of what she hadn't done gnawed at her. The worst part was her thoughts about Fred. It had been one stupid fight, and she hadn't meant to leave. They were meant for each other, but how would they get out of this?
She wished she had accepted Fred's offer. Maybe if they had been intimate, she would be marrying him instead of Herald.
As soon as the taxi stopped in front of their house, Evelyn spotted Fred standing outside with reddened eyes. He rushed to her, grabbing her roughly.
"Tell me this is a lie!" he yelled, shaking her. "Tell me you're not about to marry Herald Runestone, and this is all a big joke to get back at me for yesterday. Evelyn, please," he begged, but she stood there, unable to speak.
She, too, wished it wasn't true. She wanted everything to go back to normal, but in a few hours, she would be walking down the aisle with a man she barely knew.
"Fred... I... I am..." she stammered.
Her grandmother watched from the window with a drop of guilt, but she believed she had done the right thing to secure her granddaughter's peace.
"Evelyn, please," Fred leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her face away.
His words pierced her heart, but she had no choice.
"You should leave," she said, and he shook his head, holding onto her tighter. "Please go, Fred, and don't make this worse than it already is. You're the Alpha Prince, and you have a reputation to uphold. Don't let me ruin it."
She watched as Fred broke down in front of her, and all she could think about was how much pain she was causing him. She believed that if she kept dwelling on her own hurt, he would stay there, pouring his heart out. "Nonsense, Evelyn. We dreamed and talked about spending our lives together, and I'm sorry, but I will never take no for an answer. You are mine, Evelyn, and-"
She pulled her hands away, cutting him short. "I am not yours!"
"I will wed Herald Runestone in a few hours, and once I go to the Rune pack and become Luna, you will be dead to me. You will remain here, ruling over your pack, while I rule mine," she said, watching the life drain from his eyes.
"Eve..."
"Leave, Fred, or I will be forced to call your father. You know it's a taboo for a man to hold another man's wife like that."
Another man's wife. The words hit him like a death sentence, leaving him to wonder why he was still alive.
"I'll go, Evelyn, but I want you to tell me one thing, and I'll leave," he said, grabbing her hand. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me. Tell me that all this time, I've been deceiving myself, and you feel nothing for me. Tell me, Eve," he pleaded, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
This man was the love of her life, and this was the biggest lie she would ever tell. She wasn't lying about getting out of trouble or to sneak extra food; she was lying to get away from the man who owned her heart, and it didn't make
sense.
Taking a deep breath, she slipped her hands out of his grasp, looked him in the eyes, and said everything he had asked her to say.
"Okay."
That was his final word before he left.
Evelyn and Herald married that afternoon in the pack's temple. The Alpha was devastated, but he had no choice but to perform the rites. However, he didn't give his full blessing. His son had been hurt, and he couldn't let that go.
"May your marriage get exactly what it deserves," were his exact words instead of wishing them a prosperous union.